CS16: Ginny and Dumbledore

Book and chapter share the same title in Chapter 16 of Chamber of Secrets. There were a couple of things that stood out to me when reading this chapter. These moments were about Dumbledore and Ginny.

Chapter 16 showed me how Dumbledore is a symbol of leadership, hope, and strength; not only to Harry, but to everyone in Hogwarts. His leadership is evident in the fact that exams are still on, to the dismay of the second years. McGonagall explains that it was Dumbledore’s request that things be kept running the same, that’s the only reason the school remained open, even through all of the attacks. Later in the Great Hall McGonagall is going to make an announcement, “I have good news,” she says. “Dumbledore’s coming back!” is the first guess shouted out. What a beacon of hope the Headmaster must be to illicit this kind of reaction. (As a side note, the fact that Oliver Wood’s guess is “Quidditch matches are back on!” is just so brilliant. JK Rowling has that great touch, that even in this tense situation she can still add a touch of humour and not have it be out of place.) Lastly, while concealed in the wardrobe Harry and Ron overhear the bad news that Ginny has been taken into the Chamber. The door bursts open and Harry thinks it must be Dumbledore for one second, come back to make everything right again. This shows the strength that Harry sees in Dumbledore.

What struck me about Ginny in this chapter is who she decided to trust. Upon hearing that later that night she will be reported as the attacker, Ginny feels the need to confess, and who does she choose to confess to, out of her whole family? Ron, and his friend, Harry. I found this really interesting because we don’t really see Ron interact much with Ginny in this book. In fact, Percy is mentioned as taking far more interest in Ginny this year than any of her other brothers. Perhaps, the couple of years that they spent at home alone, while all of their other siblings were in school or working, they created a bond that we don’t quite get to see in Chamber of Secrets. Or perhaps Harry, Ron’s best mate, made her choose to confess to him. We know she has a crush on Harry and knows a lot about him, she’s reported it all to Diary Riddle. She knows what Harry and Ron did at the end of last year, she probably thinks that they are best suited to help her out of her sticky situation.

Chapter 16 of Chamber of Secrets is chock full of content, but Dumbledore and Ginny stood out to me most. Dumbledore because even though he is gone from the school we are still getting reminders of his impact on the others in the castle. And Ginny because of her choice of confidant.

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