Books I Should Have Read Already, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Finished the second book so here are some thoughts. Note that there isn't a larger introduction or aside about the book since I did that in the first post. This will also be done via the handy dandy bulleted list

• Ok, I lied. One quick aside. But, still, bulleted list. In the last couple of days JK Rowling has been in the news especially after posting a manifesto defending her recent statements on gender and transpeople. I haven't read the manifesto but as someone who firmly supports trans folks and the determination that gender is inherently cultural and not purely biological, I don't think it would be something that excites me. It is tough to see fans feel so hollowed out by Rowling's statements and what seems to be a deep dig into the culture war trenches. As someone who was very taken aback by Orson Scott Card's toxicity (I loved Ender's Game and especially the Shadow series with Bean. Alas) I get it except HP is twenty times bigger than Ender's Game. It hurts. A girl I crushed on in college has an HP tattoo (That I never got as I stared at the back of her head in one of the umpteen Science Fiction classes) and I think if she still displays it proudly? I bet not. And rightfully so. For what it is worth, every HP book I got (Already on 3rd one and have some other ones in stock) are used or library copies. 
• Gideon Lockhart is a piece of shit and I hope he doesn't come back. And, yeah Ron is still my mans and boy I hope he doesn't die.
• Are Slytherin's going to be redeemed in the later books? Because, right now I hope not and they get crushed because its just pure dick baggery. I want some Fire Nation from ATLA vibes but its just pure mustache twirling. Like, kick these folks out if they have a latent time bomb monster that pops up every 50 years! Maybe its a balance thing like color black in Magic? Still got plenty of books.
• The mandrakes reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth, one of my favorite movies, so yay for that little aside. Going to have to go re-watch it. 
• Harry has some Sailor Moon vibes to him what with the MacGuffin's showing up at the last minute to save him. Sword and a phoenix ally? That is usually two seasons deep of upgrades for the hero.
• Are there other magical school that are not Hogwarts? Because could I go there where there aren't monsters and the looming threat of being collateral damage in Harry's story?
• I am liking this world and the wizardy a lot more than I expected. Thought I would be immune but here I am thinking what my wand would be made of and what I would specialize in going into my third year. Don't worry, those are surely coming in a later post. 
• Is this book set in 1992? Because when Nearly Headless Nick has his 500 year deathday party it says he died around 1492. I would guess since it is just a few years before when she wrote it. Still feels very timeless, but help me place it. Lucky I was not some British kid in 1992 or I would "Hey, ya think Harry liked....whatever British kids liked in 1992?"

On to the 3rd one.