Holidays, A time everyone gets hyped up over, parents planning activities for the family to spend quality time with and school children jumping for joy. In my case, a holiday I would never forget is a fruitful one I expereinced five years ago, where my family and I spent six days in the land of K-Pop and ' kimchi '- Korea.
Finally, after ages of waiting, our family arrived in beautiful Korea. Stepping out of the plane, we could feel the chilly weather to our bones. Never experiencing that kind of weather, my siblings and I were totally excited. Passing through immigration and baggage claim, we were talking animatedly about our new surroundings. Since we went with tour group, we knew we were in good hands. Incident number one. We were supposed to take a bus to check in at the hotel, as instructed. I guessed I was overeager and without thinking. I ran to a random bus and knocked on the door. The young bus driver opened the door and looked at me with a puzzled expression. He started asking me something in Korean, which of course I did not understand. I tried to reply in English, but before I could make the attempt, my father quickly apologized to the driver and walked me back to the tour group who was watching from afar, shaking with laughter. It turned out that the bus I was running to was not the bus we were supposed to take. I dismissed my burning cheeks. I was glad I could be the butt of everyone's jokes on my first day in a foreign country.
It was a bit past lunch time when we were done checking in our hotel. Not doubt, everybody's stomachs were grumbling. Thank God after checking in, we were going to have our lunch and do a bit of sightseeing. At the restaurant, a delicious meal was already spread out for us. That was the first time we all tried kimchi, a spicy and sour vegetable side dish.I did not think it was horrible, buut I preferred the fish kimchi much better. We all ate using chopsticks, so that was kind or awkward for me and my siblings, as we were not skilled at using them yet. Being Malaysians, we were used to rice, so it was a good thing that the Korean meal included rice and a few other side dish, eaten from a Bento box. It was weird though, the rice was stickier compared to the rice we eat at home, mainly to make it easier to eat using chopsticks. There was also hot and scrumptious miso soup together with the meal. Since my sister and my brother did not like it much, I finished up theirs. I gulped the warm soup down my throat- a nice contrast from the shivering weather outside.
One of the highlights of our activities that we did in Korea was skiing. Everybody from the tour group was looking forward to that, even the 52-year old couple traveling with us. Since it wasn't fully snowing yet, the hill was covered with artificial snow. After grabbing our ski gear, we listen to a briefing by the instructor. He was very helpful, especially with us kids and the elderly couple. Feeling jumpy and hyperactive, me and my sister made our way to the cable car and successfully skied down a slope. I thought, " We're natural at this," and my sister could not agree more. Then, my brother started to throw a snowball towards me and my sister. It hit me, and we started having a small snowball fight of our own, just like in the movies! I guessed we got a bit out of hand and my sister accidentally hit a woman's back. when she turned around, she had this angry look on her face and started to walk towards us.I hurried my siblings to continue skiing with our parents,and we ran away before she cold catch us. Breathless, we giggled naively as we recapped the moment.
Shopping in Korea was also different compared to Malaysia. Its malls were packed with small shops or stalls on every floor. Big boutiques were not seen as much as the quaint kiosks. Nevertheless, I found shopping at their markets more enjoyable, especially because you could haggle the price. Their specialities were crystals, fabrics and outerwear. Apart form that, I also liked their wet markets , mainly because they were very clean and they did not have that fishy smell. There was also a treasure trove among the stalls of the wet market- a tiny shop which served grilled seafood. My family stepped into the shop and ordered some grilled fish.
They were so many things to on my memorable trip to Korean. Not only we got to spend quality time together as a family, but we also learnt countless new things and even discovered hidden talents. My father always said we should travel with an open mind and an open heart. This is when you get to see your capability to adapt to changes. Just enjoy the simple things in life and be thankful of what you have.
Saturday 23 July 2016
My first time driving
We pulled up in a next to empty parking lot besides a mosque near my home; it was about 10:30a.m as I looked down at the clock. My father got out and walked around to my door and told me to get out, I looked at him kind of somewhat scared not knowing what to think. He opened my door slowly and told me to get out, then told me that he thought I'd like to drive. I looked at him oddly considering I was only fourteen at the time and said "sure”.
I got out and ran to the other side half excited and half scared. I was thinking and somewhat hoping that it wouldn't be that hard and that it would be something like one of my favorite games 'Grand Theft Auto'. I got in and pressed my foot on the brake, put the car in reverse and went flying backwards. I soon realized that screaming would not make the car stop.
My father calmly looked over at me and said, "Try the brakes”, of course knowing exactly what would happen he braced himself as the car came to a screeching halt. Finally backed out of the parking space he had put me in, I put the car in drive and we went flying forward, also knowing this would happen my dad braced himself again.
He then told me that neither pedal needed to be pushed to the floor. I made it around the parking lot a few times it was kind of jumpy but I'm sure most people's first time is.
From there I kept driving in parking lots until I got better. The next thing I knew I had gotten my driving license and I was legal to drive. My mom took me down to a mall on my birthday and as soon as we got out my mom tossed me the keys and said, "I've been driving for 40 years I'm tired of it”.
I looked at her like she was crazy I had never driven on a road around other traffic, this proved to be interesting. I drove down NPE highway towards home, crossing over lanes of traffic and such just trying to get there. After that first time on the road I got better and better as most people did.
I got out and ran to the other side half excited and half scared. I was thinking and somewhat hoping that it wouldn't be that hard and that it would be something like one of my favorite games 'Grand Theft Auto'. I got in and pressed my foot on the brake, put the car in reverse and went flying backwards. I soon realized that screaming would not make the car stop.
My father calmly looked over at me and said, "Try the brakes”, of course knowing exactly what would happen he braced himself as the car came to a screeching halt. Finally backed out of the parking space he had put me in, I put the car in drive and we went flying forward, also knowing this would happen my dad braced himself again.
He then told me that neither pedal needed to be pushed to the floor. I made it around the parking lot a few times it was kind of jumpy but I'm sure most people's first time is.
From there I kept driving in parking lots until I got better. The next thing I knew I had gotten my driving license and I was legal to drive. My mom took me down to a mall on my birthday and as soon as we got out my mom tossed me the keys and said, "I've been driving for 40 years I'm tired of it”.
I looked at her like she was crazy I had never driven on a road around other traffic, this proved to be interesting. I drove down NPE highway towards home, crossing over lanes of traffic and such just trying to get there. After that first time on the road I got better and better as most people did.
My experience joining a rugby team
I have learned a great many things from participating in rugby. It has changed my entire outlook on and attitude toward life. Before my upper form in MRSM, I had low self-esteem and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges. Rugby has altered all of these qualities. On the first day of practice, the team warmed up with a game of touch play. The players were split up and the game began. However, during the game, I noticed that I didn't run as hard as I could, nor did I try to evade opponent's fullback and get open. The fact of the matter is that I really did not want to be thrown the ball. I didn't want to be the one at fault if I dropped the ball and the play didn't succeed. I did not want the responsibility of helping the team because I was too afraid of making a mistake. That aspect of my character led the first years of my boarding school life. I refrained from asking questions in class, afraid they might be considered too stupid or dumb by my classmates.
Yet my apprehension prevailed as I continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. I was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. Sometimes these fears came true. During my first few months of playing rugby, my position at Prop led me to play in the vital role on many occasions. On such occasions, I often made mistakes. Most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. Yet I received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes I had made. These occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. However, I did not always make mistakes. Sometimes I made great plays, for which I was congratulated. Now, as I dawn on my senior year of rugby and am faced with two starting positions, I feel like a changed person.
Over the years, playing rugby has taught me what it takes to succeed. From months of tough practices, I have gained a hard work ethic. From my coaches and fellow teammates, I have learned to work well with others in a group, as it is necessary to cooperate with teammates on the playing field. But most important, I have also gained self-confidence. If I fail, it doesn't matter if they mock or ridicule me; I'll just try again and do it better. I realize that it is necessary to risk failure in order to gain success. The coach have always said before games that nothing is impossible; I know that now. Now, I welcome the challenge. Whether I succeed or fail is irrelevant; it is only important that I have tried and tested myself.
Yet my apprehension prevailed as I continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. I was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. Sometimes these fears came true. During my first few months of playing rugby, my position at Prop led me to play in the vital role on many occasions. On such occasions, I often made mistakes. Most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. Yet I received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes I had made. These occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. However, I did not always make mistakes. Sometimes I made great plays, for which I was congratulated. Now, as I dawn on my senior year of rugby and am faced with two starting positions, I feel like a changed person.
Over the years, playing rugby has taught me what it takes to succeed. From months of tough practices, I have gained a hard work ethic. From my coaches and fellow teammates, I have learned to work well with others in a group, as it is necessary to cooperate with teammates on the playing field. But most important, I have also gained self-confidence. If I fail, it doesn't matter if they mock or ridicule me; I'll just try again and do it better. I realize that it is necessary to risk failure in order to gain success. The coach have always said before games that nothing is impossible; I know that now. Now, I welcome the challenge. Whether I succeed or fail is irrelevant; it is only important that I have tried and tested myself.
Game of Thrones (Season 1 Episode 1)
Three men of the Night's Watch ride out beyond the Wall after receiving reports that lawless tribes of wildings have been sighted near the border. One of them verifies this information when he finds the corpses of the group's men, women and children scattered in a frozen glade. He carries the news back to his comrades but before they can investigate further, the bodies disappear. As he searches the area, the forest fills with one of his comrades' screams and the gallop of the group's bolting horses. He then races through the trees and comes face to face with another surviving subordinate - moments before a shadowy creature with glowing blue eyes severs his friend's head and tosses it at Will's feet.
In the courtyard of Winterfell, the Stark family were enjoying themselves but their mirth is cut short, however, by news from the house's Master at Arms. They've captured a deserter from Night's Watch. Lord Ned Stark then brought all his sons to be present on the execution of the deserter. However, moments before he swing the sword, the deserter warns him about the White Walkers.
On their return to Winterfell, the party comes across a dead direwolf - a creature rarely seen south of the Wall. The wolf birthed a litter of pups before her death, and Jon Snow, bastard son to Ned, convinces his father that it's an omen: The direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, and Ned's five true-born children are meant to have the pups. As they walk away, Jon spies an albino runt cast to the side and takes it for himself.
In the throne room at King's Landing, the Silent Sisters perform death rights over the body of John Arryn, the Hand of the King. A message arrives at Winterfell saying that John Arryn is dead and King Robert is paying a visit. Ned knows this can mean that Robert plans to ask him to serve as the new Hand. The house is thrown into preparation, and when the king arrives he greets his old friend with a bear hug and immediately asks to visit the crypts of Winterfell. The Stark family throws a feast in Robert's honor, which the king thoroughly enjoys by getting drunk.
Jon Snow, on the other hand, is seated far from the royal table so as not to insult the queen with his low birth. He steps outside to talk with his uncle, Benjen Stark, who is a ranger in the Night's Watch. Jon begs Benjen to take him to the Wall when he returns, but his uncle knows that Jon is too young to make such a weighty decision. Inside, Benjen tells Ned that he's also heard reports of White Walkers, which must be untrue but even as a madman's raving is unwelcome. Ned then felt discomforted by the news. Far to the southeast of Winterfell, across the Narrow Sea, a young man, Viserys Targaryen, prepares his sister Daenerys to meet a possible husband. As the last heir in his line - a storied family of kings who Robert nearly wiped out when usurping the Iron Throne - Viserys hopes to wed his sister to a Dothraki horselord named Khal Drogo as a means of securing the khal's massive army to help reclaim rule over Westeros. Their wedding is performed in traditional Dothraki style, meaning that the crowd participates in sex and murder. As a gift, Daenarys receives a chest of dragon eggs from Illyrio and a knight named Ser Jorah Mormont gives her books containing the history of her homeland.
After the feast, Ned and Catelyn rest in bed when Maester Luwin arrives with a missive from Catelyn's sister Lysa, the widow of Jon Arryn. The message says that Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters and that the king is in danger. Catelyn begs her husband not go south to King's Landing, but he knows he has no other option. The next morning, after he accepts Roberts offer, the king thanks him and says he knows the sacrifice Ned is making - but there's no other man he can trust.
Ned leaves for a hunt with Robert, waving goodbye to his Bran. The young Stark spends the afternoon climbing the rocky walls of Winterfell, one of his favorite hobbies. At the pinnacle of an abandoned tower, he hears strange noises, and when he looks inside a window, he sees Jaime Lannister and his twin sister, Queen Cersei, having sex on the floor. Cersei notices Bran and screams. Jaime steps to the window frame and grabs the boy, holding him firmly. He looks to his sister and then to the ground before sending Bran helplessly to the rocky ground below.
i) Three new words:
1)Throne - Bran was expected by many to be the heir to the throne of Winterfell.
2)Raucous - The King eat raucously in front of his slaves.
3) Desert - He deserted his wife in order to go to be the Hand of the King.
ii) I liked this episode because it taught me a glimpse of how different it was back then. With no technology, how people used to enjoy themselves and what surprised me the most is how complex the system of ruling even though they were commonly known as uncivilized people.
In the courtyard of Winterfell, the Stark family were enjoying themselves but their mirth is cut short, however, by news from the house's Master at Arms. They've captured a deserter from Night's Watch. Lord Ned Stark then brought all his sons to be present on the execution of the deserter. However, moments before he swing the sword, the deserter warns him about the White Walkers.
On their return to Winterfell, the party comes across a dead direwolf - a creature rarely seen south of the Wall. The wolf birthed a litter of pups before her death, and Jon Snow, bastard son to Ned, convinces his father that it's an omen: The direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, and Ned's five true-born children are meant to have the pups. As they walk away, Jon spies an albino runt cast to the side and takes it for himself.
In the throne room at King's Landing, the Silent Sisters perform death rights over the body of John Arryn, the Hand of the King. A message arrives at Winterfell saying that John Arryn is dead and King Robert is paying a visit. Ned knows this can mean that Robert plans to ask him to serve as the new Hand. The house is thrown into preparation, and when the king arrives he greets his old friend with a bear hug and immediately asks to visit the crypts of Winterfell. The Stark family throws a feast in Robert's honor, which the king thoroughly enjoys by getting drunk.
Jon Snow, on the other hand, is seated far from the royal table so as not to insult the queen with his low birth. He steps outside to talk with his uncle, Benjen Stark, who is a ranger in the Night's Watch. Jon begs Benjen to take him to the Wall when he returns, but his uncle knows that Jon is too young to make such a weighty decision. Inside, Benjen tells Ned that he's also heard reports of White Walkers, which must be untrue but even as a madman's raving is unwelcome. Ned then felt discomforted by the news. Far to the southeast of Winterfell, across the Narrow Sea, a young man, Viserys Targaryen, prepares his sister Daenerys to meet a possible husband. As the last heir in his line - a storied family of kings who Robert nearly wiped out when usurping the Iron Throne - Viserys hopes to wed his sister to a Dothraki horselord named Khal Drogo as a means of securing the khal's massive army to help reclaim rule over Westeros. Their wedding is performed in traditional Dothraki style, meaning that the crowd participates in sex and murder. As a gift, Daenarys receives a chest of dragon eggs from Illyrio and a knight named Ser Jorah Mormont gives her books containing the history of her homeland.
After the feast, Ned and Catelyn rest in bed when Maester Luwin arrives with a missive from Catelyn's sister Lysa, the widow of Jon Arryn. The message says that Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters and that the king is in danger. Catelyn begs her husband not go south to King's Landing, but he knows he has no other option. The next morning, after he accepts Roberts offer, the king thanks him and says he knows the sacrifice Ned is making - but there's no other man he can trust.
Ned leaves for a hunt with Robert, waving goodbye to his Bran. The young Stark spends the afternoon climbing the rocky walls of Winterfell, one of his favorite hobbies. At the pinnacle of an abandoned tower, he hears strange noises, and when he looks inside a window, he sees Jaime Lannister and his twin sister, Queen Cersei, having sex on the floor. Cersei notices Bran and screams. Jaime steps to the window frame and grabs the boy, holding him firmly. He looks to his sister and then to the ground before sending Bran helplessly to the rocky ground below.
i) Three new words:
1)Throne - Bran was expected by many to be the heir to the throne of Winterfell.
2)Raucous - The King eat raucously in front of his slaves.
3) Desert - He deserted his wife in order to go to be the Hand of the King.
ii) I liked this episode because it taught me a glimpse of how different it was back then. With no technology, how people used to enjoy themselves and what surprised me the most is how complex the system of ruling even though they were commonly known as uncivilized people.
Friday 22 July 2016
Words of the day:
1) Accord - concurrence of opinion
The committee worked in accord on the bill, and it eventually passed.
2) Scarce - deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
1) Accord - concurrence of opinion
The committee worked in accord on the bill, and it eventually passed.
2) Scarce - deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
Meanwhile, heating oil could grow more scarce in the Northeast this winter if the conflict remain unsolved.
3) Commission - a special group delegated to consider some matter
The developers are now seeking approval from the landmarks commission.
4) Confer - have a meeting in order to talk something over
Mr. Dumbledore conferred with the Weasely family following Ron's joining the Death Eaters.
5) Dwell - think moodily or anxiously about something
Hazim dwell with his thoughts when he were about to approach Anis.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone novel review
Dursley family is a middle-class family that lives in Little Whinging, Surrey. Vernon and Petunia Dursley took bad care of Lily’s infant son, Harry, is left on their doorstep. Lily and her husband, James Potter, had been murdered by the dark wizard, Voldemort, but when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, his power somehow broke. Harry becomes the only living person ever to survive the killing curse. Because Harry does not have any other living relatives, Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, decides to leave him with the Dursleys until he is old enough to attend Hogwarts.
From a young age, Harry is told that his parents were killed in a car crash but has no other information about them, not even a photograph. Harry’s cousin Dudley dominates the household, bullying Harry with his gang of friends and being spoiled rotten by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. While Dudley has two bedrooms– one for his bed and one for all of his broken toys – Harry is relegated to the small cupboard under the stairs. Although he strives to avoid attracting attention, Harry cannot deny that strange things often happen around him.
On Dudley’s eleventh birthday, Harry accompanies the family and Dudley’s best friend, Piers Polkiss, to the zoo. While Harry is in the reptile house, the glass front of the boa constrictor cage suddenly vanishes. Harry is unable to explain the incident, but Uncle Vernon blames him anyway and restricts him to the cupboard under the stairs until the summer holidays. One day, mysterious letters begin to arrive for Harry. Uncle Vernon refuses to let Harry read the letter but tells him that it was addressed to him by mistake. Over the next few days, more and more of the letters arrive in the house, but Uncle Vernon keeps Harry from intercepting any of them. In an extreme effort to escape from the letters, Uncle Vernon takes the family to a desolate shack on an island on the night before Harry’s eleventh birthday.
As the clock strikes midnight and Harry wishes himself a silent “Harry Birthday,” there is a loud bang on the door and Hagrid enters. Hagrid introduces himself as the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts and then explains that Harry is a wizard who has been admitted to Hogwarts in order to study magic. Harry discovers that the Dursleys have always been aware of his magical abilities but have attempted to stifle them and make him “normal.” Moreover, Harry learns the truth about his parents’ murder by Voldemort.
A month later, Harry leaves Little Whinging to catch the Hogwarts Express and befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. When the train arrives at Hogwarts, the students immediately file into the dining hall to be “sorted,” or assigned to one of the four houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Harry worries that he will be sorted into Voldemort’s old house, Slytherin, and he makes a special request to the Sorting Hat to be assigned to any other house. The Sorting Hat considers carefully but ultimately places Harry (as well as Ron and Hermione) in Gryffindor House.
On Halloween, the faculty is alerted of a wayward troll in the school and escort the students back to their houses. Harry and Ron sneak away to find Hermione, who is in the girl’s bathroom and missed the warning. After inadvertently locking the troll in the girl’s bathroom with Hermione, Ron and Harry knock the troll unconscious. Hermione takes the blame for the battle, and the three become fast friends. After the holidays end, Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally discover the identity of Nicolas Flamel: he is the only known maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone, which produces the elixir of life. Harry begins to suspect that Snape is planning to steal it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also discover that Hagrid is raising an illegal dragon that was given to him by a mysterious stranger in a bar in exchange for information about the three-headed dog.
As punishment for disobeying school curfew, Harry and Hermione (as well as Malfoy and Neville, who were also out of bed at the time) are sent into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid to locate a wounded unicorn. When the group splits into two, Harry and Malfoy come across the body of the unicorn just as a hooded figure crawls toward it and starts to drink its blood. Harry is frozen in place by an agonizing pain that is suddenly spreading from his scar. As the hooded figure moves toward him, a centaur gallops in front of Harry protectively and the figure disappears. The centaur suggests that the hooded figure was Voldemort and that he drank the unicorn’s blood in order to stay alive until he can steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry decides to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone before Voldemort can. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak off to the forbidden corridor and get past the three-headed dog by lulling it to sleep with music. Once through the trap door, they land on Devil’s Snare, the first of several challenges put in place by the Hogwart’s teachers. As the plant’s snake-like tendrils threatened to strangle Ron and Harry, Hermione uses magical fire to repel the plant and break them free. The next challenge is to pass through a room filled with hundreds of small flying keys. Harry flies on a broomstick to find the silver key that matches the lock on the door and finally snatches it out of the swarm. The door opens to reveal a giant wizard’s chessboard. An expert chess player, Ron takes the lead in this challenge and ultimately sacrifices himself in order to allow Harry and Hermione to reach the next challenge. When Harry and Hermione step into the next room, they are instantly surrounded by flames and faced with a complex riddle of poisonous potions. Hermione rationally solves the riddle and gives Harry the potion needed to travel to the next room and the final challenge while she returns to help Ron.
In the final chamber, Harry is surprised to find neither Snape nor Voldemort, but Professor Quirrell, the teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts. Quirrell reveals that he, not Snape, has been Voldemort’s servant all along. Now, in the final challenge, Quirrell needs only to retrieve the Sorcerer’s Stone from within the Mirror of Erised. He asks his master for help, and Harry hears a disembodied voice speak from within Quirrell, telling him to use Harry to get to it. Quirrell stands Harry in front of the mirror and orders him to tell him what he sees. Determined to keep the Stone from falling into Voldemort’s hands, Harry lies and tells Quirrell that he sees himself winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. He then actually sees himself holding the Sorcerer’s Stone and putting it in his pocket. Realizing that the Stone is now in his pocket, Harry tries to stall for time until he can escape. Quirrell removes his turban and reveals Voldemort’s face emerging from the back of his head. Voldemort speaks directly to Harry, taunting him about the death of his parents, and then orders Quirrell to kill him. When Quirrell tries to touch Harry, his skin blisters and, though Harry is in excruciating pain from his scar, he forces the contact with Quirrell. With Voldemort’s screams of anger echoing in his head, Harry finally passes out.
When Harry wakes up, he finds himself in the hospital wing with Dumbledore. Dumbledore found Harry just in time to keep Quirrell from killing him, though Voldemort escaped once again. Dumbledore explains that Quirrell was unable to touch Harry’s skin because of his mother’s love: when Lily Potter sacrificed herself for him, she left Harry with an ancient magical protection. He knew that only Harry would be able to retrieve the Stone from the Mirror of Erised because, unlike Quirrell and Voldemort, Harry wanted to find the Stone but did not want to use it. Although Voldemort was not destroyed, Harry’s actions have kept him from regaining power for now.
At the end of the year banquet, the members of Slytherin House are celebrating their victory of the House Cup for the seventh straight year. Unexpectedly, Dumbledore awards last-minute points to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, which gives Gryffindor the edge over Slytherin. Harry returns to spend the summer with the Dursleys content in the friendships that he has made at Hogwarts.
i) Three words:
Taunting- Malfoy taunted Hermione by saying she is a muggle-born and does not deserves to be in Hogwarts.
Snatches- Harry snatched the Snitch and won Gryffindor the Quidditch match, yay!
Vault- The vault is used by Mrs. McGonagall to keep her wine so they can stay preserved.
ii) Did the ending match your initial impression of the novel?
Most probably no. The novel have a quite complicated plot twist and I initially thought Voldemort will eventually get his hands to the Elixir of Life. I am impressed by the quick minded Harry to discover everything and unveil the truth behind weird happenings in Hogwarts.
From a young age, Harry is told that his parents were killed in a car crash but has no other information about them, not even a photograph. Harry’s cousin Dudley dominates the household, bullying Harry with his gang of friends and being spoiled rotten by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. While Dudley has two bedrooms– one for his bed and one for all of his broken toys – Harry is relegated to the small cupboard under the stairs. Although he strives to avoid attracting attention, Harry cannot deny that strange things often happen around him.
On Dudley’s eleventh birthday, Harry accompanies the family and Dudley’s best friend, Piers Polkiss, to the zoo. While Harry is in the reptile house, the glass front of the boa constrictor cage suddenly vanishes. Harry is unable to explain the incident, but Uncle Vernon blames him anyway and restricts him to the cupboard under the stairs until the summer holidays. One day, mysterious letters begin to arrive for Harry. Uncle Vernon refuses to let Harry read the letter but tells him that it was addressed to him by mistake. Over the next few days, more and more of the letters arrive in the house, but Uncle Vernon keeps Harry from intercepting any of them. In an extreme effort to escape from the letters, Uncle Vernon takes the family to a desolate shack on an island on the night before Harry’s eleventh birthday.
As the clock strikes midnight and Harry wishes himself a silent “Harry Birthday,” there is a loud bang on the door and Hagrid enters. Hagrid introduces himself as the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts and then explains that Harry is a wizard who has been admitted to Hogwarts in order to study magic. Harry discovers that the Dursleys have always been aware of his magical abilities but have attempted to stifle them and make him “normal.” Moreover, Harry learns the truth about his parents’ murder by Voldemort.
A month later, Harry leaves Little Whinging to catch the Hogwarts Express and befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. When the train arrives at Hogwarts, the students immediately file into the dining hall to be “sorted,” or assigned to one of the four houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Harry worries that he will be sorted into Voldemort’s old house, Slytherin, and he makes a special request to the Sorting Hat to be assigned to any other house. The Sorting Hat considers carefully but ultimately places Harry (as well as Ron and Hermione) in Gryffindor House.
On Halloween, the faculty is alerted of a wayward troll in the school and escort the students back to their houses. Harry and Ron sneak away to find Hermione, who is in the girl’s bathroom and missed the warning. After inadvertently locking the troll in the girl’s bathroom with Hermione, Ron and Harry knock the troll unconscious. Hermione takes the blame for the battle, and the three become fast friends. After the holidays end, Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally discover the identity of Nicolas Flamel: he is the only known maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone, which produces the elixir of life. Harry begins to suspect that Snape is planning to steal it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also discover that Hagrid is raising an illegal dragon that was given to him by a mysterious stranger in a bar in exchange for information about the three-headed dog.
As punishment for disobeying school curfew, Harry and Hermione (as well as Malfoy and Neville, who were also out of bed at the time) are sent into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid to locate a wounded unicorn. When the group splits into two, Harry and Malfoy come across the body of the unicorn just as a hooded figure crawls toward it and starts to drink its blood. Harry is frozen in place by an agonizing pain that is suddenly spreading from his scar. As the hooded figure moves toward him, a centaur gallops in front of Harry protectively and the figure disappears. The centaur suggests that the hooded figure was Voldemort and that he drank the unicorn’s blood in order to stay alive until he can steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry decides to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone before Voldemort can. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak off to the forbidden corridor and get past the three-headed dog by lulling it to sleep with music. Once through the trap door, they land on Devil’s Snare, the first of several challenges put in place by the Hogwart’s teachers. As the plant’s snake-like tendrils threatened to strangle Ron and Harry, Hermione uses magical fire to repel the plant and break them free. The next challenge is to pass through a room filled with hundreds of small flying keys. Harry flies on a broomstick to find the silver key that matches the lock on the door and finally snatches it out of the swarm. The door opens to reveal a giant wizard’s chessboard. An expert chess player, Ron takes the lead in this challenge and ultimately sacrifices himself in order to allow Harry and Hermione to reach the next challenge. When Harry and Hermione step into the next room, they are instantly surrounded by flames and faced with a complex riddle of poisonous potions. Hermione rationally solves the riddle and gives Harry the potion needed to travel to the next room and the final challenge while she returns to help Ron.
In the final chamber, Harry is surprised to find neither Snape nor Voldemort, but Professor Quirrell, the teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts. Quirrell reveals that he, not Snape, has been Voldemort’s servant all along. Now, in the final challenge, Quirrell needs only to retrieve the Sorcerer’s Stone from within the Mirror of Erised. He asks his master for help, and Harry hears a disembodied voice speak from within Quirrell, telling him to use Harry to get to it. Quirrell stands Harry in front of the mirror and orders him to tell him what he sees. Determined to keep the Stone from falling into Voldemort’s hands, Harry lies and tells Quirrell that he sees himself winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. He then actually sees himself holding the Sorcerer’s Stone and putting it in his pocket. Realizing that the Stone is now in his pocket, Harry tries to stall for time until he can escape. Quirrell removes his turban and reveals Voldemort’s face emerging from the back of his head. Voldemort speaks directly to Harry, taunting him about the death of his parents, and then orders Quirrell to kill him. When Quirrell tries to touch Harry, his skin blisters and, though Harry is in excruciating pain from his scar, he forces the contact with Quirrell. With Voldemort’s screams of anger echoing in his head, Harry finally passes out.
When Harry wakes up, he finds himself in the hospital wing with Dumbledore. Dumbledore found Harry just in time to keep Quirrell from killing him, though Voldemort escaped once again. Dumbledore explains that Quirrell was unable to touch Harry’s skin because of his mother’s love: when Lily Potter sacrificed herself for him, she left Harry with an ancient magical protection. He knew that only Harry would be able to retrieve the Stone from the Mirror of Erised because, unlike Quirrell and Voldemort, Harry wanted to find the Stone but did not want to use it. Although Voldemort was not destroyed, Harry’s actions have kept him from regaining power for now.
At the end of the year banquet, the members of Slytherin House are celebrating their victory of the House Cup for the seventh straight year. Unexpectedly, Dumbledore awards last-minute points to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, which gives Gryffindor the edge over Slytherin. Harry returns to spend the summer with the Dursleys content in the friendships that he has made at Hogwarts.
i) Three words:
Taunting- Malfoy taunted Hermione by saying she is a muggle-born and does not deserves to be in Hogwarts.
Snatches- Harry snatched the Snitch and won Gryffindor the Quidditch match, yay!
Vault- The vault is used by Mrs. McGonagall to keep her wine so they can stay preserved.
ii) Did the ending match your initial impression of the novel?
Most probably no. The novel have a quite complicated plot twist and I initially thought Voldemort will eventually get his hands to the Elixir of Life. I am impressed by the quick minded Harry to discover everything and unveil the truth behind weird happenings in Hogwarts.
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