Draco said something snarky to the hippogriff -- which he hadn't been warned against doing
Had too! Hagrid made a huge deal out of how important it was to be polite to hippogryffs, because if you don't, they get mad and try to kill you. Draco ignored him and taunted Buckbeak anyway, figuring that no mere animal would dare attack a Malfoy.
(I also think that when you have a school nurse who can magically regrow bones, you're allowed to have a slightly more relaxed attitude about putting students at risk of injury.)
The good/evil divide in Rowlingland pretty much is People Whom Dumbledore Likes/People Whom Dumbledore Doesn't Like.
(I also think that when you have a school nurse who can magically regrow bones, you're allowed to have a slightly more relaxed attitude about putting students at risk of injury.)
True. But Hagrid regularly puts the students at risk of death.
[edit
Hagrid made a huge deal out of how important it was to be polite to hippogryffs, because if you don't, they get mad and try to kill you.
Did Hagrid mention that they could understand human speech? He told them to bow and back away slowly, but he didn't say "These are quasi-intelligent creatures." ]
Harry's been knocked out at least twice playing Quidditch, right? Plus that bit where his arm broke, and then Lockhart dissolved his bones. And Dumbledore pretty much regularly condones sending Harry into a nice spot of mortal danger.
The entire last book was an exercise in Harry being in more danger than remotely reasonable.
Did Hagrid mention that they could understand human speech?
He said that they are very proud creatures and that you musn't insult them.
Okay, then Draco was dumb, no question. (He usually is.)
Draco was a potz. As per usual.
Then they had to raise flobberworms.
Stoopid Draco.
It was Chamber of Secrets that was originally to be Half-Blood Pudding. A quote from JKR:
I was delighted to see that a hard core of super-bright fans knew that the real title was once, in the long distant past, a possibility for 'Chamber of Secrets', and from that deduced that it was genuine. Certain crucial pieces of information in book six were originally planned for 'Chamber of Secrets', but very early on (first draft of Chamber) I realised that this information's proper home was book six. I have said before now that 'Chamber' holds some very important clues to the ultimate end of the series. Not as many as six, obviously, but there is a link.
Which leads me to think it's Snape.
On edit: I was thinking PoA when reading CoS. Now that I'm mentally in the right book, I'm guessing it's gotta be Tom Riddle.
Which leads me to think it's Snape
Iiiiiieeee! I like that idea. I like it a lot.
