Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secreta

Enemies Of The Heir Beware

Harry manages to escape the Dursleys with the help of his friend Ron and the Weasley twins, George and Fred. After many setbacks and adventures on Mr. Weasleys flying Ford Anglia, Harry returns to Hogwarts, ignoring Dobbys warning. Yet, the School of Witchcraft is no longer a safe place. Weird things happen and Harry hears a disturbing voice nobody else can notice.

Hearing voices no one else can hear isnt a good sign, even in the wizarding world.

One day in a corridor a bloody piece of writing appears: The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware.

Some students are the victims of strange attacks. They have one thing in common: the Muggle family origins. Harry, Ron and Hermione decide to investigate those incidents. They find a magic diary labeled Tom Riddle, and its mysterious words reveal an unknown past and lead them to follow a dangerous lead.

During a defensive dueling class, Harry discovers by chance he speaks Parseltongue, the snakes language. This ability generally belongs to dark wizards: so, he starts wondering about how much evil theres in him. He asks himself if the Sorting Hat was right when, at the beginning of his first year, it affirmed Harry should be a Slytherin. Challenge after challenge, Harry will face again the evil and will wonder about who he really is.

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

Is Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets A Good Book A Review That Explores The Best Saga Of Our Times

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets A Book Review

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

Review by Rekha Bhagtani, Booxoul.com

Summary

What if people who have been celebrating you suddenly decide to block you out completely? Would you be able to brave the unfathomed?

It is our choices, Harry that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

Albus Dumbledore

Well words from the wise, arent they? Indeed, Harry Potter has been one of those sagas which have not only given us a magical world to revel in but also a place to satiate our yearnings for good reading, the best possible life learning through the morale it imparts through its stories, the emotional connect the characters have managed to have with the audiences and a host of other reasons which make Harry Potter books one of the best possible sagas today.

So, I thought let us sit back and explore the next in series, namely Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and try and find out if it is a good book? Obviously, Yes.

But, what is it that makes this one special enough to stand out from the crowd and also be appealing to the point of crazy fandom in its readers? Booxoul answers and tries to explore this and muse upon the key USPs that make Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets a good book, sought by many.

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Summary

Spoiler Alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets begins with Harrys Solitary Confinement as punishment for dropping the pudding on Uncle Vernons guests, something Harry didnt do. Ron and his brothers rescue him from Uncle Vernon who had locked Harry up in a room with their fathers bewitched Ford Anglia that can fly.

Harry spends the rest of his summer in Rons house, The Burrow. Harry is very happy with how kind and nurturing Rons family is towards him, especially Mrs. Weasley, Rons mother. They all then plan to leave for Diagon Alley to buy books and other supplies through the Floo Network, which Harry is new to.

Harry accidentally ends up in a novelties shop called Borgin and Burkes where he sees Malfoy and his father discussing forbidden items with the owner of the shop. He then ends up in Knockturn Alley where he finds Hagrid and they both meet Hermione and eventually Ron and his family.

They all end up in a book shop where they meet their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, who instantly clicks pictures with Harry and makes a spectacle out of everything. Harry meets Malfoy in the shop and they have a tussle which eventually ends up with Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy having a fistfight, which Hagrid ends up stopping.

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Gilderoy Lockhart Need I Say More

Actually yes, I have plenty to add.

As a kid, I thought he was just a goofy, over-the-top character. Maybe he reminded me of some teachers I didnt like because I thought I was smarter than them. He was a doofus that I didnt pay much attention to.

As an adult whos been more than a little beat up by the corporate office life, my oh my does his character strike close to home! Hes the combination of every annoying political ass-kissing, ladder climbing, scumbag who talks a bit game to management but has nothing of value to add. The kind of person who thinks hes Gods gift to mankind as he openly steals your work and gets away with it time and time again.

This time around, I was quick to pick on how much the other professors dislike him. His ability to make it through the entire school year without getting sacked is far too realistic. In my experience, these people continue on as management so its nice seeing Lockhart get a taste of his own medicine.

So Youre Telling Me People Are Dropping Dead Around The School

Well, not really dead just petrified. By a Basilisk thats able to travel unhindered around the school and attack any poor unsuspecting soul without mercy. Not even death can save you as evidenced by Nearly Headless Nicks second demise.

For some odd reason, I didnt find this scary when I was a kid. Maybe it was my undeterred naive faith that the good guys always get a good ending, no matter how dire the situation.

As an adult, this would be terrifying! I can see Rowling attempting to convey this with the closure of the school and the graveness of the professors, but it didnt get through to me as a kid. Now against the backdrop of school shootings and armed violence, adulthood has taught me that good people dont always get happy endings.

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The Medieval Influence And The Nominative Determinism

Many details in Harry Potterand the Chamber of Secrets refer to English legends and in particular the Arthurian romance. Merlino, for example, was a famous Hogwarts student. In his memory was created the Order of Merlin, an eminent organization whose First Class symbol is a green ribbon, representing Merlin as belonging to Slytherin house. From the father Arthur, to his children Percy and Ginny , Weasleys names recall the legendary king.

Harry himself is similar to King Arthur: both are predestined from birth to save many lives through their decisions. And both have as a mentor a powerful wizard who decides to hide them until the moment they will be ready to accomplish their destiny. Last but not least, Gryffindors sword reveals to Harry when he is in danger, exactly as Excalibur does for King Arthur.

As in other works, such as The Catcher in the Rye, whose characters names outline the psychology and particular aspects of the characters, in Harry Potter saga many names reflect a trait or appearance. It happens with Severus Snape, strict and cold head of Slytherin house Minerva McGonagall, whose name reflects her severity and Albus Dumbledore, whose name carries along an aura of wisdom with it. Even his phoenix, Fawkes, doesnt have a random name: since she periodically explodes, she owes her name to Guy Fawkes. Each schools house has colors, an animal, and a trait representing its students personality.

The Basilisk And The Phoenix

Determined to kill Harry, Riddle sets a basilisk after him. Prior to the basilisks release, Dumbledores pet phoenix, Fawkes, arrived within the Chamber, giving the Sorting Hat to Harry. Fawkes aids Harry in fighting the basilisk, blinding the monster. To Harrys amazement, he pulls a majestic sword out of the Sorting Hat and ends up stabbing it through the basilisks head. One of the basilisks fangs pierces Harrys arm, but Fawkes uses his tears to heal the wound. Harry takes the fang, and plunges it into Riddles diary, destroying the Riddle embodied in the diarys memories. This act also awakens Ginny, who was on the verge of death when Harry first arrived.

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Chapter 1: Dobby’s Reward

“But Dobby didn’t move. He was holding up Harry’s disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.”

Dobby being freed by Harry

Albus Dumbledore holding the Sword of Gryffindor

At McGonagall’s office, Harry, Ron, and Ginny find Dumbledore, McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, who are delighted to see them alive. Harry worries that Ginny will get blamed for being the person behind the attacks, but to his great relief Dumbledore rightly deduces that Voldemort is the culprit and only used Ginny’s body. After Ginny leaves to get a much-needed rest, Harry and Ron both receive two hundred house points each for Gryffindor and both get an Award for special services to the school, and then Dumbledore asks to speak with Harry alone. Harry expresses his concern that he belonged in Slytherin. Dumbledore reveals that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry when he gave him his scar, explaining his ability to speak Parseltongue. He asks Harry why he thinks the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor if he has so many Slytherin qualities, and Harry admits that the only reason it did was because he had asked it to. Dumbledore confirms this and tells Harry that “it is our choices, rather than our abilities, that reveal who we truly are”. He points out to the sword Harry had drawn out of the hat – Harry now notices it has Godric Gryffindor‘s name on it. Dumbledore says that only a true Gryffindor would be able to draw it out.

How Did Harry Potter Save Ginny

In the same year that Ginny opened the chamber, so did Harry. Rather than chasing a birthright or being manipulated by a spiritual force, he did so to save a friend. The moment he discovered where Ginny was being held, Harry, Ron, Gilderoy Lockheart and Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes, traveled together to the chamber. However, Harry was the only one who could go ahead to save Ginny. As a Horcrux, he used the parseltongue he knew to open the chamber and face off against Riddle and the Basilisk.

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Chapter : At Flourish And Blotts

Lucius Malfoy: “Dear me, what’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don’t even pay you well for it?”

Arthur Weasley: “We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy.”

Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley arguing at Flourish and Blotts.

Gilderoy Lockhart showing off his book

Harry stays at the Burrow until his departure for Hogwarts. The Weasleys make it clear that they all like Harry. For example, Arthur insists that Harry sit next to him during meals where Molly, who constantly deplores the state of his hand-me-down clothes and how thin he is, insists that he eat extra food. During that period, he and the Weasleys travel to Diagon Alley with Floo Powder to get their school supplies. Harry has difficulty with the smoke around him and says “Diagon Alley” unclearly, and thus he accidentally lands in a shop in the ill-reputed Knockturn Alley instead. The shop is Borgin and Burkes, specialising in objects related to Dark magic. There he sees Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy, Harry’s arch rival from school, selling items imbued with Dark magic to a dark arts salesman, Mr Borgin. Lucius Malfoy explains that the Ministry has been conducting raids on wizard houses to uncover illegal artefacts, so he is selling his more problematic possessions. He also expresses his disdain for a rumoured Muggle Protection Act, which he assumes Arthur Weasley is behind.

Playstation 2 Xbox And Gamecube

There are also slight differences between the three other console versions of the game. The GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game allow the player to access a broom and enter free-flight mode. While the PlayStation 2 version allows the player to land anywhere they want, in the Xbox and GameCube version the landing zones are limited. In the GameCube version, there is an exclusive feature involving GCâGBA connectivity that allows a secret room to be opened in the GC version when connected with the GBA version of the game.

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Chapter 1: The Chamber Of Secrets

“Just the man. The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last.”

Snape, giving Lockhart a mission

Basilisk skin

Moaning Myrtle explains her death, saying the last thing she saw was a pair of enormous eyes by one of the sinks, whose tap has never worked. Harry finds a snake carved on the tap and then opens the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets by speaking Parseltongue to it. Harry, Ron and Lockhart slide down a large pipe and find themselves in maze-like tunnels far under the school. Down there, they encounter a snake skin left by the Basilisk. Just then, Lockhart feigns fainting and he steals Ron’s wand. Victoriously proclaiming that he will erase Harry and Ron’s memories and tell everybody they lost their sanity at the sight of Ginny’s mangled body, Lockhart casts the Memory Charm. Ron’s broken wand causes the charm to backfire, erasing Lockhart’s memory and causing a portion of the ceiling to cave in. This traps Harry in the direction of the chamber and Ron in the direction of the castle. Ron has no choice but to stay behind and clear a path through the rocks while Harry continues in search of Ginny. Harry then encounters a wall with stone snakes on it, opens it by speaking Parseltongue, and enters the Chamber.

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Chapter : The Worst Birthday

Uncle Vernon: “And you, boy?”

Harry: “I’ll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I’m not there.”

Vernon Dursley and Harry Potter

Harry sitting on a bench, unaware of someone in the bushes

Harry Potter has returned to the Dursleys for the summer holiday in mid-1992, and things are very bad for him. Over the summer, the Dursleys have become so fearful of Harry’s new-found magical abilities that they have locked away all of Harry’s magical supplies immediately after his arrival home. They have also banned Harry from saying words such as “magic” in the house, as evident in Uncle Vernon‘s outburst about Harry saying “say the magic word” . Harry begins to worry about what his teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will think if he heads back to them without back homework done, and whether or not he’ll be banned from the Gryffindor House Quidditch team since he has not been able to practise. The Dursley’s have however let him keep his pet snowy owl Hedwig, but have put a padded lock on her cage to keep her inside day and night to avoid suspicion from the neighbours. This does not go well for the bird, because every time she has become bored, her screech has rung throughout the house, causing an irritated Vernon to warn Harry that if he cannot control her, she will have to go.

Is Tom Riddle Lord Voldemort

Yes, Tom Riddle is, in fact, Lord Voldemort. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it is also revealed that his full name Tom Marvolo Riddle, is an anagram of the statement I am Lord Voldemort. He was named after his father, who was a muggle. When Voldemort realized this, he wanted to distance himself from this name and therefore chose a different name.

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Is It Any Good

Kids will find this chapter a thrilling and utterly satisfying experience. That applies both to those looking for a meticulous realization of the beloved bookHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and those who watch the film knowing only the first movie — or even those with no knowledge of Harry Potter at all. The child actors are growing up, and they seem more comfortable in their roles here, bringing more depth and subtlety to their acting. And Branagh is wildly funny as Lockhart. There are also some magnificent cast additions, especially Jason Isaacs, coolly cruel as Lucius Malfoy, the father of Harry’s foe, Draco .

Every frame of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is filled with wonder, especially Diagon Alley and the moving photos and portraits. There’s a wealth of detail and delight to entrance viewers — so much that they’ll likely leave wanting more, even after a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes.