Chapter : The Roguebludger
Harry’s arm is boneless after Gilderoy Lockhart tried to mend his arm
- “Dobby wants to save Harry Potter’s life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!”
- Dobby explaining his plans to Harry
Harry, Ron and Hermione decide that the heir is probably Draco Malfoy, since everyone in his family have been sorted into Slytherin House, he is a Pureblood supremacist, and because his father worked for Voldemort. To try to confirm it, Hermione proposes to use Polyjuice Potion, which can change a person into somebody else for an hour. After getting Lockhart’s signature to check out the book Moste Potente Potions from the Restricted Section that has the recipe, Hermione warns them that the potion will take a month to brew, supposing they gather all the necessary ingredients . Since no one comes into Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, the three of them decide it is the best place to brew the potion unnoticed. Hermione begins working with the ingredients they have.
Is It Any Good
While this sequel doesn’t have the impact of the Potter origin story, it’s an exciting creature feature with an engrossing mystery to solve. Many, especially older readers, consider this the lesser of the Potter books, but for younger readers, this is an ideal way to ramp up for the rest of the series. The fear is of external forces — monsters — not the less tangible, like how the Dementors in Book 3 embody fear itself. And the mystery builds in a more straightforward manner with steps Harry, Ron, and Hermione take to uncover clues: brewing a potion, playing the spy, and breaking all kinds of school rules in the process as they do.
All that said, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets preps young fantasy fans to take on the meatier stories to come. The monsters sure are scary, and the scenes in the Forbidden Forest and the Chamber of Secrets are thrilling. What was Hagrid thinking telling Harry and Ron to “follow the spiders”? And as for the mystery, efforts to solve it may be methodical but the Chamber of Secrets has quite a few secrets to reveal — some that only come to light in Book 6. Mouths will be hanging open in that climactic moment when the Heir of Slytherin is revealed at last and appetites will be whetted for more Potter mystery and excitement to come.
Writing Style And Tone
Both the writing style and tone of this novel are very similar to Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Rowlings writing style is quite consistent for these two books and she writes similar humorous lines and has quite the same descriptive language for world-building. However, this book is a tad bit darker and politically charged than the first one and alludes to real-world problems like discrimination, slavery, and people who abuse power.
Also Check: What Is The 3rd Harry Potter Called
Chapter 1: The Duelling Club
- “Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works. ”
- Gilderoy Lockhart, presenting the Duelling Club
Petrified Nearly-Headless Nick
Connection To Harry Potter And The Half
Chamber of Secrets has many links with the sixth book of the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In fact, Half-Blood Prince was the working title of Chamber of Secrets and Rowling says she originally intended to present some “crucial pieces of information” in the second book, but ultimately felt “this information’s proper home was book six”. Some objects that play significant roles in Half-Blood Prince first appear in Chamber of Secrets: the Hand of Glory and the opal necklace that are on sale in Borgin and Burkes a Vanishing Cabinet in Hogwarts that is damaged by Peeves the Poltergeist and Tom Riddle’s diary, which is later shown to be a Horcrux. Additionally, these two novels are the ones with the most focus on Harry’s relationship with Ginny Weasley.
The film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released in 2002.Chris Columbus directed the film, and the screenplay was written by Steve Kloves. It became the third film to exceed $600 million in international box office sales, preceded by Titanic, released in 1997, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, released in 2001. The film was nominated for a Saturn Award for the Best Fantasy Film, According to Metacritic, the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets received “generally favourable reviews” with an average score of 63%, and another aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, gave it a score of 82%.
Read Also: What’s The First Harry Potter Movie Called
Talk To Your Kids About
-
Families can talk about the big scary monsters in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Are you afraid of monsters? Does reading about them make you more afraid? Ron really hates spiders. How does he deal with his fear? What does it say that someone with such a fear is still in Gryffindor, the house for the bravest witches and wizards?
-
Kids just getting into the series will find a whole world of Harry Potter available to them, from Chocolate Frogs for sale at the grocery store to theme parks. A diehard Potter fan can spend a lot of money in their lifetime on merchandise and experiences. Do you think this is worth your money? Are there other ways you can celebrate books you love without raiding your piggie bank?
-
Will you read more of the series? Are you ready for the stories to get darker and more complex? Will you read some other books in between or plow right through as some kids do?
- Publication date: June 20, 1999
- Number of pages: 341
- : June 3, 2022
-
Monsters invade Camp Half-Blood in exciting sequel.
age 9+
-
Exciting faerie series with a fantastic tomboy heroine.
age 11+
-
Gory, unique story has mythic monsters as heroes.
age 9+
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.
Read Also: What Are The Names Of The New Harry Potter Books
Diagon Alley Mini Backpack
$75.00
Get ready for your next year at Hogwarts with this stylish teal colored miniature backpack from Loungefly. Everything you could expect to see on your shopping journey to Diagon Alley can be found here! Potions, robes and other magical supplies adorn the all-over print of the main body of the bag, while stunning die cut artwork of textbooks, an owl and the Sorting Hat feature prominently on the front pocket. From the exquisite stitching to the Hogwarts crest charm zipper tab, no detail of this backpack has been left untouched!
Chapter : Gilderoy Lockhart
- “Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award – but I don’t talk about that. I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!”
- Gilderoy Lockhart, presenting himself
A baby mandrake root
The next day, Ron receives a Howler from his mother during breakfast in the Great Hall. Then, Minerva McGonagall hands out timetables and the first class is Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. In the class, Professor Sprout teaches how to transplant Mandrake seedlings, which have restorative properties when mature. The next class is Transfiguration, where Ron has problems with his broken wand, even when he repaired it with some Spellotape. Later, the trio have their first lesson with Gilderoy Lockhart, appointed as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. His way of teaching is a complete disaster. Much to Harry’s chagrin, he receives constant attention from Lockhart and Colin Creevey, a first year student. Both constantly interact with him on the base of his fame .
Recommended Reading: How Old Was Emma Watson In Harry Potter
Fawkes And The Chamber
When Harry is in the Chamber itself, Fawkes comes to Harry’s rescue at this moment in the book and movie, soaring in to blind the Basilisk and give the Gryffindor student a fighting chance. But there are definitely some oversights when it comes to how the phoenix actually got there in the first place.
Ron Weasley is left behind following Gilderoy Lockhart’s failed memory charm. So if Ron can’t get in, it’s definitely a wonder how Fawkes got there.
What Parents Need To Know
Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series about an orphan boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you’re flying through the Potter books faster than a Quidditch seeker because kids have been begging, note that after Book 2, the series gets more complex and scarier, and a break between Book 2 and Book 3 may be warranted, especially if you’re doing a read-aloud party with siblings of different ages. Harry Potter Age-by-Age Guide as well as details in individual reviews will help you decide. Also of note: this one is tough on kids who are afraid of monsters like giant snakes and spiders. Both attack school kids in tense scenes. Some kids end up in a coma-like state, and two students nearly die in the book’s climax. There are also a lot of ghosts, but they are often more silly than scary. Something not in the movie is Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party, where decapitated ghosts throw their heads around for sport. Main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione are rewarded for their bravery, but after quite a bit of rule breaking. The story is full of positive messages about friendship and that our choices show what we truly are more than our abilities and backgrounds. This book is also available in an illustrated edition with art by Jim Kay.
Recommended Reading: What Number Is Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
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 Does Myrtle Not Notice Ginny
While on the subject of Myrtle, it’s also worth reflecting on her complete obliviousness to what’s going on around her. Despite haunting the bathroom that leads to the Chamber of Secrets itself, she’s unaware of Ginny Weasley’s visits to her property and also is none the wiser about the Basilisk that emerges from there to go on a rampage throughout the school.
RELATED: Harry Potter: 10 Best Double Acts
Given she spends her time moping in this bathroom, it’s strange that she doesn’t know that Ginny was responsible for the spate of attacks on muggle-borns, as well as the existence of the Basilisk that killed her many years previously. But she seems just as surprised as everybody else when Harry finally cracks the code. Of course, it’s possible she could have decided to visit another bathroom, like the prefect one from the Goblet of Fire. But, even so, this certainly feels like an oversight.
Also Check: What Is The Second Harry Potter Movie
Chapter : Dobby’s Warning
- “Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”
- Dobby warning Harry
Dobby bowing to Harry Potter
The thing on his bed, a house elf named Dobby who was behind the mysterious eyes Harry saw, tells Harry that he must not go back to Hogwarts, as it will be dangerous because terrible things are going to happen there. The elf, however, can’t tell him what things, and continues to be vague because every time he gets close to letting something slip he starts hurting himself. In the process, he makes a lot of noise, which is noticed by the group downstairs. When he hears Uncle Vernon coming upstairs , Harry hides the elf in his closet right before Vernon comes in and scolds his nephew for making such a racket which has messed up the punchline of his “Japanese golfer joke“. He lets Dobby out as soon as his uncle leaves, and insists that he has to go back to Hogwarts since that’s where he has friends despite them not writing to him. But to his surprise, Dobby then reveals that he has stopped letters being sent to Harry, and offers them to him if Harry will stay away from Hogwarts. Harry refuses and, making a frustrated Dobby run downstairs and use a Hover Charm to smash the dinner party’s pudding.
- “This is the best house I’ve ever been in.”
- Harry Potter, about the Burrow
The flying Ford Anglia
Hogwarts Starry Night Spirit Jersey
$65.00
Show your support and celebrate Hogwarts with this Hogwarts Starry Night Spirit Jersey. The shirt features an all-over star design printed on the material and is complete with a Hogwarts Crest in puff glitter print on the front chest. The long-sleeved shirt features a Hogwarts Crest in a white design on the front chest, with the Hogwarts school motto Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus presented underneath which translates to Never tickle a sleeping dragon’.
Also Check: Where To Buy Harry Potter Merchandise
Hermione And Moaning Myrtle’s Bathroom
Early on in the second book, Hermione Granger opens up about Moaning Mrytle. She reveals that the ghost haunts a bathroom on the first floor of the castle. But this is then changed later on, with Hermione, Harry and Ron all brewing Polyjuice potion on the second floor of Hogwarts instead.
Harry is on the second floor when he stumbles across Mrs. Norris, who has been petrified, much to the anguish of Argus Filch. And it appears as though Rowling simply forgot she’d already claimed Myrtle hung out on a different level of the castle instead. Mrytle is miserable, but grows fond of the Boy Who Lived, and even invites him to share a cubicle with her should he die attempting to rescue Ginny Weasley from the Basilisk towards the end of the source material and movie.
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.
Don’t Miss: How Many Pages Are In All The Harry Potter Books