sign in| help
Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • Rated 0 stars
Read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter: Book 2

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998) (edit title/settings)

by J. K. Rowling (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

Harry is tired of the summer holidays, and tired of the Dursleys. Just before the long anticipated term at Hogwarts, Harry receives a strange visitor, who tells him he must not go back to Hogwarts, because there will be great trouble for him if he does. Harry, dismayed, shocked, and surprised... read more

Summary edit see section history

During the summer holiday after Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Dursleys have locked away Harry's school equipment. On Harry's twelfth birthday, a house elf called Dobby appears and warns Harry that he will be in mortal danger if he returns to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

During the summer holiday after Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Dursleys have locked away Harry's school equipment. On Harry's twelfth birthday, a house elf called Dobby appears and warns Harry that he will be in mortal danger if he returns to Hogwarts. When Harry insists he will return to the school, Dobby uses magic to sabotage a dinner party hosted by Harry's uncle, Vernon Dursley. The Ministry of Magic sends Harry a letter warning that he risks expulsion if he uses magic outside Hogwarts again. No longer afraid of Harry's magical abilities, Uncle Vernon says Harry cannot return to Hogwarts and fits bars on Harry's window!

Ron Weasley and his older twin brothers Fred and George rescue Harry in a flying car, and take him to spend a pleasant month at their home, The Burrow. Ron's younger sister, Ginny, who is about to start at Hogwarts, develops a crush on Harry. While the children are buying school books in Diagon Alley, Lucius Malfoy, the father of Draco Malfoy and even more arrogant, provokes a fight with Ron's father, Arthur Weasley.

At the start of the school term Harry and the Weasleys go to London King's Cross railway station to catch the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron are the last to try to enter Platform 9¾, and the wall between platforms 9 and 10 will not let them through. The boys steal the flying car and fly to Hogwarts. On arriving, they crash into the Whomping Willow, which immediately attacks, damaging the car and breaking Ron's wand. The battered car retreats into the Forbidden Forest. Professor Snape catches the boys sneaking into the Great Hall and tries to have them expelled, but Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, opposes this.

Harry finds that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is the celebrity Gilderoy Lockhart, who has required pupils to buy copies of all his books. Lockhart sets them a test consisting entirely of trivia questions about himself, but proves incapable of controlling a group of pixies.

Harry begins to hear a voice that whispers about its desire to kill but is inaudible to others. A message magically written on a wall proclaims, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware" - with school caretaker Filch's cat petrified beside it. Persuaded by Hermione Granger, the History of Magic teacher recounts a legend that Salazar Slytherin, one of the school's founders, built a secret chamber in the school, and sealed it so that only his true heir could open it. This would unleash a monster that would kill all pupils whom Slytherin considered unworthy. Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that the most likely heir of Slytherin is Draco Malfoy, who constantly insults "Mudbloods", pupils from non-magical families. They hatch a plan to disguise themselves as Slytherin House pupils by means of Polyjuice Potion and spy on Draco.

During a Quidditch match Harry's arm is broken by a Bludger that inexplicably targets only him. While in the school's hospital he wakes up to find Dobby tending him. The house elf confesses that he blocked the entrance to Platform 9¾ and bewitched the Bludger, in both cases to exclude Harry from the school. Dobby flees when Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bring in a younger pupil who has been petrified. Harry hears Dumbledore conclude that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened.

While Harry, Ron and Hermione are making the Polyjuice Potion, a long and complex process, Lockhart sets out to teach the pupils magical duelling. In a duel with Harry, Draco, coached by Snape, conjures a snake. Harry orders it stop threatening a pupil, and it obeys. Ron concludes that Harry is a Parselmouth, in other words he has the very rare talent of conversing with snakes, for which Salazar Slytherin was famous. Rumours that Harry is the Heir of Slytherin spread through the school. After being accused by a group of pupils, Harry finds, lying petrified on the floor of a passage, the student whom the snake threatened and one of the school's ghosts.

Harry and Ron use the Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves temporarily as Crabbe and Goyle, Draco's muscular but dim sidekicks. Draco, fooled by the disguise, tells them he is not the Heir but wishes he could help him.

A few weeks later Harry and Ron hear a ghost, Moaning Myrtle, in one of the girls' toilets. Myrtle shows them an empty 50 year-old diary which dropped through her out of thin air. One evening Harry starts writing in the diary, which magically produces written replies from "Tom Riddle", who claims to have sealed the Chamber of Secrets when it last opened, 50 years ago. The diary transports Harry's mind back to the Hogwarts of 50 years ago, where Riddle finds 13 year-old Hagrid looking after a huge spider-like creature and accuses him of opening the Chamber.

There are no further petrifications in the next four months, and the rumours about Harry fade away. Then Harry finds that the diary has been stolen, and Ron points out that only a Gryffindor student could have done it, as no-one else would have known the password to open the magical door of their quarters. The following day Hermione and another girl are petrified. Professor McGonagall fears the school will have to be closed to avoid further casualties. Harry and Ron visit Hagrid's house, using the Invisibility Cloak that Harry inherited from his father in order to evade the curfew that has been imposed to keep pupils away from danger. Almost immediately Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic arrive, and the boys hastily take cover again under the Cloak. The Minister announces that, as a precaution, Hagrid is to be imprisoned in Azkaban until the emergency is over. Lucius Malfoy then arrives to announce that the school's governors have suspended Dumbledore from the position of headmaster. On his way out, Hagrid drops a hint to Harry and Ron, who are still concealed,that they should "follow the spiders".

After several days Harry spots some spiders apparently moving towards the Forbidden Forest, and the two boys slip out that night. In the heart of the Forest they are captured by giant spiders, led by Aragog, whom Hagrid had been tending when Riddle accused him of opening the Chamber of Secrets. Aragog explains that he was not the monster of the Chamber, but was imported as an egg, and fled the school after a girl was killed in a toilet. He will not eat the boys but cannot restrain his brood from attacking. Harry and Ron are rescued by the flying car, which has been hiding in the Forest ever since its encounter with the Whomping Willow.

The boys realise that Moaning Myrtle may be the ghost of the girl killed 50 years ago. On the way to the toilet she haunts, they are intercepted by Professor McGonagall, and Harry tells her they are going to visit Hermione, who is still petrified. In the hospital Harry extracts from Hermione's hand a note that leads them to think the monster is a Basilisk and may be emerging via Myrtle's toilet. On their way there they hear that Ginny Weasley has been taken into the Chamber by the monster. The rest of the staff insist that Lockhart is best qualified to handle the situation, and he goes to his rooms "to prepare". Harry and Ron go there to tell him what they have discovered, and find him packing hastily. Lockhart admits that he stole the credit for "his" exploits from other wizards and witches, after wiping their memories. He tries to wipe the boys' memories, but Harry disarms him with a spell. The two march Lockhart to the toilet haunted by Myrtle, who says that, as she died, she saw the monster by a sink. When Harry gives the order "Open!" in Parseltongue (snake speech), the sink moves aside to reveal a passage. In a tunnel under the school, Lockhart steals Ron's wand and tries to memory-wipe the boys. However Ron's wand has been unreliable ever since it was broken, and the spell backfires on Lockhart.

Ron stays to look after Lockhart while Harry moves forward, entering a long chamber, where Ginny lies at the far end, beside the diary. As he examines her, Tom Riddle appears, looking exactly as he did in Harry's vision of 50 years ago, and explains that he is a memory stored in the diary. Ginny started writing about her adolescent hopes and fears, and Riddle won her confidence by appearing sympathetic, draining energy from her in the process, and gained enough strength to make Ginny open the Chamber. Ginny threw away the diary when she realised she was responsible for the attacks, and it later came into Harry's possession. From conversations with Harry via the diary the virtual Riddle learned his own identity – he is the young Voldemort. Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes, appears and drops a bundle at Harry's feet, as Riddle releases the basilisk slides out. Fawkes blinds the monster, so that its glare is no longer dangerous, and Harry finds that the bundle contains a magnificent sword, with which he kills the basilisk – but only after being bitten by the creature's venomous fangs, one of which breaks off. As Riddle gloats over the dying Harry, Fawkes weeps over the wound and cures him. Harry stabs the diary with the broken fang, and Riddle screams and vanishes.<2> Ginny revives and they return to Ron, who is still watching over the memory-wiped Lockhart.

Fawkes airlifts all four out of the tunnels and then leads them to the office of Professor McGonagall, who has been acting as head of the school. Dumbledore and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are also there, and Harry tells them the whole story. Dumbledore revokes his threat to expel the boys if they broke more rules, and gives them Special Awards for Services to the School and Gryffindor enough points to win the inter-House competition. When Harry mentions his earlier fears that he was the Heir of Slytherin, Dumbledore says that Harry chose Gryffindor House, and only a true member of that House could have used Godric Gryffindor's sword to kill the basilisk.

Lucius Malfoy bursts in, accompanied by Dobby. Dumbledore says the governors have just reinstated him as head of the school, after hearing of Ginny's abduction. Understanding mimed hints from Dobby, Harry accuses Malfoy of slipping the diary into one of Ginny's books during the fracas in Diagon Alley. As Malfoy leaves with Dobby, Harry slips a sock into the diary and returns the diary to Malfoy. Malfoy throws away the sock in disgust and Dobby catches it - a "giving of clothes" that frees Dobby from servitude to the Malfoys. Enraged at the loss of a servant, Malfoy draws his wand, but Dobby magically knocks down Malfoy, who retreats. All of the basilisk's victims are revived.

<source: Wikipedia>

Characters edit see section history

  • Harry Potter: The loveable, kind, loyal , and brave wizard who is the only one to have ever survived the killing curse. Lord Voldemort (He Who Shall Not Be Named) tried to kill him when he was a year old, and killed his parents. However, Harry survived, which earned him the nickname "The Boy Who Lived". He enters his second year at Hogwarts in this installment.
  • Ron Weasley: Red-haired wizard. He is one of Harry's best friends and a second year student at Hogwarts. Ron is known for his chess skills and humorous quips, tactless though some of them may be.
  • Hermione Granger: Muggle-born and book smart. She is one of Harry's best friends and is someone who tries to keep him out of trouble. She is also a second-year Hogwarts student and at the top of her class.
  • Harry Potter: Harry is the main character of the story. he lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin (aunt petunia, uncle vernon, dudley) during the summer when he is not at hogwarts. he lives there because his parents were killed by lord voldemort and they were his only surviving relatives. harry was supposed to be killed by voldemort after he killed his parents, but he managed to survive the killing curse, giving him a scar looking like a lightning bolt. when the curse rebounded onto voldemort, it killed him and brought his downfall making him famous in the wizarding world. he is in the house of gryffindor and is the seeker on the gryffindor quidditch team. he is the youngest seeker in a century. his best friends are Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
  • Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (Professor Dumbledore): Headmaster at Hogwarts. Like a father to Harry. Very wise, powerful and is the only person Lord Voldemort is afraid of.
  • Rubeus Hagrid: The giant Hogwarts Game-Keeper.Sencitive and loves animals and creatures.
  • Draco Malfoy: Slight with white blonde hair. Draco is Harry Potter's rival in Hogwarts. This is Draco's second-year at Hogwarts. Draco is a Slytherin. He is also on the Slytherin's Qudditch team and is seeker.He's Lucius's son.
  • Lucius Malfoy: Draco's father and a known supporter of Voldemort, despite his family's denials. A big-headed pure-blood.Wants to get rid of Dombledore.
  • Ginny Weasley: Ron's younger sister who's always embarrassed around Harry. She is a first-year Hogwarts student.
  • Percy Weasley: Ron's older and very pompous brother. Is a school Prefect.
  • Fred Weasley: George Weasley's twin who collaborates on harmless pranks and knows the secret passageways in Hogwarts.Very funny.
  • Molly Weasley: Ron's loving but no-nonsense mother. She keeps the Weasley home in order, which is no small task because of all the teenagers who live there.
  • Arthur Weasley: Ron's father who works at the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department. Very interested in muggles.
  • Vernon Dursley: Harry's muggle uncle; he has a strong loathing of both magic and Harry. He works for a company that sells drills. Loud and imposing.
  • Petunia Dursley: Harry's muggle aunt who also appears to loathe magic. She's jealous of her deceased sister Lily, Harry Potter's mother. Is a shrill neat freak.
  • Dudley Dursley: Harry's fat and pig-headed bully of a cousin who gets whatever he wants, because he throws a temper tantrum. Thick-head and spoiled. Son of Vernon and Petunia Dursley
  • Professor Minerva McGonagall: Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor house and Transfiguration teacher. Can transform into a cat. Can be strict but is good-humored.Wears an emarwld robe.
  • Severus Snape: Head of Slytherin House and Potions master. Increasingly frustrated by his failure to obtain the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. Seeks every opportunity to outshine Professor Lockhart. Admittedly, this isn't very difficult at all.
  • Gilderoy Lockhart: The handsome, self-absorbed new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Five time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award, honorary member of the dark force defense league and Order of Merlin Second Class. Hated by all of the other professors, Hagrid, and most of the students (some of the females are an exception.) :)
  • Professor Pomona "Poppy" Sprout: Head of Hufflepuff house and Herbology teacher.A squat little witch who is cheerful.
  • Argus Filch: Hogwart's caretaker and a Squib, he hates the kids at Hogwarts and cannot perform magic even though his parents were magical. Has a cat.
  • Cornelius Fudge: Incompetent and easily manipulated Minister of Magic.
  • Oliver Wood: Courageous Quidditch Captain and Keeper for the Gryffindor team. Trains Harry to be a seeker in The Philosopher's Stone. Gets the team up to practise early, rain or snow, and is incredibly tense before any Quidditch game.
  • Hermione Granger: Known as the brains of the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger is a muggleborn Hogwarts student who is very important to the series.
  • Gregory Goyle: Slytherin student best known as one of Draco Malfoy's dim-witted but brawny sidekicks.
  • Vincent Crabbe: Draco's Slytherin sidekick, along with Goyle. Short, strong and stupid.Ugly.
  • Millicent Bulstrode: Slytherin house, Harry's year. has a pet cat.
  • Justin Finch-Fletchley: Hufflepuff house, Harry's year. Muggle-born.
  • Penelope Clearwater: She is a Ravenclaw prefect.
  • Ernie Macmillan: He is in Hufflepuff house and in Harry's year.
  • Nearly Headless Nick: The Gryffindor ghost whose real name is Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington.
  • Moaning Myrtle: The miserable and whiny ghost who haunts the girls bathroom.
  • Peeves: The Poltergeist of Hogwarts castle who enjoys creating mischief. he is hated by the students for how he ransacks them, but is highly loathed by filch, who constantly has to clean up his messes.
  • Aragog: The giant Acromantula who lives in the Forbidden Forest. Remains loyal to Hagrid, who raised him, but will have his children eat anybody else..
  • Madam Pomfrey: The nurse at Hogwarts's hospital ward.
  • Mr. Borgin: The owner of Borgin and Burkes, a shop in Knockturn Alley which specializes in selling rather suspicious dark trinkets and objects. he has very greasy hair. :)
  • Ginny Weasley: Sister of Ron, Bill, Percy, Charlie, Fred and George Weasley. Daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley. She is one year younger than Ron. She really admires Harry.
  • Fawkes: A phoenix belonging to Professor Dumbledore.
  • Scabbers: Ron's remarkably old and scruffy pet rat.
  • Hedwig: Harry's Snowy Owl. Affectionate and dignified.
  • Charlie Weasley: In Romania studying dragons. Ron's second oldest brother. Is strong with a silver dragon burn on one arm.
  • Bill Weasley: In Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts. Ron's oldest brother and exceptionally cool.
  • Seamus Finnigan: Second year Gryffiindor
  • Dean Thomas: Second year Gryffindor
  • Justin Finch-Fletchley: Curly haired and Muggle-born Hufflepuff student whom Harry meets in Herbology.
  • Colin Creevey: Muggleborn Gryffindor with a rather overwhelming admiration for Harry. Constantly takes Harry's picture and has even memorized Harry's schedule.
  • Hermione Granger: bossy but best friend of Harry's
  • Marcus Flint: Slytherin Quidditch captain
  • Professor Binns: History of Magic teacher and the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts. Notorious for being exceedingly boring and mono-toned.
  • The Basilisk: The main enemy, challenge, and terror that Harry has to face in the book. Only Tom Riddle/Voldemort can call it. It can kill anybody by looking them in the eye, and the crow of the rooster will kill it. Spiders fear the basilisk.
Show all 50 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “You were seen! By no less than seven Muggles! Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world! Not to mention the damage you inflicted on Whomping Willow, that's been on these grounds since before you were born!”
    Severus Snape
  • “Look, Potter! You've got yourself a girlfriend.”
    Draco Malfoy
  • “So this is what Dumbledore sends his great defender. A songbird and an old hat.”
    Tom Riddle
  • “Fame is a fickle friend Harry. Celebrity is as celebrity does. Remember that.”
    Gilderoy Lockhart
  • “A Study of Hogwarts' Prefects and Their Later Careers. That sounds fascinating.”
    Ron Weasley
  • “"Hang on..." Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table.... Where's Snape?""Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully."Maybe he's left," said Harry, 'because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!""Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him --""Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble. (CS5)”
    Harry, Ron and Severus Snape
  • “Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.”
    Harry's thoughts
  • “Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done,You're killing off students, you think it's good fun.”
    Peeves
  • “His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine,The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.”
    Ginny Weasley
  • “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
    Albus Dumbledore
  • “"That tree did more damage to US than we-" Ron blurted out. "SILENCE!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who DO have that happy power. You will wait here."”
    Ron and Severus Snape
  • “"So no pressure Harry."”
    Fred Weasley
  • “How thick could you get?”
    Ron
  • “Harry, if you die, you're welcome to use my toilet...”
    Moaning Myrtle
  • “you will find that i will only truely have left this school when none left here are loyal to me.”
    Albus Dumbledore to Lucius Malfoy.
  • “First of all, Harry, I want to thank you. you must have shown me real loyalty down in the chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you.”
    Albus Dumbledore
  • “It will be my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard-kind.”
    Gilderoy Lockhart
  • “What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.”
    Arthur Weasley
  • “Because that's what Hermione does...when in doubt, go to the library."”
    Ron Weasley
Show all 19 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a British boarding school of magic. The castle is in the mountains near a loch. The precise location can never be uncovered as the school is hidden by the most powerful spells possible, and is Unplottable. Spells protecting the castle include anti-Apparition and Muggle-repelling charms, which make the castle appear as an old ruin with a sign that says 'Danger, Keep Out.' These spells may be lifted by the Headmaster. Most electronic devices do not work on Hogwarts grounds. There are approximately a thousand students attending Hogwarts at any given time
  • Great Hall: Place where Hogwarts students eat their meals. The great hall has four tables for the four different houses.
  • Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley contains many wizarding shops that are only accessable by wizards. Some shops include:Cauldron Store – store where students buy cauldrons; Apothecary --- store where students buy their potions ingredients; Eeylops Owl Emporium --- place where students buy their messenger owls; Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions --- place where students buy robes; Flourish and Blotts --- bookstore for students; Ollivander's --- wand shop; Quality Quidditch Supplies --- place where students buy brooms and and supplies for brooms;Magical Menagerie --- shop that sells magical animals, food, and pills; Florean Fescue's Ice Cream Shop --- ice cream shop in diagon alley; Gambol and Jape's Wizarding Joke Shop --- place where students get their novelty and joke items
  • Chamber of Secrets

Organizations edit see section history

  • Gryffindor: One of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Godric Gryffindor. Its emblematic animal is the lion and its colours are scarlet and gold. Minerva McGonagall is the most recent Head of House. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, also known as "Nearly Headless Nick" is the house ghost. The particular characteristics of students Sorted into Gryffindor are courage and chivalry, of which the lion is the symbol.Gryffindor corresponds roughly to the element of fire, which may partly be the reason for its colours. Some Gryffindor students are: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley.
  • Ravenclaw: A Hogwarts house known for its intelligence The Hogwarts house was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. It carries the symbol of the eagle and house colours of blue and bronze. Students sorted into this house are known to display intense cleverness and intelligence. Some Ravenclaw students are: Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood or Marietta Edgecombe.
  • Slytherin: It is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is traditionally home to students who exhibit such traits as cunning and ambition. Its emblematic animal is the snake and its colours are green and silver. Founded by Salazar Slytherin, the house is comprised mostly of pure-blood students, due to its founder's mistrust of Muggle-born witches and wizards. The house has a negative reputation, with many claiming that it is the source of most Dark Wizards in Britain, notably Tom Marvolo Riddle, a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, as well as many of his Death Eaters. Slytherin corresponds roughly with the element of water. Some Slytherin students are: Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape or Vincent Crabbe.
  • Hufflepuff: Is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its founder was the Medieval witch Helga Hufflepuff. The Head of Hufflepuff is Pomona Sprout. The Fat Friar is the House's patron ghost. Hufflepuff is the most inclusive among the four houses, valuing hard work, patience, friendship and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members. Its emblematic animal is the badger, and yellow and black are its colours. Hufflepuff corresponds roughly to the element of earth. Some Hufflepuff students are: Cedric Diggory, Nyphadora Tonks.

First Sentence edit see section history

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.

Table of Contents edit see section history

1. The Worst Birthday
2. Dobby's Warning
3. The Burrow
4. At Flourish and Blotts
5. The Whomping Willow
6. Gilderoy Lockhart
7. Mudbloods and Murmurs
8. The Deathday Party
9. The Writing on the Wall
10. The Rogue Bludger
11. The Dueling Club
12. The Polyjuice Potion
13. The Very Secret Diary
14. Cornelius Fudge
15. Aragog
16. The Chamber of Secrets
17. The Heir of Slytherin
18. Dobby's Reward

Glossary edit see section history

  • Mudblood: It means: "Dirty Blood". It's a really foul name used for someone who is a muggle born, someone with non-magic parents. It is a term used in civilized conversation.
  • Muggle: A human who does not exhibit magical talents
  • Quidditch: A wizarding game played on broom sticks. Each team has 7 players:3 chasers, 2 beaters, a keeper and a seeker. The chaser passes the quaffle and shoots in the goals. The beaters hit to balls called bludgers that try to knock the players off their broomsticks. The beaters knock the bludgers away from their teammates, and back to the other the team. The Keeper block's the quaffle from going into goals The seeker is so supposed to search for the snitch. It is very hard to catch, but when they do, they win 150 points and ends the game.
  • Azkaban: Prison fortress where wizarding criminals are sent. Guarded day and night by the terrifying Dementors, who drain peace, hope and happiness out of any human who comes too close to them.
  • Squib: A Squib is a non-magical person who is born to at least one magical parent. Squibs are, in essence, the antithesis of Muggle-born wizards and witches. They are rare and are looked upon with some degree of disdain by some witches and wizards, particularly pure-bloods.
  • Parseltongue: The language called when talking to snakes. (a.k.a. Parselmouth)
  • Balaclava: A balaclava also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of cloth headgear that covers the whole head, exposing only part of the face.
  • Trifle: A cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate.
  • Mandrake: The mandrake featured in Harry Potter are a magical breed based on real life the real thing: highly poisonous plants, the roots of which have been described as having the appearance of humans and according to legend emit a high pitched scream when pulled from the ground.
  • Pureblood: A wizard or witch with no Muggle blood in them.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Tolerance of People who are Different: This theme is about the toleration of people who are different based on blood - for example - "mudbloods" or "halfbloods" by 'blood traitors' and others who do not believe that different blood makes you a better or worse person.
  • Reliance on a Community: Reliance on a Community is a theme that deals with the inevitable dependence people have on others that they live with or around on a day-to-day basis. It is good to be independent, but sometimes people need to rely on others.
  • The Importance of Choices: right choices are intelligent, wrong ones give us experience.
  • Warmth: love and care

Errata edit see section history

p. 32 - GEORGE groaned.
p. 34 - Mrs Weasley had APPEARED, holding a long poker like a sword.
p. 102 - 'Can you taste it if you walk THROUGH it?' Harry asked him.
p. 115 - 'But, sir,' said Seamus Finnigan,'if the Chamber can only BE opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?'
p. 120 - 'You heard him: "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Come on, you've only got to look AT his foul rat face to know it's him -'
p. 140 - ...Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had EXPANDED to the size of dinner plates, while Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened.
p. 212 - Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and SCAMPERED away.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 2 of 7 in Harry Potter. (standard series)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This is book 23 of 196 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This is book 5 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Twilight, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This book is in Best Fantasy Books. (community list)
This is book 11 of 95 in Estrela do Mar. (community list)

Preceded by The Frog Castle, and followed by River Boy.

This is book 5 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This is book 3 of 11 in Harry Potter Universe. (universe)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This is book 5 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Da Vinci Code, and followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

This is book 3 of 146 in Whitcoulls Top 100 (2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Hobbit, and followed by One Day.

This is book 4 of 215 in Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 (2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Shadow Wave , and followed by The Hunger Games.

This is book 3 of 30 in Top selling 100 books 1998-2010 (Guardian). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and followed by Angels & Demons.

This is book 6 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. J. K. Rowling (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Cliff Wright (Illustrator) - First Edition
  2. Mary GrandPré (Illustrator) - US Edition

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: July 2, 1998
ISBN: 0747538492
Page Count: 251

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.R79835 Haj 1999
  • Dewey: 828'.92

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

9 on up. Mild violence.this exciting fantasy may motivate children to tackle its greater length and complexity, and play imaginative games. The young heroes find themselves in many tense situations: in a flying car, surrounded by giant spiders, and facing a giant serpent with Medusa-like abilities. Two characters are near death in the book's climax, but they survive. Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione may partake in plenty of rule-breaking at school but they are great role models; fierce and loyal friends 'til the end and willing to do whatever it takes to save their fellow students.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  • The Magicians

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  • Quidditch Through the Ages

Books Influenced by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Harry Putter and the Chamber of Cheesecakes
  • Harry Putter and the Deathly Hairballs

We’re hiding the books that influenced this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2012 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close