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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is the second novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. It continues the story of Harry Potter during his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the novel, the mysterious attacks on students and the disembodied voices that Harry hears, lead him down into the Chamber of Secrets, to battle the heir of Slytherin. The book was published on 2 July 1998; it subsequently won the notable Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in the age 9–11 category and was named the British Book Awards’ Children’s Book of the Year.^[1] A movie based on the book was released on November 15, 2002.

Synopsis

Plot

During the summer holiday between Harry Potter's first and second years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Dursleys have locked away Harry's school books and equipment, and have prevented him from communicating with his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. 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 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.

At the a 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 – it is later revealed that Dobby bewitched the wall to prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts. The boys steal the flying car and fly to Hogwarts, and crash into the Whomping Willow, which immediately attacks, damaging the car and breaking Ron's wand. The battered car disappears into the Forbidden Forest. Professor Snape catches them sneaking into the Great Hall and tries to have them expelled, but Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, opposes this.

Harry finds that the new Defense 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 hanging petrified beside it. Persuaded by Hermione, the teacher of History of Magic explains that Salazar Slytherin, one of the school's founders, left because the other three founders rejected his proposal that the school should exclude children from Muggle (non-magical) families. According to legend, Slytherin built a secret chamber in the school before leaving, 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. After the lession Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that the most likely heir of Slytherin is Draco Malfoy, who constantly insults "Mud-bloods". They hatch a plan to disguise themselves as Slytherin pupils by means of Polyjuice Potion and spy on Draco.

During a Quidditch match Harry's arm is broken by a magically-guided Bludger that 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 not to attack pupils, 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.

Pre-release history

In the early drafts of this book, the author had the ghost Nearly Headless Nick sing a self-composed song explaining his condition and the circumstances of his death. The material was cut as the book's editor did not care for the poem, although it has been subsequently published as an extra on J. K. Rowling's official website.^[2] Another sub-plot cut from Chamber of Secrets was the family background of Dean Thomas, which was removed from the draft because Rowling and her publishers considered it an "unnecessary digression", and she considered Neville Longbottom's own journey of discovery "more important to the central plot".^[3]

This book is thematically linked 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 certain "crucial" plot information from that book was intended to be placed in this volume, but Rowling ultimately felt that "this information's proper home was book six".^[4] Several items that later play a role in Half-Blood Prince first make their appearance in Chamber of Secrets, including the Hand of Glory and the opal necklace that appear when Harry is in Borgin & Burkes, Tom Riddle's diary (which is later revealed to be a Horcrux) and a Vanishing Cabinet damaged by Peeves the Poltergeist.

First edition printings had several errors, which were fixed in subsequent reprints. This includes Dumbledore saying that Voldemort was the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin, instead of descendant. In addition, Lockhart's book on werewolves is entitled "Weekends with Werewolves" at one point and “Wanderings with Werewolves” later in the book.

Reception

The climactic scene in which Harry saves Ginny from Riddle's diary and the basilisk was compared by several Christian writers to John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, as in this scene, "Harry descends to a deep underworld, is confronted by two Satanic minions (Voldemort and a giant serpent), is saved from certain death by his faith in Dumbledore (the bearded God the Father/Ancient of Days), rescues the virgin (Ginerva [sic] Weasley), and ascends in triumph."^[5]

Awards

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has won the following awards:

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2000
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2000
Booklist Editors' Choices, 1999
Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Novels for Youth, 1998-99
CCBC Choices 2000: Fiction for Children
International Reading Association: Children's Choices, 2000
International Reading Association: Young Adult Choices, 2000

School Library Journal: Best Books 1999
CBC Not Just for Children Anymore! List
British Book Awards 1998 Children's Book of the Year (NIBBY)
Shortlisted for the 1998 Guardian Children's Award
Shortlisted for the 1998 Carnegie Award
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1998 Gold Medal 9–11 years
Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book Award 1999
FCBG Children’s Book Award 1998 Overall winner and Longer Novel Category
North East Book Award 1999
North East Scotland Book Award 1998
The Booksellers Association / The Bookseller Author of the Year 1998
Whitaker's Platinum Book Award 2001

References

^ "About J. K. Rowling". Raincoast Books. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
^ J. K. Rowling Official Site
^ J. K. Rowling Official Site
^ J. K. Rowling Official Site
^ Dave Kopel (2003). "Deconstructing Rowling". National Review. Retrieved 2007-06-23.

External links

Mistakes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from bookmistakes.com

[1] "About J. K. Rowling". Raincoast Books. Retrieved March 5, 2009.

[2] J. K. Rowling Official Site

[3] J. K. Rowling Official Site

[4] J. K. Rowling Official Site

[5] Dave Kopel (2003). "Deconstructing Rowling". National Review. Retrieved 2007-06-23.

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@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 Harry finds that the new [[Defense Against the Dark Arts]] teacher is the celebrity [[Hogwarts staff#Gilderoy Lockhart|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 [[pixie]]s.
-Harry begins to hear a voice that is inaudible to others and which whispers about its desire to kill. A message magically written on a wall proclaims, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware" - with school caretaker [[Argus Filch | Filch]]'s cat hanging [[petrification | petrified]] beside it. Persuaded by Hermione, the teacher of [[Hogwarts_subjects#History_of_Magic|History of Magic]] explains that [[Salazar Slytherin]], one of the school's founders, left because the other three founders rejected his proposal that the school should exclude children from [[Muggle]] (non-magical) families. According to legend, Slytherin built a secret chamber in the school before leaving, 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. After the lession Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that the most likely heir of Slytherin is [[Draco Malfoy]], who constantly insults "Mud-bloods". They hatch a plan to disguise themselves as Slytherin pupils by means of [[Polyjuice Potion]] and spy on Draco.
+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 [[Argus Filch | Filch]]'s cat hanging [[petrification | petrified]] beside it. Persuaded by Hermione, the teacher of [[Hogwarts_subjects#History_of_Magic|History of Magic]] explains that [[Salazar Slytherin]], one of the school's founders, left because the other three founders rejected his proposal that the school should exclude children from [[Muggle]] (non-magical) families. According to legend, Slytherin built a secret chamber in the school before leaving, 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. After the lession Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that the most likely heir of Slytherin is [[Draco Malfoy]], who constantly insults "Mud-bloods". They hatch a plan to disguise themselves as Slytherin pupils by means of [[Polyjuice Potion]] and spy on Draco.
-During a [[Quidditch]] match Harry's arm is broken by a magically-guided [[Quidditch#The_Bludgers | Bludger]] that targets only him. While he 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.
+During a [[Quidditch]] match Harry's arm is broken by a magically-guided [[Quidditch#The_Bludgers | Bludger]] that 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]].
+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 not to attack pupils, 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.
-<!--
-a famous wizard and author, [[Hogwarts staff#Gilderoy Lockhart|Gilderoy Lockhart]], who writes about his experiences with dark creatures. His books all have alliterated names, and while people admire his stories, the teachers find him to be annoying as he doesn't teach students their lessons properly, instead using lessons for self-publicity. Events at school take a turn for the worse when the legendary Chamber of Secrets is opened and a monster begins to stalk the castle, petrifying anyone who indirectly meets its gaze. According to legend, the Chamber was built by one of the Hogwarts founders, [[Salazar Slytherin]], and can be opened only by his heir, in order to purge Hogwarts of "all those who were unworthy to study magic" or 'Muggle-borns'. Harry hears something lurking in the walls of Hogwarts, whispering its desire to kill, but no one else hears what he does. Many suspect Harry is the heir of Slytherin because, while trying to save another student during a duel against [[Draco Malfoy]], he inadvertently speaks Parseltongue, the ability to talk to snakes and a talent that characteristically belongs to Dark Wizards and associated with Slytherin House.
--->
 <!-- !!! do not use until mined out ***********
 [[Harry Potter]]'s summer holiday with the Dursleys is not going well. The Dursleys have locked away all of Harry's school possessions. Harry has not yet received any letters from his friends, [[Ron Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]]. On his twelfth birthday, [[Magical creatures (Harry Potter)#Dobby|Dobby]], the house elf, arrives to warn Harry that he will be in mortal danger if he returns to Hogwarts. Harry is determined to return, as it is the only true home he has ever known, so Dobby destroys the pudding intended for an important dinner party attended by Uncle Vernon's potential client and the client's wife. The Ministry of Magic sends a warning letter explaining Harry cannot use magic outside school and he risks expulsion if he does so again. No longer afraid of Harry's potential as a wizard, Uncle Vernon tells Harry he cannot return to Hogwarts and puts bars on Harry's window, imprisoning his nephew.