Summary

The article reflects on the overlooked details and the enduring relevance of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," emphasizing the introduction of Dobby, the comedic role of Professor Lockhart, the subtle foreshadowing of Ginny Weasley's role, Hermione's polyjuice potion mishap, the political undertones, and the magical world's appeal.

Abstract

The piece, titled "The Best Bits of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," encourages readers to revisit the series, particularly the second book, to appreciate the depth and nuances that may have been missed during initial readings. It highlights the introduction of the beloved character Dobby, whose freedom is a pivotal moment in the narrative. The author expresses amusement at the bumbling Professor Lockhart, whose arrogance leads to his downfall. The article praises J. K. Rowling's skillful foreshadowing, especially regarding Ginny Weasley's connection to the Chamber of Secrets. It also recounts Hermione's accidental transformation into a cat due to a polyjuice potion error, adding a humorous element to the story. The political themes of the book are discussed, drawing parallels to contemporary issues of marginalization. The article concludes by asserting the timelessness and importance of the Harry Potter series in addressing themes of friendship and politics.

Opinions

Dobby the house-elf is considered the author's favorite character and a highlight of the book.
Professor Lockhart is viewed as the most self

The Best Bits of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Five things you might not remember.

When was the last time you read Harry Potter? When did you last wrap yourself in J. K. Rowling’s beautiful world of magic? When have you last dreamed about flying a Nimbus 2000?

If you can’t remember the last time you did any of these things, it’s definitely time to go back to the Harry Potter books.

I don’t care if you’re an adult, I don’t care if you feel embarrassed or don’t think you have the time to read a seven-book series. The Christmas holidays are almost here, and what better time is there to dive back into Hogwarts?

I just finished my reread of book 2, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. It was glorious.

There are so many things you don’t pick up on when you read it for the first time. Funny things, mind-blowing things, beautiful things. Here are some of the delights to be (re-)discovered in The Chamber of Secrets.

(Be warned: There are major spoilers ahead, so if you — for some incomprehensible reason — have not read the Harry Potter books yet, you probably shouldn’t read any further.)

We Get to Know Dobby

Dobby the house-elve is my favourite character in the entire series. He’s the cutest! He makes his first appearance in book 2, which is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed my reread so much.

At the end of the book, Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into throwing Dobby a sock, thus setting him free. Yes: Dobby is a free elf! As he is set free, he unleashes all of his amazing powers to stop Malfoy from hurting Harry.

Professor Lockhart Is the Worst!

A character I completely forgot about is Professor Lockhart. Seriously, what is wrong with that guy! He is the most self-involved idiot in the entire series. He’s probably worse than you-know-who because he’s not only self-involved but also pretty dumb.

Spiteful as I am, I couldn’t help but laugh at Lockhart when Ron’s wand backfires and Lockhart hits himself with his own memory charm. Unfortunately for him, his memory charms are really strong (because they’re the only thing he‘s truly good at) and he loses his mind forever.

I was laughing so hard when Harry came back out of the Chamber of Secrets and the confused Lockhart seriously asked him whether he lived down there …

There’s a Lot of Foreshadowing

You might remember that it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets. Voldemort took control of her through his old diary.

What you might not have noticed is that Rowling left tons of clues about Ginny’s involvement with the Chamber of Secrets. Whenever somebody is attacked, Ginny acts weird, looks pale and nervous.

The foreshadowing here is masterful. When I first read the book, I never would have noticed it, but now that I know that it was Ginny, it couldn’t be more obvious.

Hermione Turns Into a Cat

We all know that Harry wouldn’t even have made it into year 2 at Hogwarts if it weren’t for Hermione. She is the (not so) secret star of the show. But even she is not infallible.

In The Chamber of Secrets, our three protagonists brew some polyjuice potion to interrogate Malfoy about the chamber. Hermione accidentally puts a cat hair into her portion.

And what happens? She actually turns into a cat. She has to remain in the hospital wing for several weeks because of the fur in her face and the tail on her back.

Poor Hermione! Imagine all the school lessons she will miss!

The Spider Scene Is (Almost) Redundant

Remember how Harry and Ron go into the forbidden forest because Hagrid told them they should follow the spiders if they want to find out what kind of monster is hidden in the Chamber of Secrets?

Have you ever noticed that this scene is basically redundant? Poor Ron has to face his worst fear in the shape of a pack of giant spiders. He and Harry are in mortal danger and need their old car to save them.

All of that is for nothing: The only new thing Aragog tells them is that the girl who was killed 50 years ago died in a bathroom, from which they deduce that it must be Moaning Myrtle.

But when they finally get to ask her what killed her, they already know it was a Basilisk. Hermione has done her research.

Anyway, at least they found the entrance to the chamber with Myrtle’s help.

Magic, Friendship, Politics

The Harry Potter books are great not only for the world we all wish we could live in. They are great because they talk about friendship, politics and other issues that are relevant to everyone, everywhere.

If you think about it, The Chamber of Secrets is heavily political. The whole point of the chamber is to “clean the school of mudbloods” — people who don’t have pure wizard blood.

In times when minorities are still (and again) marginalized, the Harry Potter books couldn’t be more relevant. They’re absolutely worth reading in 2020!

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