Chamber of Secrets
From Harry Potter Wiki
- This article is about the physical Chamber of Secrets. You may be looking for the book, see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
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| Chamber of Secrets | |
|---|---|
| Location information | |
| Location | |
| Permanent Resident(s) |
Basilisk (formerly) |
| Affiliation |
Heir of Slytherin |
| Behind the scenes | |
| First appearance | |
| Latest appearance |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only) |
The Chamber of Secrets was allegedly created under the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle during Medieval times by Salazar Slytherin, who disagreed with the other Hogwarts Founders on the merits of blood purity. The Chamber of Secrets was home to an ancient Basilisk, and was intended to be used to purge the school of Muggle-born students. The Chamber is lined with statues of snakes, and a large statue of Salazar Slytherin is at the centre.
The entrance to the Chamber is at a snake-engraved sink tap in the second floor girls' bathroom, where a ghost of a girl named Myrtle, more commonly known as Moaning Myrtle can often be found. The Chamber may be entered by giving the password of "Open up", which must be said in Parseltongue (snake language). A passage will open that leads to the Chamber.
The Chamber was opened in the 1940s by a young Tom Marvolo Riddle, who desired to see the Muggle-born driven from Hogwarts. In his fifth year, Tom located the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and was able to control the Basilisk because he was a Parselmouth. Tom turned the beast loose on the school, injuring many. The last victim was a student named Myrtle-who was killed in the girls' bathroom. Hogwarts was slated to be closed; but as Hogwarts was unnaturally precious to Tom, he framed fellow student Rubeus Hagrid, who conveniently had concealed a pet acromantula named Aragog. Tom convinced the Headmaster at the time, Armando Dippet, that Aragog was the monster that had terrorized the school. Hagrid was expelled, and Tom received an engraved trophy for Special Services to the School.
Albus Dumbledore, then-Deputy Headmaster, distrusted Riddle and kept a close watch on him after that. Because it was no longer safe to open the Chamber of Secrets, Tom created a diary to preserve a part of his soul, hoping it would one day lead someone to finish Salazar Slytherin's "noble work." This diary was one of Voldemort's seven Horcruxes.
The Chamber was re-opened in 1992 when the bewitched diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle manipulated and controlled Ginny Weasley, an innocent bystander under the influence of the diary, to do Lord Voldemort's bidding. Ginny was compelled to vandalise the school by painting terrifying messages on the corridor walls in blood. She was made to open the Chamber, releasing the Basilisk. The Basilisk petrified many students, including Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger, as well as the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick and the guardian cat, Mrs. Norris. They were later restored to their proper states through the use of Mandrake Restorative Draught. Fortunately, during this time, no one was killed.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and then-Professor Gilderoy Lockhart went to the Chamber during that same year to rescue Ginny, as a message had been left that she was being held prisoner there. With the help of Fawkes and the use of Godric Gryffindor's sword, Harry defeated the Basilisk. Harry destroyed the diary with one of the Basilisk's fangs. This action also effectively destroyed the Horcrux.
On the 2nd of May in 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione Granger went back to the Chamber of Secrets to retreive more fangs. These fangs were to be used to destroy other Horcruxes. Ron was able to open the Chamber by mimicking the Parseltongue he heard Harry use to open Salazar Slytherin's Locket. Ron and Hermione were able to leave the Chamber using brooms.
