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Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Information, Rumors, and Fear
Prejudice vs. Respect
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery
Fate, Choice, and Identity
Rules, Rebellion, and Doing the Right Thing
Summary
Analysis
Hermione spends the week in the hospital wing, and rumors start to fly that she’s been attacked. Ron and Harry visit her every day, trying to talk through any leads that they might be able to follow, but they can’t think of anyone else the heir might be.
Even while Hermione is in the hospital, the three protagonists are bonded by their friendship and their mutual desire to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, working together to find out any information possible.
Themes
As Harry and Ron walk back from the hospital wing, they return to the corridor in which Mrs. Norris was attacked, just outside of Myrtle’s bathroom. There is a new puddle on the floor, and Myrtle can be heard wailing inside. Harry and Ron go into the bathroom and ask her what’s wrong. Myrtle tells them that someone threw a book at her.
Harry once again shows his deep kindness and decency in asking Myrtle what’s wrong. This not only makes Myrtle feel better, but it also helps Harry because it leads him to Tom Riddle’s diary, which provides some more clues as to what occurred at the school fifty years ago.
Themes
Harry goes to pick it the book, which is small, thin, and has a shabby black cover, but Ron stops him, saying it could be dangerous. Harry ignores him and picks it up anyway. The year on the book tells him that it is fifty years old and belongs to a T.M. Riddle. Ron realizes he knows the name: when he was polishing trophies for detention, he polished an award for special services that T.M. Riddle earned fifty years prior. Harry opens the book, but it is completely blank. He puts it in his pocket.
Ron’s warning is an important one: even though the book could provide key information, it might also be dangerous. Harry ignores this skepticism, but it turns out to be an important lesson. Just because Tom’s diary ultimately provides Harry with information doesn’t mean that that information is necessarily accurate, and misinformation can be extremely harmful.
Themes
When Hermione gets out of the hospital, Harry shows her the diary. They realize that because it is fifty years old, Riddle would have been at Hogwarts when the Chamber of Secrets was opened last. They wonder whether Riddle might have gotten his award for catching the Heir of Slytherin. Hermione performs spells to try and reveal invisible ink, but she is unsuccessful. Harry is plagued by the book, wondering why someone tried to throw it away.
Even the prospect of finding more information on who Riddle is, or about any involvement he might have had with the opening of the Chamber fifty years prior, consumes Harry. Any information that he might be able to find could inform them about what is happening at the castle at that point, and could hopefully prevent more attacks.
Themes
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On Valentine’s Day, Lockhart brings in a dozen dwarfs dressed like cupids, inviting students to use them to send valentines. When Harry is walking to Charms, a dwarf tries to stop Harry and deliver one to him. Harry tries to run, but the dwarf tugs on his bag, spilling all of its contents and splattering ink over everything. The dwarf starts to sing to him, making Harry want to vanish on the spot. Draco, who is also in the hall, waves the diary around, thinking that he has Harry’s diary. The onlookers (including Ginny Weasley, who is watching in horror) fall quiet. Harry disarms Draco in order to get the diary back.
This episode is key to helping Harry solve the mystery of Tom Riddle’s diary, as the spilled ink will allow him to get information from the book. But it is also worth noting how the episode will also spur Ginny’s bravery and loyalty to Harry. Later, it will be revealed that by this point she knows that the diary is evil (and she was the one who threw it into Myrtle’s bathroom). When she sees Harry with it, she plots to get it back so that he will not be taken advantage of by Riddle as she was.
Themes
Later, when Harry examines the diary, he notices something odd: his other books are covered in ink, but Riddle’s diary is completely clean. That night, in his dorm, Harry drops another blot of ink on the diary and the ink is absorbed into the pages. Excitedly, Harry writes “My name is Harry Potter,” and is amazed when other words appear on the page: “Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle.”
When Harry solves the mystery of Tom Riddle’s diary, he is very excited—presumably because this will allow him to find out more information. Harry should actually be more skeptical and even fearful of this dangerous object, because it allows Riddle to mislead Harry and show him a false narrative.
Themes
Harry is stunned at the response. Riddle explains that he has preserved his memories in this diary. Harry asks Riddle whether he knows about the Chamber of Secrets. Riddle confirms that the Chamber was opened during his fifth year at school and that the monster attacked several students, killing one. Riddle caught the person who did it and that person was expelled. Riddle offers to show Harry the memory of the night he caught the person.
Riddle lulls Harry into believing the information he is about to show him by first confirming what Harry already knows. In this way, Riddle is then able to gain Harry’s trust and create a false sense of accuracy and security in the information that he provides.
Themes
Harry is sucked into the diary. In the memory, Riddle speaks to the Hogwarts Headmaster at the time, Professor Dippet. Professor Dippet announces that Riddle cannot stay at school over the summer, even though he hates the Muggle orphanage he lives in (he is half-blood, but his witch mother died just after he was born). Dippet says that with the attacks at the school, Riddle will not be safe, and that the Ministry is even discussing closing the school. Riddle wonders aloud what would happen if the person who is responsible for the attacks were caught. Dippet asks him if he knows anything, but Riddle says no.
This exchange is key to the comparisons that Harry later draws between himself and Riddle, noting many similarities. Riddle is half-blood and an orphan. He hates the Muggles he lives with and considers the school to be his home. He also has a habit of not telling the full truth to authorities, just as Harry did when Dumbledore asked him if anything was wrong. But Harry will ultimately see key differences between himself and Riddle: whereas Riddle’s background fuels his prejudice and his tendency towards evil, Harry’s background leads him to a life of friendship and love.
Themes
Riddle then goes to the dungeons and waits. When someone moves along the passageway, Riddle follows the person down the corridor. Harry sees a huge boy crouching in front of an open door with a large box. Riddle greets the boy—who turns out to be Hagrid—and says he’s going to turn Hagrid in. Hagrid argues, saying that his pet never killed anyone.
Riddle’s memory is very clear, but as Rowling reveals later, it doesn’t necessarily leave Harry with the right information. In this way, Riddle’s memory is only as good as a rumor, because it is based on a biased perspective.
Themes
Riddle then lights up the corridor, and the creature scurries away through the open door. Riddle tries to send a spell after it, but Hagrid tackles Riddle, screaming “NOOOOOOO!” Harry is transported back onto his bed, the diary lying on his stomach. Ron enters the room, and Harry tells him what he’s found out: Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years prior.
Even though Riddle provides Harry with inaccurate information, it is still enough to convince Harry of his perspective. But this information plays against Harry’s loyalty, which turns out to be strong enough to make him question what Riddle has presented to him.
Themes
