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The basilisk (which for most of the novel is referred to simply as “the monster” because people do not know what it is) embodies two ideas: first, the harmful nature of prejudice, and second, the fear of the unknown. The basilisk, as Professor Binns explains to Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors, is a monster imprisoned in the Chamber of Secrets by Salazar Slytherin that is meant to “purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.” By its very nature, it is a tool of hatred, and it carries out that goal in its attacks: Mrs. Norris is the cat of a Squib (Filch), and Colin, Justin, Hermione, and Myrtle are all Muggle-born students. Rowling uses the basilisk to demonstrate how easily prejudice can escalate into true hatred and even a desire to murder. For example, Draco (who begins the novel simply disliking Muggle-born students) confesses that he wishes he knew who the Heir of Slytherin is so that he could help that person kill Muggle-borns.
Additionally, because so little information is known about what the basilisk is, it also serves as a mechanism that spreads fear. Because it petrifies students it attacks, the victims can’t reveal any information about it and the students create rumors to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. Like the basilisk itself, misinformation and fear circulate under cover around the castle, to the point at which students are afraid not of the basilisk itself, but of what they do not know (i.e., a nameless monster).
The Monster/Basilisk Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Monster/Basilisk. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 9
Quotes
“D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?”
“No,” said Ron, without hesitation. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.”
Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask, “You do believe me, don’t you?”
“’Course I do,” said Ron quickly. “But — you must admit it’s weird. . . .”
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“Sir — what exactly do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the Chamber?”
“That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.
The class exchanged nervous looks.
“I tell you, the thing does not exist,” said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. “There is no Chamber and no monster.”
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Chapter 14
Quotes
“Riddle might have got the wrong person,” said Hermione. “Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people. . . .”
“How many monsters d’you think this place can hold?” Ron asked dully.
“We always knew Hagrid had been expelled,” said Harry miserably. “And the attacks must’ve stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn’t have got his award.”
[…]
“And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts,” said Harry. “I don’t blame him for wanting to stay here. . . .”
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Chapter 17
Quotes
He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.
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Chapter 18
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“I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,” said Dumbledore.
Ron opened his mouth in horror.
“Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,” Dumbledore went on, smiling. “You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.”
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The Monster/Basilisk Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Monster/Basilisk appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9: The Writing on the Wall
...is in it, and Binns says that it is said to hold some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control, and which can be used to “purge...
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Chapter 11: The Dueling Club
...and now Draco has opened it. Ron also wonders why no one has seen the monster sneaking around the school.
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Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary
...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...
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Chapter 14: Cornelius Fudge
...Riddle’s memory. Hermione wonders whether Riddle could have caught the wrong person, and if another monster could have been attacking students. But Ron questions how many monsters could be living inside...
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Chapter 15: Aragog
...their bags by now” and says it’s a shame that Hermione wasn’t killed by the monster.
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...Aragog explains that this also happened years ago: the school thought that Aragog was the monster that lives in the Chamber. Aragog is not that monster; Hagrid raised him from an...
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Chapter 16: The Chamber of Secrets
...the paper, which is from a very old library book. It bears information about the Basilisk, which is the King of Serpents. The snake lives for hundreds of years, has venomous...
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Ron wonders how the basilisk has been getting around the school, and Harry points to a word that Hermione had...
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...get there, Lockhart has been packing and planning to run away, terrified of facing the monster. Harry and Ron are in disbelief, especially after all of the things Lockhart described doing...
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Chapter 17: The Heir of Slytherin
...insecure at school. Using Ginny, Riddle then opened the Chamber of Secrets and set the basilisk on the students—all without Ginny knowing that she had done it.
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Riddle then calls the basilisk. Harry shuts his eyes and tries to blindly feel his way around. But then he...
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The basilisk charges toward Harry, using its hearing and smell to find him. But just as it...
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...try and finish Harry off. But before he can cast a spell, Harry grabs the basilisk fang and plunges it into Tom Riddle’s diary. Ink spurts out of it, and Riddle...
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Chapter 18: Dobby’s Reward
...of how they came to discover the Chamber of Secrets and how Harry defeated the basilisk. He leaves Riddle’s diary out of it, however, worried that Ginny would get into trouble...
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