Harry's Investigation of the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter pieces together clues about the hidden Chamber of Secrets, from hearing a disembodied voice to discovering the basilisk's nature.

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Hearing the Voice

The First Whisper of Danger A Mysterious Sound in Lockhart's Office While answering fan mail for Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry Potter hears a chilling, venomous voice that no one else seems to notice. The voice speaks of ripping, tearing, and killing. Harry becomes alarmed, but Lockhart dismisses it as drowsiness. This marks the first time Harry is aware of a presence that only he can hear—a clue that will lead him to the truth. The Voice Grows Louder Later, during the Deathday Party, Harry hears the voice again, this time in the dungeons. It speaks of hunger and blood, and Harry follows it to the second floor, where he finds Mrs. Norris petrified under the message "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." This event intensifies the mystery and sets Harry on a path of investigation. Connecting the Dots Harry's unique ability to hear the voice is a key element. He later realizes it is the basilisk speaking through the walls, using the plumbing. This discovery comes after Hermione's research and the revelation that the monster is a basilisk, whose gaze kills but petrification occurs when seen indirectly.

Following the Spiders

A Desperate Clue from Hagrid Hagrid's Final Hint Before being taken to Azkaban, Hagrid tells Harry and Ron to "follow the spiders" if they want to find the truth. This cryptic advice sends them into the Forbidden Forest, a dangerous place they have been warned to avoid. The spiders are fleeing from the basilisk, which is their mortal enemy. Into the Forest Despite their fear, Harry and Ron venture into the dark forest, using Harry's wand light. They encounter the giant spider Aragog, who reveals that Hagrid was innocent of opening the Chamber fifty years ago. Aragog tells them that the monster is something spiders fear above all others, but he refuses to name it. The Narrow Escape As the spiders close in, Mr. Weasley's enchanted car rescues them, crashing through the forest. Harry and Ron barely escape with their lives. The clue from Hagrid yields the crucial information that the monster is not a spider, but a creature that spiders flee—a basilisk.

The Basilisk Revelation

Hermione's Critical Research The Clutched Page When Harry and Ron visit the petrified Hermione, they find a scrap of paper in her hand. It is a page from a library book describing the basilisk, including its deadly stare and its only weakness: the crowing of a rooster. Hermione has also written the word "Pipes" at the bottom. Understanding the Clues Harry realizes that the voice he has been hearing is the basilisk moving through the plumbing. The reason no one else hears it is that he is a Parselmouth. The basilisk's victims were petrified because they saw it indirectly—through a reflection, a camera, or a ghost. The Final Piece This revelation solves the mystery of how the monster moves undetected. It also explains why the roosters were killed: to prevent their crowing from killing the basilisk. Harry now knows the monster's identity and how to fight it, but he still needs to find the Chamber's entrance.

Entering the Chamber

The Descent into Darkness Finding the Entrance Harry and Ron, with the reluctant Lockhart, make their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. By speaking Parseltongue to the snake engraving on a tap, Harry opens the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets—a large pipe leading deep underground. The Journey Below They slide down the dark, slimy pipe into a tunnel. The tunnel is filled with animal bones and the shed skin of the basilisk, revealing its immense size. Lockhart tries to use a Memory Charm on them, but it backfires, causing a cave-in that separates Harry from Ron and Lockhart. Alone with the Heir Harry proceeds alone, following the tunnel to a stone wall with two carved serpents. He speaks Parseltongue to open the door and enters the Chamber. There he finds Ginny Weasley lying unconscious at the feet of a giant statue of Salazar Slytherin, and Tom Riddle waiting for him.

The Battle with the Basilisk

Confronting the Serpent Tom Riddle's Revelation Tom Riddle reveals that he is Lord Voldemort, and that he has been controlling Ginny through the diary. He summons the basilisk from the statue's mouth. Harry, with only the Sorting Hat and Fawkes the phoenix, must face the ancient monster. The Phoenix's Aid Fawkes blinds the basilisk by pecking out its eyes. The Sorting Hat produces the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. Harry uses the sword to kill the basilisk, but not before one of its fangs pierces his arm. The Healing and Victory Harry is poisoned, but Fawkes cries onto the wound, healing him with phoenix tears. Harry then stabs the diary with a basilisk fang, destroying Tom Riddle's memory. Ginny wakes up, and they escape the Chamber with Fawkes's help.

during Lockhart's detention, late October

after Hagrid's arrest, late May

after visiting Hermione in the hospital wing, late May

after Ginny's abduction, late May

inside the Chamber of Secrets, late May