Harry Potter
Harry Potter is the twelve-year-old protagonist of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a wizard who has just completed his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His most distinguishing feature is a thin, lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, the only mark left from a curse cast by Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time, which killed his parents but failed to kill him. This scar makes him famous throughout the wizarding world, yet it also ties him to a mysterious past and, as he learns this year, to a dark connection with Voldemort himself. Over the course of his second year, Harry must navigate the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets, a series of attacks on Muggle-born students, and his own unsettling ability to speak Parseltongue, ultimately confronting the monster within the Chamber and the memory of Tom Riddle, the boy who would become Lord Voldemort.
Identity and Background
Harry lives with his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys, at 4 Privet Drive, where he is treated as an outcast. His uncle, Vernon Dursley, locks away all his magical belongings, including his wand and his top-of-the-line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick, and even padlocks his owl, Hedwig, in her cage. Harry's twelfth birthday is completely forgotten by his family, and he spends the summer feeling isolated and lonely, missing his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who have not written to him. He is small and skinny with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that is always untidy, and he wears round glasses. His scar is the only hint of his mysterious past, the reason he was left on the Dursleys' doorstep eleven years before, having survived Voldemort's attack that killed his parents.
Arc Through the Plot
Harry's second year begins with a warning from Dobby, a house-elf who appears in his bedroom at Privet Drive, claiming that Harry must not return to Hogwarts because a plot is underway to make terrible things happen at the school. Dobby's interference leads to Harry being locked in his room by the Dursleys, but he is rescued by Ron, Fred, and George Weasley in their father's enchanted flying Ford Anglia. After a series of mishaps, including crashing into the Whomping Willow, Harry arrives at Hogwarts and soon becomes embroiled in the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. He hears a disembodied voice that no one else can hear, and after the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, is found Petrified with a message daubed on the wall, Harry becomes a prime suspect. His ability to speak Parseltongue, revealed at the Dueling Club, further implicates him in the eyes of his fellow students, who believe he might be the Heir of Slytherin.
Key Actions and Objectives
Harry's primary objective is to uncover the truth behind the attacks and clear his name. He and his friends investigate the Chamber of Secrets, learning about its history from Professor Binns and discovering that it was supposedly built by Salazar Slytherin to purge the school of Muggle-borns. Harry's investigation leads him to Tom Riddle's diary, a fifty-year-old artifact that contains a memory of Riddle, who shows Harry a vision of Hagrid opening the Chamber in the past. Despite this evidence, Harry remains convinced of Hagrid's innocence and, after Hagrid is arrested and Dumbledore is suspended, he decides to follow Hagrid's cryptic hint to "follow the spiders." This leads him and Ron into the Forbidden Forest, where they encounter Aragog, a giant spider who reveals that Hagrid was innocent and that the monster in the Chamber is something even spiders fear. Harry's determination to solve the mystery and protect his friends drives him to enter the Chamber of Secrets itself, where he must face the Basilisk and the memory of Tom Riddle.
Relationships and Conflict
Harry's relationships are central to his character. His friendship with Ron and Hermione is tested throughout the year, but it remains a source of strength. Hermione's discovery that the monster is a Basilisk, which kills through eye contact, is crucial to Harry's understanding of the attacks. Harry's rivalry with Draco Malfoy intensifies, especially after Malfoy becomes the new Slytherin Seeker and taunts Harry about his fame and his friends. Harry also develops a mentor-like relationship with Albus Dumbledore, who trusts him and ultimately explains that Harry's ability to speak Parseltongue is a result of Voldemort transferring some of his own powers to him the night he gave him the scar. The central conflict of the year is Harry's confrontation with Tom Riddle, who reveals that he is Lord Voldemort and that he has been manipulating Ginny Weasley through the diary to open the Chamber of Secrets. Harry must fight the Basilisk to save Ginny, and in doing so, he proves that he is not like Riddle, despite their similarities.
Change and Ending
Harry undergoes significant change over the course of the year. He begins as a boy who feels isolated and uncertain, but he grows into a hero who is willing to risk his life for his friends. His encounter with Riddle forces him to confront his own fears and doubts, particularly the question of whether he belongs in Slytherin. Dumbledore's reassurance that "it is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" helps Harry understand that his decision to reject Slytherin and embrace Gryffindor is what defines him. After destroying the diary with a Basilisk fang and defeating the Basilisk, Harry saves Ginny and returns to the surface, where he is celebrated as a hero. He also frees Dobby by tricking Lucius Malfoy into giving the house-elf a sock, an act of kindness that underscores his character. The year ends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione receiving Special Awards for Services to the School, and Harry looking forward to a summer where he can stay in touch with his friends through a telephone number he gives them.
Narrative Role and Evaluation
Harry Potter serves as the central hero of the narrative, and his journey follows the classic hero's arc. He is a round character, capable of surprising the reader with his courage and resourcefulness, yet he remains relatable through his doubts and fears. His role as the protagonist is to uncover the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and to confront the legacy of Lord Voldemort, both in the form of the Basilisk and in the memory of Tom Riddle. Harry's character is defined by his choices, particularly his decision to reject the darkness within himself and to fight for what is right. His actions throughout the year demonstrate that true heroism is not about innate ability but about the choices one makes, a theme that is central to the book's message. Harry's victory over the Basilisk and his destruction of the diary not only save Ginny but also reaffirm his identity as a Gryffindor and a hero, setting the stage for his continued struggle against Voldemort in the years to come.
