Chamber of Secrets

This article is for **the Chamber of Secrets in the novels**. You may be looking for **the actual novel by J.K. Rowling**.

## Chamber of Secrets

### Location

Underneath Hogwarts Castle, Highlands of Scotland

## Book information

### First appearance

*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*

### Last appearance

*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

The **Chamber of Secrets** is a hidden chamber underneath Hogwarts Castle built by Salazar Slytherin. It is opened by speaking Parseltongue. He left the Serpent of Slytherin in the chamber hoping an Heir would one day open it and unleash the Basilisk within to purge the school of Muggle-born students.

For centuries, the chamber was lost. It fell into legend but many searched for it without success. It was opened twice: once by Tom Riddle and second by Ginevra Weasley. Harry Potter eventually found it and killed the serpent. It appeared in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* and *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*.

## About

The entrance is concealed behind a sink instead of a trapdoor. The sink has copper taps and a tiny snake engraved in one. If spoken to in Parseltongue, it shines a white light and begin to spin. The sink lowers into the ground and reveals a pipe large enough for a person to go down. The slide is long and dark. It then steeply twists and turns downward until it levels out into a large, stone corridor.

The corridor has small animals living in it. It also has the shedded skin of a Basilisk. The corridor turns until it reaches a stone wall engraved with two entwined serpents whose eyes shine with emeralds. If spoken to in Parseltongue, the wall breaks in half and slides open into the long chamber. The chamber has large pillars supporting a ceiling engraved with entwined serpents. The chamber has a green glow to it.

The back wall has a large statue of Salazar Slytherin. If spoken to in Parseltongue, the face of the statue will open up and get wider and wider. Deep inside was a Basilisk waiting to escape.

## History

### Founding

Salazar Slytherin had a different opinion than the other three co-founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry about the admittance protocol. Slytherin thought blood status was important and didn't want to accept Muggle-borns into their school. He eventually left the school but built the Chamber of Secrets before doing. He hoped a descendent would open it to use the Basilisk to purge the school of Muggle-borns. Though a legend about it began, the Chamber of Secrets was never found.

### First opening

Tom Riddle, a descendent of Slytherin, found and opened the Chamber of Secrets during his time at Hogwarts. He unleashed the Basilisk within, controlling the Basilisk and injuring many students. When it killed a student, the school was going to be shut down unless Professor Dippet found the person responsible.

Tom framed Rubeus Hagrid who had a pet Acromantula, Aragog. Dumbledore guessed the truth but nobody else considered a Basilisk was the true culprit. Hagrid was expelled. Tom was awarded a Special Award for Services to the School. Unable to open it again while was at school, he preserved a version of himself in a diary which could possess a future student to reopen it.

### Second opening

During her first year at Hogwarts, Ginevra Weasley was possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary when Lucius Malfoy slipped it into her cauldron. She opened it two months later. Harry Potter heard the Serpent of Slytherin whispering about killing in Parseltongue but could not find the source of the voice. In October, he heard it for the second time when it Petrified Mrs Norris. Ginny hung the cat up by her tail and left a warning by her: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware".

Colin Creevey was next to be Petrified. Professor Dumbledore decalred it was proof that the Chamber of Secrets was opened again. Another four people were eventually Petrified. Hermione Granger worked out how the Basilisk was getting through the school unnoticed. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley found her research after she was Petrified to find the Chamber of Secrets. However, a possessed Ginny locked herself in the Chamber after writing on a wall that "HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER".

The diary version of Tom Riddle was gaining a physical body in the Chamber by siphoning a dying Ginny's life force. Harry and Ron forced Professor Lockhart to go there with them. Harry opened the sink by speaking Parseltongue and pushed Lockhart down the pipe. He and Ron then slid down and they walked through the corridor towards the Chamber.

En route, Lockhart saw the shedded skin of a Basilisk and panicked. He grabbed Ron's broken wand and performed a spell to erase their memories and escape. It bounced back and struck Lockhart instead. Rocks started falling which cut Harry off. He had continue on his own. He eventually reached a solid wall which he spoke Parseltongue to in krder toopen it. Upon entering the chamber, Harry found Ginny and Tom who revealed who he really was. He called for the Basilisk which slithered out of a statue. Knowing eye contact would kill him immediately, Harry started running. Fawkes showed up and clawed the serpent's eyes out, enabling Harry to face and fight the Basilisk.

Fawkes gave Harry the Sorting Hat which had the Sword of Gryffindor in it. He stabbed the serpent which killed it, but a fang embedded in his arm. The fang had Basilisk venom in it which could have been fatal. Harry used the fang to destroy the diary, saving Ginny before Fawkes healed Harry. Fawkes flew took Harry, Ginny, Ron and Professor Lockhart out of the Chamber and back to the school. They shared its location with the wizarding world.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 16
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 17
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 9
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 13
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 12
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 18
7. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 7
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 8
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 10
10. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 14