The ending of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets seems to have come out straight from a fantasy horror film. The second film's final moments count on vengeful ghosts, gigantic creatures, bloody sword fights, and blackmail, marking a pivotal moment in the childhood of Harry and his friends as they are forced to mature and face deadly enemies (such as the Basilisk and Voldemort) way earlier than they had anticipated. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' main conflict revolves around an uncanny monster lurking around the corridors of Hogwarts at night, posing a mysterious threat to the students as they are found petrified one by one.
The second film is Chris Columbus' farewell to the franchise and shares many similar elements with the first film, still holding on to a pleasant approach while still exploring the extremes of its PG rating. With Harry hearing a puzzling voice emanating from the castle walls and a legend (The Chamber of Secrets) about Hogwarts spreading among students and professors, Potter and his friends decide to take risks in order to save Hogwarts, leading up to an anxiety-inducing ending packed with twists and turns. Voldemort nearly returns but Harry’s successful onslaught guaranteed he and his friends would have more time to prepare when the Dark Lord decides to strike again.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Ending: What Happens & Why
The ending of The Chamber Of Secrets is connected to events that took place in Hogwarts 50 years ago, between the Fantastic Beasts and the Harry Potter timelines, when the chamber was opened for the first time. When the mysterious Chamber of Secrets is opened again in the present, unleashing a dangerous monster in the castle, Hermione and other students are found Petrified, Dumbledore is forced out of office and Hagrid is sent to Azkaban. It's an extremely tense time for all - especially since Harry and Ron have to search for the truth themselves, uncovering a mysterious diary that once belonged to Tom Riddle and following clues left by Hagrid and Hermione.
Eventually, the two realize the monster of the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk, which connects to Harry's ability to understand Parseltongue (the language of snakes), and that Ginny Weasley was being manipulated by Voldemort's spirit to open the Chamber. Finding the entrance to the Chamber, Harry opens it using his Parseltongue abilities, discovering that Tom Riddle is the name that Voldemort gave up, and he's been using Ginny to drain the life from her to make his return. Given all the stories the students heard about him, it was terrifying to think of what chaos he could have created if he succeeded, but luckily, Harry triumphs by killing the Basilisk and destroying Tom Riddle's diary (his first Horcrux).
Who Opened The Chamber Of Secrets?
In a surprising twist, it was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets after she became a victim in one of Voldermort's/Tom Riddle's schemes. Thanks to the loyal Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, sneaking Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny's cauldron, this diary turned enabled Voldemort to take control over her and opening the Chamber of Secrets, setting the Basilisk free after 50 of years slumber. Given that Ginny had only had minor role in the franchise up to this point, it's easy to see why no suspected younger Weasley of all the chaos. However, her addition in the storyline did hint that she would end up being more involved from now on.
What Happened When The Chamber Of Secrets Was Opened The First Time?
Voldemort's Horcruxes arc and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' main conflict are influenced by events that took place 50 years prior to Harry's second year in Hogwarts, when Tom Riddle (a.k.a Voldemort) willingly opened the Chamber of Secrets for the first time, hoping to use the Basilisk to attack the school's muggle-born students. Riddle discovers he's the heir of Slytherin and is able to understand and speak Parseltongue, giving him access to the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk that lives there. Meanwhile, Hagrid was already a close friend of Aragog, the gigantic Acromantula that Harry and Rony meet in the film, hiding the creature within school grounds.
Things spiral out of control when one student is found dead, and Tom Riddle hears that Hogwarts will close if the mysterious Basilisk attacks aren't solved. He then points Hagrid as the culprit, who ends up getting expelled after being caught with Aragog, believed to be the monster that was bringing mayhem upon Hogwarts. The heartbreaking flashbacks even show Dumbledore aimlessly trying to contest Hagrid's arrest and prevent the Ministry of Magic to intervene so recklessly, sure that Hagrid was innocent. In the present, Harry and Ron find out that the student who died was actually Moaning Myrtle, the ghost that haunts the school's bathrooms.
Why Was Hagrid Arrested Again In The Chamber Of Secrets?
After he was initially arrested 50 years ago for opening the Chamber of Secrets, history was seen to repeat itself in the second movie when the Basilisk's attacks on Hogwarts restarted again. With several students becoming Petrified, the Ministry of Magic sent Hagrid to Azkaban again believing he and Aragog were behind the incidents. While it was obvious that the movies wouldn't kill off Hagrid, it is heartbreaking to see him plead his innocence and almost get punished for a crime he didn't commit. Luckily, he is soon cleared and allowed to return to Hogwarts (which was one of the emotional peaks of the film's ending as he's finally able to leave his past behind).
The Chamber of Secrets Monster, The Basilisk, Explained
The Basilisk turns out to be the deadly "Monster of Slytherin" and a major antagonist in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Basilisk represented the "Serpent of Slytherin" and was placed in the Chamber of Secrets by Salazar Slytherin himself, a pure-blood wizard and one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Only Slytherin's one true heir could control the creature, which explains why Tom Riddle could do so. The Basilisk is far from being a regular snake, though, able to grow up to fifty feet in length and possessing the dangerous ability to petrify people who look at it in the eyes.
Although it is debatable whether Harry could've controlled the Basilisk like Tom Riddle did, Harry was able to hear Tom controlling the creature since the first attack because of his Parseltongue abilities. Following orders of its master, the Basilisk would only attack muggle-born students, including Hermione. It could have killed Harry Potter, but he was able to defeat the deadly creature after Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, blinded of the creature's eyes, ensuring Harry would not get Petrified. The only known antidote to the Basilisk's Petrification is a healing potion made from Stewed Mandrakes, which Pomona Sprout used to cure the Petrified students at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
What Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Ending Means For The Franchise's Future
The ending of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets indirectly sets up the Horcruxes arc with Tom Riddle's diary, which turns out to be one of the most important objects of the franchise. Ordinary and unremarkable on the surface, the diary was turned into a Horcrux by Voldemort and prompted Hermione and Ron to go back to the Chamber of Secrets years later to finally destroy the Horcrux. Alongside Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the second film might be the most important film in the franchise when it comes to understanding Voldemort's psyche, exploring his wickedness, and how the ghosts of his past shaped his grudge against muggles.
The second film's ending also gives substance to Harry and Ginny's relationship, creating a powerful bond between the characters after Harry manages to save Ginny's life from Voldemort's hands. Introduced earlier in the film, Ginny seemed like an innocent ing character at first, adding up to the shocking twist about her involvement with the Chamber of Secrets. While Harry and Ginny's romance development was left out of the movies, their moments in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets might be the turning point in the couple's life, showing that what they have is no ordinary connection and their love began as a touching friendship.
