The second installment in the Harry Potter series already weighs heavier in my hands. Not even 50 pages longer than its predecessor, nonetheless, the hardcover version I’ve gotten out from the library is larger and more substantial.* The prior book left off on a lighter note, end of year celebrations, small victories over evil and of course, summer vacation. I’m curious to see how long it takes before the tone of this one darkens.
As it turns out, before he has even left the Dursleys’, Harry Potter is visited by a House Elf who bears dire warnings. He urges Harry to stay home from school because he will be in mortal danger if he returns. Of course, Harry doesn’t heed this warning (we wouldn’t have a book to read if he had) and of course, once he returns to school, all manner of evil-doings begin to unfold.
Nearly from the first, we are shown that racism will play a role in this book as some of the pure-blood wizards take issue with those born from Muggle (non-magical) families. Ranging from Rowling-created epithets to death threats, the dangers faced by Muggles and Mudbloods (half-magical wizards and witches) are real.
In the first book, Malfoy is simply set up as Harry’s adversary, in Chamber of Secrets he begins to demonstrate exactly what being Harry’s arch-nemisis will entail. Spoiler: Acting as his rich, powerful father’s eyes, ears and voice at school. Interestingly enough, the Malfoys’ wealth and abuse of power are often cited, with Rowling seeming to connect money+power with corruption.
Unlike the first book, this one reads far more like a mystery. There’s less of the happy boarding school fun and a lot more trying to figure out the source of danger and who will next be injured. The danger is pretty real and Rowling does not protect your favorite characters as completely as some kids might hope. As the book progresses, it becomes clear that the children are made to doubt adults whom they should be able to trust. They also end up being not-so-subtly encouraged by adults to attempt to solve this incredibly dangerous mystery themselves. Which, you know, isn’t really as scary for the kids reading it as it might be for adults. I can’t say that I’m thrilled with the message that if there’s danger you should probably try to handle it yourself because the adults you trust aren’t going to be able to do it. As with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the book comes to a climax with an epic battle between Harry and evil. And as you might suspect, Harry survives to headline yet another book. The mystery is revealed during this climax and it is fairly disturbing as a character (one we do care about) has been manipulated and shall I even say possessed? So in this case, there’s definitely a good guy who is being used to commit unspeakably evil acts. That’s a pretty high degree of trauma there.
*I should note that my copy of Book Two is just as unassuming as the first, so my experience with the library copy is purely a quirk of publication. I’m not reviewing my own because I have the UK editions and am not entirely sure how they differ from the US editions.
Age Recommendation: In terms of difficulty this might be appropriate for very strong third and and fourth grade readers. In terms of content, I’d lean more towards fourth to fifth grade readers.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Various mom-aged witches get breathless and push each other to see a handsome wizard. A Weasley boy teases that his mother fancies the wizard. Ginny Weasley stands up for Harry and Harry gets teased that she is his girlfriend. A female student puts hearts on her schedule by classes taught by a handsome wizard. There are more jokes about Ginny liking Harry. Two boys venture into the girls’ toilet. Hermoine seems to have a crush on a male teacher. She sleeps with a card from him under her pillow. 46 Students send the teacher a valentine. There’s talk of a Love Potion and of Entrancing Enchantments. There are plants called mandrakes that have some human qualities and it’s said that when they start moving into each other’s pots they must be mature. A girl writes about a boy in her diary wondering if he’ll every like her. A ghost has a crush on a live boy. Ginny walks in on her older brother kissing a girl.
Profanity – “shut up,” “git,” Ron “swore” after stubbing his toe,
Death, Violence and Gore –We are reminded that Lord Voldemort killed Harry’s parents but failed to kill Harry. Aunt Petunia tries to hit Harry in the head with a frying pan. Dobby the House Elf is prone to banging his head against things or things against his head and similar self-injury. Uncle Vernon threatens to flay Harry. Ridding an area of gnomes means picking them up and whirling them around by the feet and then throwing them. Harry finds himself in a shop containing a withered hand, human bones, bloodstained cards and a hangman’s noose that has claimed 19 lives. Another shop has a display of shrunken heads. Two fathers fight each other one ending up with a cut lip and another with an injured eye. There is a car crash which injures Ron; a tree and a professor end up injured in this as well. A mandrake’s cry is fatal. Harry hears a voice saying “let me rip you, let me tear you, let me kill you.” He hears it again saying “rip, tear, kill” and “time to kill” and yet again asking to “kill this time, rip and tear.” Nearly Headless Nick was hit in the neck 45 times with a blunt axe. A ghost has a deathday party. A ghost knight has an arrow sticking out of his head. Headless ghosts play sports using their heads as balls. A cat is hung by her tail until she died. The cat is subsequently examined to determine cause of death. As it turns out she’s not dead, which I suppose is a relief. A ghost tried to kill herself but realized she was already dead. A potions book contains an illustration of a man who had been turned inside out and a witch sprouting extra arms from her head. Ron suggests knocking Malfoy off his broom. A dangerous heavy ball called a Bludger repeatedly tries to hit Harry, it succeeds in breaking his arm. A professor removes the bones from Harry’s arm while trying to heal him. Dobby irons his fingers as a punishment. He is flogged for letting a dinner burn. Some people are turned to stone. There is a fencing club for students. A teacher is thrown against a wall during a duel. A student receives an injury that causes bleeding. Hermione is held in a headlock by another student. Hagrid finds dead roosters. A plan involves drugging two students and locking them up. Someone died the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Someone wishes Hermoine would be killed – this occurs repeatedly. A boy’s mother died leaving him an orphan. There is reason to believe an adult the students like and trust is responsible for the death of someone. The aforementioned mandrake plants, which seem to have some human qualities, will be chopped up to use for a cure. Two more students are petrified, including a main character. An adult is taken, likely to prison, without evidence against him. A beloved and trusted adult is removed from his post by adults who are looking to gain power. Visitors are prohibited to the infirmary because there is a real chance that those afflicted with the petrification might be killed. A boy needs to be held back from physically harming a classmate, whom he threatens to kill with his bare hands. Giant spiders capture students and a dog and one urges others to kill the students. A character is taken and believed dead. While it is not a major character it is nonetheless a character about whom the main characters care deeply. The ground is littered with animal bones and skulls. A teacher speculates that a child’s body has probably been horribly mangled. He also proposes leaving two students to certain death. It is repeated that Harry’s mother gave her life to save him. A bird bites a dangerous creature, causing it to bleed. Blood streams to the floor. Harry’s life is in danger as he faces off with a dangerous man and a dangerous creature. A sword is plunged into an enemy beast killing it. Harry is on the verge of death, his body pierced by the tooth of the creature. A character is essentially possessed and caused to do great harm to others, include those the character cares about. An adult tells Harry he will meet the same fate as his parents.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – The Dursleys pour drinks for their friends.
Frightening or Intense Things – The Dursleys’ treatment of Harry would be considered child abuse, particularly when they bar him in his room, regulate his bathroom usage. There’s a Chamber of Secrets which when opened will allow someone to purge the school of all who are undeserving. The students talk themselves into doing dangerous things, including stealing. Harry’s possessions are searched and something has been stolen.
Slavery – well, so, the house elves are owned by masters who control their working of magic. They are punished mercilessly when they make errors. Dobby says he receives death threats multiple times a day.
