Previous
Symbols
The basilisk (which for most of the novel is referred to simply as “the monster” because people do not know what it is) embodies two ideas: first, the harmful nature of prejudice, and second, the fear of the unknown. The basilisk, as Professor Binns explains to Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors, is a monster imprisoned in the Chamber of Secrets by Salazar Slytherin that is meant to “purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.” By its very nature, it is a tool of hatred, and it carries out that goal in its attacks: Mrs. Norris is the cat of a Squib (Filch), and Colin, Justin, Hermione, and Myrtle are all Muggle-born students. Rowling uses the basilisk to demonstrate how easily prejudice can escalate into true hatred and even a desire to murder. For example, Draco (who begins the novel simply disliking Muggle-born students) confesses that he wishes he knew who the Heir of Slytherin is so that he could help that person kill Muggle-borns.
Additionally, because so little information is known about what the basilisk is, it also serves as a mechanism that spreads fear. Because it petrifies students it attacks, the victims can’t reveal any information about it and the students create rumors to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. Like the basilisk itself, misinformation and fear circulate under cover around the castle, to the point at which students are afraid not of the basilisk itself, but of what they do not know (i.e., a nameless monster).
The Monster/Basilisk Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Monster/Basilisk. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 9 Quotes
“D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?”
“No,” said Ron, without hesitation. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the Wizarding world.”
Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask, “You do believe me, don’t you?”
“’Course I do,” said Ron quickly. “But — you must admit it’s weird. . . .”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After the first attack on Mrs. Norris, Harry has a difficult time explaining to Filch and Dumbledore why he was in the corridor where she was attacked. The truth is that he was following a disembodied voice that no one else can hear. Ultimately it is revealed that this voice belongs to the basilisk, and that Harry is the only one who can hear it because he can speak to snakes. But without having information about where the voice is coming from, Harry becomes afraid to reveal what he has heard to the teachers; he worries that they will think Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Acc
“Sir — what exactly do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the Chamber?”
“That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.
The class exchanged nervous looks.
“I tell you, the thing does not exist,” said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. “There is no Chamber and no monster.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Following Professor Binns’s explanation to the History of Magic class, Hermione presses him about the Heir of Slytherin and the monster that lives within the Chamber. However, Binns insists that most of what is known about the Chamber that is based on only legend—which is, in and of itself, a kind of unauthenticated rumor that takes on more of a mythical quality over time. Thus, even though Binns answers some of Hermione’s questions, he raises causes even more confusion for the students, and it is telling that Rowling describes them as exchanging “nervous looks.” Their lack of information sparks fear, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas
Chapter 14 Quotes
“Riddle might have got the wrong person,” said Hermione. “Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people. . . .”
“How many monsters d’you think this place can hold?” Ron asked dully.
“We always knew Hagrid had been expelled,” said Harry miserably. “And the attacks must’ve stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn’t have got his award.”
[…]
“And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts,” said Harry. “I don’t blame him for wanting to stay here. . . .”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After Tom Riddle shows his memories to Harry and allows Harry to see the incident in which he catches Hagrid as the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets, Harry relays this information to Ron and Hermione. The three of them discuss what to do, and their responses illustrate key aspects of who they are and the dilemmas that they face. First and foremost is the issue of whether to believe what Riddle showed them. Hermione, rightly, chooses to question what Riddle showed Harry because she understands that any information coming from one individual’s perspective can be biased and inaccurate, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Q
Chapter 17 Quotes
He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
When Harry is facing off with Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, Riddle starts to disparage Dumbledore by saying that he has been driven out of the castle by Riddle. But Harry counters, saying that Dumbledore isn’t really gone, and with this affirmation of loyalty, Fawkes (Dumbledore’s phoenix) arrives carrying the Sorting Hat. Ultimately Fawkes and the Sorting Hat become instrumental in helping Harry defeat the basilisk, as Fawkes helps to gouge out the snake’s eyes and the Sorting Hat conjures the Sword of Gryffindor for Harry. But even before he experiences their practical support, the mere presence of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur e
Chapter 18 Quotes
“I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,” said Dumbledore.
Ron opened his mouth in horror.
“Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words,” Dumbledore went on, smiling. “You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
At the end of the book, after Harry and Ron have explained exactly how they came to discover the Chamber of Secrets and to defeat Tom Riddle and the basilisk, Dumbledore doles out their reward. At first, however, he makes it seem as though he is going to punish them—after all, as he recalls here, he had warned Harry and Ron that they would be expelled if they broke any more rules following the incident in which they flew the car to school. But Dumbledore’s turn here emphasizes that sometimes it is necessary to break the rules in order to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum volupta
Get the entire Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The Monster/Basilisk Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Monster/Basilisk appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9: The Writing on the Wall
...is in it, and Binns says that it is said to hold some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control, and which can be used to “purge...
(full context)
Chapter 11: The Dueling Club
...and now Draco has opened it. Ron also wonders why no one has seen the monster sneaking around the school.
(full context)
Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary
...confirms that the Chamber was opened during his fifth year at school and that the monster attacked several students, killing one. Riddle caught the person who did it and that person...
(full context)
Chapter 14: Cornelius Fudge
...Riddle’s memory. Hermione wonders whether Riddle could have caught the wrong person, and if another monster could have been attacking students. But Ron questions how many monsters could be living inside...
(full context)
Chapter 15: Aragog
...their bags by now” and says it’s a shame that Hermione wasn’t killed by the monster.
(full context)
...Aragog explains that this also happened years ago: the school thought that Aragog was the monster that lives in the Chamber. Aragog is not that monster; Hagrid raised him from an...
(full context)
Chapter 16: The Chamber of Secrets
...the paper, which is from a very old library book. It bears information about the Basilisk, which is the King of Serpents. The snake lives for hundreds of years, has venomous...
(full context)
Ron wonders how the basilisk has been getting around the school, and Harry points to a word that Hermione had...
(full context)
...get there, Lockhart has been packing and planning to run away, terrified of facing the monster. Harry and Ron are in disbelief, especially after all of the things Lockhart described doing...
(full context)
Chapter 17: The Heir of Slytherin
...insecure at school. Using Ginny, Riddle then opened the Chamber of Secrets and set the basilisk on the students—all without Ginny knowing that she had done it.
(full context)
Riddle then calls the basilisk. Harry shuts his eyes and tries to blindly feel his way around. But then he...
(full context)
The basilisk charges toward Harry, using its hearing and smell to find him. But just as it...
(full context)
...try and finish Harry off. But before he can cast a spell, Harry grabs the basilisk fang and plunges it into Tom Riddle’s diary. Ink spurts out of it, and Riddle...
(full context)
Chapter 18: Dobby’s Reward
...of how they came to discover the Chamber of Secrets and how Harry defeated the basilisk. He leaves Riddle’s diary out of it, however, worried that Ginny would get into trouble...
(full context)
