Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today we’re going to be discussing plot holes- big AND small- from the Chamber of
Secrets book.
The 2nd book from the Harry Potter series is filled with fun little inconsistencies
that fill its pages.
From the strange fate of the Basilisk, to the bizarre behavior of the Professors, the
Chamber of Secrets has no shortage of potential plot holes that we can chat about in the comments
below.
So, today, we’re going to dive headfirst into that old book, and take a look at some
of my favorite plot holes, big and small, that I’ve often thought about over the years.
7.
Why Didn’t They Clean Up the Chamber of Secrets?
The Basilisk is one of the most dangerous creatures in the entire wizarding world.
When compared to other beasts, like acromantulas and giants, the Basilisk was actually far
worse.
To show you just how dangerous they are, an average wizard would have a better chance
surviving a fight with a Hungarian Horntail than the serpent that Herpo the Foul first
created.
And it makes sense if you think about it…
Just one glance from a Basilisk was enough to stop your heart.
That meant you had to fight with your eyes closed.
How many creatures would be able to trade blows with a Basilisk if they were robbed
of their sight?
And the giant serpents fangs excreted the most vile, poisonous venom that any magical
creature could produce.
So… you have to wonder…
Why didn’t Albus Dumbledore clean up the remains of the Basilisk after Harry Potter
slayed it at the end of the Chamber of Secrets?
Its rotting corpse was more than an unsightly display.
Every inch of the basilisk was a precious ingredient that any dark wizard… or angsty
student… would love to retrieve for their potions.
Can you imagine all of the dark hexes and curses that a single drop of Basilisk venom
could create?
And let’s not forget that the Chamber of Secrets was created by Salazar Slytherin in
the first place.
Slytherin created the chamber, and left the monstrous Basilisk behind, in protest of his
other co-founders, who had refused to follow his lead in banning muggle-born students from
attending hogwarts.
Why didn't Dumbledore and the rest of Hogwarts staff march into the Chamber, and clear it
of all dark relics.
6.
Moaning Myrtle’s Parents
When discussing the tragic death of Moaning Myrtle, Tom Riddle bemoaned the fate of her
parents.
Her poor mother and father, who had never considered the risk their daughter faced at
Hogwarts, would be forced to visit Hogwarts, and attend their own daughter’s funeral.
But there was a problem with that.
Hogwarts famously never allowed muggles to step foot on its campus.
Which meant, Myrtle’s parents shouldn’t have made the trip.
So… how did they?
Of all the theories on the internet, the most compelling one was pretty simple: maybe the
headmaster of the time made an exception.
Of course, Tom Riddle attended Hogwarts decades before Albus Dumbledore was ever promoted,
so the headmaster of the time must have been Armando Dippett.
As one of the oldest wizards to hold the title, and one particularly fond of rules, it’s
unlikely that Dippett would have allowed Myrtle’s parents in…
5.
How Did the Basilisk Survive?
And while we’re talking about the Basilisk, have you ever wondered what it ate?
Since it was supposedly locked within the Chamber throughout its 1,000 year lifespan,
what could it have eaten in order to survive so long?
When thinking about this question, you might be tempted to chime in with a few obvious
answers.
Typically, man-made structures quickly become home to pests, like mice and rats.
But would that have been enough to sustain the Basilisk?
Even during Harry Potter’s second year, there were no recorded deaths, and no students
were eaten.
And students certainly seem like the most likely source of sustenance in the otherwise
barren castle.
An easy way to fill this plothole is to assume that a large, magical rodent-like creature
also resided in the chamber of secrets.
With so much water and waste flowing around, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for nests of
giant rats to call the Chamber their second home.
But, of course, Herpo the Foul, the terrifying Dark Wizard who first successfully bred Basilisks,
never told us how often, and how much, they needed to eat.
For some more developed theories addressing this check out my longer video on the subject:
4.
Minerva McGonagall Putting Students’ Lives At Risk
Professor Minerva McGonagall was always one of the most even headed instructors at Hogwarts.
But during one of the Basilisk’s attacks, she made an uncharacteristically foolish mistake.
While Harry Potter was out and about, hard in thought while on the Quidditch field, the
professors at Hogwarts discovered there had been another attack.
Just like they always seemed to do, the faculty quickly decided that the safest thing was
to whisk all the students back to their dorms, and shut the doors behind them.
And it was Professor McGonagall who gave the order.
But, if you just give this a second of thought, you’d see just how foolish this was.
The Basilisk traversed Hogwarts by scaling the vertical pipes within the school's walls,
and it never really seemed to venture out into the school's grounds.
That meant, the students were far safer when they were away from the school, than when
they were confined within.
Then why did such a sharp-minded professor like McGonagall usher them all back to their
dorms?
3.
Valentine’s Day
Do you know which day of the week Valentine’s Day 1993 fell on?
No… course you don’t!
And, when J.K.
Rowling was putting the finishing touches on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,
it seems like she had no clue either.
Because during the events of that fateful school year, she clearly depicted all the
students of Hogwarts attending their classes, as if it were any other day.
But Valentine’s Day 1993 was actually on a weekend…
Sunday to be exact.
Unless Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was feeling especially cruel,
he wouldn’t have called the students to attend classes on the weekend.
But instead of dismissing this as a simple editing mistake, I think it’s more interesting
to consider what type of plotholes this opens.
Why were the students in class?
And what could it mean?
Surely, together, we can do more than enough mental gymnastics to figure out a solution
that doesn’t break Harry Potter canon.
For my money, I’m betting that the Weasley twins jinxed the calendars, causing everyone
to go to class as normal.
2.
The Basilisk’s Hissing
We all know that only parseltongues can communicate with serpents.
That fact remains true of Basilisks, too.
Which is why Harry Potter was the only one who could hear the faint whispers in the walls
during his 2nd year at Hogwarts.
But, throughout Harry’s time at Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione had the chance to observe
him speaking parseltongue more than a few times.
And during those interactions, they very clearly could not only hear Potter’s bizarre speech,
but the snakes’ own hissing, as well.
But throughout their 2nd year, when Hermione and Ron were close to Harry, they seemed to
be oblivious to the very large, hissing snake that was somewhere nearby, climbing up the
ancient, leaky pipes behind the brick walls.
You might be tempted to quickly sweep this plothole under the rug, by pointing to Harry’s
telepathic-like connection to snakes.
Or, you might claim that snake hissing seems to be amplified for parseltongues.
All that might be true, but it’s certainly inconsistent for Ron and Hermione to hear
the hissing at some times, and at others, hear nothing at all.
1.
Some Simple Math
When we look at plot holes within the Chamber of Secrets, it’s easy to try and brush them
under the rug, and find a reason for their existence.
And I suppose, that’s all part of the fun.
For example, when we wonder why the Basilisk didn’t more aggressively target Harry earlier,
we can find any number of reasons: namely, Voldemort’s own vanity.
But when it comes to this particular plothole, I think that the truth is… the numbers just
don’t add up.
Within the Chamber of Secrets, Lord Voldemort made a small mistake when trying to belittle
James and Lily Potter’s sacrifice.
The dark wizard claimed that the parents’ deaths ensured a measly twelve years of peace
and quiet for their son.
But, if Voldemort had studied a bit harder in Math class, he would have realized that
it had only been about eleven years since the fateful night he had first tried to kill
the Potter boy.
Plothole or mistake?
Whatever the case may be, this fun little inconsistency is one that opens up a treasure
trove of topics for debate…
Well, there you have it, 7 plot holes, big and small, from the Chamber of Secrets.
Do you have any theories that will clear these up?
Make sure to let me know in the comments below.
And if you have any fun plot holes that you found on your own, make sure to share those
as well.
After all, we barely scratched the surface of the book.
There’s plenty more where these came from!
Also be sure to check out my OTHER videos covering Plot Holes:
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live