The Harry Potter movies are brilliant, don’t get us wrong, but they don’t always stay true to the source material that is J.K. Rowling’s amazing books. As a result, Warner Bros. had many decisions to make about what to include and what to omit — meaning not everything can be crammed into a single two-hour blockbuster.
So we’re now going to wind the clock back and take a look at the Chamber of Secrets movie. Released in 2002, it tells the story of The Boy Who Lived’s second year at Hogwarts, where he battles not only a Basilisk, but rumors relating to his backstory too. Here’s what the movie didn’t include from the book of the same name.
Rescuing Harry
In the Chamber of Secrets movie, Harry awakes with a start to find Fred, George and Ron Weasley all flying an old Ford Anglia outside his window. Having been imprisoned by the Dursley’s following the incident with Dobby at the cake just minutes previously, the Boy Who Lived’s closest friends come to his aid.
For the most part, the scene plays out like it does in the book. But, in the book, Fred and George have to use a muggle lockpick to get Harry’s trunk and the rest of his belongings out from underneath the stairs. It would have been cool to see them frantically trying to get things as Uncle Vernon and the rest of the Durlseys stir but, alas, it wasn’t to be.
Getting To Diagon Alley
Harry had previously gone to Diagon Alley in the Sorcerer’s Stone but, on that occasion, he had gone with Hagrid. This time, he has to go via the Floo Network which, as he founds out, isn’t as easy at it looks.
In the film version, he ends up at Knockturn Alley instead having mispronounced Diagon Alley as Diagonelly. Yet in the books he ends up there after swallowing a whole load of hot ash, spluttering and stuttering his words. It’s all good in the end, though, with Hagrid getting to him just in time.
Mr. Weasley Fixes Harry’s Glasses
You’re not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts if you’re under the age of 17. So somebody should probably have told Warner Bros that, with Hermione Granger mending Harry’s shattered glasses when they meet in Diagon Alley.
This is an obvious plot hole and one that, to this day, leaves fans unimpressed. In the books, it’s Mr. Weasley who uses the Reparo charm to fix them instead because, as an adult, he’s entitled to use his wand whenever he sees fit.
Arthur Weasley And Lucius Malfoy Fight
In the book, Harry and the Weasley’s trip to book shop Flourish and Blotts doesn’t go to plan whatsoever. Firstly, Harry finds himself having to pose for pictures with Gilderoy Lockhart, despite having no desire to do so. And then, following a tense exchange of words with Lucius Malfoy, a fight between Draco’s father and Mr. Weasley breaks out.
This would have been great to see on the big screen but, instead, it doesn’t happen. Lucius and Mr Weasley fire a few verbal shots at each other but no physical violence is used — meaning the scene doesn’t have the same entertaining impact as the core material.
Gilderoy Lockhart And His Autographs
There’s several rather amusing instances in the Chamber of Secrets book when Harry is asked to sign autographs by keen followers such as Colin Creevey, who can’t seem to leave him alone. This prompts Gilderoy Lockhart into cheekily berating him, urging him not be arrogant - despite the fact it’s always just bad timing and Lockhart’s own ego is rather large.
Yet there’s no mention of this in the movie and, ultimately, Colin’s character doesn’t get as much screen time as he does in the book. This means that, when he’s petrified, you don’t feel as sad or shocked as you potentially should.
Filch Is A Squib
In the movies, Argus Filch is pretty much the same loathsome figure he is in the books. But his abrasive attitude towards the Hogwarts students is never explained — unlike in J.K. Rowling’s masterpieces.
In the Chamber of Secrets novel, it’s revealed that Filch is actually a Squib who enlists the help of a Kwikspell course to try and coax some non-existent magic from himself. He’s furious when Harry finds this out but, rather than punishing him for making the Hogwarts floors all muddy after Quidditch training, he lets him off the hook entirely.
The Deathday Party
In the book, Harry, Ron and Hermione choose to reluctantly skip Halloween after being invited to Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday party. It’s here where Potter first starts to hear the villainous disembodied voice inside his head, which leads to the trio discovering the petrified Mrs Norris and message about the Chamber of Secrets being open once more.
Yet despite featuring in the video game of the same name, there’s no mention of the Deathday party whatsoever. Instead, Harry hears the voice when he’s doing detention in Professor Lockhart’s office. Lockhart reveals as much, getting Harry off the hook, but it doesn’t stop rumors from springing up immediately afterwards.
Revealing The Chamber Of Secrets
After Mrs. Norris is attacked by an unknown source, and the chilling message talking about the Chamber of Secrets is painted in her blood on the walls of Hogwarts, the mysterious location is the talk of the castle. And, when it comes to the movie, it’s Professor McGonagall who informs the students of the legend surrounding the place.
But this is different in the books, with Professor Binns breaking type and telling an actual interesting story for once. He’s shocked when he sees all of of his students looking surprisingly attentive but Warner Bros. chose to go with McGonagall instead. Binns then fails to appear in a single movie going forward.
Harry Sees Dippet Not Dumbledore
Harry comes across an old Hogwarts diary belonging to a mysterious Tom Riddle, who is later revealed to be the younger self of none other than Lord Voldemort. He doesn’t know this at the time, however, and chooses to delve deeper into the past of somebody he barely knows.
Tom takes Harry back to his own time at Hogwarts, where the Chamber of Secrets is open. In the movie he interacts with Professor Dippet but, in the movie, it’s Professor Dumbledore. While it’s not a significant change, it would have been interesting to see how the castle coped without such an assured headmaster in charge.
Ginny Tries To Warn Harry
Ginny Weasley is eventually revealed to be the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets again, albeit with Lord Voldemort taking control of her mind. In the book there’s plenty of foreshadowing for this moment, with Ginny harboring a secret and trying, on numerous occasions, to confess to her actions.
But there’s none of this in the movie — which makes the big reveal at the end all the more shocking. Rather than punish her, Albus Dumbledore treats her nothing with kindness and she becomes a totally different person in the movies that come later down the line.
