This is a story written by J.K. Rowling.
The story begins with enunciating about the conservative family of the Dursley’s. But this morning changed everything. After Vernon Dursley says goodbye to his wife, Petunia Dursley and his son, Dudley Dursley, he found people walking in cloaks which he found unusual. Many more queer activities were spotted in London like owls flying in the broad daylight. The news channels debated on this matter all evening. Another unusual thing about the day was, a tabby cat was staring at the Dursley residence all day. But Vernon became more restless when he heard that someone named ‘You-Know-Who’ was gone forever because of his nephew Harry.
At night an old man in purple robes started referring to the tabby cat as ‘Professor McGonagall’. The cat transformed into a woman wearing emerald green cloak and called the old man, ‘Professor Dumbledore’. A man on motorbike came flying from the sky with a baby. The three of them called him ‘Harry’ and left him at the door of his aunt’s home.
For the next 10 years, Harry was mistreated and locked up in a small cupboard under the stairs. For Dudley’s eleventh birthday, Harry and the Dursley’s went to a zoo. Harry was warned not to make any mess. Unfortunately, he set a snake free. He was punished for that too.
As the time passed, Harry was about to turn 11 when he saw a letter for him. It was strange for him as he was never loved by his family members and friends. Before he could give the letter a glance, Uncle Vernon took it from him. It must have been some important letter as there was a rain of letters at their home even on Sunday. The Dursleys decided to go at a place where there can’t be any letter. But they were wrong as Hagrid reached there on his birthday and told him that he was a wizard.
Once Harry was convinced, Hagrid took him to the Diagon Ally through the underground route. There he met his Defense against Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrel. Hagrid gifted him an owl named Hedwig. He brought a wand from Ollivander’s. He was shocked to know that this wand had the twin core of the wizard’s wand that gave him the scar and murdered his parents. To Harry’s surprise, everybody called this wizard ‘You-Know-Who’.
Hagrid bought him tickets for platform 9¾. He asked his Uncle about that platform but he just scolded him for talking nonsense. But Weasleys helped him to reach his destination, Harry and the youngest Weasley boy, Ron quickly became friends.
On the train, a boy named Neville, came in their berth and searched for his toad. Then a girl named Hermione entered the berth and asked for the same. She recognized Harry immediately. She told him that he was the famous ‘Harry Potter’. She bought many books about him. Ron became annoyed with Hermione, as she was strutting her knowledge. He hoped that they both weren’t in the same house.
At Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall explained first years about the four houses viz. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. At the sorting ceremony, the sorting hat welcomed everyone by singing a song. Ronald, Hermione, Parvati, Seamus, Neville were sorted into Gryffindor. When it was Harry’s turn, the sorting hat wished to sort him into Slytherin as it was the house of Voldemort, Harry refused and he was sorted into Gryffindor. Harry liked all the subjects except potions, because Professor Snape loathed him.
After few weeks, they had their first flying lesson. Neville got knocked off his broom, claiming that odds weren’t in his favor, one of his gifts from his grandmother was taken by Draco who refused to return it. He threw it in the air but Harry kicked his broom off the grounds and caught it in time. Harry was seen by Professor McGonagall doing this. She feared that he might get expelled, however, he became part of wizarding game called Quiditch. Harry was the seeker. At the game, Harry helped his team win the match against a strong Slytherin side. The only thing that made him worried was that Snape tried to jinx his broom but Hermione set his robes on fire which made him break the eye contact.
After few days, Draco asked him to dwell at the 3rd floor, Harry and Ron both agreed to come there but they were caught by Hermione. She tried to stop them but ended up following them. Surprisingly, Draco wasn’t there. It was a trap. They heard caretaker Filch coming. They had no other option than going to the forbidden room. By entering there, they found that it was locked up for a good reason. It had a three headed giant dog, guarding something. When they asked Hagrid about him, they got to know that it was the pet dog of Hagrid, Fluffy. A person named Nicholas Flamel was also mentioned. The trio believed that whatever the dog was guarding, Snape was trying to steal it as he was limping the other day.
During the Christmas break, Harry got a gift. He was surprised as he was never given anything more than an old sock. But this time, he got a cloak. Not any cloak but an invisibility cloak. One night, the trio gave a visit to Hagrid after school hours. They found that Hagrid had dragon’s egg. The egg hatched in front of them, it was a Norwegian Ridgeback. Ron helped him by giving it to his brother Charlie who was studying Dragons in Romania. Hermione decided to go back to her home during the Christmas break. As for Harry and Ron, they decided to stay and find out more about Nicholas Flamel. The day they visited Hagrid, Draco Saw them and complained to Gryffindor’s head, Professor McGonagall. The trio and Draco all lose point, 50 each. During their detention, Harry met a centaur who told him about unicorn’s blood. As soon as it touches your lips, you become immortal, in what way, is very painful.
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
After detention, Harry found ‘Mirror of Erised’ which can show you the thing that you always desired to see. Dumbledore however asked him never to look for it. When Hermione got back, they got to know about Nicholas Flamel. He is the only known maker of the philosopher’s stone. They indirectly asked Hagrid how to pass the door.
Now everything was ready. Once they passed through the dog, they were struck into the devil’s snare. Hermione saved them through her spell incantation. Now they had to open a door. For that Harry rode a broomstick and found the key. After that they had to play ‘wizard’s chess’. Ron helped them by sacrificing himself. Hermione took him back to the castle.
Harry proceeded furthered and was startled to see Professor Quirrel He was astonished to see Voldemort inside his turban. Harry wasn’t able to understand anything as he found his pocket heavy. He had the Philosopher’s stone. He touched the stone and then touched Professor Quirrel. He was burning. After some time, Quirrel was in ashes and Harry woke up in a Hospital, in front of Headmaster. He was told that his mother loved him wholeheartedly and sacrificed her life to save him. The house cup was won by Slytherin but headmaster’s last minute points helped Gryffindor win the house cup. Now Harry’s journey will begin again after summer breaks until then, he’ll have to stay with Dursleys.
This is the second book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.
“Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.”
Harry and Hedwig were bored. It was his birthday but Dursleys were only worried about the important deal Uncle Vernon had to make. This didn’t disappoint him, the only disappointment was that none of his friends wrote him during the summer holidays.
Today Harry was asked to be locked up in his room and pretend that he doesn’t exist. But when he came back to his room, he found a creature in his room who had bat-like ears and tennis ball sized eyes. He introduced itself as Dobby-the house elf. He kept on repeating that terrible things were about to happen at Hogwarts therefore Harry shouldn’t go back to Hogwarts this year. When Harry denied his proposal, the elf did some magic and then vanished away. Soon a letter came from Ministry of Magic that if next time he’ll do magic, he will be expelled.
Harry was scolded and starved by Dursleys. After few days, Ron showed up in a flying car along with his twin brothers Fred and George. They helped Harry’s escape to ‘The Burrow’. But at home, three of the Weasley brothers were scolded and punished to clean gnomes from the garden. Harry gave them a hand.
Soon they all received their Hogwarts letter. All the books were by Gilderoy Lockhart. This time Harry travelled to Diagon Ally through floo powder. But his rotten luck took him to ‘Knockturn Ally’ instead of Diagon Ally. He was saved by Hagrid at last minute.
“Fear of a name only increases fear of a thing itself”
At Flourish and Bolts, he met Gilderoy Lockhart who will soon be filling the position of Defense against Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Lockhart promised Harry and his friends to give free books this year as all of them were written by him.
While going out, Weasleys, Harry and Hermione met Lucius who insulted Weasley family. He even took one of Ginny’s books but accidently returned two.
When they were about to go to the school, the entrance got sealed and Harry and Ron missed the train. They used Ron’s dad’s flying car and drove to Hogwarts but they ended up clashing the car at the whomping willow. As they were late, they missed the sorting ceremony and were scolded by Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall.
After couple of days, Ron received a howler from his mother. Hermione believed that they deserved it. One night during detention, Harry heard some voice, a voice that only he could hear. When he followed that voice, he found that Mrs. Norris was petrified and a note written in blood on wall “Chamber of secrets has been opened…enemies of the heir beware.”
Next day Hermione asked their History of Magic’s teacher, Professor Binns about it. “The four founders believed that every witch or wizard must have equal right on education. Salazar Slytherin believed that muggle-borns have no right on education. No one agreed with him therefore he built a hidden chamber in the school. The heir of Slytherin can only open the chamber.”
The trio believed that Draco was the heir to get confirmed, they started preparing Polyjuice potion. Meanwhile the school organized a dueling club in which it was discovered that Harry was Parselmouth.
Due to the polyjuice potion, they were confirmed that Draco wasn’t the heir of Slytherin he rather believe that Harry was the heir.
After few days, Harry found a diary. Someone threw it on Moaning Myrtyle. Harry wrote his name and gradually questioned about the chamber of secrets. Surprisingly, the Diary showed that 50 years ago, Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets. Soon it was the time of quiditch which got canceled. Hermione was petrified. Harry and Ron went to Hagrid who asked him to follow the spiders to get the answers. When they did so, they met a giant man-like spider named Aragog who told Harry and Ron that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets.
As the time passed, there was another note on the wall which showed that Ginny Weasley was in Chamber of Secrets and Professor Lockhart was given the duty to the Chamber of Secrets. Harry and Ron found a note with Hermione which told that the voices were in parseltongue that’s why only Harry was able to hear them. And the voices seemed to be moving as they travelled through pipes. Harry and Ron thought that they should tell whatever they knew to Lockhart.
They both were startled to find him packing. Lockhart told him that he actually stole the patent of other wizards. He however knew how to make people forget anything. Before he could raise his wand, 2 wands were already raised. Harry and Ron took him to Moaning Myrtyle’s washroom. Harry opened the Chamber and made Lockhart jump first and then Harry and Ron jumped together.
Lockhart managed to take Ron’s broken wand. He spoke a spell to take away Ron’s memory but accidently the spell backfired. It was so powerful that it broke the walls making a barrier between Ron and Harry. Harry went ahead, alone. He found their Ginny Weasley and a boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle. His diary told him that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was a 16 year old boy who changed his name from his father’s to Lord Voldemort.
He set a basilisk on Harry but Harry got something queer before basilisk came out. Dumbledore’s bird and the sorting hat. The bird made the basilisk blind. But it can still hear him. But Harry managed to get to the sorting hat. Tom told him that as time passes, Ginny becomes weak and he becomes stronger. The hat had a sword. He used it to kill the Basilisk but he got injured as one of his tooth was in his arm. Harry had understood that Tom had some connection with diary therefore he pierced the tooth into the diary and the boy was dead. Ginny was normal again.
“Its our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our ability”
They found Ron who had already cleared the way. The bird took then out of the hole. Harry went to meet Dumbledore. They discussed this matter and then found Dobby with Lucius Malfoy. Harry knew that it belonged to Lucius therefore he kept his sock in the diary and gave it to Lucius who handed it to Dobby. Dobby found a sock therefore now he was a free elf.
Hermione was sad that Dumbledore had canceled all the exams as a treat to all students. Now Harry will have to go back to the Dursleys and will come back after summer break to attend his third year