The adventures of Harry Potter are a series of stories that have inspired fans and casual readers alike to follow the journey of the boy who lived for years now. The books and films are some of the most successful of all time, and the wizarding world of Harry Potter has continued to grow through new stories, films, and even its very own theme park.
The success of Harry Potter speaks for itself, and there's a reason that so many people were captivated by these stories. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second installment in the series, and this thrilling kid's adventure was engaging enough that people all over the world and of all ages enjoyed it. However like any work of fiction, Chamber of Secrets has it's flaws. So here are the top 10 things about the book and film that really don't make any sense.
Why Didn't Anyone Ask Moaning Myrtle How She Died?
Most of the students and teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry avoided Moaning Myrtle and her favorite bathroom as much as they could. But if anyone had actually asked Myrtle how exactly she died, they likely would have figured out what was going on with the Chamber of Secrets a lot earlier.
Myrtle herself didn't quite understand what it was that killed her, but there are few things in the wizarding world that can kill someone through eye contact. Given what had happened with the other students, someone at Hogwarts surely would have put two and two together.
Why Didn't The Horcrux Kill Harry?
It's not until much later inHarry Potter that everyone understood what Tom Riddle's diary was and the power that it held. But with the benefit of hindsight it's even more difficult to understand why Harry managed to survive Chamber of Secrets.
Tom Riddle's diary isn't just a history of Voldemort, there is literally a piece of his soul in it. Voldemort could resurrect himself with that horcrux and it is literally him. So why wouldn't Voldemort take the opportunity to kill Harry when they come together? It was the perfect opportunity and it's strange that he didn't even try.
Why Didn't The Weasleys Conceal The Car?
One of the most charming parts of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is when Ron and the twins show up on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive to save Harry. Or at least very close to the doorstep. The Weasleys borrow an enchanted car to rescue Harry from the Dursleys, and then conspicuously fly right up to Harry's second story window in the middle of the night in order to grab him.
But since there were three wizards in the car and they knew a flying car would undoubtedly catch a lot of muggle attention, why didn't they just magically cloak it?
Why Did Harry Wind Up In Knockturn Alley Specifically?
Although it seems like a spell that involves you being consumed by flames is the kind of spell you don't want to make any mistakes on, I don't think anyone would criticize Harry for being thrown for a loop after seeing how Floo Powder transportation really worked.
Harry obviously wanted to go to Diagon Alley with the rest of the Weasleys but when he pronounced Diagon Alley as "diagonally," he instead wound up a few chimneys too far. But why exactly did his mispronunciation lead him to Knockturn Alley? It might be understandable if it actually sounded closer to what Harry said, but clearly it doesn't.
Why Didn't Anyone Stop The Bludger?
Dobby the house elf spends a lot of time in Chamber of Secrets trying to get Harry to leave Hogwarts by any means necessary. One of the more unique plans that Dobby came up with was bewitching a Bludger to attack Harry during a Quidditch match, which does end up breaking Harry's arm.
However, it's mystifying that it was actually an effective attack. House elf magic is strong, but it's no match for a literal sports stadium full of wizards. It's baffling that no one in the crowd or on the pitch used magic to stop the rogue bludger.
Why Didn't The Basilisk Just Go Straight For Harry?
Within the wizarding world there are few magical creatures that are more powerful or more dangerous than a Basilisk. Salazar Slytherin hid one in Hogwarts because he knew this and hoped that if the school were ever in danger the massive snake would protect it, but it fell into the hands and control of Lord Voldemort instead.
Once Ginny opens the Chamber of Secrets the Basilisk terrorizes the students and leaves many of them petrified. But Harry doesn't ever seem to be the target of the attacks, which is strange because he's the only student Voldemort absolutely needs to kill.
What Is The Likelihood That The Basilisk Would Just Petrify Everything?
The explanation for this plot hole is easy to understand outside of the story, because as the second installment in a children's book series it's understandable that J.K. Rowling wouldn't want to include a bunch of child deaths at the hands of a giant snake.
However, the likelihood of everyone who comes into contact with the Basilisk miraculously never making full eye contact with it and instead seeing its eyes through different reflections and lenses is wildly unlikely. Apparently Hogwarts residents are some of the luckiest people alive, especially since the last person to come into contact with the Basilisk (Moaning Myrtle) was killed by it.
Why Doesn't Polyjuice Potion Change Someone's Voice?
Of all the potions within the wizarding world, Polyjuice Potion is clearly one of the most useful. Being able to transform yourself and look like someone else comes in handy in a lot of different circumstances, as we can see in The Chamber of Secrets.
But one significant flaw is that it doesn't change the person's voice, which would be a dead giveaway that you're dealing with a fake. Or at least it doesn't change their voices in Chamber of Secrets because in Goblet of Fire, no one knows that Barty Crouch Jr. switched himself with Mad-Eye Moody. Clearly, the potion's effects are inexplicably inconsistent.
Why Didn't Anyone Notice The Diary Off The Bat?
Granted, it's not very unusual for a young girl to have a diary and Arthur and Molly Weasley do have a thousand kids to look after during the annual school shopping trip in Diagon Alley. But when Lucius Malfoy slipped the diary into Ginny's cauldron, he wasn't very inconspicuous about it.
You'd think that Ginny having a book that wasn't on her list that Arthur or Molly didn't pay for would jump out at them. Heck, why didn't Ginny see it, realize it wasn't hers, and just put it down somewhere in the book shop and assume she put it in her cauldron by mistake like most people would have?
Why Did The Malfoys Go After Ginny Of All People?
Lucius knew exactly what he was doing when he slipped Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny's cauldron, but it's a complete mystery as to why he chose her. If he were targeting Harry then why wouldn't he have put it into Ron or Hermione's cauldrons?
I mean, even giving it to Draco would have made more sense. Ginny makes for a good target because she's not someone anyone would expect of wrongdoing, but aside from that there doesn't seem to be any advantage in choosing her. Nearly every Hogwarts student was in Diagon Alley, so Malfoy could have picked absolutely anyone.