Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets had a runtime of two hours and fifty-four minutes. And while that may seem like a long movie, the truth is that it wasn’t nearly enough time to fit all of the details revealed within the book.
For example, Harry and his friends learned a lot more about the Chamber of Secrets than hinted at within the movie. And of course, there was even more about the Chamber to be learned than what Harry had been able to discover.
The Only (Known) Additional Location Designed by a Founder
To our knowledge, Salazar Slytherin is the only Hogwarts founder who managed to sneak in an extra location. All of the founders had agreed on creating their own Houses, of course. But Slytherin took this a step further, adding a Chamber of Secrets to the mix. He kept this a secret from the other founders – hence the name.
Slytherin presumably did this around the time he and the other founders began to argue about who did and did not have a right to enter the school. As you may recall, Slytherin was very much against the idea of allowing anyone but purebloods into the school.
Original Purpose?
There’s a chance that the Chamber of Secrets originally had a different purpose. You know, other than housing a massive Basilisk. Some people believe that Salazar Slytherin originally built the Chamber of Secrets as a sort of headquarters. Here he likely trained students in subject matter that the other founders didn’t approve of.
Similar to how Dumbledore’s Army used the Room of Requirement. Though, in this case, it’s more likely that Slytherin was teaching Dark Arts, as opposed to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Just a tiny difference there, we know.
A Trapdoor
The Chamber of Secrets wasn’t always inside a bathroom. It’s hard to believe, we know. Originally the access to the Chamber was through a trapdoor. Likely this trapdoor was concealed – in a manner similar to the bathroom entrance.
Thanks to the fact that Hogwarts needed to be updated, the Chamber of Secrets eventually found itself underneath a school bathroom. During the time that the Chamber was built, bathrooms weren’t even a thing (and trust us, you’re happier not knowing the details of what happened before then). So this wasn’t exactly something Slytherin could plan for.
Corvinus Gaunt
Corvinus Gaunt can be credited with saving the Chamber of Secrets. He was present around the time the bathrooms were being installed in Hogwarts – right over the Chamber of Secrets. He protected the secret, and even made sure a new entrance was put in place once the magical construction was done (how does one update features inside a magical building like Hogwarts?).
Without Corvinus Gaunt being present, there’s a chance that the Chamber of Secrets truly would have been lost to the ages. Though that might have been for the best.
The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened Before
While we don’t know the specifics, we do know that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened at least once before Tom Riddle appeared on the scene. By that point – people knew about the Chamber, even if many did still believe it to be a myth.
We can safely assume that Corvinus Gaunt opened the Chamber of Secrets – since he had to hide and alter the entrance when the bathrooms are installed. It also seems likely that more than one other family member because curious over time. Though naturally, any girls would have had an easier time relieving their curiosity.
The Gaunts and the Rumor Mill
The Gaunts were not as discreet as they could have, or should have been. While it is true that any Parselmouth would have been able to hear and understand the Basilisk, it is exceedingly unlikely that there was anyone outside the Gaunt family with this gift.
Therefore, the Chamber should have stayed a secret (at least, right up until the Basilisk started killing students). But instead, the Chamber of Secrets became a rather well-known secret, even if it wasn’t one that was widely believed. That means certain members of the Gaunt family ran their mouths about it.
This actually makes quite a lot of sense. The few Gaunt members we’ve seen have been overfull of pride, and were clearly outspoken about their hatred to anybody not like them. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to hear them using the Chamber as a threat. The only real surprise is the fact that they didn’t use it themselves.
Headmasters and Historians Alike Had Searched for it
Many Headmasters/, Headmistresses, and historians have all gone hunting for the Chamber of Secrets. And before Harry and his friends intervened, none had ever succeeded in finding it. This likely has to do with the fact that none of them spoke Parseltongue. Still, it is both impressive and surprising that Slytherin was able to keep such a secret for as long as he did. He should probably consider himself fortunate that the Room of Requirement wasn’t able to help out in the search.
The search for the Chamber of Secrets hit a fever pitch after the death of a student – one infamous Moaning Mytle, to be exact. And even then, it still remained hidden. Though the search did force Tom Riddle to stop his plans.
A Symbol of His Pride
Salazar Slytherin, in his time at Hogwarts, was growing increasingly confident about his importance to the school. It seems that this opinion of himself had hit an unhealthy level by the time he built the Chamber of Secrets. At least, if the décor has anything to say about it.
The Chamber of Secrets may have housed a Basilisk, but it also housed many other things as well. Who can forget about the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin, as well as banners, plaques, and emblems portraying snakes? And remember, snakes were the symbol for the Slytherin House, as well as for Salazar himself (thanks to his gift with parseltongue).
It’s no wonder the founders ended up forcing Slytherin out in the end. If these remnants are any indication of his pride, he had likely stopped listening to their opinions a long time ago.