Oblivilate!: The Book vs. Film Differences for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

This week, we look back at the Chamber of Secrets, or what was not included in the 2002 film adaptation. This film was largely faithful to its source material, similar to the first installment, but not identical. Some of the differences listed below give greater context to the events in the adapted feature.

Book (UK: July 2, 1998 / US: June 2, 1999) vs. Film (November 15, 2002)

• While unclear in the film adaptation, The story starts on Harry’s birthday where Dobby is spying on him in the bushes.

• Book Specific: Harry receives a warning via mail from the Ministry of Magic after Dobby’s pudding hover charm to not perform magic outside of school. This alerts the Dursleys to the rules concerning Harry’s ability to use magic.

• Sections of the Burrow cut from the film include Harry and the Weasley boys de-gnoming the garden (swinging around the gnomes and throwing them over the garden wall) and Molly Weasley arguing with Arthur Weasley over enchanting the Ford Anglia.

• During the scene in Flourish & Blotts, Arthur and Lucius Malfoy get into a physical altercation before having it broken up by Hagrid.

• Nearly Headless Nick’s (Gryffindor House Ghost) deathday party, where Moaning Myrtle is introduced in the book, is completely left out of the film. This occurs the same night Mrs. Norris is petrified and the Chamber of Secrets is opened (all on Halloween, an important day for plot advancement - think of the troll in Sorcerer’s Stone).

• In the book, Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, not Professor McGonagall reveals to Hermione and the class the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. In fact, Professor Binns is left out of the movie entirely.

• Book Specific: Lucius Malfoy is revealed in Year 2, not in Year 4 (film), to have formerly in service to Voldemort.

• Book Specific: To acquire the necessary ingredients to brew Polyjuice Potion, Harry creates a distraction in Potions class while Hermione sneaks into Professor Snape’s pantry.

• Book Specific: Harry’s Christmas presents include a toothpick, sweets, a jumper, a book, and a new quill.

• Book Specific: On Valentine’s Day, when Harry trips while trying to avoid a serenading dwarf, he spills ink all over his possessions, including Tom Riddle’s Diary, which falls out. Ginny sees the diary, which explains how she knows to steal it back from Harry. This moment is also how book Harry realizes the unique properties of this seemingly empty book.

• Book Specific: During Tom Riddle’s flashback sequence within the diary, he reveals he is half-blood to Headmaster Armando Dippet and would have to return to the muggle orphanage he grew up in if the school closed. This fact is what propelled Tom to frame Hagrid for the attack and close the Chamber of Secrets.

• Book Specific: In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry actually tries on the Sorting Hat in desperation to fend off the Basilisk before the Sword of Gryffindor appears.

• Book Specific: Following the failed plot with Tom Riddle’s Diary in which he tried to frame the Weasleys, Lucius Malfoy is fired from Hogwarts School Governor’s Board.

We hope this provides a better understanding for the seven year saga of Harry Potter. Join us next week for Year 3 where a madman interested in Harry is on the loose, causing some dreadful prison guards to follow him to Hogwarts. Please follow along with our podcast series on Apple, Spotify, or Anchor.