‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ is a fantastically appealing first sequel to J.K. Rowling’s first installment, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. With more character details and engaging descriptions added, the wizarding world comes alive once again, and the lives of main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione become even more intertwined with the lives of those who are not only for them, but also those who are potentially against them.

Starting off the school year on not quite the right foot when he and Ron must fly to school in Ron’s dad’s flying car due to not being able to get aboard Platform 9 ¾ to take the Hogwarts Express, things continue to go downhill for them. Students, professors, and even ghosts in the castle are becoming more and more fearful of someone they claim must be lurking in the castle, who is thought to be Salazar Slytherin’s (the founder of Slytherin house) heir. When word begins to circulate that Harry may in fact be this heir – hastened along by the fact that he can speak to snakes just like Slytherin could, among other occurrences that fail to work in his favor – no one knows quite what to believe. Yet, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are steadfast in their attempts to find the real culprit and prove Harry innocent.

Coming into play in this novel are a couple new characters who were not present (or at least not physically present) in the first book. Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s dad, is a worthy antagonist to Harry, serving as a gofer of sorts for the Dark Lord (He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named), as Harry finds himself once again working to defeat the Dark Lord.

The way in which Rowling crafts the story adds depth and a serendipitous creativity that brings Harry luck when he feels none exists, especially close to the end of the novel. I cannot recommend the ‘Harry Potter’ series of novels enough. Check this one out and move on quickly to the remaining entries in her illustrious series.

You can find ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ by J.K. Rowling here.