Harry Potter Lessons Learned, Book 2, Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary

Welcome back to our chapter-by-chapter discussion of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Though Harry doesn't know it yet, he'sa bout to find his first Horcrux and have a second conversation with Lord Voldemort. But that's all in the future, so let's talk about "The Very Secret Diary."

"The hero who conquered the Dark Lord"

Before we get into the meat of the chapter, I want to express sympathy and admiration for Ginny Weasley. She's an 11-year-old girl with her first crush and that can be a hard expeirence for a lot of people. In fact, Harry's not much better on Valentine's Day in 1996, so I don't judge the one Weasley daughter for being awkward with her feelings. And I think her rhyming is very sincere, not soppy.

In fact, I think her admiration for Harry expressed mid-chapter is evident at the beginning. The chapter opens with the discovery that someone has tried to throw away a blank journal belonging to T.M. Riddle. We don't know how much of Ginny's actions are directed by Voldemort, but I see her throwing out the diary as a choice to turn away from his influence. Years from now, we'll hear the prophecy about parents who have thrice defied Lord Voldemort, but Ginny is a first-year who trusted a diary and still fought.

And then we have the introduction to Tom Riddle's Diary itself, This is one scene of the movie which I prefer to the book. Instead of the multiple offers that the diary makes to show Harry what it contains, we see Harry ask to be told the history of the Chamber of Secrets and after denying his request, Riddle replies, "but I can show you." If I hadn't read the book first, I would have been chilled by the light reference to Voldemort's theme in the soundtrack at this point. But the journal containing the memory of this era wants to do things on its own terms and that is a sinister sign. Shh. Don't tell Harry just yet.

This is a pivotal chapter in the book and we can't blame Harry for "sweating and shaking" as he comes to the realization that closes the chapter. The very secret that the diary disclosed turned his trust in Hagrid on its head.

Lesson Learned: Trust your instincts

The advice to trust your instincts is meant to be something I gleaned from Harry, but as discussed before this is really about Ginny. She does what many people find themselves incapable of around bullies and abusers. She finds a boundary and acts on it. We know it doesn't last forever, but that's not her fault. She does the best she can and Dumbledore recognizes this later when he says that "Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." It's not for us to victim-shame Ginny Weasley for being a trusting person.

With this tantalizing ending to the chapter, we'll have to be back soon for Chapter 14: Cornelius Fudge. For now, be careful which books you listen to.