Summary
TheHarry Potterbooks took advantage of their repeated formula to flip an importantChamber of Secretsreveal inHalf-Blood Prince. Though these two stories were significantly different, with Harry and the gang much older inHalf-Blood Prince, there are some similarities between the mysteries featured in each.Chapter 13 of both books was cleverly used to create parallels between these two different pointsin theHarry Potterseries, and in doing so, the rivalry arc between Harry and Draco Malfoy was made all the more enjoyable.
As pointed out byMugglenet,chapter 13 of eachHarry Potterbook follows a similar formula. Though subtle, it’s clear when observing all seven 13th chapters under a microscope that this was always a turning point in the books. A major question within that school year’s central mystery would be answered, a perpetrator would be accused while the real villain was secretly identified, and a new magical object or mechanic would be introduced. While these chapters typically stood alone within their respectiveHarry Potterbooks,Chamber of SecretsandHalf-Blood Princewere the exception.
Every Harry Potter In Order (And & How Long Their Runtime Is)
While the story of Harry Potter has ended, it seems like the end is nowhere in sight yet for The Wizarding World. Let’s look at every movie so far.
The Harry Potter Books Flip Chamber Of Secrets' Draco Malfoy Reveal In Half-Blood Prince
Draco Malfoy’s Eventual Villain Reveal Was Foreshadowed In Chamber Of Secrets
InChapter 13 ofHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, “The Very Secret Diary,“Harry discovers Tom Riddle’s diary, is sucked into a young Voldemort’s memory, and learns that Hagrid was expelled from school for allegedlyopening the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had been sure up to this point that Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin and that he had taken over his father’s role. However, Riddle’s diary revealed this couldn’t be true since the timelines didn’t match up. Malfoy might have been a prejudiced jerk, but he wasn’t the attempted murderer.
InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, chapter 13 is similarly named “The Secret Riddle,“and the events see Harry again witness a memory involving a young Tom Riddle (through Dumbledore’s Pensieve). Additionally, Harry is adamant that Draco Malfoy is behind another attempted murder, this time with Katie Bell as the victim. He tells Dumbledore of his suspicions, though the headmaster dismisses him immediately. The events and subjects of these two chapters are remarkably similar, butin the case ofHalf-Blood Prince, Harry is correct about Draco Malfoy.
Harry Potter’s Early Draco Suspicions Perfectly Set Up The Later Books
The Parallels Between Chapter 13 Of Chamber Of Secrets & Half-Blood Prince Support Draco’s Character Arc
The similarities between chapter 13 inChamber of SecretsandHalf-Blood Princedraw attention to the fact that Katie Bell’s attack wasn’t the first time Harry suspected Draco of attempted murder. The first time around, Draco made it clear that he supported whoever was attacking Muggle-bornsand made it seem as if he would gladly murder those who weren’t of pure blood if he could. This was pretty damning, but it ultimately turned out that Draco was innocent of the crime and that Harry was wrong despite his strong instincts.
The fact that Harry was wrong about Draco inChamber of Secretscast some doubt over his suspicions inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Ron and Hermione had been on Harry’s side during their second year at Hogwarts, but his friends were no longer so easily convinced when Harry accused Draco again during the sixth. They even reminded Harry that they had gone down this path before, warning him not to make the same mistake twice. Dumbledore also disregarded Harry’s accusation, which seemed to settle the matter.
These two chapter 13s draw attention to this critical piece of Draco’s character arc, demonstrating that pure-blood indoctrination was the true villain, not the Slytherin boy himself.
Draco was, in fact, responsible for the attack on Katie Bell. However, the big surprise of all this was that the boy no longer desired to hurt anyone. Unlike inChamber of Secrets,Draco’sHalf-Blood Princecounterpart realized that he didn’t want to kill and had gotten in way over his head. These two chapter 13s draw attention to this critical piece ofDraco’s character arc, demonstrating that pure-blood indoctrination was the true villain, not the Slytherin boy himself.
Chapter 13 Of Chamber Of Secrets & Half-Blood Prince Mirror Each Other In Multiple Ways
Voldemort’s Horcruxes Are Foreshadowed In These Chapter 13s As Well
Interestingly, Draco’s progression from a hopeful criminal to an actual attempted murderer isn’t the only thingChamber of SecretsandHalf-Blood Prince’s chapter 13s draw attention to. As previously mentioned, these chapters see Harry dive into Voldemort’s past, which means coming into contact with or seeing two of the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes.InChamber of Secrets, Harry obviously interacts with Riddle’s diary, andinHalf-Blood Prince, he sees a memory of Riddle’s mother, Merope, selling Slytherin’s locket.
Chamber of Secretschapter 13 saw Harry question why Tom Riddle felt like a friend he had known his whole life, which also foreshadowed his connection to the Horcrux.
Of course, this is significant since theending ofHarry Potterpivots on the Horcroxes, with Harry technically being one of them serving as the major twist. Draco’s story is interlaced with the reveal of Horcruxes, which is no coincidence, either. The boy’s arc reveals that he could have easily become like the Dark Lord, but like Harry, his soul was saved by his mother’s love and the sliver of goodness it inspired. Voldemort, Harry, and Draco all serve as reminders inHarry Potterthat a person chooses their own path, and the clever formula of the various chapter 13s drives this fact home.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
