Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter Fifteen:
Aragog

"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk."

Synopsis by William Silvester
Notes and links by Michele L. Worley

US hardcover edition: pages 265 - 282
UK paperback edition: pages 286 - 304
Timeframe: Sunday 9 May - Monday 24 May, 1993 [Y13]

In which tension mounts in Hogwarts as everyone fears another attack - except Draco Malfoy, who is enjoying the situation. Acting on Hagrid's hint about following spiders, Harry and Ron go into the Forbidden Forest, find the Ford Anglia, are captured by acromantulas, learn more about the Chamber of Secrets, and are rescued by the car.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

Notes to come here

quotation to come here

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• Aragog

• (name unknown) many members of Aragog's family

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Abbott, Hannah

• Crabbe, Vincent

• Fang

• Finnigan, Seamus

• Goyle, Gregory

• Macmillan, Ernie

• Malfoy, Draco

• Pomfrey, Poppy

• Potter, Harry

• Snape, Severus

• Sprout, Pomona

• Thomas, Dean

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• the monster of Slytherin

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Finch-Fletchley, Justin

• Fudge, Cornelius

• Granger, Hermione

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Malfoy, Lucius

• McGonagall, Minerva

• Mosag

• Riddle, Tom Marvolo (as Voldemort)

• Weasley, Arthur

• (surname unknown) Myrtle

• (name unknown) traveller from a distant land

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • corridors

  • Entrance Hall

  • Forbidden Forest, the

  • greenhouses

  • Hagrid's cabin

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Azkaban

• grounds

• lake

Exceptional character moments:

• Draco Malfoy, gloating that his father "got rid of Dumbledore" - with no idea that he himself will one day be unable to bring himself to "get rid of" Dumbledore.

• Draco Malfoy, sucking up to Snape.

• Seamus, pretending to throw up after listening to Malfoy fawning on Snape.

• Ron, prepared to kill Draco with his bare hands after Draco says what a pity it was that Hermione wasn't the first victim to be killed.

• Ernie, who has the grace and the guts to publicly apologize to Harry for suspecting him.

Spells:

• Lumos

Links and Resources:

• Abyssinian Shrivelfig

• Bestiary

  • Acromantulas

  • boarhound

  • centaurs

  • unicorns

  • werewolves

• classes

  • Defence Against the Dark Arts

  • Herbology

  • Potions

• Exploding Snap

• items and devices, magical

  • books by Lockhart

  • cauldrons

  • Ford Anglia, flying

  • invisibility cloak

Memorable lines:

• Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog out in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent.

Strictly British:

• common room

• crocodile

• cupboard

• Head Boy

• headlamp

• mullioned

• tin

• treacle

Timelines/Calendar:

The date on which the boys enter the Forest can be worked out from the next chapter, since the exact date of the following day is given.