Harry Potter

Harry Potter turns twelve years old and begins his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For a time, the school suspects Harry is guilty of petrifying a series of muggle borns at Hogwarts. Harry begins to hear a disembodied voice before each attack and tries to uncover the perpetrator. Seeking answers, he turns to the fifty year old diary of Tom Riddle, which contains memories of similar attacks on Hogwarts. When Ginny Weasley is taken by the attacker into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry goes after her and discovers that Tom Riddle is really Lord Voldemort, and has been unleashing attacks on the school as a memory magically preserved through the diary. Harry destroys the diary and brings peace to Hogwarts again.

Ronald Weasley

Ronald Weasley begins his second year at Hogwarts. He receives detention (and a Howler from his mother) on his first day back after flying to Hogwarts in his parents’ enchanted Ford Anglia with Harry. Ron’s wand breaks when the car crashes into the Whomping Willow tree and he spends the rest of the year struggling with a poorly functioning wand. Ron aids Harry in his quest to discover the identity of the heir of Slytherin and accompanies him into the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny.

Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger begins her second year at Hogwarts, and once again excels in all of her coursework. Hermione is especially smitten with new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart. Hermione helps Harry and Ron by brewing a polyjuice potion, which will allow them to take on the identity of three Slytherin students in order to attempt to gain inside information about the muggle born attacks at Hogwarts. However, she accidentally adds the wrong hair to her own dose of potion which causes her to partially transform into a cat. A muggle born herself, Hermione is petrified by the basilisk and spends the last several weeks of term in the hospital wing before recovering.

Rubeus Hagrid

Rubeus Hagrid continues his work as Hogwarts gamekeeper. Accused by Tom Riddle of attacking muggle borns fifty years prior, the new crop of attacks sends Hagrid to the wizard prison, Azkaban, where he remains until Harry clears his name.

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts and does everything in his power to protect students from the recent bout of attacks. Nevertheless, Lucius Malfoy persuades the school’s governors to suspend Dumbledore from his post as the attacks worsen. Dumbledore regains his position as headmaster at the end of the novel.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Tom Marvolo Riddle is a former Hogwarts prefect, who earned an award for special services to the school for allegedly stopping attacks on muggle borns fifty years prior to the main events of Chamber of Secrets. We later learn that it was Riddle who opened the chamber and perpetrated the attacks, and that he later became Lord Voldemort. He preserves the memory of his sixteen year old self in a diary.

Gilderoy Lockhart

Gilderoy Lockhart is Hogwarts’ new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He is well-known in the wizarding community for writing a series of books about his great deeds, but proves to be an incompetent teacher. He accompanies Harry and Ron into the Chamber of Secrets, where he admits that he wiped the memories of more skilled witches and wizards in order to take credit for their deeds. He uses Ron’s wand to try to cast a memory charm on Harry and Ron, but the spell backfires and his own memory is wiped clean instead.

Dobby

Dobby is a house elf bound to servitude in the Malfoy’s home. He overhears Lucius Malfoy’s plan to sneak Riddle’s diary into Hogwarts. Dobby greatly admires Harry and secretly visits him on Privet Drive to warn him not to return to school. In an effort to keep Harry from going back to Hogwarts, Dobby casts a hovering charm on one of Petunia Dursley’s puddings which gets Harry in trouble with the Ministry. Dobby also blocks Harry and Ron from entering Platform 9 ¾ at the start of term. When neither plan works, Dobby enchants a bludger to injure Harry during a quidditch match in hopes it will force Harry to be sent home. Harry helps Dobby become free from the Malfoy’s by tricking Lucius into giving Dobby a sock.

Draco Malfoy

Draco Malfoy is a second year Hogwarts student in Slytherin house and Harry’s nemesis. He plays Seeker for the Slytherin quidditch team because his wealthy father supplies the team with top of the line Nimbus 2001 model broomsticks. He is vocal about his dislike for muggleborns, calling Hermione a “mudblood.” Harry, Ron and Hermione suspect that Draco is the heir of Slytherin, but he has nothing to do with the attacks.

Lucius Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy is Draco Malfoy’s father, Dobby’s master, and a former supporter of Voldemort. After a row with Arthur Weasley in Diagon Alley, he hides Tom Riddle’s diary in a stack of Ginny’s books in order to sneak the object inside Hogwarts. He uses his money and influence to manipulate the school governors into suspending Albus Dumbledore from the post of headmaster. At the end of the novel, Malfoy mistakenly frees Dobby by accidentally tossing him a sock.

Moaning Myrtle

Moaning Myrtle is a mopy ghost who haunts the girls’ bathroom on the second floor of Hogwarts. She tells Harry that she was killed by the Basilisk during the attacks on Hogwarts fifty years earlier and helps him find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets beneath a pipe in her bathroom.

Ginny Weasley

Ginny Weasley is the youngest child of the Weasley family, and in her first year at Hogwarts – where she joins her brothers in Gryffindor house. She begins writing in Tom RIddle’s diary, which she finds in her stack of school books. Tom Riddle’s memory writes back to her and eventually possesses her, forcing her to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the Basilisk on muggleborns in the school.

Nearly-Headless Nick

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (“Nearly Headless Nick”) is the ghost of Gryffindor tower. He celebrates the five hundredth anniversary of his “almost” beheading with a death day party in the dungeons to which he invites Harry, Ron and Hermione along with dozens of fellow ghosts. He tries to join a club of headless ghosts called the Headless Hunt, but is denied. Nick is petrified by the basilisk along with Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Justin Finch-Fletchley is a second year Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts. He takes Herbology with the Gryffindors and is a great admirer of Gilderoy Lockhart. After hearing Harry speak parseltongue, he becomes convinced that Harry is the heir of Slytherin.

Percy Weasley

Percy Weasley is the third eldest Weasley child and the oldest of Ron’s brothers at Hogwarts. A prefect, Percy takes his duties very seriously and often acts pompous and arrogant. He endures teasing from his younger brothers, Fred and George, for his romantic involvement with Penelope Clearwater.

Fred Weasley

Fred Weasley is one of the third youngest Weasley children, and twin brother to George. He is in his fourth year at Hogwarts and known for practical jokes and pranks. He plays the position of Beater on the Gryffindor quidditch team

George Weasley

George Weasley is one of the third youngest Weasley children, and twin brother to Fred. He is also in his fourth year at Hogwarts and known for practical jokes and pranks. He plays the position of Beater on the Gryffindor quidditch team.

Molly Weasley

Molly Weasley is wife to Arthur and the mother of seven children, five of whom still attend Hogwarts. She treats Harry as one of her own children when he comes to stay at The Burrow over the summer holiday. Kind but strict, she sends Ron a Howler to chastise him for flying a stolen, enchanted car to Hogwarts and crashing it on school grounds. She comes to Hogwarts with Arthur at the end of the year after Ginny is taken into the Chamber or Secrets.

Arthur Weasley

Arthur Weasley is husband to Molly and the father of seven children. He works for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic and is fascinated by muggles and muggle objects. He faces an inquiry at work after illegally enchanting the Weasley family’s muggle car to make it fly. Arthur strongly dislikes Lucius Malfoy and gets into a brawl with him in Diagon Alley. He comes to Hogwarts at the end of the school year, after Ginny is taken into the Chamber of Secrets.

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall is the Hogwarts transfiguration teacher, head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Headmistress. She acts as Headmistress when Dumbledore is temporarily dismissed from the school.

Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick is the Hogwarts charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house.

Severus Snape

Severus Snape is the Hogwarts potions professor and head of Slytherin house, with a special dislike for Harry. He tries to have Harry and Ron expelled for flying the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts, but is unsuccessful.

Pomona Sprout

Pomona Sprout is the Hogwarts herbology professor and head of Hufflepuff house. She grows mandrakes to cure the petrified victims of the Basilisk.

Argus Filch

Argus Filch is the Hogwarts caretaker. Harry discovers that Filch is a squib (a wizard-born person with no magical ability) when he finds a mail-order “Kwik-Spell” course in his office. Filch is devastated when his cat, Mrs. Norris, is petrified.

Mrs. Norris

Mrs. Norris is Flich’s cat who is frequently spotted lurking in corridors spying on students and reporting misdeeds to Filch. She is the first victim to be petrified.

Colin Creevey

Colin Creevey is a first year, muggle born student at Hogwarts. He idolizes Harry and routinely asks for Harry’s photograph and autograph. Colin is petrified by the Basilisk and spends a portion of the year recovering in the hospital wing.

Cornelius Fudge

Cornelius Fudge is the minister for magic. He visits Hogwarts to remove Hagrid from the grounds and send him to Azkaban.

Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom is an accident-prone second year Gryffindor who shares a dormitory with Harry and Ron. He expresses fears that he is at risk of becoming a victim of the heir of Slytherin, due to his apparent lack of magical ability. Although, as a pureblood, he is never attacked.

Vernon Dursley

Vernon Dursley is Harry’s muggle uncle and reluctant guardian who works for a company that makes drills. He tries to secure a large drill order with Mr. Mason, but the deal falls through when Dobby the house elf smashes a pudding during a dinner party with the Masons.

Petunia Dursley

Petunia Dursley is Harry’s muggle aunt and reluctant guardian. She is married to Vernon and spends much of her time fussing over her son, Dudley.

Dudley Dursley

Dudley Dursley is Harry’s slothful, spoiled and obese muggle cousin.

Seamus Finnigan

Seamus Finnigan is a second-year Gryffindor boy who shares a dormitory with Harry and Ron.

Dean Thomas

Dean Thomas is a second-year Gryffindor boy who shares a dormitory with Harry and Ron.

Oliver Wood

Oliver Wood is a sixth year student at Hogwarts and the captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. His dreams of winning the Quidditch Cup are ruined when the quidditch final is canceled due to the attacks on muggle borns.

Katie Bell

Katie Bell is a third year student at Hogwarts, and plays the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team.

Angelina Johnson

Angelina Johnson is a fourth year student at Hogwarts, and plays the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team.

Ernie MacMillan

Ernie MacMillan is a second year Hufflepuff student who takes Herbology with the Gryffindors. He helps spread the rumor that Harry is the heir of Slytherin.

Vincent Crabbe

Vincent Crabbe is a second year Slytherin student and one of Draco Malfoy’s cronies. Ron impersonates Crabbe with Polyjuice Potion in an attempt to uncover information about Draco Malfoy’s involvement with the attacks on muggle borns.

Gregory Goyle

Gregory Goyle is a second year Slytherin student and one of Draco Malfoy’s cronies. Harry impersonates Goyle with Polyjuice Potion in an attempt to uncover information about Draco Malfoy’s involvement with the attacks on muggle borns.

Millicent Bulstrode

Millicent Bulstrode is an intimidating second year Slytherin girl who tries to beat up Hermione during dueling club. Later, Hermione tries to impersonate Millicent (unsuccessfully) using Polyjuice Potion.

Penelope Clearwater

Penelope Clearwater is a sixth year Ravenclaw prefect who is romantically involved with Percy Weasley. She is petrified by the basilisk.

Armando Dippet

Armando Dippet was the headmaster of Hogwarts when Tom Riddle and Hagrid were students.

Fawkes

Fawkes is a phoenix owned by Albus Dumbledore. He comes to Harry’s rescue in the Chamber of Secrets, bringing the Sorting Hat from which Harry pulls the Sword of Gryffindor and destroys the basilisk. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Lockhart escape the Chamber by holding on to Fawkes’ tail as he flies.

Scabbers

Scabbers is Ron’s pet rat.

Errol

Errol is the Weasley family owl.

Hedwig

Hedwig is Harry’s pet owl.

Fang

Fang is Hagrid’s dog.

Aragog

Aragog is a giant spider (an Acromantula) hatched and raised by Hagrid at Hogwarts before going to live in the Forbidden Forest. He is suspected of being the monster responsible for the attacks on muggleborns at the school, but Harry discovers that Aragog was innocent. Aragog and his colony try to eat Harry and Ron, but the boys escape.

Mafalda Hopkirk

Mafalda Hopkirk works in the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry for Magic. She sends Harry a notice warning him not to use magic outside of school or else face expulsion after Dobby the House Elf uses a hover charm on Aunt Petunia’s pudding.

Mr. Mason

Mr. Mason is a muggle builder who Uncle Vernon hopes will order a large number of drills. Mr. Mason attends a dinner party at the Dursley’s home but leaves in fury when an owl swoops into the house to deliver a letter to Harry.

Mrs. Mason

Mrs. Mason is Mr. Mason’s wife. An owl drops a letter from the Ministry of Magic intended for Harry on her head while she is having dinner at the Dursley home.

Mundungus Fletcher

Mundungus Fletcher is a wizard who is involved with the illegal trading and selling of various stolen objects. Mr. Weasley reports having a run-in with Mundungus during a raid at work.

Mr. Borgin

Mr. Borgin is the proprietor of Borgin and Burkes, a store in Knockturn Alley that sells dark magical objects. He buys several items from Lucius Malfoy, who is trying to clear his mansion of questionable objects.

Mr. Granger

Mr. Granger is Hermione’s father and a dentist. He accompanies his daughter to Diagon Alley before the start of term and meets Harry and the Weasleys.

Mrs. Granger

Mrs. Granger is Hermione’s mother. She accompanies her daughter to Diagon Alley before the start of term and meets Harry and the Weasleys.

Gladys Gudgeon

Gladys Gudgeon is a witch who writes frequent fan letters to Gilderoy Lockhart.

Veronica Smethley

Veronica Smethley is a witch who writes fan letters to Gilderoy Lockhart.

Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore

Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore is a ghost who died from beheading. He is the leader of the Headless Hunt, and a guest at Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday party.

Olive Hornby

Olive Hornby was a student at Hogwarts along with Myrtle, Tom Riddle and Hagrid who often teased Myrtle about her glasses. Myrtle returned from death as a ghost to haunt Olive Hornby for many years.