Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter Eight:
The Deathday Party

"My late lamented lords, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow..."

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

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 122 - 139
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 94 - 106
U.K. paperback edition: pages 134 - 153
Timeframe: xx October - 31 October, 1992 [Y12]

In which Harry is caught dripping mud on the carpet by Filch, is taken to Filch's office, discovers that Filch is not a wizard, and Nearly Headless Nick invites him to his Deathday Party, which HRH attend on Hallowe'en night. Leaving the party, Harry hears voices again, and following the sound with Ron and Hermione discovers writing on the wall and a Petrified Mrs. Norris.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of chapter eight:

This chapter gives us our most detailed look at ghosts to date.

He was pale as smoke, and Harry could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.

"But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Filch isn't in a good mood."

"He's got flu..."

"...and some third-years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five..."

...trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster Firework to a salamander. Fred had 'rescued' the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class...

Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves.

"She haunts the girls' toilet on the first floor," said Hermione.

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
died 31st October, 1492

Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses...

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• Delaney-Podmore, Sir Patrick (as Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore)

• Myrtle

• Wailing Widow, the

• (ghosts) a group of gloomy nuns

• (ghost) a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead

• (ghost) a portly male ghost

• (ghost) a ragged man wearing chains

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Bloody Baron, the

• de Mimsy-Porpington, Sir Nicholas (as Nearly Headless Nick)

• Fat Friar, the

• Filch, Argus

• Granger, Hermione

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Malfoy, Draco

• monster of Slytherin, the

• Norris, Mrs.

• Peeves

• Pomfrey, Madam

• Potter, Harry

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Percy

• Weasley, Ron

• Wood, Oliver

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Lockhart, Gilderoy

• Nettles, Madam Z.

• Prod, D.J. (warlock)

• Prod, Mrs.

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Filch's office

• Great Hall, the

• Gryffindor Tower

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Chamber of Secrets, the

• Didsbury

• Entrance Hall, the

• Kent

• Myrtle's bathroom

• Topsham

Exceptional character moments:

• Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who keep their word and attend Nick's party despite the inedible food, the horrible orchestra, and the delights of the Hallowe'en feast being held in the Great Hall.

• Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore, who in a dazzling display of his lack of consideration, completely upstages Nick at Nick's own party.

Spells:

• none

Links and Resources:

• essay index

  • Food and Drink in the Potter Universe

  • Hogwarts' Ghosts

  • The Number Twelve

  • Timelines - Designating Years

  • Timelines - Mapping Timeline

  • Timelines - Timelines & Calendars

• Filibuster Firework

• games

  • Head Hockey

  • Head Polo

  • Horseback Head Juggling

• ghosts

• Gryffindor Quidditch team

• Headless Hunt, the

• Kwikspell

• medical/healing magic

• magical items and devices

  • broomsticks - Nimbus 2001

  • Vanishing Cabinet

• Potions Encyclopedia

  • Pepperup Potion

  • Scintillation Solution

• salamander

• Slytherin Quidditch team

Memorable lines:

• "But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

• "Most people would think that's properly good and beheaded, but oh no, that's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore."

• "Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me..."

Strictly British:

• bogies

• dead

• doublet

• haggis

• jump-jet (U.K. edition only)

• oy

• peaky (U.K. edition only)

• pudding

• ruff

• spotty (U.K. edition only)

• third-year

Timelines/Calendar:

The action of the chapter takes place during the month of October, 1992 [Y12], primarily on Hallowe'en night.