Every Clue Leading to Ginny's Plot Twist in ‘Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets’

In the second book of J.K. Rowling's acclaimed series, ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’, Harry, Ron, and Hermione collaborate to discover the reason behind the enigmatic attacks on students who were born Muggles and the Chamber of Secrets' reopening. Although the film version mostly follows the novel, it leaves out a number of important hints that suggest Ginny Weasley was involved in these incidents.

Many subliminal clues throughout ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ hint at the Ginny plot surprise. Since they are frequently covered up or explained away, these hints are initially easy to overlook but become much more obvious upon closer inspection. 

For example, Draco Malfoy and his father Lucius raise a commotion when the Weasley family visits Flourish and Blotts, and it is during this disturbance that Lucius inserts Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny's book. Although it may not seem like much at first, this moment prepares the audience for the major reveal.

Image Courtesy: Films in Retrospective 

Ginny's peculiar conduct is another hint, but it's frequently missed. Throughout the narrative, her level of distress increases, particularly following specific incidents such as the assault on Mrs. Norris. Although the attacks are blamed for her sorrow, there is a more sinister explanation: Ginny is unconscious of her acts because she is under the influence of Riddle's diary. This is especially clear when she remembers being coated in paint and not knowing if she had attacked Mrs. Norris.

Additionally, there are subliminal moments that link Ginny to the journal, like her surprise when Draco Malfoy makes fun of Harry for it. This response suggests Ginny's covert involvement in the nefarious events, as does her prior anguish over losing her diary.

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Ginny tries to disclose her role in the latter chapters, but her brother Percy stops her. It is evident from this and the finding that Riddle's notebook was taken from Harry's room that Ginny was behind the attacks, even though her actual involvement wasn't disclosed until much later. Although there are hints that point to Ginny's affiliation with the Chamber, they become completely evident once the twist is revealed.

–Farheen Ali