Chapter Summaries

Brian spent a quiet day at Hogwarts, where Madam Pince and Professor McGonagall noticed his natural makeup and Professor Burbage welcomed him enthusiastically. Students gathered in the Great Hall to discuss the Giant Squid’s new toy, and Brian ended the day with an invitation from Hagrid.

• Brian let the Book apply subtle makeup, but Madam Pince, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Burbage recognized it.
• Professor Burbage praised Brian’s appointment and invited him to model for a Muggle Studies lesson, and Brian agreed to wear Clown Makeup if needed.
• Brian helped Madam Pince with the library’s daily maintenance during a quiet day at Hogwarts.
• Students debated whether the Giant Squid’s new toy was a car or a ship, while Ron told Harry and Hermione that his family’s car could fly.
• Hagrid sent Brian an owl inviting him over for a drink.

Brian visited Hagrid and repaired the Monster Books after Hagrid had buried them, but Fang’s urgent barking sent Hagrid rushing out to investigate an emergency in the Forbidden Forest. Brian followed, concerned that Hagrid might face dangerous creatures without being able to use magic.

• Brian admired the pumpkin bugs’ singing while Hagrid explained that they were angry because he had taken pumpkins for Halloween decorations.
• Hagrid told Brian that his Monster Books had torn each other apart, and Brian realized Hagrid had buried their remains in the dirt.
• Brian used Reparo to restore the Monster Books, and Hagrid thanked him enthusiastically.
• Fang barked during patrol, and Hagrid grabbed his crossbow and hurried out to respond to an emergency.
• Brian followed Hagrid because he feared the gamekeeper would be in danger in the Forbidden Forest.

Brian and Hagrid investigated two dead Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest and suspected a wizard had killed them. They went to warn Hagrid’s friend Aragog, whom they found with a barely living spider and warning them to leave because the forest was dangerous.

• Hagrid explained that Aragog, the Acromantula leader, protected Fang and was his friend.
• Brian examined the dead Acromantulas and concluded that a human wizard had likely killed them with a curse.
• Brian and Hagrid hurried to warn Aragog, shouting his name through the forest.
• Brian and Hagrid reached Aragog’s cave, where countless spiders surrounded them and a smaller Acromantula lay barely alive.
• Aragog warned Hagrid and Brian to leave the Forbidden Forest because danger threatened it.

Hagrid reunited with Aragog in the Forbidden Forest while Brian explained that he had preserved two murdered Acromantulas to investigate their deaths. Brian tried an ancient Healing Magic spell on Aragog’s dying grandson, One Hundred Eighty-Eight, and leaves burst from its body as the spell struck.

• Hagrid rushed to embrace Aragog, who urged him and Brian to leave the Forbidden Forest for their safety.
• Brian told Aragog that he had shrunk and preserved Aragog’s eighty-seventh granddaughter and eighty-ninth grandson so he could investigate their killer.
• Aragog revealed that One Hundred Eighty-Eight had reported seeing a powerful wizard kill two Acromantulas before succumbing to a severe curse.
• Brian asked Aragog’s permission to heal One Hundred Eighty-Eight, hoping to save the spider and learn more about the killer.
• Brian cast the ancient Healing Magic spell he named “One Hundred Eighty-Eight,” and countless green leaves sprouted from the spider’s hair.

Aragog's one hundred and eighty-eighth grandson, One Hundred Eighty-Eight, encountered a dangerous wizard in the Forbidden Forest and was left near death after the wizard killed two other Acromantulas. Hagrid brought Chet Brian to save it, and Brian revived it along with the plant seeds growing on its body.

• One Hundred Eighty-Eight waited for a human to enter its hunting grounds and overheard the man arguing with himself about the Philosopher's Stone and finding a Unicorn.
• Eighty-Seven and Eighty-Nine joined One Hundred Eighty-Eight to attack the man, but he killed them with green spells and struck One Hundred Eighty-Eight as well.
• One Hundred Eighty-Eight survived long enough to return to Aragog's cave and report what had happened before losing its voice.
• Hagrid arrived with Chet Brian, who approached the dying spider and promised to heal it.
• Chet Brian revived One Hundred Eighty-Eight and explained that he had also revived the plant seeds on its body.

Brian learned that a dangerous wizard sought the Philosopher’s Stone and unicorn blood, while Hagrid admitted he was bound by a promise to keep a secret. Brian secured a promise from Number One Hundred and Eighty-Eight not to attack humans unprovoked and to help humans in danger, then the group discussed searching for the unicorns.

• Number One Hundred and Eighty-Eight described a terrifying wizard with two personalities who sought the Philosopher’s Stone and unicorn blood.
• Brian inferred that the stone fragment in his pocket might be part of the Philosopher’s Stone and considered searching for the Trapdoor.
• Hagrid apologized for keeping a secret but said he had promised someone not to reveal it, and Brian reassured him.
• Brian asked Number One Hundred and Eighty-Eight to promise not to attack humans unprovoked and to help humans in danger, and the spider agreed.
• Hagrid said the unicorns were hard to locate during breeding season, and Brian suggested asking the Centaurs.

Brian and Hagrid searched the Forbidden Forest for the centaurs and discovered that their magic confused travelers and Fang’s sense of smell. They found Firenze, who greeted them with a strange report about Uranus singing poetry.

• Aragog warned Brian and Hagrid to leave, then retreated in fear when Hagrid asked about the monster at Hogwarts.
• Brian realized the centaurs would gather to stargaze and burn sweet mallow and sage, so he and Hagrid followed Fang into the forest.
• Firenze finished a troubling divination and went to a distant part of the woods, where he heard visitors approaching and drew his bow.
• Brian recognized centaur magic in the runes that made Fang circle back to the same herbs, then followed smoke toward its source.
• Firenze lowered his bow when Hagrid called out and greeted Brian by saying that Uranus was singing poetry aloud.

Brian and Hagrid learned that the centaurs had kept the unicorns safe, and Hagrid revealed how Tom Riddle had framed him for a student's murder. As Brian resolved to investigate the case, Number One Hundred Eighty-Eight gave him a mysterious stone that turned invisible.

• Firenze warned Brian to beware of Pluto and said the centaurs would protect the unicorns, then urged the visitors to leave before his tribe returned.
• On the way back to Hogwarts, Hagrid told Brian that the Ministry had blamed Aragog for a student's death and that Dumbledore had helped Hagrid remain at school.
• Hagrid revealed that Tom Riddle had reported him, and admitted he had never been able to clear his name because there was no evidence.
• Brian learned that the dead student had become a ghost who lived in a third-floor girls' bathroom, and said he wanted to meet her and curse the Ministry.
• Brian and Hagrid encountered Number One Hundred Eighty-Eight, who gave Brian a glowing cocoon containing a stone that could turn invisible.

Brian learned from Hagrid that the Firefly Stone fragments were not the Philosopher’s Stone, then discovered his book could eat one and promptly fell asleep. He visited Moaning Myrtle to ask about her death and began speaking with her.

• Brian showed Hagrid the Firefly Stone fragments, and Hagrid confirmed they were not the Philosopher’s Stone before hurrying to find Dumbledore.
• Brian concluded that the Philosopher’s Stone was likely hidden beneath Hogwarts and that Hagrid was one of its protectors.
• Brian’s book ate a Firefly Stone fragment and fell asleep, so he tucked it into its trunk.
• Brian went to the third-floor Girls’ Bathroom and found Moaning Myrtle thinking about ways to kill herself.
• Myrtle angrily shouted at Brian through the wall, then softened when she saw him and invited him inside.

Brian listened as Moaning Myrtle described her bullying by Olive Hornby and resolved to investigate the monster that killed her, hoping to clear Hagrid and Aragog. After Peeves summoned “Snivellus,” Snape arrived in the Girls’ Bathroom and confronted Brian.

• Myrtle recounted how Olive Hornby bullied her and how she haunted Olive after her death.
• Brian asked Myrtle for details about the monster and committed to discovering the truth, but she began crying before she could answer.
• Peeves burst into the bathroom, mocked Myrtle, and announced he would fetch “Snivellus.”
• Brian stayed to comfort Myrtle and threatened to ask the Bloody Baron to discipline Peeves.
• Snape entered the bathroom and asked Brian whether there were Training Dummies in the Girls’ Bathroom.

Brian investigated the monster that killed Moaning Myrtle and asked Snape about possible creatures with bright yellow eyes. Snape referred him to Professor Kettleburn, then rejected Brian’s offer to heal his injured leg and left.

• Brian tried to explain why he was in the Girls' Bathroom, but Snape accused him of bullying Moaning Myrtle and ordered him to come out.
• Moaning Myrtle flooded the bathroom and splashed Snape after he entered without knocking; Brian soothed her and left the door slightly ajar.
• Brian questioned Snape about the monster that killed Moaning Myrtle and asked whether he knew of castle attacks involving a yellow-eyed creature.
• Snape suggested Brian ask Professor Kettleburn about magical creatures, claiming he only wanted to stop Brian from wandering around and unsettling the castle.
• Brian hugged Snape in gratitude and offered to heal his leg, but Snape pushed him away, cleaned himself, and left.

Brian comforted Moaning Myrtle, cleaned her bathroom, and offered to help find the monster that killed her. The next morning, he carried the unusual book to the greenhouses and arranged to meet Professor Kettleburn to ask about dangerous beasts.

• Brian cleaned the bathroom and praised Moaning Myrtle, who agreed to tell him what she remembered about her killer.
• Brian found that the book in his trunk had moved slightly and took it along to the greenhouses.
• Brian met Professor Sprout at breakfast and asked where to find Professor Kettleburn.
• Professor Sprout said Kettleburn was bringing her fertilizer and offered to take Brian to the greenhouses.

Brian helped Professor Sprout handle dangerous plants in the Third Greenhouse using Muggle ingenuity, then met Professor Kettleburn and learned that he kept a Chimera and other magical creatures. Kettleburn invited Brian to visit his private zoo and gave him a piece of Occamy eggshell.

• Brian tested the Venomous Tentacula and discovered he could stay beyond the reach of its vines.
• Professor Sprout showed Brian how Muggle equipment could make dangerous plants easier to handle, and he harvested Biting Cabbages, changed Mandrakes' soil, and subdued the Venomous Tentacula.
• Professor Kettleburn arrived to deliver his special fertilizer and gave Brian and Sprout black tea.
• Sprout offered Kettleburn extra Biting Cabbages for his Chimera, and he accepted some to feed it.
• Kettleburn invited Brian to visit his private zoo, mentioned his Bowtruckles and Occamies, and gave him a piece of Occamy eggshell.

Brian asked Professor Kettleburn about a creature that could explain the old attacks at Hogwarts, and they concluded that it was probably a basilisk. Professor Sprout connected the creature to the legend of Salazar Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets, leaving Brian planning to investigate the castle.

• Professor Sprout made Brian and Professor Kettleburn stay for tea and cookies before Kettleburn agreed to answer Brian’s questions.
• Brian described a yellow-eyed creature that could move through Hogwarts, frighten Acromantulas, and kill without physically attacking its victim.
• Professor Kettleburn identified the creature as a basilisk, and Brian explained that spiders fled from basilisks.
• Professor Sprout recalled the legend that Salazar Slytherin had hidden a basilisk in a Chamber of Secrets and linked it to earlier attacks on Muggle-born students and Moaning Myrtle’s death.
• Brian reassured Professor Sprout that the basilisk might be dead and suggested asking Dumbledore for permission to search Hogwarts with roosters.

Brian told Dumbledore he suspected a basilisk was in Hogwarts and planned to keep searching for the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore revealed that Voldemort was Tom Marvolo Riddle and warned that he might be hiding in Hogwarts to steal the Philosopher's Stone, then reacted urgently when Brian mentioned a snake-engraved bathroom tap.

• Brian tried to enter Dumbledore's office, greeted Fawkes, and found Dumbledore tidying the wine cellar.
• Brian told Dumbledore he believed a basilisk was in Hogwarts, citing an acromantula's terror, and said he would keep searching for the Chamber of Secrets.
• Brian asked whether Voldemort had framed Hagrid, and Dumbledore identified Voldemort as Tom Marvolo Riddle.
• Dumbledore said he believed Voldemort had survived and was lurking in Hogwarts to get the Philosopher's Stone.
• Brian mentioned a brass tap with a snake engraved on it, and Dumbledore asked him to lead the way to it.

Brian and Dumbledore headed for Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom to investigate the suspected entrance to the Chamber of Secrets while discussing ancient magic and Brian’s Book. They encountered Professor Quirrell, and Dumbledore invited him to help search for the Chamber.

• Brian realized Dumbledore suspected that the snake-engraved faucet in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom concealed the Chamber of Secrets entrance.
• Brian discussed ancient magic with Dumbledore as they walked, then greeted Lee Jordan and watched him trade taunts with a Slytherin student about the upcoming Quidditch match.
• Brian showed Dumbledore the Book, which had swallowed two stone fragments, and Dumbledore said its magical fluctuations seemed steady.
• Professor Quirrell appeared, reacted nervously to Brian’s mention of a stone, and Dumbledore invited him to help find the Chamber of Secrets.

Brian and Dumbledore investigated the possible Chamber of Secrets while questioning whether Voldemort could control the basilisk. They found the snake-marked faucet in the girls' bathroom, where Dumbledore prepared to open its mechanism without a password.

• Dumbledore invited Quirrell to keep teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Brian encouraged him as he left.
• Brian questioned Dumbledore's suspicions about Voldemort and the basilisk, and Dumbledore admitted he might be overthinking things.
• Brian and Dumbledore searched for Moaning Myrtle and encountered Hermione, who nervously claimed she was only passing through to wash her hands.
• Brian noticed a cauldron-shaped bulge in Hermione's pocket and suspected she had left Flobberworm Dung in the bathroom.
• Dumbledore identified the snake-engraved faucet as a password-operated mechanism and said they did not need a password to open it.

Brian and Dumbledore opened the hidden passage beneath the brass tap in the bathroom and discovered a deep, dark pipe. Moaning Myrtle plunged into it after complaining that a handsome redheaded boy had begun pining for a Ravenclaw woman.

• Dumbledore dismantled the brass tap’s magical protection while Brian shielded him from an alchemical snake that sprang out of the smoke.
• Brian captured the snake in a jar and offered it to Dumbledore, who declined because Fawkes disliked snakes.
• Dumbledore told Brian to press the brass tap, and the basin and tap turned transparent and disappeared, revealing a person-sized pipe.
• Brian cast Aguamenti into the pipe and listened as the water fell for nearly two minutes before faintly striking below.
• Moaning Myrtle arrived, lamented losing a redheaded boy as a peeping target to a Ravenclaw woman, then plunged into the pipe.

Brian, Dumbledore, and Fawkes descended into the cavern beneath Hogwarts after Myrtle reported a snake, hoping to find the basilisk. They found only an old shed snakeskin, but Brian spotted emerald-like shapes glinting in the darkness.

• Brian tried to coax Myrtle back from the pipe by mentioning handsome students, but she stayed below and reported seeing a snake.
• Dumbledore arrived with Fawkes, and Brian sent the rooster’s crow down the pipe after Myrtle screamed.
• Brian descended into the cavern with Fawkes and found Myrtle unharmed, angrily kicking a dried snakeskin.
• Dumbledore followed Brian down the pipe and called it a delightful new Hogwarts attraction.
• As Fawkes scouted ahead, Brian and Dumbledore found Myrtle beside the old snakeskin, and Brian noticed emerald-like shapes in the distant darkness.

Brian and Dumbledore found the sealed entrance to Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets, but could not open it without risking a flood. The Book taught Brian Ancient Sealing Magic, which let him twist the stone snakes and remove an emerald from the door, though the Chamber remained closed.

• Brian and Dumbledore discovered the stone door to the Chamber of Secrets and realized its mechanism required a password in Parseltongue.
• Dumbledore warned that breaking the door could flood Hogwarts, so they decided they had to find another way to open it.
• Brian vented his frustration at the stone snakes, and the Book floated out of his pocket and revealed Ancient Sealing Magic.
• The Book taught Brian the magic, and he shouted “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” as he cast it at the door.
• The spell twisted the stone snakes together until an emerald fell into Brian’s hand, while the awakened rooster glared at Fawkes.