The walls of Hogwarts not only whisper sinister warnings to Harry, but when "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." appears on those walls, he and his friends understand it’s up to them to investigate what is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Sport, in the form of Quidditch, a sort of soccer played on zooming broomsticks, is one way to escape the pressure. Moaning Myrtle, the specter that haunts the girl's bathroom, and Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, a professor head over heels in love with Gilderoy Lockhart, provide comic relief from the battle.

— Kathleen Hennrikus, Globe Staff