Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Courage

It takes courage to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, luckily, Harry Potter has got that in spades.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, not only is someone trying to make life very difficult for him before he even gets to school, but then a monster is attacking students in between classes. It's scary stuff. This kid may be twelve years old, but he's brave to the bone.

When he's not soaring off in a flying car or wandering into a spider's den, Harry is just casually strolling into a secret chamber to slay a basilisk. Seriously, this kid does not back down from a fight. Unlike some adults we could name. *Cough* Gilderoy Lockhart *Cough*

Questions About Courage

1. Why do you think Lockhart is such a coward? Do you think he's just used to looking for the easy way out? Or is he really less brave than a bunch of 12-year-olds?
2. If Hogwarts is so dangerous, why doesn't Dumbledore shut the school down earlier? After all, he does know that the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened a student died, right?
3. Harry and Ron do a lot of courageous things in this movie. Or are they foolish? Why is the line between those two things so fine?

Chew on This

Harry, Ron, and Hermione never get in trouble for breaking any of the school rules because Dumbledore sees their misbehavior for what it is—an act of courage.

Being brave doesn't come naturally to Ron, so it's all the more impressive when he ventures out into the Forbidden Forest to follow the spiders when it's time to help Hagrid.