Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapters 10–13

by J.K. Rowling
Harry can't wait to return for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, until a house elf named Dobby warns him of terrible danger ahead. When students start turning to stone — and Harry is a prime suspect — the boy wizard must figure out what's really going on at Hogwarts.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–18

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. eradication
    the complete destruction of every trace of something
    I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces.
  2. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    “What the—” he gasped, careening out of Harry’s way.
  3. riddle
    spread or diffuse through
    His arm was hanging at a very strange angle; riddled with pain, he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting.
  4. inept
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
    Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey re­treated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down some water.
  5. ebb
    fall away or decline
    He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Harry felt his anger ebb away in spite of himself.
  6. dregs
    the most worthless or undesirable part of something
    If he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world!
  7. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up.
  8. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
    They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.
  9. talisman
    a trinket thought to be a magical protection against evil
    Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school.
  10. mayhem
    violent and needless disturbance
    “I think I’d better do the actual stealing,” Hermione continued in a matter-of-fact tone. “You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I’ve got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so.”
  11. waspish
    very irritable
    Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors’ work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively.
  12. subside
    sink to a lower level or form a depression
    When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle’s cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework.
  13. resplendent
    having great beauty
    Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.
  14. disarm
    take away the weapons from; render harmless
    That was a Disarming Charm—as you see, I’ve lost my wand—ah, thank you, Miss Brown—yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do.
  15. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    “I think I’d better teach you how to block unfriendly spells,” said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.
  16. malevolent
    wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
    “A bad idea, Professor Lockhart,” said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat.
  17. docile
    easily handled or managed
    And miraculously—inexplicably—the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Harry.
  18. shrewd
    good at tricking people to get something
    Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn’t like it.
  19. bandy
    discuss lightly
    Justin actually told him he’d been down for Eton. That’s not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?
  20. smithereens
    a collection of small fragments considered as a whole
    “No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that."
  21. reprove
    reprimand, scold, or express dissatisfaction with
    He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spell book.
  22. balaclava
    a tight knit cap that covers the entire head and neck
    Hagrid’s face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn’t possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat.
  23. decrepit
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.
  24. baleful
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again.
  25. antic
    a playful, attention-getting act done for fun and amusement
    Harry didn’t mind; it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous. But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.
  26. snide
    expressive of contempt
    Harry didn’t even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about his new sweater from the Slytherin table.
  27. comeuppance
    a usually negative outcome or fate that is well deserved
    With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours’ time.
  28. stupefied
    as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
    “I’ve got it all worked out,” she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry’s and Ron’s stupefied faces.
  29. glutinous
    having the sticky properties of an adhesive
    Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion.
  30. indistinguishable
    exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
    Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms.
  31. affront
    treat, mention, or speak to rudely
    “What’re you doing down here?” said Ron in surprise.
    Percy looked affronted.
  32. derisive
    expressing contempt or ridicule
    He gave a short, derisive laugh.
  33. petulantly
    in an easily irritated or annoyed manner
    “I wish I knew who it is,” said Malfoy petulantly.
  34. smarmy
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
    “Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you’ve ever met, or what?” Ron said to Harry as they left the infirmary and started up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower.
  35. undaunted
    unshaken in purpose
    Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand back into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.
  36. culprit
    someone or something responsible for harm or wrongdoing
    The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him.
  37. lurid
    glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
    The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers.
  38. mirth
    great merriment
    Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else, he got up, his feet numb from the weight of the dwarf, as Percy Weasley did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth.
  39. contraption
    a small mechanical device or tool
    No Fawkes the phoenix—no whirring silver contraptions.
  40. auburn
    (of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
    They didn’t see another person until they reached the entrance hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and a beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.
Created on Thu Sep 10 19:18:29 EDT 2015 (updated Thu Jul 28 13:00:00 EDT 2022)

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