Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets By J. K. Rowling chapter one the Worst Birthday

“Excellent!” said Fred and George together. 
“We’ve never been allowed in,” said Ron enviously. 
“I should ruddy well think not,” growled Hagrid. Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, 

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her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other. 
“Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —” 
Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the 
soot Hagrid hadn’t managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry’s glasses, gave them a tap of 
his wand, and returned them, good as new. 
“Well, gotta be off,” said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley (“Knockturn 
Alley! If you hadn’t found him, Hagrid!”). “See yer at Hogwarts!” And he strode away, head and 
shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street. 
“Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?” Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the 
Gringotts steps. “Malfoy and his father.” 
“Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?” said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them. 
“No, he was selling —” 
“So he’s worried,” said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. “Oh, I’d love to get Lucius Malfoy 
for something…” 
“You be careful, Arthur,” said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a 
goblin at the door. “That family’s trouble. Don’t go biting off more than you can chew —” 
“So you don’t think I’m a match for Lucius Malfoy?” said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was 
distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione’s parents, who were standing nervously at the 
counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them. 
“But you’re Muggles!” said Mr. Weasley delightedly. “We must have a drink! What’s that 
you’ve got there? Oh, you’re changing Muggle money. Molly, look!” He pointed excitedly at the 
ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger’s hand. 
“Meet you back here,” Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their 
underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin. 
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train 
tracks through the bank’s underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the 
Weasleys’ vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was 
opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. 
Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even 
worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved 
handfuls of coins into a leather bag. 
Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a 
new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley 

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and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the 
Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. 
“We’ll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks,” said Mrs. Weasley, 
setting off with Ginny. “And not one step down Knockturn Alley!” she shouted at the twins’ 
retreating backs. 
Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, 
and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry’s pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought three 
large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up 
the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley 
Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to 
buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, 
George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat 
Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks 
covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book 
called Prefects Who Gained Power.