Some lies are worse than others in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter lies because he's scared of what might happen if he tells the truth. Gilderoy Lockhart lies to take credit for the achievements of others. Lucius Malfoy lies so he can get Dumbledore fired. And Tom Riddle lies to frame another student for murder and unleash wizard genocide.
See? There are levels.
But no matter what deceitful deed, there are always consequences. In the end, you've just got to hope your fibs don't set loose a basilisk. Fingers crossed.
Questions about Lies & Deceit
- Why does Lockhart lie to pad his resume and fill his books? Does he crave fame that much? Or does he just hate work?
- Harry decides to lie to Dumbledore on several occasions—why? Wouldn't he have been better off telling the truth? Or did he have a good reason for lying?
- Do you think Lucius Malfoy fully realizes what he's done by passing the diary to Ginny Weasley and opening the Chamber of Secrets? Was he really thinking through his devious plan?
Chew on This
Tom Riddle is such an experienced liar that you can hardly tell he's fibbing. Sure, Dumbledore sees through him, but even Harry can't tell he framed Hagrid and he's actually a younger version of Voldemort until it's too late.
Dumbledore hired Gilderoy Lockhart believing he would be exposed as a fraud at by the end of his time at Hogwarts. Oh, that Dumbledore.