Chamber of ....Secrets?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 185974


> Montavilla47 commented:
> > 
> > I think it was probably called the Chamber of Secrets because it 
> sounded cool.

> >
Pippin:
The name was probably coined by Riddle, with his usual flair for the
grandiose. I suppose Salazar confided his knowledge of the chamber to
his offspring, some of whom eventually let slip enough to get the
rumors started. Then, as often happens, the tale was preserved as
legend when the facts had been forgotten by Salazar's family itself. 

Parseltongue may have been rarer  among Slytherin's descendants before
they became so inbred. Perhaps until Riddle's time there never was a
descendant of Slytherin at Hogwarts who was a parselmouth, had a
desire to drive Muggleborns out of the school, and took the legend
seriously enough to spend five years searching for the chamber.
 

Carol:
 you'd think he'd close Hogwarts to protect the students, especially
the Muggle-borns.

Pippin:
According to what McGonagall implies, he was going to close the school
if the attacks escalated. But the students would not necessarily be
safer if they left Hogwarts. The monster doesn't have to stay at the
school after all, it could go anywhere. And once the students left
Hogwarts they would be exposed to the perils that had required the
establishment of the school in the first place. Dumbledore knew all
too well what can happen when young wizards don't have a safe place to
practice magic away from Muggle eyes. 

Pippin