Second Pinch Point: After Hermione is found petrified, Harry and Ron go to Hagrid to find the truth. This is the revelation that changes his whole perspective on the conflict-his Moment of Truth. Midpoint: After infiltrating Slitheren house and learning from Draco that the Chamber was first opened fifty years ago, Harry finds Tom Riddle’s diary and learns that Hagrid was involved with the first opening of the Chamber. Harry sees the first petrified student brought in. While in hospital, he learns that Dobby the house elf did it in an effort to save Harry from further danger. What was only a shadow before has now become a defined-if still mysterious-antagonistic force.įirst Pinch Point: Harry’s arm is broken during a Quidditch match by a rogue ball that was tampered with. Now he is fully engaged with the main conflict.

He follows it and discovers a message, written in blood on the wall: The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Even before the main conflict starts, Harry has a goal: return to Hogwarts, which is met by conflict in the form of his horrible Muggle family who bar his windows.įirst Plot Point: While serving detention for crashing the flying car, Harry hears a sinister voice that no one else can perceive. It’s also worth noting how even though this is the introduction of the main conflict, the story certainly doesn’t lack for conflict prior to this. On a structural level, we can see that this is Harry’s first true brush with the main conflict-although he doesn’t even yet know what that conflict is. It’s a good example for novelists, since we, too, will be dealing with lengthier spans of time between Inciting Event and First Plot Point.

In a movie, all Inciting Events won’t be this obviously big, in a set-piece scene kind of a way, but because of this movie’s length, it needs this significant beat here to keep the pacing rolling along. Stranded, they steal Ron’s father’s flying car and crash land in a resentful wamping willow at Hogwarts.

Inciting Event: Shortly after meeting the malevolent Lucius Malfoy-father of his old nemesis Draco-in Diagon Alley, Harry and Ron discover they can’t get through the magic portal at the train station.

Harry potter chamber of secrets book