The second Harry Potter movie is home to rather a baffling scene, featuring Harry, Dobby, and his master, Lucius Malfoy. The said scene solely takes place in the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, after Harry saves the day by killing the Basilisk and destroying Voldemort's first Horcrux, Tom Riddle's diary. These details necessitate context into the prevailing anti-muggle sentiment in the second Harry Potter movie. The chaos begins when the pure-blood supremacist, Lucius Malfoy, in an attempt to sabotage his nemesis, Arthur Weasley's career, slips Tom Riddle's diary into his daughter, Ginny's cauldron at Flourish and Blotts. As Dumbledore confirms that the Chamber of Secrets is re-opened, mass panic and fear grip Hogwarts students, especially the Muggle-borns.
Lucius is discriminatory towards Muggles (non-magic folk) and believes that magical learning must be kept strictly within all-magic families. This ideology of pure-blood supremacy dates back to the era of four Hogwarts founders, namely, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. While the first three were far more egalitarian, the last one was more selective in his approach. He believed only pure-bloods had the right to magical learning. Since he was unable to sway the others on the merits of blood purity, he decided to leave the school. These facts come to light when Hermione asks Minerva McGonagall about the Chamber of Secrets in the second Harry Potter movie. The teacher explains that the legend says Salazar Slytherin had created a hidden chamber known as the Chamber of Secrets and sealed it shortly before his exit so no one would be able to open it until his heir arrived at Hogwarts. His descendant alone would be able to open the Chamber and control the monster within.
Lucius Attempts To Sabotage Arthur Weasley's Career
The chamber is re-opened in the second Harry Potter movie, and the Basilisk lurks around the corridors at night, petrifying Muggle-borns. Dumbledore confirms that Hogwarts is no longer safe and McGonagall tells students that the school could be closed. As a matter of fact, the Chamber was opened, 50 years ago before the events of the second Harry Potter movie by Tom Riddle (who later assumed the alias, Voldemort) when he was a student at Hogwarts. Fearful that the death of a muggle-born girl student, Myrtle Warren would lead to the school's closure, he framed third-year student, Rubeus Hagrid for opening the Chamber. Hagrid's loyalty towards his pet Acromantula, Aragog left him open to suspicion and subsequently, he was expelled from Hogwarts. Everyone in the Hogwarts staff, except for Dumbledore, bought into Tom Riddle's lies.
As for re-opening the Chamber of Secrets in the second Harry Potter movie, the answer isn't all that simple. The event takes place in the wake of the Ministry of Magic's staffer, Arthur Weasley, and the team begins to conduct more and more raids on private houses to confiscate Dark magic items. Against the rumors of a new Muggle Protection Act, Lucius Malfoy, along with his son, Draco arrives at Borgin and Burkes to sell a few items - "just poisons and the like," - that he doesn't want the Ministry to discover. That very day, he sees the Weasleys, the Grangers, and Harry Potter at the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller located at the nearby Diagon Alley. Lucius who never misses an opportunity to disparage Muggle-borns, gets into an argument with Arthur Weasley and plants Tom Riddle's bewitched diary into Ginny's cauldron. The diary uses its dark magical influence to manipulate Ginny into re-opening the Chamber of Secrets. Due to continuing attacks on Muggles, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge decides to act and sends Hagrid to Azkaban. Furthermore, Lucius engineers Dumbledore's removal from Hogwarts, leaving Harry and Ron to solve the mystery. It is pertinent to mention that while Lucius was aware of the power of the diary, he did not know it was a Horcrux, i.e., it contained a fragment of Lord Voldemort's soul.
Harry and Ron rise to the occasion and save the day. Harry slays Slytherin's Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor and destroys Tom Riddle's diary. Dumbledore is reinstated towards the end of the second Harry Potter movie, and Harry sees him in his office. When Dumbledore is offering pearls of wisdom to Harry, Lucius (accompanied by his house-elf, Dobby) storms into the office. Harry immediately finds out that the family Dobby serves is the Malfoys. Played by Jason Isaacs, Lucius isn't shy to convey he's indignant about Dumbledore's return, while, Dumbledore indirectly points out he knows Malfoy schemed to bring about Arthur's downfall by using his daughter to re-open the Chamber.
The Question Of The Killing Curse
Besides, seeking Arthur's downfall, Lucius aimed to achieve two more things at once by planting the diary. Firstly, he got rid of an incriminating item, and secondly, a supremacist like him was eager to rid Hogwarts of Muggle-borns. Dumbledore indirectly warns Lucius to refrain from such activities in the future and with that, the latter leaves. Here's where it gets tricky. Lucius, on his way out, kicks Dobby down the steps which Harry takes notice of. He goes after him and confronts him right outside Headmaster's office. Harry gives him the destroyed diary with his sock encased inside. Malfoy feigns innocence and tosses the diary in Dobby's direction, thereby unintentionally setting him free from servitude. Malfoy who is livid at Harry's act, merely "lunges" at the boy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book. Dobby shouts, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" and Malfoy crashes down the stairs. Just as he pulls out his wand, Dobby raises his finger toward him. Sensing he's helpless, Malfoy gives the duo a stare and hurries out of sight.
The ending of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is slightly different, thanks to actor Jason Isaacs improvising the Killing Curse - Avada Kedavra. As Lucius attempts to shoot the Unforgivable Curse, Dobby blasts him backward. This raises the crucial question of whether the Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy was stupid enough to kill a boy, and that too Harry Potter in broad daylight outside the Headmaster's office. The plain answer is no. The Killing Curse is illegal, not to mention its use carries the punishment of a life sentence without parole in Azkaban. Someone as shrewd and cunning as Lucius' character, who made sure to get rid of Dark magic items earlier wouldn't have intended to use it on Harry. Isaacs, however, improvised and chose to ad-lib the beginning "Avada..." of the Killing Curse before Dobby attacked him. Nonetheless, through this terrifying scene, Isaacs demonstrated how deeply he'd embraced the memorable villain from the Harry Potter universe.