Just like before the premiere of The Philosopher's Stone, Isabella had no idea what The Chamber of Secrets actually looked like on screen.
So, when the lights dimmed and the screen lit up, she focused all her attention on the film.
First appeared the Warner Bros. logo. Every time Isabella saw "WB," she couldn't help but think of "SB"—the Shaw Brothers—their logo design really was a masterpiece.
After the Harry Potter title swept through the clouds, the camera suddenly plunged downward from the sky, as if God Himself were descending, bringing the audience to Britain—to Surrey—to 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging.
Finding the Dursleys' house amid the rows of houses, the camera peered through the window—
Harry Potter was sitting at his desk, reminiscing and flipping through photos from his school year.
To be honest, the transition had quite a few bugs.
For instance—
When the camera dropped from the clouds to the ground, all the houses on screen looked exactly the same.
It was clearly a rushed post-production job—copy-paste at work.
And another thing—
In real life, Surrey is a London suburb—relatively bustling.
But in the movie, the crisscrossing roads barely had any cars.
Anyone who's done post-production would recognize that as a "computing power compromise."
Still, the audience cheered—
"Oh! Look! It's Harry!"
"He looks older now!!"
Since Jurassic Park exploded in popularity, special effects had become a major selling point for films.
But that only applied to most movies.
For an adaptation with a strong source material, the true appeal was always the story and the characters.
As long as you captured the emotional core, the audience would respond.
At least, that was how fans worked.
So when Harry appeared, the minor visual flaws in the opening were instantly forgiven. The cheers filled the hall, making Daniel beam with joy—nobody can resist being loved by the crowd.
Meanwhile, Isabella leaned over with a teasing smirk—
"Daniel, you should take on a new project. You're a big star with a fanbase now."
"..."
Daniel's smile froze.
"Isa, please, can we not talk about that right now?"
He looked helpless.
She really knew how to poke the sore spots.
Everyone knew he hated USA Today.
Everyone knew he had no new projects lined up.
And she still had to bring it up?
"Sigh!"
"Hehehe~"
Daniel's pained expression made Rupert, sitting to his left, grin with amusement.
As the film's real protagonist, Daniel sat in the center seat, with Rupert and Isabella flanking him.
Rupert tried to stifle his laughter—but Isabella caught the sound anyway.
She leaned forward and whispered, "Hey, Rupert? Pfft pfft pfft—don't worry, you'll get your applause soon too."
"..."
Rupert's face darkened.
He understood exactly what she meant—his moment of glory would come soon enough.
And in that instant, he had to admit—Daniel was right. Isabella was kind of annoying!
"Sigh…"
The twin sighs only made Isabella giggle as she leaned back in her chair.
Teasing boys was way too fun.
And on screen—
The opening of The Chamber of Secrets officially unfolded:
Just as Isabella had said when filming the farewell scene in The Philosopher's Stone, Hogwarts was Harry's true home, while the Dursleys' house in the Muggle world was merely a temporary stop.
After his first year ended, returning to the Muggle world meant facing his aunt, uncle, and cousin's bullying once again.
All summer long, they forbade him from doing homework, reading textbooks, or engaging in anything magic-related.
He could only obediently stay in his room, doing mundane things fit for a Muggle.
Naturally, this made Harry miserable.
And confused—
Before summer began, he and Ron and Hermione had promised to keep in touch. But no matter how many letters Harry sent, he received no reply.
He began to wonder if his friends had forgotten him.
Just then—Dobby dropped in from the sky.
Harry finally learned that his confusion was Dobby's doing.
Dobby warned that a terrible conspiracy was looming over Hogwarts, and that returning would put Harry's life in danger.
To keep him safe, Dobby had secretly intercepted all of Ron and Hermione's letters—hoping to make Harry lose faith in his friends and his school.
Honestly, Dobby's debut was much like Hermione's in the first film—not exactly charming.
Hermione annoyed people by being plain-looking and arrogant;
Dobby irritated people because he was too much—banging his head against walls, shrieking every few seconds. He seemed completely neurotic.
But that was exactly what made him vivid and memorable.
And Dobby had one advantage Hermione didn't—
In the books, Hermione's looks were described as quite average. If the movies hadn't softened that, public opinion of her would've been far more divisive.
But Dobby, as a house-elf, had an automatic buffer—he wasn't human, so his weirdness felt natural.
A "monster" acting differently from humans? Perfectly logical.
Just like a mechanic always carrying a wrench—it fits.
So when Columbus faithfully adapted Rowling's version of Dobby, audiences erupted in delight:
"Oh~ Dobby's so cute~"
"He looks a bit like Gollum, but he's way more fun!"
"Look! Dobby's sabotaging the Dursleys' dinner! Sure, he's trying to get Harry in trouble—but honestly, it feels like revenge! The Dursleys are disgusting!"
"Wow~ The cake just dropped right on the guest's head! Hahaha~ Dobby's so creative!"
The fans' joy made the whole cast and crew beam.
And with Dobby's appearance, the story truly began.
Dobby warned: an invisible darkness is descending upon Hogwarts.
If this were a video game, that would be the NPC giving you a quest.
Even a coward would feel compelled to investigate.
And Harry Potter?
The Boy Who Lived wouldn't just sit still.
Even when locked up by his uncle and aunt, the cold bars on his window couldn't cage his desire to return to school.
And then—Ron appeared, rescuing him in spectacular fashion.
"Ron?"
As fans cheered Ron's heroic entrance, Isabella started teasing again—pfft pfft pfft.
Determined to keep things "equal," she couldn't help herself.
Rupert waved her off in frustration, silently begging her to shut up already.
The poor guy's near-breakdown made her chuckle quietly as she reclined again, still grinning.
Back on screen—
Harry rested briefly at Ron's house,
went to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies,
accidentally ended up in Knockturn Alley,
was rescued by Hagrid, and reunited with his friends.
When Hermione pulled out her wand and repaired Harry's glasses again—
"Hey! Doesn't Hermione look prettier this time?"
"That's because she's growing up, just like Harry and Ron!"
"Last year she was cute—this year she's even cuter!"
"So next year she'll be even even cuter?"
"Hahahaha~"
The chatter from behind made Isabella shift lazily in her seat, swinging her feet with a small, satisfied smile.
Like Daniel and Rupert, she too loved the feeling of being adored.
And on screen, the story went on—
The trio met Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher—vain, flamboyant, and adored by the masses.
They then ran into the Malfoys, whose jealousy and snide remarks sparked another small clash.
Later, when Harry and Ron tried to board the Hogwarts Express, the mysterious force sealing Platform 9¾ caused them to miss the train.
So Ron—brilliantly—decided to fly to school.
Wahoo—takeoff!
They soared through the sky in the flying car, feeling like absolute legends—
until, of course, the car started failing midair and crashed into the Whomping Willow.
One of Hogwarts' rarest magical plants, personally planted by Dumbledore,
it served as a barrier to protect Lupin during his werewolf transformations.
After the collision, Snape furiously scolded them—
and if they hadn't been in Gryffindor, he would've expelled them on the spot.
Well… that's what he said, anyway.
Whether he could really do it—depended on how much he still loved Harry's mother.
By this point, Harry's second-year adventure was truly underway.
To be honest, the movie's plot diverged from the novel in several places:
For instance, in the book, when Harry broke his glasses, it was Mr. Weasley—not Hermione—who fixed them. But the movie gave that moment to her, making Hermione the group's ultimate "support mage."
Or when Harry accidentally entered Knockturn Alley—in the book, he saw the Malfoys there, dealing in banned magical artifacts. The film cut that scene entirely, which made the later plot a bit less cohesive. The Malfoys were actually key players behind the Chamber's mystery—the diary came from them, and Dobby was their servant. Without that context, the film's resolution felt a bit deus ex machina.
Also, in the book, Rowling explained why everyone idolized Lockhart: he'd used his privilege to put all his own books on Hogwarts' required reading list.
But in the movie, Columbus skimmed over that, showing only the admiration without the cause.
Such edits and omissions inevitably created small inconsistencies—but that's the price of adaptation.
A film has limited runtime—it can't flesh out every character like a novel can.
So, side characters get trimmed, the leads get highlighted, and their best moments get reassigned.
And honestly—
When the protagonist keeps shining, the movie feels amazing to watch.
That's Columbus's secret to Hollywood success:
Commercial filmmaking 101 — make sure every viewer leaves the theater satisfied.
Life's already tough enough—if they're paying for a ticket, let them have some fun.
And with that mindset—
"Immobulus!"
"Wow~~!"
"Cool~~~~~!"
"Hermione's amazing~~~~!"
In the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Lockhart unleashed a pack of Cornish Pixies—chaotic, destructive little creatures—and utterly failed to catch them.
Hermione calmly drew her wand and froze them all with a single spell—an instant full-screen victory.
In the book, she'd done it too—but one pixie at a time.
But come on—on screen?
One flick, and bam, the world freezes—so much more satisfying!
And then, thirty seconds later—
"Mudblood!"
Malfoy's slur hit right after her grand moment of triumph.
Wow.
That contrast turned the movie into pure power fantasy gold.
Everyone knew Hermione was strong.
Everyone saw her do what even the teachers couldn't.
Sure, Lockhart was a clown and a fraud—but who cared about that now?
All eyes were on Hermione.
So when Malfoy's insult came, her calm reaction only made him look weaker, pettier.
And as Isabella's performance faithfully mirrored the book's tone—
"Ohhhhh—Hermione's the best!!"
The crowd roared again.
"Hermione's right! A single title shouldn't decide a person's worth or status—that's medieval thinking!"
"What era do you think we're in? Are people still obsessed with bloodlines and social class?"
"Draco Malfoy just has a good dad, so what? Who cares!"
"Our Hermione is the best!!!"
"..."
The loud cheers made Isabella feel like she was cosplaying as Rowling from an hour ago.
She pressed her lips together and tensed up.
She was genuinely afraid that she might suddenly burst out laughing.
Isabella admitted to herself that making Hermione shine on screen was the reason she had insisted on optimizing the script earlier.
And she also admitted that if the script hadn't paired Hermione's powerful moments with the "Mudblood" insult, she wouldn't have thought to make those optimizations. Only when the two were closely linked could Hermione maintain her spotlight continuously. This stacking effect made her appear even cooler; a single isolated moment wouldn't have had the same impact.
"Well done."
The cheers prompted Rowling to quietly offer her congratulations.
"Thanks," the young girl said with a smile, pressing her lips together—she felt proud of her edits.
"Hmph~"
Meanwhile, a nasal sound suddenly came from Rupert's direction.
She tilted her head and saw Columbus, sitting next to Rupert, had turned to look at her. Though the theater was dark, the screen was bright enough for Isabella to see that Columbus' face was full of displeasure.
"Alright, alright—I thank you, really—"
Isabella was both amused and exasperated.
She understood Columbus perfectly.
If he hadn't allowed her to adjust the script, she wouldn't have had the chance to create such standout moments.
And honestly—
These edits were inspired by Columbus himself.
Before making changes, he had taught her how to write a screenplay.
When he explained that even a small story could have grand narrative significance, and that pacing and emotion were intertwined, she realized—Hermione's strength and her pride could be combined.
Why could Hermione completely ignore Malfoy's taunts?
Because Hermione is strong!
When did she show that strength?
The moment everyone else was struggling with Lockhart's mess, when Malfoy tried to escape—
Hermione cleared the room.
Over.
Isabella's expertise made Columbus' expression shift, and he smiled.
"Great idea," he said softly, then returned his attention to the movie.
Honestly, once Hermione executed her high-impact sequences in Chamber of Secrets, she practically stole the spotlight from Harry. The film momentarily became Hermione Granger and Her Two Useless Men.
But this didn't last long.
Not only because Harry still had significant moments in the movie—dueling Malfoy, speaking Parseltongue, drawing suspicion from his Gryffindor peers—redirecting attention back to the protagonist;
But also because Hermione's screen time was limited.
By the story's midpoint, she froze after seeing the eyes of the basilisk.
When the trio became a duo, and then Ron was separated from Harry at the Chamber's entrance due to Lockhart's incompetence, Harry faced the basilisk solo, broke the diary, destroyed the Horcrux… these events shifted the focus back to Harry.
Harry remained the true protagonist.
"Oh—this movie is absolutely amazing—"
"Harry's solo fight with the basilisk is so cool! He stabbed it with one strike!"
"Yes, yes! Especially when he killed Tom Riddle at the end—so badass! Three stabs straight into the diary, without hesitation! Quick and clever!"
"Oh—but my favorite part is still Hermione—one spell to freeze them all, goodbye? That's genius!"
"I remember that too! Hermione was so fierce! Also, when she was brewing the Polyjuice Potion, she was so focused—it was goddess-level! Then she used the wrong hair and became a catgirl—ohhhh, I can't stop laughing just thinking about it!"
"I remember that too! Catgirl Hermione cracked me up! She looked so helpless, her expressions were hilarious!"
"And at the end, when Dumbledore canceled exams, Hermione was the only one upset! When she said, 'Oh, no,' I just wanted to jump into the movie and hug her! She's just too, too, too, too adorable—"
A hundred and sixty minutes flew by.
As the film ended, the premiere erupted in applause and endless discussion.
The fans' joy made the cast and crew beam.
After everyone took their turns on stage to answer questions from media and fans, the energy in the theater made it feel like success was right there—
"So, I'd like to ask the creators—how far do you think Chamber of Secrets can go at the box office?"
"Similar to Philosopher's Stone? Or break a billion?"
Everyone perked up at the question.
David Heyman, holding the microphone, glanced at those around him and smiled:
"Each film better than the last—that's our goal. But we also feel this fulfills Harris' final wish."
Heyman answered cleverly.
By linking box office predictions to the late Dumbledore, the media didn't press further.
Still, that didn't stop coverage of Chamber of Secrets.
As the premiere ended and a new day arrived, countless outlets reported on the previous night's grand event:
"A superb sequel! Outstanding performances! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will deliver a thrilling visual feast for eager fans!" — Entertainment Weekly
"Faithful to the source, exceeding expectations! Chamber of Secrets is the best gift this Thanksgiving!" — Daily Telegraph
"Chamber of Secrets poised to be this year's box office champion!" — Hollywood Reporter
"Chris Columbus fully displays his directing skills, faithfully adapting key plot points. Daniel Radcliffe embodies Harry's courage and kindness perfectly! Rupert Grint is utterly loyal as Ron, and the most impressive is Isabella Haywood, who seems like Rowling's own daughter! Sharp, logical, kind—she embodies Hermione even more than Rowling wrote her!" — New York Times
Since media coverage post-premiere was often "sugarcoated," these reviews were mostly for show.
If you believed them blindly, well… you'd have to hope the studio hadn't skimmed their promotion budget.
But the real market feedback?
Box office.
Though box office numbers can be manipulated, the cost of doing so is immense.
Theaters demand real revenue; stars with profit-sharing get their cut; taxes are based on total gross.
If you only recoup a fraction after "boosting" a hundred dollars, thinking it's money-laundering… better stick to buying health supplements.
So—
Like Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets had previews.
On November 9–10, 2002.
Screenings ran 10 AM to 10 PM.
Under media bombardment and fan anticipation, the UK's exclusive previews arrived quickly.
On the 9th, Chamber of Secrets played on over 1,100 screens in nearly 500 theaters across the British Isles, raking in £8 million in just four hours.
"Did you say how much?!"
November 11, Leavesden.
Isabella had just gotten out of bed when her sister's report shocked her.
"Isabella, you heard correctly—Chamber of Secrets earned £8 million in just two days of previews."
Catherine nodded seriously, understanding her sister's disbelief.
"..."
Isabella was speechless.