This page indicates all differences between the U.K. and U.S. editions of the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
| pp. | U.K. Edition | U.S. Edition | pp. |
| 8 | top-of-the-range | top-of-the-line | 3 |
| 10 | fortnight | two weeks | 5 |
| 12 | ice-creams | ice cream | 10 |
| 13 | joint | loin | 10 |
| 21 | was hard-done-by | had it bad | 14 |
| 23 | completely at sea | completely lost | 17 |
| 17 | September the first | September first | 16 |
| 19 | wardrobe | closet | 17 |
| 22 | tinned soup | canned soup | 22 |
| 24 | ‘Bit rich coming from you.’ | “You should talk.” | 25 |
| 26 | wound down | rolled down | 27 |
| 29 | windscreen | windshield | 31 |
| 29 | wellington boots | rubber boots | 32 |
| 33 | Father Christmas | Santa Claus | 36 |
| 38 | tank top | sweater vest | 44 |
| 39 | holiday | vacation | 45 |
| 42 | pulled the doors to | pulled the doors closed | 50 |
| 45 | an apothecary’s | an apothecary | 54 |
| 48 | wonky | lopsided | 58 |
| 52 | group who | group that | 63 |
| 53 | cock-crow | dawn | 65 |
| 53 | boot | trunk | 66 |
| 56 | check no one’s watching | check that no one’s watching | 70 |
| 58 | bonnet | hood | 73 |
| 66 | good on you | good for you | 84 |
| 70 | timetables | schedules | 89 |
| 76 | can’t say fairer | can’t do better | 98 |
| 79 | waste bin | waste basket | 102 |
| 79 | candelabra | iron chandelier | 102 |
| 89 | It’s mad | It’s ridiculous | 116 |
| 89 | treacle toffee | treacle fudge | 116 |
| 93 | shift the slime | get the slime off | 121 |
| 94 | peaky | pale | 122 |
| 94 | jump-jets | missiles | 123 |
| 96 | he’s got flu | he’s got the flu | 125 |
| 101 | go to the loo | have a pee | 133 |
| 111 | hadn’t got | haven’t got | 146 |
| 111 | nutter | maniac | 146 |
| 118 | cistern | tank | 156 |
| 135 | prised | wrenched | 180 |
| 135 | prised open | opened | 180 |
| 147 | end of term | end of the term | 197 |
| 160 | Much the most difficult bit | By far the hardest part | 214 |
| 160 | cupboard | closet | 214 |
| 161 | treacle-thick | glutinous | 215 |
| 167 | gormless | clueless | 223 |
| 173 | news agent’s | variety store | 231 |
| 185 | grass on Hagrid | squeal on Hagrid | 250 |
| 187 | rubbish | lousy | 252 |
| 198 | they went, crocodile fashion | they marched | 267 |
| 199 | A second later, Harry spotted something that made him hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears. | A second later, Harry spotted something. Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting. Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears. | 268 |
| 199 | Harry was pointing at the ground a few feet away. Several large spiders were scurrying across the earth. | Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun. | 269 |
| 199 | Harry watched the spiders running away. | Harry’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up. | 269 |
| 199 | Professor Snape escorted | Professor Sprout escorted | 269 |
| 208 | hatching Aragog out in | hatching Aragog in | 281 |
| 210 | revising | studying | 284 |
| 226 | monkey-like | monkeyish | 307 |
| 233
240 |
straight away
got fond |
right away
grown fond |
302
326 |
| 359 | Mr Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.
‘So!’ said Lucius Malfoy, his cold eyes fixed on Dumbledore. ‘You’ve come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts. |
Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face. The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoy’s shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore. “So!” he said “You’ve come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.” |
334 |
Other differences: The first Scholastic edition includes several sentences which are missing from the Bloomsbury text. Immediately after Ron says “We’re stuck, right? And we have to get to school, haven’t we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it’s a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy …”, the following appears in the Scholastic edition only:
“But your mum and dad…” said Harry, pushing against the barrier again in the vain hope that it would give way. “How will they get home?”
“They don’t need the car!” said Ron impatiently. “They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home. They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we’re all underage and we’re not allowed to Apparate yet…” (CS5)
This discrepancy endured even with the additions and corrections to the text in 2004.
original copyright 2001 Edward Olson, used by permission
additions and corrections copyright 2012-2019 Steve VanderArk