Heritage, love, loyalty, and betrayal are the dominant themes in this novel. Harry focuses on avenging his parents' murders and learning more about his family's magical past. Rowling's fully developed characters participate in events and react to conflicts and danger to develop the novel's plot. Recurring characters from the first Harry Potter book consistently aid or hinder him. These archetypal characters represent extremes of good and evil. The battle between those two forces is the basic theme of the Harry Potter saga. Some characters seem stereotypical and derivative but their predictability aids readers in understanding their purpose. Many characters are polar opposites, such as Harry and Tom Riddle, yet they paradoxically share some traits and, like the settings, experience opposing characteristics within themselves, presenting an amalgam of good and bad.

Harry realizes that Riddle is actually Voldemort when he confronts him in the Chamber of Secrets...