Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2) - The Chamber of Secrets - Harry Potter by Joanne K. Rowling
And book two! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! (In German Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens, in French Harry Potter et la Chambre des secrets). I read it in German where it contained 351 pages.
Ever since the Dursleys know Harry can really, truely do magic they fear him. Untill Dobby shows up and takes care the Dursleys know Harry won't cope with the consequences of actually cursing anyone. They lock him up in his room. After being rescued by the Weasleys and spending a wonderfull time at their house, it gets back to Hogwarts. But somehow the gate between the wall and the Hogwarts Express is closed just before his eyes! Harry and Ron fly to school by car... but these aren't the only strange things happening. When Harry followes a bodiless voice to a hallway and finds Mrs Norris turned to stone, the whole school is in uproar. Especially because the words "The Chamber of Secrets has opened[...]!" are written on the wall next to the cat... Students turn into stone - and this has happened before.
After this book (and the movie) I stopped liking snakes.
Gilderoy Lockard is the best!
I give it a star for the ideas, the story and, last but not least the characters.