I have a theory about what the Chamber of Secrets was originally built for, and it makes Salazar Slytherin a far more interesting character than simply being a blood supremacist.
We know from the books that Salazar believed Hogwarts should only accept students from pure-blood families. It’s also established that fear and hostility between Muggles and wizards played a role in the wizarding world going into hiding. I wonder whether Salazar’s prejudice was partly rooted in a genuine fear that allowing Muggles too close to the magical world could put witches, wizards, and their children in danger. That wouldn’t justify his beliefs, but it would make his motives more human. Perhaps he genuinely believed he was protecting the wizarding world, even if his solution was deeply misguided.
But here’s the part that has always struck me as odd: why build a gigantic statue of yourself in a chamber that nobody is supposed to discover? My theory is that the Chamber was originally designed as a last resort. What if Salazar anticipated a day when Hogwarts would come under attack, proving his warnings right? He could retreat into the Chamber with the students, keep them safe from the Basilisk, and then unleash the creature against whoever threatened the castle. I can even imagine him expecting the other founders to swallow their pride and come begging for his help when everything went wrong.
And that brings me back to the statue. Imagine being a terrified Hogwarts student, hiding underground while your founder’s enormous face stares down at you, knowing that the very man your headmaster disagreed with is the one who might save your life. Perhaps the Chamber was never meant to be a weapon against Muggle-born students in its original conception. Perhaps it was Salazar’s ultimate contingency plan, built to prove that he had been right all along. The Basilisk would protect the castle, the Chamber would shelter its students, and that enormous statue would make absolutely sure nobody forgot who had saved them. If there’s one thing Salazar Slytherin might have enjoyed almost as much as being right, it was making sure everyone knew.
@DodgerWing "it'll get her off your back-Trust me" Forgot to add "...and right into your palms"
Sirius you cheeky bastard
This was delight to read. Thank you