'Harry Potter' fans are only just discovering that one movie hid a surprise post-credits scene

Some Potterheads have been left spellbound after only just discovering that one movie hid a surprise post-credits scene.

Many big Hollywood blockbusters favor the practice of adding some short scenes after the credits finish rolling (we're looking at you Marvel!), but it doesn't always go well. In fact, last year viewers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law series were left completely baffled following a cringey post-credits scene that showed She-Hulk having a twerk-off with Megan Thee Stallion... Yikes.

It comes as no surprise that other movies like the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings flicks - arguably considered to be the Michelin-star equivalent of franchises - have largely avoided post-credits scenes (perhaps they think it too pedestrian?).

Either way, out of all eight Harry Potter movies, fans are only just realizing now that one in particular doesn't follow the trend - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

That flick centered around young Harry's second-year experiences at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - where he makes friends with a frustrating house elf owned by the family of his platinum-haired arch nemesis Draco Malfoy.

Kenneth Branagh features in the movie, playing a wizarding celebrity named Gilderoy Lockhart who has written numerous novels on his encounters with dark creatures (which ends up being a bit fat lie).

Lockhart becomes a Professor in Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts and ends up accidentally giving himself total amnesia with a broken wand after a memory-erasing spell against Ron and Harry backfires (they'd just witnessed him not being able to defend them against a monster).

Often post-credit scenes can tease something yet to come, but Harry Potter goes one step further - alluding to Lockhart's fate in the original novels. In the scene, viewers see a close-up shot of an upcoming novel written by the wizard entitled: "Who Am I?' An image of Lockhart in a straight-jacket is also on the front cover, CBR details.

Check out the post-credits scene:

Fans watching the scene again after already seeing the whole franchise - and reading the books - will note that this hints at a scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Harry visits Lockhart in a psych ward, something that didn't make it into the movie version.

Netizens on Twitter were evidently shocked that they hadn't seen the scene before, with one person writing: "THERE'S A POST-CREDIT SCENE IN HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS WHY AM I FINDING THIS NOW??"

"I was today years old when I found out that Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets has a post-credit scene…." another added.

A further user chimed in: "No me just finding out there's a post credit scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!? (Only scene in the credits of any HP movie) Thought I've seen it, but I just saw a clip AND NO!!!!"

Featured image credit: RGR Collection / Alamy