Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Fawkes
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
| Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character | |
| Fawkes | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Red and gold plumage (except on burning day) |
| Eye color | Black |
| Related Family | Unknown |
| Loyalty | Albus Dumbledore |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Fawkes is a phoenix owned by Albus Dumbledore.
[edit] Role In The Books
[edit] Philosopher's Stone
Fawkes is not directly present, though it becomes apparent later that one of only two feathers he ever gave to Mr. Ollivander is the core of Harry Potter's wand, and the other one is the core of Lord Voldemort's wand.
[edit] Chamber of Secrets
We are introduced to Fawkes initially when Harry is called into Albus Dumbledore's office; Fawkes is then at the end of his life and bursts into flame while Harry watches, appalled. This is Harry's first exposure to the phoenix; he doesn't realize that Fawkes will be reborn shortly from his own ashes.
In the climactic battle with the returning Tom Marvolo Riddle, Fawkes appears in response to Harry's declaration of faithfulness to Dumbledore. Fawkes brings with him the Sorting Hat, and pecks the Basilisk's eyes out so that Harry will not be destroyed by them. When Harry takes an envenomed wound from the basilisk, Fawkes sheds tears on it and heals Harry. And finally, he lifts Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Professor Lockhart out of the Chamber of Secrets and returns them to safety.
[edit] Prisoner of Azkaban
Fawkes is not mentioned in Prisoner of Azkaban: we assume that he is sitting on his perch in Professor Dumbledore's office, but Harry has no reason to visit Dumbledore's office in this book.
[edit] Goblet of Fire
Fawkes does not appear to play a significant role in Goblet of Fire. He appears briefly when Harry makes two visits to Dumbledore's office. During the second visit, which occurs after a confrontation between Harry and Voldemort accompanied by his Death Eaters, Fawkes heals Harry's injured leg with his tears.
Prior to this visit, Harry and Voldemort attempt to duel using their wands. Two spells - an Expelliarmus from Harry, and an Avada Kedavra from Voldemort - intercept each other in mid-flight, and an unusual effect occurs: Priori Incantatem. Harry and Voldemort are surrounded by a web of light strands, which is then accompanied by phoenix song - Harry recognizes this song as the same music that he heard in the Chamber of Secrets. It is not explicitly Fawkes' music, but it is clearly phoenix song.
The Priori Incantatem effect is explained by Dumbledore during Harry's second visit to his office; Harry and Voldemort's wand cores are phoenix feathers, both of which were given to Ollivander by Fawkes.
[edit] Order of the Phoenix
Dumbledore wakes Fawkes up so that he can be warned if anyone is approaching while Harry and the others are being sent to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Fawkes delivers the message to Molly Weasley that Arthur Weasley is injured, and then delivers the message from Molly to Sirius Black and the Weasley children that Arthur is safe.
Fawkes carries Dumbledore away from Hogwarts after the skirmish that results when Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, and the Aurors Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dawlish attempt to put him under arrest.
Towards the end, Fawkes saves Dumbledore from Voldemort's killing curse by swallowing the green jet of light. This, of course, kills him, but he regenerates instantly as a chick. When Dumbledore returns to his office, the first thing he does is tenderly place Fawkes into the bed of ashes under his perch.
[edit] Half-Blood Prince
Fawkes is largely unseen in Half-Blood Prince. Although Harry makes many visits to Dumbledore's office, Fawkes is only mentioned in the narrative in passing.
Shortly after Dumbledore's death, Fawkes takes flight around Hogwarts, singing his music. The main characters clearly identify his music as a lament: eerie and beautiful, yet speaking of loss and despair. Later in the evening, Fawkes stops singing.
His location is not known at the end of Half-Blood Prince.
[edit] Deathly Hallows
Fawkes is mentioned only in passing, in the discussion of how to destroy a Horcrux. Apparently, a Horcrux will mend itself if it can do so by ordinary magical means; one of the few things that can destroy it is Basilisk venom, because the only thing that can heal that is Phoenix tears, and the Phoenix is definitely not ordinary magic.
[edit] Strengths
His tears have healing powers.
He can carry immensely heavy loads.
He cannot die - If he sustains fatal wounds he will merely burst into flames and be reborn from the ashes.
He can teleport from one place to the other instanty, regardless of magical enchantments that prevent Apparation/Disapparation.
[edit] Weaknesses
[edit] Relationships With Other Characters
[edit] Analysis
Fawkes has only ever provided two of his feathers for wand cores. These wands are owned by Harry and Voldemort respectively.
[edit] Questions
- Phoenixes are immortal. The person to whom he was loyal (Dumbledore) passes at the end of book 6. Where is Fawkes now?
