Fawkes
From UnknowableWiki
| Creature profile | |
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| Fawkes | |
| Species | Phoenix |
| Owner | Dumbledore (until death) |
| Allegiance | Order of the Phoenix (until Dumbledore's death) |
| Appearance | A crimson bird, size of a swan, golden talons and tail |
| First appearance in canon | The Polyjuice Potion (CS) |
Fawkes was the pet phoenix of Albus Dumbledore. He left Hogwarts after his owner's death (HBP29).
Characteristics
Fawkes is a magnificent crimson bird, about the size of a swan, with a golden tail resembling that of a peacock. He has great wings, golden talons, a long, sharp golden beak and beady black eyes. He has a melodic voice and his eerie song moves the listener deeply (CS17).
In regular intervals, Fawkes will become old and sick, until he burns and rises from the ashes. When he nears his burning day, he loses his striking appearance. His eyes turn dull, his feathers fall out and instead of his usual melodic sounds he makes strange, gagging noises. Finally, he will turn into a fireball and then a pile of ashes, from which he rises as a small, featherless, wrinkled and ugly newborn (CS5, OP37).
As a phoenix, Fawkes has several useful talents. He can carry immensely heavy loads and vanish in a swirl of fire to reappear elsewhere, taking items or even humans with him (CS17, OP27). His tears have healing powers (they are the only known antidote to Basilisk venom, CS17, DH6), and even the Killing Curse cannot permanently kill him (OP36). He is very intelligent, seems to understand human language and makes a useful messenger (OP27).
Fawkes was a devoted pet to Albus Dumbledore for at least 40 years (HBP20). He spent most of his time in the Headmaster's office, where he sat on a golden perch next to the door (CS12, GF30).[1] If somebody truly loyal to his master was in need for help, Fawkes would come to their aid (CS18).
Two of Fawkes' tail feathers were used as wand cores by Ollivander, who sold the two wands to Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter (PS5, GF36).
Appearances
Harry first met Fawkes on one of his burning days on December 18, 1992. He had to visit the Headmaster's office after the Petrification of Nearly Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchley. While Harry was waiting for Dumbledore, he noticed the old Fawkes, who reminded him of "a half-plucked turkey" (CS12). To Harry's shock, Fawkes turned into a fireball with a loud shriek shortly before his master's arrival. Dumbledore explained to Harry that the occurence was perfectly natural for a phoenix. He showed him the young Fawkes rising from the ashes, praised his pet and regretted that Harry had only seen him in such a miserable condition (CS12).
Fawkes came to the Chamber of Secrets when Harry professed his faith in Dumbledore towards Tom Riddle. His song filled the Chamber and lifted up Harry's spirits. Then he appeared in a flash of fire on the nearest pillar with the Sorting Hat in his claws. He dropped the hat at Harry's feet and settled himself on the boy's shoulder. Hary closed his eyes and backed away when Riddle called the Basilisk. Fawkes took flight and attacked. He punctured both of the creature's eyes, blinding and depriving it of its most dangerous weapon at the same time. Still singing, he continued to dive and attack the snake's nose until Riddle ordered it to attack Harry, who pulled Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat and stabbed the monster. However, the Basilisk sank its fang into Harry's shoulder before it died. Fawkes healed the wound with his tears. Riddle, who believed Harry doomed to death, remembered too late that phoenix tears had healing powers. When he shot a spell at Fawkes to force him to get away from Harry, the boy was already cured. Before Riddle could do any more harm to Harry, Fawkes dropped the diary into his lap and Harry stabbed it with the Basilisk fang.
Fawkes led the way out of the Chamber for Harry and Ginny. They met Ron and Gilderoy Lockhart. At the end of the tunnel, Fawkes waived his tail at Harry, inviting him to grab it. He carried the four humans up the pipe into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom from where he led them to Minerva McGonagall's office (CS17). Arthur and Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore awaited them there. Fawkes immediately settled himself on Dumbledore's shoulder. The headmaster petted him during his conversation with Harry in which he thanked the boy for his loyalty, saying that nothing else could have called Fawkes to him (CS18).
Harry met Fawkes again when he visited the Headmaster's office after he had a vision of Voldemort during Divination on May 31, 1995. Again, Harry was left alone in the office with Fawkes. He cast a cautious look at the phoenix before he examined Dumbledore's Pensieve (GF30).
When Harry told the story of Voldemort's retunr to Dumbledore and Sirius in the Headmaster's office, Fawkes landed on Harry's knee and comforted the boy. Dumbledore divulged that the phoenix feathers inside Voldemort's and Harry's wands both came from Fawkes. Later, Fawkes healed Harry's injured leg with his tears (GF36).
On the night Nagini attacked Arthur Weasley shortly before Christmas 1995, Fawkes acted as a messenger and lookout for the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore stroked him to wake him and told him that they would need "a warning". Fawkes vanished in a flash of fire to watch out for Dolores Umbridge outside the office. He sent a single golden feather to the office when Umbridge approached. After Dumbledore had sent the Weasley children and Harry to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, Fawkes delivered a note to Molly and then took Molly's letter to the Order headquarters. It appeared in the kitchen in a flash of fire, accompanied by a single tail feather (OP22).
In April 1996, Dumbledore took the blame for the DA onto himself and fled from the Ministry officials who tried to arrest him with the help of Fawkes. He knocked out Fudge and his Aurors with a spell. Singing, Fawkes circled above them. Dumbledore grabbed the phoenix' tail and they vanished (OP27).
Fawkes took part in the final confrontation between Dumbledore and Voldemort during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. He swooped down in front of his master and swallowed one of Voldemort's Killing Curses. The curse made him burst into flame and fall to the floor as a nestling (OP36). Dumbledore picked him up after the battle and brought him back to Hogwarts in the pocket of his robes. He put him onto a ray of soft ashes next to his perch (OP37).
Fawkes followed Dumbledore's lessons to Harry with great interest (HBP10, HBP17, HBP25). He sometimes commented on the proceedings with low cries or squawks (HBP17, HBP25). He was also a witness to Snape's consultations with Dumbledore, in which the headmaster planned his own death. During one of these conversations, he was seen chewing on a bit of cuttlebone (DH33).
After Dumbledore's death in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Fawkes' lament could be heard all over the Hogwarts grounds. It seemed to Harry as if the music came from inside himself and projected his grief into song. For a while everybody stopped to listen. Late at night, Fawkes finished his song and left the school for good (HBP29).
Footnotes
- ↑ There is a little inconsistency about the relative location of Fawkes' perch and the cabinet that holds the Pensieve. In May 1995, the cabinet was placed at the opposite side of the room from the perch (GF30), whereas in summer 1996 it was placed next to it (OP37).
