Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore didn’t share his knowledge about Basilisk fangs with Harry before he died. And yet, this information could’ve made things much easier for Harry, Ron and Hermione as they attempted to knock off Voldemort’s Horcruxes.

There are many things that Professor Albus Dumbledore did throughout Harry’s time at Hogwarts that people don’t really understand.

From his mysterious absences from Hogwarts when students needed him most to hiring a few really questionable professors, Dumbledore made some pretty terrible choices over the years. And yet, most of the worst decisions that he ever made all seemed to revolve around Harry.

While this article won’t focus on Dumbledore’s bigger Harry-related blunders—like, say, “raising him like a pig for slaughter” and never telling him—we will be taking a look at why he kept an important secret from him. Namely, how Basilisk fangs could have helped him in his mission to destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes.

Read on to find out more!

What Is a Basilisk?

A Basilisk is essentially a giant, deadly snake. Sometimes referred to as the King of Serpents, this enormous reptilian creature was first bred by the Dark Wizard, Herpo the Foul.

Most Basilisks have the ability to live up to 900 years old, although it’s said that Salazar Slytherin’s Basilisk, which guarded the Chamber of Secrets, was closer to 1,000 years in age.

These creatures were green in colour with impenetrable scales and could grow up to 15 metres in length. As they were basically giant snakes, witches and wizards who knew Parseltongue could communicate with them.

In addition to being enormous, Basilisks had the ability to kill people with their stare, and petrify those who came into their peripheral vision. They also had rows of incredibly sharp, poisonous fangs, which were good for more than just eating its victims.

Dumbledore’s Secret About Basilisk Fangs

The secret Dumbledore knew but kept from Harry? The venon in Basilisk fangs have the ability to destroy Horcruxes.

Why did Dumbledore keep this secret from Harry?

The answer to this question is likely two-fold:

Dumbledore gave Harry an alternative weapon to destroy Horcruxes
He didn’t want to risk Voldemort finding out that Harry knew about the Horcruxes

1. Dumbledore gave Harry an alternative weapon

Since he left Godric Gryffindor’s sword to Harry upon his death, Dumbledore likely felt that this was enough of a weapon to help him and his friends take down the remaining Horcruxes.

It’s worth mentioning that the Sword of Gryffindor was only able to destroy Horcruxes since it had absorbed venom from the Basilisk in the The Chamber of Secrets when Harry killed the beast with the sword. But, in any case, Dumbledore knew that it would enable Harry to destroy additional Horcruxes.

2. He didn’t want to risk Voldemort finding out the plan

The second part of this close-held secret is that Dumbledore didn’t want to reveal his plan to defeat Voldemort, in case the information got into the wrong hands.

This is supported by the fact that he never explained to Harry what he was meant to do with the Sword of Gryffindor, imbued with Basilisk blood. If he had, the Minister for Magic—who delivered and observed the opening of the items left for Harry by the deceased Headmaster—would’ve become privy to the plan. While maybe not the most dangerous wizard to learn about Harry’s quest to destroy Horcruxes, this information very easily could have then gotten back to Voldemort.

As it were, Voldemort didn’t realize until much later that Harry, Ron and Hermione knew about his Horcruxes and were hunting them down.

And so, the former Headmaster likely assumed that Harry would be able to determine that the Sword was significant to defeating Voldemort in some way. After all, it was a rather eccentric gift to give a student. Never mind that the Sword didn’t even belong to Dumbledore and was not his to give away…

Should Dumbledore have risked telling Harry about the Basilisk fangs and their ability to destroy Horcruxes? Or was he justified in keeping it a secret? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Albus Dumbledore was one of the most celebrated wizards of his time. But, in addition to his many accolades, was he also a descendent of the great and powerful Merlin?

Other than being the most prominent and well-loved Headmaster to ever grace the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore was also one of the most powerful and respected wizards of his time.

Considering his success, intelligence and abilities, it’s not hard to image that he could be related to other, equally as brilliant wizards from centuries long ago. Someone like the 6th-century’s Merlin, the wizard who is most famous for his adventures and involvement with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

But with hundreds and hundreds of years between these two prolific wizards, is it even POSSIBLE for them to be related? Let’s take a look.

3 Facts Supporting that Dumbledore Is Related to Merlin

FACT #1: It’s possible through Albus Dumbledore’s ancestry

Born in the summer of 1881 in the wizarding village of Mould-on-the-Wold, Albus was the eldest child of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore.

Considering the rumours about Kendra Dumbledore being a Muggle-born, it is quite unlikely that she was a descendent of the wizard Merlin. This means, that Albus was not related to Merlin on his maternal side.

Albus’ father, Percival, on the other hand, came from an English pureblood or half-blood wizarding family, meaning that it is possible for HIS family lineage to be connected to Merlin.

FACT #2: Wizarding world Merlin is not the same as Arthurian Merlin

Much of the Arthurian Legends about Merlin do not align with the Merlin as described in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

This means that everything we know about the Merlin of Camelot cannot be broadly applied to the wizarding world’s version of Merlin. Why? Because they are clearly two different people.

The is best proven by the fact that the two Merlins existed centuries years apart, within their respective narrative worlds.

Arthurian Merlin lived around the 500s

According to the legends and texts, the Merlin known within the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table lived within the early 6th century.

Wizarding world Merlin lived around the 1,000s

The Merlin of the wizarding world, however, lived much later—likely around the 1,000s. This is supported by the fact that Merlin was a well-known Slytherin pupil at Hogwarts—an institution which didn’t exist until the 10th century.

And, as he would’ve been only 11 when he first began his studies there, he clearly hadn’t been alive before Hogwarts’ founding in the 900s.

There’s also the fact that the Order of Merlin, a designation awarded “for acts of outstanding bravery or distinction in magic”, was created in the 1400s. This would’ve been almost a century after Camelot’s Merlin lived.

It seems a lot more likely that the Order of Merlin was created in homage to a more recent wizarding figure—Merlin, the Slytherin.

FACT #3: There are no coincidences in Harry Potter

With the previous two facts, you can see that it is indeed possible for Dumbledore and Merlin to be related within the context of the wizarding world. And, with all the coincidences that surround these two wizards, it actually seems probable.

For example, the Order of Merlin designation mentioned earlier, was awarded to Dumbledore for defeating the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald. And, not just the Order of Merlin—but the much rarer Order of Merlin, First Class.

Of course, I’m not suggesting that every recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class was related to Merlin himself. But, it certainly seems quite coincidental that the highest achievement within the wizarding world, which was bestowed upon Dumbledore, was also an honour created in recognition of Merlin himself.

There’s also the interesting coincidence of Albus’ father’s name, Percival. Percival just so happens to be the name of one of the knights of the Round Table in Arthurian Legend.

Fact or Coincidence?

While there is very little evidence to support that Albus Dumbledore was a descendant of Merlin, there are so many coincidences, that it seems like a strong possibility.

After all, the wizarding world of Harry Potter offers very few true coincidences. Rather, it seems more likely that each of these examples are little clues meant to indicate a connection between the two wizards. One that goes beyond their magical accomplishments and reputations.

What about you? Do you think Dumbledore is related to Merlin? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!