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!