Harry Potter: What Is Fawkes?

Across the Harry Potter series, there are only a handful of magical creatures that are truly important. One of the most significant features throughout the many films is none other than Albus Dumbledore’s prized pet, Fawkes. Without that majestic bird, it’s possible that Harry Potter’s adventures would have ended long before he ever got a chance to take on Voldemort.

Somehow, Fawkes is always there when he’s needed, happy to provide aid to those closest to Dumbledore. He’s not featured heavily throughout the films, but there is enough spotlight put on him throughout the series that it’s clear Fawkes is important. Realistically, Fawkes is right up there with Hedwig in terms of importance in the Harry Potter series.

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By  Freya Keeping

What Is Fawkes?

Fawkes is a magical phoenix, a bird with incredible power that most wizards could only ever hope to possess. Within its long list of abilities, Fawkes is capable of things like teleportation, healing, super strength, the ability to calm people with its cries, and even immortality. Throughout the Harry Potter series, we really only see Fawkes interact meaningfully with Dumbledore and Harry Potter himself, but his impact is felt much wider. The group known as the Order of the Phoenix actually got their name from Fawkes.

The crimson and gold bird perfectly matched the colors of Gryffindor, making it fitting that Fawkes would aid Harry Potter. It is said that the feathers of Fawkes are hot to touch, but it seems that either the heat isn’t enough to harm an ordinary person or Fawkes is capable of choosing when the feathers are at their hottest. Speaking of Fawkes’s feathers, it is actually that bird’s feathers that were set in the wands of Voldemort and Harry Potter, granting an even greater connection between Fawkes and Harry Potter.

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While it’s not clear just how smart of a creature Fawkes was, it is clear that it was capable of bonding with a witch or wizard who came to have the bird in their possession. Fawkes lived with the always cryptic Dumbledore for over fifty years before they would part ways forever. It’s this level of connection that Fawkes was capable of that allowed the bird to remain so faithful to Dumbledore that it was willing to sacrifice itself to keep him safe, clearly knowing that it was unable to truly die.

How Does Fawkes Help In The Harry Potter Series?

While a bird may not seem like it would be much help in the affairs of magical beings, that couldn’t be further from the case for Fawkes. The bird ends up helping out during Harry’s second year in Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets when Harry battles the terrifying Basilisk. It is Fawkes who delivers the sorting hat and by proxy, the sword of Gryffindor to Harry. Without Fawkes, Harry never could have hoped to defeat the Basilisk, and to make matters worse, he certainly would have succumbed to the beast’s poison without Fawkes’s healing abilities. Further, Fawkes then carried all of those trapped in the Chamber of Secrets to safety in a demonstration of the bird’s great strength.

While he doesn’t play a prominent role in the movies, Fawkes is present once again after Harry is successful in becoming champion of the Triwizard Tournament for some quick healing. The bird becomes a major figure in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix when he aids Dumbledore in his escape from arrest. The bird also doesn’t play a large role in the later duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, but in the books, Fawkes ends up taking a Killing Curse for his master. This is shown in a line from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix:

It is these moments that show just how powerful Fawkes is and how much the bird wishes to do what is right for the people of the wizarding world.

What Happened To Fawkes After Dumbledore’s Death?

The sad thing about Fawkes is that his story never really has any kind of closure. Once Dumbledore is killed by Snape during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Fawkes decides he no longer has any reason to remain at Hogwarts. With his master dead, Fawkes flew off into the distance, never to return to Hogwarts or the story. It’s clear that even Fawkes was heartbroken by Dumbledore’s death, as it was likely that he lost what he felt was a close friend if not some kind of father figure.

The last time Fawkes is heard of is after Dumbledore is killed when he begins to sing a song. The bird then conjured up one last flame before leaving for good. Unless some kind of follow-up story ends up expanding the story following Voldemort’s defeat, it’s likely that fans of Harry Potter will never see Fawkes's story continued. Most will likely hope that Fawkes was able to live a happy life out in the wild, free from the heartbreak that comes with violence.

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Harry Potter

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Created by

J.K. Rowling

First Film

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Latest Film

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane

Reunion Date

January 1, 2022

Where to watch

HBO Max

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When Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard, he enters a world beyond belief. Aside from continuing his studies at Hogwarts with best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must also face Voldemort and his dark wizarding forces. The Harry Potter franchise is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight movies, three spinoff movies, a stage play, and numerous video games.

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