Fawkes the Phoenix & Hogwarts School...................Arion

SPOILER WARNING: If you've not read up to book six in the Harry Potter series, do not read any further!!!



I was rereading Goblet of Fire, and I was struck by fact that both Harry and Voldemort have wands that contain a feather from Fawkes the phoenix. Is this coincidence, or is there a deeper meaning?

Fawkes has long been a fixture in Dumbledore's office, and there has never been an explanation of where the phoenix came from; nor why it has been so solicitous to Harry. Fawkes attended to his wounds in the Chamber of Secrets, was responsible for bring him the weapon to defeat the basilisk, and healed him when he emerged from the maze in Goblet of Fire. All without being commanded to do so by Dumbledore. Why?

Is it possible that the phoenix was not Dumbledore's, but rather the property of the headmaster? That sounds contradictory, I know, but consider this: the phoenix is essentially immortal. It would outlive each and every owner, and rather than attach itself to a mortal, would it not make more sense to belong to the institution itself? Furthermore, the phoenix is known in mythology as "the king of birds"; therefore it is logical to assume that such royalty would rightly be in the presence of the leader of the school. In fact, the phoenix might well represent a form of "acid test" for prospective faculty.

Fawkes did not protest when Voldemort visited Dumbledore seeking a teaching post, but neither did he alight on Voldemort's knee, as he did for Harry once. Is it possible that Fawkes can sense the presence of someone who has the potential to be a Hogwarts headmaster? Voldemort wants power, certainly, but he is also attracted to the school as well. And though Phineas Nigellus was, in the words of Sirius Black, "the least popular headmaster" in the school's history, he was one; and the Black family is well-known for producing Dark wizards.

Mr. Ollivander said that, "the wand chooses the wizard", implying that wands have some sort of sentience or will of their own. Such sentience might have its origins in the core element of the wand itself, perhaps retaining something from the creature of their origins. If so, then Fawkes' will remains a crucial force within Harry's immediate future.

Although Harry felt that after the phoenix's dirge that it would never be seen again, he is, after all, still unfamiliar with the nuances of the school itself. Fawkes is undoubtedly still in mourning over Dumbledore's death. But after the grief, the bird might well return to the fray, to stand beside its choice of new headmaster. Affter aiding Harry once, it seems unlikely that it would abandon him now.

Show all stories by   Author:  52489 ( Click here )