======The Voice of the Basilisk======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** Magical Auditory Manifestation
  * **Source:** [[Basilisk]] of [[Salazar Slytherin]]
  * **Maker:** The [[Basilisk]] itself, ultimately commanded by an heir of [[Slytherin]] speaking [[Parseltongue]].
=====Description and Appearance=====
The voice of the [[Basilisk]] is not a physical object but a sound that traveled through the pipes of [[Hogwarts Castle]]. It is described as a cold, hissing, and venomous whisper that only a [[Parselmouth]] can understand. To non-Parselmouths, the sound is either inaudible or perceived as a faint, indistinct hissing.
[[Harry Potter]], a [[Parselmouth]], was the only person in [[Hogwarts]] during his second year (besides the memory of [[Tom Riddle]]) who could clearly hear and understand the murderous words spoken by the beast. The voice articulated the [[Basilisk]]'s primal urges, speaking of its hunger and its desire to kill, with phrases like, //"…come… come to me… Let me rip you… Let me tear you… Let me kill you…//" and //"I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"//
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
The voice's primary magical property is its exclusivity; it serves as a method of communication and control between the [[Basilisk]] and a [[Parselmouth]].
  * **Communication:** The voice articulates the thoughts and intentions of the [[Basilisk]]. [[Harry Potter]] used this to his advantage, as hearing the voice allowed him to track the creature's movements within the castle walls and eventually discover its nature.
  * **Control:** A [[Parselmouth]] can not only understand the voice but can also speak to and command the [[Basilisk]]. This was how [[Tom Riddle]], as the Heir of [[Slytherin]], controlled the beast both in the 1940s and through his [[Horcrux|diary]] in the 1990s.
  * **Intimidation:** Though most could not understand it, the presence of the voice was terrifying and served as a herald of the monster's approach, contributing to the atmosphere of fear within [[Hogwarts]].
The voice itself is not directly harmful, but it reveals the presence and intent of the mortally dangerous creature that produces it.
=====History=====
The voice of the [[Basilisk]] presumably lay dormant for centuries, silent along with the creature inside the [[Chamber of Secrets]]. It was first heard in the 1942-1943 school year when a young [[Tom Riddle]] opened the Chamber and unleashed the [[Basilisk]] on the school, resulting in the death of a student, [[Myrtle Warren]].
Fifty years later, during the 1992-1993 school year, the voice was heard again after [[Lucius Malfoy]] planted [[Tom Riddle's Diary]] on [[Ginny Weasley]]. Under the diary's influence, Ginny reopened the Chamber, and the [[Basilisk]] once again roamed the pipes. [[Harry Potter]] began hearing the voice on several occasions, coinciding with the attacks on students. His ability to understand it, a secret he kept out of fear, became a source of immense internal conflict, making him question if he was connected to the Heir of [[Slytherin]].
=====Role in the Story=====
The voice is a central element of the plot in //Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//.
  * **Central Mystery:** The voice is the primary clue to the nature of the monster haunting [[Hogwarts]]. Since only [[Harry]] can hear it, it creates a deep mystery and isolates him, causing others, and even Harry himself, to suspect his involvement in the attacks.
  * **Plot Advancement:** Hearing the voice allows [[Harry]] to discover crucial information. He follows it to the site of [[Justin Finch-Fletchley]]'s and [[Nearly Headless Nick]]'s petrification. His understanding that it belongs to a serpent later helps him and [[Ron Weasley]] deduce that the monster is a [[Basilisk]].
  * **Character Arc:** The voice forces [[Harry]] to confront his ability to speak [[Parseltongue]], a trait famously associated with [[Salazar Slytherin]] and [[Lord Voldemort]]. This discovery is key to his character development, as he grapples with the fear of being connected to [[Dark Magic]] and evil, a theme that continues throughout the series.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, the voice is depicted as a sibilant, echoing whisper. Subtitles are used to show the audience what [[Harry]] is hearing, making the threat explicit to viewers from the start (film).
  * The phenomenon of hearing voices that others cannot is a recurring element in the series, later appearing with the murmuring voices from behind the [[Veil]] in the [[Department of Mysteries]] and the whispers from [[Slytherin's Locket]] when worn.