Basilisk Horn

• Type: Magical Creature Component, Horcrux Destroyer, Potion Ingredient
• Known Users/Possessors: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
• Maker: Natural part of a Basilisk

A Basilisk fang is a long, curved, and lethally sharp tooth from the mouth of a Basilisk, also known as the King of Serpents. When Harry Potter was pierced by one in the Chamber of Secrets, it was described as being as long and thin as a sword. The fangs are glistening, pointed, and “icily cold” to the touch upon being removed from a wound. They are the delivery mechanism for Basilisk venom, one of the most deadly substances in the magical world. While the original novels exclusively refer to Basilisk fangs, the term “Basilisk horn” has been used in adaptations and supplementary materials, often referring to the same object or a similar component from the creature's head. For the purposes of book canon, the fang is the relevant object.

The primary and most significant magical property of a Basilisk fang is the potent venom it contains.

• Basilisk Venom: This venom is extraordinarily powerful and fast-acting, capable of killing a person within minutes. There is only one known antidote: Phoenix tears. The venom is so destructive that it is one of the few substances capable of destroying a Horcrux. It damages the container of a Horcrux beyond magical repair, which allows the soul fragment inside to be destroyed.
• Horcrux Destruction: The fangs are a reliable tool for destroying Horcruxes.
  • In 1993, Harry Potter used a fang he had just pulled from his own arm to stab and destroy Tom Riddle's Diary.
  • In 1998, Ron Weasley used a fang retrieved from the Basilisk's skeleton to destroy Salazar Slytherin's Locket.
  • Shortly after, Hermione Granger used another fang from the skeleton to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's Cup.
• Imbuing Objects: Basilisk venom can be absorbed by certain objects, granting them the power to destroy Horcruxes. After Harry Potter killed the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, the Sword of Gryffindor became imbued with the venom, which allowed it to destroy other Horcruxes, such as Marvolo Gaunt's Ring and Nagini.
• Potion Ingredient: According to Horace Slughorn, Basilisk fangs are a highly valuable potion ingredient. He once lamented that a pound of fangs was worth twelve Galleons before they became scarce.

The most notable Basilisk fangs in the series belonged to the ancient Basilisk that resided in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. This creature was placed there by its breeder, Salazar Slytherin, around a thousand years before the events of the books. During Harry Potter's second year, he battled this Basilisk and was pierced in the arm by one of its fangs. He was saved from certain death by the intervention of Fawkes, Albus Dumbledore's Phoenix, whose tears neutralized the poison. Harry then used this same fang to destroy Tom Riddle's Diary, unknowingly obliterating Lord Voldemort's first Horcrux. For the next several years, the Basilisk's skeleton and its remaining fangs lay undisturbed in the Chamber of Secrets. During the Battle of Hogwarts, when the trio had lost the Sword of Gryffindor, Ron Weasley had the idea to return to the Chamber to retrieve fangs from the skeleton. He and Hermione Granger successfully used them to destroy two more of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

The Basilisk fang is an object of immense importance in the series. Its introduction in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets establishes one of the few known methods for destroying a Horcrux, a concept central to the latter half of the saga. The venom's ability to imbue the Sword of Gryffindor with Horcrux-destroying power provides Harry Potter and his allies with an essential weapon in the fight against Lord Voldemort. The fangs' continued presence in the Chamber of Secrets serves as a critical deus ex machina in the final book, allowing the heroes to continue their mission after losing the sword.

• Fang vs. Horn: The original seven novels by J.K. Rowling refer exclusively to Basilisk fangs. The term “Basilisk horn” is primarily used in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where the object Harry uses to destroy the diary resembles a large horn or spiny crest from the creature's head rather than a tooth from its mouth (film).
• Wand Core: According to supplementary information from J.K. Rowling, the wand of Salazar Slytherin himself contained a “shard of Basilisk horn” as its core. This wand had the ability to “sleep” when commanded, a skill learned from the Basilisk itself (Pottermore). This established the Basilisk horn as a powerful, albeit rare, wand core in the wider wizarding world lore.