The Voice of the Basilisk

• Type: Magical Auditory Manifestation
• Source: Basilisk of Salazar Slytherin
• Maker: The Basilisk itself, ultimately commanded by an heir of Slytherin speaking Parseltongue.

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!”

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 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.

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.

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.

• 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.