Salazar Slytherin's Locket

• Type: Horcrux, Heirloom
• Owners: Salazar Slytherin, The Gaunt family, Merope Gaunt, Caractacus Burke, Hepzibah Smith, Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort), Kreacher, Regulus Arcturus Black, Mundungus Fletcher, Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
• Maker: Salazar Slytherin

Salazar Slytherin's locket was a heavy, oval-shaped locket made of gold. It was described as being the size of a chicken's egg and hung from a thick golden chain. The locket's most distinctive feature was an ornate, serpent-shaped 'S' on its front, encrusted with small, sparkling green stones. The locket could not be opened by conventional means. It was magically sealed and could only be opened by a Parselmouth speaking Parseltongue. When opened, it revealed a silk-lined interior that later housed a fragment of Lord Voldemort's soul.

As one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, the locket possessed powerful and malevolent Dark Magic. Its primary function was to anchor Voldemort's soul to the mortal world, granting him a form of immortality. As long as the locket remained intact, Voldemort could not be truly killed. The fragment of soul within the locket gave it a semblance of consciousness and the ability to influence its surroundings and anyone who wore it.

• Emotional Influence: The locket amplified the wearer's negative emotions, such as anger, suspicion, and despair. This effect was profoundly demonstrated when Ron Weasley wore it, causing him to become paranoid and resentful towards Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
• Self-Defense: The locket was capable of defending itself against destruction. When Ron Weasley attempted to destroy it with the Sword of Gryffindor, the locket produced horrifying visions of his deepest fears, including a spectral Harry and Hermione mocking him. It also attempted to drown Harry Potter when he tried to retrieve the sword from a frozen pond.
• Destruction: Like all Horcruxes, the locket could only be destroyed by substances powerful enough to overcome its potent dark enchantments, such as Basilisk venom or Fiendfyre. It was ultimately destroyed by Ron Weasley with the Sword of Gryffindor, which was imbued with Basilisk venom.

Originally crafted by Salazar Slytherin, the locket was passed down through his direct descendants, the Gaunt family, for centuries. By the 20th century, the family had fallen into poverty and disgrace. Merope Gaunt, desperate for money after being abandoned by her husband, sold the precious heirloom to Caractacus Burke at Borgin and Burkes for a mere ten Galleons. The locket was later purchased by Hepzibah Smith, a wealthy but foolish witch and an avid collector of magical artifacts. She proudly showed the locket, along with Hufflepuff's Cup, to a young Tom Marvolo Riddle who was working for Borgin and Burkes at the time. Recognizing his own heritage in the locket, Riddle murdered Hepzibah Smith, framed her house-elf Hokey for the crime, and stole both artifacts. He later turned the locket into a Horcrux using the murder of a Muggle tramp. Voldemort hid the locket in a secret seaside cave, protected by powerful enchantments including a blood sacrifice toll, a potion of despair, and an army of Inferi. However, Regulus Arcturus Black, a Death Eater who grew disillusioned with Voldemort, discovered the secret of the Horcruxes. Accompanied by his house-elf Kreacher, he journeyed to the cave, drank the potion himself, and ordered Kreacher to swap the real locket with a fake one and to destroy the original. Regulus was killed by the Inferi, and Kreacher, unable to destroy the powerful object, kept it hidden at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Years later, during the cleaning of the Black family home by the Order of the Phoenix, the locket was found but discarded as junk. It was stolen from the house by Mundungus Fletcher, who was later forced to give it to Dolores Umbridge as a bribe. Umbridge wore the locket to the Ministry of Magic, falsely claiming the 'S' stood for 'Selwyn', a pure-blood family she claimed to be related to. In 1997, Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrated the Ministry of Magic and successfully retrieved the locket from Umbridge. After months of carrying the burden of the locket and failing to destroy it, Ron Weasley destroyed it in the Forest of Dean using the Sword of Gryffindor, which Harry had found in a frozen pond with the guidance of Severus Snape's Patronus.

The locket is one of the most significant magical objects in the series. As a Horcrux, it is a cornerstone of Lord Voldemort's immortality and a primary target in Harry Potter's mission to defeat him. The search for and eventual destruction of the locket forms a major part of the narrative arc in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Its malevolent influence acts as a powerful antagonist, testing the friendship and resolve of the main trio and leading to Ron Weasley's temporary departure. The story of its past reveals the tragic histories of the Gaunt family and Regulus Black, providing a posthumous redemption for the latter. Its destruction by Ron marks a critical moment of his personal growth and heroism, solidifying his importance in the fight against Voldemort.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the memory of Hepzibah Smith showing Tom Riddle the locket and cup is omitted. This backstory is instead explained by Hermione in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (film).
• When Ron prepares to destroy the locket in the film, the Horcrux produces a vision of a spectral, ghostly Harry and Hermione kissing and taunting him about his insecurities, a more explicit visual representation of the book's psychological torment (film).
• The fake locket left by Regulus Arcturus Black contained a note signed “R.A.B.”, creating a mystery that is solved in the final book.