Fawkes (Dumbledore’s phoenix) – Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic who, in 1605, tried to blow up the House of Parliament as an act of rebellion against the new Protestant government. In England, November 5th is now known as “Guy Fawkes Day” (or “Bonfire Night”) where Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy. Every year he is resurrected to burn again. It can also be noted that he is known as one of the most infamous traitors in English history.
Fawkes is probably one of my favorite familiars in the series. It’s probably partially because I find phoenixes so fascinating as it is and partially because I love everything Harry Potter (except the evil stuff, but even still have a little bit of love for it, except Umbridge, no love for her). He’s so interesting, and while you would think he wouldn’t be important, he is. J.K. doesn’t create characters (or animals) for any old reason. They’re there for a reason and even you don’t realize it at first, it’s there. But anyway, here are some quick thoughts of mine about Fawkes.
At first, I found it ironic that Fawkes is possibly named after Guy Fawkes. (When I first read Harry Potter, it reminded me of fire for some reason, though I had no idea what Guy Fawkes Day was.) The reason I find it ironic is that Guy Fawkes, as it says above, is pretty much the Benedict Arnold of England. Fawkes is one of the most loyal creatures in the series, probably tied with Hedwig and Dobby. Maybe the reason Jo chose Fawkes was because of Bonfire Night and had nothing to do with Guy Fawkes himself. However, I did some more research. Guy Fawkes Day is somewhat jokingly discussed in England whether it’s celebrating the execution of Guy Fawkes, or his attempt to destroy the government. It’s well known that Dumbledore doesn’t like the Ministry and the way it’s run. Fawkes wasn’t the one who came up with the plot; he just followed through because of his loyalty. Fawkes was described as a loyal man with red hair…hmm…Fawkes the phoenix is a loyal bird, unlike many of his kind, and is red. Convenient. I love Jo’s brilliance. Of course, I could be completely wrong here and she just chose a name at random or for a different reason. But that’s just my thoughts (Harry Potter Wiki says it’s a joke about Guy Fawkes because he “explodes” occasionally. I like my explanation better personally).
Fawkes is pretty important as certain times throughout the series, but, at other times, disappears into the crowd of other characters. Obviously, Fawkes gave two tail feathers which ended up in Harry and Voldemort’s wands. The weird thing is that it was extremely unusual for a phoenix to give more than one feather. Why? Well, because if the two wands were to ever meet, then, you guessed it, Priori Incantatem. (For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s what happens in Goblet of Fire when Voldemort and Harry fight in the graveyard and their spells connect and Harry sees images of Cedric, Lily, James, and Frank Bryce. The translation of Priori Incantatem is “previous incantation” so it reproduces the weaker (Voldemort’s) wand’s previous spells. In the book, not only are the “ghosts” present but there is screaming from the Cruciatus Curse that was used on Harry. You can learn more about it here.) Clearly, Jo had it happen on purpose. But why did she pick Fawkes and not just a random phoenix that was never heard from again? Personally, I think it gives more reason why Harry’s wand ultimately defeats Voldemort’s in the graveyard. Because of Harry’s bond to Dumbledore, and through him Fawkes, Harry is a stronger wizard. I’m not sure if that made any sense, but it makes sense in my head. Another time Fawkes plays a big role is in The Chamber of Secrets. Obviously, Harry wouldn’t have defeated the basilisk without Fawkes. Because of Harry’s undying loyalty to Dumbledore, Fawkes comes to his aid. He brings the Sorting Hat, which gives the Sword of Gryffindor, which becomes very important in the 7th book (more evidence that Jo is a genius). Then, after having basilisk venom in his system, Fawkes provides pretty much the only cure to a basilisk bite, phoenix tears. Yet again, convenient. Then, it’s revealed that phoenixes can carry any amount of weight so they all can get out of the Chamber. More convenience. There are obviously many more instances when Fawkes plays important roles, but you can read about these yourself on the Harry Potter Wiki.
My favorite Fawkes moment, though terribly depressing (and wrongly cut out of the movies), is his lament after Dumbledore’s death. It fits perfectly because everyone is in disbelief and it makes them realize that it really happened. Dumbledore is really gone. So devastating, but yet so perfect.
“Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Harry had never heard before; a stricken lament of terrible beauty. […] Harry felt, as he had felt about the Phoenix song before, that the music was inside him, not without … How long they stood there, listening, he did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen… […] They all fell silent. Fawkes’s lament was still echoing over the dark grounds outside.” (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
It’s a love/hate scene for me because it needed to be there, but it’s another reminder that the greatest wizard is gone forever. After this, Fawkes leaves humans behind and never binds to another, probably because of the pain. Some people wonder why he doesn’t go with Harry, but I think it’s kind of obvious. Though Harry is wonderful, Fawkes has been with wizards for at least 60 years, he’s done. Though he is immortal, he needs to be with his own kind. This kind of reminds me of Harry. Though Harry realizes that Dudley’s awesome and all at the end and knows the muggle world is important to his life, he belongs in the wizarding world and that’s all there is to that.
More about Fawkes here!
No fun quotes this week, since, you know, Fawkes doesn’t talk…but I did come across a tumblr dedicated to Harry Potter related confessions. Some really cool ideas out there. Here’s the link if you’re interested!