Basilisk venom

Basilisk venom
Potion ingredient information
Taken from	Basilisks
Properties	Extremely poisonous and corrosive: Capable of causing death in little more than a minute and capable of destroying Horcruxes

"It doesn't have to be a Basilisk fang. It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself. Basilisk venom only has one antidote, and it's incredibly rare –"

— Hermione Granger regarding Basilisk venom

Basilisk venom was an extremely poisonous and corrosive substance generated by the said species.

Overview

"The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it."

— T. M. Riddle's Diary destroyed with Basilisk venom

Basilisk venom was extremely powerful, and could kill a person within a little more than a minute at best, making the person drowsy and blurry-visioned before they died. This powerful venom was one of the few substances known to be capable of destroying Horcruxes, causing them fatal damage that could not be repaired. It only had one known antidote: phoenix tears, which happened to be very rare, increasing the venom's deadliness.

The venom's potency was apparently extremely long-lasting, as Hermione Granger was able to use the venom from the fang of a Basilisk that was dead for nearly five years.

Basilisk venom was one of the few poisons that was not curable by bezoars.

History

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

— The memory of Tom Riddle awaiting Harry Potter's death from Basilisk venom in the Chamber of Secrets

In 1993, Harry Potter stabbed the roof of the Basilisk's mouth with the Sword of Gryffindor and ended up getting a fang splintered into his arm. Tom Riddle described the venom as being able to kill Harry in a little more than a minute, though Fawkes's tears healed Harry's arm and cleansed the poison.

After being healed, Harry took the fang and stabbed Riddle's diary, destroying that Horcrux beyond magical repair. Because Harry had impaled the Basilisk with the sword, it was imbued with Basilisk venom and was therefore able to destroy Horcruxes and poison opponents that it cut through as well.

Albus Dumbledore used the Sword of Gryffindor, which had been imbued with the basilisk's venom three years prior, to destroy Marvolo Gaunt's Ring in 1996. Later in 1998, Ron Weasley use the sword to destroy Salazar Slytherin's Locket.

In 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione went down to the Chamber of Secrets and destroyed Helga Hufflepuff's Cup with a Basilisk fang. In the same battle, Neville Longbottom used the Sword of Gryffindor to kill Nagini, Lord Voldemort's pet snake and last Horcrux.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Indirectly mentioned only)
• Harry Potter (website) (Indirectly mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World (As basilisk fang)
• LEGO Harry Potter (As Basilisk fang)
• LEGO Harry Potter (As Basilisk fang)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (As Basilisk fang)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (As Basilisk fang)
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)

Behind the scenes

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry destroys the diary while still injured by the venom before Fawkes heals him, a reverse of what happens in the book.
• Although Helga Hufflepuff's cup was destroyed by a Basilisk fang in the second film adaptation of the final book, the same method was done by Harry in the film on Ravenclaw's diadem, with Ron kicking it into the burning Room of Requirement. This is contrary to the book, wherein the diadem is destroyed by the Fiendfyre cast by Vincent Crabbe (Gregory Goyle in the film).