Phoenix

Phoenix
Species information
Eye colour	Black
Feather colour	Scarlet Golden tail
Related to	Hoo-hoo Thunderbird
Native to	Egypt India China
Mortality	Immortal
Distinction	Reborn from ashes upon death Immense strength Tears had healing powers Capable of singing soul-touching song Strictly herbivorous
Affiliation	Dumbledore family
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXXX
Status	Extant

"Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

— Albus Dumbledore on the nature of Phoenixes

The phoenix was a large swan-sized scarlet magical bird with red and gold plumage, along with a golden beak and talons, black eyes, and a tail as long as a peacock's. Phoenixes would usually nest on mountain peaks and were gentle herbivores, that were not known for fighting. A phoenix was also one of the most independent and detached creatures in the world.

A phoenix was normally really magnificent, but every so often, they had to rejuvenate themselves with an event known as the Burning Day, in which the bird would suddenly burst into flames, only to rise from the ashes shortly after as a newborn chick. In a number of days, they grew back to full size. As phoenixes approached their Burning Day, they looked dreadful, resembling a half-plucked turkey. Their eyes became dull, their feathers started to fall out, and it began to make gagging noises. Thanks to this ability, phoenixes lived to an immense age, perhaps even forever.

Its feathers could be used as the core of a wand and were designated by Garrick Ollivander as one of the "Supreme Cores", which was a distinction shared by only two other beasts. Its scarlet feathers glowed faintly in darkness, while its golden tail feathers were hot to the touch.

It was a possible, rare corporeal form of the Patronus Charm, such as Albus Dumbledore's Patronus.

Phoenixes were common decorative motifs in the Wizarding world. Four forty-foot tall gilded statues of phoenixes were located in the lobby of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and the Phoenix Arch was located at the entrance to the Place Cachée in Paris.

Description

Physical description

Appearance of the phoenix

Phoenixes had crimson feathers on their body that glowed faintly in darkness and a golden tail as long as a peacock's that was hot to the touch. It was unknown if they were actually capable of burning someone as neither Harry Potter — when Fawkes carried him from the Chamber of Secrets — nor Albus Dumbledore — when he escaped the Ministry officials with Fawkes's help — were burned by his tail feathers; however, it was possible that Fawkes could control the temperature of his tail feathers and simply chose not to burn them.

Notable attributes

A male phoenix had scarlet head feathers, a gleaming gold beak and talons, dark blue speckles on his face, and his eyes were black. A female phoenix on the other hand had orange head feathers, her beak and talons were black, she had light blue speckles on her face, and her eyes were red with black pupils.

The egg of the Phoenix was glossy green or blue in colour. They did not need to be incubated in order to hatch; however, it sometimes took several years for one to hatch.

Abilities and traits

"A gentle creature, the phoenix lives to an immense age because it can regenerate each time it bursts into flames. Phoenix song is magical and its tears have healing properties."

— Chocolate Frog Card

Fawkes, a phoenix, bursting into flames

The most startling of the phoenix's abilities was its ability to regenerate itself. It periodically burst into flames when its body became old, and rose from the ashes as a newborn chick. This event is called a Burning Day, although it's unknown how often it occurred. The Burning Day gave these birds a great life span, in fact, phoenixes may have been one of the only species to have true immortality.

A phoenix had the ability to take the full force of a Killing Curse and still be reborn. No other living creature was known to be able to survive it, unless they had Sacrificial protection. Phoenixes were also immune to the gaze of a basilisk, which would normally kill anyone who made direct eye contact with it, or petrify anyone through indirect eye contact, such as by seeing the reflection of the massive serpent in a mirror.

Phoenixes were capable of more with their flames than just renewing their lifecycle. The phoenix could also disappear and reappear elsewhere at will in a bursts of flames, leaving behind a single golden tail feather. The Phoenix in question could also take whoever was holding them along. An ability very similar to Apparition.

Phoenix Tears have healing powers

Additionally, their tears had potent healing capabilities. For instance, phoenix tears were the only known antidote to basilisk venom. Their tears were also able to bring a person back even from the brink of death, similar to Unicorn blood, but without the cursed life. Aside from their tears, the pellets that Phoenixes coughed up had healing properties of their own, which they were prized for. Additionally, the pellets contained rare gemstones known as Phoenix flints, which were said to have the power to protect the wearer from the cold at high altitudes.

Fawkes the phoenix carrying an immensely heavy load

Phoenixes were capable of lifting a great weight with their tails, such as being able to effortlessly fly up a distance with four people (one adult and three adolescents) holding on to its tail.

Phoenix song had a deep emotional impact on those who heard it. Magical in nature, it touched a listener's very soul and was able to provide support and comfort. Furthermore, the phoenix song would increase the courage of those who were good and struck fear into the hearts of those who served evil. Its most powerful performances were known to be when the phoenix suffered emotional instability or distress, such as the death of its master.

As stated by Dumbledore, they were extremely loyal creatures, and were capable of arriving to the aid of beings who share a similar devotion to their master. This was how Fawkes arrived to assist Harry Potter in slaying the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets during his second year at Hogwarts.

Phoenix was the language spoken by phoenixes. Although, to most people, it would sound like squawking, to those who understood their language, it was complex and magical and able to convey a wide range of thoughts and emotions with just a few sounds. Garrick Ollivander spoke it a little, and presumably everyone who owned a phoenix did to some degree.

Phoenixes and fire

Fire appeared to have an unknown but profound effect on phoenixes, as Gellert Grindelwald was effortlessly capable of instantly turning a baby phoenix into a full adult by conjuring fire from his hand and setting the baby bird ablaze, from which it emerged as a full adult after being briefly covered by the flames, although by all fairness, Grindelwald was an immensely powerful wizard who was extremely skilled in Wandless magic and fairly apt at handling magical creatures. Nevertheless, considering a phoenix's fire-related powers, it was likely that fire could be used to strengthen them. Phoenixes also burst into flame when they disapparate and on Burning Day, before they emerge from their ashes as a newborn.

Known phoenixes

A wild phoenix

Phoenixes were very difficult to domesticate, as Newton Scamander said in his book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: "The phoenix gains an XXXX rating not because it is aggressive, but because very few wizards have ever succeeded in domesticating it." There were two known domesticated phoenixes; one was Albus Dumbledore's pet phoenix Fawkes, and the other was Sparky, the team mascot for the New Zealand Quidditch team, the Moutohora Macaws.

Phoenixes that had been domesticated were extremely loyal to their owners, and would depart to find their own paths if their owners died, rather than finding a new master.

Phoenixes	Note(s)
Albus Dumbledore's great-great-grandfather's phoenix	It was said that Albus Dumbledore's great-great-grandfather owned a phoenix, but once he passed, the phoenix took flight and was never seen again.
Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student's phoenix	It was rescued by a student in 1891 from a cave in Poidsear Coast. They took the phoenix back to the room of requirement for its safety whilst poachers were roaming the countryside around Hogwarts searching for rare magical creatures. The student promised they would release the Phoenix at a later date when it was safer for them.
Aurelius Dumbledore's phoenix	After the battle in the Lestrange Mausoleum and recruiting Credence Barebone to his forces, Gellert Grindelwald revealed in Nurmengard to Credence that the baby bird he had been caring for in Paris was actually a phoenix. According to legend, a phoenix would appear to anyone of the Dumbledore family in dire need. Grindelwald then presented him with a wand, as well as his birth name: Aurelius Dumbledore.
Fawkes	Fawkes was a phoenix who was owned by Albus Dumbledore. Fawkes lived with Dumbledore at Hogwarts Castle for a large part of his life. He was instrumental in helping Harry Potter defeat the Serpent of Slytherin, bringing Harry the Sword of Gryffindor, blinding the basilisk, and saving Harry from its venom with his tears. Fawkes was also used as a communication between his master and the Order of the Phoenix. Fawkes assisted Dumbledore in fighting Lord Voldemort and protected the headmaster from a Killing Curse. After Albus Dumbledore's death, Fawkes performed a mournful song that seemed to feel like it is inside the listener, and was dubbed by wizards as the "Phoenix Lament". After the song was completed, Fawkes departed Hogwarts as a free phoenix, and was never heard from again.
Sparky	Sparky was the phoenix mascot of the New Zealand Quidditch team the Moutohora Macaws. Apart from Fawkes, Sparky was the only known domesticated phoenix.
Pyra	Pyra was a female phoenix who was friends with Garrick Ollivander, who would sometimes use her feathers for his wands. During the 1986–1987 school year, Penny Haywood needed a new wand and Ollivander sent her to earn the respect of Pyra so she would offer one of her feathers for Penny's new wand. Pyra was eventually very impressed with Penny and gave her a feather to use in her second wand.

Phoenix feathers

Phoenix feathers were a powerful magical substance and, as such, were an accepted wand core. Fawkes gave two feathers, which ended up in the wands of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, which was said to be the reason why they locked in Priori Incantatem when the two wizards attempted to duel each other in the Little Hangleton graveyard. Due to phoenixes having been very difficult to tame and were one of the most detached creatures in the world, the wands with such feathers were the pickiest of owners. The wands containing this core sometimes acted on their own accord, due to having the most initiative of all core types. Phoenix feathers were sometimes used as writing quills.

Behind the scenes

• The phoenix is a creature from Greek mythology. The given native range for the phoenix in Egypt, India, and China may be in reference to the Egyptian Bennu, the Hindu Garuda and the Chinese fenghuang, all mythological birds from other cultures sometimes compared to the phoenix (though it should be noted that the hoo-hoo, which is also based on the fenghuang, apparently exists as an independent creature in the wizarding world).
• The phoenix is Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling's favourite magical creature.
• The phoenix is the only life form in existence that defies the otherwise absolute rule that nothing can truly bring back the dead, although it is debatable if phoenixes actually die.
• It is interesting to note that the appearances of phoenixes, specifically Fawkes, portrayed in the films and novels look quite different; the phoenix is depicted and having a longer neck and vaguely resembling a hoatzin in the novels and in illustrations on Pottermore, while in the films, it resembles a large bird of prey such as an eagle or a hawk.
  • In Harry Potter Film Wizardry (Updated edition 2018), Concept artist Adam Brockband stated that he was inspired by depictions of classical mythology together with observation of real birds. For the glorious Fawkes at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film), he referred to the sea-eagle. In the version in Dumbledore's office prior to its Burning Day, Mr. Brockband chose a more vulture-like model.
• Albus Dumbledore had many connections to the phoenix, starting with his phoenix companion Fawkes, along with his phoenix Patronus. He named his anti-Voldemort organisation the Order of the Phoenix after Fawkes. The old wizard was also shown to have an unusual affinity for incendiary magic; he could conjure flames which did not burn, summon a lasso of fire with which to subdue foes, and even produce Gubraithian or ever-burning fire, a highly advanced and rare ability. Indeed, one of the last and greatest spells Albus ever performed was the Firestorm, which he used to fend off the Inferi. Finally, Albus had sought becoming the Master of Death in his youth. But once he matured, and in much the same way that a phoenix keeps living on after its death, Dumbledore would come to adopt the great personal belief that death was nothing more than "the next great adventure".
• Although Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them states that phoenixes are hard to domesticate, domestication happens to a population due to selective breeding, not to individual animals, which can be tamed.
• On the Pottermore Patronus quiz, the phoenix is not an available Patronus form, despite other rare magical creature forms existing on the quiz and there being wizards with known phoenix patronuses.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned only)
• 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 Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Seen as magical ornaments) (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Appears as statue)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore: Movie Magic
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Quidditch Through the Ages
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: The Wand Collection (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Appears as statue)