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In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion, others that it simply dies and decomposes before being born again. Most accounts say that it lived for 500 years before rebirth. The phoenix symbolized renewal in general, as well as entities and concepts such as the Sun and time.
Fawkes is a highly intelligent male phoenix and Albus Dumbledore's animal companion and defender. It is unknown how long Fawkes had been in Albus Dumbledore's service. He had been loyal to Albus Dumbledore for many years prior to the Headmaster's death.
Fawkes is instrumental in helping Harry Potter defeat Salazar Slytherin's basilisk. His tears, which possessed healing properties, as with his species, saved Harry's life after his arm was punctured by the basilisk's fang and its venom. Fawkes came to Albus Dumbledore's aid in fighting Lord Voldemort during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
Following Albus Dumbledore's death, Fawkes sang his Lament over the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and then left and flew away, never to be seen again. His tail feathers were the cores of the two twin wands which were held by Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter.
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Much of Fawkes' origins are unknown, two of his tail-feathers were procured by the wand maker Garrick Ollivander, and fashioned into the cores of two wands, a rare event, as should the two meet, it would initiate Priori Incantatem, made from yew and holly. The yew wand went to Tom Riddle and the holly wand went to Harry Potter.
Fawkes had not been owned by another wizard prior to Albus Dumbledore, and thus spent his early life as a wild phoenix.
Albus Dumbledore and Fawkes met sometime and Fawkes lived with and faithfully served the famed wizard. As part of his efforts to help Harry in his quest to defeat and kill the Dark Wizard Voldemort and his followers, Albus Dumbledore called Fawkes into battle whenever needed. Throughout the years, there were several instances where Fawkes was extremely helpful.
Whilst in Albus Dumbledore's office for the first time, Harry Potter encountered Fawkes on his Burning Day.
Fawkes appeared very ill, decrepit and baleful, and much to Harry Potter's initial shock and horror, burst into flames in front of his eyes.
When
Albus Dumbledore entered, Harry Potter explained to Albus Dumbledore what had just
happened to his bird, but Albus Dumbledore calmly explained to Harry Potter that
Fawkes was a Phoenix and thus was immortal, and that he had been looking
"dreadful for days".
Albus Dumbledore explained to Harry the various potent
magical powers of the Phoenix and they both watched him rebirth from his
ashes.
More information: Wizarding World
Fawkes saved Harry Potter's life from the Serpent of Slytherin, blinding the Basilisk and dropping the Sorting Hat into Harry Potter's lap, which in turn revealed Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Harry then used the sword to slay Slytherin's basilisk.
Fawkes shed healing tears upon Harry's wounds, inflicted by the Basilisk before its death, and cured him of its venom.
Fawkes then dropped Tom Riddle's Diary into Harry Potter's
lap, giving Harry the chance to destroy it with one of the basilisk's
fangs. As a phoenix can lift a great weight with its tail in flight;
when Harry grasped Fawkes' tail in the Chamber of Secrets, he felt as if he were becoming weightless -which is saying something, as Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Gilderoy Lockhart were in turn hanging on to him.
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Later, in his office,
Albus Dumbledore revealed where Fawkes had come from, when the memory of Tom
Riddle declared that he would go on to become the greatest sorcerer in
the world, Harry responded that Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard
in the world!, and went on to ridicule Lord Voldemort's supposed fear of
Albus Dumbledore during the First Wizarding War. This act of supreme loyalty
was apparently enough to summon Fawkes to the Chamber.
After Harry Potter witnessed Lord Voldemort's resurrection and Cedric Diggory's death, Fawkes was present when Harry told Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black what had taken place.
During this conversation, Albus Dumbledore revealed that Fawkes was the phoenix who had donated his tail feathers to Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort's wands, while Fawkes used his tears to heal the wound in Harry's leg that was caused by an Acromantula in the third task of the tournament.
More information: Screen Rant
Fawkes served as a means of communication between members of The Order and Albus Dumbledore, after learning Arthur Weasley had been attacked by Lord Voldemort's snake, Nagini, while Arthur was guarding The Prophecy.
Fawkes departed from Hogwarts with Albus Dumbledore when Cornelius Fudge, along with Dolores Umbridge, and John Dawlish tried to arrest the latter for supposedly planning to overthrow the Ministry, through Albus Dumbledore's Army.
During Albus Dumbledore's duel against Lord Voldemort in the ministry atrium, Fawkes swallowed a Killing Curse intended for Albus Dumbledore, thus giving Dumbledore time to defend himself against Lord Voldemort's second oncoming attack. He burst into flame upon swallowing the curse and was later reborn from the ashes. He later returned to Albus Dumbledore's office after Harry Potter was sent there, following his departure from the British Ministry of Magic.
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After Albus Dumbledore died during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower at the assumed hands of Severus Snape, Fawkes sang his Lament to the assembled mourners. This Lament affected all with its beauty.
Fawkes subsequently left Hogwarts, as his ties to the school were now dead. He never returned and became a wild Phoenix once more.
Fawkes had crimson feathers on his body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's. He was roughly the size of a swan. His claws and beak were gleaming gold, the latter was long, and his eyes are black. The scarlet body feathers glowed faintly in darkness, while the golden tail feathers were hot to the touch, though it is 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 is possible that Fawkes could control the temperature of his tail feathers and chosen not to burn them.
Fawkes served as Albus Dumbledore's messenger and his constant companion, forming a close bond with the old wizard. Fawkes was also affiliated with Harry Potter and the members of The Order of the Phoenix and was the inspiration for its name.
Fawkes was extremely loyal and courageous, as displayed by his attack on Salazar Slytherin's basilisk and his defence of Albus Dumbledore during his duel with Lord Voldemort. Considering he came back to life every time he died he had no reason to fear death and was therefore willing to sacrifice himself for people who won his loyalty.
He was also shown to be highly intelligent, being capable of understanding Albus Dumbledore and bringing Harry the Sorting Hat and the diary when he needed them.
After Albus Dumbledore's death, he returned to the wild with no ties to another human.
Fawkes is named after Guy Fawkes, since he periodically explodes, in order to be reborn from the ashes, like all phoenixes, a joke on the author's part.
More information: Screen Rant
About time, too.
He's been looking dreadful for days;
I've been telling him to get a move on.
Albus Dumbledore
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