JK Rowling finally answers one of Harry Potter fans’ oldest questions
Now we actually know why that Horcrux inside Harry wasn’t destroyed in Chamber of Secrets after all
JK Rowling made a global fandom very happy this week when she launched her new website. Not just because it means we’ll get to hear far more from her, but because she opened with a spot of FAQ-answering.
After replying to questions about Newt in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Harry Potter author finished off her Q&A by clearing up "an oldie but a perennial favourite":
‘Why wasn’t the Horcrux inside Harry destroyed when he was bitten by the Basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?’
For those of you who aren’t in the know (there must be one of you out there somewhere. Probably), fans have always been puzzled by the fact that when Harry was attacked by a Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, the bite didn’t destroy the Horcrux within him.
This is despite the fact that Tom Riddle's diary – also a Horcrux – was destroyed by a Basilisk fang in the same book. Well, it turns out there is a perfectly logical explanation...
“A Horcrux can only be destroyed if its container is damaged beyond repair,” wrote Rowling. “Harry was healed by Fawkes. Had he died, the Horcrux would indeed have been destroyed.”
So there you have it, HP fans. Now we’ll just have to wait for her to get back to us on all our other questions.
