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Fawkes
The Sword of Gryffindor represents Harry’s ability to choose his own identity. Throughout much of the book, Harry worries that he does not actually belong in Gryffindor because the Sorting Hat tried to put him in Slytherin. However, at the end of the book, the Sword of Gryffindor appears out of the Sorting Hat, which in turn allows Harry to conquer the basilisk. This demonstrates that even though Harry has many qualities that make him similar to Slytherin’s heir Tom Riddle, Harry chooses to oppose the values that Riddle and other dark wizards uphold. In using the Sword of Gryffindor to slay the basilisk, Harry chooses courage over cowardice, respect over prejudice, and loyalty and friendship over hatred and isolation—all choices that allow him to forge his own identity.
The Sword of Gryffindor Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Sword of Gryffindor. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 17
Quotes
He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but he was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.
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The Sword of Gryffindor Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Sword of Gryffindor appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 17: The Heir of Slytherin
...Hat and begs it to help him. He pulls out of it a “gleaming silver sword.”
(full context)
...find him. But just as it opens its mouth to swallow him, Harry drives the sword into the roof of its mouth. The basilisk keels over, but one of its fangs...
(full context)
...and twists, screaming, until he disappears. Harry collects his wand, the Sorting Hat, and the sword.
(full context)
Chapter 18: Dobby’s Reward
...truly are, far more than our abilities.” He proves this idea by showing that the sword the Hat conjured belonged to Godric Gryffindor, and only a true Gryffindor could have pulled...
(full context)
