Nagini

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• Snake form
• Human form

Nagini (d.2 May1998) was aMaledictuscursed totransform into asnake. Originating possibly inIndonesia,^[2] by1927 she was a performer at theCircus Arcanus where she metCredence Barebone (Aurelius Dumbledore) and had a romantic relationship with him. By then, she could transform into a snake at will, although her curse did often cause her to transform uncontrollably.

By1994, Nagini had permanently transformed into snake form due to her Maledictus curse and came into the possession ofLord Voldemort, who, using the death ofBertha Jorkins, made her into aHorcrux that same year.^[7]

After Voldemort'sinitial downfall, he usedNagini's venom as one of the ingredients for apotion to regain strength, which eventually led to hisrebirth in1995.Later in the same year, sheattackedArthur Weasley but he managed to survive.

During theSecond Wizarding War, she had to be destroyed for Voldemort to finally bedefeated. Nagini was killed byNeville Longbottom withGodric Gryffindor'sSword in 1998 and was the last Horcrux to be destroyed afterRowena Ravenclaw'sdiadem.

Biography

Early life

Nagini was originally a femalehumanMaledictus, with the ability to transform into asnake. She was anUnderbeing, which meant she could not do magic and did not have a wand. By1927, she became a featured attraction in theCircus Arcanus, awizardingcircus owned bySkender, who claimed to have found her in the 'jungles ofIndonesia'.

At some point, she befriended theObscurialCredence Barebone, who travelled toEurope with the circus after survivingMACUSA's attempt to destroy him inNew York after heattacked the city inDecember1926. The two became close friends and eventually became romantically involved.

Global wizarding war

On the run

InSeptember1927, Nagini and Credence decided to escape from theCircus Arcanus and discover Credence's real identity.^[1] Amid her performance and transformation into a snake, Credence released a flock offiredrakes to distract Skender, enabling her to attack Skender and run away with the Obscurial.

After that, she and Credence went to18 Rue Philippe Lorand to find who they hoped would be his biological family. They instead foundIrma Dugard, ahalf-elf, who fondly explained some details of the alleged baby and parents. Unbeknownst to Credence and Nagini, they were followed by one ofGellert Grindelwald'sacolytes,Gunnar Grimmson. As the half-elf was about to divulge a key piece of the story, Nagini was suddenly trapped by Grimmson in a wall while he murdered Irma. Grimmson disapparated before Credence'sObscurus could kill him. Nagini tried but failed to escape her locked position inside of the wall until after the event concluded.^[8]

Later, on the rooftop of a house near theEiffel Tower, Nagini and Credence met Grindelwald, who was calling his supporters. He gave them a map ofPère Lachaise Cemetery, inviting them to attendhis rally there.

In theLestrange Mausoleum, they crossed paths withYusuf Kama andJacob Kowalski. Yusuf, thinking that Credence was reallyCorvus Lestrange, tried to kill him. Nagini tried to save the Obscurial, but Kama said that he would kill her too if she did not get out of the way. WhenNewt Scamander,Tina Goldstein, andLeta Lestrange joined them, Leta proved that Credence and Corvus were two different people, saving both Credence and Nagini from death.

Grindelwald's Paris rally

When the door to the next chamber opened, Nagini and the others joinedGrindelwald's rally. When a fight began, Nagini tried to convince Credence to stay with her. However, he did not listen and decided to join the infamousDark wizard to learn his true identity. Devastated, Nagini also witnessed Leta's death and was just barelyApparated to safety by Yusuf.^[9]

Having survived the rally, Nagini officially joined forces withNewt Scamander,Theseus Scamander,Tina Goldstein,Jacob Kowalski, andYusuf Kama and travelled toHogwarts Castle with them all (as well asTorquil Travers andRudolph Spielman), where ProfessorAlbus Dumbledore was waiting on the school'sviaduct.

Final transformation

At some point later, Nagini's blood curse permanently turned her into a snake.^[10] She was eventually acquired byLord Voldemort.^[5]

Rebirth of the Dark Lord

Voldemort used Nagini to help him regain strength and a basic physical form after living in a weak, spectral state following his attempt to kill an infantHarry Potter, during which he was struck by his reboundingKilling Curse. He had the servant who returned to him,Peter Pettigrew, milk hervenom,^[5] and with it, create apotion that sustained him with a temporary body until he could regain his true form.^[11] Nagini further kept Voldemort alive after he turned her into aHorcrux with the murder ofBertha Jorkins in1994. Dumbledore noted that Nagini enhanced Voldemort's mystique and underlined his connection to Salazar Slytherin, which contributed to Dumbledore's suspicion that she had become a Horcrux.^[12]

In the summer of 1994, Nagini, along with Voldemort and Pettigrew, sought shelter in the abandonedRiddle House until they could instigate their plan to capture Harry Potter. Nagini noticed the presence ofFrank Bryce, an oldMuggle gardener who had worked for the lateRiddle family and had overheard a discussion between Pettigrew and Voldemort. Soon after, Nagini slithered past Bryce and alerted Voldemort to his presence, with the Dark Lord murdering the Muggle man. She probably then ate the dead man's corpse.^[5]

Duel in Little Hangleton

When Pettigrew's neglect allowedBartemius Crouch Senior to escape Voldemort'sImperius Curse and head towardsHogwarts, Voldemort threatened to feed Pettigrew to Nagini should Crouch successfully report their plans. However, Crouch was intercepted and killed byhis own son. Voldemort then mockingly told Nagini she was "out of luck" and would not be fed Pettigrew after all, using the moment to further humiliate and intimidate Pettigrew.^[13]

Upon Voldemort'srebirth via the capture of Harry, Nagini slithered around thegraveyard in which theresurrection ceremony took place^[14] and was promised that she could feed on the boy's corpse after her master had killed him.^[11] She was deprived of this when Harry escaped viaPortkey back to the Hogwarts grounds withCedric Diggory's corpse (who had been killed by Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders before the ceremony).^[15]

Second Wizarding War

Attack on Arthur Weasley

Main article:Attack on Arthur Weasley

Shortly before theChristmas of1995, Nagini was presumably sent by Voldemort to retrieve aProphecy in theMinistry of Magic. After she had infiltrated theDepartment of Mysteries, Nagini encountered theOrder of the Phoenix memberArthur Weasley, who was sent to guard the very same prophecy. Nagini, unable to resist, and who had attracted Arthur's attention already, attacked him.

The attack was witnessed by Harry Potter in a dream, during which he saw it through Nagini's eyes.^[16] Critically injured, Arthur was taken toSt Mungo's. He survived the attack but was required to take aBlood-Replenishing Potion at regular intervals. At the suggestion ofTrainee HealerAugustus Pye, Arthur triedstitches, aMuggle replacement, of which his wife,Molly, disapproved.^[17]

Nagini's venom seemed to delayblood clotting and even dissolved the stitches, which caused the wounds to bleed profusely when the bandages were removed. Ultimately, anantidote to thepoison was found and he was cured.^[18] Albus Dumbledore believed Harry saw the vision through Nagini's eyes by virtue of the fact that Voldemort's mind "happened to be" in Nagini at the time. This was the first indication of Nagini and Voldemort's Horcrux connection, having the ability to share thoughts and connect with Harry.^[19]

Murder of Charity Burbage

In1997, Nagini was present at ameeting at Malfoy Manor. When theDeath Eaters were jeering atCharity Burbage and theMalfoy family's humiliation because of a disgraceful marriage in their family, the great snake got agitated, disliking the noise, and opened her mouth wide and hissed angrily, but to deaf ears. Voldemort allowed the jeering to continue and only called for silence after he'd fulfilled his own purpose.^[20]

Near the end of the meeting, Voldemort's prisoner,HogwartsMuggle Studies teacher, Charity Burbage, was murdered by the Dark Lord by means of the Killing Curse and fed to Nagini.^[20]

Later, whenThorfinn Rowle andAntonin Dolohov failed to capture Harry after theLuchino Caffe Duel, Voldemort offered them a choice in punishment: being furthertortured byDraco Malfoy or being killed and devoured by Nagini. The two chose further torture, as both survived for the next battle.^[21]

Godric's Hollow

Main article:Attack at Godric's Hollow (1997)

Nagini was later placed inside the corpse ofBathilda Bagshot by Voldemort's use of extremelyDark Magic and stationed inGodric's Hollow to wait for Harry Potter. When Harry andHermione Granger arrived there, she lured them into the late witch's home, signalled Voldemort due to the Horcrux connection, and then launched a surprise assault on Harry while the latter was investigating a pile of dirty laundry on a dresser.^[4]

Because some snakes could sense heat and movement in a way humans could not, Nagini was able to detect Harry and Hermione even when they were under theCloak of Invisibility. Harry fought with Nagini, and the serpent bit him before coiling herself around Harry to hold him in place for Voldemort. However, Hermione came to Harry's assistance, using aBlasting Curse against the snake. The two then jumped out the window andDisapparated just before Voldemort arrived.^[4] Later, onPotterwatch,Lee Jordan revealed that the remains of Bathilda's body had been found after being informed by theOrder of the Phoenix.^[22]

Battle of Hogwarts

After he discovered that Harry was searching for his Horcruxes in1998, Voldemort placed Nagini into aProtective Magical Cage to prevent her from being killed. He then decided that it was no longer safe to send Nagini on any more missions.

Shortly before the one-hour armistice during theBattle of Hogwarts, Voldemort used Nagini to murderSeverus Snape in theShrieking Shack. He did this by expanding the cage over and on top of him. Nagini proceeded to sink her fangs into Snape's neck. Voldemort then pulled the protective cage off of Snape, who fell to the ground with blood gushing from the wound in his neck.^[23]

When Harry was apparently killed by Voldemort, Nagini was released from the protective enchantment, as he believed there to be no more threats to her life, and she was draped around Voldemort's shoulders during theDeath Eaters' victory march back to Hogwarts.^[3]

Death

AfterNeville Longbottom had openly defied him, Voldemort punished him by forcing theSorting Hat onto his head and setting it on fire. The Death Eaters were then attacked, and, during the ensuing battle, Neville pulled out theSword of Gryffindor from the Hat. He swung the blade in one upward stroke and beheaded Nagini, whose head spun high into the air as her body slumped onto the ground. While this happened, Voldemort screamed in rage, but did not attempt to avenge her.^[3]

Legacy

With Nagini's death, Voldemort's final Horcrux was destroyed, thereby stripping him of his immortality. He screamed in rage but made no attempt to retaliate against Neville. Voldemort himself finally died when his Killing Curse rebounded onto himself once again.^[3]

In analternate reality created byAlbus Potter andScorpius Malfoy, by savingCedric Diggory which caused him much humiliation during theTriwizard Tournament, they turned him into a bitter man who would join theDeath Eaters. As a result, Cedric killed Neville during the Battle of Hogwarts, thus preventing him from killing Nagini. This allowed Voldemort to retain hisimmortality, and thus kill Harry, which led to the Dark Lord to effectively conquer the wizarding world.^[24]

During theCalamity which affected theWizarding world in the2010s and early2020s,Foundable memories of Nagini mysteriously appeared in the world. These Foundables were returned to their proper time by members of theStatute of Secrecy Task Force.^[25]

Physical description

As ahuman, she was a beautiful and desirable woman of East Asian descent with long black hair. In her animal form, Nagini was a large, greensnake, roughly twelve feet long and as thick as a man's thigh.

Personality and traits

Prior to her transformation into a snake, Nagini was a shy, benevolent, quiet, and kind woman, having been abused as a sideshow freak by theCircus Arcanus for so long that it had left theMaledictus insecure and longing to escape to something better. She befriendedCredence Barebone, likely seeing a fellow outcast in the youngObscurial and also wanting to no longer be alone in her life, later falling in love with him. Nagini was also principled and moral enough to recogniseGellert Grindelwald for what he was, despite theDark wizard's persuasive charisma, and adamantly urged Credence not to join him.

Unfortunately, however, Nagini's pleas availed her not, and she was left heartbroken when Credence decided to fall back in with Grindelwald, being too desperate to know his true name and identity. After losing Credence, Nagini seemingly wished to help defeat Grindelwald and end theGlobal Wizarding War, since she joined forces withNewt Scamander,Theseus Scamander,Tina Goldstein,Jacob Kowalski,Yusuf Kama,Torquil Travers, andRudolph Spielman, subsequently going toHogwarts Castle with them all to meet withAlbus Dumbledore.

By the time she had become a Horcrux and, it seemed, permanently stuck in her Maledictus serpent form, Nagini's original kind and gentle personality had been entirely expunged — she was now completely loyal toLord Voldemort. Her curse caused her to gradually and irreversibly transform into a snake. Unlike anAnimagus, who can transform at will and retains their human mind in animal form, a Maledictus completely loses their human sentience.^[26]

When Nagini posed as Bathilda Bagshot to ambush Harry Potter, this was achieved through Voldemort possessing her or directly controlling her actions, as he had done previously when attacking Arthur Weasley at the Department of Mysteries. Any apparent strategic thinking or understanding of human behaviour during this encounter stemmed from Voldemort's intelligence and planning rather than Nagini's own capabilities. As a Maledictus who had fully transformed and lost her human mind by this point, Nagini functioned as an animal acting on instinct and her owner's direction.

Tragically, Nagini's transformation resulted in her serving the very ideology that would have targeted her human self. As a Maledictus, Nagini was classified as an "underbeing", an individual without magical powers but of magical ancestry. She stated that purebloods "kill the likes of us for sport." Voldemort, who championed pureblood supremacy and revered magical power above all else, would have despised her powerless human form. Yet her permanent transformation into a snake made her useful to him as a weapon and Horcrux vessel. In her snake form, she became a tool of oppression against the very people, the marginalised, the powerless, the "lesser", that her human self belonged to. Her loss of humanity didn't just rob her of her identity but forced her to serve an ideology that viewed people like her as targets.

Magical abilities and skills

• Maledictus Transformation (formerly): Nagini was originally able to transform into a huge snake at will, identical to the ability of anAnimagus. This was an ability theCircus Arcanus took extreme advantage of. Ultimately, however, Nagini'sMaledictus blood curse took over, which forced her to stay in her snake form permanently.
• Parseltongue: Nagini, due to her Maledictus transformation into a snake, gained the ability to speak the language of serpents, while remaining in snake form.^[4]
• Combat skills: As a twelve-foot snake, Nagini was capable of the physical capabilities typical of large constrictor snakes. She could strike quickly and wrap her coils around victims to restrain them, as she did withHarry Potter inGodric's Hollow.^[16]Hermione Granger'sBlasting Curse was necessary to break Nagini's hold before Voldemort arrived.^[4]
• Venom: Nagini was an extremelyvenomous snake, as a single bite could result in a wound that was slow to heal, though the extent to which this was due to her status as a Horcrux was unclear. While her venom was not always fatal, it made it difficult for wounds to close, andArthur Weasley's injuries continued to bleed long after Nagini had bitten him. It was powerful enough to dissolvestitches.^[17] If bitten at a vital location, it could result in fatal blood loss within a short amount of time, asSeverus Snape died after a bite to the neck.^[3]
• Bilingualism (formerly): Nagini spoke French when talking toIrma Dugard inParis.^[8] Having lost her human form due to her blood curse, she lost the ability to speak any human language.
• Connection with Voldemort: Being one ofVoldemort'sHorcruxes, Nagini had a strong telepathic bond with her master and was capable of speaking to him over long distances. Voldemort could also possess Nagini at some circumstances. However, sinceHarry Potter himself was an unintentional Horcrux, Nagini's status as one allowed him to see her perspective in dreams, notably her attack onArthur Weasley.^[16]

Relationships

Skender

As a member ofSkender'sCircus Arcanus, Nagini had been abused by him as a sideshow freak, with this mistreatment lasting so long that it left the young woman insecure and longing to escape to something better. Hence, as soon as the opportunity to escape from Skender presented itself, she readily took it— going into snake form to bite Skender in the shoulder and fleeing with Credence's help.

When Skender was later questioned byAurorTina Goldstein about Nagini and Credence, he sneered at how all of his "freaks" desired to "go home" and didn't seen interested in pursuing them. Due to her prolonged abuse by Skender, Nagini was able to see throughGellert Grindelwald's charming words and wasn't at all tempted to join the Dark wizard's forces.

Credence Barebone

While at theCircus Arcanus, Nagini met and befriended fellow outcast Credence Barebone, with the two of them being drawn close together due to their similarly tragic pasts. Wishing to stay together, they hatched a plan of escape. Nagini assisted Credence's quest to find out his true identity and proceeded to hug and comfort the youngObscurial following the death ofIrma Dugard.

When Credence was being tempted by Grindelwald, Nagini desperately implored her friend to stay with her, but was ultimately unable to stop Credence from joining the Dark wizard. However, Nagini's devastation over losing Credence induced her to officially join theGlobal Wizarding War against Grindelwald.

Gellert Grindelwald

Nagini seemed fearful of the infamous Dark wizard upon suddenly meeting him on a rooftop, as she didn't say a word whileGrindelwald invited Credence to hisrally at theLestrange Mausoleum. During the rally, despite Grindelwald's extremely persuasive rhetoric, Nagini's own past experiences at theCircus Arcanus made her able to see Grindelwald for what he truly was, so she resisted joining his followers and desperately pleaded with Credence to resist as well, though she was tragically unsuccessful.

Nagini was nearly killed by Grindelwald's subsequent lethalblue fire, only being saved in time byYusuf Kama. As such, Nagini greatly desired the downfall of Grindelwald and officially joined theGlobal Wizarding War effort against him, with her even visiting Grindelwald's former friendAlbus Dumbledore atHogwarts shortly thereafter, together withNewt Scamander.

Lord Voldemort

Voldemort had a unique relationship with Nagini, as she was his pet and one of his Horcruxes. According to Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort came 'perhaps as fond of her as he can be of anything.'^[12] However, Dumbledore's assessment may have been speculative, as he acknowledged elsewhere that he could misjudge Voldemort's attachments.^[27]

Voldemort's interactions with Nagini were predominantly utilitarian. Throughout their association, Voldemort interacted with Nagini only when he needed to use her for some purpose. She functioned as an attack dog and a vessel for his soul fragment. Every documented interaction between them involved him exploiting her in some capacity, whether as a weapon, a tool for intimidation, or a means of sustaining his own existence. When his Horcruxes came under threat, he finally kept her close and stated 'he would not be parted from her anymore', suggesting he had not been keeping her close previously. In his private thoughts, Voldemort usually regarded Nagini with impersonal pronouns, yet deliberately used feminine pronouns when speaking of her to others. The calculated choice served to enhance his mystique and instill fear in his followers.^[28]

Severus Snape was surprised when Dumbledore informed him that Voldemort would eventually become concerned for Nagini's safety, indicating that Voldemort had shown no prior evidence of such concern despite their years of association. This lack of observable attachment aligned with Voldemort's pattern of regularly sending Nagini on dangerous missions without apparent regard for her wellbeing until his Horcruxes were threatened.^[29]

He was able to communicate with Nagini as aParselmouth and he turned her into a Horcrux in1994 after he murderedBertha Jorkins, which accounted for the unusual amount of control that he had over her. By1997, and likely before then, he was able to communicate with her silently and across great distances, as she was able to signal to him whenHarry Potter arrived atGodric's Hollow. This may have been due to her nature as a Horcrux, which gave her a link to Voldemort like the one Harry possessed.^[4]

Voldemort was also able to possess Nagini, which he did inDecember1995 during the attack onArthur Weasley. In 1994,Peter Pettigrew milked Nagini's venom to return Voldemort to a rudimentary body and, as a Horcrux, her very existence contributed to maintaining Voldemort's immortality. While Voldemort was known for his independence, he recognised Nagini's utility as both a weapon and a link to his Slytherin heritage. However, the primary reason he made her into a Horcrux was circumstantial. According to Dumbledore, Voldemort likely created this Horcrux after murdering Bertha Jorkins while living as a disembodied soul fragment in Albania. The murder provided the opportunity, and Nagini's presence made her a convenient vessel.

He fed Nagini the corpses of his victims, such asCharity Burbage, which served the dual purpose of sustaining his snake and disposing of bodies.

Voldemort stopped sending Nagini on missions after he realised that Harry knew about the existence of his Horcruxes and was tracking them down, placing her within abarrier to keep his soul fragment safe, so long as he believed she was under the threat of being killed by Harry. Voldemort was enraged when Nagini was beheaded byNeville Longbottom withGodric Gryffindor'sSword, though he never attempted to kill him in retaliation. Nagini was the last Horcrux to be destroyed.^[3]

Death Eaters

Nagini was aloof and indifferent to the Death Eaters as a whole, but sometimes could be irritated by them, as she hissed angrily at their loud laughter atMalfoy Manor, though Voldemort ignored Nagini's displeasure, allowing the laughter to continue and only called for silence when Bellatrix was on the verge of tears.^[20]Peter Pettigrew milked venom from her fangs for use in Voldemort's potion.^[5] Pettigrew,Antonin Dolohov, andThorfinn Rowle were threatened to become Nagini's meal in lieu of torture.^[13][21]

Under Voldemort's order, Nagini ruthlessly bitSeverus Snape in a fatal location, dealing him a slow, painful demise.^[23] Because of this, many of the Death Eaters were terrified of Nagini, though none knew she was a Horcrux until Snape learnt this from Dumbledore.^[29]

Victims

Nagini was frequently used by Voldemort to kill others or to dispose of their dead bodies. In 1995, he told Nagini that she could devour Harry Potter after he had killed him.^[13][11] However, she was denied this when Harry escaped from thegraveyard shortly after the promise was made.^[15] It was likely thatBertha Jorkins andFrank Bryce met that intended fate in the summer of 1994. Voldemort threatened Peter Pettigrew with being fed to Nagini if Bartemius Crouch Snr was able to contact Albus Dumbledore about the plot behind theTriwizard Tournament. Nagini also attackedArthur Weasley, but he survived the bites after Harry had a vision of the attack and he was quickly aided.^[16]

During the meeting at Malfoy Manor, she consumed the body ofCharity Burbage after Voldemort killed her.^[20] Later, when Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle did not capture Harry Potter and his friends after theskirmish atLuchino Caffe, Voldemort offered them a choice in the form of punishment: being tortured byDraco Malfoy'sCruciatus Curse or being killed and eaten by Nagini.^[21] After the skirmish at Malfoy Manor, furious Voldemort discovered Pettigrew's dead body and possibly ordered Nagini to consume his dead corpse after he was strangled to death by his own enchanted hand. During theBattle of Hogwarts, she attacked and killed Severus Snape in theShrieking Shack.^[23]

Etymology

• "Naga" is "snake" while "Nagini" is a "female snake" inSanskrit and "Nagin" means "female snake" inHindi andUrdu. A reference to Rudyard Kipling's cobra characters Nag and Nagaina^[30] from the book, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is referred to as Nagini in some translations.
• A "Nagini" was also a half-woman, half-snake creature that is found in some Indian mythology (possibly a half-snake, half-woman creature called "Lamia").

Behind the scenes

• Nagini was based on Indonesian mythology.^[31]
• Nagini'shuman form is portrayed byClaudia Kim and is one of the main cast ofFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.^[10]
  • A common pre-release theory predicted that theMaledictus was the Snake Girl advertised on a poster for theCircus Arcanus,^[32] with her Maledictus form being a snake. It was further hypothesised that the snake she would become was Nagini, which would solve the mystery of Nagini's origins. Her nature as such an important reveal would also explain why promotional material refused to give her a name.^[33] This theory was confirmed when Claudia Kim stated that she was playing Nagini, along with the character being named in the finalFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer.
  • According toJ. K. Rowling, she had been sitting on Nagini's secret for around twenty years.^[34]Curse of Nagini was among a list of potential titles forHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows thatWarner Bros. trademarked in2005, implying it was meant to be introduced there.^[35]
  • It seems like the character was written out ofFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore due to Kim's pregnancy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. She had said in an interview in September 2019 that, after the first of the year, she was headed to the UK to film the movie. However, the pandemic delayed the production by six months and she gave birth in Korea a few weeks after filming began in September 2020.
  • Along withAlbus Dumbledore,Aberforth Dumbledore,Minerva McGonagall, andGellert Grindelwald, Nagini is one of five characters who appear in both theHarry Potter andFantastic Beasts series to date (discounting the mentions of Newt Scamander and the Flamels in theHarry Potter series).
• InGoblet of Fire andOrder of the Phoenix, Nagini was likely portrayed as a Dumeril's Ground Boa, but in the last two films, she was portrayed as a Reticulated Python (the longest real-life snake species); both instances contradicted the book's description of her as a venomous snake. However, it was possible that she was a fictional species of venomous python within the film continuity. The filmmakers' intention was to model Nagini after a Burmese Python.^[36]
• Nagini is the only one of Voldemort's intendedHorcruxes that was a living creature, as Harry Potter was a pseudo Horcrux that was created by accident.
• As a Maledictus who had fully transformed and lost her human mind, Nagini functioned as an animal. J.K. Rowling confirmed that Maledictuses "lose themselves" and their human consciousness entirely upon permanent transformation. Any apparent strategic behaviour resulted from Voldemort's possession or control of her, as demonstrated during the attacks on Arthur Weasley and Harry Potter.^[26]
• InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,Albus Dumbledore believed that Nagini may have been made into a Horcrux through the murder of an "old Muggle man", most likely referring toFrank Bryce. However, J. K. Rowling said in an interview that the murder that Voldemort used to make Nagini into a Horcrux wasBertha Jorkins.
• Voldemort likely encountered Nagini inAlbania sometime after1992. After his fall in1981, Voldemort possessed various animals in the Albanian forests, but only snakes could sustain him. However, Nagini's venom possessed unique magical properties that distinguished her from ordinary snakes, sustaining qualities complementary tounicorn blood that were necessary for the potion that gave Voldemort his rudimentary body. The fact that Voldemort pursued the Philosopher's Stone in1991 despite having access toQuirrell indicates he did not yet have access to Nagini's venom, suggesting he found or sought her out sometime between 1992 and1994.
  • She had the name of Nagini before she permanently became a snake and lost her human sentience and memories. This suggests Voldemort specifically sought out Nagini, a rare magical snake, sometime after 1992, rather than encountering her by chance. She was very famous so he might have read or heard about her.
• Nagini was killed by Neville using Gryffindor's Sword, which was an object that could destroy Horcruxes because it had been impregnated withBasilisk venom in1993. It was unknown if living Horcruxes could be destroyed by anything that cannot destroy an inanimate Horcrux; however, it was likely, because the Horcrux inside Harry was destroyed by Voldemort by using the Killing Curse. Nevertheless, it was still possible that living Horcruxes could not be destroyed by anything that would not destroy an inanimate Horcrux, considering that the Killing Curse was a one-of-a-kind unblockable instant death spell. As a living container of a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul, it was unknown what would happen if she could have died naturally.
• The killing of Nagini was very representative of the houses Gryffindor and Slytherin. The sword was originally Godric Gryffindor's, and Nagini was a snake, Salazar Slytherin's symbol, who was owned by a descendent of theSlytherin family line.
• Nagini and theBasilisk were both giant snakes who served Voldemort and both were killed with Gryffindor's Sword when someone pulled it out of the Sorting Hat. Also, both their deaths contributed to Voldemort becoming mortal (as the Basilisk fangs were used to destroy two Horcruxes and the venom absorbed by Godric Gryffindor's Sword allowed the destruction of three more). Also, the Basilisk was related to the first appearance of a Horcrux in the series, while Nagini was the last Horcrux.
• Nagini was usually sent on missions on Voldemort's behalf, making her rather vulnerable, which was against the general purpose of a Horcrux: to protect the portion of the soul. Nagini shared this trait with theDiary Horcrux. However, it could have been that the primary purpose of creating these two items was not so much to provide for Voldemort's immortality, but rather to use the other properties of a Horcrux to create unique weapons. Dumbledore believed this to be the case for the diary.
• There was a rumour that Nagini was the snake that Harry had released from the zoo inHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This was proven false,^[37] as Nagini was venomous while thesnake at the zoo was a boa constrictor, which is not. Furthermore, the snake was given a male voice in the film, while Nagini was female.

• InLEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Nagini is a normal-sized snake. InLEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, she is considerably larger. In real-life terms, this was so she could be more like a formidable boss battle, but in-universe, this could be due to her being a Horcrux.
• Nagini's portrayed death was changed in the film just like Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange's. In the novel, their corpses fell onto the floor when they received their respective deathblows. In the film, all of them disintegrated into nothingness instead. The film also adds the detail of the shard of Voldemort's soul inside Nagini escaping as smoke from the wound before dissolving.
• There is no known species of venomous snake matching Nagini's description. Therefore, she was most likely a species of snake that was found only in the magical world. It is unknown if this was directly related to herMaledictus identity, or if this species also exists in the wild in the wizarding world.
• When Nagini was first revealed to be inFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the revelation received some backlash, as it indicated Nagini, played by a woman of East Asian descent, would eventually become thepet of Voldemort. However, given that she lost all traces of her former humanity, Voldemort's pet was just a snake.
• Nagini lived to be at least 100 years old, longer than a snake's normal life expectancy.
• Dumbledore believed that Voldemort intended to use the murder of a one-year old Harry to create his sixth and final Horcrux, in1981.^[12] However, Voldemort did not meet with Nagini until after 1992.^[5] Therefore, it is unknown what Voldemort intended to use to create his sixth Horcrux at the time.

Differences between book and film

InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Nagini was not protected by the magical orb, but instead by what appeared to be an invisible force field that deflected all spells cast at her. This allowed her to participate in the second stage of the battle, as opposed to dying before it began, where she attempted to strike Harry from the back while Voldemort duelled him from the front. Ultimately, she was fighting against Hermione and Ron, both of whom tried to stab her with a Basilisk fang, before Neville decapitated her. Upon her death, she vanished into black smoke, as opposed to simply dying and falling onto the ground in the novel. Why her body perished was not known, and she was the only Horcrux to disappear in such manner; all the others did not disappear, but instead left behind fragmented pieces, except the Diadem when Ron kicked the remnants into the oncomingFiendfyre. Also, Nagini was killed while Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort were duelling, when in the book, Neville Longbottom killed Nagini while Voldemort and his Death Eaters were in theEntrance Hall. Furthermore, Voldemort's and Snape's final meeting occurs in theBoathouse in the film, as opposed to theShrieking Shack in the novel, and thus Nagini murders Snape there instead of on her master's orders.

Appearances

The Harry Potter Wiki has 196 images related toNagini.

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(Appears in vision(s))
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)(Appears in vision(s))
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)(Appears in vision(s))
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince(Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child(Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)(Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)(Appears on a poster)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Pottermore
• HarryPotter.com
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -Ministry of Magic(Place Cachée)(Appears on a poster)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac

Notes and references

Death Eaters
Leader:Lord Voldemort
Death Eaters Avery II ·Alecto Carrow ·Amycus Carrow ·Crabbe ·Bartemius Crouch Junior † ·Antonin Dolohov ·Virgil Fowler's parents † ·Gibbon † ·Goyle ·Antoine Grimalkin (banished) ·Bedilia Grimalkin (banished) ·Gareth Greengrass's brother (possibly) ·Jugson ·Barnaby Lee's father ·Barnaby Lee's mother ·Bellatrix Lestrange † ·Rabastan Lestrange ·Rodolphus Lestrange ·Walden Macnair ·Mulciber I ·Mulciber II ·Nott ·Peter Pettigrew † ·Pyrites (possibly) ·Augustus Rookwood ·Rosier ·Evan Rosier † ·Felix Rosier's father (possibly) ·Thorfinn Rowle ·Selwyn ·Merula Snyde's father ·Merula Snyde's mother ·Travers ·Mason Tremblay (possibly) ·Wilkes † ·Corban Yaxley ·Unidentified Death Eaters
Death Eater defectors Regulus Black † ·Igor Karkaroff † ·Draco Malfoy ·Lucius Malfoy ·Severus Snape †
Death Eater allies Borgin ·Vincent Crabbe ·John Dawlish ·Delphini ·Golgomath ·Gregory Goyle ·Fenrir Greyback ·Barnaby Lee's grandmother ·Narcissa Malfoy (defected) ·Ismelda Murk (unofficially, supposedly) ·Nagini ·Mr Padgett ·Mrs Padgett ·Pansy Parkinson ·Quirinus Quirrell ·Ringkull ·Albert Runcorn ·Stanley Shunpike (Imperiused) ·Scabior ·Serpent of Slytherin ·Pius Thicknesse (Imperiused) ·Yubert Thorne ·Dolores Umbridge
Other affiliations British Ministry of Magic (underVoldemort'scontrol) ·Daily Prophet (underVoldemort's control) ·Dementors ·Draco Malfoy's gang ·Kreacher (formerly) ·Tom Riddle's gang ·Gang of Slytherins ·Giants (Golgomath's control) ·Inferi ·Charmed skeletons ·Muggle-Born Registration Commission(Supporters) ·Theodore Nott (possibly) ·Snatchers ·Werewolf army ·The Unforgivable
Death Eater establishments Abandoned nuclear power plant ·Borgin and Burkes ·British Ministry of Magic headquarters (under Voldemort's control) ·The Cave ·Chamber of Secrets ·Forbidden Forest ·Gaunt Shack ·Lee family house ·Lestrange Vault ·Little Hangleton graveyard ·Malfoy Manor ·Misty Dell ·Riddle House ·Snatcher Camp ·Spinner's End (Severus Snape's house) ·The Abandoned Substation ·The Ruins ·The Quarry

Circus Arcanus
Skender
Workers
Blimey ·Burgle ·Credence Barebone ·Gwenlyn Jenkins
Attractions
2-Headed Baby ·Abarimon ·Celeste Aérienne ·Mademoiselle Belmont ·Borys the Brute ·Child performer ·Clown ·Fire-breather ·Flying Sparks(Individual Firedrake) ·Graphorn ·Half-elves ·Half-goblins ·Half-troll ·Hippogriff ·Infant Demonic ·Kappa ·Madame Latsky ·Nagini ·Nigelle le Narcissique ·Oni ·Rodriguez brothers ·Zouwu