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... Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it. (Chamber of Secrets)

Now, in Harry Potter, there are real roosters; and then there are "fake" roosters (off the top of my head, at least two come to mind: A wizard having a rooster Animagus form; and conjuring a rooster the way Hermione conjured birds with Oppugno Jinx).

Would the rooster that is a product of magic (like the 2 methods I listed above) be fatal to a Basilisk?

Edlothiad
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DVK-on-Ahch-To
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  • Wouldn't conjuring roosters be an exception to Gamp's Law (assuming one isn't a vegetarian)? – Rand al'Thor Jun 21 '17 at 17:10
  • @Randal'Thor no, if they are an illusion. – TimSparrow Jun 21 '17 at 17:18
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    If you could do magic and want to kill a basilisk, you could also conquer a sword, or a pillar of fire, or a lot of things that are not a fake rooster. – CHEESE Jun 21 '17 at 17:30
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    Did some of F&G's fake wands turn into chickens or am I just misremembering? – ibid Jun 21 '17 at 17:35
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    If the Basilisk can only hear the sound of the crowing rooster, does it still flee? An what differentiates the sound of a real rooster vs that of an impersonation or recording? – Peter M Jun 21 '17 at 18:06
  • @PeterM, Can the Basilisk tell the difference between a phone speaker and a high fidelity speaker? – A Bailey Jun 21 '17 at 18:21
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    I'm just imagining Harry Potter trying to kill the Basilisk by imitating a rooster, instead of by trying to stick Griffindor's sword through the Basilisk's mouth. – Purrrple Jun 21 '17 at 19:55
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    Given the effect of looking at a Basilisk through a mirror -- petrification -- I wonder if hearing a fake rooster would have a similar "proportional" effect on the Basilisk -- i.e., the Basilisk faints. – tonysdg Jun 21 '17 at 20:00
  • The other wizard named Harry would note that sunlight destroys many magical constructs and beings, and that roosters crow at dawn. – Gaultheria Jun 22 '17 at 00:00
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    That does it. I am going to record a rooster and play the noise on my smartphone next time I visit Hogwarts. – RichS Jun 22 '17 at 01:45
  • @RichS Sorry .. I don't believe that you will do that, as from we have seen the highest form of audio technology seen at Hogwarts is a phonograph. And it is well known that no wizard would ever lower themselves to using muggle technology (even if they could understand how to use it) – Peter M Jun 22 '17 at 01:54
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    @Gaultheria For some reason your comment makes me think that this would be a great book title: The rooster crows at dawn BTW if you have ever been around roosters you may notice a tendency of them to crow at other times. – Peter M Jun 22 '17 at 01:57
  • @SQB - not yet sorry. Hoping for something more conclusive :) – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jul 21 '17 at 15:15
  • maybe the text means the rooster is what is fatal, not the crowing. If the crowing were fatal, fleeing from it wouldn't do much good since it would be dead mid-slither – NKCampbell Dec 05 '19 at 18:10
  • Probably depends on how the specific fake rooster works. A fake M16 will still kill you if it can shoot real bullets. – Misha R Dec 05 '19 at 19:22

2 Answers2

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We don't know. Nowhere in Harry Potter canon, a fake rooster is pitted against a basilisk, nor is the use of fake roosters discussed by any of the characters.

Dave Johnson
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SQB
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I would think it would have to be a legitimate rooster. I think a fake one may scare the basilisk off, but there is something to be said of something authentic versus a copy. On the other hand, if producing a rooster through magic actually creates a genetically identical rooster to the real thing then I don't see why not. However, I would think this goes against the laws of nature (specifically the "Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration") because Wizards would just be creating roosters and hens and all manner of other animals, so that they could get food from them, and Hermione stated that they can't conjure food from nothing. All that said, I would personally stick with the answer of no, but of course this is all just speculation.

Brian Ruff
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    I realise you don't have enough reputation to post comments yet, but be wary of posting comment-like speculative answers. They'll tend to get downvoted and flagged. For the time being try and offer actual answers with real references. It won't take long to get enough reputation to allow comments. – Tim Jun 22 '17 at 00:21
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    What if someone uses Avis, conjures some birds, and eats them? Would he/she violate the exceptions to Gamp's law? – Myungjin Hyun Aug 07 '17 at 17:17
  • There is nothing in the books that I'm aware of that answers this question, so the answer must be speculative (unless JK Rowling answers herself). I honestly don't care if I get down voted in this case, but if it was a question that could be answered with a book reference then I would care more. Furthermore, I gave the closest thing to a real answer that there is (using Gamp's laws). I'm not trying to be argumentative (and I hope you don't take me as mean spirited), but what's the point in asking a speculative question if everyone will just down-vote when you give an corresponding answer? – Brian Ruff Aug 12 '17 at 15:55
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    A conjured rooster CANNOT! kill a basilisk. Otherwise Tom Riddle would have been a colossal fool to kill the actual roosters! There would be no point in killing them if they were available at the wave of a wand. –  Aug 19 '17 at 17:20
  • This question explains why the animagus form is always non-magical. Similarly, I could postulate that rooster and toad animagi cannot exist, as both the animals have magical properties even if they are non-magical. Both are directly involved in breeding a basilisk, while the rooster additionally has the power to kill the basilisk –  Aug 19 '17 at 17:39
  • Animals have been conjured several times. Draco Malfoy conjured a snake in book two. And the wand maker conjured birds in book four. – Bernard the Bear Apr 10 '18 at 01:28