Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2021 November 7

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November 7

Horcrux destruction in Harry Potter

I've seen a number of HP fanfiction stories where destruction of a horcrux is accompanied by a cloud of black smoke or mist. Did the cloud of black smoke also appear when a horcrux was destroyed in the original books or movies, at least some of the time? Were there particular memorable ones? Thanks. 2602:24A:DE47:B8E0:1B43:29FD:A863:33CA (talk) 23:34, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

An extract from the book of the destruction of the first horcrux (the diary):

"... [Harry] plunged [the basilisk fang] straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing sream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then ...

He had gone. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip drip of ink still oozing from the diary. the basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it."

So, no black smoke or mist.

(Going off memory) there wasn't any in the film scene for this either. In fact (from memory) the only horcruxes where this is true may be true are the diadem, the snake and the locket, and only in the film adaptations, not the books.

It looks like this is something writters are adding in for dramatic effect, and it just caught on.SSSB (talk) 14:38, 8 November 2021 (UTC)

When Ron Weasley finally destroys the locket horcrux with the Sword of Gryffindor, there is no dramatic visual effect in the film version.  --Lambiam 12:41, 9 November 2021 (UTC)

References

Thanks! 2602:24A:DE47:B8E0:1B43:29FD:A863:33CA (talk) 19:38, 8 November 2021 (UTC)