Nagini

Nagini
Death	2 May 1998 Hogwarts Castle
Species	Snake
Loyalty	Tom Riddle
Book information
First appearance	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Last appearance	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Nagini is a character in the Harry Potter book series. She is a snake who develops a special bond with Voldemort, whom he turns into a Horcrux. Nagini is an important part of the Second Wizarding War and is found often at Voldemort's side. In order for Voldemort to truly die, Nagini needed to be destroyed. She is eventually killed by Neville Longbottom with the Sword of Gryffindor.

Biography

Goblet of Fire

Nagini lived in a forest in Albania. There, she befriended Voldemort who was trapped in a phantom form. In the summer of 1994, they were discovered by Peter Pettigrew. She started supplying her venom for a potion to build and sustain a new temporary body for Voldemort. The potion had to be drunk every few hours so Pettigrew often had to milk her for it. When Voldemort killed Bertha Jorkins, he used her death to transform Nagini into a Horcrux.

Nagini and Voldemort

Voldemort usually put his Horcruxes in a hiding place but kept Nagini unusually close to him. In August, Nagini travelled to England where she met Voldemort and Peter in the Riddle House where they were planning the kidnapping of Harry Potter. When she arrived, she slithered past Frank Bryce who was eavesdropping the door. Nagini told Voldemort that Frank was standing right outside the door. Frank was murdered shortly after.

In June 1995, Nagini attended the gathering in Little Hangleton in which Harry Potter was kidnapped and brought to the graveyard in order to get blood for Voldemort to build a new, permanent body. She was noticed slithering around by Harry, and Voldemort promised she would be able to eat Harry's body when he had killed him, but Harry escaped.

In December, Nagini was sent by Voldemort to the Ministry of Magic and she crossed paths with Arthur Weasley. She gave in to temptation and brutally attacked Arthur which left him in a critical condition. Harry saw what happened through Legilimency and sent help for Arthur, but during the attack he actually felt he was the snake. Harry was probably able to witness the event because he was also another Horcrux of Voldemort and was able to look in Voldemort's mind, who may have been inhabiting Nagini's mind at the time.

Deathly Hallows

In July 1997, Nagini attended a Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor and she was very annoyed by the loud jeering noises Death Eaters made at Muggle Studies teacher Charity Burbage who was hovering above the table to be killed. The noise made her that angry that she hissed loudly but it fell on deaf ears until Voldemort told them to be silent when stroking Nagini. Charity was later killed and her body was fed to Nagini.

On 1 August, Voldemort gave Thorffin Rowle and Antonin Dolohov two choices of punishment for Harry getting away from them - further pain at the forced hand of Draco Malfoy or be eaten by Nagini. They declined getting eaten by Nagini.

By December, Voldemort had killed Bathilda Bagshot and he had Nagini inhabit her body and stay in Godric's Hollow, in the hope that Harry Potter would find her for information on the Deathly Hallows. When Harry and Hermione Granger did, she set a trap and had them follow her to her home. She then called for Voldemort and launched a sudden attack on Harry. Nagini sensed him under the Cloak of Invisibility he was then hiding in, and Harry fought with her until she bit him and coiled around him. Hermione then run to save him and hit Nagini with the Blasting Curse which gave them time to jump out the window and then apparate in time to avoid Voldemort's arrival.

By May 1998, Voldemort knew Harry was searching for and had found Horcruxes and he placed Nagini in a protective magical cage telling her it was for her own good. He decided it was no longer safe for her to be sent on missions for him.

On 2 May, she was kept out of the Battle of Hogwarts until she joined him on a victory march when Voldemort thought he had killed Harry. Harry had in fact survived, and he gave the order for Nagini to be killed. Neville Longbottom later pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and beheaded Nagini. Voldemort shouted out in rage and grief.

Appearance

Nagini is a gigantic green snake at least twelve feet long. Her tail is diamond patterned.

Trivia

• For many years, a popular fan theory proposed that Nagini was the Boa Constrictor who escaped from the zoo in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.