Parseltongue, the language of serpents, is one of the most unique and intriguing magical abilities in the Harry Potter saga. This ancient language, that sounds like hissing noises, is often associated with power and Dark magic, making Parselmouths generally feared and distrusted among the wizarding population. The ability to communicate with snakes is quite peculiar, and it’s nothing like mastering a foreign language.

Snakes are featured multiple times throughout the Harry Potter books and films, and they play an important role in the story. The Slytherin House is represented by a snake, alluding to the fact that Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. Since many Dark Wizards have possessed this ability, snakes as a whole have gathered a certain negative reputation. This can be true to an extent. The Dark Mark, the symbol representing Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, consists of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

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Voldemort, the most infamous Dark Wizard in history, was often accompanied by Nagini, a Maledictus who transformed into a snake by a curse. Nagini acted as his loyal companion and servant. Voldemort often sent her on missions against his enemies, and even used her venom to make a potion to regain strength and ensure his rebirth. The snake shared a special bond with her master, as she eventually became one of his Horcruxes. In order for Voldemort to be defeated, she had to be destroyed. During The Deathly Hallows, Voldemort commanded Nagini to kill Severus Snape, so he could gain control of the Elder Wand. Nearing the end of war, Neville Longbottom used the Sword of Gryffindor to kill Nagini, who was the Dark Lord's final Horcrux.

Salazar Slytherin looked for certain qualities on wizards for them to be sorted into Slytherin. Cunning, ambition, and resourcefulness are the main and overall best known Slytherin traits, but the Hogwarts founder also took blood purity and the ability to speak Parseltongue into account. He is also widely known for building the Chamber of Secrets and concealing a Basilisk inside, only for his true heir to be able to unlock it and finish his wish for a pureblood wizarding society. The chamber required the ability to speak Parseltongue in order to be opened and control the Basilisk, as any descendant of Slytherin should be a Parselmouth.

Parseltongue As an Inherited Trait

Parseltongue is extremely rare, and it is almost exclusively a hereditary trait that can’t be learned like a regular language. Besides being able to communicate with serpents, Parselmouths can use the language to communicate with each other. Salazar Slytherin was one of the first ever recorded Parselmouths. Nearly all those who have possessed this ability have been his descendants, which is why the language is so associated with the Slytherin House. Parseltongue, therefore, is more of an innate skill than it is a traditional language. Other notable Parselmouths include the Gaunt family, Tom Riddle’s ancestors from his maternal side, and Herpo the Foul, one of the earliest known Dark Wizards and the first one to create a Horcrux.

Although regular people can attempt to imitate it, and even do so successfully, it is nearly impossible for them to understand it or master this skill unless it’s inherited. Albus Dumbledore, arguably one of the greatest wizards in history, has been the only wizard recorded who didn't inherit the Parseltongue ability but could understand it. It is unclear how he was able to learn it, however, although he could understand it and imitate some sentences, he was not fully able to speak it. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron Weasley successfully opens the Chamber of Secrets by repeating a phrase in Parseltongue he hears Harry using earlier. However, this takes him several attempts, and he is not able to understand what he is saying or speak the language.

Why Can Harry Potter Speak Parseltongue?

Before he even finds out he is a wizard, Harry Potter first speaks Parseltongue, unknowingly, during a trip to the zoo with the Dursleys. He speaks to a boa constrictor and sets it free by accidentally removing the glass with magic. He doesn't speak it again until The Chamber of Secrets, when he’s having a duel with Draco Malfoy, who casts 'Serpensortia', a spell that summons a snake out of thin air. When professor Gilderoy Lockhart mistakenly angers it, Harry uses Parseltongue to communicate with the snake and asks it not to attack. That is the moment Harry becomes aware of his ability. This revelation also shocks his friends, classmates, and teachers, and rumors about him being the heir of Salazar Slytherin start to arise. He speaks Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets, and he can understand Tom Riddle when he communicates with the Basilisk. Years later, Harry uses Parseltongue to open Slytherin's locket, and to communicate with Bathilda Bagshot's body while it's inhabited by Nagini.

Harry Potter is, perhaps, the most notable exception to Parseltongue being exclusively an inherited trait, although his case is a pretty unique one. He is not related to Salazar Slytherin, but he has a strong connection to Voldemort, who is. When Voldemort tries to kill Harry as a baby, a piece of his soul stays inside him, thus making Harry one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. When Harry survives, some of his powers are transferred to him, such as being able to see into Voldemort's mind and the ability to speak Parseltongue.

After Voldemort is destroyed, Harry presumingly loses his ability to speak Parseltongue. He is relieved and never attempts to speak it again until the events of The Cursed Child. He discovers he still possesses the ability (or rather somehow regained it) and speaks it once more to search for his son, Albus, in Delphini's enchanted room, and to impersonate the Dark Lord. It is unknown if he ever speaks it again afterward.

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