Overview

Slytherin’s Locket was an ancient piece of jewellery that used to belong to Salazar Slytherin. It was passed down through his bloodline as a family heirloom. The heavy golden locket, marked with a green, serpent-shaped S, got into the Gaunt family, who are direct descendants of Slytherin. Marvolo Gaunt saw it as a symbol of his pure-blood heritage, along with the Gaunt ring.

After Marvolo and his Morfin were imprisoned in Azkaban, Marvolo’s daughter Merope took the locket. She was very poor and decided to sell it to Caractacus Burke for just a fraction of its true value. The locket later resurfaced at Borgin and Burkes, where it was purchased by Hepzibah Smith, who was a wealthy witch with a fondness for rare magical artefacts.

While working at Borgin and Burkes, Tom Riddle was shown the locket by Hepzibah and immediately recognised it as part of his inheritance. Two days later, Hepzibah was found dead. Her house-elf confessed to the crime, most likely after Riddle altered her memories. Riddle subsequently used a separate murder to transform the locket into a Horcrux and concealed it in a seaside cave tied to a dark period from his childhood.

The locket was later retrieved from the cave by Regulus Black, who intended for his house-elf Kreacher to destroy it, though the elf couldn’t do it. It eventually fell into the hands of Dolores Umbrigde after being stolen by Mundungus Fletcher from Grimmauld Place. During the search for Voldemort’s Horcruxes, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger recovered the locket and managed to destroy it in the winter of 1997 using the Sword of Gryffindor.

History

Powers: Before it became a Horcrux, Slytherin’s Locket was already believed to hold unusual magical properties. The exact nature of these powers was never clearly defined. It could only be opened by speaking Parseltongue, which reinforced its connection to Salazar Slytherin and his lineage.

After becoming a Horcrux, the locket developed far more sinister abilities. The fragment of Voldemort’s soul within it actively projected a corrupting influence, negatively affecting anyone who carried it. When worn by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley in 1997, it increased feelings of anger, mistrust, and despair, making it impossible for any of them to produce a Patronus. In contrast, someone with cruel or malicious intentions, such as Dolores Umbridge, appeared largely unaffected and even comfortable in its presence.

The locket also defended itself through very powerful dark magic. When Ron attempted to destroy it, it conjured disturbing visions that preyed on his deepest fears and insecurities. At other times, it became dangerously hot, particularly when close to another Horcrux or when its destruction seemed close. In one instance, it even tried to strangle Harry in an effort to stop him from retrieving the Sword of Gryffindor.

Additionally, the locket allowed the soul fragment within to manifest in a visible yet intangible form, with Tom Riddle’s eye appearing behind the glass when it was opened. There was also evidence to suggest it may have been capable of partial possession, similar to the diary Horcrux, as Harry briefly noticed a change in Ron’s eyes. This, however, may have also been intensified by Ron’s own jealousy.

Credits/References

Written by Corban Havilliard
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.