Harry directly confronts the basilisk, down in the Chamber of Secrets, deep below the wizarding castle, but is cornered and in great peril. At that propitious moment, a phoenix kept by the wise headmaster of Hogwarts arrives, provides the young hero with a sword, and then attacks the giant snake, providing Harry with time to regroup. Harry slays the basilisk with the weapon, but is fatally bitten in the process. This is another deep mythological echo: In the story of Genesis, for example, the encounter with the snake proves fatal to man and woman alike, who become aware of their fragility and
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