Petrification
Magic SystemMonster's attack renders victims rigid cold stone-like with frozen shock faces and blank staring eyes; ghosts become black smoky immobile floaters.
Petrification, a chilling curse inflicted by the Basilisk's deadly gaze in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, transforms victims into rigid, stone-like statues with frozen expressions of terror, sparing ghosts as eerie smoky wisps. Though absent in subsequent books, its legacy endures through the Mandrake antidote's pivotal role in restoration and echoes in later magical defenses against dark creatures. This singular but iconic peril underscores the series' exploration of ancient magic's horrifying permanence, evolving from immediate threat to a foundational element of Hogwarts' lore.
Evolution
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Monster's attack renders victims rigid cold stone-like with frozen shock faces and blank staring eyes; ghosts become black smoky immobile floaters.
Book Appearances
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
First appears Ch 7