We know the Room of Requirement can do magic. Like digging a magical tunnel from the fifth floor to Aberforth's pub. Or creating objects like the whistle.
So why didn't they wish the Room of Requirement to put the flames out?
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1Perhaps, at that point in time, it needed to be on fire?– DavidWCommented May 6, 2022 at 22:31
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4Beyond the fact that the Room might not have been able to put out the fire, it's also not clear that the Room does in fact respond to wishes. We've never actually seen the Room do anything magical while it was being watched, as it were; instead, you open the door and find what you need within. (I haven't written this as an answer because I can't prove the negative; perhaps there is somewhere the Room responded dynamically to a need that someone had within, and I just can't remember it.)– Patrick StevensCommented May 7, 2022 at 10:08
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1 Answer
The Room wasn't just on fire, it was on Fiendfyre, an extremely powerful curse.
"It must have been Fiendfyre!" whimpered Hermione, her eyes on the broken piece.
"Sorry?"
"Fiendfyre-- cursed fire-- it's one of the substances that destroy Horcruxes, but I would never, ever have dared use it, it's so dangerous." (DH: 31)
Fiendfyre was one of the few substances that was demonstrated to be able to destroy a Horcrux, which we know requires it to damage something beyond magical repair.
"So does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"
"Yes," said Hermione, now turning the fragile pages as if examining rotting entrails, "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really foolproof ways of destroying a Horcrux."
"What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?" asked Harry.
"Oh well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," said Ron. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."
"It doesn't have to be a basilisk fang," said Hermione patiently. "It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself. Basilisk venom only has one antidote, and it's incredibly rare--"
"--phoenix tears," said Harry, nodding.
"Exactly," said Hermione. "Our problem is that there are very few substances as destructive as basilisk venom, and they're all dangerous to carry around with you. That's a problem we're going to have to solve, though, because ripping, smashing, or crushing a Horcrux won't do the trick. You've got to put it beyond magical repair." (DH 6)
It stands to reason then that if even Voldemort's charms can't repair damage from Fiendfyre, the Room of Requirement would have trouble with it.
answered May 6, 2022 at 23:55
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The Horcrux doesn't really do magic. It seems like possessing people and repairing itself / being nearly indestructable is its ownly magical ability. The RoR on the other hand summons a whistle and digs a tunnel. Counterspells to the Friend Fyre does exist, so why didn't it use it?– anonCommented May 7, 2022 at 10:59
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Destroying Horcruxes: Seems like a problem transfiguration can solve. I can think of a few things that would be quite certain.– JoshuaCommented May 8, 2022 at 4:21