Will Harry still be able to speak Parseltongue?

[merrymarge]

I know that Harry can no longer speak Parseltongue. I don't think he really wanted to have that ability.

[MinervasCat]

No. Once Voldemort was destroyed, the link that gave Harry that ability was destroyed, too.

[civetta]

I always figured he wouldn't be able to. When he spoke to the snake at the zoo and in the dueling club, he said he just spoke, it just 'came-out'. If he were to have retained the ability to speak parseltounge, I think it would have become more than subconcious.

[wolfbrother]

I think JKR has confirmed that Harry lost the ability to converse with snakes along with Voldemort's soul.

[jordmundt6]

I thought she did too, but I think that's rather sad. I mean, it would be more interesting if it turned out to be a latent ability in the Potter line and his exposure to Voldemort just brought it out of him. That is, everyone was certain that the only reason he could speak Parseltongue was because Voldemort could speak it until it turned out that one day after the Memorial to that final battle, Harry and Ginny went to the London Zoo as part of courtship date (maybe Harry was trying to clear his head, thinking about ways he might be able to cure werewolves or reverse the effects of the attack on Bill) and they were walking through the reptile house and the boa constrictor, or its mate just greeted him. And he heard it and responded. That's not in line with the canon we have, but I guess I'd call it part of my preferred Post-Hallows Potterverse reality (though not completely my preferred reality, but that's another subject entirely).

Having Harry as a continued Parseltongue is like having Lupin there as a werewolf. It forces everyone to examine "truths" about magical conditions and look at them with fresh eyes and (at least slightly) open minds.

[Phane00]

I've always thought that Harry should retain the parseltongue ability. Maybe not at the level he originally had, but at some basic level. He's heard the language enough through conversations with Voldemort, the pensieve, etc... to recognize it from English. He's even spoken a few words/phrases of it himself. Mere exposure to a language will get one familiar with it, like living in a new country. It might take a while but eventually the language becomes recognizable.
I think that future Harry should be able to understand most parseltongue, but has a problem speaking in parseltongue. That would give the trio plus Ginny, Neville, and Luna a stronger bond of friendship... a secret language. Ron's already getting good at speaking and recognizing it. Hermione could surely find some texts on parseltongue. Luna strikes me as someone who could pick up the language rather easily.
Also, what if the Slytherin entrance could be opened with the parseltongue version of "open up"? Sort of a hereditary password for the Syltherin blood line.

[JR637]

Why not? Apparently Ron can speak Parseltongue as well

But seriously, no I don't think that skill will persist after Voldemort's soul was destroyed.

-JR

[Cormerdamus]

It's not even a possibility. JKR said herself that he can't.

[Lorena]

wow, that's weird, so it was the soul, not the brain the part that knew the language
even though it was harry's mouth, vocal chords, tongue and brain who spoke it

[Smitts]

No, it was the piece of Voldemort's soul in Harry that allowed him to have those powers.

Now that that piece of his soul is gone, so to are Harry's powers that he had from it.

[juicesteen]

I agree that he lost it when he lost the bit of Voldemort's soul that was inside him. That part of Voldy's soul was what made Harry a Horcrux; we all know that was eradicated, leading to the Dark Lord's death.

[Tonks_Animagus]

Interesting question. But I think only Joan could answer it. IMO, Harry would be able to speak Parseltongue, for issues that I'll explain later.

[mintyfrost]

Originally Posted by Cormerdamus

It's not even a possibility. JKR said herself that he can't.

Yes, she said it herself. I think she even mentioned that he was very glad not to have that ability anymore. It was really Voldemort's soul that made Harry speak in Parseltongue.

[Tonks_Animagus]

Really? She told that? Then I believe her. After all, it is her character! O.o