What is the ability to speak to snakes called?

The story behind the answer

Parseltongue is the rare magical ability to communicate with snakes. In the series, Salazar Slytherin and his descendant Voldemort are natural Parselmouths; Harry can speak it only because a fragment of Voldemort’s soul was inside him. Parseltongue controls serpent-linked magic, like opening the Chamber of Secrets and directing the Basilisk, which is why the talent is often associated with dark wizards and feared at Hogwarts.

Memory tip: “Slytherin’s Serpents Speak Parseltongue”—the string of hissing s sounds echoes a snake’s hiss. Ron even imitates it to open the Chamber, showing it’s a language that can be mimicked, not just a power.