Minor Harry Potter beasts
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The following are minor magical beasts from the Harry Potter fantasy series by J. K. Rowling. They appear either in the Harry Potter novels or the spin-off book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. These beasts are those that have been specifically invented by JK Rowling; many other beasts in Harry Potter are also common in folklore and myth[1]. For a complete list of Harry Potter beasts see Magical beasts (Harry Potter).
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[edit] Acromantula
Acromantula are massive poisonous spiders. They are covered in thick black hair and have legspans of up to fifteen feet (4.5 m), as well as giant pincers. Acromantula are native to uncharted rainforests of Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo.
Acromantula, particularly their leader Aragog, are encountered in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by Harry and his friend Ron Weasley[HP2] in the Forbidden Forest. They are carnivores which prefer large prey. Their webs are large and dome-shaped and the female, which is bigger than the male, may lay up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball–sized eggs at a time, which hatch in six to eight weeks. The Ministry of Magic has imposed severe penalties for the trade of these eggs.
Horace Slughorn explains to Harry Potter that Acromantula venom is very valuable[HP6].
Acromantula are believed to be wizard-bred, possibly to guard dwellings or treasure, and are therefore possessed of the power of human speech and human intelligence. With this, it is also their tradition to feast upon their dead, as they were about to do to Aragog. They are, however, totally untrainable and gain a five-X Ministry of Magic rating. Only Rubeus Hagrid has had any success with one of them, as he befriended Aragog when it was at a very young age. Aragog's children, however, are quite wild and only refrained from eating Hagrid due to Aragog's command. After their father's death they felt quite free to attack his old friend.
Its mortal enemy is the Basilisk.
[edit] Ashwinder
The Ashwinder looks like a pale-grey serpent with glowing red eyes.
It is created when a "magical fire" is allowed to burn unchecked for too long. Its lifespan is an hour long, during which it lays its eggs. Ashwinder eggs give off great amounts of heat and often cause wizards' houses to catch fire. If an egg is frozen with the appropriate charm, they may be used in love potions or as a cure for ague. Rowling does not make clear if these eggs can hatch into new Ashwinders; given their formation out of fires, it is likely they don't need to survive.
Ashwinders live throughout the world.
[edit] Augurey
(also known as Irish Phoenix) Described as looking like a small and underfed vulture the Augurey is greenish black in colour. It lives in a tear shaped nest that is usually found in a bramble and thorn patch. It usually only leaves its nest in heavy rain to feed. Augureys were once thought to foretell death with their low wailing cry. In recent times it has been revealed that Augureys cries usually foretell bad weather and have since been used as household pets. An Augurey's feathers cannot be used for quills as they have the uncanny ability to repel ink.
Augureys are found in Britain and Ireland and sometimes Northern Europe.
[edit] Billywig
Billywigs are small insects native to Australia. Extremely small in size a Billywig is sapphire blue and can fly at great speed. It is invisible to the human eye. At the end of its body the Billywig has a long stinger, which when used against humans, has been known to cause extreme giddiness and levitation. Too many stings have been known to cause uncontrollable flight which can last for days. In rare cases, those who are stung can suffer an allergic reaction which can cause permanent hovering. Dried Billywig stingers are used in many potions and are said to be the secret ingredient in Fizzing Whizbees.
[edit] Blast-Ended Skrewt
A Blast-Ended Skrewt is a creature that Rubeus Hagrid, in his capacity as the Care of Magical Creatures professor, misguidedly introduced to classes during Harry's fourth year. The Blast-Ended Skrewt is reputedly bred by crossing a manticore with a fire-crab[HP4], as mentioned in the 4th book.
They are described as, upon birth, looking like shell-less lobsters, pale and slimy on the surface. There is no identifiable head. Upon hatching they measure six inches (15 cm) and smell of rotting fish. They have a natural mechanism to emit a strong spark from one end (hence their name), and the males sport a stinger at the other. Females, although missing the stinger, have a sucker (for blood) on the underside. The blast is typically strong enough to move them several inches. The spark occasionally causes surface burns to anything in contact with the animal. They do not hibernate.
At two months, measuring a metre in length, skrewts develop a thick, grey, shiny armour - described as looking like a cross between a scorpion and an elongated crab. At this stage the animals begin to display their aggressive tendencies between each other - often killing one another. Though aggressive, the male skrewt may be controlled by fastening a rope around its sting. After another month the skrewt measures 2 metres in length.
A skrewt was used as an obstacle in the maze during the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. At this point, over nine months since birth, the beast is 3.5 metres in length - the male's stinger now extends over its back. The shell is resistant to most spells - though the fleshy under-belly is still vulnerable.
Although there is a picture here of what they look like in the game, J. K. Rowling herself has never publicly produced a picture of what they should look like, which leaves everyone with a very different image.
[edit] Bowtruckle
Bowtruckles are little wooden creatures that live in trees, but only trees used for wands. They feed on wood lice and fairy eggs. They seem harmless, but their sharp fingers could gouge out eyes. Tree cutters often get attacked, but an offering of woodlice normally keeps the Bowtruckle at bay long enough to get wand wood from the tree.
[edit] Crup
Crups look exactly like Jack Russel Terriers except that they have a forked tail. They are loyal and friendly to wizards and witches but ferocious toward muggles.
[edit] Doxy
Doxies are mentioned several times throughout Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as they inhabit Grimmauld Place. Molly Weasley and the kids sprayed the pests with doxicide (a kind of pesticide intended for Doxies) though the Weasley twins pocketed a few, so they could experiment with Doxy venom for their Skiving Snackboxes.
According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Doxy is also known as the "Biting Fairy" and is often mistaken for a fairy though it is a separate species. Like the fairy, the Doxy has a form resembling that of a miniature human being. However, unlike the fairy, the Doxy is covered in black hair. Doxies have wings and an extra pair of arms and legs and can lay up to five hundred eggs, which hatch in two or three weeks time, at once. They have double rows of sharp teeth that are venomous enough that an antidote is recommended for anyone bitten by one. Doxies are found throughout northern Europe and North America, as they prefer cold climates to warmer ones.
Apparently, eating their eggs is not instantly dangerous, but makes on sick as seen in Half-Blood Prince when Cormac McLaggen said he had been sick in the hospital for eating doxy eggs in a bet.
"Doxy" is a rather unflattering word for a woman who, quoting the OED, "cohabits with important men."
[edit] Dragon
There are ten known breeds of dragon found in the Harry Potter universe.
[edit] Antipodean Opaleye
The Antipodean Opaleye is considered by wizards worldwide to be one of the most beautiful species of dragon.
- Location: New Zealand (but is known to migrate to Australia when territory is scarce).
- Physical features: It is of medium size (between two and three tons). Pearly scales. Multi-coloured pupil-less eyes.
- Feeding habits: Never kills humans. Its favourite food is sheep.
- Misc: Its eggs are pale grey and may be mistaken for fossils by muggles.
A series of kangaroo killings in the 1970s were attributed to a male Opaleye ousted by a dominant female.
[edit] Chinese Fireball
Also known as Liondragon, the Chinese Fireball is the only Asian dragon and has a particularly striking appearance. Scarlet and smoothed scaled, it has a fringe of golden spikes around its snub snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes. The fireball gained its name for the mushroom shaped flame that burst from its nostrils when it gets angry. It weighs between two and four tons, the female being larger than the male. Eggs are vivid crimson speckled with gold, and the shells are much prized for use in Chinese Wizardry. The Fireball is aggressive but more tolerant of its own species than most dragons, sometimes consenting to share its territory with up to two others. The Fireball will feast on most mammals but seems to prefer pigs and humans. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Viktor Krum had to get past one of these in order to complete the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, which he did by using the Conjunctivitus Curse.
[edit] Welsh Green
The Welsh Green Dragon is found almost exclusively on a reservation in Wales, where it preys on sheep. This dragon avoids humans, and will not attack unless provoked. It has a melodious roar. Fire is spewed from its nose in thin jets. Its eggs are brown with green specks.
In 1932, a Welsh Green flew over a beach of sunbathing Muggles. Fatalities were prevented because of the efforts of a wizarding family that happened to be present and on holiday at the time. These wizards subsequently performed one of the biggest batches of memory charms in a century on the terrified Muggles. This action was necessary to uphold Clause 73 of the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy, which states that if any magical creature is noticed by Muggles in a particular country, then the Ministry for Magic in that country, and any wizards involved, will be subject to discipline by the International Confederation of Wizards. However, as reported in the 1972 book by Blenheim Stalk, there was one Muggle who escaped the memory charms: "To this day, a Muggle bearing the nickname 'Dodgy Dirk' holds forth in bars along the south coast on the subject of a 'dirty great flying lizard' that punctured his lilo". It is never explained why, since dragons are present in Muggle culture as fictional animals, he failed to recognise one as such.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Fleur Delacour was required to get past a female Welsh Green and retrieve a golden egg from her nest, in order to complete her first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Fleur put the dragon into a bewitched sleep, but as she snatched the egg, her skirt was set ablaze when the dragon suddenly snored.
[edit] Hungarian Horntail
The most dangerous of all dragons, the Hungarian Horntail has black scales and is lizard-like in appearance. Its eyes are yellow and it has bronze horns. Its fire can reach up to fifty feet (15 m). Its tail is lined with spikes which it uses to attack prey and defend its young. This dragon feeds off large mammals, and enjoys eating goats. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry had to get past one of these in order to complete the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, young Horntails will club their way out of the egg with its tail.
[edit] Norwegian Ridgeback
The Norwegian Ridgeback, in the form of Norbert, was the first dragon encountered by Harry during his time at Hogwarts. The book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" notes several facts about this species, including the ridges on its back (hence the name), the fact that, unusually for dragons, the species preys on water-dwelling creatures, and the fact that this particular species develops its fire-breathing abilities at the age of 1 to 3 months, which is earlier than other species of dragon. It is also a rarer breed of dragon. The eggs (as seen in the Sorcerer's Stone film) are a black colour, and can be placed in the center of a fire to hatch. The name bears some resemblance to "Rhodesian Ridgeback", a type of purebred dog.
[edit] Peruvian Vipertooth
The Peruvian Vipertooth is a small and swift dragon with copper-coloured skin. The dragon has short horns and venomous fangs. It enjoys preying on Guanacos to the point that the International Confederation of Wizards had to order a mandatory cull of these dragons to lower their exploding numbers.
This dragon will eat the smaller of the species and spiders as well as humans.
[edit] Romanian Longhorn
The Romanian Longhorn dragon has dark green scales and long, golden horns. The species' traditional breeding ground is now a major dragon reservation for all breeds. The Romanian Longhorn is endangered and is the focus of an intense breeding programme. They eat goats, cattle and sheep.
[edit] Swedish Short-Snout
The Swedish Short-Snout is a voluptuous silvery-blue dragon whose skin is sought after for the manufacture of protective gloves and skins. The flames that issues from its nostrils is a brilliant blue and can reduce timber and bone to ash in a matter of seconds. The Short-Snout has killed fewer humans than most dragons because it prefers to live in uninhabited mountainous areas.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory had to get past one of these in order to complete the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. He transfigured a rock into a labrador retriever to distract it. Though the dragon soon lost interest and attacked him, Cedric still completed the first task.
[edit] Ukrainian Ironbelly
The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest of all dragons. Though slow, it is very dangerous. One of the most common risks associated with the dragon is its ability to land on dwellings and crush them (they can weigh up to six tons). Its skin is a metallic grey, its eyes a deep red, and its talons are long. In 1799, one picked up an entire sailing boat from the Black Sea.
[edit] Hebridean Black
A dangerous British dragon with black skin, hence the name. It is known to be violent and enjoys eating Humans. A Quidditch team once made an attempt to capture a Hebridean Black to serve as its mascot, but it went a bit out of control.
[edit] Erkling
The Erkling, according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is "an elfish creature which originated in the Black Forest of Germany. It is larger than a gnome (three feet (1 m) high on average), with a pointed face and a high-pitched cackle that is particularly entrancing to children, whom it will attempt to lure away from their guardians and eat." This beast sounds like it may have been based upon the German "elf king" called the Erlking.
In the DS version of the fourth Harry Potter game, Erklings are shown as brown devils blowing into a magical flute, levitating Harry and his friends and entrancing them. However, in the console versions, they look like large Bowtruckles with blow darts.
[edit] Fire Crab
Fire crabs are a species of magical animal in the fictional Harry Potter universe. The name is deceptive- Fire Crabs resemble Giant Tortoises with jewel-encrusted shells. When threatened, a Fire Crab will expel a stream of flame from its posterior. Fire Crabs are assigned a XXX rating in Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them, because they are strictly protected by magical law.
They live only on certain beaches, which are all shielded with various forms of Muggle-Repelling Charms. This is to prevent greedy and/or unscrupulous Muggles from stealing the Crabs so to remove the jewels. The shell is also prized by wizards for magical cauldrons. Crossbreeding a Fire Crab with a Manticore is rumoured to create an ugly, vicious monster called a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
[edit] Flobberworm
A Flobberworm is an extremely dull creature which appears in the Harry Potter universe. They are rather plain in appearance, thick, brown, slimy, and up to 10 inches (25 cm) long. One end of the Flobberworm looks identical to the other, and both ends secrete mucus, which is sometimes used to thicken potions. Flobberworms have been known to eat lettuce although they will eat seemingly any other vegetation, and usually live in damp ditches. Flobberworms were given one X by the Ministry of Magic in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which classifies them as 'boring'.
When Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts loses heart after his first lesson ends up in the injury of a careless student, he teaches his class about Flobberworms. During such a class, Ronald Weasley remarks "Why would anyone even bother looking after them? " Later, Harry muses that the class assignment of watching flobberworms would be easy, as they thrive when left to their own devices. The only reason given so far as to why they are protected from muggles is because their mucus has magical properties and can be used in potions.
[edit] Kneazle
A Kneazle is a magical cat-like creature closely enough related to cats to interbreed with them. A kneazle has large ears, spotted fur and a lion-like tail.
Kneazles are considerably more intelligent than the average cat, and have a few knacks, in particular the ability to detect suspicious people (to whom they react badly). Despite their occasionally aggressive nature, if domesticated they make good pets. Kneazles must be licensed if they become tamed in the event that a Muggle mistakes it for a cat.
Crookshanks, Hermione Granger's pet, is half-Kneazle, which explains why he recognises Scabbers, Ron's rat, for Peter Pettigrew. Arabella Figg also breeds them, and it is therefore likely that at least some of her "cats" are Kneazles or part-Kneazle. As J.K. Rowling has explained on her official site, Filch's cat (Mrs. Norris) is just a regular, intelligent and unpleasant cat.
[edit] Lethifold
In appearance, a Lethifold is similar to a black cloak approximately half an inch (13 mm) thick, somewhat thicker if it has recently digested a victim. A Lethifold is carnivorous, gliding along the ground and possibly other surfaces in an unknown mode of locomotion in search of prey to suffocate and digest. The only reported prey is humans (including wizards), and the only known spell capable of repelling a Lethifold is the Patronus Charm. As it generally attacks sleeping victims, however, few manage to actually apply this knowledge. The first recording of a Lethifold was by the Wizard Flavius Belby. With its cloaklike appearance and susceptiblity to the Patronus Charm, a Lethifold is similar to the Dementor, but unlikely to be actually related to it in the biological sense because, as Rowling has stated, dementors do not reproduce biologically.
The Lethifold is a mercifully rare denizen of the tropics, and has yet to appear in the main novels.
These creatures are very similar to cloakers from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons which look like cloaks and attempt to consume the people who wear them.
[edit] Murtlap
A rat-like creature with a sea anemone-like growth on its back. Its essence can protect against spell effects. The essence of the murtlap is used by Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to soothe the pain from his detentions with Dolores Umbridge. He also suggests it to Lee Jordan, who in turn gives an idea to the Weasley twins to use it in their Skiving Snackboxes.
[edit] Niffler
Nifflers are small creatures which possess the ability to hunt treasure and shiny objects. Their front paws are flat and spade-like, which help them dig. Nifflers are found naturally in mines. Although they are not considered highly dangerous, they are considered impossible to keep in the home, because they will tear a home apart seeking valuables.
Nifflers were introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the subject of a Care of Magical Creatures lesson. The instructor, Rubeus Hagrid, buried one hundred or so coins, inviting students to pick a Niffler to dig them up. The student whose Niffler retrieved the most coins was the winner. (Ron Weasley won.)
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Nifflers are mentioned again, though not seen firsthand.
From what the book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) tells us, it may be believed that they look somewhat like black Pomeranians.
[edit] Nundu
The Nundu is native to eastern Africa and resembles a giant leopard. This most dangerous of beasts moves silently and its disease-causing breath is potent enough to wipe out entire villages. According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Nundu has never been subdued by fewer than 100 wizards working together.
There are rather disturbing parallels between the effects of a Nundu and the recent spate of hemorrhagic fevers that has affected parts of equatorial Africa.
Outside of the Harry Potter universe, Nundu is an animal, described as a gray-striped "donkey sized cat", supposedly living in Africa on the eastern coast of Lake Tanganyika. It is mentioned in Igor Akimushkin's book "The tracks of unknown animals" (a link to the text in Russian can be found here), which was written in 1961. The book says that samples of fur were found matching the description. The animal's existence has not been confirmed.
[edit] Puffskein
A Puffskein is covered in soft, custard-coloured fur and spherical in shape. It is a popular pet that does not object to being cuddled or thrown about. Its appearance is almost identical to a Tribble from Star Trek. The Puffskein is not a picky eater, but it particularly likes to use its long thin tongue to eat wizards' bogeys while they sleep.
According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ron Weasley owned a Puffskein at one point. Its demise is attributed to Fred, who purportedly used it for Bludger practice. A nest of dead puffskeins was also discovered in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place under the sofa.
A Pygmy Puff is a miniature Puffskein, sold in Fred and George Weasley's shop "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" at Diagon Alley in London. They come in various shades of pink and purple. Ginny Weasley has a purple Pygmy Puff named Arnold.
[edit] Snidget
An endangered species, due to the fact that the Golden Snidget was used long ago in Quidditch, and was replaced in the game by the Golden Snitch. Their classification by the Ministry of Magic as noted in Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them at class 4 is not a reflection of the danger they pose, which would relegate them to class 2 (Class 1 being the classification for 'boring' species), but rather because they are so rare. The harming or killing of a Snidget are subject to extremely severe penalties under wizarding law, as is the possession of their feathers.
[edit] Winged Horse
There are four breeds of winged horse found in the Harry Potter series:
[edit] Abraxan
Abraxans are described as gigantic palominos, and are the breed that pulled the Beauxbatons carriage to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".
According to Madame Maxime Abraxans prefer to drink only single-malt whiskey. Their name probably derives from Abraxas, one of the four horses who pulled the chariot of Helios, the Ancient Greek Sun god. Hagrid also babbles about his friend who breeds them and how he had a ride on one of them when professor Umbridge questions him about his injuries.
[edit] Aethonan
Aethonan is a breed of winged horse. It is described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as "chestnut" and "popular in Britain and Ireland." Its name is probably derived from Aethon, one of the horses of Helios, the Ancient Greek god of the Sun.
[edit] Granian
"Granian" is the name of a breed of winged horse in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. The horse is described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as "grey and particularly fast." It was probably named after Grani, the son of Sleipnir, the steed of Odin. Grani was given to the hero Sigurd.
[edit] Thestral
The Thestral is a reptilian winged horse, invisible to anyone who has not seen someone die. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and his friends fly on Thestrals to get to the Ministry of Magic.They have goodness in them,but they look very mean.
[edit] References
- ^ Dragons and winged horses are also common in folklore and myth, of course, but the specific breeds mentioned in the Harry Potter series are Rowling's own creations
- [HP2] Rowling, J.K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. UK ISBN 0747538492/US ISBN 0439064864.
- [HP4] Rowling, J.K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. UK ISBN 074754624X/US ISBN 0439139597.
- [HP6] Rowling, J.K. (2005). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. UK ISBN 0747581088/US ISBN 0439784549.
- [HPF] Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling (2001; Newt Scamander), ISBN 0613325419
