Magical beasts (Harry Potter)

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Magical creatures comprise a colourful and integral aspect of the magical world in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Throughout the first six books of the series, Harry and his friends encounter many of these creatures on their adventures, as well as in the Care of Magical Creatures class at Hogwarts. Rowling has also written Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, an authoritative guide to magical beasts which is mentioned in the series and attributed to the fictional magizoologist Newt Scamander. Many of these legendary creatures are derived from folklore, including Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, British folklore, and Scandinavian folklore.

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Regulation and Classification

See also: Being (Harry Potter)

The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures of the Ministry of Magic is responsible for overseeing and regulating magical creatures. It is divided into three divisions: the Beast Division, the Being Division, and the Spirit Division. A "being" is generally defined, according to Fantastic Beasts, as "any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws." This includes humans and goblins; in accordance with this definition, fairies, pixies, gnomes, and most other creatures are classified as beasts. Centaurs and merpeople rejected being status in favour of beast status. Werewolves and Animagi are notable because they are typically in human form: a werewolf transforms from human state only at the full moon, and an animagus is a human who has learned to transform into an animal at will. Affairs related to ghosts come under the auspices of the Spirit Division. Dementors, terrible creatures which guard Azkaban prison, are not specifically mentioned in Fantastic Beasts but are similar to, but probably not the same creature as Lethifolds. (Dementors play a critical role in the series, beginning in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.)

The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures classifies magical creatures on a scale from 1 to 5 as follows (according to page xxii of Fantastic Beasts):

  • 1: Boring
  • 2: Harmless / may be domesticated
  • 3: Competent wizards should cope
  • 4: Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may handle
  • 5: Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate
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List of Magical Beasts

Below is the complete list of entries in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them listed under "An A – Z of Fantastic Beasts". The Ministry of Magic Classification (see above) is also noted. Boggarts and Hinkypunks have been mentioned in the series but do not appear in Fantastic Beasts, and hence no Ministry of Magic Classification is supplied. Nor is the Blast-ended skrewt mentioned in Fantastic Beasts—it is a hybrid creature, a cross between a Fire Crab and a Manticore.

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Animals with Magical Powers

Many pets in the series are ordinary animals with magical properties. Owls, for example, deliver mail. Only creatures that exist exclusively in the magical world are listed below.

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Characters

Below is a list of magical beasts who come into contact with Harry or have some significant role in the series. The beast's name (if applicable), type, home or owner, and the relevant book(s) are noted. (Books in which the character appears only briefly are italicised.) Some of these beasts are also listed as pets.

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Named

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
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Unnamed

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House-Elves

Harry also interacts with house-elves, notably Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Winky in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Kreacher in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The Office of House-Elf Relocation can be found in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

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Werewolves

Remus Lupin, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and a good friend of Harry's, is a werewolf.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we learn more of a notoriously vile werewolf called Fenrir Greyback, who specializes in biting children. It was he who bit Remus Lupin as a child, and is currently working for Voldemort. Fenrir Greyback attacked Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but wasn't transformed so Bill didn't become a full werewolf.

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Other creatures

Also mentioned in the series are boggarts, goblins, hags, vampires, giants, and veela.

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See also

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Philosopher's Stone book film game
Chamber of Secrets book film game
Prisoner of Azkaban book film game
Goblet of Fire book film game
Order of the Phoenix book (film)  
Half-Blood Prince book (film)  
Unnamed Seventh Book (book)    
Other books Other games
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
Quidditch Through the Ages  
Plot – Characters – Places – Translations – Wizarding world - Related articles
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