The Bestiary
"Hagrid'll be getting some
any time now."
-- Harry Potter,
scribbled in his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
The animals listed in this bestiary range from the mundane to the fantastic. Some are magical beasts, some common animals, and some are something in between. Many of these creatures are described in greater detail in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander. Anyone interested in magical creatures is encouraged to buy that book. Muggles as well as wizards will find copies of this well-known reference at bookshops everywhere.
Icons and symbols:
This icon indicates that the creature mentioned is discussed in more detail
in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The Lexicon has intentionally not included all the information from that
book in our Bestiary. Rowling wrote that book for charity and if we
reproduced all of that information here on the Lexicon it would take away
from sales of the book. If you see this icon, then, you'll know that there
is even more interesting information to be found. Please follow the link to our page about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and buy a copy right away.
A creature with this icon is one which Rowling did not invent. This scroll
icon indicates that this creature exists in folklore, legend, or mythology.
However, you should realize that Rowling doesn't always make her versions
of these creatures match those of legend. For example, the Yeti and the Bigfoot creatures of our world are not the same thing at all, but in Rowling's
world they are, according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Creatures with the Muggle icon are those which are common (non-magical)
animals known in the Muggle world. Some of them have abilities Muggles
do not recognize, of course. Owls, for example, are
far more capable and intelligent than Muggles realize.
XXX This designation is that given to a creature by the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Generally it indicates how dangerous the creature is to wizardkind, although some creatures earn their rating for other reasons, such as difficulty in capturing or training them. This Ministry rating is not known for all magical creatures included in the Bestiary, only those which appear in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Related Links:
- Atlas: Magical Creatures
- Books by Topic - Bestiaries
- Care of Magical Creatures
- creatures, mythical
- Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
- ghosts
- non-wizard characters
- plants