A Wizard's Menagerie of Magical Beasts
It is of paramount importance that the apprentice learn what various creatures look like, what their magical uses are, and also the places where they are found. During the times of Merlin and still in use today, is a simplified method of locating these beasts rather than tracking them to their lairs and using signs such as spoor or paw-prints. This method of finding such beasts is by use of a device called a Beast Locator.
A Beast Locator is a pendant that has a picture of an egg on one side and a best on the other. One must go to an area where they suspect a magical beast may live. Then you take the pendant of your neck and throw it into the air while saying the words "Hic Bestiarium". When the pendant falls to the ground, if the image facing you is of the beast if signifies that there is a presence of a magical beast there, if the egg is facing up then there are none.
Types of Magical Beasts
There are many magical beasts that regular people do not believe in and fail to see, then there are some that are everyday wild animals that non-magic folk fail to see the magical qualities of the beast. Here are just a few.
Salamander- Truly mythical salamanders have six legs an are happiest dwelling in the embers of a fire or around a volcano crater. They are very rare because their "wool" is much coveted to make heat-proof cloaks and covering for books. Salamander grease, crushed with dragon horn increases the powers of the senses for up to four days.
Gryphon- The gryphon or griffin has the body of a lion, the head of and wings of an eagle, and lives among the remote islands of the Indian Ocean. It has a natural instinct for finding treasure and lines its nest with gold. Its claws change color in the presence of poison, while wax from its ears, burned with mistletoe, produces a healing fume.
Giant Asp- The giant asp or serpent is a creature that comes from Egypt. It has a venom in its fangs so poisonous tat it kills any creature it comes near, and it is often used as a guardian of secret places. A decoction (is a method of extraction of herbal or plant material) of this serpent's sloughed-off skin soaked in vinegar may be used as a love philtre and calms even the most violent temper.
Phoenix- No bird is so rare or difficult to find as the Arabian Phoenix. It feeds on the frankincense and its feathers are used in many kinds of spells, particularly those concerning flight. Ashes from a phoenix that has died of natural causes may be rubbed on a wound or planted in a fallow field to promote miraculous regeneration.
Camelopard- The camelopard or giraffe is another creature whose magical properties are little known. It inhabits the hottest regions of Africa and can be tamed when young. Its mane is its only magical part: A rope or mat woven from camelopard mane may be flown like a broomstick without the need for any other magical ingredients.
Unicorn- Unicorns are swift, dwelling in deserts or on the tops of mountains. They have a raucous bray and are enemies of the Lion. They are most easily tamed by maidens, and their shed horn, powdered or cut into pieces, is a wonderful antidote to many poisons. It also has the power to assist greatly in the cure of a number of diseases.
Dragon- There are various types of dragons. Some have wings and no feet; some feet and wings; others, neither feet nor wings. They are scaly, most breathe fire, and they have the keenest sight of any creature. Dragon fat cures creeping ulcers. Mixed with honey, it helps eye complaints. In small doses, dragon blood is a powerful medicine.
Harry Potter Creatures
There are many creatures in the world of Harry Potter. Some we may have seen in other books/movies/shows. Granted they may be slightly different from each other but they do all share a similarity. For example a few of the creatures in the HP World are:
(according to wikipedia)
Centaurs in the Harry Potter universe are semi-wild creatures of intelligence supposedly greater than humans. Although sentient, they have not requested assignment as beings, preferring to remove themselves entirely from human affairs. Any centaur who decides to associate with humans, such as Firenze, who agrees to teach Divination at Hogwarts, is violently attacked by the other centaurs and banished. Centaurs are skilled in healing and astrology, and spend much of their time scouring the stars. They live in forests, and their society consists of groups called herds. They do not appear to employ or need any technology more advanced than a bow and arrow. They are intensely proud and fiercely territorial, and one must be highly diplomatic in dealing with them. Not paying the proper respect to a herd of centaurs can have violent consequences, as Dolores Umbridge learned to her cost. The films depict the centaurs with very bestial, animalistic facial features; however, the obvious attraction of Hogwarts' female population to Firenze suggests that the books depict centaurs in terms that are more classical.
The Dementors are soulless creatures considered to be among the foulest beasts on Earth. They are soul-sucking fiends who guard the wizard prison, Azkaban, until after the return of Voldemort. In the books, Dementors appear to have a generally human shape, approximately ten feet in height, but covered in dark, hooded cloaks that reveal only grey, decayed hands. The wraith-like creatures have no eyes, and there is a large hole where the mouth should be. According to the author, they grow like fungi in the darkest, dankest places, creating a dense, chilly fog. They appear to possess a few traits of magic, notably, their ability to glide (fly, in the film adaptations) unsupported in either world. The Dementor's intelligence is also seldom hinted, but they are presumed to have some level of intelligence because we read and see in the film that they lead revolts towards the Ministry. They resemble Death/Grim Reaper. They don't necessarily kill you, they just take away life..or the meaning to live life. They seem similar to the Ringwraiths in Lord of the Rings. The wraiths are dead but yet they go on living doing the biddings of the dark lord in power.
Goblins are magical creatures defined as beings, rather than beasts, that are chiefly involved with metal work and the running of Gringotts bank. They are represented by the Goblin Liaison Office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Goblins are described as having long, thin fingers and feet, black eyes, and domed heads that are much larger than human heads. Goblins harbor very different feelings about ownership than wizards: they consider the true owner of an object to be its maker, invariably, rather than its purchaser, whom they see as simply renting the object until their death, and resent the passing of goblin-made heirlooms through Wizarding families without further payment. Wizarding Law prohibits the ownership of wands by goblins. Goblins are capable of using goblin magic which (like elf magic) is independent of Wizarding magic.
The werewolf is a creature that exists only for a brief period around the full moon. At any other time, a werewolf is a normal human. However, the term werewolf is used for both the wolf-like creature and the normal human. A werewolf can be distinguished from a true wolf physically by several small distinguishing characteristics, including the pupils, snout, and tufted tail. A person becomes a werewolf, when bitten by a werewolf in wolf-form. Once this happens, the person must learn to manage the condition. The 'Wolfsbane Potion' controls some of the effects of the condition;.Nothing discovered in the wizarding world can completely cure a werewolf. Occasionally, this condition (or disease) can be passed down through parentage. Most werewolves live outside of normal society and steal food to survive. At one point they supported Voldemort, whom they thought would give them a better life. Remus Lupin is the only known exception to this. There are only three known werewolves in the Harry Potter series: Lupin, Fenrir Greyback (a supporter of Voldemort, who bit a young Lupin), and an unnamed character who was in the same ward as Arthur Weasley in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
While many people doubt the very existence of such supposedly mythical creatures as dragons, unicorns, gryphons, and camelopard; wizards are very familiar with them and often have dealings with them. Throughout literature we have seen the mythical creatures such as dragons, in many popular fantasy books/stories. For example the dragon in the Hobbit, or Piper's son Wyatt in charmed conjuring up a dragon. However, In Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling goes into specifics about the types of dragons. There are ten types of dragons that can be identified in the Harry Potter Universe:
Antipodean Opaleye is considered the most beautiful species of dragon. It is born in New Zealand but usually immigrates to Australia when the geographic and climatic conditions harm their survival. It has medium size, weight between two and three tons; its eyes are of multiple colors. Regarding his feeding habits, it never kills human beings. Its favorite food is the ewe. Their eggs are of a pale gray.
Chinese Fireball, also known like Liondragon, is the only Eastern dragon. With scarlet color and smooth grudges, it has golden points around its face and protuberances around the eyes. It weights between two and four tons. Their eggs are golden, and their rinds are considered for the use of Chinese wizards. Chinese Fireball is a wild species, although tolerant to other creatures and persons.
The Welsh Green Dragon is almost an exclusive dragon found in Wales. It is a dragon that avoids the proximity of human beings. It has a melodic roar and breathes fire, and their eggs are brown with green specks.
The Hungarian Horntail is most dangerous of all the dragons. Its body is covered by black grudges and its aspect is similar to the one of a lizard. Their eyes are yellow and have bronze horns. Its fire breath can reach 5 feet. This dragon feeds on great mammals; it likes to devour goats. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry has to outsmart a Hungarian Horntail dragon in order to succeed in the Triwizard Tournament..
The Norwegian Ridgeback was the first species found by Harry during his first year in Hogwarts. In the book “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, Potter investigates the characteristics of this species, that includes the particularity of breathing fire at the premature age of 1 to 3 months. The best example of the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon is Norbert, a dragon acquired by Hagrid when it was still an egg. The Ministry of Magic classifies dragon eggs as noncommercial merchandise. Norbert begins to grow quickly and becomes very dangerous. Harry, Ron and Hermione persuade Hagrid to hand Norbert to Charlie, the older brother of Ron, that is studying dragons in Romania. It is possible to emphasize that Rubeus Hagrid, the creature caretaker of Hogwarts, loves animals and magical creatures, particularly the rare or endangered ones. Most of Nobert’s story was told in Harry Potter and the Philoshopher’s Stone.
Rhodesian Ridgeback is a compound animal: looks like a dog combined with a rare species of dragon. Their eggs are black. On the other hand, the Peruvian Vipertooth is a small and fast dragon. It has short horns and poisonous eyeteeth. It is able to eat from small spiders to human beings.
The Romanian Longhorn is a Romanian dragon that has great dark green grudges and gold horns. This species is at the brink of extinction; it eats goats, cattle and ewes.
The Swedish Short-snout is a big blue dragon. The flames that its nose emits are of a shining blue color; they are able to flame any object in a matter of seconds. It is an animal that prefers to live in uninhabited mountainous areas. In the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory had to defeat one of these dragons in order to conclude the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
The Ukrainian Ironbelly is greatest of all the dragons; although it is slow, but considered the most dangerous. One of the threats of this dragon is its habit of landing on houses and squashing them (the Ironbelly weights up to six tons). Its skin is of metallic gray color, it has red eyes and their claws are long.
Finally, the Hebridean Black is a dangerous British dragon that has black skin. It is wild and usually eats human beings. A Quidditch team made once the attempt to capture one and use it as a mascot, but it was impossible to control it.