Here is a collection of Fantastic Beasts that I dove into on our Instagram page a while back!
Diricawl
The Diricawl is a magical, flightless bird that makes itself at home on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It is more commonly known as the Dodo bird, which muggles believe to be extinct. An adult diricawl can be distinguished by its bluish-pink feathers, with a small crest that plumes behind its head, and its short, thick, black beak.
Diricawls are fantstic and interesting little birds in that they are able to disappear and reappear at will when they feel as though they are in danger. They are now only known to exist by the magical community, and, during the 1980-1990 school year at Hogwarts, Professor Kettleburn instructed students on how to properly care for the birds in their sixth year Care of Magical Creatures classes.
Snallygaster
Here’s an unusual creature that has been found stateside! The Snallygaster is a larger part bird part dragon beast with razor blade teeth and a bullet proof hide. The Snallygaster is a popular muggle sighted beast that is rivaled only by the Loch Ness Monster! Sightings of the Snallygaster originated in Maryland, where the beast made headlining news on multiple occasions.
For the wizarding world, the snallygaster has become a real threat to the International Statute of Secrecy and, for that reason, in 1949 the Snallygaster Protection League was created for the purpose of obliviating muggles who encounter them. Snallygaster heartstrings are a popular wand core for North American wands, and was first used by Isolt Sayer and James Steward for the students of Ilvermorny School.
Kelpie
One of the best designed creatures of the Fantastic Beast series so far is the Kelpie! Native to the Lochs and Lakes of Great Britain and Ireland, Kelpies are shape shifting water demons that prefer the form of a large horse with bullrush mane. Kelpies often lure humans on to their backs and then proceed to drown them and eat them. As cruel as these beasts are, they can be rendered completely docile with a simple placement charm to put a bridle over its head.
In Muggle mythology, a Kelpie is said to be of Celtic origin, and the description of said creatures is vastly different. It is said to be a large, black horse-like creature that has the ability to take the human form, but retains its hooves. Many of the lochs in Scotland have Kelpie stories of their own, but the most famous Kelpie known is the Kelpie of none other than Loch Ness! Could Nessy really be a well sighted Kelpie???
Augurey
The Augurey is a thin, magical bird, that is also known as the Irish Phoenix. This bird has the appearance of an underfed vulture, with greenish black feathers and a sharp black beak and a mournful and morose look about it. Another Great Britain/Ireland native, Augureys constructed tear shaped nes in thorn thickets and bramble bushes, as to avoid contact with others. The shy beasts feed on fairies, insects, and flies, and primarily hunt during in the rain.
The Augurey is a misunderstood bird, with the misconception that the bird’s song was an omen of death, when it is, in fact, an indicator of an impending rainfall. To debunk this myth, one Gulliver Pokesby published the book Why I Didn’t Die When the Augurey Cried in 1824, which gave an account of his encounter with one such beast and how he lived! Augurey’s produce no real magical materials for potion ingredients or wand cores , and their feathers naturally repel ink. The only known useful Augurey feather is the Quill of Acceptance, which is the quill that has written the name of every magical child that would be accepted, in their time, to Hogwarts!
Dragons
“Seriously misunderstood creatures”
– Hagrid
Dragons are giant, fire-breathing, winged reptilian beasts that are regarded as the most dangerous and most difficult to conceal magical beasts. Spanning all corners of the globe, dragons come in a variety of sizes and breeds and have different adaptations for the environments they live in. Dragons provide the wizarding world with crucial ingredients to potions, as well as heartstrings for wand cores. Many materials such as dragon eggs and the Romanin Longhorn horns, are considered Non Tradable Materials by the Ministry of Magic, and therefore bring a risk to the creatures to the peddlers of the Black Market. We have been given accounts of the Common Welsh Green, the Swedish Short Snout, the Chinese Fireball, and the Hungraian Horntail in Goblet of Fire, and we have even seen a baby Norwegian Ridgeback in Sorcerer’s Stone. While there are many other breeds, we are going to look at the Antipodean Opaleye and the Peruvian Vipertooth.
The Antipodean Opaleye is a New Zealand native, known to migrate to Australia when territory is scarce, that predominantly feeds on sheep. This beautiful dragon is covered from head to tail in pearly scales and has glittering, pupilless, multicolored eyes, hence its name. The Opaleye is the least aggressive species of dragon, killing only when threatened and spits a vivid red flame. One major Opaleye incident that caused grief to the magical law enforcement includes a series of kangaroo killings caused by a male Opaleye who was driven out of his territory by a dominant female!
The Peruvian Vipertooth, a person favorite, is native to North-Eastern and Eastern Peru. A copper-scaled dragon with black ridges and short horns atop its head, the Vipertooth was an expert at concealing itself from muggles. It is one of the most venomous dragons in the world and also the fastest dragon known to wizard kind. Vipertooths numbers were on a devastating incline in the 19th century and an extermination squad was dispatched to deal with the swelling numbers. Dragonologist Harvey Ridgebit studies these beasts closely and the Vipertooth was the source of the first case of Dragon Pox, a debilitating disease that spread to many wizards worldwide.
Zouwu
The Zouwu is an immensely powerful beast native to China! A giant elephant-sized, multicolored, feline-like beast that has tusk-fangs, striped body, and beautifully flowing multicolored tail! These beautiful beasts are incredibly fast, capable of covering thousands of miles a day. This ability is due to the beast’s ability to manipulate space around itself, and it is so powerful that it is able to manipulate the space around places that are normally rendered unplottable.
The Zouwu we encounter in Crimes of Grindelwald was the abused attraction piece for the cruel ringmaster of the Circus Arcanus, Skender. Released in the chaos that ensued as Credence and Nagini escaped Skender’s grip, the Zouwu began to wreak havoc around Paris and frightening Muggles, until Newt Scamander was able to capture it in his case. While a Ministry of Magic Classification has not been assigned to this beast, it is clear that none but skilled wizards should attempt to interact with the Zouwu.
