Hogwarts Textbook
written by Gavin Lupin
This book includes Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, and more.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
8
Reads
2,705
Care of Magical Creatures
Chapter 6
Creature Name: Augurey or Irish phoenix
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Augurey is a bird native to Ireland and Great Britain, though they have been found in parts of Northern Europe. It resembles an underfed vulture due to its thin and mournful appearance. They are covered in green-black feathers and they have incredibly sharp, hooked beaks. Augureys live in tear shaped nests, appropriate for their demeanor, made of thorns and brambles. Their diet consists of fairies, insects and flies. Augureys will only hunt for their food in times of heavy rain. Their name comes from the method of divination “augury,” which is the study of the flight patterns of birds.
Augureys, like phoenixes, never truly die: they are reborn. In times of severe drought, stress, or even times of war, the Augurey can go through the process of becoming reborn. They will become even more frail and sickly than they already appear, and will then burst into blue flames. Their burning process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. The longest reported burning lasted eight days, as announced by Uric the Oddball, though his credibility is questionable. Once they are reborn, they will appear as young Augureys once more.
Augureys are also known for their fortune telling abilities. They can foretell when rain is coming because of their hunting practices. It was also thought for a time that an Augurey’s cry or moan meant death was coming to the person that heard it. It was seen as bad luck to pass by an Augurey’s nest for this reason. Uric the Oddball, who was the proud owner of fifty Augureys, often spoke of a rainy day where all of his Augureys cried at once, and he had believed that he had died and was a ghost. He was brought to St. Mungos after receiving a concussion while trying to walk through walls as a “ghost”.
The myth of death brought by an Augurey’s cry was dispelled by Mr. Gulliver Pokeby, a well-known magizoologist and magical bird expert. He identified that their cry meant rain, not death, was imminent. He published his findings in 1824, in his text Why Didn’t I Die When the Augurey Died. The text was published by the magical publishing house Little Red Books. He was awarded a Chocolate Frog card for this discovery. After this discovery, weather forecasters used Augureys for as a more accurate rain prediction method, but their constant cries during the winter months are considered a nuisance in the office.
While they are used for fortune telling, unlike other birds, their feathers cannot be used for quills because they repel ink. While Pokeby was never quite certain, he believed that their sixth sense for detecting rain which altered the composition of their feathers, allowing them to stay dry in the rain, also repelled other liquids like ink. He was in the process of researching this material when he died in 1839, but was notoriously known for never writing down any of his materials until he was ready to publish them. This idea is commonly accepted among the magizoology community because of his expertise and credibility.
In magical popular culture, the Augurey is the mascot for the Liechtenstein National Quidditch Team. Hans, an oversized Augurey, appears at all games for the team, and even has his own fan club. During the quarter-final match of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, Hans was kidnapped by American fans celebrating their win. Hans was returned the following day and kept under magizoologist observation for 24 hours, in case any form of disease or magical alteration appeared.
Creature Name: Chizpurfle
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Chizpurfle is a type of magical parasite that lives in the fur and feathers of magical creatures. They have three sets of legs, and one set of crab-like pinchers. Chizpurfles also have fangs and are a twentieth of an inch long. Not only are Chizpurfles considered parasites, they are also considered pests. They eat away at wands and cauldrons, along with other magical objects. Their name derives from the English word “cheat”, being added to the word “purfle”. A purfle is the fur trim of a garment.
Chizpurfles are considered to have two diets. They are both thaumavores and electrovores. A thaumavore, derived from the Latin word “vorare” meaning “to devour” and the ancient Greek word “thaûma” meaning “magic”, feed off of magical energy. This is why Chizpurfles are often found eating the remnants of potions or the cores of wands. After they eat away the magical core, the wand will be useless. When they cannot feed on magical energy, they turn to their secondary diet of feeding on electricity. This is why they are considered primarily thaumavores, but also electrovores. If you have ever bought a new phone only to find a week later it doesn’t work, you could be the victim of a Chizpurfle infestation.
If you find you have a Chizpurfle infestation, you can use several different potions available in wizarding stores. If you find that a potion is not working, you will need to call the Pest Sub-Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which has stronger potions and sprays to handle the infestation. One thing you must keep in mind is that once you find a potion you like, stick with it. If you are constantly changing what potion you are using, the Chizpurfles will become resistant to different parts of each potion, making the entire potions useless. Once that potion stops working, you can then move on to a different potion. Because new potions are always being developed, you should never run out potions to use.
Creature Name: Clabbert
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Clabberts are amphibious tree dwelling creatures with an XX rating. They are beasts native to North America. Originally found only in the south of the United States of America, they prefer warm and humid climates. However, they can now be seen all over the world.
These beasts look like a monkey mixed with a frog. They have a frightening set of teeth that is razor sharp and appears in their signature wide smiles. Their sickly green skin is slippery smooth and appears to be blotchy. The creatures also have a short pair of horns on their heads. They also have long arms (like those of a chimp) and webbed hands and feet, which allow them to swing through trees without struggle. Many people agree that they are not the nicest things to look at.
The skin of Clabberts is coated with mucus, much like a frog’s. The reason for this is because they absorb the moisture from the humid air, which is their way of staying hydrated. Because Clabberts are amphibians, they have extra glands in their skin which are made just for breathing and hydrating. Even though Clabberts have lungs, they also breathe through their skin. This mucus layer stores moisture, so the creatures draw in the oxygen from it which allows them to breathe easily.
In addition, all Clabberts also have a sort of unsightly bleb, or small blister, in the middle of their foreheads, called pustules. This begins to flash a bright scarlet color when they feel that they are in danger. American witches and wizards took notice of this defense mechanism very quickly. In fact, they used to domesticate the creatures and keep them around their properties in order to receive warnings about Muggles in the area.
This method is no longer practiced in the States (or anywhere else for that matter) simply because it caused quite a bit of confusion amongst Muggles. After the International Statute of Secrecy was introduced, the International Confederation of Wizards had to start issuing fines to those witches and wizards who utilized Clabberts as their alarm systems.
The diet of Clabberts mainly consists of small lizards. They sometimes feed on small birds when they are able to catch them. While they usually prefer birds, a bird being hunted will either fly away or fight back, pecking or scratching. Clabberts tend to go for the easier catch and will not normally waste time or energy for one kill.
Clabbert pustules taken from the creatures can also be used as a potion ingredient. You can only take the pustules from Clabberts once they have died. This is a little known fact, but even if a Clabbert has died, the pustule will still glow. The pustules can be removed with a simple Severing Charm, but it must be performed very carefully. Cutting through the pustule instead of around it will make the ingredient ineffective. If removed correctly, the pustules will still be glowing. If you sever through it, the pustule will lose the red light. Clabbert pustules are also commonly used in the Scintillation Solution. A jar of Clabbert pustules usually sells for about ten Sickles.
Creature Name: Diricawl
Ministry of Magic Classification: XXX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Diricawl, or the dodo as they are known by Muggles, is a plump, flightless bird covered in feathers. Muggles feel that the creature was hunted to extinction. However, it is a well-known fact in the wizarding world that Diricawls can become invisible at will. The International Confederation of Wizards has yet to find a reason to reveal this fact to Muggles, and considering the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy that was signed into place by the International Confederation of Wizards, there probably never will be a reason to share this tidbit with Muggles.
They are native to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Over the past one hundred years, they have migrated to live on both Mauritius and Madagascar, brought to the island by boat. They were on top of crates, invisible of course, being moved into the cargo hold of the ship, therefore, the Muggles manning the ship had no idea they were there. The Diricawl is about three and a half feet tall, and weighs anywhere from 23 to 47 pounds. Diricawls are omnivores, using their hooked beaks to open nuts, fruits, and seeds, and on occasion, shellfish like crabs, clams, or oysters.
Diricawl lay eggs just like other birds. They will lay a clutch of two eggs before settling down to incubate them. Diricawls make their nests on the ground, near the base of trees. The nests are made of sticks, leaves, and shells. It takes 17 to 21 days to incubate Diricawl eggs. After the eggs hatch, the chicks are fed crop milk by both the mother and father. Crop milk is produced in the crops of birds. The crop is a muscular pouch near the esophagus, considered a part of the digestive tract. The food will sit in the crop to partially digest before moving forward. For crop milk, this partially digested food is brought back up to feed to the chicks. The chicks are born with feather that look like yellow hairs coming off of their body. By the time they reach 28 to 31 days old, their initial coat of down, or fluffy underlayer, has started to grow in, with the main feathers following soon afterwards.
Diricawl feathers are often used in fancy quills, if the collector can collect feathers before they disappear. Because the Diricawl can vanish at will, their feathers will randomly vanish for several hours after being removed from the body. Diricawl eggs can also be collected to make ornaments, similar to how Fwooper eggs are kept as decoration. Diricawl eggs are blue in color.
Creature Name: Mooncalf
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Even if you were not raised in a Muggle household, chances are that you have heard of a “mooncalf”. Throughout the years, this word has had a number of different definitions. At first the term was mostly self-explanatory. It originally was used to describe a deformed newborn calf that was born under the full moon, which was considered to be evil. Today, you may hear someone use the word “mooncalf” as a reference to a person who isn’t particularly sensible.
In the wizarding world, a Mooncalf is something rather different. It is a magical creature, as one could assume. The creature is antisocial and thus only will leave its home when a full moon is in the sky. The Mooncalf, found all over the world, has an alarming appearance at first glance. Its smooth skin is a light shade of grey. The creature’s legs are long and gangly, and its eyes protrude from the top of its head. Many times, the Mooncalf has been described as very strange and alien-like.
In fact, the Mooncalf’s appearance is not the only thing that makes the creature like an alien. Once the beast leaves its burrow, it begins to dance. The creature will stand up on its two hind legs and then perform a difficult and unique routine; that is to say, no two Mooncalves will have the same dance. This dance is thought to be a part of the creatures’ mating ritual, however no one can either confirm or deny that claim as of yet. As a result of the dance, there are visible geometric designs in the area the Mooncalf was. These are commonly known as crop circles or crop formations to Muggles. Many Muggle scientists and conspiracists claim that they were formed by aliens from another planet.
If you are a herbologist, or a potioneer with a personal garden, you can collect Mooncalf dung. This substance has a healthy influence on magical plants; it makes them grow much faster. The dung, however, must be harvested before the sun comes up the next day. If you harvest Mooncalf dung after the sun rises and then use it on your magical garden, your plants are guaranteed to die.
Creature Name: Porlock
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Porlocks are magical horse guardians. They protect horses in various ways including making sure they have enough nutrition, making sure that they are all groomed, and even keeping predators at bay. They have been known to attack creatures who have the intentions of hurting the herd. Porlocks are strictly herbivores and eat mainly grass, but other vegetation in their diet is not uncommon.
These creatures are native to England and Southern Ireland. In fact, they get their name from Porlock, England, as this is the village in which they were originally discovered. The beasts are rather small; they will only be about two feet tall on average. They have two short arms, with four fingers on each hand. They walk on their hind legs that end with horse-like hooves. They are covered in coarse, roan hair. They also have very abnormally large noses, with thick hair sprouting from the nostrils. Porlocks are loners; that is to say, they don’t often associate themselves with their own kind. They much rather prefer the company of equine. In fact, newborn Porlocks will only stay with their mothers for two months. They then go off to care for a herd of their own. They can be found in the natural habitats of horses, sleeping in stables or nests made of straw. By the time they turn two, if they have been unsuccessful at finding at least one horse to care for, they will start to think that their life has no purpose. The Porlock will become ill with sadness and inevitably die.
Porlocks are rather fascinating beasts. They are only rated XX by the Ministry of Magic, so they are by no means dangerous. Porlocks are not considered ornery, but instead just mistrustful of humans. Anytime a human is near, a Porlock will hide until it is one hundred percent certain that they are gone. However, this does not mean that one cannot be domesticated. If you own horses, the best way to gain a Porlock’s trust is by gaining the trust of your horses first. If you take care of them well by making sure that they are groomed and fed regularly, the Porlock will know that your intentions are good and they will slowly but surely come to trust you. Although the practice is not common (due to the difficulty of gaining their trust), Porlocks can be sold for the purpose of protecting horses.
Creature Name: Puffskein
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Puffskeins are very small, round, and fluffy creatures. They are covered in very soft fur, which
is a custard yellow.
Puffskeins are popular pets, particularly among younger children and teens. Not only are they cute, as most would want from a pet, but they also are much easier to take care of than most traditional pets. This is for quite a few reasons. The first being that the beasts find their own food. Being scavengers they will eat anything they can find. They’ll eat the pests in one’s home (such as spiders), food from the garbage, and they’ll even eat ordinary cat food. In fact, Puffskeins have very long and thin tongues that they will use to clean their owners’ noses of bogeys as they sleep at night. Unappealing as it may sound, this is a Puffskein’s favorite snack. In fact, if one happens to blow their nose, the Puffskein will come running upon hearing it.
Puffskeins also do not mind if their owners are particularly rough with them [1]. This is another reason why they make ideal pets for children. They can be thrown, rolled, cuddled, and played with. They don’t need cages and never leave their owners, as they make for loyal pets. They prefer to sleep by their owner’s neck, which tends to keep them warm. When a Puffskein is happy, it will hum, much like a cat would purr. It is not uncommon to own more than one Puffskein. A group of them would be called a Poffle.
Puffskeins are not known just for being great pets. They also can be very beneficial to the potion industry. Their fur, which contains magical properties, is rather valuable. It is a fairly important ingredient in the Laughing Potion.
The Puffskein has two very notable hybrid species related to it, the first being the Fanged Puffskein. This creature was created by wizards as a prank. It looks exactly like an ordinary Puffskein, aside from very sharp fangs. However it does not act like your average Puffskein. It is just the opposite- very vicious and not friendly to people. This hybrid species is actually illegal, as it violates the Ban on Experimental Breeding.
The second hybrid species is the Pygmy Puffs. These creatures actually do not violate the Ban on Experimental Breeding, which some may find surprising. The species was bred by Fred and George Weasley who may have had a special license to breed the species after filing an extensive petition, although this is unclear. Also, Pygmy Puffs are much smaller than Puffskeins; they are essentially miniatures. This is a part of the loophole in the Ban of Experimental Breeding that allowed them to be created . Pygmy Puffs also come in many different shades of purple and pink as opposed to the default yellow color given to Puffskeins. Students at Hogwarts are made aware that Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products are not allowed at school, however an exception is made for Pygmy Puffs since they are pets as opposed to joke and prank products.
[1] This is to an extent, however. Never intentionally cause any harm to a creature.
Creature Name: Ramora
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Ramoras are a magical silver fish native to the Indian Ocean. They have a strong magical ability to anchor ships in place. The International Confederation of Wizards has anti-poaching laws in place for the creatures, and strictly enforces them. This protects the Ramora from illegal wizard capturing.
Ramora have a modified dorsal fin, which allows them to “hitch a ride” on other creatures or objects. This modified dorsal fin is called a suction disc, allowing them to use suction to attach themselves to other creatures. By attaching itself to the ship, it is then able to use its magical powers to slow the entire ship. Considering the fish is anywhere from six to ten inches long, this is quite a large feat.
Due to being attached to other creatures and ships the majority of the time, Ramora simply open their mouth and eat whatever floats in. This means they end up eating a lot of plankton, krill, and smaller fish and crustaceans.
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Augurey is a bird native to Ireland and Great Britain, though they have been found in parts of Northern Europe. It resembles an underfed vulture due to its thin and mournful appearance. They are covered in green-black feathers and they have incredibly sharp, hooked beaks. Augureys live in tear shaped nests, appropriate for their demeanor, made of thorns and brambles. Their diet consists of fairies, insects and flies. Augureys will only hunt for their food in times of heavy rain. Their name comes from the method of divination “augury,” which is the study of the flight patterns of birds.
Augureys, like phoenixes, never truly die: they are reborn. In times of severe drought, stress, or even times of war, the Augurey can go through the process of becoming reborn. They will become even more frail and sickly than they already appear, and will then burst into blue flames. Their burning process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. The longest reported burning lasted eight days, as announced by Uric the Oddball, though his credibility is questionable. Once they are reborn, they will appear as young Augureys once more.
Augureys are also known for their fortune telling abilities. They can foretell when rain is coming because of their hunting practices. It was also thought for a time that an Augurey’s cry or moan meant death was coming to the person that heard it. It was seen as bad luck to pass by an Augurey’s nest for this reason. Uric the Oddball, who was the proud owner of fifty Augureys, often spoke of a rainy day where all of his Augureys cried at once, and he had believed that he had died and was a ghost. He was brought to St. Mungos after receiving a concussion while trying to walk through walls as a “ghost”.
The myth of death brought by an Augurey’s cry was dispelled by Mr. Gulliver Pokeby, a well-known magizoologist and magical bird expert. He identified that their cry meant rain, not death, was imminent. He published his findings in 1824, in his text Why Didn’t I Die When the Augurey Died. The text was published by the magical publishing house Little Red Books. He was awarded a Chocolate Frog card for this discovery. After this discovery, weather forecasters used Augureys for as a more accurate rain prediction method, but their constant cries during the winter months are considered a nuisance in the office.
While they are used for fortune telling, unlike other birds, their feathers cannot be used for quills because they repel ink. While Pokeby was never quite certain, he believed that their sixth sense for detecting rain which altered the composition of their feathers, allowing them to stay dry in the rain, also repelled other liquids like ink. He was in the process of researching this material when he died in 1839, but was notoriously known for never writing down any of his materials until he was ready to publish them. This idea is commonly accepted among the magizoology community because of his expertise and credibility.
In magical popular culture, the Augurey is the mascot for the Liechtenstein National Quidditch Team. Hans, an oversized Augurey, appears at all games for the team, and even has his own fan club. During the quarter-final match of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, Hans was kidnapped by American fans celebrating their win. Hans was returned the following day and kept under magizoologist observation for 24 hours, in case any form of disease or magical alteration appeared.
Creature Name: Chizpurfle
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Chizpurfle is a type of magical parasite that lives in the fur and feathers of magical creatures. They have three sets of legs, and one set of crab-like pinchers. Chizpurfles also have fangs and are a twentieth of an inch long. Not only are Chizpurfles considered parasites, they are also considered pests. They eat away at wands and cauldrons, along with other magical objects. Their name derives from the English word “cheat”, being added to the word “purfle”. A purfle is the fur trim of a garment.
Chizpurfles are considered to have two diets. They are both thaumavores and electrovores. A thaumavore, derived from the Latin word “vorare” meaning “to devour” and the ancient Greek word “thaûma” meaning “magic”, feed off of magical energy. This is why Chizpurfles are often found eating the remnants of potions or the cores of wands. After they eat away the magical core, the wand will be useless. When they cannot feed on magical energy, they turn to their secondary diet of feeding on electricity. This is why they are considered primarily thaumavores, but also electrovores. If you have ever bought a new phone only to find a week later it doesn’t work, you could be the victim of a Chizpurfle infestation.
If you find you have a Chizpurfle infestation, you can use several different potions available in wizarding stores. If you find that a potion is not working, you will need to call the Pest Sub-Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which has stronger potions and sprays to handle the infestation. One thing you must keep in mind is that once you find a potion you like, stick with it. If you are constantly changing what potion you are using, the Chizpurfles will become resistant to different parts of each potion, making the entire potions useless. Once that potion stops working, you can then move on to a different potion. Because new potions are always being developed, you should never run out potions to use.
Creature Name: Clabbert
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Clabberts are amphibious tree dwelling creatures with an XX rating. They are beasts native to North America. Originally found only in the south of the United States of America, they prefer warm and humid climates. However, they can now be seen all over the world.
These beasts look like a monkey mixed with a frog. They have a frightening set of teeth that is razor sharp and appears in their signature wide smiles. Their sickly green skin is slippery smooth and appears to be blotchy. The creatures also have a short pair of horns on their heads. They also have long arms (like those of a chimp) and webbed hands and feet, which allow them to swing through trees without struggle. Many people agree that they are not the nicest things to look at.
The skin of Clabberts is coated with mucus, much like a frog’s. The reason for this is because they absorb the moisture from the humid air, which is their way of staying hydrated. Because Clabberts are amphibians, they have extra glands in their skin which are made just for breathing and hydrating. Even though Clabberts have lungs, they also breathe through their skin. This mucus layer stores moisture, so the creatures draw in the oxygen from it which allows them to breathe easily.
In addition, all Clabberts also have a sort of unsightly bleb, or small blister, in the middle of their foreheads, called pustules. This begins to flash a bright scarlet color when they feel that they are in danger. American witches and wizards took notice of this defense mechanism very quickly. In fact, they used to domesticate the creatures and keep them around their properties in order to receive warnings about Muggles in the area.
This method is no longer practiced in the States (or anywhere else for that matter) simply because it caused quite a bit of confusion amongst Muggles. After the International Statute of Secrecy was introduced, the International Confederation of Wizards had to start issuing fines to those witches and wizards who utilized Clabberts as their alarm systems.
The diet of Clabberts mainly consists of small lizards. They sometimes feed on small birds when they are able to catch them. While they usually prefer birds, a bird being hunted will either fly away or fight back, pecking or scratching. Clabberts tend to go for the easier catch and will not normally waste time or energy for one kill.
Clabbert pustules taken from the creatures can also be used as a potion ingredient. You can only take the pustules from Clabberts once they have died. This is a little known fact, but even if a Clabbert has died, the pustule will still glow. The pustules can be removed with a simple Severing Charm, but it must be performed very carefully. Cutting through the pustule instead of around it will make the ingredient ineffective. If removed correctly, the pustules will still be glowing. If you sever through it, the pustule will lose the red light. Clabbert pustules are also commonly used in the Scintillation Solution. A jar of Clabbert pustules usually sells for about ten Sickles.
Creature Name: Diricawl
Ministry of Magic Classification: XXX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
The Diricawl, or the dodo as they are known by Muggles, is a plump, flightless bird covered in feathers. Muggles feel that the creature was hunted to extinction. However, it is a well-known fact in the wizarding world that Diricawls can become invisible at will. The International Confederation of Wizards has yet to find a reason to reveal this fact to Muggles, and considering the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy that was signed into place by the International Confederation of Wizards, there probably never will be a reason to share this tidbit with Muggles.
They are native to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Over the past one hundred years, they have migrated to live on both Mauritius and Madagascar, brought to the island by boat. They were on top of crates, invisible of course, being moved into the cargo hold of the ship, therefore, the Muggles manning the ship had no idea they were there. The Diricawl is about three and a half feet tall, and weighs anywhere from 23 to 47 pounds. Diricawls are omnivores, using their hooked beaks to open nuts, fruits, and seeds, and on occasion, shellfish like crabs, clams, or oysters.
Diricawl lay eggs just like other birds. They will lay a clutch of two eggs before settling down to incubate them. Diricawls make their nests on the ground, near the base of trees. The nests are made of sticks, leaves, and shells. It takes 17 to 21 days to incubate Diricawl eggs. After the eggs hatch, the chicks are fed crop milk by both the mother and father. Crop milk is produced in the crops of birds. The crop is a muscular pouch near the esophagus, considered a part of the digestive tract. The food will sit in the crop to partially digest before moving forward. For crop milk, this partially digested food is brought back up to feed to the chicks. The chicks are born with feather that look like yellow hairs coming off of their body. By the time they reach 28 to 31 days old, their initial coat of down, or fluffy underlayer, has started to grow in, with the main feathers following soon afterwards.
Diricawl feathers are often used in fancy quills, if the collector can collect feathers before they disappear. Because the Diricawl can vanish at will, their feathers will randomly vanish for several hours after being removed from the body. Diricawl eggs can also be collected to make ornaments, similar to how Fwooper eggs are kept as decoration. Diricawl eggs are blue in color.
Creature Name: Mooncalf
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Even if you were not raised in a Muggle household, chances are that you have heard of a “mooncalf”. Throughout the years, this word has had a number of different definitions. At first the term was mostly self-explanatory. It originally was used to describe a deformed newborn calf that was born under the full moon, which was considered to be evil. Today, you may hear someone use the word “mooncalf” as a reference to a person who isn’t particularly sensible.
In the wizarding world, a Mooncalf is something rather different. It is a magical creature, as one could assume. The creature is antisocial and thus only will leave its home when a full moon is in the sky. The Mooncalf, found all over the world, has an alarming appearance at first glance. Its smooth skin is a light shade of grey. The creature’s legs are long and gangly, and its eyes protrude from the top of its head. Many times, the Mooncalf has been described as very strange and alien-like.
In fact, the Mooncalf’s appearance is not the only thing that makes the creature like an alien. Once the beast leaves its burrow, it begins to dance. The creature will stand up on its two hind legs and then perform a difficult and unique routine; that is to say, no two Mooncalves will have the same dance. This dance is thought to be a part of the creatures’ mating ritual, however no one can either confirm or deny that claim as of yet. As a result of the dance, there are visible geometric designs in the area the Mooncalf was. These are commonly known as crop circles or crop formations to Muggles. Many Muggle scientists and conspiracists claim that they were formed by aliens from another planet.
If you are a herbologist, or a potioneer with a personal garden, you can collect Mooncalf dung. This substance has a healthy influence on magical plants; it makes them grow much faster. The dung, however, must be harvested before the sun comes up the next day. If you harvest Mooncalf dung after the sun rises and then use it on your magical garden, your plants are guaranteed to die.
Creature Name: Porlock
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Porlocks are magical horse guardians. They protect horses in various ways including making sure they have enough nutrition, making sure that they are all groomed, and even keeping predators at bay. They have been known to attack creatures who have the intentions of hurting the herd. Porlocks are strictly herbivores and eat mainly grass, but other vegetation in their diet is not uncommon.
These creatures are native to England and Southern Ireland. In fact, they get their name from Porlock, England, as this is the village in which they were originally discovered. The beasts are rather small; they will only be about two feet tall on average. They have two short arms, with four fingers on each hand. They walk on their hind legs that end with horse-like hooves. They are covered in coarse, roan hair. They also have very abnormally large noses, with thick hair sprouting from the nostrils. Porlocks are loners; that is to say, they don’t often associate themselves with their own kind. They much rather prefer the company of equine. In fact, newborn Porlocks will only stay with their mothers for two months. They then go off to care for a herd of their own. They can be found in the natural habitats of horses, sleeping in stables or nests made of straw. By the time they turn two, if they have been unsuccessful at finding at least one horse to care for, they will start to think that their life has no purpose. The Porlock will become ill with sadness and inevitably die.
Porlocks are rather fascinating beasts. They are only rated XX by the Ministry of Magic, so they are by no means dangerous. Porlocks are not considered ornery, but instead just mistrustful of humans. Anytime a human is near, a Porlock will hide until it is one hundred percent certain that they are gone. However, this does not mean that one cannot be domesticated. If you own horses, the best way to gain a Porlock’s trust is by gaining the trust of your horses first. If you take care of them well by making sure that they are groomed and fed regularly, the Porlock will know that your intentions are good and they will slowly but surely come to trust you. Although the practice is not common (due to the difficulty of gaining their trust), Porlocks can be sold for the purpose of protecting horses.
Creature Name: Puffskein
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Puffskeins are very small, round, and fluffy creatures. They are covered in very soft fur, which
is a custard yellow.
Puffskeins are popular pets, particularly among younger children and teens. Not only are they cute, as most would want from a pet, but they also are much easier to take care of than most traditional pets. This is for quite a few reasons. The first being that the beasts find their own food. Being scavengers they will eat anything they can find. They’ll eat the pests in one’s home (such as spiders), food from the garbage, and they’ll even eat ordinary cat food. In fact, Puffskeins have very long and thin tongues that they will use to clean their owners’ noses of bogeys as they sleep at night. Unappealing as it may sound, this is a Puffskein’s favorite snack. In fact, if one happens to blow their nose, the Puffskein will come running upon hearing it.
Puffskeins also do not mind if their owners are particularly rough with them [1]. This is another reason why they make ideal pets for children. They can be thrown, rolled, cuddled, and played with. They don’t need cages and never leave their owners, as they make for loyal pets. They prefer to sleep by their owner’s neck, which tends to keep them warm. When a Puffskein is happy, it will hum, much like a cat would purr. It is not uncommon to own more than one Puffskein. A group of them would be called a Poffle.
Puffskeins are not known just for being great pets. They also can be very beneficial to the potion industry. Their fur, which contains magical properties, is rather valuable. It is a fairly important ingredient in the Laughing Potion.
The Puffskein has two very notable hybrid species related to it, the first being the Fanged Puffskein. This creature was created by wizards as a prank. It looks exactly like an ordinary Puffskein, aside from very sharp fangs. However it does not act like your average Puffskein. It is just the opposite- very vicious and not friendly to people. This hybrid species is actually illegal, as it violates the Ban on Experimental Breeding.
The second hybrid species is the Pygmy Puffs. These creatures actually do not violate the Ban on Experimental Breeding, which some may find surprising. The species was bred by Fred and George Weasley who may have had a special license to breed the species after filing an extensive petition, although this is unclear. Also, Pygmy Puffs are much smaller than Puffskeins; they are essentially miniatures. This is a part of the loophole in the Ban of Experimental Breeding that allowed them to be created . Pygmy Puffs also come in many different shades of purple and pink as opposed to the default yellow color given to Puffskeins. Students at Hogwarts are made aware that Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products are not allowed at school, however an exception is made for Pygmy Puffs since they are pets as opposed to joke and prank products.
[1] This is to an extent, however. Never intentionally cause any harm to a creature.
Creature Name: Ramora
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Ministry of Magic Category: Beast
Ramoras are a magical silver fish native to the Indian Ocean. They have a strong magical ability to anchor ships in place. The International Confederation of Wizards has anti-poaching laws in place for the creatures, and strictly enforces them. This protects the Ramora from illegal wizard capturing.
Ramora have a modified dorsal fin, which allows them to “hitch a ride” on other creatures or objects. This modified dorsal fin is called a suction disc, allowing them to use suction to attach themselves to other creatures. By attaching itself to the ship, it is then able to use its magical powers to slow the entire ship. Considering the fish is anywhere from six to ten inches long, this is quite a large feat.
Due to being attached to other creatures and ships the majority of the time, Ramora simply open their mouth and eat whatever floats in. This means they end up eating a lot of plankton, krill, and smaller fish and crustaceans.
