Harry Potter – Animals and Pets / Characters

Beware of unmarked spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

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Pets

Hedwig

"Very smart owl you've got there. Arrived about five minutes after you did."

— Tom the Bartender

Harry's faithful pet snowy owl, and aside from Hagrid, his first friend in the magical world.

Amplified Animal Aptitude: Able to understand and carry out complex instructions far beyond the capability of normal animals. For example, Harry sends her out to bring back messages from his friends, with specific instructions to make sure those messages are of sufficient length (as he had been feeling left out of the loop lately). Hedwig attacks Ron and Hermione for not complying. She can also notice if the name on a letter doesn't match the person to whom she's asked to deliver it, as Harry tells her to disregard the name written on the envelope and just take it to Sirius. Not to mention a near-human ability to take offence to perceived slights. As well as this, given that her beak is sharp enough to physically wound Hermione and Ron — which she does on Harry's orders in Phoenix; she "pecks" them until they answer and they have deep, half-healed cuts on their hands - then she must be choosing not to peck Harry painfully on the occasions that she "nibbles his ear affectionately".
Artistic Licence – Biology: Hedwig is a female, but only male snowy owls are pure white like she's described as being. Hence, the owls who have played her in the films are actually all male. Hedwig is often described as hooting, but snowy owls bark instead of hoot. Could also possibly be explained by her being a magical bird. Maybe magical snowy owls are different?
Beware the Nice Ones: Harry orders Hedwig to "peck" Ron and Hermione until they reply. When the plot moves to Grimmauld Place, both Hermione and Ron have deep pecks on their hands. One has to wonder just how sharp Hedwig's beak is. Truth in Television, since Hedwig is an owl, a bird of prey and thus have sharp beak and talons.
Crosscast Role: Her role was played by several male owls in the movies, due to the Artistic Licence – Biology shown above.
Eye Take: Has a fantastic one in the film version of Chamber of Secrets; Harry and Ron, trying to catch up to the Hogwarts Express in their flying Ford Anglia after missing its departure, unknowingly end up with the train bearing down on them from behind. Hedwig is the first to notice, and her eyes damn near pop out of their sockets.
Heroic Sacrifice: In the film version of Deathly Hallows, she attacks a Death Eater chasing Harry and Hagrid, then flies into the path of a Killing Curse meant for Harry. This almost backfires on Harry when the Death Eater who killed Hedwig identifies Harry as the real one because his pet protected him. Hence why Voldemort immediately attacks him afterwards.
Killed Off for Real: Along with Mad-Eye Moody during the Battle of the Seven Potters.
Light Is Good: Is a pure white, snowy owl, and she is a loyal and dedicated pet to Harry.
Meaningful Name: St. Hedwig of Silesia is the patron saint of orphans.
Named After Somebody Famous: Harry named her after someone he read about in A History of Magic. More than likely a wizard version of St. Hedwig of Silesia (see Meaningful Name above).
Pets as a Present: She was given to Harry by Hagrid as a birthday present.
Pride: Hedwig's notably vain, and bites Harry when he keeps her cooped up in her birdcage for too long.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Pigwidgeon's red.
Sacrificial Lion: Her death marks the end of Harry's childhood, according to Rowling.
Servile Snarker: Obviously cares deeply for Harry, but when he hits peak angsty teenager in Books 4 and 5 (which, to be fair, isn't completely his fault, but still...), there are a couple of nonverbal moments where you can tell she's getting tired of his crap.
Tsundere: Type A, being aggressive and easily annoyed, but still caring deeply for her beloved master.
Undying Loyalty: Toward Harry. In the film version of Deathly Hallows, she takes this trope to its zenith when she tries to save him from the Death Eaters... at the cost of her own life.

Scabbers

Appears in: Philosopher's Stone | Chamber of Secrets | Prisoner of Azkaban

The Weasleys' communal rat, who is handed down to Ron much to his embarrassment.

Chekhov's Gunman: Scabbers becomes of quite a bit of significance in Prisoner of Azkaban, serving to drive a wedge between Hermione and Ron before it's revealed he is Peter Pettigrew.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: Well, not a mastermind, but it turns out that Scabbers was the main antagonist of The Prisoner of Azkaban, a very much alive Peter Pettigrew who framed Sirius for his crimes.
Evil All Along: Turns out he's secretly an Animagus who sold Harry's parents out to Voldemort.
Kick the Dog: Sirius Black does not treat Scabbers kindly, given the way Peter betrayed the Potters. He fully deserves it, mind you.
Long-Lived: By garden rat standards, he's at least twelve years old, which is ancient. This is because he's not a rat, but a human being.
Moment of Awesome: In-Universe. The trio aren't very much fond of Scabbers, but they all agree that Scabbers biting Goyle's finger was a true highlight of their Hogwarts experience.
Tropey, Come Home: Halfway through Prisoner of Azkaban, Scabbers goes missing and is presumed dead, devastating Ron.

Mrs. Norris

Argus Filch's Right-Hand Cat. She seems to have a high enough degree of sentience to act as Filch's sidekick. Everyone who's not Filch considers her an annoying spy.

Adaptation Species Change: In the books, Mrs. Norris is a skinny, dust-coloured, and yellow-eyed domestic cat. In the films, she is a Maine Coon and has red eyes.
Amplified Animal Aptitude: Mrs. Norris is capable of identifying when students are misbehaving and then running off to get Filch. Filch often speaks to her, calling her "my sweet", although it's not clear to what extent she can actually understand him. Mrs. Norris can apparently communicate back, although we never find out how. Maybe Filch understands "cat" and they have Bilingual Dialogue. For a while it was speculated that she was part kneazle like Crookshanks, but Pottermore says she's just a "highly unpleasant" but smart cat.
Cats Are Mean: Played straight here; she actively warns Filch whenever students are doing anything he can punish them for.
Formally-Named Pet: Mrs. Norris
Morality Pet: To Filch, who sincerely loves her, far more than any of his students.
Non-Human Sidekick: She assists Filch in hunting down trouble-making students.
Only Friend: To Filch. Granted, it's very hard to like Filch regardless of your species.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: She has red eyes in the first two films and in Goblet of Fire.
Right-Hand Cat: To Mr. Filch.
Sacrificial Lamb: Non-fatal example. She's the first character to get petrified by the Basilisk in Chamber of Secrets.
Shout-Out: Named, by Rowling's own admission, for the character of the same name in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park.

Fang

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_thing_20.jpg

Draco Malfoy: Okay. Then I get Fang!
Hagrid: Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward.

Hagrid's gigantic boarhound dog.

Adaptation Species Change: Fang is a boarhound/Great Dane in the books, but he's portrayed by a Neapolitan Mastiff in the movies.
Big Friendly Dog: He warms up pretty quickly to Harry and his friends.
But Thou Must!: In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, when he appears as a puppy, Hagrid will ask the player what to name him — Fang, Hagrid Junior, or Voldemort. If the player chooses one of the latter two names, Hagrid will laugh it off and name him Fang anyway.
Deathbringer the Adorable: Fang is a huge dog that can be quite terrifying, so long as you know he's cuddly and loyal.
Evil-Detecting Dog: Literally. In the first film, while Harry and Malfoy are serving detention in the Forbidden Forest, the first thing Fang does is growl at Quirrell, who is drinking a dead unicorn's blood.
Ironic Name: Fang has a name that would suit a ferocious guard dog, but he’s probably the most normal and harmless of Hagrid’s pets. When compared to a fierce hippogriff, a vicious fire-breathing dragon, a man-eating acromantula and the Blast-Ended Skrewts, he’s positively cuddly.
Kick the Dog: Quite literally — Fang gets hit by a Stunning Spell during Umbridge's attempt to fire Hagrid. To say Hagrid is displeased is putting it lightly.
Lovable Coward: Fang's as nice as can be, but when faced with a cloaked figure drinking from a unicorn's corpse, he will not stay by your side. He will, however, attack an Auror for Hagrid. It's also important to note that Hagrid being Hagrid probably has something of a different definition of "coward", in this case meaning, afraid of magical threats he couldn't possibly fend off. Fang seems to be a normal dog, so it's understandable that he knows he's in over his head against threats like unicorn blood-drinking ghouls or acromantulas.
Loyal Animal Companion: To Hagrid, Harry, and Ron.
Precious Puppy: He appears as a little puppy in Hogwarts Mystery.
What Happened to the Mouse?: He is last seen in the series fleeing when the Battle of Hogwarts starts and some flying debris scares him, and Hagrid chases after him. Whether or not Fang survived the battle is unknown. As Hagrid showed no signs of mourning over him, it's presumed he's alive, though there has been no actual word on it. He's definitely dead after the nineteen year timeskip, though, unless he has hitherto unmentioned magical abilities.

Trevor

"Gran, I've lost my toad again."

— Neville Longbottom

Neville's pet toad, given to him by his great-uncle Algie as a gift for being admitted into Hogwarts. Has a constant tendency to run off.

Adaptation Species Change: In the Spanish versions of the book, he's a turtle for some reason.
Establishing Character Moment: His existence is a subtle one for Neville, as Hagrid mentions a couple of chapters before Neville's introduction that toads are no longer in fashion among wizarding children and anyone who had one would be laughed at. Neville's introduction in both the book and the movies make mention of Trevor, immediately establishing him as both forgetful and a bit of a loser socially. He famously grows out of both of these, of course.
Hidden Depths: Apparently, he's one of the toads in the Frog Choir. Who knew this little toad was musically gifted?
Living Prop: He never really provided anything other than a Running Gag and a headache for Neville.
Running Gag: His tendency to run away from Neville.
Shoo Out the Clowns: As the series wears on and things get darker, his appearances get more and more sporadic. He disappears completely in Deathly Hallows.
What Happened to the Mouse?: He's not even mentioned in Deathly Hallows. According to Pottermore, he ended up escaping into the Black Lake and Neville simply decided not to bother looking for him this time, so we can assume Trevor lives in the lake now.

Crookshanks

Portrayed by: Crackerjack
Appears in: Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows

"There's something funny about that animal! It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

— Ronald Weasley

Hermione's pet cat.

All There in the Manual: Being half kneazle isn't mentioned in the books. Rowling confirmed it when a fan guessed.
Amplified Animal Aptitude: He is able to find Neville's list of common room passwords, understands enough English to understand Ron saying that Scabbers is in his bag, knows how to freeze the Whomping Willow, and knows right away that dog!Sirius is not a dog.
Animal Talk: Can talk to Sirius in his dog form.
Cats Are Mean: Subverted. While he's a bit of a Jerkass when he first appears, it's because he knows that Scabbers is an Animagus that does not have the trio's best interests at heart.
Cats Are Snarkers: This Pottermore article imagines his probable thoughts during Prisoner of Azkaban. They're very sarcastic, and mostly show that he considers himself Surrounded by Idiots.
Cats Are Superior: The aforementioned article makes it very clear this is his view.
Demoted to Extra: He does appear in the film adaptation of Prisoner of Azkaban, but his role in befriending and helping Sirius, as well as going after Scabbers/Pettigrew, is cut out.
Evil-Detecting Cat: The first thing we see him do in the books is pounce on Scabbers, who's actually Peter Pettigrew in Animagus form. Justified, because this is a species trait for Kneazles as a whole. (Ron comes to recognize his authority and has him check Pigwidgeon before deciding to keep him.)
Familiar: He is half kneazle, a magical creature, and Hermione's closest confidante.
Only Sane Man: The Pottermore article envisioning his thoughts has him consider himself this, depicting him as the only one who realizes that Scabbers is an Animagus.
Spanner in the Works: In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, he eats the Extendable Ear that Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny are using to eavesdrop on the adults' conversation downstairs.
Ron: Hermione, I hate your cat.
Surrounded by Idiots: A Pottermore article reveals this is his view — a lone sane creature in a world of idiots. And Sirius. He's a cat, what did you expect?
What Does She See in Him?: In the aforementioned Pottermore article, he is depicted as knowing that Hermione likes Ron and wonders why.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Hermione doesn't take him on the Trio's journey in Deathly Hallows. Crookshanks' last appearance in the series is at the Burrow, a few days before Bill and Fleur's wedding, so it can be assumed he stayed there during the events in the rest of the book. According to Rowling, Crookshanks lived to a very old age before passing away some time before 2021.

Pigwidgeon

Appears in: Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows

"I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me too, come to that."

— Ronald Weasley

Ron's pet owl, sent to him by Sirius Black as a replacement for Scabbers. He's a miniature Scops owl.

Demoted to Extra: Pig doesn't have an actual role in the films, but does appear in the background of the fifth and sixth movies.
A Dog Named "Cat": Downplayed. He's an owl nicknamed "Pig", but that's just a shortened form of Pigwidgeon, which isn't really a name of any other animal species.
Fun Size: According to Harry, he looks and feels like a very fluffy Snitch.
Keet: He is quite hyper, always flying around and annoying Ron.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: He's more energetic than Hedwig, who has a stoic temperament and takes her job seriously.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: Girls squee over the adorable owl, but he annoys Ron.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Ron leaves him behind when the Trio are on the run in Deathly Hallows. He's last mentioned when Mrs. Weasley offers to look after Hedwig and Pigwidgeon without knowing at that moment that Hedwig had just died, so presumably he remains at the Burrow through the events of the rest of the book.
Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Ginny was the one who named him Pigwidgeon because she thought the name was cute. Ron hated it and tried to call him something else, but he would not answer to any other names. Ron then decided to just call him "Pig" as a compromise.

Errol

Appears in: Chamber of Secrets | Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire

Ron: "That bloody bird's a menace!"

The very old pet great grey owl of the Weasley family.

Butt-Monkey: The poor bird's constant Running Gag consists of fainting and crashing in the most unexpected places while bringing the mail.
Captain Crash: In the films, at least, he frequently flies into windows and "crashes" in other ways.
Fish out of Temporal Water: He appears as a Foundable in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and has to be sent back to his original time.
The Klutz: Frequently flies into windows or crashes while flying.
Running Gag: He faints a lot after delivering letters.

Nagini

^{SPOILERS: Click here to see Nagini in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.}

Portrayed by: Claudia Kim (The Crimes of Grindelwald)

Voiced by: Geneviève Doang (French, The Crimes of Grindelwald), Jessica Ángeles (Latin American Spanish, The Crimes of Grindelwald)

Appears in: Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald^note

Voldemort's pet snake from book four onwards, ready to kill and eat any who threaten her master. She appears in the Fantastic Beasts series starting with the second instalment, in a time in which she can still control her transformation. She's revealed to be a Maledictus, a carrier of a blood curse that will eventually turn her into a snake permanently.^note

Ambiguous Situation: How exactly did she go from somewhat decent woman to an animalistic monster serving Voldemort? Was this something that she did willingly, or was she brainwashed by him? Or had her mind regress to an animalistic state where she's little more than a tool?
Animorphism: Nagini is a Maledictus, an individual who has a genetic anomaly that allows them to transform into an animal (in Nagini's case, it's a snake). What separates them from an Animagus is that the transformation will eventually and irreversibly become permanent; worse is that unlike the later development of the wolfsbane potion to allow werewolf victims to live a normal life there is no treatment muggle or magical for this.
Anti-Magic: Her venom is resistant to healing magic.
Chekhov's Gunman: Aside from helping her master regaining his form in Goblet of Fire with her poison, she's the last remaining Horcrux after Harry's "death". In the first Fantastic Beasts movie, there is also a poster for a "snake girl" at a circus hanging up in an alley.
Dark and Troubled Past: Nagini was forced to work in a freakshow under a ruthless and abusive owner. Having had enough, she ran away with Credence, only to lose him when he decided to choose Grindelwald's side, which she refused to do. And of course, being a Maledictus meant that she eventually turned into a snake permanently decades later.
Face–Monster Turn: Nagini was a decent individual when she was a human being. Not only did she help Credence look for his family, she was also visibly afraid of Grindelwald and even warned Credence about Pure-bloods, the very people she'd end up working with as a snake decades later.
Face Stealer: She takes Bathilda Bagshot's place upon her death, animating her corpse from within.
Familiar: Voldemort's connection with Nagini goes far beyond the normal connection Parseltongue allows.
Interchangeable Asian Cultures: Nagini is an Indonesian with a Sanskrit (a language originating in India) name but with a Korean actress. Indonesian actress Acha Septriasa was originally cast but dropped out due to a pregnancy.
Involuntary Shapeshifting: Nagini can still control her transformation into a snake in the 1920s, but the ultimate fate of a Maledictus is that they will eventually become a beast for the rest of their life, which Nagini has undergone by the time of the Harry Potter series.
Meaningful Name: Nagini is the feminine form of nāga, the name of a serpentine creature in Indian mythology (and is occasionally used as an alternative name for snakes in Sanskrit).
Mercy Kill: When we first meet Nagini in the 1920s she’s a human woman suffering from a genetic condition that will ultimately turn her into a full snake yet willing to fight against Grindelwald in the First Wizarding War. By the time we meet her again during the 4th book of the main series not only has she permanently become a snake but has been reduced first to Voldemort’s personal “pet” and then his “final” soul vessel most likely against her will (as the books hint that despite her condition Nagini managed to retain at least a little of her human intelligence). One could make the argument that being decapitated by Neville Longbottom in the 2nd phase of the Battle of Hogwarts was the kindest thing anyone could’ve done for her ever since the transformation became permanent.
Morality Chain: She's among the first people who treats Credence with any sort of care. They part ways when Credence turns to the dark side.
Ms. Fanservice: Justified — as a circus attraction, she's forced to wear a sexy outfit as part of being exploited by the ringmaster.
No Body Left Behind: In the films, her body dissolves when Neville cuts off her head.
No-Sell: Hermione blindsides her with Stupefy in Deathly Hallows Part 1, but Ron's desperate casting against her dissipates on impact in Part 2. In the book, Voldemort cast a protective aegis to see her through the final battle unscathed; in the film, while Voldemort still made mention of keeping her safe, this visual indicator was omitted in favor of the implication that her status as a Horcrux has rendered her immune to such mundane methods of killing.
Off with Her Head!: Gets beheaded by Neville with the Sword of Gryffindor in the Battle of Hogwarts. When it’s latter revealed that she was once a human permanently transformed into a snake due to something she had no control of it’s now seen as a Mercy Kill.
Older Sidekick: To give you an idea, she appears as an adult in The Crimes of Grindelwald, where Voldemort is chronologically nine months old (he was born in December 1926, while most of the movie is set in September 1927).
Real Life Writes the Plot: Nagini doesn't appear in Secrets of Dumbledore because Kim was heavily pregnant when production began after an extensive delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Nagini acts like a straight-up horror villain in Book 7, although how much of this was by Nagini’s own volition and not the influence of Voldemort’s soul fragment is unknown.
Right-Hand Attack Dog: Voldemort will frequently injure people and leave Nagini to finish them off and consume the remains. It’s unclear if that is by Nagini’s own will, a snake’s natural instincts, or Voldemort’s usage of Parseltongue to command her to do so.
Satellite Love Interest: In the theatrical cut of The Crimes of Grindelwald, she has little to do other than giving Credence emotional support during his journey to find his family. However, it seems to be subverted by the end, since she does not join him to follow Grindelwald, instead staying with the heroes. She also comes off as a much more well rounded character in the extended version of the movie since her and Credence’s subplot is the one that is most expanded on and most different from the theatrical cut.
Soul Jar: She's a living Horcrux, and is the final of Voldemort's Horcruxes to be destroyed before his demise.
Sssssnake Talk: Speaks Parseltongue with her master on occasion.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Goes from a kind and goodhearted witch who opposes Gellert Grindelwald himself to a murderous serpent who wholeheartedly and sadistically supports the even worse dark wizard Lord Voldemort. Downplayed slightly as its unknown just how much “humanity” Nagini had left in the end following her becoming a snake and becoming a soul vessel.
To Serve Man: Voldemort occasionally uses her to... dispose... of people he doesn't like. Poor Charity Burbage.
Was Once a Man: As revealed in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, she was formerly a human witch. She is a Maledictus, having inherited a curse from her mother that led to her eventual and permanent transformation into a snake becoming Voldemort’s “pet” were meet in the 4th book in the main series.

Magical Beasts

Dragons

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/potter7_good_05.jpg

Appears in: Philosopher's Stone

A dragon that Hagrid illegally wins as a prize and tries to raise as his own. Hagrid tries to keep Norbert a secret, but soon allows Charlie Weasley to take the dragon to a dragon sanctuary in Romania. It's revealed in The Deathly Hallows that Norbert is a female.

Adaptational Attractiveness: A variant. While Norbert is described as being rather ugly and vicious in the books, in the movies, she is portrayed as cute and affectionate as a baby.
Lazily Gender-Flipped Name: Hagrid acquires a dragon egg and christens the hatchling Norbert. When he sends it to some dragon experts in Romania, they realise it's a female. So she's called Norberta.
More Deadly Than the Male: How Charlie figured out that she's a female dragon.
Our Dragons Are Different: Is depicted as a classic "Western Dragon" (i.e. four legs, a pair of bat-like wings, and a lizard-esque appearance) in the books (and in older official plush). In the movies, and in newer toys, Norbert's appearance is more based on that of a wyvern (i.e. a bipedal reptilian creature with two legs and a pair of bat-like wings.).
Reptiles Are Abhorrent: While not evil, dragons in general are portrayed as extremely vicious and impossible to domesticate, and as she grows, Norbert becomes more ferocious and harder to tame. Of course, Hagrid being Hagrid, he adores Norbert and doesn't see her as a fire-breathing wild animal.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: In the movie; she makes cute noises and acts like a puppy.
Samus Is a Girl: As Charlie reveals in the seventh book.
Charlie: It's actually Norberta.
Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Female dragons are larger and more aggressive than male dragons; thanks to this, Charlie can identify Norbert as a female.
Your Tomcat Is Pregnant: Up until Charlie reveals it, everyone thought Norbert was male.

The Hungarian Horntail

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hornschwanz.jpg

Appears in: Goblet of Fire

A large, extremely vicious dragon that Harry faces off against during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. In the books, the Hungarian Horntail is said to be the most dangerous breed. Harry manages to obtain the golden egg that the dragon is guarding by flying past her using his Firebolt.

Death by Adaptation: Implied to fall to her doom during the movie; it's not explicitly stated, beyond an offhanded comment from Ron.
The Dreaded: Harry is horrified to learn of its existence and is ready to pass out as the time draws near for him to face it. Even Hagrid admits it's a "nasty piece of work" in the film.
Everyone Has Standards: Hagrid, as a half-giant, adores very large, very dangerous creatures. Even he admits that the Hungarian Horntail is a nasty piece of work.
Mama Bear: Dragons are extremely protective of their young in the books/movies. And Harry ends up having to steal an egg from the most dangerous one.
Non-Malicious Monster: She's technically just trying to protect what she thinks is her own egg. Of course, Hungarian Horntails are extremely vicious by nature to begin with.
Our Dragons Are Different: Is based on a wyvern.
Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Subverted. They are extremely vicious by nature, but are not evil. And the one in the books/movies is just following her maternal instincts.
Shout-Out: The design of the Hungarian Horntail in the film was based off of the dragons from the film Reign of Fire. As is its method of breathing fire.^note
Super-Persistent Predator: While the book offers the justification that she's defending her eggs, the film shows her relentlessly pursuing Harry once she breaks her chain, to the point she abandons the egg to chase him.
Tail Slap: As the name implies, its tail is covered in jagged spikes that it doesn't hesitate to use as a weapon. In the book, Harry gets injured when caught by one of the spikes, while in the film, the Horntail throws Harry around like a ragdoll using its tail.
Charlie Weasley: I don't envy whoever gets the Horntail... Its back end's as dangerous as the front.
Uncertain Doom: With slightly more evidence for than against. It falls into a ravine beneath Hogwarts Castle and is never seen again; Ron later makes an idle comment about Harry slaying dragons.

Gringotts' Ukrainian Ironbelly

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/91b9194a300641125f4dea54219a58b97b428f2e_hq.jpg

Appears in: Deathly Hallows

An ancient and decrepit Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon that guards a chamber in Gringotts bank. The trio uses it to escape in the seventh book.

Chekhov's Gunman: Mentioned as early as the first book when Hagrid mentions a rumour that a dragon is guarding one of the maximum security vaults. Come Deathly Hallows and he's correct!
Cold-Blooded Torture: Went through some severe abuse before it's released. For reference, the goblins have conditioned it to associate the sound of metal with pain by repeatedly stabbing it with a burning sword. In the movie, the poor thing whimpers when it hears that noise. While not whimpering, Harry notices that the creature is trembling at the noise.
Dragon Hoard: A rather dark deconstruction; this dragon is forced to guard a hoard.
Giant Flyer: And thanks to Hermione, an excellent getaway vehicle!
Handicapped Badass: It's blind and has clearly seen better days, but it's still quite strong.
Our Dragons Are Different: Like in most of the films, it's depicted as a wyvern.
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: It basically amounts to a scared, brutally tortured puppy in the body of a huge, fire-breathing beast. Once it's been freed, you better believe that it went on a rampage.

Miscellaneous

Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fluffy_hp1.png

Appears in: Philosopher's Stone

Originally under the care of Hagrid, Fluffy guarded the location of The Philosopher's Stone. His greatest weakness was the inability to resist falling asleep to the sound of music.

Fluffy the Terrible: Possibly Trope Namer. The vicious and scary dog is named "Fluffy" as a possible nod to Cerberus, whose name is theorized by many linguists to mean "Spot".
Hellhound: Based mostly on the Greek monster Cerberus, he does not guard any entrance to the world of the dead or any demonic dimension, though what lies under the trap are still tough and dangerous tasks to get the final prize.
MacGuffin Guardian: He is the first defence against those who seek to steal the stone.
Music Soothes the Savage Beast: He's lulled to sleep when music is played (a harp or a flute in this case), as a nod to Greek Mythology.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Fluffy's whereabouts are never mentioned in the subsequent books. J. K. Rowling stated that he was released in the Forbidden Forest and, later, to his native Greece.

Fawkes

Appears in: Chamber of Secrets | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince

Dumbledore's pet Phoenix. His feathers were used as the cores for both Harry and Voldemort's wands.

Amplified Animal Aptitude: In the movie version of Order of the Phoenix, as he swoops down to teleport Dumbledore to safety, he squawks to inform Dumbledore where he is — right above Dumbledore's head!
- In Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore mentions offhandedly that he's been telling Fawkes to "get a move on" (and die, to be reborn) for days, seemingly implying that even if he can't speak human language, he can understand it.
Beware the Nice Ones: Fawkes is an adorable handsome Phoenix who stays by Dumbledore's side like a good friend. He also pecks out the Basilisk's eyes in Chamber of Secrets. And explodes in a flash of fire when Dumbledore is in danger.
Big Damn Heroes: Comes to Harry's aid in the Chamber of Secrets by bringing him the Sorting Hat, which produced the Sword of Gryffindor later in the battle, and attacking the Basilisk.
Familiar: To Dumbledore, as they are very rare in-universe, immortal, and have a slew of magical abilities associated with them.
Heroic Sacrifice: He takes a Killing Curse for Dumbledore in Order of the Phoenix. Since he's a phoenix, he gets better.
Meaningful Name: Guy Fawkes is famous for trying to blow up (which would lead to burning) the Houses of Parliament. Phoenixes burn at the end of each 'life'.
The Phoenix: Obviously, and it's also indicated that his bond with Dumbledore is responsible for why the wizard's Patronus is now also a Phoenix and may or may not be how the Order of the Phoenix got its name.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Dumbledore's death, Fawkes leaves Hogwarts forever.
She's a Man in Japan: In the Italian translation of the books, the male phoenix Fawkes becomes female, and is named Fanny. Possibly due to the fact that in Italian, "phoenix" is a feminine word.
Swiss-Army Tears: An inherent Phoenix ability.
Undying Loyalty: To Dumbledore and by extension Hogwarts. When Dumbledore dies, he no longer has a reason to stay. As of Half-Blood Prince, he's been with Dumbledore for at least fifty-nine years.
- It also seems that Fawkes is not tamed or owned by Dumbledore, given that he leaves when Dumbledore dies, implying that it's a willing choice of Fawkes to stay with Dumbledore. Dumbledore has done something to earn Fawkes' loyalty. And Fawkes repays it by staying with him, helping him, doing missions for him, etc..
What Happened to the Mouse?: It's unknown what happens to him after Half-Blood Prince; he's simply stated to leave Hogwarts and never return.

Aragog

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ara.jpg

Voiced by: Julian Glover, Rubén Moya (Latin American Spanish), Vincent Grass (European French)

Appears in: Chamber of Secrets | Half-Blood Prince

"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friend of Hagrid."

One of Hagrid's attempts to befriend a vicious man eating creature that actually goes well, Aragog is an Acromantula who lives in the Forbidden Forest with his mate and thousands of children. In Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid, while a student at Hogwarts, cared for him when he was young, and Aragog was accused by Tom Marvolo Riddle of being the creature living in the Chamber of Secrets. Years later, he tells Harry and Ron about the creature living in the titular chamber, then sics his sons and daughters on the two (don't worry, they escape).

Affably Evil: Not unfriendly, but pretty darn frightening even if you are a friend of Hagrid.
Androcles' Lion: Hagrid cared for Aragog since he hatched, saved his life when the Hogwarts higher-ups might have had him killed, and even arranged to him to meet his mate after he set up shop in the Forbidden Forest. As a result Aragog, in spite of his species being very bloodthirsty and eating humans, cares deeply for Hagrid and has even forbidden his children from harming him. Unfortunately, Harry and Ron find out that that treatment extends to Hagrid and only Hagrid — and Hagrid's dog, Fang. Anything else that wanders into Aragog's neck of the woods is fair game. And after Aragog dies, that particular courtesy isn't even extended to Hagrid anymore.
Back for the Dead: In Half-Blood Prince, Hagrid informs the trio that he is sick. Then he dies and both Harry, after drinking the Felix Felicis Potion, and Slughorn attend his funeral.
Big Creepy-Crawlies: He's an Acromantula (acro- is Greek for large), ginormous spiders the size of a baby elephant and he possesses a quite long legspan.
The Bus Came Back: Not Aragog himself (he's dead), but his children return during the Battle of Hogwarts, attacking Death Eaters and Hogwarts allies alike.
The Dreaded: Acromantulas are feared all across the Wizarding World, and Aragog and his family are no exception, unless you are a basilisk. Or Hagrid. Or Fang. Or a wild, flying Ford Anglia.
Giant Spider: Though naturally, Hagrid finds him adorable.
Gone Horribly Wrong: Averted. Aragog is one of the few creatures Hagrid is successful in befriending, if not taming.
Happily Married: To his mate, Mosag, with whom he has thousands of babies.
Horrifying the Horror: He's a very scary creature, but like all spiders, he's absolutely terrified of basilisks. When Slytherin's basilisk awakens again, he's clearly very frightened, even though it probably won't venture into the Forbidden Forest.
Interspecies Adoption: Aragog is an acromantula raised by the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid. Unlike Hagrid's other vicious and monstrous "pets", Aragog cared just as much for his adopted father as the other way around, even going so far as to not eat humans out of respect for his friend's wishes. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Aragog's children, who are more than willing to eat any human who wanders into their territory and only leave Hagrid alone on Aragog's command.
Interspecies Friendship: A rare example of Hagrid's affection towards extremely dangerous animals being reciprocated. Aragog and Hagrid have been good friends for over fifty years, and when Hagrid is in trouble he gets very concerned for him. This friendship was so strong that Aragog, a member of a species that is considered one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, refused to consume human flesh out of respect for him.
I Owe You My Life: Hagrid cared for a young Aragog after he hatched and later got him to safety in the Forbidden Forest following Riddle's accusation. The two maintained contact, which saw Hagrid getting him food and a mate. As such, Aragog forbade his children from ever harming Hagrid. Unfortunately for Harry and Ron, Aragog's family extends that courtesy only to Hagrid himself. And Fang.
- Also, Hagrid himself realized that upon Aragog's death, his children would no longer feel bound by the promise and it wouldn't be safe for him to go into their territory anymore. Even when Aragog was still alive but clearly sick and dying, Hagrid commented that it was getting risky for him to go and visit Aragog because his children were getting more aggressive towards him.
- According to Hogwarts Mystery, the "not eating people/animals" does apply to Hagrid's dog, Fang — when Fang goes missing, Aragog returns him to Hagrid instead of eating him. The fact that Fang doesn't run away from the massive scary Acromantula shows just how far Aragog's loyalty to Hagrid truly goes.
Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge: He was instrumental in helping Harry find the truth behind the Chamber of Secrets.
Logical Weakness: Yes, Aragog and his children are big spiders who can kill almost anything smaller than them if they desired to. Of course, they're still spiders, with eight eyes that cannot blink. This makes them highly susceptible to a Basilik's Deadly Gaze, and explains why they're so terrified of them.
Non-Malicious Monster: During the Battle of Hogwarts, his children get royally (but understandably) ticked off when the Death Eaters drive them out of the forest, leading them to attack everyone on the battlefield in an angry frenzy.
Red Herring: Readers initially thought he was the creature from the Chamber of Secrets, but it turned out he never visited the castle after Hagrid smuggled him in.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: During the Battle of Hogwarts, his children swarm the castle, attacking everyone regardless of their affiliation because the Death Eaters had driven them out of their nest.
The Scapegoat: For what the Basilisk did. To add further insult to it, Acromantulas hate and fear Basilisks.
Spiders Are Scary: Especially if it is a giant one that likes the taste of human flesh (be glad that Aragog is the only one who doesn't).
Talking Animal: Being an Acromantula, he and his brood are able to speak.
To Serve Man: A species trait, though he himself refrains from eating humans in honour of Hagrid. His children, on the other hand, consider any human other than Hagrid fair game.
Undying Loyalty: Towards Hagrid, even vowing never to eat human flesh out of respect for their friendship. His family, however, did not show the same loyalty themselves.

Slytherin's Basilisk

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harry_potter_basilisk_1431999271.jpg

Voiced by: Jason Isaacs

Appears in: Chamber of Secrets

"Let me rip you, let me tear you, let me kill you."

The legendary Monster of Salazar Slytherin, intended to be awoken by Slytherin's heir to purge all the Muggle-borns in Hogwarts. Serves as The Dragon to the heir of Slytherin in Chamber of Secrets, where she ultimately dies.

Adaptational Badass: In the book it's described as around twenty feet long, which is comparable to extant large constrictor-type snakes. The film version is longer than the extinct Titanoboa^note, with a head as large as a T. rex's, and a body girth to match it; Ron states that it must "be sixty feet long, or more" at the sight of the shed Basilisk skin.
The Ageless: She's is close to a millennia old and doesn't age when she goes into a deep sleep.
Animalistic Abomination: They are bred through unnatural dark magic and become enormous serpents with a petrifying gaze and incredibly lethal venom. Even Acromantulas are scared shitless of them.
Axe-Crazy: All of her lines are about murder, blood, or killing.
Basilisk and Cockatrice: The Basilisk in the Wizarding World is a giant snake without any bird traits except for the red feather above the males' head, can kill or petrify at sight and is born when a toad hatches a chicken egg.
Chekhov's Boomerang: Harry uses a fang from the Basilisk to destroy Tom Riddle's diary (one of Voldemort's Horcruxes) in Chamber of Secrets. Years later, when they need to destroy another Horcrux, Ron hits on the idea of doing the same thing and heads down to retrieve fangs from the Basilisk's carcass.
Chekhov's Gunman: Initially, the basilisk seem to be a one-off monster, appearing only long enough to terrorize the school for a book and then die by Harry's hand. Later, when Lord Voldemort's secret about his horcruxes comes out, we learn that a basilisk's venom is one of the only ways of destroying horcruxes (which explains why using her fang to destroy the diary worked so well)... and her skeleton still lies in the Chamber of Secrets...
Deadly Gaze: Making eye contact with her is instantly fatal.
Dragon-in-Chief: To the Heir in the second book. While he was calling the shots, she was the one doing the dirty work.
The Dreaded: With the exception of roosters and the Heir, everyone is terrified of her. Even Acromantulas refuse to speak of her, since spiders' near-360 degree vision and inability to blink makes them especially susceptible to the Deadly Gaze of the basilisk.
Eye Scream: Ends up on the receiving end of this, courtesy of Fawkes, which allows Harry to properly fight her.
Feathered Serpent: Played with, as only the males have feathers and this one is female.
Female Monster Surprise: It's never really addressed but she's clearly missing the scarlet plume on the forehead characteristic of her species' male counterpart. It was apparently so surprising that in LEGO Harry Potter, it does have the plume even though otherwise they've been consistently shown as female in adaptions.
Final Boss: She's the final enemy fought in the video game adaptations of Chamber of Secrets.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Harry drives the Sword of Gryffindor up through the roof of the Basilisk's mouth and into her brain to kill her.
It Can Think: As if being a giant killer snake with the ability to kill you with a single look wasn't bad enough, she's also intelligent, being smart enough to get around the school undetected by using the plumping system and able to follow Voldemort's commands. Her few actual dialogues (comprehensible only to a Parselmouth) further indicate she's not just hunting out of hunger or instinct; she personally enjoys "ripping, tearing, and killing."
"It" Is Dehumanizing: Tom Riddle typically refers to her as "it" which emphasizes how he sees her as a weapon, compared to how Voldemort treats Nagini, and her own bloodthirsty nature.
Logical Weakness: Her stare causes instant death but only in a direct way. Seeing her gaze through a reflection or filter, such as a camera or a ghost, simply causes temporary paralysis. She also obviously can't use her power if the victim simply avoids looking at her or if her eyes have been damaged or torn out as happens in the finale. Her power also isn't fatal to those who are already dead like Nick and other ghosts.
Monster Delay: The Basilisk's full appearance does not get into the scene until Harry enters the Chamber of Secrets and the heir of Slytherin summons her.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Posthumously. Basilisk venom is one of the few things that can destroy a Horcrux and her venom is used by the heroes to destroy five of Voldemort's seven Horcruxes. Two with her actual fangs and three others with the venom-infused Sword of Gryffindor. By extension, this one goes to Voldemort's diary horcrux. If only the horcrux hadn't opened the Chamber of Secrets at all that second time, then the heroes would never have had access to the basilisk and her horcrux-destroying venom.
Non-Malicious Monster: Averted. Thanks to his understanding of Parseltongue, Harry realizes that all of the things she says are simmering with evil and bloodlust, indicating that she knows full well what she is doing and enjoys it.
The Paralyser: Eye contact through a mirror or other reflections petrifies the victim, which can be reversed. It also works this way on ghosts by default, for obvious reasons.
The Quiet One: She never speaks during her confrontation with Harry at the climax of Chamber, and the few words she does say while traveling through the Hogwarts plumbing are whispers of how she smells blood and is eager to kill.
Really 700 Years Old: She's a millenarian beast born the same time as Slytherin co-founded Hogwarts.
Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Harry's ability hear what she's saying due to his Parseltongue foreshadows her role as a Basilisk, a humongous snake monster.
Sense-Impaired Monster: She's blinded early in the fight, but can still use her sense of hearing to find her prey.
She Is the King: The Monster is called the king of its species, but this specific one is female.
Significant Double Casting: Her few spoken words are delivered Jason Isaacs, Lucius Malfoy's actor, and the catalyst for her attacks restarting due to him smuggling Voldemort's diary to Ginny.
Undying Loyalty: To Slytherin and his heir.
Tom Riddle: Parseltongue won't save you now, Potter; it only obeys ME!
Weaksauce Weakness: "The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it." Sure, Voldemort-possessed Ginny Weasley made sure to eliminate all of the roosters on the grounds, but still.
Whispering Ghosts: Her voice is only heard by Harry before he knows he could speak Parseltongue and before he knew the source came from a murderous giant snake.
Would Hurt a Child: With the exceptions of Nearly Headless Nick (a ghost) and Mrs. Norris (a cat), its victims are all young children.

Buckbeak / "Witherwings"

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6b5aed18_8f73_4572_95da_f78c1fd3b152.jpg

Appears in: Prisoner of Azkaban | Goblet of Fire | Order of the Phoenix | Half-Blood Prince

Hagrid's pet hippogriff, who was provoked into attacking Malfoy during a Care of Magical Creatures class and set up to be executed by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.

Big Damn Heroes: He saves Harry from the savage werewolf form of Lupin.
The Cavalry: Leads the Thestrals of the Forbidden Forest against Voldemort's giants during the final stage of the Battle of Hogwarts.
Cool Horse: Well, cool half-horse.
Giant Flyer: Has a large and formidable wingspan.
Mix-and-Match Critters: Half bird, half horse.
Off with His Head!: The Ministry is forced to perform this on Buckbeak after he "injures" Malfoy. Subverted thanks to Harry and Hermione's meddling with the Time-Turner.
Our Gryphons Are Different: Specifically, he's a hippogriff (half-gryphon with emphasis to his eagle side, half-horse).
Pride: Enough to demand consent to be ridden (that whole bowing thing). It's a hippogriff trait.
Undying Loyalty: To Hagrid, Sirius and ultimately Harry.

Thestrals

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thestral.png

A breed of winged horses with a skeletal body and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat's. They are undeservedly known as omens of misfortune and aggression by many wizards, as they are visible only to those who have witnessed death at least once or due to their somewhat grim, gaunt and ghostly appearance.

Dark Is Not Evil: They are harmless despite looking very spooky. They do eat meat, but apparently not human meat.
Horse of a Different Colour:
- Luna Lovegood has the idea to use them as airborne mounts so Dumbledore's Army can reach the Ministry of Magic in time in Order of the Phoenix.
- Two Thestrals are used to carry body doubles of Harry during his transfer from Little Whinging to a safer place as Voldemort takes over the Ministry of Magic.
- The airborne coach that carries Gellert Grindelwald for extradition at the beginning of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is Thestral-drawn.
Hellish Horse: Subverted. The fact that they're Invisible to Normals and look like horse corpses to those that can see them means that many wizards treat them as bad omens, but they're fairly benign.
Invisible to Normals: Only the wizards who have witnessed, and understood, death can see them. Harry can't see them until his fifth year after witnessing Cedric's death at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, despite having seen his mother die when he was a baby.
Mix-and-Match Critters: Horse cadavers with bat wings.
The Navigator: They have an excellent sense of direction, making them useful steeds for wizards that manage to gain their trust.
Pegasus: They are basically undead-looking airborne horses.
Rule of Symbolism: The Elder Wand's core is said to be thestral hair, fitting its supposed connection to The Grim Reaper.
Ugly Cute: Harry actually comes to see them as this in-universe.

Arnold

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x0__qbkd.jpg

Appears in: Half-Blood Prince | Deathly Hallows

Ginny's pet Pygmy Puff, purchased on a trip to Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes in 1996.

Extreme Omnivore: Pygmy Puffs are scavengers and will eat anything. See Trademark Favourite Food below.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: Pygmy Puffs in general are bred to be small, affectionate, and adorable.
Not the Intended Use: Got a cold? Buy a Pygmy Puff. They love boogers and will eat them all away so that they're no longer in your nose, running and blocking your nose - you'll be able to breathe again!
Shout-Out: To Tribbles of all things. Both are round furry creatures that give off a soft purring sound when content.
Trademark Favourite Food: Boogers

Giant Squid

A giant squid that lives in the Hogwarts lake. Though "feared" by Hogwarts students, the creature is quite docile and helpful.

Adaptational Villainy: In the books, the giant squid is kind and friendly. In video games, it frequently appears as a boss.
Adapted Out: Never appears or is even mentioned in the films. Apparently it was planned to appear in the third and fourth films, but the scenes were left on the cutting room floor.
Cloudcuckoolander: According to Hogwarts Mystery, the squid is obsessed with krill and, for people who can understand the squid, that is all it talks about. The squid also enjoys bread and basking in the shallows if the books are any indication.
Giant Squid: The squid is totally harmless towards humans, and is even known to rescue people who fall in the lake. It's so harmless that you can actually swim in the lake with the Squid being in the lake at the same time. There's also the fact that the Slytherin Common Room is in the lake and the Squid has never chosen to attack them at any point.
Kraken and Leviathan: It arguably has more in common with the mythical Kraken than with real giant squid.

Maledictuses

Appear in: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

A maledictus is a human witch who carries a blood curse that will inevitably turn her into a beast permanently. The curse is passed down from mother to daughter. Although Nagini is the only confirmed one in the franchise so far, a maledicus can turn into any animal, she does not have to be a snake.

Always Female: According to Rowling, only women can be maledictuses since it's passed down from mother to daughter.
Animorphism: Maledictuses differ a bit from other human to animal transformation in this franchise. Unlike Animaguses, a maledictus doesn't chose to be anamorphic. She's born that way. She will also eventually lose the ability to control it. Like werewolves, it's analogous to a blood borne disease and you get it from someone else but on the other hand, she doesn't transform at some set time and she got it from her mother, not from a bite.
Artistic Licence – Biology: In the real world, recessive disorders like hemophilia are passed from mother to son via the X chromosome (see the European Royal families' history of it starting with Queen Victoria's children). The maledictus trait is passed down from mother to daughter. If it's a dominant gene, you run into the question of how women are able to reproduce or why someone would willingly pass it down to her daughter. However, this is magic we're talking about and as Newt says wizards have different physiology than Muggles.
Early-Bird Cameo: Like the concept of obscurials with Ariana, the concept of maledictuses with Nagini was vaguely alluded to late in the original books before being fully introduced in Fantastic Beasts. Fans had long suspected Nagini was no ordinary snake from hints like her name (Nagas are half humans/half snakes in various Eastern mythologies), intelligence, and connection to Voldemort. Curse of Nagini was also on a list of potential titles for Deathly Hallows that Rowling gave WB for trademarking in 2005.
Involuntary Shapeshifting: A maledictus can control her transformation when she's younger but eventually will lose the ability to do such all together.
Metamorphosis: While maledictuses can control their ability to change shape early on, that control eventually disappears and they end up trapped in their animal form permanently.
Wrong Context Magic: Like other creatures in this universe, maledictus magic doesn't quite work the way it does with regular humans. According to Claudia Kim, this is why Nagini doesn't use a wand despite being a witch.

Characters / Harry Potter – Animals and Pets

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