Monster Book of Monsters

[Professor Pomona Sprout]

Chapter 1:

A Brief History of Muggle Awareness of Magical Creatures

Astonishing though it may seem to many wizards, Muggles have not always been ignorant of the magical and monstrous creatures that we have worked so long and hard to hide. A glance through Muggle art and literature of the Middle ages reveals that many of the creatures they now believe to be imaginary were then known to be real. The dragon, the griffin, the unicorn, the pheonix, the centaur -- these and more are represented in Muggle works of that period, though usually with almost comical inexactitude.

However, a closer examination of Muggle bestiaries of that period demonstrates that most magical beasts either escaped Muggle notice completely or were mistaken for something else.

During the dark ages, so many sightings of magical creatures by muggles were taking place that the International Confederation of Wizards argued the matter out at their famous summit meeting of 1692. No fewer than seven weeks of sometimes acrimonious discussion between wizards of all nationalities were devoted to the troublesome question of magical creatures. How many species would we be able to conceal from Muggle notice and which should they be? Where and how should we hide them? The debate raged on, some creatures oblivious to the fact that their destiny was being decided, others contributing to the debate.

At last agreement was reached. Twenty-seven species, ranging in size from dragons to fairies, were to be hidden from Muggles so as to create the illusion that they had never existed outside the imagination. The number was increased over the following century, as wizards became more confident in their methods of concealment. In 1750, Claus 73 was inserted in the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy, to which wizard ministries worldwide conform today:

Each wizarding governing body will be responsible
for the concealment, care, and control of all magical
beasts, beings, and spirits dwelling within its
territory's borders. Should any such creature cause
harm to, or draw the notice of , the Muggle community,
that nation's wizarding gonverning body
will be subject to discipline by the International
Confederation of Wizards.

Many magical creatures have their own ways of hiding. Such as the crups, who look too much like muggle dogs to attract attention; chizpurfles who are too small to see; the phoenix who lives too high for muggles to reach; and the demiguise who have the power of invisibility. Safe habitats have been set up all over the world to conceal the more 'conspicous' species. Muggle-Repelling Charms prevent trespassers into the forests where centaurs and unicorns live, and the rivers and lakes set aside for the merpeople. There are even places for beasts such as dragons that have been made totally unplottable(when an arean of land is made unplottable, it is impossible to chart on maps).

The possibility of a Muggle being alarmed by any of the larger or more dangerous magical beasts has been greatly reduced by the severe penalties now attached to their breeding and the sale of their young and eggs. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures keeps a strict watch on the trade in fantastic beasts. The 1965 Ban on Experimental Breeding has made the creation of new species illegal.

The Office of Misinformation will become involved in only the very worst magical-muggle collisions. Some magical catastrophes or accidents are simply too glaring obvious to be explained away by Muggles without the help of an outside authority. The Office of Misinformaion will in such a case liaise directly with the Muggle prime minister to seek a plausible non-magical explanation for the event. The unstinting efforts of this office in persuading Muggles that all photographic evidence of the Loch Ness kelpie is fake have gone some way to salvaging a situation that at one time looked exceedingly dangerous.

[Professor Pomona Sprout]

Chapter 2:

Harmless/ May be Domesticated

Bowtruckle

The bowtruckle is a tree-guardian creature found mainly in the west of England, southern Germany, and certain parts of Scandinavia. It is very difficult to spot, being small (maximum eight inches in height) and apparently made of bark and twigs withtwo small brown eyes. The bowtruckle, which eats insects, is a peaceable and intensely shy creature but if the tree in which it lives is threatened, it has been known to leap down upon the intruder and gouge at its eyes with its large sharp fingers. An offering of woodlive will placate the bowtruckle long enough to let a witch or wizard retreat.

Chizpurfle

Chizpurfles are small parasites up to a twentieth of an inch high, crablike in appearance, with large fangs. They are attracted by magic and may infest the fur and feathers of such creatures as crups and pheonixes. They will also enter wizard dwellings and attack magical objects such as wands, gradually gnawing their way through to the magical core, or else settle in dirty cauldrons, where they will gorge upon any lingering drops of potion. Though chizpurfles are easy enough to destroy with any of a number of patanted potions on the market, severe infestations may require a visit from the Pest Sub-Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, as chizpurfles swollen with magical substances will prove very hard to fight.

Ciselzig

a little creature about 8 inches tall. It is fat and orange with a blue face. It likes to eat slugs, worms, ants and other household pests. They are very friendly, but shy. You are lucky if you have one because they keep away all the bugs. They tend to keep out of sight untill they know you. To get to know them usually the best thing to do is put out bowls of milk at night for the Ciselzig to drink, and then after a few days put out milk while you are in the room, and it will see you and it will know you. Weird. But it is true. Then, it can kind of act as a dog. You name it, it goes by its name, you can call it and teach it tricks. Then you can tell it to syck a cockroach or something.

Diricawl

The diricawl originated in Mauritius. The plump-bodied, fluffy feathered, flightless bird, the diricawl is remarkable for its method of escaping danger. It can vanish in a puff of feathers and reappear elsewhare(the pheonix shares this ability). interestingly, muggle were once fully aware of the existence of the diricawl, though they knew it by the name of "dodo". Unaware that the diricawl could vanish at will, muggles believe they have hunted the species to extinction. As this seems to have raised muggle awareness of the dangers of slaying their fellow creatures indiscriminately, the International Confederation of Wizards has never deemed it appropriate that the muggles should be made aware of the continued existence of the diricawl.

Fairy

The rairy is a small and decorative animal of little intelligence. Often used or conjured by wizards for decoration, the fairy generally inhabits woodlands or glades. Ranging in height from one to five inches, the fairy has a minute humanoid body, head, and limbes but sports large insectlike wings. The fairy is known to be excessively vain. It has a weak brand of magic that may be used to deter predators. A fairy does not have the ability to speak human language, but instead makes a high-pitched buzzing noise to communicate with its fellows. The fairy lays up to fifty eggs at a time on the underside of leaves. They hatch into colored larvae. At the age of six to ten days they spin themselves a cocoon, from which they emerge one month later as fully formed winged adults.

Flobberworm


The flobberworm is a species of worm that is very common in Scotland and Wales. For some reason they stay away from every other part of the world. They live in damp ditches. Flobberworms are a dull brown color and live about 6 months. They mostly eat off of green plants, such as lettuce and various weeds and grasses. When you feed a flobberworm you have to put the food down its throat, since it doesn't have any teeth, you have to give the plant to it in small peices. This is very difficult however because one end is hardly distinguishable from the other. Flobberworms can't see either, they don't have any eyes. They just feel their way around. Flobberworms can live in most any kind of conditions, snow, rain, sunshine. The only kind of storm it can't live through is a hail storm. It will get squished by the ice. The thing that results in its such short life span is its inability to see, and hear, and having nothing to defend itself. Most animals don't eat flobberworms unless they are starving. The slimy substance that covers a flobberworm(called cany), makes a flobberworm extremely difficult to swallow. Usually the only way a flobberworm gets killed by another animal is if it gets stepped on by it. A flobberworm can grow to about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Flobberworms don't have any brains, like ants they only go by instinct.

Gnome


Very small creatures with leathery skin and large, bald heads like knobbly potatoes. They have horny feet and razor-sharp teeth. They live in holes in gardens and aren't very bright. Gnomes originate from the country of Ireland. They liked the sweet green grass and plants that grow there. They got transpoted all over the world by wondering on the boats of plant importers and getting off at its stop. Gnomes nibble on plants and vegetable leaves. Its favorite snack is the skin of an unripe tomatoe. To de-gnome a garden, grab the gnome by the ankles, swing it round your head and throw! Its cousin is the Ciselzig.

House Elf

House Elves are have been around at least 3000 years. In 27b.c, the minister of magic(Thomas Nigel Harrington III), ordered 20 trained wizards and witches from the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic to go to an island somewhere in the western hemisphere. No one knew where they went. All the public knows is that when they came back, house elves started being sold. Now, we don't know that the Department of Mysteries brought house elves to the eastern hemisphere, but we have a pretty good idea that that is what happend. House elves usually work for rich wizarding families, as they are very expensive; ranging from 3,000 galleons to 10,000 galleons a piece. House elves are unpaid, willing servants(with the exception of Dobby) that wear rags or similar articals for clothing, and are only set free from a master when he/she receives proper clothes, or peice of clothing, from their master. In general, house elves have a similar resemblence. Big eyes, brown-green skin color, and pointy ears are the most common traits of a house elf, but that is not always the case. Wendelin the Weird had a house elf that was all black and had beady green eyes, but that is very rare. House elves breath oxygen, eat people food, and just like humans and all other elves, require the intake of water. Philosophers have not a clue where the house elf came from, or how it evolved.

Imp

The imp is found only in Britian and Ireland. It is sometimes confused with the pixie. They are of similar height(between siz and eight inches), though the imp cannot fly as the pixie can, nor is it as vividly colored(the imp is usually dark brown to black). It does, however, have a similar slapstick sense of humor. Its preferred terrain is damp and marshy,, and it is often found near river banks, where it will amuse itself by pushing and tripping the unwary. Imps eat small insects and have breeding habits much like the fairies, though imps do not spin cocoons; the young are hatched fully formed at around one inch in length.

Zalpear

a small, four-legged creature that eats poison plants(poison ivy, poison oak, shrubshrewd). It has thin blue fur, with a couple of bald patches to show its yellow skin. It has long knobbly legs that are hairless. They kind of resemble a mouse, except that they have longer legs, their face looks like a small kitten's, and the tail is a little ball of fur. From its paw's to the tip of its cat-like ears is about 6 inches, and from its nose to the tipe of its tail is about 4 inches. It has small but sharp claw it uses to pull apart the ivy's. They are very friendly. They will usually come up to you and lick your feet if they see you, which is there way of saying "I like you". They won't go away usually for an hour or so. It can get really annoying. A good spell to use to scare it away would be the avis charm, which shoots birds out of the tip of your wand. Zalpear's are extremely afraid of birds. No one knows why though.

[Professor Pomona Sprout]

Chapter 3:

Competent Wizard should cope

Crup

The crup originated in the southeast of England. It closely resembles a jack russell terrier, except for the forked tail. The crup is almost certainly a wizard-created dog, as it is intensely loyal to wizards and ferocious towards muggles. It is a great scavenger, eating anything from gnomes to old tires. Crup licences may be obtained from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures on completion of a simple test to prove that the applicant wizard is capable of controlling the crup in muggle-inhabited areas. Crup owners are legally obliged to remove the crup's tail with a painless Severing Charm while the crup is six to eight weeks old, lest muggles notice it.

Doxy

Sometimes known as the biting fairy. The doxy is often mistaken for a fairy though it is a quite separate species. Like the fairy, it has a minute human form, though in the doxy's case this is covered in thick black hair and has an extra pair of arms and legs. The doxy's wings are thick, curved, and shiny, much like the beetle's. Doxies are found throughout northern Europe and America, preferring cold climates. They lay up to five hundred eggs at a time and bury them. The eggs hatch in two to three weeks. Doxies have double rows of sharp, venomous teeth. An antidote should be taken if bitten.

Fire Crab

Despite its name, the fire crab greatly resembles a large tortoise with a heavily jewelled shell. In its native Fiji, a stretch of coast has been turned into a reservation for its protection, not only against muggles, who might be tempted by its valuable shell, but also against unscrupulous wizards, who use the shells as highly prized cauldrons. The fire crab does, however, have its own defence mechanism. It shoots flames from its rear end when attacked. Fire crabs are wxported as pets but a special licence is necessary.

Hippogriff

The hippogriff is native to Europe, though now found world wide. It has the head of a giant eagle and the body of a horse. It can be tamed, though this should be attempted only by experts. Eye contact should be maintained when approaching a hippogriff. Bowing shows good intentions. If the hippogriff returns the greeting, it is safe to draw closer. The hippogriff eats mainly insects but will also eat small mammals and birds. A baby hippocriff(called a colt), should be ready to fly within a week after hatching, though it will be a matter of months before it is able to accompany its parent on longer journeys.

Leprechaun

Sometimes known as clauricorn. More intelligent than the fairy and less malicious than the imp, the pixie, or the doxy, the leprechaun is nevertheless mischievious. Found only in Ireland, it achieves a height of up to siz inches and is green in color. It has been known to create crude clothing from leaves. Alone of the "little people," leprechauns can speak, though they have never requested classification as "beings." The leprechaun bears live young and lives mostly in forest and woodland areas, though it enjoys attraction muggle attention and as a consequence features almost as heavily as the fairy in muggle literature for children. Leprechauns produce a realistic goldlike substance that vanishes after a few hours, to their great amusement. Leprechauns eat leaves and, despite their reputation as pranksters, are not known to have done lasting damage to a human.

Murtlap

The murtlap is a ratlike creature found in coastal areas of Britian. It has a growth upon its back resembling a sea anemone. When pickled and eaten, these murtlap growths robote resistance to curses and jinxes for a short period of time, though an overdose may cause unsightly purple ear hair and constipation. Murtlaps eat crustaceans and the feet of anyone foolish enough to stem on them.

Niffler

The niffler is a British animal. Fluffy, black, and long-snouted, this burrowing creature has a predilection for anything glitter. Nifflers are often kept by goblins to burrow deep into the earth for treasure. though the niffler is gentle and even affectionat, it can be destructive to belongings and should never be kept in a house. Nifflers live in lairs up to twenty feet below the surface and produce six to eight young in a litter. The normal life-span of a healthy, normal niffler is 17 years, though the oldest recorded niffler is 32, and is still living comfortably with its master in Canada.

Pixie

The pixie is mostly found in Cornwall, England. Electric blue in color, up to eight inches in height and very mischievous, the pixie delights in tricks and practical jokes of all descriptions. although wingless, is can fly and has been knwn to seize unwary humans by the ears and deposit them at the tops of tall trees and buildings. Pixies produce a high-pitched jabbering intelligible only to other pixies. They bear live young.

Red Cap

These dwarflike creatures live in holes on old battlegrounds or wherever human blood has been shed. Although easily repelled by charms and hexes, they are very dangerous to solitary muggles, whom they will attempt to bludgeon to death on dark nights. Red caps are most prevalent in northern Europe.

Salamander

The salamander is a small fire-dwelling llizard that feeds on flame. Brilliant white, it appears blue or scarlet depending upon the heat of the fire in which it makes its appearance. Salamanders can survive up to six hours outside a fire if regularly fed pepper. They will live only as long as the fire form which they sprang burns. Salamander blood has powerful curative and restorative properties.

Tiepuncle

The tiepuncle is an insect with a poisonous bite. People who are bitten by this bottle cap-sized creature usually becomes very ill with a high fever, and is deprived of their magical properties while they are sick. For some unknown reason, tiepuncle's only attack wizards, while letting alone witches. They look like large, purple, swollen roaches, and are found mostly in the Scandinavian countries. Tiepuncles live in hives of usually ten to fifteen, but recently the Magic Minister of Scandinavia, Fredrick Vonstolenhiech, has sent certain officials to try and exterminate many of these insects due to the climbing reports of tiepuncle bites. Tiepucle females lay one egg every year and a half, each egg producing one to four larvae.

[Professor Pomona Sprout]

Chapter 4:

Dangerous/ Requires special knowledge/ Skilled wizard may handle

Centaurs

A magical creature which has human form from the waist up, and horse form from the waist down. Many times the color of the horse part of the body is the same color as the hair on its head. They are star-gazers, reading the future from the movements of the planets. They are sworn to secrecy. Being intelligent and capable of speech, it should not strictly speaking be termed a beast, but by its own request it has been classified as such by the Ministry of Magic. The centaur is forest-dwelling. Centaurs are believed to have originated in Greece, though there are now centaur communities in many parts of Europe. Wizarding authorities in each of the countries where centaurs are found have allocated areas where the centaurs will not be troubled by muggles; however, centaurs stand in little need of qizard protection, having their own means of hiding from humans. The ways of the centaur are shrouded in mystery. They are generally speaking as mistrustful of wizards as they are of muggles and indeed seem to make little differentiation between us. They live in herds ranging in size from ten to fifty members. They are reputed to be well versed in magical healing, divination, archery, and astronomy.

Demiguise

The demiguise is found in the far east, though only with great difficulty, for this animal is able to make intself invisible when threatened, and can be seed only by wizards skilled in its capture. The demiguise is a peaceful herbivorous beast, something like a graceful gorilla in appearance, with large, black, doleful eyes more often than not hidden by its hair. The whole body is covered with long, fine, silky, silvery hair. Demiguise pelts are highly valued as the hair may be spun into invisibility cloaks.

Griffin

The griffin is native to Greece. It has the front legs and head of a giant eagle, but the body and hind legs of a lion. Like sphinxes, griffins are often employed by wizards to guard treasure. Though griffins are fierce, a handful of skilled wizards have been known to befriend one. Griffins feed on raw meat.

Phoenix

The phoenix is a magnificent, swan-sized, scarlet bird with a long golden tail, beak, and talons. It nests on mountain peaks and is found in Egypt, India, and China. The phoenix lives to an immense age as it can regenterate, bursting into flames when its body begins to fail and rising again from the ashes as a chick. The phoenix is a gentle creature that has never been known to kill and eats only herbs. Like the Diricawl, it can disappear and reappear at will. Phoenix song is magical; it is reputed to increase the courage of the pure of heart and to strike fear into the hearts of the impure. Phoenix tears have powerful healing properties.

Sphinx

The Egyptian shinx has a human head on a lion's body. For over a thousand years it has been used by witches and wizards to guard valuables and secret hideaways. Highly intelligent, the sphinx delights in puzzles and riddles. It is usually dangerous only when what it is guarding is threatend.

Re'em

Extremely rare giant oxen with golden hides, the re'em are found both in the wilds of North America and the Far East. Re'em blood gives the drinker immense strength, though the difficulty in procuring it means that supplies are negligible and rarely for sale on the open market.

Troll

The troll is a fearsome creature up to twelve feet tall and weighing over a ton. Notable for its equally prodigious strength and stupidity, the troll is often violent and unpredictable. Trolls originated in Scandinavia but these days they may be found in Britian, Ireland, and other areas of Europe. trolls generally converse in grunts that appear to constitute a crude language. There have been a handful of trolls that have been taught a few simple human words. The more intelligent of the species have been trained as guardians.

Unicorns

A unicorn is a very magical creature, with a horn coming out of its forehead. They are faster than a werewolf and very graceful. Its hair can be used in potions and its horn can be used as many different things. A full grown unicorn is all white, with golden hooves. A male unicorn's mane is a silvery blue, and the female's is all white. The horn coming out of the head of a unicorn is almost always silver. A gold horn is very rare and valuble. A unicorn is not full grown until it is seven years old. At about four years old they grow horns. They are pure gold when they are foals, and when they turn around two, they go all silver, except for the hooves which are still gold. When they are full grown they turn white. Babie unicorns are more trusting than adults. Unicorns prefer a womans touch, since it is generally more delicate than a boy's. They really love sugar lumps, but they eat grass and green plants. If you drink its silvery blood, it will keep you alive for a limited time, even if you are an inch from death....at a price. You will have a cursed half-life. It is a great sin to slay something inocent and defenseless, and as graceful as a unicorn.

[Professor Pomona Sprout]

Chapter 5:

Known Wizard Killer/ Impossible to Train or Domesticate

Acromantula

The acromantula is a monstrous spider that is capable of human speeck. It originated in Borneo, where it inhabits dense dungle. Its distinctuve features include the thick black hair that covers its body; its legspan, which may reach up to fifteen feet; its giant pincers, which produce a clicking sound when the acromantula is excited or angry; and a poisonous secretion. It is carnivorous and prefers large prey. It spins dome-shaped webs upon the ground. The female is bigger than the male and may lay up to one hundred eggs at a time. The young hatch in six to eight weeks. Acromantula eggs are defined as Class A Non-Tradeable Goods by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, meaning that severe penalties are attached to their importation or sale. This beast is believed to be wizard-bred, possibly intended to guard wizard dwellings or treasure. Despite its near-human intelligence, the acromantula is untrainable and highly dangerous to wizard and muggle alike.

Chimaera

The chimaera is a rare Greek monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. Vicious and bloodthirsty, the chimaera is extremely dangerous. There is only one know instance of the successful slaying of a chimaera and the unlucky wizard concerned fell to his death from his winged horse shortly afterwards, exhausted by his efforts. Chimaera eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradeable Goods.

Dragon

Probably the most famous of all magical beasts, dragons are among the most difficult to hide. The female is generally larger and more aggressive that the male, though neirther should be approached by any but highly skilled and trained wizards. Dragon hide, blood, heart, liver, and horn all have highly magical properties, but dragon eggs are defined as Class A Non-Tradeable Goods. There are ten breeds of dragon, though these have been known to interbreed on occassion, producing rare hybrids. Pure-bred dragons are as follows:

Antipodean Opaleye- native of New Zealand. Dwells in valley instead of mountains. It is medium size, between two and three tons(tonnes). Has iridescent, pearly scales and glittering, multi-colored, pupil-less eyes, hence its name. Produces scarlet flame.

Chinese Fireball- the only oriental dragon. It is scarlet and smooth-scaled, it has a fringe of golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes. It has a mushroomed shaped flame that bursts from its nostrils when it is angered. Weighs between two and four tons. Eggs are crimson speckled with gold.

Common Welsh Green- homeland is Wales. Lives on a preservation in the mountains. Has a melodious roar. Fire issues in thin jets. The eggs are earthly brown flecked with green.

Herbridean Black- native to Britian. More aggressive than the Welsh Green. Requires a territory of as much as 100 square miles per dragon. Can get up to thirty feet in length. Has purple eyes and razor sharp ridges on its back.

Hungarian Horntail- native to Hungary. Supposedly the most dangerous of all dragon breeds. Is lizard-like in appearance and has black scales. Has yellow eyes, bronze horns, and has bronze spikes protruding from its long tail. Fire breathing range is up to fifty feet. Has cement colored eggs with hard shells.

Norwegian Ridgeback- resembles the horntail, but instead of tail spikes, it has spikes on its back. Unusually for dragons, it also feeds on water dwelling animals. Ridgeback eggs are black. Young develop fire-breathing abilities early(at between one and three months).

Peruvian Vipertooth- smallest dragon, swiftest in flight. Around fifteen feet in length(a little over six meters). Copper colored with black markings. The horns are short and teeth are particularly venomous.

Romanian Longhorn- is dark green with golden horns. Horns are highly valued when powdered. Its horns are defined as Class B Tradeable Material.

Swedish Short-Snout- attractive silvery-blue dragon whos skin is used alot for the manufacture of protective gloves and shields. The flame that issues from its nostrils is a brilliant blue. Lives in mountain areas.

Ukrainian Ironbelly- largest breed of dragon. Has been known to achieve a weight of six tons(tonnes). Scales are metallic grey, the eyes deep red.

Manticore

The manticore is a highly dangerous Greek beast with the head of a man, body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. As dangerous as the chimaera, and as rare, the manticore is reputed to croon softly as it devours its prey. Manticore skin repels almost all known charms and the sting causes instant death.

Nundu

This East Africa best is arguably the most dangerous in the world. A gigantic leopard that moves silently despite its size and whose breath causes disease virulent enough to eliminate entire villages, it has never yet been subdued by fewer than a hundred skilled wizards working together.