Joanne Jo Rowling

8/8/2019 Joanne Jo Rowling

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Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE[1] (born 31 July 1965),[2] who writes under the pen name J. K.

Rowling,[3] is a British author, best known as the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, theidea for which was conceived whilst on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold more than 400million copies.[4]

Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is perhaps equally famous for her "rags to riches"life story, in which she progressed from living on welfare to multi-millionaire status within fiveyears. The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million ($798million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in Britain.[5] Forbes ranked Rowling as theforty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007,[6] and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom.[7] She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief,One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and the Children's High LevelGroup.

Contents

[hide]

y 1 Namey 2 Backgroundy 3 Harry Potter

o 3.1 Harry Potter bookso 3.2 Harry Potter filmso 3.3 After Harry Potter

y 4 Personal lifey 5 Relationship with the pressy 6 Philanthropy

o 6.1 Anti-povertyo 6.2 Political donationo 6.3 Multiple sclerosiso 6.4 Other philanthropic work

y 7 Legal disputesy 8 Publications

o 8.1 Harry Potter serieso 8.2 Other bookso 8.3 Articles

y 9 See alsoy 10 Referencesy 11 External links

Name



Although she writes under the pen name "J. K. Rowling", pronounced rolling (/rol/),[8] her

name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply "Joanne Rowling". Before publishing her first book, her publisher Bloomsbury feared that the target audience of young boys might be reluctant to buy books written by a female author. It requested that Rowling usetwo initials, rather than reveal her first name. As she had no middle name, she chose K . for

Kathleen as the second initial of her pseudonym, from her paternal grandmother. The nameKathleen has never been part of her real name.[3] Following her marriage, she sometimes uses thename Joanne Murray when conducting private matters.[9][10] She calls herself "Jo" and says, "Noone ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry."[11]

Background

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 inYate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Bristol.

[12]Her sister Dianne

(Di) was born at their home on 28 June 1967[13] when Rowling was 23 months old.[12] The familymoved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's

Primary School,[14] a school founded almost 200 years ago by famed abolitionist WilliamWilberforce[15] and education reformer Hannah More. Her elderly headmaster at St. Michael's,Alfred Dunn, was claimed as the inspiration for the Harry Potter character AlbusDumbledore.[16][17]

As a child, Rowling enjoyed writing fantasy stories, which she often read to her sister. "I can stillremember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries bythe rabbit family inside it," she recalls, "Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I wasfive or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends,including a giant bee called Miss Bee."[8]

At the age of nine, Rowling moved to the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow,Wales.[12] When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics andapproved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind", gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels.

[18] Mitford became Rowling's heroine, andRowling subsequently read all of her books.[19]

She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College. Rowling has said of her adolescence, "Hermione is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven,which I'm not particularly proud of."[20] Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned aturquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books. "Ron Weasley isn't a living portrait of Sean, but he really is very Sean-ish."

[21]Of her musical tastes of the time, she said

"My favourite group in the world is The Smiths. And when I was going through a punky phase,it was The Clash."[22] Rowling read for a BA in French and Classics at the University of Exeter,which she says was a "bit of a shock" as she "was expecting to be amongst lots of similar people± thinking radical thoughts." Once she made friends with "some like-minded people" shesays she began to enjoy herself.[23] With a year of study in Paris, Rowling moved to London towork as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.[24]



In 1990, while she was on a four-hour-delayed train trip from Manchester to London, the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry "came fully formed" into her mind.[25] "Ireally don't know where the idea came from", she told the Boston Globe, "It started with Harry,then all these characters and situations came flooding into my head."[25][12] When she had reachedher Clapham Junction flat, she began to write immediately.[12][26]

However, in December of that year, Rowling¶s mother died, after her ten-year battle withmultiple sclerosis.[12] Rowling commented, "I was writing Harry Potter at the moment mymother died. I had never told her about Harry Potter ."

[10]Rowling said this death heavily

affected her writing[27][10] and that she introduced much more detail about Harry's loss in the first book, because she knew about how it felt.[28]

Rowling then moved to Porto, Portugal to teach English as a foreign language.[19] While there, on16 October 1992, she married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes. Their one child,Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes (named after Jessica Mitford), was born on 27 July 1993 inPortugal.[29] They separated in November 1993.[29][30] In December 1994, Rowling and her

daughter moved to be near her sister in Edinburgh, Scotland.

[12]

During this period Rowling wasdiagnosed with clinical depression, and contemplated suicide.[31] It was the feeling of her illnesswhich brought her the idea of Dementors, soulless creatures featured in Harry Potter .[32]

After Jessica's birth, Rowling left her teaching job, choosing instead to survive on welfare whileworking on her first novel.[citation needed ] She wrote in many cafés, especially Nicolson's Café,[33] whenever she could get Jessica to fall asleep.[12][34] In a 2001 BBC interview, Rowling denied therumour that she wrote in local cafés to escape from her unheated flat, remarking, "I am not stupidenough to rent an unheated flat in Edinburgh in midwinter. It had heating." Instead, as she statedon the American TV program A&E Biography, one of the reasons she wrote in cafés was because taking her baby out for a walk was the best way to make her fall asleep.[34]

Harry Potter

Harry Potter books

Main article: Harry Potter

In 1995, Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on an oldmanual typewriter.[35] Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evans, a reader who had beenasked to review the book¶s first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little LiteraryAgents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to

twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript.[29] A year later she was finallygiven the green light (and a £1500 advance) by editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, asmall British publishing house in London, England.[36][29] The decision to publish Rowling's book apparently owes much to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury¶schairman, who was given the first chapter to review by her father and immediately demanded thenext.

[37]Although Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Cunningham says that he advised

Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children¶s books.[38] Soon after, in 1997, Rowling received an £8000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable



her to continue writing.[39] The following spring, an auction was held in the United States for therights to publish the novel, and was won by Scholastic Inc., for $105,000. Rowling has said she³nearly died´ when she heard the news.

[40]

In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher¶s Stone with an initial print-run of 1000

copies, five hundred of which were distributed to libraries. Today, such copies are valued between £16,000 and £25,000.[41] Five months later, the book won its first award, a NestléSmarties Book Prize. In February, the novel won the prestigious British Book Award for Children¶s Book of the Year, and later, the Children¶s Book Award. Its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in July, 1998.[42] In October 1998, Scholastic published Philosopher¶s Stone in the US under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer¶s Stone: a changeRowling claims she now regrets and would have fought if she had been in a better position at thetime.[3]

In December 1999, the third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, won the SmartiesPrize, making Rowling the first person to win the award three times running.[43] She later

withdrew the fourth Harry Potter novel from contention to allow other books a fair chance. InJanuary 2000, Prisoner of Azkaban won the inaugural Whitbread Children¶s Book of the Year award, though it lost the Book of the Year prize to Seamus Heaney¶s translation of Beowulf .[44]

The fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released simultaneously in the UK and the US on 8 July 2000, and broke sales records in both countries. Some 372,775 copies of the book were sold in its first day in the UK, almost equalling the number Prisoner of Azkaban sold during its first year.[45] In the US, the book sold three million copies in its first 48 hours,smashing all literary sales records.[45] Rowling admitted that she had had a moment of crisiswhile writing the novel; "Halfway through writing Four, I realised there was a serious fault withthe plot ... I've had some of my blackest moments with this book ... One chapter I rewrote 13

times, though no-one who has read it can spot which one or know the pain it caused me."

[46]

Rowling was named author of the year in the 2000 British Book Awards.[47]

A wait of three years occurred between the release of Goblet of Fire and the fifth Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This gap led to press speculation that Rowlinghad developed writer's block, speculations she fervently denied.[48] Rowling later admitted thatwriting the book was a chore. "I think Phoenix could have been shorter", she told Lev Grossman,"I knew that, and I ran out of time and energy toward the end."[49]

The sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince, was released on 16 July 2005. It too broke all sales records, selling nine million copies in its first 24 hours of release.[50] Whilewriting, she told a fan online, "Book six has been planned for years, but before I started writingseriously I spend two months re-visiting the plan and making absolutely sure I knew what I wasdoing."[51] She noted on her website that the opening chapter of book six, which features aconversation between the Minister of Magic and the British Prime Minister, had been intended asthe first chapter first for Philosopher's Stone, then Chamber of Secrets then Prisoner of Azkaban.[52] In 2006, Half- Blood Prince received the Book of the Year prize at the British Book Awards.[53]



The title of the seventh and final Harry Potter book was revealed 21 December 2006 to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[54] In February 2007 it was reported that Rowling wrote on a bust in her hotel room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh that she had finished the seventh book in that room on 11 January 2007.[55] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released on 21July 2007 (0:00 BST) and broke its predecessor's record as the fastest-selling book of all time.[56]

It sold 11 million copies in the first day of release in the United Kingdom and United States.

[56]

She has said that the last chapter of the book was written "in something like 1990", as part of her earliest work on the entire series.[57] During a year period when Rowling was completing the last book, she allowed herself to be filmed for a documentary which aired in Britain on ITV on 30December 2007. It was entitled J K Rowling... A Year In The Life and showed her returning toher old Edinburgh tenement flat where she lived, and completed the first Harry Potter book.[58] Re-visiting the flat for the first time reduced her to tears, saying it was "really where I turned mylife around completely."

[58]

Harry Potter is now a global brand worth an estimated £7 billion ($15 billion),[59] and the lastfour Harry Potter books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in

history.

[60][56]

The series, totalling 4,195 pages,

[61]

has been translated, in whole or in part, into 65languages.[62]

The Harry Potter books have also gained recognition for sparking an interest in reading amongthe young at a time when children were thought to be abandoning books for computers andtelevision,[63] although the series' overall impact on children's reading habits has beenquestioned.[64]

Harry Potter films

Main article: Harry Potter film series

In October 1998, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the first two novels for a seven-figuresum.[65] A film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released on 16 November 2001, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on 15 November 2002.

[66]Both

were directed by Chris Columbus. 4 June 2004 saw the release of the film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The fourth film, Harry Potter

and the Goblet of Fire, was directed by another new director, Mike Newell, and released on 18 November 2005. The film of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released on 11 July2007.[66] David Yates directed, and Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay, having taken over the position from Steven Kloves. Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince is in production,[67] scheduled for release on 17 July 2009.[68] David Yates will direct again, and Kloves will return to

screenwrite it.

[69]

In March 2008, Warner Bros. announced that the final instalment of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, would be filmed in two segments, with part one releasedin November 2010 and part two released in May 2011. Yates would again return to direct bothfilms.[70]

Warner Bros took considerable notice of Rowling's desires and thoughts when drafting her contract. One of her principal stipulations was the films be shot in Britain with an all-British cast,which has been adhered to strictly.[71] In an unprecedented move, Rowling also demanded that



Coca-Cola, the victor in the race to tie in their products to the film series, donate $18 million tothe American charity Reading is Fundamental, as well as a number of community charity programs.

[72]

The first four films were scripted by Steve Kloves; Rowling assisted him in the writing process,

ensuring that his scripts did not contradict future books in the series. She has said that she toldhim more about the later books than anybody else (prior to their release), but not everything.[73] She has also said that she told Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid)certain secrets about their characters before they were revealed in the books.

[74]Daniel Radcliffe

(Harry Potter) asked her if Harry died at any point in the series; Rowling answered him bysaying, "You have a death scene", thereby not explicitly answering the question.[75] StevenSpielberg was approached to direct the first film, but dropped out. The press has repeatedlyclaimed that Rowling played a role in his departure, but Rowling stated that she has no say inwho directs the films and would not have vetoed Spielberg if she had.[76] Rowling's first choicefor the director had been Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, as she is a fan of his work.Warner Bros. wanted a more family friendly film, and eventually they settled on Chris

Columbus.

[77]

After Harry Potter

Rowling has stated that she plans to continue writing after the publication of the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[78] In an interview with Stephen Fry in 2005,Rowling claimed that she would much prefer to write any subsequent books under a pseudonym;however she conceded to Jeremy Paxman in 2003 that if she did, the press would probably "findout in seconds."

[79]In 2006, Rowling revealed that she had finished writing a few short stories

and another children's book (a "political fairy story") about a monster, aimed at a younger audience than Harry Potter readers.[80]

She is not planning to write an eighth Harry Potter book, and has stated, "I can't say I'll never write another book about that world just because I think, what do I know, in ten years' time Imight want to return to it but I think it's unlikely."[81] However, Rowling has said she will bewriting an encyclopedia of Harry Potter' s wizarding world consisting of various unpublishedmaterial and notes.[82] Any profits from such a book would be given to charity.[83] During a newsconference at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre in 2007, Rowling, when asked how the encyclopediawas coming along, said, "It's not coming along, and I haven't started writing it. I never said it wasthe next thing I'd do."[84] As of the end of 2007, Rowling has said that the encyclopaedia couldtake up to ten years to complete, stating "There is no point in doing it unless it is amazing. Thelast thing I want to do is to rush something out".

[58]

In July 2007, Rowling said that she wants to dedicate "lots" of her time to her family, but iscurrently "sort of writing two things", one for children and the other for adults.

[85]She did not

give any details about the two projects but did state that she was excited because the two book situation reminded her of writing the Philosopher's Stone, explaining how she was then writingtwo books until Harry took over.[86] She stated in October 2007 that her future work was unlikelyto be in the fantasy genre, explaining, "I think probably I've done my fantasy ... it would beincredibly difficult to go out and create another world that didn't in some way overlap with



Rowling has received honorary degrees from St Andrews University, the University of Edinburgh, Napier University, the University of Exeter [106] and the University of Aberdeen.

[107][108]On 5 June 2008, Rowling spoke at the Harvard University commencement

ceremony where she received another honorary degree.[109] In 2009 Rowling was awarded theLégion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. She revealed publicly, during the Elysée

Palace ceremony, that her maternal grandfather was French and had also received the Légiond'honneur for his bravery at the First World War battle of Verdun. [110]

Anti-poverty

Rowling, once a single parent herself, is now president of the charity One Parent Families,having already become their first Ambassador in 2000.[119][120] Rowling collaborated with SarahBrown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, to write a book of children's stories to aidOne Parent Families.[121]

In 2001, the UK anti-poverty fundraiser Comic Relief asked three bestselling British authors ±

cookery writer and TV presenter Delia Smith, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, and Rowling ± to submit booklets related to their most famous works for publication.[122] Rowling's two booklets, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, areostensibly facsimiles of books found in the Hogwarts library. Since going on sale in March 2001,the books have raised £15.7 million ($30 million) for the fund. The £10.8 million ($20 million)they have raised outside the UK have been channeled into a newly created International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis.[123]

In 2005, Rowling and MEP Emma Nicholson founded the Children's High Level Group.[124]

InJanuary 2006, Rowling went to Bucharest to highlight the use of caged beds in children's mentalinstitutions.[125] To further support the CHLG, Rowling auctioned one of seven handwritten and

illustrated copies of The Tales of B

eedle the B

ard , a series of fairy tales referred to in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book was purchased for £1.95 million by on-line bookseller Amazon.com on 13 December 2007, becoming the most expensive modern book ever sold atauction.[126][127][128] Rowling commented, "This will mean so much to children in desperate needof help. It means Christmas has come early to me."[127][129] Rowling will give away the remainingsix copies to those who have a close connection with the Harry Potter books.[127] In 2008,Rowling agreed to publish the book with the proceeds going to the Children's High LevelGroup.

[126]

Political donation

In September 2008, on the eve of the Labour Party Conference, Rowling announced that she haddonated £1 million to the Labour Party, saying in a statement:

"I believe that poor and vulnerable families will fare much better under the Labour Party thanthey would under a Cameron-led Conservative Party. Gordon Brown has consistently prioritisedand introduced measures that will save as many children as possible from a life lacking inopportunity or choice. The Labour government has reversed the long-term trend in child poverty,and is one of the leading EU countries in combating child poverty. David Cameron's promise of



tax perks for the married, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the Conservative government Iexperienced as a lone parent. It sends the message that the Conservatives still believe a childless,dual-income, but married couple is more deserving of a financial pat on the head than thosestruggling, as I once was, to keep their families afloat in difficult times."[130]

Harry Potter series

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (26 June 1997)2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998)3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 July 1999)4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000)5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003)6. Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince (16 July 2005)7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (21 July 2007)

Other books

y Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (supplement to the Potter series) (2001)y Quidditch Through the Ages (supplement to the Potter series) (2001)y The Tales of Beedle the Bard (supplement to the Potter series, also publicly displayed by

Amazon.com) (2007)

Magizoology

Magizoology (a portmanteau of "magic" and "zoology") is the study of magical creatures in theHarry Potter series. A person who studies Magizoology is known as a magizoologist. There aremagizoologists who work in the Ministry of Magic, particularly in the Department for theRegulation and Control of Magical Creatures. One notable magizoologist is Newt Scamander,who in the universe of the series is the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, atextbook on magical creatures that is popular in the wizarding world.[2]

Regulation and classification

The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures of the Ministry of Magic isresponsible for overseeing and regulating magical creatures. It is divided into three divisions: theBeast Division, the Being Division, and the Spirit Division. A "being" is generally defined,according to Fantastic Beasts, as "any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the

laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws." Thisincludes humans, goblins, hags, and vampires. In accordance with this definition, fairies, pixies,gnomes, and most other creatures are classified as "beasts". Centaurs and merpeople are said tohave rejected "being" status in favour of "beast" status, as have leprechauns. Werewolves andAnimagi are notable because they are typically in human form ² a werewolf transforms fromhuman state only at the full moon, and an Animagus is a human who has learned to transforminto an animal at will. Their classification is unclear, and offices responsible for werewolvesexist in both the Beast and Being Divisions. A number of creatures, such as house-elves, giants,



banshees, veelas, dwarfs, and Dementors, have never been described in the novels either as beings or as beasts, so their legal status is unclear. Affairs related to ghosts come under theauspices of the Spirit Division.

The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures classifies magical creatures

on a scale from X to XXXXX as follows (according to page xxii of Fantastic B

easts):

y X: Boringy XX: Harmless / may be domesticatedy XXX: Competent wizards should copey XXXX: Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may handle / must be

respectedy XXXXX: Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate

List of magical beasts

Below is the complete list of entries in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them listed under "An A ± Z of Fantastic Beasts." The Ministry of Magic classification (see above) is also noted.Blood-Sucking Bugbears,[3] Boggarts, banshees, hinkypunks and Dementors have beenmentioned in the series but do not appear in Fantastic Beasts, and hence no Ministry of Magicclassification is supplied. Nor is the Blast-Ended Skrewt (a hybrid of manticores and fire crabs)mentioned in Fantastic Beasts. Those creatures that Rowling took from myth and folklore havelinks to their mythological articles. The X labelled next to them is classified in the section above.

y Acromantula -XXXXX

y Ashwinder - XXXy Augurey - XXy Basilisk - XXXXXy Bicorny Billywig - XXXy Blast-Ended

Skrewty Boggarty Bowtruckle - XXy Bundimun - XXXy Centaur - XXXXy Chimaera -

XXXXXy Chizpurfle - XXy Clabbert - XXy Cockatricey Crup - XXXy Demiguise -

XXXXy Diricawl - XX

y Dugbog -XXX

y Erlking -

XXXXy Erumpent

- XXXXy Fairy -

XXy Fire Crab

- XXXy Fire Slugy Flobberw

orm - Xy Fwooper -

XXXy Ghoul -

XXXy Glumbum

ble - XXXy Gnome -

XXy Graphorn

y Manticore -XXXXX

y Merpeople -

XXXXo Mermaido Merrowo Selkie

y Moke - XXXy Mooncalf - XXy Murtlap - XXXy Niffler - XXXy Nogtail - XXXy Nundu- XXXXXy Occamy - XXXX

y Phoenix - XXXXy Pixie - XXXy Plimpy - XXXy Pogrebin - XXXy Porlock - XXy Puffskein - XX

o PygmyPuff

y Tebo - XXXXy Three Headed

Dogy Troll - XXXX

o Mountaino Foresto River

y Unicorn - XXXXy Werewolf -

XXXXXy Winged Horse -

XX±XXXXo Abraxano Aethonan

o Graniano Thestral

y Yeti - XXXX



y Doxy - XXXy Dragon - XXXXX

o AntipodeanOpaleye

o Chinese

Fireballo Common

WelshGreen

o HebrideanBlack

o HungarianHorntail

o NorwegianRidgeback

o Peruvian

Vipertootho Romanian

Longhorno Swedish

Short-Snouto Ukrainian

Ironbelly

- XXXXy Griffin -

XXXXy Grindylo

w - XXy

Hippocam pus -XXX

y Hippogriff - XXX

y Hinkypunk

y Horklump- X

y Imp - XXy Jarvey -

XXXy Jobberkno

ll - XXy Kappa -

XXXXy Kelpie -

XXXXy Knarl -

XXXy Kneazle -

XXXy Leprechau

n -XXXy Lethifold

- XXXXXy Lobalug -

XXXy Mackled

Malaclaw- XXX

y Quintaped -XXXXX

y Ramora - XXy Red cap - XXXy Re'em - XXXXy

Runespoor -XXXXy Salamander -

XXXy Sea Serpent -

XXXy Shrake - XXXy Snidget - XXXXy Sphinx - XXXXy Streeler - XXX

Notable creatures

Basilisk

In the Harry Potter universe, a basilisk is a monstrous serpentine creature. Much larger than itsmythical counterpart, the basilisk of the Harry Potter universe is capable of reaching lengths of up to fifty feet and living for hundreds of years. Basilisks are completely uncontrollable except by Parselmouths, and the first basilisk is believed to have been created by a Dark wizard and



Parselmouth named Herpo the Foul.[HPF] Herpo made this discovery by attempting, with success,to hatch a chicken egg under a toad. A male basilisk has a scarlet plume on its head[HPF]. A basilisk kills both with its powerful venom and with its stare, which is immediately lethal toanyone who gazes at it directly.[HPF] To anyone who gazes at it indirectly, such as through acamera or in a reflection, it induces a profound state of petrifaction. Ghosts who look at it

directly will become petrified, as they cannot die again.

[HP2]

It would seem that glasses do notwork as protection from a basilisk's eyes as Moaning Myrtle was described as wearing spectaclesand yet still died. The tear of a phoenix is the only known cure for the devastating effect of the basilisk's venom. Spiders always flee from the Basilisk, as they are mortal enemies. The onlything the Basilisk seems to fear is the rooster, as the crowing of the rooster is fatal to a Basilisk.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a basilisk was the monster that inhabited theChamber of Secrets. When student Tom Marvolo Riddle, who later becomes Lord Voldemort,opened the chamber the Basilisk killed Myrtle, and then hibernated for fifty years. During theevents of the book, it is set loose again by a Horcrux of Voldemort, and attempts to kill severalMuggle-borns, but due to sheer luck all its victims are merely petrified. The Horcrux

commanded Ginny Weasley to kill all the school roosters, remarked upon by Hagrid. WhenHarry discovers the existence of the chamber and of its location, Riddle reveals his identity andsets the basilisk loose upon Harry while Ginny's life force ebbs away. Fawkes appears to assistHarry, blinding the basilisk with its talons and carrying the Sorting Hat; Harry pulls the sword of Godric Gryffindor from that hat, and uses it to impale the basilisk's head, killing it.

The basilisk's fangs and its venom absorbed by the sword of Gryffindor proved instrumental for destroying most of Voldemort's Horcruxes. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, after losing the sword of Gryffindor to Griphook, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger go to thechamber and pull some fangs out of the Basilisk's skull, and use one to destroy HelgaHufflepuff's cup.

Boggarts

A boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim's worst fear. Itgenerally likes to hide in dark, enclosed places. Since a boggart changes shape upon sight, fewknow what one actually looks like in unaltered form. Mad-Eye Moody, however, is one of thesefew. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Moody determines that there is indeed a boggart in the desk in the drawing room with his magical eye. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner

of Azkaban, Remus Lupin teaches his students in Defence Against the Dark Arts to approach a boggart in groups of two or more, so that the boggart will have difficulty in choosing which oneto frighten. A common wizard's defense against a boggart is to point a wand at the boggart and

say " Riddikulus" while thinking of something very funny; this charm can apparently be used todestroy an already weakened boggart.

Characters and their Boggarts:

y Harry Potter ² A Dementor. In other words, the thing Harry fears most is fear itself.y Ron Weasley ² an acromantula.



y Hermione Granger ² Professor McGonagall telling her she had "failed everything"; inother words, she is afraid of failure.

y Neville Longbottom ² Professor Snape.y Remus Lupin ² The full moon. He fears turning into a werewolf.y Molly Weasley ² The dead bodies of her loved ones.y

Parvati Patil ² A bloodstained, bandaged mummy.y Seamus Finnigan ² A banshee.y Dean Thomas ² A severed hand walking on its own.y Lord Voldemort ² His own corpse, a prefigurement of his fear of Death. [4] y Albus Dumbledore ² The corpse of his dead sister, Ariana.

[5]

y Author J. K. Rowling has stated that her boggart would be the same as Mrs. Weasley's:her loved ones dead or alternatively herself buried alive.[6]

Centaurs

Centaurs in the Harry Potter universe are semi-wild creatures with intelligence supposedly

greater than humans. Although sentient, they have not requested assignment as beings, preferringto remove themselves entirely from human affairs. Any centaur who decides to associate withhumans, such as Firenze, who agrees to teach Divination at Hogwarts, is violently attacked bythe other centaurs and banished.[HP5] The Ministry of Magic's Department of Regulation andControl of Magical Creatures has a Centaur Liaison Office, but no centaur has ever used it.Centaurs are skilled in healing and astrology, and spend much of their time scouring the stars for portents. They live in forests, and their society consists of groups called herds. They do notappear to employ or need any technology more advanced than a bow and arrow. They areintensely proud and fiercely territorial, and one must be highly diplomatic in dealing with them. Not paying the proper respect to a herd of centaurs can have violent consequences, as DoloresUmbridge learned to her cost.[HP5] In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Hogwarts

centaur herd, after being admonished fiercely by Hagrid, takes sides with the Order of thePhoenix, and turns the tide of the fight.[HP7]

The films depict the centaurs with very bestial, animalistic facial features; however, the obviousattraction of Hogwarts' female population to Firenze suggests that the books depict centaurs interms that are more classical.

Named Centaur characters:

y Firenzey Baney

Magoriany Ronan

[edit] Dementors

The Dementors are soulless creatures[7] considered to be among the foulest beasts on Earth.They are soul-sucking fiends who guard the wizard prison, Azkaban, until after the return of Voldemort. In the books, Dementors appear to have a generally human shape, approximately ten



feet (3.05 meters) in height, but covered in dark, hooded cloaks that reveal only grey, decayedhands. The wraith-like creatures have no eyes, and there is a large hole where the mouth should be. According to the author, they grow like fungi in the darkest, dankest places, creating a dense,chilly fog. They appear to possess a few traits of magic, notably, their ability to glide (fly, in thefilm adaptations) unsupported in either world. The Dementor's intelligence is also seldom hinted,

but they are presumed sentient as they have been seen leading revolts and know how to use their abilities.

Being blind, Dementors sense and feed on the positive emotions, happiness and good memoriesof human beings, forcing them to relive their worst memories. The very presence of a Dementor makes the surrounding atmosphere grow cold and dark, and the effects are cumulative with thenumber of Dementors present. Despite their attachment to human emotion, Dementors seem tohave difficulty distinguishing one human from another, as demonstrated by Barty Crouch Jr'sescape from Azkaban, wherein they could detect no emotional/mental difference between theyounger Crouch and his mother. They also have difficulty sensing animals because their feelingsare more primitive than human emotions; this particular weakness enabled Sirius Black to escape

from Azkaban in Animagus form. In addition to feeding on positive emotions, Dementors can perform the Dementor's Kiss, where the Dementor latches its mouth onto a victim's and sucks outthe person's soul. The victim is left as an empty shell, incapable of thought and with no possibility of recovery. It is believed that existing after a Dementor's Kiss is worse than death.The Ministry of Magic occasionally uses this as a punishment, such as on Barty Crouch Jr.Because they are immortal, very few methods exist to repel a Dementor; one way to shieldoneself from Dementors is to use the Patronus Charm to drive them away. Chocolate is aneffective first aid to mild cases of contact. Dementors are invisible to Muggles, but affect them inthe same way. While at least one Squib in the series has claimed to see a Dementor, Rowling hasstated that this was a lie and that Arabella Figg noticed it because of the effect it had on her.[8] Rowling has likened the effect of a Dementor to the human ailment known as depression, whichthe author has herself experienced.[9] She describes it as "that absence of being able to envisagethat you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope. That very deadened feeling, which isso very different from feeling sad."[10]

Harry first encounters Dementors during the beginning of his third year of school, when they aresent to guard Hogwarts against Sirius Black, who has recently escaped Azkaban. Harry,whenever he gets near one, is forced to relive his worst memory: hearing the last moments of his parents' lives before they are murdered by Voldemort, which begins with Harry hearing hismother screaming. To overcome the Dementors, Harry asks Remus Lupin for assistance. Lupinteaches Harry the Patronus Charm, albeit with some difficulty. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and his cousin Dudley Dursley are ambushed by two Dementors sent secretlyand illegally by Dolores Umbridge. At the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, theDementors of Azkaban stage a mass revolt against their employers to join Voldemort, as he can provide them with more humans to feast upon. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows theMinistry, under the control of Voldemort, uses Dementors to punish those who are Muggle bornfor no other reason than because Voldemort hated Muggles and Muggle-borns. The Dementorsalso take part on Voldemort's side during the Battle of Hogwarts. After the appointment of Kingsley Shacklebolt to the position of Minister, Dementors are removed from Azkaban, and theMinistry contains them by limiting their numbers.[11]



[edit] Ghosts

Ghosts play an important secondary role, mainly as supporting characters. Unlike the ghosts in atraditional ghost story, these ghosts are neither frightening nor necessarily ghoulish, and manyghosts act as advisors to the main characters in their times of need. Ghosts in the novels appear

silvery and translucent. They can fly and pass through walls, tables and other solid objects, butnonetheless have some ability to physically affect, and be affected by, the living world. MoaningMyrtle can, for instance, splash the water in her toilet.[HP2] Ghosts' banquet tables are laden withrotten food, as the decomposition increases their ability to almost smell and taste it.[HP2] Touching or walking through a ghost induces a sensation "like walking through an icyshower."[HP2] Ghosts can be affected by magic and curses, though not to the same degree thatliving beings can.[HP2]

In the Harry Potter universe, only wizards can become ghosts. As Nearly Headless Nick explained to Harry, "Wizards can leave an imprint of themselves upon the earth, to walk palelywhere their living selves once trod ... I was afraid of death. I chose to remain behind. I

sometimes wonder whether I oughtn't have ... Well, that is neither here nor there ... In fact, I amneither here nor there..."[HP5] Despite having chosen their afterlives, many ghosts appear quiteunhappy; they bemoan their not-quite inability to eat, and many are described as gloomy.[HP2] They also appear to have an attraction to the morbid and melancholy.[HP2]

Ghosts are very sensitive about their condition. When the Ministry initially classified them as"beings", i.e., sentient creatures with full legal rights,[12] they claimed that the term wasinsensitive when they were clearly "has-beens". The Ministry's Department for the Regulationand Control of Magical Creatures therefore comprises a separate "Spirit Division".

[HPF]The

Ministry's spirit division apparently controls the activities and haunting locations of troublesomeghosts. Myrtle was forced to go back and haunt the place of her death (Hogwarts) after she had

disrupted the wedding of Olive Hornby, a girl who had teased her at school.

[HP2]

Named Ghost characters:

y Nearly Headless Nick y The Bloody Barony The Grey Ladyy The Fat Friar y Professor Binnsy Moaning Myrtley Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore, leader of the Headless Hunt, a club for decapitated ghosts.y

The Wailing Widow

Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergeist, is not considered a ghost, but an "indestructible spirit of chaos"according to Rowling.[13]

[edit] Giants



Giants in the Harry Potter universe are capable of interbreeding with humans- both Hagrid andOlympe Maxime are half-giants. However, relations between giants and wizards are toxic;wizards on the whole loathe giants

[HP4]and have engaged in an active campaign to hunt and

hound giants out of civilization.[HP5] The last giants in Britain were killed apparently by Ministrydecree, as Dumbledore had argued against it,[HP5] but most deaths have been due to territorial

aggression among themselves, as wizards force them to live together in ever more confinedspaces.[HP5] The last few giants remaining in the world (the total number is between 70 and 80)are collected together in an isolated region east of Belarus. Giants range in height from twenty totwenty-five feet (6 to 7.5 meters), and have skin similar to rhino hide.[HP5] Their society is"governed" by a chief called a Gurg, who spends most of his time demanding food from hisunderlings.

Voldemort has employed giants in his attacks, after convincing them that he can offer them a better life.[HP4] Hagrid revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that he andMadame Maxime went on an Order mission to ask the Giants to take part in the war againstVoldemort; however Karkus the Gurg was killed by other Giants, thus Hagrid and Maxime were

forced to introduce themselves to Golgomath, the new Gurg. Several Death Eaters are sent byVoldemort in a mission too, to get the Giants onto the Dark Lord's side. Giants took part in theBattle of Hogwarts in the end of the series, mostly fighting for Voldemort.

[HP7]

[edit] Goblins

Goblins are magical creatures defined as beings, rather than beasts, that are chiefly involvedwith metal work and the running of Gringotts bank. They are represented by the Goblin LiaisonOffice in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Goblins aredescribed as having long, thin fingers and feet, black eyes, and domed heads that are much larger than human heads.[DH Ch.24] Goblins eat a diet of largely raw meat, roots, and fungi.[DH Ch.25]

Goblins converse in a language known as Gobbledegook. Goblins harbour very different feelingsabout ownership than wizards: they consider the true owner of an object to be its maker,invariably, rather than its purchaser, whom they see as simply renting the object until their death,and resent the passing of goblin-made heirlooms through Wizarding families without further payment.

[DH Ch.25]Wizarding Law prohibits the ownership of wands by goblins. Goblins are

capable of using goblin magic which (like elf magic) is independent of Wizarding magic.

Relations between goblins and wizards have been strained for centuries from misunderstandingson both sides, sometimes leading to violence in the form of goblin rebellions and riots. Alongwith house-elves, goblins seem to occupy positions as second-class citizens in the Wizardingworld, but the Goblins do not see it as an honor to be second best and are very proud of their

freedom and independence of the wizards. The goblins remained a neutral force during theSecond Wizarding War, siding with neither Voldemort nor his opposition, claiming that it was "awizard's war".[DH Ch.15] If Voldemort had offered them full freedom, they may have participated athis side, but that is not certain because of the many Goblins that Voldemort had killed in the FirstWizarding War [DH Ch.?]

In some cases, a state of friendship exists between certain wizards and goblins (particularly BillWeasley, who works as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts Bank), and there have even been some



instances of goblin-wizard interbreeding (Professor Flitwick has distant goblin ancestry, whichlikely accounts for his small size).[14]

Named Goblin characters:

y Griphook

y Gornuk, an associate of Griphook y Bogrody Ragnok y Ragnuk the First: Supposedly the creator of the sword of Godric Gryffindor [DH Ch.25]

[edit] House-elves

House-elves are small humanoids (though their appearance differs markedly from that of humans) that are used by wizards as unpaid servants. They are 2-3 feet tall, with spindly armsand legs and oversized heads and eyes. They have pointed, bat-like ears and high, squeaky

voices. Their names are usually pet-like diminutives, and do not appear to have surnames. Theyhabitually refer to themselves in the third person and use a strange manner of speaking. House-elves are generally obedient, pliant, and obsequious. Rather than conventional clothing, house-elves wear discarded items like pillowcases and tea-towels. House-elves' masters can free them by giving them an item of clothing. House-elves can become intoxicated by drinking Butterbeer.

House-elves possess their own forms of powerful magic, distinct from that used by wizards andwitches, which they generally use in the service of their masters. This magic can be used withoutthe permission of their masters, or even against their orders, though such disobedience obligesthem to punish themselves in various painful ways. Among other things, this magic allowshouse-elves to travel instantly from place to place, in a manner similar to apparition; they are

able to do this even within the boundaries of Hogwarts and other places where Anti-Apparitionand Anti-Disapparition charms are in effect, preventing human apparition and disapparition.House-elves can, however, use side-along apparition to transport humans.[HP7] The full nature of the elves' magic is never fully disclosed, but it seems to be quite formidable. Along with theability to apparate anywhere at any time, both Dobby and Kreacher demonstrate that they canoverpower wizards when necessary. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dobbyforcefully repels Lucius Malfoy while protecting Harry Potter. Later, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Kreacher is ordered by Harry to capture Mundungus Fletcher and bring him to12 Grimmauld Place, a task that he accomplishes within a few days, even though, as Kreacher puts it, "He has many hidey-holes and accomplices."

It is never made clear whether house-elves are bonded primarily to the families they serve or totheir homes. Ron Weasley comments that he wishes his family were rich enough to afford ahouse with a house-elf, suggesting that they are linked to houses rather than to families (verymuch like serfs in the Middle Ages). In addition, when the ownership of Grimmauld Place passesto Harry in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry's status as the rightful owner of thehouse is confirmed when the house-elf Kreacher grudgingly obeys his commands. On the other hand, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is said that a house-elf who has been freed is



normally told to find a new family to serve. There is an Office of House-Elf Relocation at theMinistry of Magic.

House-elves are unendingly loyal to their human families; so much so, that Dobby, who servedthe Malfoy family, attempts to punish himself each time he utters a negative remark about his

former masters even after freed. However, he is able to overcome it more as time passes, evengoing so far as to defiantly tell Bellatrix Lestrange that none of the Malfoys are masters over him. According to Kreacher, a house-elf's strongest law is the master's bidding; however, whilehouse-elves must obey their masters whatever their personal feelings may be, they are far frommindless automata. House-elves have been known to disobey the rules (usually by finding, whennecessary, loopholes in orders that allow for unintended interpretations) to protect themselves or their friends. Because of their docile, obedient natures, some families abuse their house-elves.Dark wizard families in particular seem to make a habit of bullying and maltreating house-elves;the Malfoys forced Dobby to slam his own ears in the oven door or iron his hands if he attemptedto disobey them; the Black family had a tradition of decapitating house-elves who were too oldto carry a tea tray, then placing their stuffed and mounted heads on a wall.

Most house-elves would be devastated if freed, for it would mean that they had failed to servetheir masters properly; but Dobby enjoys being free. Though he summons the courage to request payment when he is hired at Hogwarts, even Dobby does not want to be paid too much. Most people in the wizarding community are unwilling to pay a house-elf, as this would obviate the point of having one.[HP4] Indeed, most house-elves seem to regard paid service as a disgrace totheir race.

[edit] Thestrals

Thestrals are the most elusive and least horse-like breed of magical horse. They have acquired

an undeserved reputation as omens of evil.

[15]

They are visible only to those who have witnessedand accepted a death,[16] and are described as having "blank, white, shining eyes," a "dragonishface", "long, black manes", "great leathery wings", and the "skeletal body of a great, black,winged horse". They are also described, by Hagrid, as "dead clever an' useful".[15] DoloresUmbridge asserted that Thestrals are considered as "dangerous creatures" by the Ministry of Magic.

Thestrals have fangs and possess a well-developed sense of smell, which will lead them tocarrion and fresh blood. According to Hagrid, they will not attack a human-sized target without provocation. Their wings are capable of very fast flight for at least several hours at a time,though they usually spend their time on the ground, and they have an excellent sense of

direction. The breed is at least semi-domesticable, given a willing trainer. Thestrals can be usedto pull loads, and make a serviceable if very uncomfortable mode of transportation for someonewith enough nerve.

Hogwarts has a herd in the nearby Forbidden Forest and primarily uses them to pull the carriagesthat transport students to and from the Hogsmeade train station. They are introduced to Care of Magical Creatures students in the fifth year by Hagrid ² in the same year that Harry becomesable to see them after witnessing the death of Cedric Diggory, having previously thought that the



carriages moved on their own. Thestrals are featured in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, seen attacking Death Eaters. In the same book, it isrevealed that the Elder Wand has a core of Thestral hair, although no other wands are known touse Thestral hair as a core.

[edit] Werewolves

The werewolf is a creature that exists only for a brief period around the full moon. At any other time, a werewolf is a normal human. However, the term werewolf is used for both the wolf-likecreature and the normal human. A werewolf can be distinguished from a true wolf physically byseveral small distinguishing characteristics, including the pupils, snout, and tufted tail. A person becomes a werewolf, when bitten by a werewolf in wolf-form. Once this happens, the personmust learn to manage the condition. The 'Wolfsbane Potion' controls some of the effects of thecondition; by allowing the sufferer to maintain their human mind in wolf form, it prevents themfrom harming others. Nothing discovered in the wizarding world can completely cure awerewolf. Occasionally, this condition (or disease) can be passed down through parentage.[citation

needed ]

Most werewolves live outside of normal society and steal food to survive. At one pointthey supported Voldemort, whom they thought would give them a better life. Remus Lupin is theonly known exception to this. There are only three known werewolves in the Harry Potter series:Lupin, Fenrir Greyback, and an unnamed character who was in the same ward as Arthur Weasleyin St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

[edit] Characters

Below is a list of magical creatures that encountered Harry or have some significant role in theseries.

[edit] Crookshanks

Crookshanks is the pet cat of Hermione Granger. He is described as having a "squashed face,"which is inspired by a real cat Rowling once saw that she said looked like it had run face firstinto a brick wall. Hermione buys Crookshanks from a shop in Diagon Alley out of sympathy, asnobody wants him due to his squashed-looking face. Rowling has confirmed that Crookshanks ishalf kneazle,[17] an intelligent, cat-like creature who can detect when they are arounduntrustworthy people, explaining his higher than normal cat intelligence and stature. Because of this, he is immediately aware that Scabbers, Ron Weasley's pet rat, is not a real rat, and that thehuge black dog lurking around the school is not a real dog; it is later revealed that Scabbers is infact Peter Pettigrew, and the dog is Sirius Black. Sirius eventually persuades Crookshanks to

trust him and sends him to bring Pettigrew to him; Crookshanks, who has been pouncing onScabbers from the moment the two met, evidently agrees. It had been suggested thatCrookshanks is an Animagus; however, J. K. Rowling has officially confirmed that he is not.[18]

[edit] Dobby



Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Dobby is a house-elf, who, unlike most other house-elves, wanted to be freed. He has threefingers and one opposable thumb. Dobby was the abused and tormented slave of the Malfoys before the events of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In his first appearance in theseries in Chamber of Secrets, Dobby knew of Lucius Malfoy's plans to re-open the Chamber of Secrets using Tom Riddle's school diary for months before it happened.

As an attempt to discourage Harry from returning to Hogwarts, Dobby begins to intercept theletters that Harry's friends sent him. Dobby then appears at Privet Drive to warn Harry and tellhim of the danger of returning to Hogwarts, and attempts to persuade him to stay away so hewould be safe from harm. When Dobby's attempts fail to persuade Harry, he smashes a puddingin the Dursley family's kitchen. Being caught in the kitchen with the wreckage, and receiving awarning letter for illegal use of magic, Harry is locked up by the Dursleys, who insist that hewould not return to Hogwarts, but Ron, Fred and George Weasley are able to rescue Harry intheir father's flying Ford Anglia. Dobby later tries to keep Harry away from Hogwarts bymagically sealing off the hidden entrance to Platform 9¾, but Harry and Ron foil that plot by piloting the flying car back to school. During a Quidditch match of Gryffindor vs Slytherin,Dobby enchants a Bludger to chase after only Harry; it manages to break his arm. When Harry ±

having just returned from the Chamber of Secrets ± discovers that Dobby's master was Lucius,Harry tricks Malfoy into setting Dobby free ± a feat that secures him the house-elf's undyingloyalty.

Dobby reappears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He has been demanding payment for his services, which makes it difficult for him to find any employment at all. He later obtains a post at Hogwarts, and is the only paid house-elf on the staff (Dumbledore being probably theonly employer who would even think of paying a house-elf). In this book, Dobby gives Harry thegillyweed he needs to survive the Second Triwizard Task. Dobby is also the only house-elf whocleans Gryffindor Tower since Hermione begins trying to set the house-elves free, because thehouse-elves find the clothes insulting. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dobby

shows Harry the hidden Room of Requirement, which Harry uses for his Dumbledore's Armymeetings. When Professor Umbridge finds out about the meetings later, Dobby enters the roomto warn the group to leave. In Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince Harry entrusts Dobby tohelp watch Kreacher when he orders him to work in the Hogwarts kitchens with the other house-elves. When Harry needs somebody to follow Draco Malfoy, he is helped by Dobby andKreacher. When they report back, Kreacher tells Harry only mundane things, such as Malfoy'sclass schedule, while Dobby cuts to the chase and tells Harry about Malfoy's visits to the Roomof Requirement.



Dobby makes his last appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when AberforthDumbledore sends Dobby to rescue Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the cellar of Malfoy Manor.Dobby helps Harry and Ron escape their prison and gets Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, and Mr Ollivander out of the manor, then helps Harry and Ron free Hermione and Griphook from tortureat the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. While he succeeds in his task, Bellatrix throws a knife at

Harry, but the knife hits Dobby instead, who dies before he can be healed. Harry physically digsthe grave without using magic, and writes upon the stone: "Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf".

Dobby was voiced by Toby Jones in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and is confirmed to return for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Some suggest themakers of the Harry Potter films modelled Dobby's appearance after Russian President Vladimir Putin.[19][20] In the Comic Relief spoof, Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan,he is played by Basil Brush.

[edit] Fawkes

For the Gunpowder Plot conspirator he is named after, see Guy Fawkes

Fawkes is Albus Dumbledore's pet phoenix. Phoenix tail feathers are suitable for inclusion insome wands; Fawkes himself provides the feathers for both Harry's and Voldemort's wands.Whenever Fawkes dies, whether by violence or of old age, he bursts into flame and is promptlyreborn out of the ashes as a baby phoenix with the appearance of a newborn chicken and in hisgeriatric stages he has dull, limp plumage like a "half-plucked turkey". However, as an adult, heis about swan-sized and possesses magnificent red and gold plumage.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Fawkes is summoned by Harry's loyalty toDumbledore to the aid of the protagonist as the boy fights against Salazar Slytherin's basilisk.

Fawkes gouges the basilisk's eyes out, blinding it and eliminating its ability to kill with its gaze.Harry is later wounded by the basilisk's fang; he nearly dies from the venom, but Fawkes healsthe wound with his tears, as phoenix tears have healing powers and are the only antidote for basilisk venom. Fawkes then brings Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Gilderoy Lockhart back up to thecastle, bearing their combined weight as they hold his tail feathers. Fawkes also has the ability toteleport himself and others in a burst of flame. During the confrontation between Voldemort andDumbledore in the Ministry in the climax of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fawkessaves Dumbledore's life by swallowing a Killing Curse from Voldemort. Fawkes then bursts intoflame and is reborn as a chick from the ashes. After Dumbledore's death in Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince, Fawkes is heard singing a lament for him. When the singing stops, Harryknows that Fawkes has left Hogwarts forever.

Fawkes is named after 17th century terrorist conspirator Guy Fawkes. When asked in an onlinechat what Bonfire Night was, Rowling replied, "Good question! We celebrate 5 November inBritain every year. There was a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The ringleader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes, and we burn him in effigy and set off fireworks to celebrate notlosing our government."[21]

[edit] Firenze



Firenze is a centaur and later a teacher at Hogwarts. He is described in the book as a blondecentaur with astonishingly blue eyes. He is quite good-looking, as many of the female populationof Hogwarts are attracted to him. His first appearance comes towards the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in which he rescues Harry from Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest.Having carried Harry to safety on his back, Firenze is involved in an altercation with the other

centaur residents in the forest, who object to the symbolic suggestion that centaurs aresubservient to humans.

The character does not make another appearance until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which he is appointed by Dumbledore to teach Divination at Hogwarts in place of Sybill Trelawney, who had been sacked by Dolores Umbridge. For this, he is cast out of thecentaur herd and attacked by his fellows, as Firenze ignored the centaurs' taboo on assistinghumans because he felt he had an obligation to contribute to the struggle against Voldemort. In Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince he shares teaching duties with a reinstated Trelawney, because Firenze would have no place left to go, as he is an exile from his herd. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he is seen near the end of the book fighting alongside the other

members of the Hogwarts staff, helping to defend the school against Voldemort and his DeathEaters; it is mentioned that he was wounded on his flanks by the Death Eaters but ultimatelysurvived the Battle of Hogwarts. Although not mentioned in the series, Rowling revealed thatFirenze's herd is later forced to acknowledge that Firenze's pro-human leanings are not shamefuland allows him back into the fold.[11]

The character is based on Steve Eddy, Rowling's former English teacher who attempted,unsuccessfully, to discourage her from writing mythical, fantasy tales in favour of ones withgrittier topics.[22]

Ray Fearon voiced Firenze in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

[edit] Griphook

Griphook is a goblin and an employee at Gringotts until the Second Wizarding War. In Harry

Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he was assigned to take Harry and Hagrid to Harry's vault (toget gold to purchase supplies) and the vault which contained the Philosopher's Stone.

He is not seen again until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, imprisoned in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. When Hermione lies under torture to Bellatrix Lestrange that the Sword of Gryffindor is a fake, Bellatrix asks Griphook for confirmation. Though he knows the sword isreal, he lies and tells her it is a fake. He is saved, along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, by

Dobby and successfully escaped to Shell Cottage. However, Bellatrix kills Dobby during theescape, and Griphook's respect for Harry grows after watching him digging Dobby's grave byhand without magic. Because Harry needs to get a Horcrux out of Bellatrix's vault, he asksGriphook to assist him breaking into Gringotts. He reluctantly agrees in exchange for the swordof Gryffindor. Griphook and the trio break in successfully but when escaping, Griphook betraysthem to the other goblins and escapes with the sword. However, at the end of the book the swordreappears when Neville Longbottom pulls it from the Sorting Hat and slays Nagini.



Verne Troyer appeared as Griphook in the film adaptation of Philosopher's Stone.

[edit] Hedwig

Hedwig is Harry Potter's owl. Hedwig is a Snowy Owl, which Rowling considers to be the most

beautiful owl of all.[23]

In the story, Hedwig is a gift to Harry from Hagrid in the first book of theseries, purchased in Diagon Alley while shopping for supplies for Harry's first year at Hogwarts.The name Hedwig is a name Harry found in his schoolbook, A History of Magic. Hedwig is usedfor delivering messages throughout the series. Hedwig could be considered an owl with a"formal" personality, and often has a habit of staring or hooting "reproachfully", cuffing Harrywith a wing when miffed, and being far more vocal than the average Snowy Owl. She can actwith hurt or anger due to Harry's sometimes innocently thoughtless actions or words. It isimplied throughout the books that Hedwig can fully understand Harry, and to some extent viceversa.

In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hedwig is intercepted by Dolores

Umbridge and is hurt, but is later healed by Professor Grubbly-Plank. At the start of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hedwig is killed during Harry's escape from Privet Drive by astray Killing Curse. According to Rowling, Hedwig's death represented the death of innocence.[24]

Although Hedwig is a female owl, she is played by male owls in the films (distinguishable by themales' lack of black markings).

[edit] Hokey

Hokey is a house-elf that worked for Hepzibah Smith, an old woman who was deceived by

Voldemort during his job at Borgin and Burke's to show him Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff'scup. Hokey was introduced when Dumbledore shows Harry the memory he got from the houseelf on the Pensieve, in Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince. She is there described as veryold and thin, and her memory allows Harry and Dumbledore to get a glimpse of the visitVoldemort made two days before Hepzibah Smith was poisoned to death and both treasuresdisappeared. Voldemort, who tampered with her memories, framed Hokey for her murder. Shedid not deny the accusation and was convicted for accidental murder, later to die due to mentalanguish induced by the Dementors in Azkaban.

[edit] Kreacher

Kreacher is a house-elf that served the House of Black for decades before his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Kreacher is an unwilling servant to Sirius Black,mainly due to his devotion to his former masters (Regulus Black in particular, who had treatedhim well), but also because of Sirius's rather harsh treatment, because to him, Kreacher is aliving reminder of a home he had had no intention of returning to. Kreacher, in turn, desires toleave and serve the next pure-blooded kin of the Blacks: Bellatrix and the Malfoys. Due to thisand the fact that he knew too much of the Order of the Phoenix, however, he is not allowed toleave Grimmauld Place. Furthermore, years of being isolated in the house alone, with only the



screaming portrait of Mrs. Black for company, causes him some mental instability, in which heseems to speak his personal thoughts and feelings aloud, completely unaware of doing so.

Kreacher plays an important part in the book when he betrays Sirius and convinces Harry to goto the Department of Mysteries, where a trap has been laid, to save him. Sirius is killed in the

ensuing combat. Following Sirius's death, in Harry Potter and the Half- B

lood Prince, Harryinherits all Sirius's possessions, including a highly unwilling Kreacher. Harry immediately ordershim to work at Hogwarts, where he comes to blows with Dobby about his lack of loyalty toHarry.

Kreacher also plays an important role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When Hermioneguesses that one of the Black heirlooms they had tried to get rid of is one of Lord Voldemort'sHorcruxes (namely Salazar Slytherin's Locket), Harry and his friends manage to coax the currentwhereabouts of the locket from the house-elf, and also learn about how Regulus had exchangedthe Horcrux at the cost of his own life, and that Kreacher himself was used by Voldemort, whotold him to drink the potion out of the basin that would be used to protect the Horcrux. After

Harry displays kindness and politeness to Kreacher, the elf undergoes a substantial change in personality, appearing cleaner and happier, and ceasing to mutter insults under his breath. He begins to regard Harry as his new master and fulfils his chores dutifully. Harry then sendsKreacher to retrieve the locket from Mundungus Fletcher; he gives the old elf the fake Horcruxlocket as a token of remembrance. In the Battle of Hogwarts, Kreacher rallies the Hogwartshouse-elves in the names of Harry and Regulus, and leads them into battle against the DeathEaters. It is implied that he survived the battle, as Harry wonders whether or not he will get hima snack after his battle with Voldemort.

Kreacher appears in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, voiced byTimothy Bateson.[25] Producers of the film admitted they had wished to cut an unnamed

character, but when Rowling was consulted, she advised: "You know, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Or you can, but if you get to make a seventh film, you'll be tied in knots." Later, director David Yates confirmed that the character in question was Kreacher.[26]

[edit] Peeves

Mary GrandPré's illustration of Peeves



Peeves is a poltergeist who haunts Hogwarts. Being a poltergeist, Peeves is a spirit rather than a physical being, but very different from the ghosts for which he is occasionally mistaken. Peevesis capable of flight, intangibility and teleportation. Like ghosts, he is also capable of invisibility;however, he is usually observed to take physical form. Peeves is also seen to have the ability tomanipulate objects, a trait not generally possible with ghosts. Peeves's existence is essentially the

embodiment of disorder,

[27]

where he is observed to constantly cause it. In appearance, he is asmall man with a mischievous face, dressed in wildly coloured clothing. He derives joy frommischievous acts, usually causing disruptions rather than actually being violent and dangerous.

Peeves does not listen to anyone else but Dumbledore, the ghost of the Slytherin house, theBloody Baron, and in the fifth book Fred and George Weasley. Argus Filch, who is usually leftwith cleaning up the messes and damage Peeves causes, is his nemesis and works continuouslyto try to get Peeves thrown out; however, Rowling has stated in an interview that not evenDumbledore would be able to rid Hogwarts of Peeves forever.[28] Peeves is, however, vulnerableto some magic; in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Lupin uses magic toteach Peeves a lesson by making the gum Peeves was stuffing into a keyhole shoot back out and

up the poltergeist's nose. In Harry Potter and the Half B

lood Prince, Harry also uses magic toglue Peeves's tongue to the roof of his mouth, after which Peeves angrily departs.

Peeves is not completely chaotic nor without loyalties. During Dolores Umbridge's attempts totake control of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, his destructivetendencies shift into overdrive and he goes on a rampage. When Umbridge attempts to sneak outof Hogwarts, Peeves chased her out of the castle, whacking her with Minerva McGonagall's caneand a sock full of chalk. Peeves is depicted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows only twotimes, first where he aids the defenders of Hogwarts by dropping Snargaluff pods on the heads of attacking Death Eaters, and second singing a victory song for Harry at the end.

Rik Mayall was cast as Peeves for film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.However, his scenes were cut from the final film and have yet to be released publicly (beingomitted even from the deleted scenes section of the DVD release).[29] Peeves was subsequentlyomitted from the Potter films that followed, though he can be seen in the Harry Potter Videogames. Peeves is, however, referenced in dialogue in the "Queen's Handbag" short film.

[edit] Winky

Winky is a house-elf who originally served the Crouch family. She is described as havingenormous brown eyes and a nose like a tomato. She viewed herself as a dutiful house-elf andguarded the family's many secrets. When Barty Crouch Jr is rescued from Azkaban by his father,

he is supervised and nursed back to health by Winky.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she convinces Barty Crouch Sr to let his son attend theQuidditch World Cup; she attends it with the younger Crouch, who is hiding under an InvisibilityCloak, and claims the apparently empty seat beside her is being saved for Crouch Sr. During thefestivities, Crouch Jr steals Harry's wand from his pocket and later uses it to conjure the Dark Mark, in spite of Winky's fervent attempts to stop him. In the resulting chaos, Harry and hisfriends see Winky running into the forest, appearing to struggle against some invisible force.



They believe this to be because she is disobeying an order, which house-elves are magicallyimpeded from doing, but actually she is struggling against the invisible Crouch Jr. Later she iscaught with Harry's wand, which is magically proven to be the one used to conjure the Dark Mark; though Crouch Sr realises what actually happened, he goes along with the apparentconclusion that Winky conjured the Mark, and fires her, both to save face and as punishment for

failing to control Crouch Jr.

Following her dismissal, Dobby takes the distraught Winky to work with him at Hogwarts. Therethe unhappy Winky, who did not wish to be freed, begins to have a drinking problem that laststhe next several years. Unlike Dobby, Winky continues to act as if Crouch was her master andrefused to give up any of his secrets. Winky eventually sobers up a bit.[30] Rowling has alsorevealed that Winky remained at Hogwarts and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts with the other house-elves.[31]

[edit] The Weasleys' pets

There are many pets and animals associated with the Weasley family:

y Scabbers, a rat who had been in the Weasley family for twelve years. He first belonged toPercy, but was later passed down to Ron. Near the end of the third book, Scabbers isrevealed to be Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus and Death Eater who had once been a friendof James Potter.

y Pigwidgeon (or "Pig"), Ron's hyperactive Scops Owl, a gift from Sirius Black upon theloss of Scabbers, following the climactic events in Ron's third year. Ginny names himPigwidgeon, but Ron, hating the name, nicknames him Pig.

y Hermes, a screech owl owned by Percy, which was a gift to him from his parents for becoming a Prefect in his fifth year.

y Errol, an ancient Great Grey Owl who serves as the family post owl. He has troublecarrying loads due to his advanced age, often needing help from other owls. He is oftenfound unconscious after crashing into things or collapsing from sheer exhaustion.

y Arnold, a Pygmy Puff (miniature Puffskein) owned by Ginny and obtained fromWeasleys' Wizard Wheezes in the sixth book.

y A large frog owned by Ron.y A puffskein belonging to Ron that was killed by Fred when he used it for Bludger

practice, revealed in the first Harry Potter game, and later confirmed in Fantastic Beasts

and Where to Find Them. y A ghoul resides in the attic of The Burrow and causes minor disruptions by groaning and

banging on the walls and pipes whenever things have become too quiet. In Deathly

Hallows, the ghoul is magically altered in appearance to resemble Ron as cover for hisabsence from school.y Several chickens.y The Weasleys have gnomes all over their garden and in their shed, bushes, Wellington

boots, and more. They seem to know many swear words, which they were supposedlytaught by Fred and George Weasley. Crookshanks likes to chase the gnomes aroundoutside; the rest of the family deals with them by physically throwing them off the property.



[edit] Hagrid's pets

Over the course of the series, Hagrid cares for a large number of animals, many of themdangerous, including Aragog, Buckbeak, Fang, Fluffy, Norbert (Norberta) and Tenebrus (aThestral). Hagrid's love for animals got him the teaching job for Care of Magical Creatures at

Hogwarts. In their fourth year, Harry and his classmates were expected to help take care of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, one of which (grown to giant size) was placed in the hedge mazefor the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released on 16 July 2005, is the penultimate of theseven novels in J. K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series. Set during Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts, the novel explores Lord Voldemort's past, and Harry's preparations for the final battle amidst emerging romantic relationships and the emotional confusions and conflictresolutions characteristic of mid-adolescence.

The book sold nine million copies in the first 24 hours after its release, a record at the time which

was eventually broken by its successor, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.[1]

Contents

[hide]

y 1 Plot

y 2 Pre-release history

o 2.1 Right to read controversy

o 2.2 Spoilers

y 3 Dedication

y 4 Movie

y 5 Text changes

y 6 References

y 7 External links

[edit] Plot

As Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters commit crimes in both the magical and Muggle worlds,Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge is replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour. In the second chapter,

Professor Snape, appearing to have rejoined the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort, is visited by Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. A terrified Narcissa tells Snape that her son Draco hashad orders from Lord Voldemort, and Narcissa is clearly terrified that the orders will spell her son's doom. She asks Snape to make an Unbreakable Vow with her to protect her son and do the job for him, should Draco fail. Snape agrees, and the vow is sealed.

Harry Potter accompanies Albus Dumbledore on a trip to persuade retired Hogwarts professor,Horace Slughorn, to return to teach. Harry notices that one of Dumbledore's hands is withered



and burnt black, and that he is wearing a ring with a distinctively-marked stone. Harry spends theremaining holiday at The Burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione, where they receive their O.W.L. results. To become Aurors, Harry and Ron must take N.E.W.T. Level Potions, but their O.W.L.s in the subject are too low to enroll in Snape's class.

At Hogwarts, Snape is unexpectedly announced as the new Defense Against the Dark Artsinstructor, with Slughorn becoming the Potions teacher. Harry and Ron¶s O.W.L.s are goodenough to enroll in Slughorn¶s class, which has lower standards, but neither had purchased thetextbook, so Slughorn lends them old Potions textbooks. Harry's book has notes and correctionsscribbled all over the pages. Harry discovers that these corrections yield better results than thetextbook's instructions and that the book is inscribed as having previously belonged to the "Half-Blood Prince". As the year continues, Ron dates Lavender Brown but then returns to Hermione.Harry realizes that he has feelings (that are conflicting with his friendship with Ron) for Ginny,who has stopped pursuing him and is dating Dean Thomas.

During the school year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore privately tutors Harry, using his Pensieve to

show Harry collected memories about Voldemort's past. Dumbledore asks Harry to retrieve akey memory from Slughorn that Slughorn has resisted providing, regarding Slughorn'sconversation with a sixth-year Tom Riddle. After disappointing Dumbledore once by not gettingthe memory from Slughorn, Harry uses Felix Felicis potion (which bestows a day of luck on itsdrinker) that he had been rewarded with for his newfound "skill" (derived almost entirely fromwritten hints from the Half-Blood Prince) in potion making, to gain the memory.

The series of memories reveals that to attain immortality, Voldemort splintered his soul (throughcommitting murders) into six fragments attached to objects called Horcruxes, while leaving aseventh piece in his body. As long as any of the Horcruxes exist, Voldemort cannot be killed.Two Horcruxes have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary by Harry in the Chamber of Secrets[HP2]

and Marvolo Gaunt's ring by Dumbledore (the ring Harry noticed on his hand earlier). Thememories indicate that three other Horcruxes are most likely a locket formerly owned by Salazar Slytherin, a cup formerly owned by Helga Hufflepuff, and the snake Nagini; but the last of thesix Horcruxes remains unidentified. Dumbledore speculates that it may be a possession of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, as Tom Riddle would have wanted a possession of each of thefounders of Hogwarts, his first and only real home.

After seeing Harry cast an unusual curse, "Sectumsempra" (which slashes its victim repeatedlyall over his/her body) against Draco Malfoy, Snape attempts to repossess Harry's Potions book, but Harry gives him Ron's copy instead and hides his copy in the Room of Requirement, notingseveral other items hidden there over the years. He then distinguishes the cabinet that the book isin with an old bust wearing a wig and a strange looking tiara. Harry gets detention from Snapeand misses the Quidditch finals, but Gryffindor wins the Cup with Ron and Ginny starring in thematch. During the victory celebration, Harry spontaneously kisses Ginny and they begin dating,with Ron's reluctant approval.

Dumbledore locates another Horcrux and asks Harry to accompany him to destroy it. Theyapparate to a secret cave to retrieve Slytherin's locket. Harry and Dumbledore find the cave, present a blood offering to a secret door, and row in a small boat across an Inferi-infested



lake.To acquire the locket, Dumbledore must drink a mysterious liquid. Apparently gravelyinjured by the potion, he deliriously pleads to die.

Harry retrieves the Horcrux and guides Dumbledore to safety in Hogsmeade. But as they arrive,they see the Dark Mark hovering over the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts and hurriedly return to

the school.

Dumbledore and an invisibility-cloaked Harry are confronted atop the tower by Draco Malfoy,and before Harry can reveal himself, Dumbledore immobilizes Harry with a silent spell. Malfoydisarms Dumbledore, who sacrificed the time to defend himself to immobilize Harry, and admitsthat he, Draco, was behind a series of attacks on Hogwarts students, and that Voldemort hasordered him to kill Dumbledore. Dumbledore offers Draco the chance to change sides, and promises to hide Draco and his mother where Voldemort will never find them. Draco cannot bring himself to kill the headmaster, when suddenly Snape--who has also seen the Dark Mark--arrives and casts ³Avada Kedavra´, killing Dumbledore. Harry, enraged and freed fromimmobility by Dumbledore's death, pursues Snape, who reveals that he is the "Half-Blood

Prince" (as his mother was born Eileen Prince to a wizard family and his father was a muggle)and duels Harry until he gets outside Hogwarts and disapparates.

Harry recovers the locket from Dumbledore's body, only to discover it is a fake left by someonewith the initials R. A. B., who had apparently stolen the real Horcrux and left a note about hisopposition to Voldemort.

The school year ends abruptly with Dumbledore's funeral. He is buried, along with his wand, atHogwarts, beside the lake. Hogwarts's fate is uncertain, but Harry vows not to return to schooland to hunt for the remaining Horcruxes. Harry breaks up with Ginny to keep her safe fromdanger during his quest and Ron and Hermione pledge to accompany him.

Joanne Jo Rowling

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