In the wizarding world of Harry Potter, it’s not just witches and wizards that captured the imagination of the fans - it’s all the magical creatures that Rowling created to populate this world, too. From huge mythical beasts like dragons to the adorable and pocket sized nifflers, these magical critters have inspired legions of fans to dream of having their own owls and magical half-cats.
But while we love these creatures, Rowling’s books, Pottermore posts, and films have left fans with a few pressing questions about how the wizarding world deals with pets, threats, and more.
Do Wizards Have Non-Magical Pets, Too?
Sometimes, the divide between the wizarding and muggle worlds seems almost impossibly huge - especially when it comes to pets. Hogwarts students are offered some of the most muggle-friendly options, like toads and rats, but these creatures seem to be at least some kind of magic, as no aquariums or cages are ever seen, and all seem magically perfectly trained to just hang out with their owners. And while some wizards turn into dogs, none seem to just… have dogs as pets. Do wizards find muggle animals boring?
Do The Owls Need Training?
It seems that in this magical world, a vast majority of the wizarding families (and many individual witches and wizards) keep their own owls, as a magical equivalent to the muggle mail. These incredible owls (available to buy in Diagon Alley) have the magical ability to know where anyone is in the world, get letters to them, and return home… but all without any real training. When Harry gets Hedwig, he just automatically knows that Harry is his person, and all the people that Harry is talking about. Are they pre-trained? Is this a spell?
Do Any Non-Wizards Get A Say In The Legislation Of Creatures?
This one is definitely mentioned in the books at least a couple of times, as the Centaurs become increasingly angry about the Ministry (under the Death Eaters) limiting their rights, and the Goblins have rebelled at least once… but are there any magical ‘creatures’ (i.e. non-humans) who have the same rights as wizards, or at least, who get to weigh in on the legislation around other creatures and species?
How Many Live In The Forbidden Forest (And How Big Is It?)
Speaking of centaurs, what is the deal with the forbidden forest? From the books, it’s clear that centaurs, unicorns, and a whole host of other creatures live there, including an entire clan of giant spiders that no one but Hagrid seemingly knew about. How big, exactly, is this forest?
And why is it that a forest packed with dangerous beasts seemingly has no barriers between it and the students (except Hagrid)? One bad day, and the school would be swarmed with centaurs and giant spiders…
Are Crossbreeds Made By Mating Or Magic?
One of the magical creatures that the movies left out were Hagrid’s blast-ended skrewts, a magical cross breed of the manticore and the fire crab. These were wildly illegal and completely ridiculous for hagrid to foist on the students (but that’s hagrid for you…). However, there’s another question to be had here - how exactly did this illegal cross-breed happen? Did Hagrid magically combine them, or magically force them to… ahem.. combine naturally? Is this why cross breeding isn’t something the Ministry is in favor of?
Are There Wizarding Zoos?
On a bit more of an innocent note, does the magical world have zoos? One of the first places that Harry is seen (accidentally) using magic in the muggle world is at the zoo, but surely a magical version would be far more interesting? The contents of Newt’s case in Fantastic Beasts would be more fascinating to visit than any muggle zoo, but it seems that while there are definitely areas with higher concentrations of magical creatures, and at least some are kept animals (like the Hogwarts Thestrals), a central zoo isn’t mentioned.
What About Wizarding Animal Rescues?
There may not be magical zoos, but what about magical animal rescues? It’s made clear that witches and wizards often buy their pets from stores in Diagon Alley, but what about witches and wizards who want to help a magical pet in need of a home?
Are there rescues for kneazles and unwanted rats, or is there some other magical solution to this problem? Perhaps the shops on Diagon Alley also take them in? Animal lovers need to know!
Do Wizards Need To License Their Owls?
Along with training, do magical animals need to be licensed if they are being kept in wizarding homes? In the muggle world, this is done in order to make sure that lost pets are more easily found, but presumably there would be a spell for that that would make finding a runaway rat a breeze… although if there was, why wouldn’t Ron have used it when Scabbers went missing? And with owls, that could be injured on long deliveries, is there some kind of central owl-licensing that takes care of that?
Are Dark Wizards Poaching Dragons & Unicorns For Wand Materials?
This one seems like a question with a particularly dark answer… because it’s probably ‘yes’. Dragon heartstring and unicorn hair are used to make wands, and presumably are not exactly common materials to come by… so are there Dark Poachers who make their living illegally hunting creatures that are protected? Or perhaps creatures like dragons aren’t protected, and there are legal hunts for them?
Is There A Magical Creature Crufts?
Finally, and to end on a lighter note, is there some kind of official kennel club or show for magical creatures? Are owls paraded around a ring, or allowed to compete for the speediest and cleanest delivery, the way that dogs compete in agility? It would seem that for a wizarding world that is often obsessed with the worst elements of muggle class, the kind of upper-class dog show that the Brits love would be hugely popular… although maybe the potential for magical cheating is why this doesn’t happen!
