National Love Your Companion Animal Day: 10 Companion Animals in "Harry Potter" TO Celebrate

In honor of National Love Your Companion Animal Day, we’re proud to bring you ten of our favorite companion animals and creatures from the wizarding world.

If you’ve joined any of our Harry Potter book club discussions, you know we love all the magical (and non-magical) creatures in the wizarding world! From fluffy Crookshanks to feisty Buckbeak, today we’re celebrating the creatures who bring so much life, love, and spirit to the books.

Note that Scabbers did not make the list, as Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus and a straight up terrible human being, so he’s not technically a magical animal or creature.

1. Hedwig 

Although we don’t condone the giving of animals as gifts, when Hagrid surprised Harry for his 11th birthday with the gift of an owl, little did Harry know that he’d have a friend for life. Highly perceptive and resourceful, this beautiful snowy owl with striking amber eyes became Harry’s closest non-human companion.

Classy and dignified, Hedwig was an indefatigable courier who stealthily passed Harry’s communications to Sirius Black while the wrongfully convicted fugitive was in hiding. She even (willingly) flew from Surrey to France and back again to bring Harry a birthday present from Hermione.

Hedwig’s loyalty, affection, and big personality also brought Harry comfort while he was stuck with the Dursleys.

Credit: Warner Bros.

Much like Harry, she lived between two worlds, the magical and non-magical. She kept Harry connected to the wizarding world while he wasn’t at Hogwarts, making his summer holidays less excruciating.

Hedwig’s heartbreaking sacrifice in the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, cemented what we already knew from book one: She’s a total badass.

Credit: Warner Bros.

2. Fang 

Although Hagrid has a fondness for some of the most fearsome creatures in the wizarding world, he shares the most special bond with his enormous black boarhound, Fang. 

At first glance, Fang is intimidatingly large and loud. But, really, much like Hagrid, Fang’s a big mush with a giant-sized heart. 

Ok, so he’s terrified of the Forbidden Forest (SAME), and he’s particularly, uh, slobbery. Still, this doggo has a lot of love to give, is as friendly as they get, and contrary to what Hagrid says, is uncommonly brave. 

He accompanies Ron and Harry when they plunge into the depths of the Forbidden Forest to speak to Aragog, defends Hagrid from Umbridge and her Ministry cronies, and even springs into action during the Battle of Hogwarts. Fang is a credit to all canines in the wizarding world and beyond. 

​Fun fact: In the Potter films, Fang is depicted as a Neapolitan Mastiff. Historically these large and powerful Italian dogs have been known for hunting boars.

3. Crookshanks 

The fluffy ginger cat Hermione adopts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is known for his squashy face, bottle-brush tail, and unbeatable detective abilities. YES. As Hermione so fondly calls him, Clever Crookshanks is, in fact, half Kneazle-- a type of wizarding world cat exceptionally intelligent and uncanny at sniffing out suspicious and untrustworthy people. 

Crookshanks is the first to discover Sirius Black’s innocence and whereabouts, and he sees right through Peter Pettigrew’s Animagus disguise as the Weasley family’s rat, Scabbers. 

On top of that, without Crookshanks’s nimble paws and keen observation, Harry and Hermione never would’ve made it through the Whomping Willow’s secret tunnel and discovered the truth about the escaped “mass murderer,” Sirius Black! 

Fun fact: Harry’s cat-loving Squib neighbor on Privet Drive, Mrs. Figg, has a clowder of half-Kneazle companion cats: Tufty, Mr. Paws, Snowy, and Mr. Tibbles!

Credit: Warner Bros.

Credit: Warner Bros.

4. Fawkes 

Magical healing tears? Check.

A melodious song to increase the courage in those pure of heart? Check.

Dressed in a glorious blaze of feathers? Check.

Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix companion, is pure brilliance! 

The distinguished phoenix loyally accompanied Dumbledore for close to 60 years. He served as the symbol for Dumbledore’s secret society in the first and second wizarding wars-- The Order of the Phoenix-- and was a key fighter in the battles against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. 

In Order of the Phoenix, when Fudge and his handful of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic threatened to incarcerate Dumbledore in Azkaban, the imperiled headmaster grabbed hold of Fawkes’s tail feathers, and the two vanished in a flash of flame. ​

Later, Fawkes was present at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, where he swallowed a Killing Curse headed straight for Dumbledore.

Fawkes was also instrumental in Harry’s defeat of the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Fawkes dropped the majestic Sword of Gryffindor into Harry’s lap, blinded the basilisk with his talons, and then, with his magical tears, healed the toxic bite on Harry’s arm. 

But that wasn’t all. In just that one instance, Fawkes also dropped Riddle’s diary at Harry’s feet, allowing the Boy Who Lived to pierce it with one of the venomous basilisk fangs and (unknowingly) destroy one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. 

Then he flew Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart out of the Chamber of Secrets and back to the safety of Hogwarts castle. 

Add to that how Fawkes carried important messages to and from members of the Order of the Phoenix and delivered the lifesaving warning when Arthur Weasley was attacked by Nagini while defending the prophecy, and it’s undeniable that Fawkes is one of the most badass companions, if not characters, in the entire Potter series. ​

 5. Buckbeak

Don’t call him Witherwings! 

Buckbeak is the proud and majestic hippogriff who makes his book and film debut in Prisoner of Azkaban, which also happens to be one of the most creature-centric Potter installments. Tenacious and unflinchingly fierce, Buckbeak has a starring role in Hagrid’s first Care of Magical Creatures lesson and continues to be a key part of Potter storylines in that book and beyond. 

When he lashes out at Malfoy, who shamelessly disrespects him (Beaky has no time for Draco’s BS), he’s nearly put to death. . . until Harry and Hermione, with a forbidden Time-Turner, team up to free him. 

A remarkable judge of character and keenly intelligent, Buckbeak joins forces with Sirius Black, flying him far away from the reaches of the Dementors swarming the Hogwarts grounds and their soul-sucking kisses. 

Credit: Warner Bros.

Before Beaky’s and Sirius’s double-fugitive escape, the hippogriff also comes to Hermione and Harry’s aid when Remus Lupin nearly attacks them in his werewolf form. 

After Sirius’s untimely death, Buckbeak returns to Hogwarts to live with Hagrid on the cusp of the Forbidden Forest. In Deathly Hallows, loyal Buckbeak valiantly fights against Voldemort’s forces in the Battle of Hogwarts. ​

6. Pigwidgeon 

After Ron’s rotten luck with longtime Weasley pet rat Scabbers revealing himself to be the Voldemort fanboy and Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew, it’s surprising that Ron gave the whole companion animal thing another go. 

A gift from Sirius Black (again, a practice which we don’t approve of), Ron’s miniature Scops owl, Pigwidgeon, brought lightheartedness and comic relief to the heavier Potter books. Things don’t seem quite as bleak and hopeless with an adorable little owl hooting up a storm and zooming around like a fluffy Golden Snitch. 

Pig’s extroverted, eager, and energetic personality wins him many fans at Hogwarts, and he (unlike Ron) is especially popular with the ladies. 

Pig’s enthusiastic mail-carrying plays a crucial role in Fred and George launching their Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes joke shop. Later, much to Hedwig’s ire, due to Pig’s inconspicuous appearance, he takes on the responsibility of delivering letters and food to Sirius while he is hiding in caves in Hogsmeade. 

Fun fact: Pig doesn’t make his film debut until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, despite appearing in several promotional photos for earlier Potter movies. ​

Credit: Warner Bros.

7. Aragog

Although Aragog is blind and rather wizened in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he wasn’t always old. 

Aragog began his life as an egg, abducted from his homeland and born into captivity. After Hagrid’s expulsion from Hogwarts, Aragog went from creature contraband hiding in castle cupboards to freedom in the Forbidden Forest, where he escaped to and established an Acromantula colony.

A humongous talking spider with highly toxic venom and no reservations towards eating any human who trespasses in his domain, Aragog is a shining example of the life-threateningly dangerous creatures Hagrid loves, oh so much. 

Credit: Warner Bros.

But Aragog isn’t a mindless, man-eating monster. Supremely intelligent and mild-mannered, Aragog gave Harry and Ron some significant insights into the Chamber of Secrets.

Credit: Warner Bros.

8.  Mrs. Norris 

Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch doesn’t have much going for him. But, what the sadistic and cantankerous Squib does have is a loyal and loving friendship with the fluffy, dust-colored feline, Mrs. Norris. 

Although she has no Kneazle blood running through her veins (that we know of), Mrs. Norris does have an uncommonly intelligent nature and a knack for spotting and apprehending rulebreakers and other miscreants. 

She knows Hogwarts Castle even better than notorious mischief-makers Fred and George, and although many of the students hate her, the professors have no such qualms or quarrels with Mrs. Norris. 

Although Mrs. Norris isn’t particularly cuddly, she’s an ace guard cat and corridor patroller, and she makes a fantastic dance partner. ​

Fun fact: In the books, Mrs. Norris is described as scrawny and even skeletal, while in the films, she’s a magnificently fluffy and stocky Maine Coon. ​​

9. Trevor

There’s an unfortunatee trend of animals and creatures being given as gifts in the Potter series, and Trevor is no different! 

The toad was a gift from Neville Longbottom’s unsympathetic and tactless Great Uncle Algie (the very same who nearly killed Neville no less than two times in an attempt to “force some magic” out of him) when Neville’s Hogwarts acceptance letter arrived. 

Neville’s escape-artist toad first appears in Philosopher’s Stone, where he tries to pull one of his disappearing acts on the Hogwarts Express. Trevor’s boldness inadvertently encourages Neville to speak to who would later become some of his closest friends: Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Although Trevor may not be as crucial to the plots as some of the other companion animals and creatures on this list, he’s still very important to Neville and very loved by him. 

And, coincidentally, Trevor tends to bring out the best in people. 

Well, Gryffindor people, at least! 

Credit: Warner Bros.

In Prisoner of Azkaban, when Snape threatened to force-feed Neville’s botched Shrinking Solution to Trevor, knowing it would kill the toad, Hermione quickly sprung into action. She worked with Neville to brew up the proper potion. 

Through her concern for Trevor, we first catch a glimpse of Hermione’s advocacy for animals and creatures before she founds S.P.E.W. in Goblet of Fire.

Credit: Warner Bros.

10. Fluffy 

​Our list wouldn’t be complete without J.K. Rowling’s take on Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the Underworld in Greek mythology-- Fluffy! 

Of all the magical creatures and extraordinary companion animals young eleven-year-old Harry encounters in his first year in Hogwarts and the wizarding world, Fluffy is one of the most striking. 

Raised by the lover of all things “mad and hairy” (Hagrid!), this peculiar pooch protected the Philosopher's Stone in the first Harry Potter book. 

Slobbery, snarly, and with a discerning ear for music, Fluffy was the first line of defense against would-be thieves and evil-doers seeking eternal life.

Fluffy also invokes discussion on animal welfare and rights** in the wizarding world. 
Consider-- Fluffy was magically locked in a room so small that he “filled the whole space between ceiling and floor.” 

Not only was Fluffy nearly unable to turn around, but he wasn’t able to have any freedom of movement or opportunities to engage in his canine instincts.

Is it any wonder that his thunderous growls fill the air when someone does happen to open the door to the room he was stowed away in? 

Sure, Fluffy’s ferocity and aggression are impossible to ignore. Still, he’s just as intelligent and sentient as animals and creatures who aren’t so expressive with emotions and who are perceived as hostile or dangerous. 

Much like a Runespoor, each of Fluffy’s heads has a distinctive personality. Each of them must’ve hurt and suffered dramatically during the time he was locked away. 

We all breathed a sigh of relief to hear that once the Philosopher’s Stone incident was over, Dumbledore returned Fluffy to freedom in his native Greece.


Did your favorite companion animals or creatures from the Harry Potter series make an appearance on our list?  Would you add any others? 


*Note I: This doesn’t encompass companion animals and creatures from the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films.

**Note II: Animal rights and welfare in the Harry Potter series is a topic explored in the Chickpeeps two-part episode, “9 ¾: Animal Rights In The Wizarding World.” This episode features a conversation between The Protego Foundation's President and Co-founder, Tylor Starr, and Harry Potter actors Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Robbie Jarvis (young James Potter).
​

Written by Victoria Tomis​

---

Accio More Articles: