National Love Your Companion Animal Day: 10 Companion Animals in "Harry Potter" TO Celebrate2/19/2021
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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