The Harry Potter Alliance

Meet the Bloggers: Weird Question Weekly

In the spirit of getting to know your bloggers better, we will be answering a string of sometimes serious, sometimes silly questions in the coming weeks. Please feel free to ask us something in the comments. We want to tell you what you’d like to know!

Question of the week (from Kelly): What is your favorite magical species and why?

Erin: I guess my favorite general magical creature is the griffin. This isn’t really one that came onto my radar until I got to college, but it holds a special place in my heart because two griffins are featured on

the crest of my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. Other than that reason, though, I like griffins because they’re very magestic and powerful, and fiercely loyal (it’s said that they mate for life and if their mate dies, then they go on alone). In the Harry Potter world, however, I think I’d have to say that my favorite magical creature there is the nargle. Sure, everyone says they don’t exist, but then how else could I explain why technology seems to hate me so much when I’m posting a blog?! Nargles and I might not get along, but they definitely give me something to blame all my techological mishaps on!

Emily:

In HP, my favorite magical species is the thestral. Thestrals, the winged horses with an air of death, have all the ingredients of evil-doers: leathery wings, a dragonish face, and a nose for blood. Yet, despite all this, they are not used by Voldy, the Death Eaters, or even Malfoy; thestrals can be tamed and domesticated (perhaps, by those other than Hagrid) and used for good. I like them so much because they are interesting, complicated, and disguised; you must have a different view of the world to even see them. They remind me of the horses I love so much -with their two-fold nature and loyalty. I think they are one of the best metaphors in the series and show just how much Harry has changed on the inside.

In general, my favorite magical species is the daemon. Well, if you all will allow that to be a species! In Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, daemons can change into anything, depending on what their human counterpart is doing (i.e. Lyra is climbing a tree, so Pan becomes a squirrel, etc.) Who wouldn’t want a best friend and literal soul mate who would cuddle with you, play duets/Scattegories/softball with you, and who would have your back throughout any ordeal? But, alas, daemons grow up, just like we do; they pick one animal that fully represents their human’s personality, usually around puberty. I often wonder what my daemon would be…hmmm, *next blog question?*

Kara: Well, Harry Potter-wise, it’s a total tie between Nargles and Wrackspurts, both of which seem to infest my life in no uncertain manner.


Beyond Harry Potter, I must admit to joining Hagrid in an enormous love of dragons. I love that they are found, not only in many of the oldest stories in the world, but also in every culture across the globe. From fierce fire-breathers of the west to the peaceful guardians of Native American stories to the fantastic creatures of Eastern folklore, dragons are one creature humanity doesn’t seem to be able to live without. For a species that is supposed to be imaginary, dragons have had nearly as much study and work devoted to them as many real-world animals, and can lay claim to enough species and sub-species to make Darwin’s head spin. Personally, I have never been able to decide what my favorite kind of dragon is, though as I said last week, I have a great weakness for Pernese dragons, but from the time I was a very small child I have drawn dragons, needle-felted dragons, written, and sung, and of course read about dragons, and generally obsessed over them in every way possible.

Anna: My favorite magical creature in the Harry Potter world actually comes from what I consider to be the best fanfiction series I have ever read. The Golden Griffin, the mix between a Griffin and a pure lion, is essentially a winged lion and looks just like one when its wings are folded; they blend perfectly with its body. This is the “actual” Gryffindor House mascot in the trilogy, and Harry’s animagus form. Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent by Barb is the first of the trilogy, and can be found here.

In non-HP canon/fanon, I would say my favorite magical creature is the darkings which first appear in Tamora Pierce’s Immortals quartet. Made from the blood and magic of a Stormwing (human head and torso with steel wings and vulture-like legs), they turn on their creator to help save Tortall and the planet from Chaos. They are also adorable little black blobs that have no set form or shape and have names like Leaf, Jelly and Goldstreak.

Quinn: My favourite magical creature crosses over from both Harry Potter and other mystical stories. Phoenixes are, as I have said so many times before, my patronus and my spirit animal. There’s something comforting to me, somehow, in a bird who can go through the violence of burning and comes out stronger and wiser. There are a few mythologies in which phoenixes are guardians, able to fight things twice their size to protect people it cares for. Also, in Harry Potter, phoenix tears have powerful healing properties, this powerful creature’s emotions able to save Harry from the basilisk poison, something that I wish I could do myself many days.

So what’s your favorite creature? Tell us about it in the comments!

Finally, a huge thanks to Kelly for our question this week! Got a question for the bloggers? We’d love to hear it! Leave it in the comments below, and we’ll answer it next week.