Bat

Bat
Species information
Eye colour	Black
Hair colour	Brown
Native to	Various
Wingspan of average adult	Various
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Flying and winged Nocturnal and/or crepuscular Widely varied diet
Affiliation	Hallowe'en
Status	Extant

"A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet."

— Description of the Hallowe'en feast in 1991

The bat is a flying mammal native to many parts of the world.

Description

A bat in flight

They were nocturnal and/or crepuscular and feed on a range of food from insects to fruits. Bats were particularly vulnerable to the Knockback Jinx, if a need to dispatch an aggressive one arose.

It was also a possible corporeal form of the Patronus Charm.

History

The Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley sold bats; there was one on display near the front door on 1 August, 1991. Bat spleens were used as a potion ingredient. Vampire bats were covered on the Ministry-approved fifth-year Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Great Hall for the 1993 Hallowe'en Feast, with live bats

In 1991 at the Hallowe'en feast on 31 October, the Great Hall was decorated with over a thousand live bats. Live bats were again part of the Hallowe'en feast festivities in 1993. Later that school year, in June of 1994, bats fluttered through the windows of Hagrid's Hut. A swarm of bats flew through the Forbidden Forest later that night, and Buckbeak the Hippogriff caught one, crunching noisily on it.

The House-elf Dobby's ears were described as being "bat-like."

During the summer holidays in 1994, Harry Potter had the Dursleys convinced that Sirius Black would show up and turn them into bats if they mistreated him too badly.

In August 1995, Arabella Figg insulted Mundungus Fletcher by calling him a "worthless pile of bat droppings".

The Quidditch team Ballycastle Bats's mascot was Barny the Fruitbat.

Types of bat

• Mortis Bat
• Spectre Bat
• Vampire bat
• Fruit bat

Behind the scenes

• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there is a minigame where the player must catch twenty bats while riding Buckbeak before a timer runs out.
• A semi-frequent joke within the series is Severus Snape's resemblance to a bat. One such example is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ron wonders if Snape could have beat Harry and Dumbledore to the Forbidden Forest and Harry comments "Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something." Ron replies "Wouldn't put it past him." In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, during a Defence Against the Dark Arts class, it was stated that he looked "just as much like an overgrown bat as ever".

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells