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Communicating with animals

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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

"Are you a wizard, or what?"

The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.

Speak to animals

A wizard communicating magically with a cat

The capability of communicating with animals was a rare magical skill possessed by certain members of the wizarding community, including a few rare wizards and witches such as some magizoologists and those intrigued by the magizoology field — and even some Squibs.[1]

Types[]

Parselmouths[]

Harry-Snake-PSF

Harry Potter unknowingly speaking Parseltongue to a Boa Constrictor at the Zoo

Parseltongue was the language of snakes. It appeared that it could be learnt like any other language, as evidenced by Albus Dumbledore. However, a wizard or witch known as a Parselmouth could understand it naturally and speak back to snakes, often not even realising they were no longer speaking the human tongue.[2] This ability was extremely rare and hereditary. Salazar Slytherin was an infamous Parselmouth,[2] and his descendants,[3] such as Lord Voldemort, inherited this trait.[4] Harry Potter also acquired this ability when part of Voldemort's soul bonded with him the night he tried to kill Harry.[5] When the piece of Voldemort's soul inside him was destroyed, Harry thought he would lose the ability,[5] but 22 years later in 2020, he used Parseltongue to open the secret room of Delphini.[6]

Other[]

Other wizards, like Rubeus Hagrid[7][8][9] and Newt Scamander[10][11][12] for example, had an innate ability to communicate and bond with all kinds of animals. Animagi had also demonstrated being able to subtly influence animals while assuming their animal forms, as in the case of Peter Pettigrew, who demonstrated an affinity with rats while in his rat form.[13] Argus Filch demonstrated a high degree of communication with his cat, Mrs Norris,[14] even though he was a Squib. Arabella Figg, another Squib, was able to communicate with cats to some extent, as exemplified in 1995 when one of her part-kneazles, Mr Tibbles, informed her of news.[15]

Certain magical artefacts could enable their users to communicate with animals. One such artefact, discovered by a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, enabled the user to communicate with marine life within the artefact's vicinity, including Giant Squids.[16]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ Pottermore - Hogwarts sorting quiz
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11 (The Duelling Club)
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
  6. ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 14 (Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback)
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 15 (Aragog)
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 30 (Grawp)
  10. ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
  11. ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
  12. ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  13. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 19 (The Servant of Lord Voldemort)
  14. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 8 (The Potions Master)
  15. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 2 (A Peck of Owls)
  16. ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
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