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"She leapt up and struggled against towards a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snake-like tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without them noticing. Hermione managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. She watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them."
— The Trio facing the Devil's Snare in 1992[src]

Devil's Snare was a magical plant with the ability to constrict or strangle anything in its surrounding environment or something that happened to touch it.[1] Devil's Snare did not seem to be common, but certain Herbologists had access to it.[1]

Description[]

Hermione Granger: "Stop moving! I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"
Ron Weasley: "Oh I'm glad we know what it's called, that's a great help"
Hermione Granger: "Shut up! I'm trying to remember how to kill it!"
Harry Potter: "Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!"
— The Trio falling victim to the Devil's Snare[src]
Ronald Weasley being strangled by the Devil's Snare

The Devil's Snare strangling Ron Weasley

It was composed of a mass of soft, springy tendrils and vines that possessed some sense of touch, and resembled the Flitterbloom.[4] This plant used its creepers and tendrils to ensnare anyone who touched it, binding their arms and legs and eventually choking them. The harder a person struggled against Devil's Snare, the faster and more tightly it bound them. If the victim was able to maintain their presence of mind and relaxed, the Snare would relax its grip on them. Struggling or resistance to Devil's Snare would cause the plant to exert a greater force of constriction. Devil's Snare preferred a dark, damp environment. It would stop its movement in the environment in front of bright light and would recoil away from the heat of fire, so a well-placed fire or light based spell such as the Bluebell Flames, Fire-Making Spell, Wand-Lighting Charm or Lumos Solem Spell would effectively drive it away from its victims.[1]

History[]

19th century[]

Mirabel Garlick's predecessor used the Hidden Herbology Corridor to house dangerous plants, including a large Devil's Snare, which quickly overran the corridor and caused it to be abandoned. During the 1889–1890 school year, an Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student entered the corridor on behalf of Duncan Hobhouse, who wanted a leaf from a giant Venomous Tentacula that was rumoured to still be in the corridor. The student did so, attacking the Devil's Snare in the process as they advaned down the corridor.[5]

1984–1985 school year[]

Jacob's sibling: "What is that thing?!"
Merula Snyde: "A deadly plant called Devil's Snare. Some fourth-year Slytherins showed it to me when I first arrived."
— Jacob's sibling trapped with Devil's Snare[src]

In 1984, Merula Snyde was shown a Devil's Snare in a room by fourth-year Slytherin students shortly after her arrival. Later in the year, she tricked Jacob's sibling into entering the room under the belief they were getting Pickled Slugs for Professor Severus Snape, in order to recover lost house points. Merula was jealous over the praise the student had received in their initial classes and angry that they had stopped her from bullying Ben Copper. The plant attacked and the student was able to briefly hold it off with the Wand-Lighting Charm while calling for help. They were rescued by Rubeus Hagrid.[6]

1985–1986 school year[]

Fang ended up in the same room as a Devil's Snare. Hagrid told Jacob's sibling to use a Fire-Breathing Potion to safely rescue the dog.[7]

1991–1992 school year[]

Hermione Granger: "Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare ... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp - "
Harry Potter: "So light a fire!"
Hermione Granger: " Yes - of course - But there's no wood!"
Ron Weasley: "HAVE YOU GONE MAD! ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
Hermione Granger: "Oh, right!"
— The trio learning how to defeat the deadly plant in the Underground Chambers[src]
BluebellFlames

Hermione burning the plant with the Bluebell flames

In 1991, Professor Sprout placed a large Devil's Snare as the second defence of the Philosopher's Stone, just below the trapdoor guarded by Fluffy. In 1992, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were caught in the plant when they attempted to prevent the theft of the Philosopher's Stone.

Hermione managed to quickly free herself from the plant's grasp, but Harry and Ron quickly became bound by its tendrils, and started to suffocate. Hermione instantly identified it but initially struggled to remember how to kill the plant from she had learned in Herbology. Thankfully, she remembered the plant's preference for damp and darkness, so she set the plant alight with the Bluebell Flames, freeing both Harry and Ron from the deadly plant.[1]

1995–1996 school year[]

"As his speech and mobility improved, Healer Strout encouraged Mr Bode to look after the plant himself, unaware that it was not an innocent Flitterbloom, but a cutting of Devil's Snare, which, when touched by the convalescent Mr Bode, throttled him instantly."
— A spokeswizard for St Mungos regarding the death of Broderick Bode, reported in the Daily Prophet[src]

In 1995, Broderick Bode, an Unspeakable working for the British Ministry of Magic, was a comatose patient at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, after having been Imperiused into attempting to steal a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. When Bode began to recover, a Death Eater sent a potted Devil's Snare to the hospital, disguised as a Christmas gift, in order to silence him.

Healer Miriam Strout foolishly mistook the plant for a harmless flitterbloom[4] and left it by his beside his bed, despite St, Mungo's strict guidelines about decorations in the wards. She believed that taking care of it himself may help with his recovery. It subsequently asphyxiated Bode later that night.[2]

1998[]

Giant wrapped by Devil's Snare

A giant being captured by Devil's Snare

"Tentacula. Devil's Snare. And Snargaluff pods ... yes, I'd like to see the Death Eaters fighting those"
Pomona Sprout planning her own unique defences for Hogwarts Castle[src]

In 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor Pomona Sprout and Neville Longbottom placed Devil's Snare around the castle of Hogwarts to attack approaching Death Eaters and Giants, along with the similarly dangerous Venomous Tentacula and Snargaluffs.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

Screenshot 993

Devil's Snare as seen in the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube versions of The Philosopher's Stone

Ps1snare

Harry casting a Flipendo jinx at a Devil's Snare stalk in the PS1 version

Screenshot 832

Devil's Snare in the GBA version of The Philosopher's Stone

Devil's Snare 3 PSG GBA

Devil's Snare in the GBA version of The Philosopher's Stone (burnt)

  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hermione and Harry were able to escape the Devil's Snare by simply remaining calm. When Ron began to panic, Hermione saved him by casting Lumos Solem. The Snare also roared in its appearance when exposed to Hermione's spell.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Hedge Maze attacked the Champions during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. Some roots attacked Cedric, it may be related to Devil's Snare. Eventually, it kept strangling Cedric, then Harry freed him from it.
  • In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Devil's Snare can be seen inside the Room of Requirement growing out of a glass case at the bottom of a column and growing toward the ceiling.
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the first year Herbology students have a lesson on Devil's Snare. The plant gets out of control and captures Ron, as well as stealing Pomona Sprout's wand, requiring Harry and Hermione to destroy the plant with the Lumos Solem Spell.
  • In the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube versions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Devil Snare actually heavily resembles a giant Venomous Tentacula but coloured blue instead of green (and it is defeated the same way, using the Severing Charm and the Fire-Making Spell respectively).
    • This also applies to its portrayal in the GBA version, but it instead fires seeds continuously from its mouth if within a specific range and can only shoot them diagonally (unless Harry is very close to them then they'll shoot perpendicularly); unlike the Venomous Tentacula, it can be defeated by jinxing the nearby torch platters with Flipendo to make them tumble and burn the Devil's Snare.
  • In the PS1 version, there is a circular chamber containing the Devil's Snare. Ron and Hermione run to a side and a part of the Devil's Snare forms a wall, blocking them from the rest of the circular chamber. There are several tree-like branches which are green that spring up when Harry gets to close and attempt to squash him. Harry must cast the Knockback Jinx on the correct stalk (indicated in light green) in order to kill that stalk and bring the central stalk up, in which Harry must use a fully charged jinx at it to defeat part of its life. After defeating it each time and then setting the plant alight with the Fire-Making Spell to kill it, the Devil's Snare blocking Ron and Hermione will wither away which allows them all to proceed.
  • Devil's snare is also another name for datura stramonium.

Appearances[]

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The Harry Potter Wiki has 55 images related to Devil's Snare.
Screenshot 995

Boss portrait in the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube versions of The Philosopher's Stone

PAS Devil's Snare

Devil's Snare as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 16 (Through the Trapdoor)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 25 (The Beetle at Bay)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 30 (The Sacking of Severus Snape)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
  5. Hogwarts Legacy, Side Quest "Venomous Valour"
  6. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 1, Chapter 3 (Dealing With Trouble)
  7. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Side Quest "Help Hagrid!"
Herbology
study · class
Pottedmandrake
Herbologists
Astrid Cole · Clifford Cromwell · Marmaduke Dale · Blossom Degrasse · Miranda Goshawk · Alfred Lawley · Olgae Marinus · Beaumont Marjoribanks · Ismelda Murk · Nepali wizard · Gethsemane Prickle · Sanjay Shanker · Selina Sapworthy · Phyllida Spore · Yubert Thorne · Tilden Toots · Hadrian Whittle · Winogrand
Herbology at Hogwarts
Botanique · Herbology Award · Herbology Lesson Cup · Herbology Race Cup · Herbology Store · Hidden Herbology Corridor
Greenhouses One · Two · Three · Four · Five · Six · Seven · Professor's office
Professors Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Mirabel Garlick · Herbert Beery · Pomona Sprout · Neville Longbottom
Textbooks Flesh-Eating Trees of the World · Ingredient Encyclopedia · One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi · Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants
Plants studied and grown at Hogwarts
Aconite · Alihotsy · Asphodel · Belladonna · Bouncing Bulb · Bubotuber · Bubotuber pus · Chinese Chomping Cabbage · Cowbane · Dandelion · Devil's Snare · Dirigible Plum · Dittany · Fanged Geranium · Fat cactus-like plant · Fire seed bush · Flitterbloom · Floo · Flutterby bush · Fluxweed · Gillyweed · Ginger · Greenhouse Tree · Hemlock · Honking daffodil · Ivy · Knotgrass · Lady's Mantle · Lavender · Leaping Toadstool · Lovage · Mandrake · Mimbulus mimbletonia · Mistletoe · Moly · Nettle · Peppermint · Puffapod · Raspberry · Rose · Sage · Screechsnap · Scurvy grass · Self-fertilising shrub · Shrivelfig · Snargaluff · Sneezewort · Sopophorous plant · Sopophorous Bean · Spiky Bush · Spiky Prickly Plant · Stinksap · Sugar Shrub · Toad-eating plant · Tormentil · Umbrella Flower · Valerian · Vampiric vegetation · Venomous Tentacula · Walking plant · Wax vegetables · Whomping Willow · Wiggentree · Wild rice · Wormwood
Spells taught in Herbology at Hogwarts
Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Herbivicus Charm (Herbivicus) · Incendio Duo Spell (Incendio Duo) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Severing Charm (Diffindo)
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