Grindylow

Grindylow
Species information
Eye colour	Yellow White Green
Skin colour	Sickly green
Native to	Great Britain Ireland
Height of average adult	Less than 5 feet
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Horned Aggressive nature Inhabit water Carnivorous
Affiliation	Merpeople Dark Arts
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XX
Status	Extant

"A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers."

— Description

A Grindylow is a small, horned, pale-green skinned water demon native to Great Britain and Ireland.

Life cycle

The first stage of a Grindylow's life cycle is the larval stage, where it is referred to as a Grypt. It is also known by several local names, such as a "Pollywiggle" in Ilkley, a "Candypole" in Kettlewell, and a "Jarvis" in Sheffield.

Behaviour

A Grindylow eating fish

Aggressive towards witches, wizards and muggles alike, the Grindylow has only ever been tamed by merpeople; the half-fish water dwellers who sometimes keep them as pets.

Diet

Grindylows survive, for the most part, on fish, algae, and small sea creatures; however, occasionally they will eat humans (it is for this reason that they are classified as dark creatures).

Habitat

A Grindylow in the Great Lake

These creatures are found in the weed beds at the bottom of lakes in Great Britain and Ireland.

The Grindylow is particularly prevalent in Yorkshire, where it displays a large amount of physical variation. It is generally found in still or stagnant water. In more recent years, Grindylows have taken to urban environments such as Porter Beach in the heart of Sheffield, where they shelter in submerged shopping trolleys and traffic cones.

Physical appearance

The Grindylow is a sickly green colour, with green teeth and small pointy horns on its head. It has long, strong (albeit brittle) fingers which it uses to strangle its prey, and is a rather good swimmer, since it is adapted to live in water.

Defence

The Grindylow has long, brittle fingers which despite their fragility are rather strong. The trick to escaping a Grindylow is to break their grip on a person; it can also be noted that the Revulsion Jinx may help with this task, as underwater it shoots jets of boiling hot water.

History

Grindylow in the Newt Scamander's suitcase

Newt Scamander had several Grindylows in his suitcase during his travels to New York in 1926.

In the 1989–1990 school year, the Grindylows attacked the Merpeople in the lake.

Professor Remus Lupin ordered a Grindylow in 1993 for his third year class to study for Defence Against the Dark Arts. After his resignation, he left behind the tank in which the Grindylow was kept.

Harry defending himself against Grindylows

One year later, the Grindylows of the Black Lake at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry attacked the students competing in the 1994-1995 Triwizard Tournament. They caused the early retirement from the task of Fleur Delacour, and harassed Harry Potter. Harry however managed to repel a swarm of Grindylows by using the Revulsion Jinx underwater, blasting them with hot water and releasing himself from their tight grip, allowing him to continue swimming.

After the Battle of the Seven Potters, at The Burrow, Remus Lupin verified Harry's identity by asking "What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" Harry correctly answered Grindylow, which proved to Lupin that he was not a Death Eater impostor.

There was a black market trade in Grindylows, as some wizards enjoyed them (illegally) as a delicacy.

Behind the scenes

• The Grindylow is a name for a type of water spirit said to grab little children from the edge of a body of water and drown them. The term is used in the folktales of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

A Grindylow as a POP! Vinyl

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Grindylow is a small creature with tentacles and two dangling tentacles on its head. In the book, there is no such description. The books also describe Grindylows as sickly green in colour; the films depict them as beige.
• Originally, the Grindylow were meant to be more like Angler Fish according to The Creature Vault.
• In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition, as imagined by illustrator Olivia Lomenech Gill, Grindylows are humanoid creatures, much more how like the devil or demons are traditionally depicted.
• Although Grindylows are aggressive dark creatures and are covered in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, they are classified as XX by the British Ministry of Magic. The reason why is most likely that they can be tamed by Merpeople, and that also they can be repelled easily by wizards and witches using spells such as the Revulsion Jinx.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (GBA only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned in interrogation by Lupin)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Mentioned in interrogation by Lupin)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite