Manticore

Manticore
Species information
Hair colour	Golden
Native to	Greece
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Has the head of a human Lion's body Scorpion's tail with highly poisonous stinger Capable of human speech Extremely violent, dangerous and carnivorous Skin resistant to most spells
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXXXX
Status	Extant

"The Manticore is a highly dangerous Greek beast with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. As dangerous as the Chimaera, and as rare, the Manticore is reputed to croon softly as it devours its prey. Manticore skin repels almost all known charms and the sting causes instant death."

— Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Manticore was a magical beast and one of the wizarding world's most dangerous creatures.

Description

The Manticore feasting on its prey

A Manticore had a the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion that will kill anyone instantly. A Manticore's skin repelled all known charms, so it was extremely difficult to subdue a Manticore with magic. It was known to be capable of human speech, and was considered a sentient beast. The Manticore sang softly as it ate its prey.

History

The Manticore originated in Greece, and is as rare as the Chimaera. The sting of the Manticore causes instant death, and it is reputed to croon softly to its victims as it devours them.

In 1296, a Manticore savaged a person. It managed to escape execution because it was too ferocious to be captured.

Manticores were not offered the status of Being by the British Ministry of Magic because of their violent and extremely dangerous tendencies.

In 1957, Norvel Twonk died while saving a Muggle child from a runaway Manticore. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class.

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the third and final task of the All-Wizard Cup featured a Manticore that was threatening a group of fifth-years in the Forbidden Forest. The remaining competitors of the final task, which included Jacob's sibling, rushed to the aid of their friends, and managed to collectively subdue the Manticore under the leadership of Jacob's sibling.

Rubeus Hagrid somehow managed to get Manticores to breed with fire crabs, creating the hybrid Blast-Ended Skrewts.

A portrait of Norvel Twonk in Hogwarts Castle which guarded a secret passage could be opened with the password "Manticore".

At one point in the late 2010s, a British witch named Theresa Stadt was found to have somehow raised a Manticore called "Mr Whiskers" from infancy. When the Ministry of Magic was notified of this Manticore, they sent a Magizoologist member of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force to retrieve it, which proved a "remarkably ghastly affair".

See also

• Blast-Ended Skrewt

Behind the scenes

• The manticore is a creature from Persian mythology, later adopted by the Greeks and medieval Europeans.
• Although neither mentioned or described, it may be that some defensive spells, such as the Shield Charm and the Patronus Charm, could be used as a means of protection against Manticores, similar to many other physical forces and Dark or carnivorous creatures respectively, such as Dementors and Lethifolds.

Appearances

Manticore (Trading Card)

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Exploding Snap Famous Wizard Card)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)

External links

• Manticore on Wikipedia