Matagot

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

The Matagot is a magical beast that resembles a large, black cat in appearance.^[1]

Description

In France, they are used by the French Ministry of Magic for handiwork, such as handling the correspondence and security of some departments. Normally, they are harmless, but when provoked, they turn into very ferocious creatures.^[1]

Matagots appear to be resistant to most forms of magic and spells, and can multiply themselves upon being hit with offensive spells, such as the Stunning Spell.^[2]

Behind the scenes

• A Matagot is a spirit in French folklore that tends to take the form of a black cat. While many Matagots are evil in nature, some can be helpful to humans. If a "wealth-bringing" Matagot is allowed to eat and drink first at every meal, it will give its owner a solid gold coin each morning.
• The Matagot closely resembles the specially-bred Sphynx breed of domestic cat, known for its lack of coat (fur).
• Upon exiting the wizarding world, they become ordinary cats.^{[citation needed]}
• Newt Scamander mentions that they are spirit familiars, which is a subject of much debate and controversy in the fandom.^{[citation needed]} This is because J. K. Rowling has previously stated that "familiars, in the strictest sense, do not exist in the world of Harry Potter",^[3] after years of fans debating whether or not Hedwig was Harry Potter's spirit familiar.
  • It is worth noting that the exact phrasing suggests that, something one could call a familiar may exist, but nothing that rigidly adheres to the archetype of such a thing.

Appearances

The Harry Potter Wiki has 7 images related to Matagot.

• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Notes and references