Ministry of Magic Classification

A classification was given by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to all known Beasts, Beings and Spirits. These offered an at-a-glance guide to the perceived danger level of a creature. There were five categories.

Ministry of Magic (M.O.M.) Classification

• XXXXX - Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate
• XXXX - Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may handle
• XXX - Competent wizard should cope
• XX - Harmless / may be domesticated
• X - Boring

Classified beasts

• XXXXX
• XXXX
• XXX
• XX
• X

• Acromantula
• Basilisk
• Chimaera
• Dragon
• Lethifold
• Manticore
• Nundu
• Quintaped
• Werewolf

Centaur (should be treated with great respect)

Demiguise

Erkling

Erumpent

Graphorn

Griffin

Kappa

Kelpie

Merpeople (should be treated with great respect)

Occamy

Phoenix (only a few wizards and witches who already domesticated them)

Re'em

Runespoor

Snidget (any wizard who captures this creature will be punished, due to their near-extinction from past hunting)

Sphinx

Tebo

Thestral

Troll

Unicorn (should be treated with great respect)

Yeti

Ashwinder

Billywig

Bundimun

Crup

Doxy

Dugbog

Fire Crab

Fwooper

Glumbumble

Hippocampus

Hippogriff

Jarvey

Knarl

Kneazle

Leprechaun

Lobalug

Mackled Malaclaw

Moke

Murtlap

Niffler

Nogtail

Pixie

Plimpy

Pogrebin

Red Cap

Salamander

Sea Serpent

Shrake

Streeler

Augurey

Bowtruckle

Chizpurfle

Clabbert

Diricawl

Fairy

Ghoul

Gnome

Grindylow

Imp

Jobberknoll

Mooncalf

Porlock

Puffskein

Ramora

Flobberworm

Horklump

Behind the scenes

• In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ron Weasley adds nine "X"s to Acromantula's Classification. This is a reference to Ron's fear of spiders. This may also be contributed to by Aragog's offspring almost killing them, only being saved by the chance appearance of his father's car. Ron also adds seven "X"s on the pixie entry, with the additional remark of "if you're Lockhart".
• On the page that describes the classification system, a handwritten note by Ron Weasley indicates classification XXXXX is "anything Hagrid likes".
• The Golden Snidget was classified XXXX not for the difficulty in domestication or hazardous properties, but because it was an endangered species that would result in severe punishments if hunted or harmed.
• The Phoenix was classified XXXX not for aggression, but for the difficulty in domestication.
• Despite being classified XXXXX, Basilisks and dragons could be tamed, by Parselmouths and dragonologists, respectively, regardless of the incredibly dangerous nature of the creatures. In the latter case, however, wizards were more limited to using brute force and conditioning it via torture. Other XXXXX creatures known to have been kept by wizards in some capacity, though perhaps in unusual circumstances, included the Nundu (by Eldon Elsrickle and by Newt Scamander) and the Manticore (by Theresa Stadt).

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened