Sphinx

Sphinx
Species information
Eye colour	Almond-shaped Hazel
Hair colour	Brown
Native to	Egypt
Distinction	Human head and face Lion body Highly intelligent Capable of human speech Delights in puzzles and riddles Violent nature
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXXX
Status	Extant

"The Egyptian sphinx has a human head on a lion's body. For over a thousand years it has been used by witches and wizards to guard valuables and secret hideaways. Highly intelligent, the sphinx delights in puzzles and riddles. It is usually dangerous only when what it is guarding is threatened."

— Description of a sphinx

The sphinx was a magical beast native to Egypt.

Description

A female sphinx

It had the head of a human, and the body of a lion. When the British Ministry of Magic began categorising magical creatures, the sphinx was placed in the Beast category rather than the Being category, due to the violent tendencies they got when something they guarded was in danger.

Sphinxes were renowned for being extremely intelligent and were known for their love of puzzles, riddles, and enigmas. Their riddles were normally extremely long and complicated, with profusely subtle references to the answer that most people would almost certainly miss. They were capable of human speech, though they notably always talked in rhyme.

They also possessed superhuman strength, especially in their brutally powerful paws — this made them very dangerous to human beings when they attacked, and was why they were classed so high in terms of dangerous species.

History

"It had the body of an over-large lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman. She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes upon Harry as he approached."

— Description of the sphinx in the maze

The sphinx had been used for centuries to guard treasures and had been noted for violence when something threatens that treasure.

19th century

Crispin Cronk (1795–1872) once kept several sphinxes in his backyard. Apparently, the private ownership of sphinxes is (or was) illegal, as the Ministry of Magic sent him to Azkaban for it after he ignored their repeated warnings. During the 1890–1891 school year there was a statue of a sphinx located within the first-floor corridor at Hogwarts Castle.

20th century

Sphinx in the Red Cap's Hole

A sphinx stayed in the Red Cap's Hole during the 1989–1990 school year. She was found by Bill Weasley, Jacob's sibling and Wilfred Levi Kidd. Before she would give them the treasure she was guarding, she challenged them to solve three puzzles, the answers to which were the "Gifts of Hogwarts": a Golden Snitch, a Butterbeer, and the House crest of Gryffindor. After the students obtained them and brought them to the sphinx, she gave them one last riddle to solve. Figure out the common theme of the three gifts. Levi blurted out that the gifts were all golden, which the sphinx deemed to be the wrong answer, and she prepared to attack them. However, she was convinced to give them one more chance when they asked for it. Their next answer, that the objects all bring people together, which was the "true gift of Hogwarts" was correct and she stepped aside and let them take the treasure.

A female sphinx was stationed in the maze during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament of 1994–1995. The sphinx guarded the closest route to the Triwizard Cup, and also gave a clue to Harry Potter concerning the last creature that was guarding the Cup. Harry Potter had to cross the sphinx, and this was the riddle that was given to him:

First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard,
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

The clue in the first two lines refers to a spy, the next clue indicates the letter 'd', and the last clue means '-er'. String them together, and the answer is 'spyder' or 'spider', as the final creature in the maze guarding the Triwizard Cup was an Acromantula. The sphinx gave Harry three options — he could choose to remain silent and she would allow him to walk away unscathed. If he answered correctly, she would move aside, but if he gave an incorrect answer, she would attack.

Gringotts Wizarding Bank had been known to place sphinxes to guard some of the vaults, much to the annoyance of those customers who want to access their valuables but who are not that good at riddles.

The Sphinx Club at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was named for this deadly beast and accepted students who excelled in academic pursuits, likely a nod to the sphinxes intelligence and penchant for riddles.

Behind the scenes

Concept art of sphinxes for Wonderbook: Book of Spells

• The sphinx is a creature from Greek mythology, though the term would later come to be applied to ancient Egyptian statues of similar appearance, most famously the Great Sphinx of Giza. The association of sphinxes with riddles comes from the sphinx appointed to guard the city of Thebes by asking a riddle and killing any who could not answer.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the sphinx in the maze is a statue instead of a real one, and the player must lure the spider to come near it with a fly, which sends away the statue and allows entry. However, in the DS and IPhone versions you have to pick the right barrel and find the Lego-brick, if you find it the sphinx will open a door-hedge next to it.
• The sphinx was one of several possible creatures assigned to be the Erkstag's prison guard in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and its concepts were drawn up by Ben Kovar.
• In Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, the sphinx was one of the boss creatures in the Field Studies quests that took place in the desert.
• The Sphinx is possibly related to the Manticore, as both the mainstream Manticore breed and Sphinx have the body of a lion, the head of a human, an aggressive nature, and high intelligence nearing that of Beings.
• During the artistic production process, conceptual artist Ben Kovar created two concepts for the sphinx that would be present in Erkstag prison. Both designs were discarded because they were ‘too magical’ and needed more ‘real’ creatures.
  • The first one was based on a cockerel with colourful plumage, a poultry mouth and feet, and its design also referenced the Egyptian sphinxes of Karnak and Giza.
  • The second design was inspired by the sphinxes of Babylonian and Assyrian culture, featuring wings, a body covered in blue and gold feathers, bird-like hind legs and a face made of molten gold.
  • Other designs included insect features or a more centaur-like appearance.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears as statue) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (Disc 2, Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Pottermore
• HarryPotter.com (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Concept art only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Hogwarts Legacy (Appears as statue)

External links

• Sphinx on Wikipedia