Swooping Evil

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"A large, butterfly-like creature that emerges from a small object, possibly a cocoon."

—Description of a Swooping Evil^[src]

The Swooping Evil is a blue-and-green winged magical beast.^[2]

Description

It appears similar to an extremely large butterfly but with a wolf-like skull in place of an ordinary head. When it is not flying with its spiked wings, the Swooping Evil shrinks into a green spiny cocoon.^[3]

It can be quite dangerous, as it is an encephalophage — it feeds on people's brains — and its tough green skin has the ability to deflect at least some spells. It secretes venom that, when properly diluted, can be used to erase bad memories.^[3]

History

Newt Scamander brought one to New York in his suitcase in 1926, using it to escape from MACUSA with Tina Goldstein and shield them from Aurors that attacked them.

Newt also used the Swooping Evil to distract Gellert Grindelwald (in disguise as Percival Graves) for a crucial second, allowing Newt to restrain him with a vine creeper pulled from his pocket.

A vial of its venom was diffused over New York City through a rainstorm created by Frank, Newt's captive Thunderbird, over the city's entire No-Maj population, with the rain water effectively oblivating of all their bad memories of magic and therefore preserving the security and secrecy of the magical community.^[2]