Venomous Tentacula

Venomous Tentacula
Species information
Alternative names	Venemous Tentacula Venomous Tentacular
Sentience	Sentient to unknown degree
Stem	Green/brown in colour
Leaves	Green in colour Stinging nettles
Diet	Chizpurfles Doxies Humans
Distinction(s)	Spiky, and red in colour Mobile vines Biting teeth Strong Jaw Venomous bite Produces poisonous juice Carnivorous
Usage	Pets Weapons Potion-making
Status	Extant

"It was a relief to get out into the greenhouses; they were dealing with more dangerous plants than ever in Herbology but at least they were still allowed to swear loudly if the Venomous Tentacula seized them unexpectedly from behind."

— Harry Potter's opinion on Sixth year Herbology lessons

The Venomous Tentacula (alternatively spelled Venemous Tentacula or Venomous Tentacular) is a green, spiky, toothsome magical plant with mobile vines that try to grab living prey.

Description

A typical species of Venomous Tentacula

Venomous Tentacula expels venom from its shoots, and its spikes are deadly. Its bite is highly venomous and can easily stun or kill. Its juice is also a less than lethal poison.

This dangerous plant is used for student research in Herbology classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and they are taught and handled practically in the sixth year. Students are permitted to swear loudly if a Tentacula tries to strangle them during lessons. The Severing Charm can be used to both stun the plant and sever its vines.

The Venomous Tentacula is a giant eyeless head with fangs, though the shape of its mouth tends to vary, along with many leaves surrounding it. It also has many large vines for appendage (that act like arms and as aforementioned can be severed by the Severing Charm), which may or may not also have separate heads of their own at the ends.

Occasionally, aside from biting, some forms of the plant can also fire spiky spore-like balls from their mouths at their targets.

Venomous Tentacula eat Chizpurfles, spitting out their carapaces once they have eaten it.

Notable uses

A Venomous Tentacula plant

Venomous Tentacula seeds are a Class C non-tradable substance. Despite this, they are often kept as pets. Fred and George Weasley purchased Tentacula seeds off Mundungus Fletcher in 1995 for their Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products. Tentacula seeds emit a faint rattling noise even if they are completely stationary.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom and Pomona Sprout used Venomous Tentaculas as weapons against the invading Death Eaters. Neville most notably came charging out of nowhere into the Entrance Hall brandishing armfuls of the deadly plant, which was most delighted at the opportunity to attack the Death Eaters.

The leaves of the plant are highly valuable potion ingredients, and essence of the plant is also used as an ingredient in the poisonous Potion N. 07. According to Horace Slughorn, the leaves are worth ten galleons a piece.

The plant also secretes a poisonous juice. The juice is colourless and is a non-fatal poison, but causes those who drink it to have a "burning" sensation inside them, and will turn their skin bright purple in colour.

History

The 6 December 1926 morning edition of The New York Ghost featured an article about a tenement burglary that was foiled when the culprit was ensnared by a Venomous Tentacula.

Elphinstone Urquart of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Minerva McGonagall's husband, was killed by a bite from a Venomous Tentacula in 1985.

Derwent Shimpling was famous for eating an entire Venomous Tentacula and surviving, although his skin was left permanently purple.

Pomona Sprout, the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, owned a garden on the school grounds which contained numerous different plants, including Venomous Tentaculas.

During the 1987–1988 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Nymphadora Tonks sneaked out after curfew and borrowed Professor Pomona Sprout's biggest Venomous Tentacula from the greenhouse without permission, after which she walked down one of the school's corridors to set it under the Hogwarts Caretaker Argus Filch's desk but instead fell on her face and inadvertently tossed the plant into the Potions Classroom, where it grabbed Professor Severus Snape and would have killed him had he not doused it in every bottle of Herbicide Potion on the shelf.

Behind the scenes

• In several of the video games, the Venomous Tentaculas live in some parts of the grounds and are portrayed as man-eating plants with large mouths; some adaptations of them may actually bite nearby victims, while others may have other means of trying to strike people (such as using their vines or spitting out spiky ball-like pods). The said pods bounce about and can be hit by spells. The Tentacula can also get burned up by the Fire-Making Spell, or in both the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets video game (console versions), can be stunned for a while if all its vines are cut with the Severing Charm.
  • Several differing depictions of the plant often vary in both size and colouration, as well as the form of its mouth. It is often noted that doxies are also part of their diet in the video games; in the GBA version of Philosopher's Stone, luring one towards a Tentacula is the only way to get rid of them (and in that said port, the Tentacula are completely invincible to spells, something which is contradicted in other game adaptations).

Gallery

Venomous Tentacula (Trading Card)

The Venomous Tentacula in The Philosopher's Stone (console version boss portrait)

The Venomous Tentacula in The Philosopher's Stone (console version)

The Venomous Tentacula in The Philosopher's Stone (GBA version)

The Venomous Tentacula as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned in a newspaper)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells