On his adventures in books and movies, Harry Potter encounters several dangerous magical creatures. But which magical beings are actually the most powerful? In this ranking, we take a look at the top 10.
The classification: Even the Ministry of Magic has considered the danger posed by magical creatures. The “Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures” distinguishes five levels of danger:
- X: boring
- XX: harmless
- XXX: hard to control
- XXXX: dangerous
- XXXXX: impossible to control, kills wizards
All creatures on this list are classified as category XXXXX, making them extremely deadly.
Rank 10: Horned Serpent
The Horned Serpent is considered to be an extremely intelligent creature. As its name suggests, these serpent-like beings have horns on their heads. A subspecies found in North America also sports a valuable diamond on its forehead. This allegedly gives the serpents the ability to fly and become invisible.
In the past, many more species existed worldwide, especially in Western Europe. However, it was already hunted to extinction there during the Middle Ages, as parts of it were often used as an ingredient in potions.
It is said that a witch named Isolt Sayre once befriended a Horned Serpent. Although Isolt spoke no Pasel, she was able to communicate with the serpent. Later, when she co-founded the American wizarding school Ilvermorny, she named her house after the Horned Serpent.
Many legends surround the magical abilities of the Horned Serpents. However, they seem to be less aggressive than the other creatures on this list.
Rank 9: Quintaped
The Quintaped is a hairy creature with five legs. It is a carnivore, with humans often on the menu. Fortunately, they only exist in a very specific place, the island of Drear in Scotland.
A grotesque legend surrounds the origin of Quintapeds. They were originally a wizarding family, the MacBoons. In revenge for an alleged murder, the entire family was transformed into hairy monsters. Therefore, Quintapeds are also commonly known as “Hairy MacBoon.”
This course of action wasn’t particularly wise. The newly created monsters were now significantly more powerful. They took their revenge and killed their makers. Whether this theory is true has never been confirmed. No wizard has ever succeeded in capturing a Quintaped.
Rank 8: Acromantula
The Acromantula is a giant, eight-eyed spider that is capable of human speech. Originally bred by wizards – presumably to guard things. Today, it is primarily found in the jungles of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
Much like ordinary spiders, it catches its prey in webs. It also possesses a venomous secretion that allows it to effortlessly kill its preferred large victims. Acromantulas usually live in colonies, making them even more dangerous.
Despite their almost human intelligence, they pose a significant danger to wizards. After their encounter with Hagrid’s “house spider” Aragog, Harry and Ron would surely confirm this.
