======Manticores======
=====Creature Information=====
  * **[[Ministry of Magic]] Classification:** XXXXX (Known [[Wizard]] Killer / Impossible to train or domesticate)
  * **Native To:** Greece
  * **Distinguishing Features:** Human-like head, a lion's body, and the tail of a scorpion
=====Description and Nature=====
A [[Manticore]] is an extremely dangerous and rare magical beast, considered to be as lethal as a [[Chimera]]. It possesses the head of a human, the body of a lion, and a scorpion's tail which delivers a sting that causes instantaneous death.
According to the in-universe textbook //[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]//, the [[Manticore]] is reputed to croon softly to its victims as it devours them. Its skin is known to repel almost all known [[charms]], making it exceptionally difficult to subdue through magical means. Due to its high intelligence (despite being classified as a [[Beast]]) and vicious nature, it is classified as XXXXX by the [[Ministry of Magic]], the highest and most dangerous rating.
The fearsome reputation of the [[Manticore]] is well-established in the wizarding world. When [[Harry Potter]] first saw [[Walden Macnair]], the executioner sent for [[Buckbeak]], he imagined Macnair's head transplanted onto a [[Manticore]]'s body, a testament to the creature's terrifying image.
=====History and Known Mentions=====
[[Manticores]] are referenced several times throughout the series, primarily emphasizing their danger.
The most significant event involving [[Manticores]] was [[Rubeus Hagrid]]'s illegal breeding experiment. In 1994, [[Hagrid]] successfully cross-bred [[Manticores]] with [[Fire Crabs]] to create the [[Blast-Ended Skrewts]]. These hybrids were highly aggressive, armored, and capable of "blasting" from their tails. [[Hagrid]] used them as a topic for his fourth-year [[Care of Magical Creatures]] class and later supplied one for the Third Task of the [[Triwizard Tournament]]. This act implies that [[Hagrid]] managed to acquire at least one [[Manticore]], a remarkable and highly dangerous feat. The unethical nature of this experiment was later used against [[Hagrid]] in an article by [[Rita Skeeter]] for the //[[Daily Prophet]]//.
=====Etymology=====
The name "Manticore" is derived from the Middle Persian //martikhora// and later Greek //mantikhoras//, which translates to "man-eater" (from //martiya-//, "man," and //khvar-//, "to eat"). This directly reflects the creature's carnivorous and deadly nature.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * The [[Manticore]] of the [[Harry Potter]] universe is drawn directly from real-world Persian and Greek mythology, where it is similarly described as a man-eating creature with a lion's body, a human's head, and a venomous tail.
  * In the video game adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//, a [[Manticore]] appears as one of the final obstacles Harry must face in the [[Triwizard Maze]]. This is a deviation from the novel, where the maze contained one of its hybrid offspring, the [[Blast-Ended Skrewt]], but not a pure-bred [[Manticore]]. (video game)