The Leucrotta is a highly dangerous magical beast, primarily known for its unique and deceptive hunting method. It possesses a body resembling a large stag or moose, but its head is that of a lion, featuring an unusually wide mouth filled with sharp teeth. Its most notable and terrifying ability is its vocal mimicry. A Leucrotta can imitate the sound of a human in distress, calling out for help to lure unsuspecting witches, wizards, or Muggles into its vicinity. Once the victim is close, the creature attacks. Due to this predatory nature and cunning, it is considered extremely dangerous.
The only known appearance of a Leucrotta within the wizarding world is in a challenge found within the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this encounter, the creature patrols a hedge maze, using its mimicked human voice—crying phrases such as “Is anyone there?” and “Help me!”—to disorient and attract its quarry (video game).
The name and concept of the Leucrotta are derived directly from real-world legends, first described by the Roman author Pliny the Elder in his work Natural History. The mythological Leucrotta (or Crocotta) was said to be an animal from Ethiopia or India. While descriptions vary, it was often depicted as a hybrid creature, reputedly the size of a donkey, with the hindquarters of a stag, the chest and neck of a lion, and the head of a badger. Its most famous trait, which was carried over into the wizarding world, was its ability to imitate the human voice.
Leucrottas are not mentioned in any of the seven original *Harry Potter* novels, nor do they appear in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook. Their only appearance in the franchise is in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game), where they serve as antagonists in one of the challenges. Their inclusion is unique to this piece of supplementary material.