Sphinx

The Sphinx is a magical beast with the body of a large lion and the head of a human woman. It is an ancient creature famed for its intelligence, its capacity for human speech, and its love of riddles and puzzles. Sphinxes are often employed by wizards and witches as guardians for valuable treasures or hidden locations. A Sphinx was notably used as one of the magical obstacles protecting the Triwizard Cup in the final task of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament.

The only direct encounter with a Sphinx in the series occurs in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

• During the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry Potter must navigate a large hedge maze to reach the Triwizard Cup. Near the centre of the maze, his path is blocked by a Sphinx.
• The Sphinx spoke to Harry, calmly presenting him with a choice: he could attempt to solve a riddle to be granted passage, or he could remain silent and retreat unharmed. An incorrect answer, however, would result in the Sphinx attacking him.
• Harry accepted the challenge, and the Sphinx recited her riddle:
• First think of the person who lives in disguise,
• Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
• Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
• The middle of middle and end of the end?
• And finally give me the sound often heard
• During the search for a hard-to-find word.
• Now string them together, and answer me this,
• Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
• After piecing together the clues (“spy,” the letter “d,” and the sound “er”), Harry correctly gave the answer: a “spider.”
• Pleased with his correct answer, the Sphinx smiled, stretched her front legs out of his way, and allowed him to pass towards his goal.

A Sphinx has the body of a very large, tawny lion and the head of a woman. The one Harry encountered had large, almond-shaped eyes and long-fingered hands. They are capable of articulate human speech and possess near-human intelligence. This high intelligence has led to centuries of debate over whether they should be reclassified as Beings rather than Beasts. However, their inherent love for puzzles and riddles can turn violent when they are not satisfied, which is why the Ministry of Magic continues to classify them as Beasts (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). The Sphinx in the Triwizard Maze behaved in a formal and fair manner, honouring her agreement once her riddle was solved.

• High Intelligence: A Sphinx's primary and most formidable ability is its profound intellect. They are capable of creating, understanding, and communicating complex riddles, puzzles, and logical problems.
• Human Speech: They can communicate fluently in human languages, unlike most magical Beasts.
• Physical Prowess: Possessing the body of a lion, a Sphinx is a powerful physical combatant. It is presumed to have immense strength and sharp claws, making it a dangerous opponent if provoked.

The name and concept of the Sphinx are taken directly from Greek mythology. The Sphinx of Thebes was a legendary creature with the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and often the wings of a bird. She guarded the entrance to the city of Thebes and would pose a riddle to travellers. Those who could not answer correctly were killed and devoured, a fate that befell many until Oedipus finally solved her riddle.

• In the supplementary textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Sphinx is given a Ministry of Magic Classification of XXXX (Dangerous / Requires specialist knowledge / Skilled wizard may cope).
• The textbook also notes that Sphinxes first originated in Egypt and have been used for over a thousand years to guard wizards' dwellings and treasures.
• The entire sequence involving the Sphinx was cut from the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film).