The Ban on Experimental Breeding

The Ban on Experimental Breeding is a piece of Ministry of Magic legislation passed in 1965. Its primary purpose is to make the creation of new species of magical creatures illegal, thereby preventing witches and wizards from breeding new and potentially dangerous or uncontrollable beasts. The law falls under the jurisdiction of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, specifically the Beast Division, which is responsible for its enforcement. The Ban serves as a crucial piece of regulation to maintain safety and order within the Wizarding World by controlling the magical fauna population.

The Ban was officially established in 1965, a fact revealed in a Daily Prophet article written by Rita Skeeter. The need for such a law likely arose from centuries of unregulated magical experimentation, which had previously resulted in the creation of extremely dangerous creatures like the Basilisk by Herpo the Foul and potentially others that threatened both the magical and Muggle communities. By formalizing this prohibition, the Ministry of Magic took a definitive step to curb the reckless creation of new magical species. Any individual found breeding new creatures is in direct violation of this law and subject to Ministry of Magic disciplinary action, although the specific penalties are not detailed in the primary texts.

The most famous and well-documented violation of the Ban on Experimental Breeding was committed by Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts.

• During the 1994-1995 school year, Hagrid successfully cross-bred Manticores and Fire Crabs to create a new species he named Blast-Ended Skrewts.
• He raised these creatures as part of his curriculum for fourth-year students, culminating in their use as the final obstacle in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
• Hagrid's illegal breeding activities were exposed by Rita Skeeter in a scandalous Daily Prophet article titled “DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE.”
• The article used this breach of Ministry law, combined with the revelation of Hagrid's half-giant heritage, to portray him as a dangerous and incompetent professor.
• While Hagrid faced significant public backlash and was put on probation by the Ministry, it is not stated whether he faced formal legal charges for the breach itself.

While not a breach of this specific Ban (as it predates its 1965 establishment), Hagrid's earlier raising of the Acromantula Aragog from an egg demonstrates his lifelong fascination with dangerous creatures, providing important context for his later decision to ignore the Ban on Experimental Breeding.

• The existence of the Ban and its enactment year of 1965 are first stated in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, within Rita Skeeter's article.
• The law is further confirmed in the introduction to the companion textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, where it is stated that “The Ban on Experimental Breeding has made the creation of new species illegal.” (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook).
• The law serves as a key world-building element, demonstrating that the Wizarding World has a formal legal framework to address magical dangers, much like real-world regulations on genetic engineering or invasive species.