Beetles

• Type: Insect
• Ministry of Magic Classification: X (Considered a non-magical creature, though frequently used in magic)
• Habitat: Worldwide; commonly found in various environments, including the grounds of Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest.
• Notable Uses: Potion ingredient, Animagus form.

Beetles are common, mundane insects in the wizarding world, physically indistinguishable from their non-magical counterparts. They exist in numerous varieties and are primarily recognized for their practical applications in magic rather than for any inherent magical properties. Several types of beetles are mentioned throughout the series:

• Black Beetles: The eyes of black beetles are a required ingredient for the Shrinking Solution, a potion taught to third-year students at Hogwarts.
• Stag Beetles: Rubeus Hagrid expressed an interest in observing stag beetles within the Forbidden Forest.
• Unidentified Beetle: Harry Potter once found a beetle in a jar atop a cabinet in the Room of Requirement, which he emptied to hold the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making.
• Rita Skeeter's Animagus Form: The specific species that gossip columnist Rita Skeeter transforms into is a beetle. In this form, she is described as being “unusually marked,” with patterns around her antennae that bear a striking resemblance to the garish, jeweled spectacles she wears as a human.

Despite being classified as non-magical, beetles have several significant uses within the wizarding community, particularly in Potions and espionage.

• Potion Ingredient: The most common use for beetles is as a Potion ingredient. During a Potions class with Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and his classmates were required to handle and presumably crush black beetle eyes to brew the Shrinking Solution. This demonstrates their standard inclusion in the Hogwarts curriculum.
• Animagus Form: The most notable plot-relevant use of a beetle is as the Animagus form of Rita Skeeter. As an unregistered Animagus, she illegally transformed into a beetle to spy on private conversations, allowing her to gather sensational and often inaccurate information for her articles in the Daily Prophet. She used this ability to eavesdrop on Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Rubeus Hagrid, and others during the Triwizard Tournament. Hermione Granger eventually deduced Rita's secret and trapped her in beetle form inside an unbreakable, magically-sealed jar.
• Food Source: Beetles have occasionally appeared as an incidental food item. During a visit to the Hogwarts kitchens, Dobby the house-elf served Harry a stew from which Harry had to remove a large beetle.

Beetles play a surprisingly crucial role, primarily through the actions of Rita Skeeter. Her ability to transform into a beetle is a central plot device in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It explains how she obtained private information that damaged the reputations of Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid, fueled public speculation, and created significant personal distress for the main characters. Hermione Granger's discovery of Rita's secret is a pivotal moment that highlights her exceptional logical reasoning and moral determination. By capturing Rita, Hermione neutralizes her as a threat. Later, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione leverages this knowledge to blackmail Rita Skeeter into writing a truthful article about Harry's encounter with Lord Voldemort, which is then published in The Quibbler. This act is instrumental in shifting public opinion and supporting Harry's credibility against the Ministry of Magic's smear campaign.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rita Skeeter's beetle form is depicted as a vibrant, acid-green insect, matching her signature style of dress and her Quick-Quotes Quill. The book, however, only describes the markings around its antennae. (film)
• The Pottermore/Wizarding World website confirms that being an unregistered Animagus is a serious crime, punishable by a sentence in Azkaban, highlighting the legal risk Rita Skeeter took by using her beetle form for journalism. (Pottermore)