Doxy

A Doxy, also known as the Biting Fairy, is a small, aggressive Magical Beast often mistaken for a Fairy. Covered in thick black hair and possessing extra limbs and a venomous bite, Doxies are considered household pests by the wizarding community. They typically infest the draperies and furnishings of dwellings. According to the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Ministry of Magic gives them a classification of XXX, meaning a competent wizard should be able to cope with them.

Doxies are described as resembling tiny human figures, but with several distinct and non-humanoid features. They are considered pests due to their tendency to infest dark, cool places within wizarding homes, such as inside curtains.

• Appearance: A Doxy is covered in thick black hair over its entire body and has a miniature human-like shape. It possesses two pairs of arms and two pairs of legs. Its wings are hard, shiny, and curved, much like a beetle's.
• Anatomy: Their most dangerous feature is their mouth, which contains double rows of sharp, venomous teeth.
• Reproduction: Doxies lay their eggs in clutches of up to five hundred at a time and bury them. The eggs are small and black. They typically hatch within two to three weeks. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
• Habitat: They prefer cold climates and are found throughout northern Europe and America. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

During the cleaning of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Harry Potter and the Weasley children were tasked with clearing an infestation of Doxies from the drawing room curtains.

The primary danger a Doxy poses is its venomous bite.

• Venomous Bite: A Doxy's double rows of sharp teeth can deliver a venomous bite. While not typically lethal, a bite is painful and requires an antidote. Fred Weasley was bitten several times while cleaning Grimmauld Place and required a dose of an Antidote to Common Poisons.
• Flight: Their beetle-like wings allow them to fly quickly, making them difficult to catch.

Due to their infestations, the wizarding world has developed specific methods for controlling Doxies.

• Pest Control: The process of removing an infestation is known as “de-doxying.” The standard method involves spraying the creatures with a substance called Doxycide, a black liquid with a pungent odor that paralyzes them. Once stunned, they can be safely removed from a home. Their black eggs must also be located and destroyed to prevent re-infestation.
• Potion Ingredient: Doxy eggs are a useful potion ingredient. Fred and George Weasley saved a number of Doxy eggs during the cleaning of Grimmauld Place to use in the development of their Skiving Snackboxes for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Kreacher the house-elf was also known to hoard them. Doxy venom is also used in certain potions. (Pottermore)

The word “doxy” is an archaic English term for a beggar's companion, a mistress, or a prostitute, carrying a connotation of being an undesirable or troublesome entity. This aligns with the creature's status as a household pest. It may also be a portmanteau of “toxic” and “pixie,” reflecting its venomous nature and similarity to other small, humanoid magical creatures.

• Much of the detailed biological information about the Doxy, including its Ministry of Magic classification, habitat, and reproductive cycle, comes from the companion textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Doxies are depicted as more insectoid and less humanoid than their description in the book. They appear in the de-doxying scene at Grimmauld Place.
• In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game, Doxies are common enemies that Harry must stun and capture as part of his cleaning tasks.