Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

• Type: Textbook, Bestiary
• Owners: Required for all first-year Hogwarts students, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
• Maker: Authored by Newt Scamander; Published by Obscurus Books (real-world book).

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* is a standard Hogwarts textbook bound in what appears to be leather or a similar material. The copy owned by Harry Potter is particularly notable for being heavily annotated over the years. Inside its pages are handwritten notes, doodles, and jokes added by Harry, Ron Weasley, and to a lesser extent, Hermione Granger. These scribbles include ongoing games of hangman and tic-tac-toe, commentary on the creatures described, and humorous asides, indicating it was a well-used and personal item for the trio.

The book contains detailed descriptions and illustrations of various magical creatures. One such illustration, of an Erumpent, is described as showing its thick grey hide, long rope-like tail, and its most dangerous feature: a large, sharp Horn on its nose.

While not possessing innate magical properties like a Horcrux or a Deathly Hallow, *Fantastic Beasts* is an indispensable tool in the Wizarding World. Its primary function is to serve as an authoritative encyclopedia of magical creatures.

• Educational Tool: It is the core textbook for the Care of Magical Creatures class at Hogwarts.
• Reference Guide: The book provides essential information on the appearance, habits, diet, and perceived threat level of numerous beasts. It is used as a definitive reference by wizards like Hermione Granger to identify creatures and assess their potential danger.
• Classification System: The book introduces the Ministry of Magic Classification system, which rates creatures on a scale from 'X' (Boring) to 'XXXXX' (Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate) (real-world book).

Authored by the world-famous Magizoologist Newt Scamander, *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* was first published in 1927 (real-world book). It quickly became a cornerstone of magical education and a bestseller in the Wizarding World. By the 1990s, when Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, the book was in its 52nd edition, cementing its status as the definitive guide to Magizoology. It was a required purchase for all incoming first-year students.

• Fantastic Beasts* is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as part of Harry's required school supplies, establishing the formal study of magical creatures as a fundamental part of a wizard's education.

Throughout the series, the book serves as a baseline for magical zoological knowledge. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione Granger's skepticism toward creatures Luna Lovegood believes in, such as the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, stems from their absence in *Fantastic Beasts*, highlighting its perceived authority. The book plays its most crucial role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. While hiding at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Harry gives his copy to Ron for his birthday. Later, when visiting Xenophilius Lovegood, the trio is shown what he claims is the Horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Hermione, being cautious, correctly identifies it as a highly explosive Erumpent Horn by referencing the description and illustration within *Fantastic Beasts*. Her knowledge, gained from the textbook, allows the trio to escape the house just as the Horn detonates, saving their lives and demonstrating the book's immense practical value.

• Comic Relief Publication: In 2001, J.K. Rowling wrote and published a real-world version of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* for the British charity Comic Relief. This version is presented as a facsimile of Harry Potter's own copy and includes numerous handwritten annotations and doodles by Harry and Ron.
• Film Series: The textbook and its author served as the inspiration for the *Fantastic Beasts* prequel film series, which follows the adventures of a young Newt Scamander in the 1920s, decades before the events of the Harry Potter series. The films greatly expand upon the life of Newt Scamander and the history of the Wizarding World.