Gorgons

Gorgons are dangerous magical creatures known from Greek mythology and referenced within the wizarding world through supplementary materials. They are most famously characterized by having hair made of living, venomous snakes. It is crucial to note that Gorgons are not mentioned in any of the seven original Harry Potter novels. Their sole appearance in the wider *Harry Potter* universe comes from a Famous Witches and Wizards Card found in the video game adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*. Therefore, their specific role and characteristics within the magical world's canon are extremely limited and largely based on their mythological origins.

The history of Gorgons within the wizarding world is confined to a single, non-novel source. They appear on a collectible Famous Witches and Wizards Card that can be found in the *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)*. This card identifies the Gorgon as a “dangerous Greek creature.” No Gorgons are ever encountered by Harry Potter or his contemporaries, nor are they mentioned in historical texts like A History of Magic or care manuals such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander. Their existence is acknowledged only through this minor piece of memorabilia, suggesting they are either exceptionally rare, extinct, or confined to their native Greece and not a creature the average British witch or wizard would ever encounter.

Based on the depiction on the Famous Witches and Wizards Card and their mythological descriptions, Gorgons possess a fearsome appearance.

• Hair: Their most prominent feature is their hair, which consists of a mass of living, writhing snakes.
• General Form: They are typically depicted as female humanoids.
• Nature: The card explicitly labels them as “dangerous” (video game). They are considered monstrous and hostile creatures, a reputation that aligns with their mythological counterparts who were feared for their deadly power.

While the video game card does not detail a Gorgon's specific abilities, their mythological background strongly implies a single, devastating power: a petrifying gaze. In Greek legends, anyone who looked directly into the eyes of a Gorgon—most famously Medusa—would be instantly turned to stone. This ability shares a strong thematic similarity with the gaze of the Basilisk, the primary antagonist creature in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*. A Basilisk's direct gaze causes instant death, while an indirect gaze causes Petrification. It is plausible that Gorgons in the wizarding world would possess a similar, if not identical, ocular-based magical attack.

The name “Gorgon” derives from the Ancient Greek word Gorgō (Γοργώ), which means “dreadful,” “terrible,” or “grim.” This name reflects the terror they inspired. In classical mythology, there were three Gorgon sisters: Stheno, Euryale, and the mortal Medusa, who is the most famous of the three.

The only known reference to a Gorgon in the *Harry Potter* franchise is on the Famous Witches and Wizards Card #2 in the Bronze series, found in the PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions of the *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)*. The inclusion of a creature with a petrifying gaze is likely a thematic nod to the central plot of Chamber of Secrets, which revolves around victims being turned to stone by the Basilisk. While the monster of the Chamber of Secrets was ultimately revealed to be a Basilisk, the mythological parallels between it and the Gorgon are notable.