Care of Magical Creatures

Care of Magical Creatures is an elective course taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, available to students from their third year onwards. The subject focuses on the study of magical beasts, covering their identification, diet, breeding, habitats, and proper handling procedures. The broader field of study concerning magical animals is known as Magizoology. Lessons often involve hands-on interaction with a wide variety of creatures, ranging from the mundane, like Flobberworms, to the highly dangerous, such as Blast-Ended Skrewts and Hippogriffs. The class is typically held on the Hogwarts grounds, frequently near the Forbidden Forest.

The curriculum for Care of Magical Creatures is highly dependent on the professor teaching the course. Under Rubeus Hagrid, the lessons were often practical but dangerous, reflecting his affinity for monstrous creatures.

1. First and Second Year: The subject is not offered to first and second-year students.
2. Third Year: Students begin taking Care of Magical Creatures as an elective.
   • Required Text: The Monster Book of Monsters, a vicious textbook that had to be stroked along its spine to be opened safely.
   • Creatures Studied: The curriculum included Hippogriffs, where students learned the proper etiquette for approach. This lesson led to Draco Malfoy being injured by Buckbeak. Later lessons involved the less exciting tasks of raising Flobberworms and caring for Salamanders.
3. Fourth Year: The curriculum was dominated by Hagrid's illegally bred Blast-Ended Skrewts, which the students were tasked with raising.
   • Creatures Studied: In addition to the Skrewts, students also worked with Nifflers to search for leprechaun gold and observed a herd of Unicorns, including two foals.
4. Fifth Year: Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank served as a substitute teacher for a portion of the year.
   • Creatures Studied: Under Professor Grubbly-Plank, students learned to handle Bowtruckles and observed a captured Crup. When Hagrid returned, he introduced the class to Thestrals, a species of winged horse visible only to those who have witnessed death.
   • O.W.L. Examination: The practical exam required students to identify a Kneazle from a group of Crups, demonstrate the correct handling of a Bowtruckle, feed and clean a Flobberworm, and select the proper food for a sick Unicorn.
5. Sixth and Seventh Year (N.E.W.T. Level): Students who achieved a high O.W.L. grade could continue to N.E.W.T. level. Hermione Granger was one of the few in her year to do so. The specific curriculum for these advanced years is not detailed in the novels.

• Professor Silvanus Kettleburn: The professor of Care of Magical Creatures prior to 1993. He retired to spend time with his remaining limbs, having lost many of them over the years due to his work with dangerous creatures.
• Professor Rubeus Hagrid: The gamekeeper at Hogwarts who took over the teaching post in 1993. His lessons were marked by a lack of concern for school regulations and a personal love for creatures generally considered monstrous and untamable.
• Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank: A highly competent witch who served as a substitute teacher on several occasions when Hagrid was absent. Her lessons were considered by many students to be safer and more structured.

The study of magical creatures as a career is known as Magizoology. A wizard or witch who practices it is a Magizoologist. This field is vital for the conservation of magical species and for the safety of the wizarding community.

• Ministry of Magic: The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is the primary governing body overseeing magical beasts. It contains numerous subdivisions, including the Beast Division, the Being Division, and the Spirit Division, as well as the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.
• Famous Magizoologists: The most renowned Magizoologist is Newt Scamander, the author of the standard textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
• Related Careers: Other professions involving magical creatures include Dragon keepers (or Dragonologists) like Charlie Weasley, who work in Dragon sanctuaries.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Monster Book of Monsters is shown to be far more aggressive than in the book, actively chasing Harry Potter around his room at the Leaky Cauldron. (film)
• The Fantastic Beasts film series and supplementary materials greatly expand the lore of Magizoology, showcasing the work of Newt Scamander in the 1920s and introducing dozens of new creatures. (film, Pottermore)