Rodents in the Wizarding World

• Type: Creature (Mundane)
• Owners: The Weasley family, Hogwarts students, various witches and wizards.
• Maker: N/A

Rodents are a class of mundane creatures commonly found in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. This category primarily includes rats, mice, and dormice. They are typically small, furry mammals characterized by a pair of continuously growing incisors in both the upper and lower jaws. The most notable rodent described in detail is Scabbers, who was an unusually old and large grey rat. He was depicted as being fat with a bald patch and a ragged-looking left ear. Critically, he was missing a toe on one of his front paws, a feature which later proved to be significant. Other rodents, such as mice, are mentioned as common subjects for Transfiguration, but their specific appearances are not detailed.

Despite being non-magical creatures themselves, rodents play several important roles within the magical community.

• Pets: Hogwarts students are permitted to bring an owl, a cat, or a toad to school. However, rats are also shown to be common pets, most notably with Ron Weasley's ownership of Scabbers.
• Potions Ingredients: Parts of rodents are used in the brewing of various potions.
  • A rat's tail is a key ingredient in a Hair-Raising Potion.
  • Rat spleens are required for the Shrinking Solution.
• Transfiguration Subjects: Rodents are frequently used in Transfiguration practice. Professor Minerva McGonagall kept a snuffbox on her desk that would squeak, as it had once been a mouse. Conversely, simple objects are often transfigured into mice as a common test of magical skill.
• Animagus Form: The rat is a possible form for an Animagus. The most significant example is Peter Pettigrew, whose Animagus form was a common rat, allowing him to hide in plain sight for twelve years.

The most historically significant rodent in the series was Scabbers, the pet rat of the Weasley family. Originally belonging to Percy Weasley, he was passed down to Ron Weasley. For twelve years, Scabbers lived as a seemingly ordinary, albeit lazy, pet. In Harry Potter's third year, Scabbers's true nature was revealed in the Shrieking Shack. He was not a rat but Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus who had faked his own death by cutting off his finger and framing Sirius Black for his murder and the betrayal of James and Lily Potter. The rat's missing “toe” was, in fact, Pettigrew's missing finger. His exposure was a pivotal event that led to Sirius Black's innocence being proven to Albus Dumbledore and set in motion the events that would lead to Lord Voldemort's return. Another notable instance involved a dormouse, which Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Professor Alastor Moody) used during a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson to demonstrate the effects of the three Unforgivable Curses.

Rodents, particularly rats, serve as a surprisingly crucial element in the narrative. The entire plot of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban hinges on the discovery of Scabbers's true identity. His existence as Peter Pettigrew is the central mystery that connects Harry Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, ultimately rewriting the history of Lord Voldemort's first fall from power. Beyond this central role, rodents function as an integral part of the magical world's backdrop. They reinforce the everyday reality of student life at Hogwarts through their presence as pets and their use in classes like Potions and Transfiguration, adding texture and credibility to the wizarding environment.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Scabbers bites Ron Weasley and flees, directly leading the trio to the Whomping Willow, a slight deviation from the book where Crookshanks chases Scabbers.
• In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban video game, collecting rat spleens is part of a side quest for Fred and George Weasley to complete their Shrinking Solution. (video game)