Swooping Evil

The Swooping Evil is a magical beast with large, spiked, blue-and-green wings that resemble those of a butterfly. In its resting state, it lives inside a small, green, spiky cocoon. It is a highly dangerous creature known to feed on the brains of sentient beings. Despite its perilous nature, its venom, when properly diluted, possesses powerful properties capable of erasing bad memories. The only known wizard to keep a Swooping Evil is Newt Scamander. This creature is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels and appears exclusively in supplementary materials (film).

The Swooping Evil is not native to the United States; one specimen was smuggled into New York City in 1926 by Newt Scamander inside his magically expanded suitcase (film). After Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein were sentenced to death by MACUSA, Newt released the Swooping Evil to attack the executioners, allowing him and Tina to escape (film). He later used the creature to help subdue Percival Graves, who was revealed to be Gellert Grindelwald in disguise (film). The beast's most significant contribution was providing the means for a mass memory modification of New York's No-Maj population. After the destructive battle with an Obscurus, Newt extracted the Swooping Evil's venom and added it to a potion. This mixture was then dispersed over the city by Frank the Thunderbird through a magical rainstorm, successfully erasing the memories of the incident from all non-magical witnesses (film).

The Swooping Evil has two distinct forms (film):

• Flying Form: In flight, it reveals a reptile-like body and a wolf-like skull, with large, beautiful wings patterned in vibrant shades of blue and green. Its skin is covered in small spikes (film).
• Resting Form: When not active, it shrinks into a small, spiky, green-and-black cocoon, making it easy to store and transport (film).

The creature's name reflects its predatory nature. It is described as being drawn to brains and is considered extremely dangerous (film). However, the specimen carried by Newt Scamander demonstrated a degree of loyalty, responding to his calls and assisting him in combat situations (film).

• Flight: The Swooping Evil is an agile and swift flier, capable of maneuvering quickly to attack or defend (film).
• Venom: It secretes a potent venom which is lethal in its pure form. Its primary danger comes from its instinct to feed on brains (film). However, when carefully diluted and prepared, the venom has powerful memory-erasing qualities. This makes it a valuable, if dangerous, ingredient for certain potions (film).
• Defensive Cocoon: The ability to retract into a small, hard, spiky cocoon serves as a protective measure (film).
• Deflection: The creature's hide is resilient enough to deflect at least some spells when it is in flight, as seen when it shielded Newt from a spell cast by Percival Graves (film).

• Newt Scamander: As of 1926, Newt Scamander was the only known individual to possess and have a degree of control over a Swooping Evil (film).

The name Swooping Evil is overtly descriptive, reflecting its dangerous, predatory nature and its primary method of aerial attack. “Swooping” refers to its rapid, diving flight path, while “Evil” denotes its brain-eating tendencies (film).

• The Swooping Evil is an original creation for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film and does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels or the 2001 edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook. It was later added to the revised edition of the textbook (Pottermore).
• The creature serves as a significant plot device, providing Newt Scamander with a means of escape and, more importantly, a solution to the problem of widespread Masquerade violation at the film's climax (film).