Category:Dark Creatures

From UnknowableWiki

Dark creatures are all those magical creatures that mean harm to humans and are associated with the Dark Arts.

Notes on the categorisation

The term "Dark creatures" is used seldom in canon. Barty Crouch, Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, uses it when he tells his fourth-year class that they learned a lot about Dark creatures but are behind on curses (GF13). Sirius Black mentions that Lord Voldemort had several Dark creatures under his command during the First War, but does not specify which (OP5). Harry Potter ponders over spells he used to fight Dark creatures when he plans lessons for Dumbledore's Army, but again, no creatures are specified (OP16). Therefore, it is hard to decide which creatures are really Dark and which are not.

The categorisation that has been employed here is a very conservative one. The category includes mostly those creatures that have been mentioned in the context of Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons (zombies and vampires are mentioned by Quirrell, Kappas, Hinkypunks, Boggarts, Grindylows, Red Caps and vampires by Lupin; werewolves were covered by Snape and they appear in the textbook^[1]). Furthermore, Dementors are included due to their inherently Dark nature and the fact that they are fought with the Patronus Charm. Basilisks are included because they are closely associated with Dark wizards and the article in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them implies that only Dark wizards would create such a monster (FBAZ). Nagini is included because she is a Horcrux.

There are a number of other creatures that would probably fit into this category, but they are not included because canon never explicitly says that they are indeed Dark creatures. They might be, they might not. This applies to the following creatures:

• All demons (demons are commonly considered to be Dark; Kappas and Grindylows are both demons and Dark creatures)
  • Kelpies (water demons that try to lure humans onto their back to dive down and devour them)
  • Nogtails (demons that cause blights)
  • Pogrebins (demons that trail humans and cause lethargy and despair)
• Banshees (creatures whose scream has harmful effects on humans)
• Erklings (beasts that lure small children into the forest to devour them)
• Hags (beings who crave human flesh and have been known to eat children)
• Lethifolds (beasts that sneak up on humans in their sleep to suffocate and devour them; can be fought with the Patronus Charm)
• Nundus (beasts whose breath causes terrible disease)

Footnotes

1. ↑ Pixies are of course not included, although Lockhart brought them to class once (CS6). They are mischievous, not Dark, and Lockhart was simply a ridiculous, unqualified teacher. For the same reason, none of the creatures mentioned in Lockhart's bestsellers (hags, werewolves, vampires, banshees, yetis, ghouls, and trolls) are classified as Dark creatures here unless mentioned as Dark in another context.