Giant Squid
From UnknowableWiki
| Creature profile | |
|---|---|
| |
| Giant squid | |
| Appearance | gigantic squid |
| Origin | Hogwarts Great Lake |
| First appearance in canon | Through the Trapdoor (PS) |
The giant squid is a huge squid that lives in the Hogwarts Great Lake. Despite its frightening appearance, it is harmless and quite friendly towards students (PS16, GF12). During summer, many students enjoy watching or playing with the giant squid while they laze away their time at the lake shore (PS16, PA22). The Hogwarts merpeople seem to be on less friendly terms with it: the selkie tribe inside the lake has painted stones with hunting scenes in which merpeople armed with spears chase the giant squid (GF26).
After their last exam in June 1992, the Trio watches Lee Jordan and Fred and George Weasley tickle the tentacles of the giant squid while it basks in the warm shallows (PS16).
When Harry Potter wonders why Tom Riddle got a Special Award for Services to the School, Ron Weasley says it could have been anything from getting thirty OWLs or saving a teacher from the giant squid to killing Moaning Myrtle. Unwittingly, Ron hits very close to the mark with the latter (CS13).
The Trio spends the day after Sirius Black's escape from Hogwarts at the lake, watching the squid waiving its tentacles lazily above the water and reminiscing the events of last night (PA22).
On September 1, 1994, during the traditional first-years' boat trip to the castle, Dennis Creevey falls into the lake and is grabbed and pushed back into the boat by something in the water. His brother Colin reckons that it was probably the giant squid. Both brothers are thrilled by the event (GF12).
In January 1995, Viktor Krum prepares for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament by swimming in the ice cold lake. The Trio sees him and Harry declares that Krum is mad. When Hermione Granger remarks that it is probably much colder where Krum comes from, Ron, who is jealous of Krum, hopefully remarks that there is still the giant squid (GF24).
After their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs in 1975, Lily Evans confronts James Potter when he starts torturing Severus Snape. James asks her out, but Lily claims she would not go on a date with him if she had to choose between him and the giant squid. Harry witnesses this scene in 1996 when he looks into the Pensieve in which Snape has stored his worst memory and doubts whether his parents really loved each other for a time (OP28).
A few students are swimming in the lake accompanied by the giant squid at the end of the school year in 1996 (OP38).
A desperate Ron compares his relationship with Lavender Brown to dating the giant squid in 1997, saying that she holds on all the tighter the more he hints he wants to break off (HBP21).
