Ashwinder

Ashwinder
Species information
Eye colour	Red
Skin colour	Pale-grey
Related to	Snake
Native to	Worldwide
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Birthed from magical fires
Affiliation	Fire
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXX
Status	Extant

The Ashwinder was a magical serpent that was created from the remains of any magical fire that was allowed to burn unchecked.

Physical description

The Ashwinder was a thin pale-grey snake with glowing red eyes. They rose from the dying embers of magical fire that had been allowed to burn unchecked and unsupervised. Once born, the Ashwinder slithered off into a dark corner to lay their eggs, leaving an ashy trail behind. Ashwinders only lived for an hour and collapsed to dust when they have laid their eggs.

An Ashwinder snake with its eggs

Ashwinder eggs were red and give off an intense heat. The heat was capable of igniting a dwelling within minutes of their birth. Wizards suspecting the presence of Ashwinders in a house had to immediate track down the nest and freeze them using an appropriate spell. Once frozen, Ashwinder eggs were very valuable; they could be used in a love potions, eaten whole as a cure for ague, or one batch could be used for the Edurus Potion.

Habitat

Since Ashwinders were created by magical fires — fires that had a magical substance added to them, such as Floo powder — they could be found in many magical residences. However, if they managed to roam free and lay their eggs, the eggs will ignite and may burn the building down within minutes.

History

In the search for his escaped magical creatures in New York in late 1926, Newt Scamander met with Gnarlak, the goblin proprietor of The Blind Pig. Gnarlak was not immediately forthcoming with information, so Newt offered him a number of bribes, including a frozen Ashwinder egg.

While Armando Dippet was Headmaster of Hogwarts, an Ashwinder was used to represent the "bloated and blind" worm that appeared in the retelling of The Fountain of Fair Fortune during a Christmas pantomime. Unfortunately, the creature was enlarged using an Engorgement Charm, causing it to explode in a shower of hot sparks and dust.

This pantomime signalled the end of Hogwarts's pantomime tradition, as it resulted in the Great Hall catching fire caused in part by the tremendous heat from the Ashwinder's huge eggs, and a packed Hospital Wing. Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who taught Care of Magical Creatures and supplied the enlarged Ashwinder for the production, was put yet again on probation.

Etymology

"Ash" comes from the colour of itself and ashes are connected to fire. "Winder" recalls the sideway movement of some snakes, which are aptly-named "sidewinders", such as the rattlesnake.

Appearances

An Ashwinder in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned only)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only)
• Wonderbook: Book of Potions
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)