Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Book information
Author	Newt Scamander
Released	Between 1 January and 19 March 1927
Publisher	Obscurus Books
Subject	Magizoology
Copies	Hogwarts students Fifth-year Ilvermorny students

"Newt's masterpiece had been an approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever since its publication and must take a substantial amount of credit for our students' consistently high results in Care of Magical Creatures examinations — yet it is not a book to be confined to the classroom. No wizarding household is complete without a copy of Fantastic Beasts, well thumbed by the generations who have riffled its pages in search of the best way to rid the lawn of Horklumps, interpret the mournful cries of the Augurey, or cure their pet Puffskein of drinking out of the toilet."

— Albus Dumbledore

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a book written by Newt Scamander and titled by Porpentina Goldstein, detailing the field of Magizoology, the study of magical creatures. It was a standard textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since it was written in 1927. By 1932, Eulalie Hicks also set this book as a required textbook for all her fifth year students at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A copy of this book cost two Galleons at Flourish and Blotts.

History

(L-R): Bunty, Newt, Leta, and Theseus at the launch party held in Flourish and Blotts

In 1918, Obscurus Books commissioned Newton Scamander to write Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. On 16 December 1926, Porpentina Goldstein named this book before saying goodbye to him before he headed back to London. The book was first released in early 1927, and a launch party was held at seven o'clock on 19 March at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, where the Magizoologist was accompanied by his childhood friend Leta Lestrange, his older brother Theseus Scamander and his assistant, Bunty.

Second edition of the book

In or prior to 1932, a second edition had been published.

Harry Potter purchased this book on 31 July 1991 in Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, whilst he was buying supplies for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that year with Rubeus Hagrid. Harry's copy was also protected by the Thief's Curse.

In 2017, a new edition featuring a foreword by Scamander was avaliable. He provided new details about the part he played in capturing the Dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald and added six new creatures to the A to Z of Fantastic Beasts. He wrote it was "To appear only in "For Wizards" version". He then added an "Editor's note" stating the Muggle version had to include the "gaff" of it being "obvious fiction".

Chapters

The final draft manuscript of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 1927

"If Newt Scamander hasn’t found it, it’s not worth finding."

— Description

• Introduction
  • About This Book
  • What Is a Beast?
  • A Brief History of Muggle Awareness of Fantastic Beasts
  • Magical Beasts in Hiding
    • Safe Habitats
    • Controls on Selling and Breeding
    • Disillusionment Charms
    • Memory Charms
    • The Office of Misinformation
  • Why Magizoology Matters
  • Ministry of Magic Classifications
• An A-Z of Fantastic Beasts
  

Beasts included in the book

Acromantula Ashwinder Augurey Basilisk Billywig Bowtruckle Bundimun Centaur Chimaera Chizpurfle Clabbert Crup Demiguise Diricawl Doxy Dragon Antipodean Opaleye Chinese Fireball Common Welsh Green Hebridean Black Hungarian Horntail Norwegian Ridgeback Peruvian Vipertooth Romanian Longhorn Swedish Short-Snout Ukrainian Ironbelly Dugbog Erkling Erumpent Fairy Fire crab

Flobberworm Fwooper Ghoul Glumbumble Gnome Graphorn Griffin Grindylow Hidebehind Hippocampus Hippogriff Hodag Horklump Horned Serpent Imp Jarvey Jobberknoll Kappa Kelpie Knarl Kneazle Leprechaun Lethifold Lobalug Mackled Malaclaw Manticore Merpeople Moke Mooncalf Murtlap

Niffler Nogtail Nundu Occamy Phoenix Pixie Plimpy Pogrebin Porlock Puffskein Quintaped Ramora Red Cap Re'em Runespoor Salamander Sea serpent Shrake Snallygaster Golden Snidget Sphinx Streeler Tebo Thunderbird Troll Unicorn Wampus cat Werewolf Winged horse Yeti

Behind the scenes

• A real version of the book was written by J. K. Rowling to raise money for the Comic Relief charity in 2001.
• Some creatures are missing from the book. There is no entry on cockatrices, hydras, or three-headed dogs. The Zouwu is also missing, even though Newt is known to have encountered one of these, in 1927. This can be explained, however, as Newt Scamander never intended the book to be a complete guide of all magical creatures, but an introduction to the variety of Magizoology.
• It is unknown why this book was required for Harry Potter to get in his first year (1991–1992 school year) since he did not start Care of Magical Creatures until his third year (1993–1994 school year). As in the real world version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Dumbledore states it is required for Care of Magical Creatures. Though, it is possible it was required for another subject.
• A listing for the book on Scholastic's Harry Potter site gives the price as 14 Sickles and 3 Knuts.
• A giant copy of the book with the cover art seen in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was part of the "Tree of Fantastic Beasts" (Japanese: 魔法動物の樹) installation art at Marunouchi OAZO 1F ○○広場 (translit. oohiroba) from 11 November to 25 December 2021.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• The Archive of Magic: The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened