Grindylow

Grindylow
Species information
Eye colour	Yellow White Green
Skin colour	Sickly green
Native to	Great Britain Ireland
Alternative names	Pollywiggle (in Ilkley) Candypole (in Kettlewell) Jarvis (in Sheffield)
Height of average adult	Less than 5 feet
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Horned Aggressive nature Inhabit water Carnivorous
Affiliation	Merpeople Dark Arts
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XX
Status	Extant

"A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers."

— Description

A Grindylow was a small, horned, pale-green skinned water demon native to Great Britain and Ireland.

Description and traits

The first stage of a Grindylow's life cycle was the larval stage, where it was referred to as a Grypt. It was also known by several local names, such as a "Pollywiggle" in Ilkley, a "Candypole" in Kettlewell, and a "Jarvis" in Sheffield.

A Grindylow eating fish

Aggressive towards witches, wizards and muggles alike, the Grindylow was only ever tamed by merpeople; the half-fish water dwellers who sometimes kept them as pets.

Grindylows survived, for the most part, on fish, algae, and small sea creatures; however, occasionally they would eat humans (it is for this reason that they are classified as dark creatures).

A Grindylow in the Great Lake

These creatures were found in the weed beds at the bottom of lakes in Great Britain and Ireland.

The Grindylow was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire, where it displayed a large amount of physical variation. It was generally found in still or stagnant water. Grindylows also took to urban environments such as Porter Beach in the heart of Sheffield, where they sheltered in submerged shopping trolleys and traffic cones.

The Grindylow was a sickly green colour, with green teeth and small pointy horns on its head. It had long, strong (albeit brittle) fingers which it used to strangle its prey, and was a rather good swimmer, since it was adapted to live in water.

Defence

The Grindylow had long, brittle fingers which despite their fragility were rather strong. The trick to escaping a Grindylow was to break their grip on a person; the Revulsion Jinx would help with this task, as underwater it shot jets of boiling hot water, which would scold their skin and cause them to release their grip and retreat.

History

"Ah. Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

— Remus Lupin to Harry Potter

A Grindylow in Newt Scamander's suitcase

In 1910, Newton Scamander kept a jar of baby Grindylows in water in a cupboard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Newt Scamander had several Grindylows in his suitcase during his travels to New York in 1926.

In the 1989–1990 school year, the Grindylows attacked the Merpeople in the lake.

There was a black market trade in Grindylows, as some wizards enjoyed them (illegally) as a delicacy.

Harry Potter's encounters

Professor Remus Lupin ordered a Grindylow in 1993 for his third year class to study for Defence Against the Dark Arts. After his resignation, he left behind the tank in which the Grindylow was kept.

"Harry twisted his body around and saw a grindylow, a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around Harry's leg, its pointed fangs bared-"

— Harry Potter's encounter with Grindylows during the second task

Harry defending himself against Grindylows in the Great Lake

One year later, the Grindylows of the Black Lake at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry attacked the students competing in the 1994-1995 Triwizard Tournament. They caused the early retirement from the task of Fleur Delacour, and harassed Harry Potter. Harry however managed to repel a swarm of Grindylows by using the Revulsion Jinx underwater. He blasted them with hot water and releasing himself from their tight grip, allowing him to continue swimming.

After the Battle of the Seven Potters, at The Burrow, Remus Lupin verified Harry's identity by asking "What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" Harry correctly answered Grindylow, which proved to Lupin that he was not a Death Eater impostor.

Behind the scenes

A Grindylow as a POP! Vinyl

• The Grindylow is a name for a type of water spirit said to grab little children from the edge of a body of water and drown them. The term is used in the folktales of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Grindylow is a small creature with tentacles and two dangling tentacles on its head. In the book, there is no such description. The books also describe Grindylows as sickly green in colour; the films depict them as beige.
• Originally, the Grindylow were meant to be more like Angler Fish according to The Creature Vault.
• In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition, as imagined by illustrator Olivia Lomenech Gill, Grindylows are humanoid creatures, much more how like the devil or demons are traditionally depicted.
• Although Grindylows are aggressive dark creatures and are covered in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, they are classified as XX by the British Ministry of Magic. The reason why is most likely that they can be tamed by Merpeople, and that also they can be repelled easily by wizards and witches using spells such as the Revulsion Jinx.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (GBA only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Appears in flashback(s))
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy (Picture only)