Swooping Evil

Swooping Evil
Species information
Skin colour	Blue and green
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Resembles large butterfly Wolf-like skull Spiked wings Shrinks into green spiny cocoon when not in flight Feeds on human brains Tough skin can deflect spells Venomous
Affiliation	Dark Arts
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast
Status	Extant

"A large, butterfly-like creature that emerges from a small object, possibly a cocoon."

— Description of a Swooping Evil

The Swooping Evil was a blue-and-green winged dark magical beast.

Description

A Swooping Evil in its tiny cocoon form

It appeared similar to an extremely large butterfly, but with a wolf-like skull in place of an ordinary head. When it was not flying with its spiked wings, the Swooping Evil shrunk into a green spiny cocoon.

It could be quite dangerous, as it was an encephalophage — it fed on human brains — and its tough green skin had the ability to deflect at least some spells. It secreted venom that, when properly diluted, could be used to erase bad memories. If stung by a Swooping Evil, a person could quickly lose their minds, although the affliction was reversible.

The Swooping Evil could be mistrustful towards new people, but would likely warm up to them if it saw that another of its kind had befriended said person.

History

Swooping Evil attempting to feed on a MACUSA auror's brain

Newt Scamander brought one to New York in his suitcase in 1926, using it to escape from MACUSA with Tina Goldstein and shield them from Aurors that attacked them.

Newt also used the Swooping Evil to distract Gellert Grindelwald (in disguise as Percival Graves) for a crucial second, allowing Newt to restrain him with a spell.

A vial of its venom was diffused over New York City through a rainstorm created by Frank, Newt's captive Thunderbird, over the city's entire No-Maj population, with the rain water effectively wiping of all their bad memories of magic and therefore preserving the security and secrecy of the magical community.

During the 1986–1987 school year, a Hogwarts student kept a Swooping Evil to use its venom to forget their bad Ordinary Wizarding Level results, but it escaped. Jacob's sibling was asked to catch it since they had already befriended a Swooping Evil at the Magical Creatures Reserve. They almost caught it in the library, but it escaped to the dungeons. Jacob's sibling brought in the other Swooping Evil from the Reserve they had befriended in hopes of showing the beast that they were friendly. They introduced the two in the Duelling Room, and the Swooping Evil came to trust Jacob's sibling. The two Swooping Evils were eventually released back out onto the Reserve.

During the Calamity which affected the wizarding world in the 2010s and early 2020s, Swooping Evil Foundables were trapped with fire Confoundables, which members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force had to overpower with the Water-Making Spell.

The celebrity Magizoologist Naasz owned a Swooping Evil in the 2010s. She briefly went missing after her Swooping Evil accidentally stung her and she lost her mind, but was found happily eating out of a dumpster in Leicester by a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for treatment.

Appearances

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• LEGO Dimensions
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy (Appears as a kite model)

Media

What Is A Swooping Evil?