Not All of Hagrid's Animals are Fluffy! Quiz

Answer: The Philosopher's Stone

Fluffy appeared in the first book, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. He was one of the protections put in place by Hogwarts' teachers to guard Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone, and he lay on the trap door which was the entrance to its underground hiding place. Like Cerberus, the three-headed dog in Greek mythology on whom he was based, the only way to get past Fluffy was to play him music, which would lull him to sleep. Professor Quirrell got past Fluffy's defences by playing a harp, and Harry, Ron and Hermione got past him by playing the flute Hagrid had given to Harry for Christmas.

Answer: Fang

In spite of his fearsome appearance Fang is not brave at all, although he is devoted to Hagrid. We first meet him in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. When Harry and Hermione, together with Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy, are given detention, their 'punishment' consists of going into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and Fang to find whoever - or whatever - has been killing unicorns. Fang goes with Harry and Draco, only to run away in fear when he sees the hooded figure of the weakened Lord Voldemort drinking the blood of a dead unicorn to keep himself alive until his body can be restored to its full powers.

Answer: Norwegian Ridgeback

Harry, Ron and Hermione were present with Hagrid when the dragon's egg hatched. He told them he had won the egg in a game of cards with a hooded stranger in the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade, who later turned out to be Professor Quirrell, whose body was inhabited by the diminished Lord Voldemort. Hagrid was instantly smitten with the dragon and called him Norbert. After Harry, Ron and Hermione managed to persuade Hagrid that Norbert was too dangerous to keep, he was collected by friends of Charlie Weasley and taken to the dragon sanctuary in Romania where Charlie worked. Much later in the series Charlie tells Hagrid the dragon was found to be female, and had been renamed Norberta.

The other choices of dragon are all featured in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', along with the Hungarian Horntail. The Norwegian Ridgeback was not one of the dragon breeds chosen for this event.

Answer: Mosag

Aragog had been raised by Hagrid while he was at school, for which he had been expelled as it had been believed that the huge spider was Slytherin's Monster, This was untrue, as the 'Monster' was really the Basilisk, under the control of Tom Riddle, later Lord Voldemort. In 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' Hagrid is suspected of having re-opened the Chamber and is taken to the wizard prison Azkaban. Before he goes he tells Harry and Ron to 'follow the spiders' so they can meet Aragog and learn the truth.

Ron was terrified of spiders, so was not at all happy with the encounter. He and Harry, along with Fang, were captured by the Acromantulas and only rescued when the Ford Anglia in which they had flown to school at the beginning of the book came trundling through the Forest and drove them back to safety.

Answer: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Professor Kettleburn retired, according to J K Rowling, in order to 'enjoy more time with his remaining limbs'. Certainly, some of the creatures in Harry Potter's world are exceedingly dangerous. Many of them live in the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid is responsible for their care.

The more dangerous the animal the more it appeals to Hagrid, who can find even the most hideous creatures cute. During the series Hagrid teaches his students about many magical beings, among them the Blast-Ended Skrewt (a hideous animal which is a cross between a Manticore and a Fire-Crab), the inactive and rather boring Flobberworm and the Giant Squid, which lives in the lake at Hogwarts and is quite docile by comparison.

Answer: Witherwings

When Hagrid takes his first class, which comprises Gryffindor and Slytherin students, he introduces them to Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Harry manages to fly on Buckbeak successfully, but Draco Malfoy apparently seals Buckbeak's fate by deliberately taunting him into attacking him, which results in Buckbeak being sentenced to death. This is fortunately not carried out as Harry and Hermione go back in time using Hermione's Time-Turner and rescue him in the nick of time. They also rescue Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, who flies off into temporary exile with Buckbeak. Later in the series Buckbeak is renamed Witherwings and is bequeathed to Harry upon Sirius's death.

Magorian is one of the centaurs who lives in the Forbidden Forest. Pigwidgeon is a tiny and very energetic Scops owl owned by Ron, and Fawkes is Dumbledore's pet phoenix.

Answer: stroke its spine

Hagrid sent a copy of the book to Harry for his birthday and in order to get it to close again after he had struggled to open it Harry had to keep it tied shut with his belt until the beginning of term. At Diagon Alley bookshop Flourish and Blotts, the manager had several copies of the book for sale in a case where they were busy attacking each other and he swore never to have them in his shop again. It was not until the students had their first lesson with Hagrid that he told them the correct way to open it was to stroke its spine, whereupon it would lie open peacefully.

Answer: treasure

Compared with some of the creatures Hagrid teaches the students about, the Niffler is positively cute. It is attracted to gold, jewellery and similar shiny objects, and hunts them out underground with great dexterity. Nifflers are known to be used by goblins to seek out buried treasure.

They are featured in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' in Hagrid's class, where he buries pieces of leprechaun gold underground and promises the student whose Niffler seeks out the most will win a prize, which is won by Ron.

The only problem with leprechaun gold, however, is that it disappears after a few hours, so Hagrid gives Ron chocolate as his prize.

Answer: Professor Grubbly-Plank

Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank is a very competent teacher. She deputises for Hagrid when he is away from Hogwarts, first appearing in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' and again in 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. She taught the students about Unicorns and also Bowtruckles, stick-like creatures which inhabit trees and serve as their guardian.

Professor Sinistra is the Astonomy teacher and Professor Vector teaches Arithmancy. Professor Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher, was murdered by Lord Voldemort in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and fed to his pet snake, Nagini.

Answer: a death

Thestrals are among the most interesting of the animals Hagrid has under his care in the Forbidden Forest, where Hogwarts has a sizeable herd. To be able to see the Thestrals someone must have witnessed a death and also to have understood what was happening. Harry was too young when his mother was killed in front of him as a baby to realise what was happening at the time, but when he saw Cedric Diggory killed in front of him in the graveyard after the Triwizard Tournament he was well aware what it meant.

When he first saw the Thestrals he was puzzled by them, and Luna Lovegood, who had witnessed the death of her mother, explained why he could see them but many of his classmates could not. Thestrals have a rather sinister-looking skeletal body with leathery wings.

They are very intelligent and have an excellent sense of direction. In 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' Harry and some of his friends used Thestrals to fly them to the Ministry of Magic in London.