'Fantastic Beasts' includes nifflers and a new magical creature
While most Harry Potter fans are likely still reeling from hearing "Dumbledore" and "Hogwarts" spoken in the latest teaser for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the zoologically inclined wizards among us may have spotted some new magical creatures creeping around there as well.
According to Pottermore, the film's magizoological roster will include Nifflers and a mysterious new animal called the Swooping Evil.
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Though they were absent from Warner Bros.' Harry Potter films, Nifflers cause quite the adorable stir in the fourth and fifth Harry Potter novels. The small, pig-like creatures are introduced by Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures class in the first book, where Harry and his fellow students enjoy a rare lesson that is both educational, entertaining and injury-free.
Since Nifflers are attracted to shiny objects, Hagrid offers a prize to the student whose Niffler finds the most gold. (It's leprechaun gold, so it disappears in the end.)
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lee Jordan (who appeared only in the first two Potter films, played by Lee Youngblood) leaves Nifflers in Dolores Umbridge's office as a prank; they upturn they entire office in their quest for shiny prizes. Poor Hagrid gets the blame, and the sack, as a result.
Though it resembles an exotic bird, the Swooping Evil is described by Pottermore as "a large, butterfly-like creature that emerges from a small object, possibly a cocoon." The site also claims "we don’t know much about the Swooping Evil so far" -- which is saying something, since Pottermore is the official source for knowledge about J.K. Rowling's magical world.
Will the Nifflers wreak havoc on shiny New York? What other powers does the Swooping Evil have? Will it take flight and cause mayhem?
You'll find out when Fantastic Beasts releases on Nov. 18.
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Topics Harry Potter
Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.
