Legendary Creatures

Fantastic Fauna: A Modern Compendium of British Magical Creatures

Chapter VII: Beasts of Legend and Folklore — Extinct or Elusive Magical Creatures of Britain
By Dr. Beatrix Fleet, O.M. (Third Class), Fellow of the British Wizarding Zoological Society
(Excerpt from the Standard Textbook for Care of Magical Creatures, N.E.W.T. Level)

Introduction: The Vanishing Wild

Many magical species once native to the British Isles now exist only in legend, preserved through folklore, family crests, and the dusty archives of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Whether these beings are truly extinct or have simply retreated beyond the reach of modern wizardry remains a subject of debate among magizoologists.

Where magical populations once flourished unchecked across forests, fens, and mountains, Muggle expansion and magical concealment laws have dramatically reduced their range. Some creatures—dragons, hinkypunks, and spectral hounds—linger only as whispers in the mist.

This chapter records those elusive and possibly extinct magical beings of Britain, arranged by type and credibility of record.

I. Dragons of the British Isles

Hebridean Black (XXXXX)

Confirmed existing populations (restricted)
The fiercest and most territorial dragon of Britain, the Hebridean Black inhabits the remote Hebrides off Scotland’s west coast. Jet-black scales, purple eyes, and a wingspan approaching thirty feet make it both awe-inspiring and dangerous. A colony of roughly twenty breeding individuals remains under the protection of the MacFusty Clan, who have served as hereditary dragon keepers since the twelfth century.

Welsh Green (XXXXX)

Wild populations: extinct; reserves maintained in Wales
Once common in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, the Welsh Green’s gentle temperament made it less aggressive than its Scottish cousin. Modern conservation efforts at the Preseli Dragon Reserve maintain a small protected population. Its distinctive musical roar gave rise to numerous Welsh folk songs describing the “singing serpents of the sky.”

II. Spectral and Elemental Entities

Barghest (XXXX)

Also known as the Black Shuck or Church Grim, this spectral hound haunts the moors and graveyards of northern England. Its eyes, said to glow red as embers, are thought to foretell death or disaster. Whether the Barghest is a remnant of dark curse magic or a naturally occurring spectral entity remains uncertain. Sightings persist near Whitby and the Yorkshire Dales, though no corporeal specimen has ever been contained.

Hinkypunk (XXX)

A one-legged, lamp-bearing creature of bogs and marshes. Hinkypunks lure travelers astray with faint blue flames, leading them into treacherous ground. Believed to be composed partially of vaporous magical essence, these entities are particularly common in the Fens of East Anglia. Repelled by Lumos Maxima or conjured gusts of wind.

Will-o’-the-Wisp (XX–XXX)

Closely related to the Hinkypunk but of natural rather than malevolent origin. Many wizards theorize that Will-o’-the-Wisps are condensed forms of ambient magical energy reacting with swamp gas. Harmless, though often mistaken for ghostly manifestations by Muggles.

The Barrow Wight (XXXX)

Spirit-bound remnants of ancient magical folk interred within Neolithic tombs. Rarely seen outside the West Country and parts of Wales. Some experts from the Department of Mysteries believe these entities are tied to the Runic Burial Wardsof early druidic magic. Encountered Barrow Wights are to be reported immediately; exorcism requires complex counter-runes and sanctioned Auror involvement.

III. Forest and Field Entities

Knarls (XXX)

Often mistaken for ordinary hedgehogs, Knarls exhibit extreme territorial suspicion. Offering food will trigger their belief that one intends harm, resulting in nocturnal vandalism. Common across Britain, though rarely recognized.

Mooncalf (XX)

Shy, nocturnal herbivores known for their ritual moonlight dances, which leave complex geometric imprints upon fields—frequently mistaken by Muggles for “crop circles.” Native to Dorset and Wiltshire; populations stable though seldom observed.

Horklump (X)

A garden-dwelling pest resembling a pink, bristled mushroom. Feeds on earthworms and reproduces explosively. Native to Scandinavia but widely established in the UK. Though classified as uninteresting, widespread infestation has led to Ministry regulation for herbologists.

Selkie (XXXX)

Scottish coastal shapeshifters capable of transforming from seal to human form by removing their enchanted skins. Folklore records numerous human–Selkie unions, though the Department of Magical Creatures Liaison Office has found little modern evidence. Sightings off the Orkney Islands continue sporadically.

IV. Mythic and Possibly Extinct Beings

The Green Man (XXXX)

Believed to be a forest elemental or druidic guardian spirit. Symbolic carvings predating Roman Britain depict a humanoid face wreathed in leaves. Some magizoologists argue that the Green Man was an ancient manifestation of nature’s magic—perhaps a forerunner to modern sentient plant beings such as Bowtruckles or Whomping Willows.

Griffin (XXXXX, presumed extinct)

Half-eagle, half-lion beasts said to have once guarded hoards of gold across the Welsh mountains. No confirmed sighting since the late 1300s, though numerous heraldic crests and stone effigies suggest cultural reverence. Some speculate the Griffin species was hunted to extinction during early treasure-hunting conflicts with wizards and goblins.

Wyvern (XXXXX, possibly extinct)

A lesser relative of the dragon, typically two-legged with a barbed tail. Recorded sightings near Hadrian’s Wall date to the sixteenth century. Considered extinct, though occasional aerial silhouettes in the Scottish Highlands continue to fuel debate among dragonologists.

Kelpie (XXXX) — See Previous Entry

Not extinct, but frequently mistaken for phantom water spirits due to its shapeshifting nature. Certain historians believe early “Loch monsters” described in Muggle folklore are all derivative of Kelpie encounters.

The White Stag (XXXX)

A rare magical variant of deer associated with prophecy and transformation. Sightings in the Forest of Dean and Scottish glens are interpreted as omens of destiny or royal favor. Believed to be protected by ancient enchantments, possibly even capable of selective invisibility.

V. The Decline and Preservation of Magical Wildlife

The Magical Species Preservation Act (1912) remains the cornerstone of Britain’s effort to conserve its endangered magical fauna. Through cooperation between the Ministry and the Society for Magizoological Study, several species once thought lost—the Augurey, Crumple-Horned Snorkack (still unverified), and Mooncalf—have returned to recorded observation.

Nevertheless, magizoologists caution that magical extinction often does not follow Muggle definitions. A creature may “vanish” from this plane of existence while persisting in another—magically folded dimensions, enchanted habitats, or ancestral refuges protected by ancient wards.

“The beasts we deem extinct may merely be hidden, waiting for an age when wizardkind is wise enough to find them again.”
— Dr. Beatrix Fleet, closing lecture, Care of Magical Creatures, Class of 1993