COMC-701 Lessons

Oh The Places You'll Go

Well, it is almost to say goodbye. Today is your last lesson of Care of Magical Creatures. This day is bittersweet for me, as I am so proud of you all for coming this far and can’t wait to see what you do with this knowledge, but I will miss you and am sad this journey has come to an end. I hope you have enjoyed your time in the course as much as I’ve enjoyed being a part of your educational career. And, it is because I have enjoyed teaching you so much that I have planned a little surprise for you today. Typically in this course we do not cover a creature in the final lesson of the year, as we spend that time reviewing for the final and going over the expectations of your final submission for the year-long project. However, because this is your last lesson, I decided to break tradition. We are finishing the year by quickly covering one final creature: firedrakes. Please enjoy!

Firedrakes: The Sparking Lizards

What Is It?

The firedrake is a magical lizard that is often referred to as a miniature Chinese Fireball. This nickname came from several of its characteristics. The first being that it is originally from China, but is now found all over the world due to an unfortunate incident we will talk about later on in the lesson. The second reason is that firedrakes can fly, which makes them appear like miniature dragons. The third and final characteristic that plays into their nickname is their special ability: they can shoot sparks from their tail, like little fireballs. We will discuss why they do this in just a little bit. 

These lizards are speckled, with black and orange color. There are no specific patterns seen; the speckles’ appearance will vary though the colors are the same. From tip to tail they average about twelve inches long. As you can see in the provided picture, that length is commonly divided up as 50% of the length being the tail, 40% being the body, and 10% being the head. Notice the slight hook-like objects on the curve of the wing (pointing towards the head). Those are what would be considered a thumb on our hand. Firedrakes use it to climb trees and for stability when in high places, as it provides two more anchor points besides their limbs. 

Firedrakes are primarily insectivores, eating insects whenever they find them. However, they will also eat smaller lizards, like geckos, if they come across them. There are some instances of them trying to consume Bowtruckles, likely assuming they are stick insects of some sort that they can eat. As you can imagine, this results in Bowtruckles trying to claw at them with their sharp fingers, and the firedrake trying to protect itself by shooting sparks out of their tails, a unique ability I am about to discuss in greater detail. 

Woah There, Sparky!

As previously mentioned, firedrakes can shoot sparks from their tail. These sparks are very similar to the ones that appear when you cast the Vermillious or Periculum Charms. However, the sparks produced by a firedrake are not red; they are yellow to orange in color. While this seems like a fun party trick, the firedrake uses it as a form of protection and distraction. Because they are smaller than many other animals that would be in their environment, there is the chance they might end up as a meal to a bird or larger reptile. While they can move fairly quickly, both by land and air, being able to cause a distraction allows them even more time to flee. 

In using their tail to shoot sparks towards the predator coming after them, the predator becomes distracted because something hot is suddenly in their face or hitting a part of their body. This will cause them to focus their attention to the heat and how to avoid or end it rather than the tasty meal they were hoping to eat. It can also injure them if done at close range. The sparks can cause fires when too close to flammable objects and burn on living things. Ultimately, the ability is a great way to distract predators or win fights, but can cause unintended harm depending on the environment it’s used in.

The Unfortunate Incident

Speaking of environments, firedrakes were accidentally introduced to Europe in 1927 by a travelling wizarding circus, the Circus Arcanus. This circus was run by Skender, a European wizard who travelled the world collecting and exploiting “oddities” for his circus. I use quotes because some of the things featured in his circus aren’t exactly odd, but were likely things the wizarding public hadn’t seen before. This included a hippogriff, a kappa, a zouwu, and a variety of interesting characters like the “Infant Demonic” and “Snake Girl.” One night during a show in Paris, the aforementioned Snake Girl attacked Skender, which caused chaos and resulted in all of the creatures being released. There are rumors this was intentional, as many of the people Skender hired to work for the circus, or had captured to be in the circus, were unhappy with the provided conditions.

With the release, the firedrakes Skender had roamed free around Paris. Though most were captured by the French Ministry of Magic, as this incident jeopardized the secrecy of the wizarding world, some were captured by private citizens. People thought they’d make great pets, because apparently a foot long lizard that can fly and shoot sparks from its tail is a great pet to have. Not what the majority of magizoologists recommend, but to each their own. The demand for these creatures as pets fueled an illegal breeding and distribution industry, with these creatures selling for hundreds of Galleons on black markets. They were often sold as “miniature dragons,” which only added fuel to the fire, because, despite knowing what dragons can do, the general public still wants to own them. Again, to each their own. 

Where Are They Now?

Today, though not officially recognized by the British Ministry of Magic, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures does actively help in preventing their breeding and distribution. Though the creatures were released in Paris, the trade has fueled them to be all over the world. This means that our department workers have to be on their toes and looking for signs that they have been illegally imported into the area. This can include singed shipping boxes, unusual income reports in shops, or an increase in fire-related incidents. Now, the singed boxes should make sense, because of the sparks the firedrakes can produce. The stress from being crammed into a box will likely cause them to act out, meaning producing sparks. The unusual income reports may appear in businesses trying to funnel the Galleons they are receiving from their illegal activities through their business, in order to avoid suspicion as to how they suddenly have enough coin to buy the newest Firebolt. However, this just causes more suspicion to be cast, as why would a parchment shop suddenly have an extra 500 Galleons in revenue one month? Yes, that is from a case the DRCMC worked on and no I cannot tell you which shop it was. Finally, it should come as no surprise that there would be an increase in fire-related incidents. People won’t give the creatures the space they need, and they are bound to keep flammable objects within reach. This combination proves dangerous, as a creature that is meant to fly will continue to try and when it can’t, the creature will vent in the only way it knows how: sparking. 

But, I’m sure the question lingers: why are they not recognized as beasts by the Ministry of Magic? That is a question I cannot answer. Personally, I think there are a variety of factors at play that created the current predicament. There are two scenarios that can be applied here: the first being that an application is in progress and the second that an application was rejected. If an application is in process, we wouldn’t hear about it. If an application was denied, I have several thoughts on why that might have happened. Recognizing the creature may have been seen as encouraging individuals to own it. With recognition, the creature would be included in texts available to all, which would bring more attention to them, and likely cause an increase in the trade. However, it would also make it easier for the Ministry to regulate it and they could create and enforce a license for owning or breeding the creature. These are important considerations the Ministry must contemplate when making their decisions. 

Well, I think that covers our actual final creature. Do notice I did not discuss their reproduction, as I will not be the reason you get stopped on the border of Scotland with a sack of these lizards. With that, let’s cover the information you need to know for the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests or N.E.W.T.s. I have again made a review PowerPoint for the year. You can find it here. I have also made a PowerPoint covering the extinct creatures we discussed, as they may be featured on the N.E.W.T.s. You can find that one here. Like last year, I have created a document that houses the links to all of the review PowerPoints for the course to aid in your studying for the N.E.W.T.s. You can find that one here. If you have any questions about these topics, feel free to reach out to me. 

The Final Project

Let’s move on and discuss the last assignment in this year’s year-long project. You have compared the causes for extinction in magical creatures, and have given a classification to one of them based on the information we have. For your last assignment, I am asking you to speculate which creature will be next. Throughout your time in this course, we have referenced creatures that are in danger, and even had you develop legislation to protect them. I am now asking you to detail which one you think will become the next extinct creature. Working with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures isn’t just capturing and relocating dragons that ended up in the wrong hands; it’s trying to identify which creatures are at risk next and get ahead of it. 

More details are provided in the assignment rubric. With that, I believe it is time to say our goodbyes. 

Closing and Goodbyes

I have a few words, just before sending you off. Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Thank you all so much for a wonderful six years. I have enjoyed every minute of teaching you about the magical creatures of our world, and it is unbelievable to think that it is all coming to an end. I genuinely hope you are leaving this course with a better understanding of the magical creatures of our world and the issues that affect them, in addition to a realization that there are a variety of career possibilities that await you. Watching you all grow has given meaning to what I do and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I’ll end it there, or else I risk becoming too emotional, and today is not the day for that. With that, I wish you all luck on your upcoming N.E.W.T.s. My owls are always ready if you have any last-minute questions as you prepare. Be sure to review all the content using the PowerPoints we’ve provided, and be prepared for anything to be included in your practical portion. I will be watching and cheering you on. 

Lesson content written by Professor Elizabeth Anne

All pictures are found using the Google Images search engine, and belong to their owners.