4. Fawkes
Albus Dumbledore’s majestic pet phoenix is one of the most powerful magical creatures in the entire Harry Potter film series. First glimpsed as he bursts into flames in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Fawkes later swoops in to save Harry from the Basilisk – more on that slithery lady in a moment – by blinding the creature with his talons and subsequently crying healing tears on Harry’s bite wound before the venom could spread through his bloodstream.
Perhaps even more importantly, it’s the feathers of Fawkes that provide the cores of two magic wands – those owned by Harry and Voldemort. This alone would make him a creature that is hugely significant to the Harry Potter franchise, even if it wasn’t for the fact he plays a huge part in taking down one of Harry’s most terrifying and potentially deadly foes. Speaking of which…
3. Basilisk
Is there a creature from Harry Potter more terrifying than the Basilisk? Not only is it a big bloody snake, but it’s a big bloody snake that instantly kills anyone who dares to look in its eyes. And not only is it a big bloody snake with killer eyes, but it is also enough of a badass to shrug off Parseltongue commands unless it likes the person delivering them. It gets very close to killing Harry at the end of Chamber of Secrets before ultimately being bested by the aforementioned Fawkes and Harry, wielding the sword of Godric Gryffindor.
Even through the prism of early noughties special effects, the Basilisk remains a stunning technical achievement and is pure nightmare fuel even today. It’s worth noting that Aragog and his gargantuan, man-eating Acromantula family were terrified of it too, which tells you everything you need to know.
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Originally published November 13, 2018. Updated November 22, 2018.
