"Nobody in their right mind would rather study knarls than chimaeras."
-- Rubeus Hagrid (OP21)
Chimaeras are vicious, bloodthirsty creatures with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a dragon’s tail native Greece. Chimaera eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradable Goods (FB).
Dai Llewellyn, the famous Caerphilly Catapults player, was killed by a Chimaera while on holiday in Greece (QA7).
Hermione discouraged Hagrid from trying to buy a rare Chimaera egg and use it as a teaching tool while Umbridge was at Hogwarts, suggesting that he instead let the students study small innocuous creatures like knarls (OP21).
Harry wrote a note in the margin of his Fantastic Beasts textbook by Newt Scamander that since Chimaera eggs are dangerous and forbidden, then "Hagrid'll be getting some any time now" (FB).
Elphias Doge, on his post-Hogwarts "grand tour" of the world, narrowly escaped from chimaeras in Greece (DH2)
Fiendfyre sometimes takes the form of great flaming chimaeras (DH31).
Commentary
Notes
The chimera is a monstrous creature found in Greek mythology. Homer describes it as ‘a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire’. In Turkey there is a volcanic mountain called Mount Chimaera which, according to ancient writers, had lions on the peak, pastures with goats in the middle, and nests of snakes at the base, corresponding to the appearance of the Chimera monster. (The Lexicon page 58).
From the Web
"Chimaera" from Harry Potter Wiki