"-- a manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the manticore off -- oh -- no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it."
-- Hermione reading to Hagrid (PA11)
The Manticore is a beast with a human-like head, a lion’s body, and the tail of a scorpion.
- The tail secretes a venom that is instantly fatal to a victim of its sting. A manticore's skin repels virtually all known charms, so it is extremely difficult to subdue by magic (FB).
- It is a sentient creature, capable of intelligent speech but not classified as a being due to its violent tendencies (FB).
- In 1296, a manticore seriously wounded someone but was let off because no one dared go near it (PA11).
- Norvel Twonk, in 1957, died saving a Muggle child from a manticore (FW).
- Hagrid bred the Blast-Ended Skrewt from a manticore and a fire-crab (GF24); we do not know how he persuaded the manticore to cooperate. Manticores originated in Greece (FB).
Commentary
Etymology
From Latin manticora, Greek mantikhoras, perhaps originally from Iranian compound *mar-tiya-khvara "man-eater."
Notes
Although this is never stated, it seems possible that like the acromantula, manticores may have originated as a wizard-bred species specifically created to guard treasures, strongholds, and the like, and thus serving as an example of why the Ban on Experimental Breeding is so important.
From the Web
"Manticore" from Harry Potter Wiki
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