Magical Magic Creature Spotlight: Crup

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

So today we look at another kind of magical magic creature...

Crup

MOM Classification: XXX

Heh, that sounds like a child’s respiratory disease.

It’s an English dog that resembles a Jack Russell terrier with a forked tail. Oh, and of course, while it’s intensely loyal toward Wizards it’s also vicious toward Muggles. It’s so good to know Wizards are in the business of keeping pets that will attack those completely-inferior Muggles but which they can control, no?

But, anyway, because of this Wizards who want a license have to show that they can control their Crups around Muggles. What this test consists of I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include “lets a Muggle approach and pet it.”

Oh yeah, and they also remove the dog’s tail after a certain point so that it doesn’t attract attention.

Comments

[lynn-waterfall.livejournal.com]

When you consider how much real-life dogs have been bred for particular traits, you have to conclude that Crups were most likely deliberately bred to like wizards and be vicious to Muggles.

I wonder how they respond to squibs. ...You know, if there are a lot of creatures that behave differently towards wizards and Muggles, and presumably squibs, you have to assume that people would be using them to do just that.

Are there any creatures coming up that are pleasant to Muggles but vicious to wizards? Somehow I doubt it.

[oryx_leucoryx]

So if creatures can tell Muggles and wizards apart (does magic smell?) does this ability get used by the Ministry to determine who is allowed to witness magic, who should be Obliviated when a street is magically blown up etc?

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

No there are not any creatures that are pleasant to Muggles but vicious to Wizards. Most of the time, they're vicious to everyone equally but the Wizards at least know magic that can protect themselves. If you ever want a self-esteem-killer, just read about some of the creatures in this book (and don't even get me started on the post I'll have up in about two days).

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Self esteem killer, indeed. I remember being vaguely depressed when I read this book the last time. Especially since by that time I was way too old for a letter from Hogwarts to come. Guess I just have to resign myself to a life of NPC status. *cries*

Personally, I think it would be really interesting to have a magical beast that preferred muggles over wizards- perhaps it would give them a heads up about what was going on around them. Of course, I also believe that the muggle government was pretty well aware of what was happening (eventually, all the ex-Prime Ministers are bound to talk to each other about their experiences, besides some of the other obvious signs)

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

Actually, I just finished up tomorrow's entry and it occurred to me that there are a decent enough number of creatures that don't harm humans of any sort unless provoked- and given that Wizards actively go looking for these creatures to trap them and kill them or steal their children, they're logically more likely to provoke them. There is that, at least.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Good point. Wizards are hardly the most caring about the rights of other species, even the sapient ones.

It surprises me a bit that there isn't some sort of wizard SPCA organization out there. What with all the rampant animal abuse (school endorsed/institutionalized, too!), they would have plenty to keep them busy.

The thing that I find the weirdest about this is that this institutionalized abuse doesn't even do anything to help society. Companies that resort to animal testing can always try to excuse it by saying that they are finding new cures for diseases, but what's the benefit of turning toads/mice/rats/etc. into tea cups? Uh, other than ensuring that you never run out of tea cups?

As a side note, I sort of wonder what happens to the transfigured object if it's broken. Does it turn back into a horribly mangled animal? Somehow that would just make the whole thing worse.

[oryx_leucoryx]

I wish I could remember the fic or where to find it, there was one where Severus as a 1st year was doing well at Transfiguration until they started Transfiguring animals - at which point he refused to do the work. Minerva only understood what his problem was when he kept attempting to rescue her cat form from herself. Then she showed him how she transfigured the objects back into animals. Peter's object was broken, so she reparo-ed it first.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

It's called 'Out of the Bag' and it's here:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~brussell/stories.htm

[annoni-no.livejournal.com]

The fic is called "Out of the Bag" and can be found here:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~brussell/out.htm

I really like that one, too.

[jodel-from-aol.livejournal.com]

Oh, as if.

Is there anyone who *doesn't* assume that each outgoing Prime Minister *isn't* safely Obliviated of any recollection of the talking portrait in his office or a so-called Minister who stepped out of the fireplace?

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

In that case, the whole thing seems kind of pointless. Why bother telling them at all? It isn't like there's anything they can do in their position. Maybe it's just to taunt them and make them feel powerless, which doesn't seem too unlikely.

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

The more I think about it and the more of these discussions I read the less I can believe I ever thought these Potterverse wizards could possibly be good heroes.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

You pretty much said it. The moral repugnance I feel towards this kind of elitism makes it really hard for me to acknowledge the many things that I actually really like about the series.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Binding magical contract? It's possible that pre-Seclusion, wizarding leaders might have had at least some respect for their Muggle counterparts.

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

Well, that at least makes more sense than anything I've been able to come up with.

[oryx_leucoryx]

In chapter 1 of GOF Nagini recognizes Frank as a Muggle. I think magic does smell different.