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The Horklump was a magical beast which resembled a fleshy pink mushroom covered in sparse, coarse black bristles. Despite its appearance, it was not a plant or fungus, but an animal.[1]

Nature[]

Physiology and ecology  []

Horklumps 1

A patch of Horklumps

Horklumps originated in Scandinavia, but eventually spread throughout northern Europe,[1] and could be found in Scotland by 1991.[2] They resembled fleshy pink mushrooms covered in a sparse scattering of coarse black bristles.[1] Despite their fungi-like appearance, Horklumps were animals.[1][3]

Horklump Juice HL

Horklumps that have been plucked up from the ground

Their preferred prey was the earthworm, which they hunted using the thin, muscular tentacles that they spread underground (similar to how fungi spread mycelia).[1] Horklumps were very fast breeders and could cover an average-sized garden in only a few days.[1]

Horklumps were the favourite food of the gnome.[1] Streeler venom was a known substance that could kill Horklumps.[4]

Use by and interaction with humans[]

HorklumpJuice

A bottle of Horklump juice

Horklumps had no discernible use to wizards and witches, according to the famous magizoologist Newt Scamander, and were given the classification "X" ("boring/harmless to humans") by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.[1] However, their juice was used in a range of potions,[5] including the Wiggenweld Potion.[2] and Herbicide Potion.[5]

It was rumoured that Honoria, the aunt of Albus Dumbledore, called off her engagement to a wizard because she was shocked to catch him in the act of fondling some Horklumps (although she insisted it was because he was cold-hearted).[6]

In his book Marauding with Monsters, Gilderoy Lockhart wrote of how he once supposedly visited some fans in rural Essex, and helped clear a path through their Horklump-infested yard.[3] Afterward, the fans allegedly offered him some of their homemade Celery and Beetroot Wine in gratitude, which he graciously declined.[3] However, like most of Lockhart's accounts, this story might have been greatly exaggerated or completely fabricated.[7]

Lockhart recommended the following method for removing a Horklump in his book Marauding with Monsters: hitting it with a Knockback Jinx, taking a firm hold of it, and then twisting and yanking it out of the ground.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Even though they are labelled as X by the Ministry of Magic Classification, which would mean they are completely inoffensive, the poisonous gas which they release is shown to be significantly dangerous in the Goblet of Fire video game and in the PC version of Chamber of Secrets. However, this ability does not appear or is mentioned in any other source of canon.
  • Also in the PC version of Chamber of Secrets, Gnomes when left alone will actively seek out nearby Horklumps to consume them until there are none left, which cause Every Flavour Beans to pop-up and be collected by Harry.
  • Given their ability to overrun gardens within days and attract problem species, Horklumps are likely viewed as pests by Wizardkind. If this is true then it may explain why gnomes became so common in the first place; biological control is the control of a pest population's size by introducing the appropriate predator or parasite and so gnomes may have been introduced by wizards and witches to their gardens to rid them of Horklumps in the past before the gnomes themselves turned pest (a danger of this method of pest control).
  • Although Horklumps are referred to as pink in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, they have also been spotted in other media of the franchise in other colours (such as the yellow or green Horklumps of the games). These may represent mutant breeds, though it is also possible that it is one of the many mistakes made whenever Harry Potter is presented in a non-book form.

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 11 images related to Horklump.

Notes and references[]

Magical creatures by classification
X Flobberworm · Horklump
XX Augurey · Bowtruckle · Chizpurfle · Clabbert · Diricawl · Fairy · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Imp · Jobberknoll · Mooncalf · Porlock · Puffskein · Ramora · Winged horse
XXX Ashwinder · Billywig · Bundimun · Crup · Doxy · Dugbog · Fire crab · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Hippocampus · Hippogriff · Hodag · Jarvey · Knarl · Kneazle · Leprechaun · Lobalug · Mackled Malaclaw · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Nogtail · Pixie · Plimpy · Pogrebin · Red Cap · Salamander · Sea serpent · Shrake · Streeler · Winged horse
XXXX Centaur · Demiguise · Erkling · Erumpent · Golden Snidget · Graphorn · Griffin · Hidebehind · Kappa · Kelpie · Merperson · Occamy · Phoenix · Re'em · Runespoor · Snallygaster · Sphinx · Tebo · Thestral · Thunderbird · Troll · Unicorn · Winged horse · Yeti
XXXXX Acromantula · Basilisk · Chimaera · Dragon · Horned Serpent · Lethifold · Manticore · Nundu · Quintaped · Wampus cat · Werewolf
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