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The Jarvey was a magical beast which resembled an overgrown ferret in appearance, and was commonly found in Great Britain, Ireland, and North America.[1]

Description[]

Jarvey - PAS

A Jarvey

The Jarvey was capable of human speech, although true conversation with a Jarvey was impossible. The creature used short, usually rude, statements and phrases in an almost constant stream.[1]

Jarveys lived below ground, and their diet consisted of moles, voles, rats, and gnomes. Jarvey were particularly good at hunting gnomes, and were sometimes employed to de-gnome a garden, although their methods were usually brutal.[1]

History[]

A Franciscan monk, Brother Benedict, once had a run-in with a Jarvey in the grounds of his monastery. The Jarvey called him a "baldy", then bit him on the nose so hard that the Monk was excused from Vespers. However, the incident did call Brother Benedict's testimony into question when he relayed it, and the Friar wondered if he'd been drinking Brother Boniface's Turnip Wine.[1]

Newton Scamander was involved in an incident at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1913 due to the illegal possession of a magical beast causing endangerment of human life and violation of Animal Welfare Laws 101/304. The beast in question was a Jarvey. It was witnessed by multiple people, and caused endangerment of human life. Albus Dumbledore defended Newt, although the ultimate consequences are unclear. The British Ministry of Magic Animal Welfare Department were also informed of the violation and required to rehouse the Jarvey.[2]

Behind the scenes[]

  • The Jarvey may be based on Gef, a supposed talking mongoose that protected the Irving family of the Isle of Man and who was popular in the British tabloids of the 1930s. It is today assumed to be a hoax of some form.
  • In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Albus Potter is seen with a pet ferret. This may have been a Jarvey, but it is unlikely due to the fact that Jarveys are described as "overgrown". Also, given Newt Scamander was expelled for endangering a human life with a Jarvey, it is unlikely that students could get permission to keep Jarveys as pets. The Hogwarts equipment list for 1991 only listed cats, toads and owls.

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 3 images related to Jarvey.

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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