Merperson

Merpeople
Species information
Eye colour	Varies
Skin colour	Varies
Hair colour	Varies
Related to	Sub-species Siren Selkie Merrow
Native to	Originally Greece, now found worldwide
Alternative names	Mermaids
Height of average adult	Varies
Distinction	Fish-like attributes Water-inhabitant
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast (by choice) XXXX

"The oldest recorded merpeople were known as sirens (Greece) and it is in warmer waters that we find the beautiful mermaids more frequently depicted in Muggle literature and painting. The selkies of Scotland and the Merrows of Ireland are less beautiful, but they share that love of music which is common to all merpeople."

— Newton Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Merpeople are sentient beasts that live underwater. They are found all over the world. Their customs and habits are mysterious, and, like the centaurs, were offered the being status but refused in favour of beast, as they didn't want to be placed in a status with Hags and Vampires. Merpeople can breathe above the water for a time, but it is unclear if they can ever truly leave their habitat.

History

The merpeople date back to ancient Greece, where they were first known as sirens. By the modern era, however, merpeople have spread worldwide.

The merpeople colony who live in the Black Lake

The history of merpeople's relations with wizardkind, or at least the wizarding British government, are somewhat rocky. Chief Elfrida Clagg refused to accept merpeople as beings under her definition of the term as those who could "speak the human tongue". She thought Mermish to be inadequate as it could not be understood above water. Her decision upset both the merpeople and their allies the centaurs.

Though they were allowed being status under Minister Grogan Stump's revised 1811 definition of the term, they would eventually request to be treated as beasts once more, objecting to the fact that dark creatures such as hags and vampires also claimed that status.

Despite being considered beasts at the time, a delegation of merpeople were persuaded to attend the 1692 summit of the International Confederation of Wizards, where they would help decide what to do on the matter of hiding the existence of various magical creatures from Muggle comprehension.

At some point in the 1800s, Mirabella Plunkett, a witch, fell in love with a merman living in Loch Lomond. When her family disapproved of their marriage, she Transfigured herself into a haddock and vanished.

During Dolores Umbridge's career in the Ministry, she suggested that merpeople to be rounded up and tagged, as her irrational revulsion to anything that have a part-human appearance. However, the ludicrousness of such an act was never put into effect.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

File:Tumblr mt4y69qckd1qarxvjo8 250.gif

A merperson threatens Harry Potter

A colony of merpeople lived in the Black Lake on the grounds of Hogwarts Castle.

They played a role in the Second Task of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament. They agreed to keep four people in an enchanted sleep in their village for an hour, and protect them until the champion sent to save them arrived. They watched the champions swim around, with spears clutched in their hands, and tried to stop Harry Potter when he tried to save more than one person.

Description

"Here and there at the dark windows, Harry saw faces...faces that bore no resemblance at all to the painting of the mermaid in the prefects’ bathroom... The merpeople had greyish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks."

— Harry Potter compares the selkies of Black Lake to a their warmer watered cousins

Selkie Mermaid in Hogwarts Lake

Merpeople are creatures resembling half-human, half-fish hybrids (though they are not, in actuality, half-breeds). Like humans, merpeople come in a variety of appearances, For instance, the majority of the Black Lake Merpeople colony had green hair, yellow eyes, and grey skin. They also had silver tails. It is very unlikely a human would resemble that.

Merpeople also seem to be taller than humans, with seven feet appearing to not be an unusual height, at least for a selkie.

Merpeople are divided up into various sub-species or races, depending on where they live. The earliest merpeople lived in Greece, and were known as sirens. In modern times, merpeople living in warmer waters take on a more beautiful appearance, while those in colder waters, such as the selkies of Scotland and the Merrows of Ireland, are less attractive.

Society and culture

File:Tumblr mzpvmv2DLo1ry0a8xo2 250.gif

A portrait of a Siren

Merpeople are a sapient species, and would qualify for full being status if they did not, as a race, reject the classification. Although their exact level of intelligence as compared to humans is unknown, they possess many traits beyond those of mere animals. Merpeople have a developed language, Mermish, and have even created music (which they are known, as a whole, to be fond of).

Evidence that the Merpeople have a thriving culture is that they live in highly organised communities, some containing elaborate dwellings made of stone, and have been known to domesticate creatures such as the Grindylow, Hippocampus, and Lobalug (the latter being used as makeshift weaponry). Other signs of their intelligence include jewellery and weapon making, production of art (both paintings and statues), and an ability to understand basic communication via gestures.

Behind the scenes

• According to W.O.M.B.A.T., it is possible that freshwater merpeople are less warlike than salt-water merpeople.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the merpeople actually attack, whereas in the film and book they only confronted Harry when he tried to take more than his own hostage, but even then they only threatened to attack.
• In the handheld versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, there are merpeople living in the Forest of Dean lake.
• In J.K Rowling's original plan, the Merpeople were to first appear in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with Harry and Ron first meeting them when the Ford Anglia crashed into the Great Lake instead of the Whomping Willow. However, as the writing process continued, Rowling found it more satisfying and "less distracting" for the Ford Anglia to crash into the Willow.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Handheld versions only)
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault