Niffler

Niffler
Species information
Hair colour	Black
Native to	Britain
Ministry of Magic Classification	XXX
Status	Beast

A Niffler was a creature with a long snout and a coat of black, fluffy fur. They were attracted to shiny things, which made them wonderful for locating treasure, but this also meant that they could wreak havoc if kept (or set loose) indoors.

Description

Nifflers were rodent-like creatures with a long snout and a coat of black, fluffy fur. Native to the Britain, they lived in burrows as deep as twenty feet below ground, and produced six to eight young in a single litter.

Nifflers were gentle by nature and could even be affectionate towards their owners. However, they could destroy belongings looking for sparkly objects, and for that reason it was inadvisable to keep them as a house pet.

Known uses

Nifflers were kept by Goblins to burrow for treasure.

During the 1994–1995 school year, Rubeus Hagrid used them as part of the Fourth years Care of Magical Creatures class. Prior to class he hid Leprechaun gold in the earth in front of his hut. He paired each student with a Niffler and promised a prize to whoever found the most gold. Ron Weasley asked Rubeus Hagrid if they could buy these Nifflers as pets, and with knowledge, Hagrid said his mum wouldn't want one because they wreck houses, but this was not a definitive "no". This means there is a very good chance that wizards can purchase Nifflers. When Hagrid caught Gregory Goyle pocketing the gold, he explained that trying to steal it was pointless, as Leprechaun gold was worthless because it disappeared after a few hours. Ron's Niffler found the most gold, so Hagrid rewarded him with an extremely large slab of chocolate from Honeydukes.

During Dolores Umbridge's tenure as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lee Jordan used a Levitation Charm to levitate two Nifflers through her office window to wreck the place. Umbridge blamed Hagrid for it, and this did not help him in the least during her Hogwarts High Inquisitor inspections.

Behind the scenes

• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Nifflers can be seen in outdoor places such as on the Hogwarts grounds, and in the maze used for the Third Task. They can be shot with Reducto and similar spells for Studs. Sometimes, like on the shores of the Black Lake, a certain number must be shot to unlock characters. They appear similar to moles.
• After the second Niffler was let loose in Dolores Umbridge's office, she put in place an extra security protection that caused her to catch Harry when he snuck into the office to use the fireplace.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film trilogy)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells