- "...a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly..."
- — Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Magical Menagerie on 31 August 1993[src]
A Puffskein is covered in soft fur and spherical in shape. It is a popular pet found worldwide that does not object to being cuddled or thrown about. The Puffskein is a scavenger, eating anything from leftovers to spiders, but it particularly likes to use its long thin pink tongue to eat wizards' bogeys while they sleep. This makes them a popular wizarding pet. The Puffskein is easy to care for, and they emit a low humming sound when they are content.[2] A group of Puffskeins or Pygmy Puffs is referred to as a poffle.[5] Shaved (or trimmed with a clipper) Puffskein hair has magical properties, and is useful as a potion ingredient, such as in Zygmunt Budge's variation of the Laughing Potion which requires a few handfuls.[3]
History
According to Albus Dumbledore, a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides in almost every wizarding household in the country[6] used by generations of wizards in search of the best way to cure their pet Puffskein of drinking out of the toilet.[7]
Ron Weasley owned a Puffskein at one point. Its demise is attributed to Fred, who supposedly used it for Bludger practise.[2]
George Weasley reported that a nest of dead puffskeins was discovered by Molly Weasley at 12 Grimmauld Place under the sofa in the drawing room in August 1995.[4]
For Zygmunt Budge, Puffskeins are pointless creature in the name but an invaluable creature for the potion maker and the fact that anyone would want such a tedious beast as a pet is quite beyond him.[8]
The Magical Menagerie sales Puffskeins.[9][1]
They were modified by Fred and George to create Pygmy Puffs.[10]
Behind the scenes
- Inspiration for the puffskein may have come from the television series Star Trek's Tribbles, as they share many of the same characteristics, such as emitting a purring or humming sound when content, and that they are both balls of fur.
- Fanged Puffskeins are mentioned as a possible answer to a question on the W.O.M.B.A.T., letting us know that puffskeins don't have fangs.[11]
- In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) they move by jumping, enjoy sitting on warmers, eat bushes and give Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in return after burping loudly.[12] During one of the quest they can plug holes in the ground which lets Harry Potter reach other places. There are berries for Puffskeins in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game).[13]
- In Wonderbook: Book of Potions, the Bronze trophy named ‘Fur-ther learning’ can be won after discovering everything about Puffskeins, to achieve this you will need to find all 3 notes on the Puffskein on Page 7 of the ‘Laughing Potion’ chapter (the areas you need to investigate with the the magnifying glass are the body, hair and the tongue).[8]
Gallery
A Puffskein from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
A Puffskein from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
A Puffskein from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
A Puffskein from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
A Puffskein from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
A basket of Puffskeins at the Magical Menagerie, in the first version of Pottermore, the basket of Puffskeins shivered but did not react to the mouse.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First described)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First identified as Puffskein)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned only)
- J. K. Rowling's official site (Mentioned only)
- Pottermore (Appears in drawing(s))
- J. K. Rowling's Twitter account (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Wonderbook: Book of Spells
- Wonderbook: Book of Potions
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4 (The Leaky Cauldron) - "...a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly..."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, (An A-Z of Fantastic Beasts), Puffskein - “Puffskein M.O.M. Classification: XX The Puffskein is found worldwide. Spherical in shape and covered in soft, custard-coloured fur, it is a docile creature that has no objection to being cuddled or thrown about. Easy to care for, it emits a low humming noise when contented. From time to time a very long, thin, pink tongue will emerge from the depths of the Puffskein and snake through the house searching for food. The Puffskein is a scavenger that will eat anything from leftovers to spiders, but it has a particular preference for sticking its tongue up the nose of sleeping wizards and eating their bogies. This tendency has made the Puffskein much beloved by wizarding children for many generations and it remains a highly popular wizarding pet." Handwritten note from Harry Potter's copy that he got on 31 July 1991: "➜ I had one of them once What happened to it? Fred used it for Bludger practise"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wonderbook: Book of Potions, Chapter 5 (Laughing Potion), Puffskein Hair - "The Puffskein is a peaceful, yellow furry creature with a long tongue. Hair: Soft and custard-coloured, the hair of the Puffskein has magical properties and is useful as a magical ingredient. Tongue: Puffskeins enjoy using their long tongues to feed on bogies, to the delight of generations of wizard children. Body: Spherical in shape, Puffskeins can be hurled about without making a fuss, and are very easy to care for. [...] the Laughing Potion requires hair from a Puffskein. Shave your Puffskein and scatter hair over the surface of your potion."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black) - "“Mum says get up, your breakfast is in the kitchen and then she needs you in the drawing room, there are loads more doxies than she thought and she’s found a nest of dead puffskeins under the sofa.”"
- ↑ J.K. Rowling defines "poffle" on Twitter (08:23 - 30 nov. 2015) - "“@jk_rowling herd, quiver, brood, flock.... What is a group of Puffskeins or Pygmy Puffs called?” “A poffle.”"
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, (Back cover text by Albus Dumbledore) - "A copy of fantastic beasts & where to find them resides in almost every wizarding household in the country. Now Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl."
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, (Foreword by Albus Dumbledore) - "No wizarding household is complete without a copy of Fantastic Beasts, well thumbed by the generations who have riffled its pages in search of the best way to […] cure their pet Puffskein of drinking out of the toilet."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wonderbook: Book of Potions - https://youtu.be/X6W3FZULBtU?t=15m15s
- ↑ The Making of Harry Potter (see here)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedHBP|B|6 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFangedPuffskein - ↑ Videos from YouTube of the Puffskeins from the Video Games: https://youtu.be/RToFItICUqM, https://youtu.be/2Wslce9tZhE
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (see this image)
| 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 |