Seth Cooper (talk | contribs) (not a canon source) |
(Why bold text?) |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
|status= |
|status= |
||
}} |
}} |
||
| − | {{Quote|Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your |
+ | {{Quote|Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.|[[Firenze]] to [[Harry Potter]]|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}} |
The '''Unicorn''' is a white, equine creature with a single horn on its forehead. |
The '''Unicorn''' is a white, equine creature with a single horn on its forehead. |
||
==Nature== |
==Nature== |
||
| − | === |
+ | ===Physiology & Life cycle=== |
Unicorn foals are pure gold, and turn silver when they are about two years old. They grow their horn at around four. At about seven years old, they are fully grown and turn a shade of white that is so bright it makes snow look grey in comparison. Their hooves are golden, and their [[Unicorn blood|blood]] is silver-blue in colour and shines under moonlight. |
Unicorn foals are pure gold, and turn silver when they are about two years old. They grow their horn at around four. At about seven years old, they are fully grown and turn a shade of white that is so bright it makes snow look grey in comparison. Their hooves are golden, and their [[Unicorn blood|blood]] is silver-blue in colour and shines under moonlight. |
||
| − | === |
+ | ===Distribution=== |
Unicorns inhabit the forests of Europe including the Forbidden Forest by Hogwarts. |
Unicorns inhabit the forests of Europe including the Forbidden Forest by Hogwarts. |
||
| − | === |
+ | ===Interaction with humans=== |
Unicorns prefer a woman's touch, but the young are more trusting and do not mind men as much. Unicorns are also so fleet-of-hoof that they can rarely be caught by [[human]]s. |
Unicorns prefer a woman's touch, but the young are more trusting and do not mind men as much. Unicorns are also so fleet-of-hoof that they can rarely be caught by [[human]]s. |
||
==Uses== |
==Uses== |
||
| − | Various parts of the Unicorn - the [[Unicorn horn|horn]] and [[Unicorn hair|tail hair]] in particular - are used in potions and for the [[wand core|cores]] of [[wand]]s, respectively. Also, the tail and mane hair and the horn can be used in various potions, as Harry tells Firenze after seeing Voldemort drink the unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest. The tail hair can also be used as binding in bandages due to its incredible strength<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> |
+ | Various parts of the Unicorn - the [[Unicorn horn|horn]] and [[Unicorn hair|tail hair]] in particular - are used in potions and for the [[wand core|cores]] of [[wand]]s, respectively. Also, the tail and mane hair and the horn can be used in various potions, as Harry tells Firenze after seeing Voldemort drink the unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest. The tail hair can also be used as binding in bandages due to its incredible strength.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> The [[Unicorn blood|blood of a Unicorn]] can be used to keep a person who is near death alive, but "you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]''</ref> |
| − | The Unicorn's single straight horn is used, in [[Study of Ancient Runes|runic]], to symbolise the number one. |
+ | The Unicorn's single straight horn is used, in [[Study of Ancient Runes|runic]], to symbolise the number one.<ref>''[[J.K.Rowling Official Site|J. K. Rowling's Official Site]]''</ref> |
==History== |
==History== |
||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
===1995=== |
===1995=== |
||
| − | In [[1995]], [[Fourth year|fourth year]] students at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] studied unicorns in their [[Care of Magical Creatures]] class, while [[Professor]] [[Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank]] was standing in for Hagrid. |
+ | In [[1995]], [[Fourth year|fourth year]] students at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] studied unicorns in their [[Care of Magical Creatures]] class, while [[Professor]] [[Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank]] was standing in for Hagrid.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref> |
==Behind the scenes== |
==Behind the scenes== |
||
Revision as of 04:27, 27 June 2012
- "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
- — Firenze to Harry Potter[src]
The Unicorn is a white, equine creature with a single horn on its forehead.
Nature
Physiology & Life cycle
Unicorn foals are pure gold, and turn silver when they are about two years old. They grow their horn at around four. At about seven years old, they are fully grown and turn a shade of white that is so bright it makes snow look grey in comparison. Their hooves are golden, and their blood is silver-blue in colour and shines under moonlight.
Distribution
Unicorns inhabit the forests of Europe including the Forbidden Forest by Hogwarts.
Interaction with humans
Unicorns prefer a woman's touch, but the young are more trusting and do not mind men as much. Unicorns are also so fleet-of-hoof that they can rarely be caught by humans.
Uses
Various parts of the Unicorn - the horn and tail hair in particular - are used in potions and for the cores of wands, respectively. Also, the tail and mane hair and the horn can be used in various potions, as Harry tells Firenze after seeing Voldemort drink the unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest. The tail hair can also be used as binding in bandages due to its incredible strength.[1] The blood of a Unicorn can be used to keep a person who is near death alive, but "you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."[2]
The Unicorn's single straight horn is used, in runic, to symbolise the number one.[3]
History
The number one, in the runic alphabet
1992
A dead Unicorn in 1992.
At least two unicorns were slain by Quirinus Quirrell so Lord Voldemort could drink their blood and return to power. Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and Fang found the corpse of one of them in the Forbidden Forest.
1995
In 1995, fourth year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry studied unicorns in their Care of Magical Creatures class, while Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank was standing in for Hagrid.[4]
Behind the scenes
- In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Voldemort tries to sneak up on the unicorn with a knife and fork, but is scared off by Firenze who shows him his fist. Hagrid then proceeds to care for the sick unicorn like a child.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card) (Appears on wall-carpet)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Deleted scene) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Appears on wall-carpet)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Appears on wall-carpet)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Appears on wall-carpet)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only) (Seen on Harry Potter Collection book cover)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- J. K. Rowling's Official Site
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- Pottermore
See also
Notes and references
| Study of Ancient Runes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Professors: Bathsheda Babbling · Clodagh Dromgoole · Elspeth MacGillony | |||||
| Textbooks: Advanced Rune Translation · Ancient Runes Made Easy · Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms · Rune Dictionary · Spellman's Syllabary | |||||
| Known runes: Acromantula · Demiguise · Ehwaz · Eihwaz · Fwooper · Graphorn · Hydra · Quintaped · Runespoor · Salamander · Unicorn · Unknown · Mark of Merlin | |||||
| Care of Magical Creatures | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts | |
| Hagrid's Hut · Forbidden Forest · Care of Magical Creatures Classroom · Magical Creatures (club) · The Paddock | |
| Professors | Silvanus Kettleburn · Rubeus Hagrid · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank (substitute teacher) |
| Textbooks | The Monster Book of Monsters · Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them |
| Creatures studied at Hogwarts | |
| Blast-Ended Skrewt · Bowtruckle · Chimaera · Crup · Demiguise · Diricawl · Doxy · Dugbog · Fairy · Fire Crab · Fire Dwelling Salamander · Flobberworm · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Gnome · Golden Snidget · Griffin · Hippogriff · Imp · Jackalope · Knarl · Kneazle · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Occamy · Porlock · Quintaped · Streeler · Thestral · Unicorn · Yeti | |
| 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 |