Harry Potter Wiki
Register
Harry Potter Wiki
m (Reverted edits by 12.174.194.242 (Talk) to last version by SnorlaxMonster)
(Totally irrelevant to the Harry Potter universe and not part of it, do not add nonsense like this to wiki articles, thank you.)
Tag: Manual revert
 
(449 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
  +
{{Spoiler|HM|PAS|MA|HL}}
 
{{FA}}
 
{{FA}}
{{Pottermoreold}}
 
 
{{Creature infobox
 
{{Creature infobox
|name=Werewolf
+
|image = Werewolf.png
  +
|name = Werewolf
|image=[[File:Werewolves-pottermore.png|250px]]
 
  +
|skin = Varies
|People inflicted:
 
  +
|eyes = Varies
|related=Wolf
 
|skin=Varies
+
|hair = Varies
  +
|feathers =
|hair=Varies
 
  +
|related = *[[Wolf]]
|native=World-wide
 
  +
*[[Human]]
|affiliation=*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
  +
|native = World-wide
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
  +
|alias = Lycanthrope<ref name="PM"/>
  +
|height =
  +
|length =
  +
|wingspan =
  +
|mortality = Mortal
  +
|distinction = *Almost indistinguishable in appearance from the true [[wolf]]
  +
**Shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail
  +
*Aggression toward [[human]]s
  +
|affiliation = *[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
  +
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
*[[Werewolf army]]
 
*[[Werewolf army]]
|class=XXXXX (when in wolf form)
+
|class = *[[Being]]
  +
*[[Beast]]<br/>
|status=[[Being]]
 
  +
[[XXXXX]]<ref name="FBR">{{FB|R}}</ref>
  +
|status = Extant
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me!|Werewolf [[Remus Lupin]] on how he is treated because of his condition|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
+
{{Quote|You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me!|Werewolf [[Remus Lupin]] regarding his affliction|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
A '''werewolf''', also known as a '''lycanthrope''',<ref name="PM"/> was a creature which normally resembled a [[human]] [[being]] but, upon the complete rising of the full [[moon]], became an uncontrollable, fearsome and deadly [[wolf]].<ref name="PM"/> This condition was caused by infection with [[lycanthropy]], also known as werewolfry.<ref name="PAf">{{POA|F}} {{See image|File:WerewolvesDADAbook.jpg}}</ref> Werewolves were almost indistinguishable in appearance from the true wolf. The real difference was in behaviour.<ref name="PM"/>
[[File:Werewolf.jpg|thumb]]
 
  +
A '''werewolf''' is a human being who, upon the complete rising of the full moon, turns into a fearsome and deadly near-wolf. Werewolves can be easily distinguished from regular wolves by several small distinguishing characteristics, such as the pupils of the eyes, the snout shape, and the tufted tail. At all other times, they appear as normal humans, though will often seem to be ill as the full moon approaches.<ref name="POA">''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''</ref> This condition is caused by infection with lycanthropy, usually occurring when a human is bitten by a transformed werewolf. As defined by [[Hermione Granger]], a werewolf differs from an [[Animagus]] in the fact that he or she does not transform by choice. With each full moon the person transforms and no longer remembers who he or she is, and would kill even their best friend given the opportunity. In spite of that, they seem to be able to recall everything they have experienced during the transformation, upon reverting to human form. There is no known cure for either the bite of a werewolf in his wolf-form or the bite of a werewolf in his human form, though the [[Wolfsbane potion]] is the only known potion that can in any way make a werewolf less dangerous by allowing him/her to keep his/her human mind during transformation.
 
  +
A [[Mixture of powdered silver and dittany|mixture]] of powdered [[silver]] and [[dittany]] applied to a fresh werewolf bite would seal the wound and allow the victim to live on as a werewolf, although tragic tales were told of bite victims begging for [[death]] rather than becoming werewolves.<ref name="PM">{{WW|werewolves}}</ref> The [[Wolfsbane Potion]], invented by [[Damocles Belby]], allowed werewolf drinkers to keep their human mind during transformation.<ref name="PM" />
  +
  +
A werewolf could not choose whether or not to transform and would no longer remember who they were once transformed and were very aggressive; multiple werewolves were known to kill their best friends or loved ones while in wolf form if they were given the chance.<ref name="POA">{{POA}}</ref> Despite this, they were able to recall everything they had experienced throughout their transformation upon reverting to their human form.<ref name="POA" />
   
 
==Infection==
 
==Infection==
  +
{{Quote|To become a werewolf, it is necessary to be bitten by a werewolf in their wolfish form at the time of the full moon. When the werewolf's saliva mingles with the victim's blood, contamination will occur.|How a [[human]] became a werewolf|Pottermore}}
{{Quote|I did not know, for a very long time, the identity of the werewolf who had attacked me; I even felt pity for him, thinking that he had had no control, knowing by then how it felt to transform.|[[Remus Lupin]]}}
 
  +
[[File:FenrirGreyback werewolf.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Savage werewolf [[Fenrir Greyback|Greyback]] in wolf form]]
  +
[[Lycanthropy]] was a [[magic]]al illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and [[blood]]; thus, when a transformed werewolf bit a human, the bitten would become a werewolf themselves.<ref name="PM" /> These bites, however, could also be fatal, and a mixture of silver and dittany applied to the fresh wound would seal it and allow the person to live on as a werewolf. Specifically [[Non-magic people|Muggles]] would die from the extent of their injuries if their wounds were not sealed, as noted by [[Professor]] [[Marlowe Forfang]], though some could survive to become werewolves themselves.<ref name="PM" />
   
  +
Were a werewolf in [[human]] form when they bit their victim, the victim would merely gain lupine tendencies such as a fondness for raw meat.<ref name="PM" /> Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, would leave permanent scars,<ref name="PM" /> even if the wound was sealed.
Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by saliva-blood contact; thus, a human bitten by a werewolf in wolf-form will become a werewolf him- or herself. This is what happened to Remus Lupin, who was bitten as a child by [[Fenrir Greyback]] in retaliation for Remus's father offending the werewolf. However, if a human is bitten by a werewolf in human-form, the victim will only acquire some lupine tendencies. [[William Weasley|Bill Weasley]], for example, retained scars and a craving for very rare meat after being attacked by Greyback in his human form.<ref name="HBP">''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref>
 
   
  +
According to [[Remus Lupin]], werewolves rarely have children.<ref name= DH>{{DH}}</ref> This is likely due to fears, as expressed by Lupin himself, that any children would inherit their affliction, with the danger and prejudice that comes with it. The only known human born to at least one werewolf parent (untransformed at time of conception) was [[Edward Lupin|Teddy Lupin]], son of werewolf Remus and human metamorphmagus [[Nymphadora Tonks]].
Werewolves seldom have children, so Remus Lupin did not know whether or not his unborn son would inherit his condition but feared that would be the case. However, [[Ted Lupin]] ultimately proved not to be a werewolf.<ref name="DH">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>
 
   
  +
Despite Remus's fears, Teddy did not inherit his father's condition. However it is unknown if it definitively could not be passed on in this manner or if Teddy did not inherit the condition from pure chance, as no other cases are known. In Teddy's case, it was his father who was a werewolf, not his mother, therefore it is unknown if a pregnant female werewolf's transformations would affect the ability to carry the pregnancy to term.
It seems that werewolves, when in their animal state, pose the danger of biting the nearest human being, but not animals. An example of this can be seen when Remus Lupin, having forgotten to take his potion in [[1994]], began to transform into wolf-form. [[Sirius Black]] instinctively changed into his Animagus dog form to launch a pre-emptive attack on Lupin whom he seemed to realise as an immediate threat to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Lupin's now werewolf mind prevented him from recognising Sirius and the three students as his friends, and so would almost certainly have hurt them without Sirius's intervention. Black, whilst in his Animagus form, was not at risk of being infected with lycanthropy due to the fact that humans are the only species known to be capable of infection.
 
   
  +
[[File:FenrirGreyback PM.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Fenrir Greyback|Greyback]]'s appearance when in human form had a wolf-like quality]]
==Monthly transformations==
 
  +
If two werewolves were to mate at the full moon, in their animal forms, it was possible for them to conceive. This was an extremely rare occurrence only known to have happened twice in recorded history. Any offspring were full wolves that were indistinguishable from mundane wolves except for their near-human intelligence and their beauty. They did not inherit the sadistic behaviours associated with lycanthropy, being no more sadistic than regular wolves.<ref name="HM">{{HM}}</ref>
{{Quote|There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws.|Description of Remus Lupin transforming|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
   
  +
Sometime before the 1980s, a [[Forbidden Forest wolf pack|pack]] of lupine werewolf offspring came to live in the [[Forbidden Forest]] on the grounds of [[Hogwarts Castle]] with the permission of [[Albus Dumbledore]], [[Headmaster]] of the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|School]]. Rumours of a pack of werewolves inhabiting the forest soon spread among the student body. Though they posed little actual threat to students, Hogwarts staff never tried to dispel these rumours because they felt that keeping students out of the forest was highly desirable due to actual dangers present.<ref name="HM" />
Though they can live otherwise normal lives, on every full moon a werewolf will go through an incredibly painful transformation from a human into a wolf-like creature. They lose the ability to think in a human way, becoming highly aggressive towards humans- even those to whom they are close. Though werewolves usually only infect their victims through biting, they sometimes take it too far and kill their victims.<ref name="POA" />
 
   
  +
===Treatments===
Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf will attack itself out of frustration. This leaves many werewolves such as [[Remus Lupin]] with self-inflicted scars and premature aging from the difficult transformations.<ref name="POA" />
 
  +
{{Quote|The many Muggle myths and legends surrounding werewolves are, in the main, false, although some contain nuggets of truth. Silver bullets do not kill werewolves, but a mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will ‘seal’ the wound and prevent the victim bleeding to death (although tragic tales are told of victims who beg to be allowed to die rather than to live on as werewolves).|Treatments that could be done in order to prevent death|Pottermore}}
  +
[[File:Werewolf attack.gif|250px|thumb|left|[[Remus Lupin]] (in wolf form) attempting to attack [[Harry Potter]] and [[Hermione Granger]]]]
  +
Unfortunately, there was no cure for [[lycanthropy]]. However, some of the worst effects could be mitigated by consuming [[Wolfsbane Potion]], which allowed a werewolf to retain their human mind while transformed, thus freeing them from the worry of harming other humans or themself.<ref name="PM" /> It was a very difficult potion to make, with many complicated ingredients.<ref name="PM" /> According to [[Remus Lupin]], it tasted disgusting, but sugar made it useless.<ref name="POA" /><ref name="PM" />
   
  +
The high cost of Wolfsbane ingredients made it virtually impossible for werewolves to brew the potion for themselves, as most were reduced to poverty and could not taste the potion without revealing their statuses.<ref name="PM" /> Because werewolves only posed a danger to humans, companionship with animals whilst transformed was known to make the experience more bearable as the werewolf would have no-one to harm and would be less willing to harm themself.<ref name="PM" />
==Treatments==
 
  +
[[File:Homorphus Charm.gif|thumb|250x250px|Cecile Lee casting the [[Homorphus Charm]] against Greyback and his associates ]]
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for lycanthropy. However, some of the worst effects can be mitigated by consuming Wolfsbane Potion, which allows a werewolf to retain his or her human mind while transformed, thus freeing him or her from the worry of harming other humans or themselves. It is a difficult potion to make. According to Lupin it tastes disgusting and sugar makes it useless.
 
  +
According to [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], the [[Homorphus Charm]] could permanently force a werewolf back into human shape. However, due to Lockhart's reputation as a liar, and the many falsehoods he told to inflate his popularity, his information is highly suspect — as is the very existence of a Homorphus Charm in the first place. However, as many of Lockhart's claims were also based on the accounts of more trustworthy wizards (accomplishments he would claim for himself, following the disposal of the originating witch or wizard), there is a chance that the charm did, in fact, exist.<ref name="CS">{{COS}}</ref>
   
  +
In the [[1980s]], [[Cecil Lee]], a wizard working for the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s [[Werewolf Capture Unit]], told [[Jacob's sibling]] that he had used the [[Homorphus Charm]] during his job. However, for him, the charm "only" forced the werewolf to temporarily revert to human form rather than permanently curing them as Lockhart claimed. Though as Lee was a fan of Lockhart's, he believed that this was due to his own inability to perfectly cast the charm.<ref name="31oct">{{HM|1|Hallowe'en Feast}}</ref>
Because werewolves only pose a danger to humans, companionship with animals whilst transformed has been known to make the experience more bearable as the werewolf has no-one to harm and will be less willing to harm him/herself.
 
   
  +
Contrary to what the [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] world believed, werewolves were not affected by silver, except in that it could be used in the [[mixture of powdered silver and dittany]] to prevent bite victims' death and would merely close their wounds to prevent bleeding after a severe werewolf attack.<ref name="PM" /> There may certainly have been several other ways and solutions to prevent and heal werewolf injuries, as [[Quirinus Quirrell]] taught about the topic in [[first year]] [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] class. None of them, of course, could completely cure an afflicted person once they were bitten, but could merely prevent and close the physical wounds on the skin.
According to [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], the [[Homorphus Charm]] can force a werewolf back into human shape. But, since Lockhart is known to have lied many times to inflate his own reputation and implies that the charm ''cures'' werewolves, his information is highly suspect — as is the very existence of a Homorphus Charm in the first place. However, as many of Lockhart's claims are also based on the accounts of more trustworthy wizards (accomplishments he would claim for himself, following the disposal of the originating witch or wizard), there is a chance that the charm does, in fact, exist.<ref name="CS">''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''</ref> However it is likely it does not last permanently.
 
   
  +
==Description==
Contrary to what the [[Muggle]] world believes, werewolves are not affected by silver.<ref name="silver">Lupin has no trouble handling wizarding currency, and is not affected by the silver door handle at 12 Grimmauld Place.</ref>
 
  +
===Monthly transformations===
  +
{{Quote|There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws|Description of a Remus Lupin's transformation|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
  +
[[File:Remus Lupin turning into Werewolf.gif|250px|thumb|[[Remus Lupin]] transforming into a werewolf|left]]
  +
The monthly transformation of a werewolf was extremely painful if untreated and was usually preceded and succeeded by a few days of pallor and ill health. The werewolf could display irritation towards people while in the ill following state.<ref name="PM" /> While in their wolfish form, the werewolf would entirely lose its human sense of right or wrong. However, it is incorrect to state (as some authorities did, notably [[Professor]] [[Emerett Picardy]] in his book ''Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don’t Deserve to Live'') that they suffered from a permanent loss of moral sense.
   
  +
While human, the werewolf could be as good or kind as the next person. Alternatively, they could be dangerous even while human, as in the case of [[Fenrir Greyback]], who attempted to bite and maim as a man and kept his nails sharpened into claw-like points for the purpose. Though werewolves usually only infected their victims through biting, they sometimes took it too far and killed their victims.<ref name="PM" />
==Attitude towards werewolves==
 
  +
  +
Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf would attack itself out of frustration. This would leave many werewolves such as [[Remus Lupin]] with self-inflicted scars and premature ageing from the difficult transformations.<ref name="POA">{{POA}}</ref>
  +
  +
===Appearance and traits===
  +
[[File:Werewolf1.jpg|250px|thumb|A werewolf ([[Remus Lupin]]) responding to the call from [[Sirius Black]] in his [[Animagus]] form]]
  +
Werewolves were almost indistinguishable in appearance from the true wolf. However, they could be distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail, and their mindless hunting of humans and thus more sadistic tendencies whilst in wolf form.<ref name="PM" /> At all other times, they appeared as normal humans, although they would age prematurely, and would gain a pallor as the full moon approached and then waned.<ref name="PM" /> It's unclear if the premature appearance of ageing is due to the affliction or the physical and mental stress it causes.
  +
  +
It's possible that some individual physical traits may be present in both forms, as with [[Chiara Lobosca]] having silver/white hair in human form and similarly coloured fur in her transformed state.<ref name="HM" />
  +
  +
[[File:SiriusLupinPottermore.png|250px|thumb|A werewolf could become aggressive when provoked|left]]
  +
The real difference between a wolf and a werewolf was in behaviour.<ref name="PM" /> Genuine wolves were not very aggressive, and the vast number of folk tales representing them as mindless predators were believed by wizarding authorities to refer to werewolves, not true wolves. Wolves were unlikely to attack a human except under exceptional circumstances. Werewolves, however, targeted humans almost exclusively and posed very little danger to any other creature.<ref name="PM" />
  +
  +
==Reputation==
 
===Prejudice and discrimination===
 
===Prejudice and discrimination===
  +
{{Quote|The stigma surrounding werewolves has been so extreme for centuries that very few have married and had children.|The prejudice surrounding werewolves in the magical community|Pottermore}}[[File:Dolores Umbridge.jpg|244x244px|thumb|[[Dolores Umbridge]], the drafter of the [[anti-werewolf legislation]]|alt=]]
[[File:Werewolf.JPG|thumb|210px|A diagram of a werewolf in a [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] textbook.]]
 
{{Quote|My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it &mdash; how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!|Remus Lupin on his fear that he would pass lycanthropy on to his [[Ted Lupin|then-unborn child]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
Werewolves are generally regarded with fear and disgust by wizarding society. People seem to think even when in human form, the werewolf may pose danger. It is not uncommon for people known to be werewolves to be shunned by society and discriminated against within the [[wizarding world]]. It is very difficult for a werewolf to get a job in the wizarding community, especially after the passing of restrictive [[anti-werewolf legislation]] by the prejudiced [[Dolores Umbridge]] in the [[1990s]].<ref name="OTP">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref>
+
Werewolves were generally regarded with fear and disgust by [[Wizarding world|wizarding society]]. People seemed to think even when in human form, the werewolf could pose a danger. It was not uncommon for people known to be werewolves to be shunned by society and discriminated against within the [[wizarding world]]. It was very difficult for a werewolf to get a job in the wizarding community, especially after the passing of restrictive [[anti-werewolf legislation]] by the very prejudiced and hateful [[Dolores Umbridge]] in the [[1990s]].<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
   
  +
Umbridge drafted this legislation due to her irrational and vitriolic hatred for what she considered to be "[[half-breed]]s". Because of the difficulty in finding work in the wizarding world, many werewolves lived in poverty. It also forced some, like [[Remus Lupin]] to take jobs far below their abilities. After [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s defeat in [[1998]], the anti-werewolf legislation was most likely repealed by the new Minister, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], in his effort to reform the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], therefore weeding out corruption and not tolerating prejudice and discrimination.
{{Quote|Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my 'furry little problem' in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit.|Lupin to Harry about how James and his friends didn't discriminate against him|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
   
As a result, many werewolves suffer poverty; [[Remus Lupin]] managed to get by with the aid of his friend [[James Potter I|James Potter]]<ref>[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more J.K. Rowling's Comments at Carnegie Hall]</ref>, and later by working as [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], though it is unknown how he subsisted between James' death and working as professor. He decided to resign from this position after his condition was exposed, by Severus Snape, as most parents would not want their children being around a werewolf, despite the safety precautions Remus and [[Albus Dumbledore]] took; Remus stated that it was impossible for him to even attend Hogwarts as a child if it were not for Dumbledore's kindness, as other headmasters would not want a werewolf in the school.<ref name="POA" />
+
As a result of the anti-werewolf legislation, many werewolves suffered poverty. Remus Lupin managed to get by with the aid of his friend [[James Potter I|James Potter]]<ref>[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more J.K. Rowling's Comments at Carnegie Hall]</ref> and later by working as [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. Though in between he had to work at many jobs that were far below his level of abilities, resigning and moving on to another before his workmates noticed his signs of lycanthropy. Lupin did this while living in a [[Remus Lupin's cottage|tumbledown, semi-derelict cottage]] in [[Yorkshire]]. He decided to resign from this position after his condition was exposed, by [[Severus Snape]], as most parents would not want their children being around a werewolf, despite the safety precautions Remus and [[Albus Dumbledore]] took; Remus stated that it would have been impossible for him to even attend Hogwarts as a child if it were not for Dumbledore's kindness, as other headmasters would not want a werewolf in the school.<ref name="POA" />
   
  +
In a display of ignorance and arrogance, the Ministry expected werewolves would submit themselves to the department to sign various conducts and [[Werewolf Register|registries]], which would also force the werewolves to promise to secure themselves from attacking others. No person would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves as werewolves, thus showing the Ministry's lack of respect of werewolves' intelligence and dignity. [[Lyall Lupin]], in particular, regarded werewolves as "''soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death''", until his own son was infected as a result of his prejudicial comment.
The [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] attempts to regulate werewolves. By 1637, there was a Werewolf Code of Conduct, and according to [[Newton Scamander]], werewolves have been shunted between the [[Beast]] and [[Being]] divisions of the [[Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures]] for years. At one point, the [[Werewolf Registry]] and [[Werewolf Capture Unit]] were both in the [[Beast Division]], while at the same time the office for [[Werewolf Support Services]] was in the [[Being Division]]. Umbridge herself incorrectly referred werewolves as [[half-breed]]s.
 
   
Given [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]'s friendship with Remus Lupin and the furthering of [[Muggle-born]] and [[house-elf]] rights after [[1998]], it is likely that the reforms of the Ministry under [[Minister for Magic]] Shacklebolt included less prejudicial treatment of werewolves.
+
Given [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]'s friendship with Remus Lupin and the furthering of [[Muggle-born]] and [[house-elf]] rights after 1998, it is likely that the reforms of the Ministry under [[Minister for Magic]] Shacklebolt included less prejudicial treatment of werewolves.
  +
  +
[[File:Renka's anti-werewolf poster.jpeg|thumb|right|Anti-werewolf poster]]
  +
In [[2010]], [[Renka]] was an anti-werewolf protestor in [[Hogsmeade]]. She thought they were "mindless [[beast]]s" that had to be driven out of their community. She put posters up around the village warning everyone that they were dangerous and she publicly protested in the streets. When two Hogwarts students disagreed with her, she described them to be naive. Renka thought werewolves were responsible for recent problems plauging the village, even though [[Abigail (werewolf)|Abigail]] pointed out they couldn't do things like envelop the village in a mist. Several villagers agreed with Renka, while others like [[Rosmerta]] and [[Aberforth Dumbledore]] thought her posters were "filth" and she was "fearmongering" without a cause.<ref name="WW1">{{MA|WW|1}}</ref>
   
 
===Retaliation===
 
===Retaliation===
  +
{{Dialogue|Harry Potter|How come they like Voldemort?|Remus Lupin|They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life. |Werewolves' involvement in the Second Wizarding War|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}[[File:Savage FenrirGreyback PM.jpg|240x240px|thumb|[[Fenrir Greyback]], the most sadistic werewolf of modern times|alt=|left]]
[[File:Fenrir Greyback..JPG|thumb|left|150px|[[Fenrir Greyback]].]]
 
[[File:Remus_Lupin_turning_into_Werewolf.gif|thumb|[[Remus Lupin]] transforming into a werewolf.]]
 
   
Due to the oppression and discrimination against werewolves by society, some people who are werewolves have in turn come to hate their oppressors and, in turn, society in general. These werewolves have organised themselves into their own society. Under Fenrir Greyback's leadership, this society works to infect as many people as possible, especially children, with the goal of one day having enough strength to take control of the wizarding community.
+
Due to the oppression and discrimination they faced, some werewolves came to hate the wizarding society, and as such created their own society. Under Fenrir Greyback's leadership, this society worked to infect as many people as possible, especially children, with the goal of one day having enough strength to take control of the wizarding community.
   
  +
The werewolves under Greyback's command served [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in the [[Second Wizarding War]], believing that they would have a better life under his rule, though Remus Lupin spied on them for the [[Order of the Phoenix]].<ref name="HBP">{{HBP}}</ref> [[Death Eaters]] looked down on them; for example, they were not permitted to have the [[Dark Mark]].<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref> They were used as a threat to ensure ordinary citizens' compliance with Voldemort; for example, five-year-old [[Montgomery]] was fatally attacked by Greyback after his mother refused to co-operate with the Death Eaters.<ref name="HBP" />
[[File:RemusHBP.jpg|thumb|145px|right|[[Remus Lupin]]]]
 
The werewolves under Greyback's command served [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in the [[Second Wizarding War]], believing that they would have a better life under his rule, though Remus Lupin spied on them for the [[Order of the Phoenix]]<ref name="HBP" /> and the [[Death Eaters]] looked down on them; for example, they were not permitted to have the [[Dark Mark]]<ref name="DH" />. They were used as a threat to ensure ordinary citizens' compliance with Voldemort; for example, five-year-old [[Montgomery]] was fatally attacked by Greyback after his [[Montgomery Sisters' mother|mother]] refused to cooperate with the Death Eaters.<ref name="HBP" /> Although only Greyback is explicitly mentioned as participating, werewolves under Greyback's command may have fought alongside the Death Eaters in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].<ref name="DH" /> They were most likely sentenced to [[Azkaban]] for life for uniting with Lord Voldemort, or killed for resisting arrest. It is unknown whether this was the only occurrence of the society, though it is implied that it was a new idea of Greyback's. Likewise, it is unknown whether all werewolves in the society were caught, or - as it was "underground"- some of the members evaded capture and continued their efforts.
 
   
  +
Although only Greyback was explicitly known to have participated, werewolves under Greyback's command may have fought alongside the Death Eaters in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].<ref name="DH" /> They were most likely sentenced to [[Azkaban]] for life for uniting with Lord Voldemort, or killed for resisting arrest. It is unknown whether this was the only occurrence of the society, though it is implied that it was a new idea of Greyback's. Likewise, it is unknown whether all werewolves in the society were caught, or — as it was "underground" — some of the members evaded capture and continued their efforts.
==Known werewolves==
 
*[[Fenrir Greyback]] — a leader in the [[Werewolf Army|werewolf community]] and an ally of the [[Death Eaters]], noted to be the most savage werewolf in history, incarcerated after the [[Second Wizarding War]].[[File:ThumbnailCAPJTOD2.jpg|thumb|Fenrir Greyback]]
 
*[[Remus Lupin]] — bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child, member of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], killed by [[Antonin Dolohov]] during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
 
*The [[Wagga Wagga Werewolf]] — discussed by [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] during his time as [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and in his book ''[[Wandering with Werewolves]]''. Lockhart may have invented this individual entirely, but since he often simply took credit for others' deeds, the werewolf itself may have existed, but been defeated by someone else.
 
*An [[unidentified werewolf]] on [[Arthur Weasley]]'s ward during his stay at [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]], this new werewolf was presumably befriended by Lupin.
 
*An [[Anonymous author of Hairy Snout, Human Heart|anonymous author]] of [[Hairy Snout, Human Heart]] who penned a heartrending account on his struggle against [[Lycantrophy]] in the [[1970s]].
 
*A group of werewolves living underground, most of whom joined forces with Voldemort for a promise of a better life.<ref name="HBP" />
 
   
  +
==Ministry relations==
===Other victims of lycanthropy===
 
  +
{{Dialogue|Harry Potter|The Ministry isn't perfect, but think of all the good we've done since the [[Second Wizarding War]] ended. Werewolves used to be ostracised and discriminated against. But thanks to our outreach programme, attitudes are changing. The wizarding community is becoming more inclusive.|Constance Pickering|I'm not discounting the progress you've made, but didn't your original proposal include providing free [[Wolfsbane Potion]]s to any werewolf who wanted them? Politics and protocols prevented you from making the kind of change that would have done the most good. I know you're trying your hardest, Harry. But at its best, the Ministry is ineffective. At its worst, it's dangerous. You can try to change it, but there will always be things the Ministry simply can't do.|Discussion of the Ministry's new progressiveness and of its limitations|Harry Potter: Wizards Unite}}
[[File:Bill_Weasley_3.jpg|thumb|right|[[William Weasley]]]]
 
  +
The [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] attempted to regulate werewolves and thus the relationship that existed between them and the Ministry was a rocky one. According to [[Newton Scamander]], werewolves were shunted between the [[Beast]] and [[Being]] divisions of the [[Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures]] for years.
*[[William Weasley|Bill Weasley]] — attacked by Fenrir Greyback while he was in human form; Bill did not actually become a werewolf, although he did obtain some lupine tendencies (particularly a liking for rare steaks).
 
  +
[[File:Werewolf Capture Unit symbol.png|thumb|[[Werewolf Capture Unit]] symbol]]
*Other victims at the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] - it can be assumed that there were more victims at the battle that suffered from lycanthrophy to some degree in later days. It would be similar to the effects suffered by Bill Weasley at the hands of [[Fenrir Greyback]]. Although Greyback is described as 'a grey streak,' suggesting he is in his animalistic form, during the battle and biting people that were down, it can be assumed that he was, in fact, in human form, as [[Remus Lupin]] was also in the Battle in human form.
 
  +
At one point, the [[Werewolf Registry]] and Werewolf Capture Unit were both in the [[Beast Division]], while at the same time the office for [[Werewolf Support Services]] was in the [[Being Division]]. These regulations and services were ultimately a failure, as no one would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves as werewolves, and thus none took the prescribed responsibilities of the [[Werewolf Code of Conduct]].
   
  +
The Werewolf Code of Conduct of [[1637]] was meant to give Werewolves a framework for co-existing safely and legally within the [[wizarding world]]. Werewolves were required to sign a copy of the Code and to promise to refrain from attacking and biting non-werewolves. They were also supposed to lock themselves away during their wolf transformation periods. As no werewolf was willing to sign it, the Ministry had huge difficulty in hunting down culprits of these attacks, such that [[Fenrir Greyback]] was able to act innocent in regards to him murdering two Muggle children.<ref name="PM" />
==Behind the scenes==
 
[[File:Lupin-boggart.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Remus Lupin and his [[boggart]] -- the full moon.]]
 
*In the book it says that when Lupin drinks the [[Wolfsbane Potion]] he just sits in his study until the night is over and he reverts to being human. However, in the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' Lupin does not transform until he sees the moon. As the moon was rising over a mountain at the time, though, it is likely that this would be the time of night when his transformation begins anyway, and actually being there at moonrise was a coincidence. In addition, it seems more likely that the time is what causes the transformation; otherwise a werewolf would simply have to avoid looking at the sky to prevent the transformation. This would also explain why Lupin's [[boggart]] did not cause him to transform, though they seem to have all the effects of whatever form they take, as in the case of Harry's dementor [[Boggart]].
 
*[[Professor]] [[Quirinus Quirrell]] had the first year [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] class copy notes about how to treat werewolf bites. Also, Professor [[Severus Snape]] assigned an [[Essay on werewolves|essay]] during the 1993-1994 school year when he substituted for Lupin, although werewolves were not due to be covered until the last chapter of the third-year DADA textbook. In Snape's case, this was an attempt to expose Lupin by having one of the students work out his secret (which [[Hermione Granger]] did, although she kept the secret rather than exposing it, as Snape had intended).
 
*According to [[Draco Malfoy]] and [[Argus Filch]], there are werewolves in the [[Forbidden Forest]], though it is unclear whether this was true. It seems unlikely, as most werewolves at least tried to live as wizards while in human form, and the forest would be a highly dangerous place for them to live most of the month. During the detention in the Forbidden Forest, Harry Potter asked Rubeus Hagrid if it was possible that a werewolf could be killing the [[unicorn]]s in the forest, but Hagrid stated that werewolves aren't fast enough.
 
*[[Tom Riddle]] once accused Rubeus Hagrid of raising "werewolf cubs" under his bed as a youngster, though this was possibly a lie or an exaggeration. It is unknown whether werewolves have cubs or not — Remus Lupin was worried that it might be possible to pass his affliction on his son, but [[Newton Scamander]] suggests otherwise. Since Riddle was trying to frame Hagrid, the veracity of his statement is questionable. Regarding this, ''[[Harry Potter (book series)|Harry Potter]]'' series author [[J. K. Rowling]] stated in response to a fan question "Riddle was telling lies about Hagrid, just slandering him."<ref name="barnesyahoo">Barnes and Noble Yahoo! Chat, available [http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1000-livechat-barnesnoble.html here]</ref>
 
*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] referred to werewolf offspring as cubs another time. When at the [[Malfoy Manor]], he ridicules [[Malfoy family|the Malfoys]] and [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] about the marriage of Remus Lupin and [[Nymphadora Tonks]], asking [[Draco Malfoy|Draco]] if he will "babysit the cubs." Given his purist attitude and disdain for 'half-breeds' this is far more likely to be a derogatory insult rather than an implication that lycanthropy is inheritable.
 
*According to [[Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test|W.O.M.B.A.T.]], it is possible that werewolves may have a shorter snout than a true wolf. It is rumoured that if a werewolf mates at the full moon it will produce a wolf cub instead of a human baby, but given prejudice, lies, and half-truths against werewolves, this is most likely not true.
 
*In the ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' novel, Lupin's werewolf form is noted to be only vaguely distinguishable from a true wolf, and the fact that students must be taught to distinguish them from true wolves suggests the same. In the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|film adaptation]] however, Lupin's werewolf form is still roughly human-shaped, though gruesomely stretched. His fur is a minimal coat rather than shaggy and he alternates between standing on his legs and scrambling on all fours. He also doesn't have a tail, as werewolves are explicitly mentioned to in the ''Order of the Phoenix'' book. J. K. Rowling also noted that to her, "werewolf" means ''An American Werewolf In London'', whose werewolf is an extremely animalistic wolf-shaped beast, but that she was very pleased with the Azkaban film's imagining of the concept and appreciated the sympathy evoked by the "naked" and "pathetic" aspects of the design.
 
*In the film [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]], after Lupin is irritable with Harry, Mr. Weasley says that "his condition takes its toll;" later on Tonks explains that "the first night of the cycle is always the worst." This could imply- though nothing like this was mentioned in the books- that werewolves suffer symptoms other than the tranformation itself, which either directly or indirectly make them less patient and more harsh than they would normally be. What night the cycle begins with is unknown, though the full moon itself, the night after, or the new moon is most likely.
 
**This could also be a side affect of the "illness" described during the week leading up to the full moon.
 
   
  +
Werewolves were classified as XXXXX creatures in their transformed state.<ref name="FBR">{{FB|R}}</ref> Dolores Umbridge herself incorrectly referred to werewolves as [[half-breed]]s, and drafted an [[anti-werewolf legislation]] that made it almost impossible for werewolves to find a job.<ref name="OTP" />
==Etymology==
 
The word ''werewolf'' is thought to derive from Old English ''wer'' (or were) and ''wulf''. The first part, ''wer'', translates as "man." An alternative etymology derives from Old English ''weri'' (to wear); in this case "werewolf" would indicate a warrior who wore wolf-pelts, noted for his uncontrollable battle rage, very similar to the Old Norse berserker, ''ber-'' as in "bear" the mammal, and ''serkr'', "shirt". A third possible derivation is from ''warg-wolf'' or ''vargulf'', a term referring to a rogue wolf which slaughtered domestic animals, but ate little of the kill.
 
   
  +
Even when the Ministry was taken over by the Death Eaters, the relationship between the bureaucracy and werewolves remained strained. Death Eaters and their supremacist allies looked down on werewolves, only using them as foot soldiers and to intimidate the rest of the wizarding world into submission. They did let the werewolves have more freedom of movement than before the takeover, but in no way showed they were equals; Greyback was not given the Dark Mark despite being permitted to wear the Death Eater's robe, and genuine Death Eaters looked down on him, while Greyback himself acknowledged that if he took [[Harry Potter]] to the Ministry, he would be left out of any credits for capturing him.
The term ''lycanthropy'' comes from Ancient Greek ''lykánthropos'': ''lýkos'' ("wolf") + ''ánthrōpos'' ("human"). There is also a mental illness called lycanthropy, in which a patient believes he or she is an animal and behaves accordingly. This is sometimes referred to as clinical lycanthropy, to distinguish it from its use in legends.
 
  +
  +
It was not until after the [[Second Wizarding War]], in which [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] took the position of Minster for Magic, did the Ministry's relationship with werewolves improve. Kingsley posthumously awarded his werewolf friend, [[Remus Lupin]], the [[Order of Merlin]], First Class, for his bravery in the war, the first time in history that a werewolf had been accorded this honour. The example of his life and death played an important role in lifting the stigma on werewolves among the wizarding society. The British Ministry of Magic has also setup an outreach programme, allowing the wizarding community to become more inclusive.<ref name="WU">{{WU}}, Brilliant Event: Constance's Lament</ref>
  +
  +
==Wizarding education==
  +
Wizarding children were educated about werewolves from a young age and information about them could be found in various [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] textbooks, for example [[The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection]].
  +
  +
[[File:Werewolf.gif|250px|thumb|Third-year [[Defence Against the Dark Arts|DADA]] lesson on werewolves|left]]
  +
Werewolves were mentioned several times in connection with Harry Potter's [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] [[Professor]]s, as they were [[Dark Arts|dark]] [[creature]]s which were heavily studied throughout the class. [[Quirinus Quirrell]] had encountered them in the [[Black Forest]], and at one point discussed in class how to treat werewolf bites.<ref name="PS13">{{PS|B|13}}</ref> [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], supposedly, once defeated the [[Wagga Wagga Werewolf]], something that may be discussed in his book ''[[Wanderings with Werewolves|Wandering with Werewolves]]''. Lockhart eventually confessed to Ron and Harry that an 'ugly old [[Armenian warlock]]' had ''actually'' performed the rescue of a village from werewolves that he himself had taken credit for. Remus Lupin, of course, is a werewolf.
  +
  +
Werewolves were discussed in one of [[Harry Potter]]'s [[third year]] Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, with an [[Essay on werewolves|essay]] assigned by [[Severus Snape]] when he substituted for Lupin, although werewolves were not due to be covered until the last chapter of the third-year DADA textbook.<ref name="POA9">{{POA|B|9}}</ref>
  +
  +
==Victims of lycanthropy==
  +
  +
===Werewolves===
  +
{{Quote|Nearly all of them are on Voldemort's side.|Remus Lupin regarding Greyback's pack|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
  +
{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="100%"
  +
|-
  +
! scope="col" |Werewolf
  +
! scope="col" |Notes
  +
|-
  +
|[[Unidentified medieval werewolf]]
  +
|An unidentified medieval Lady who was transformed into a werewolf and fled from her home to protect her infant daughter. By the [[1890s]] a series of tapestries depicting the tragic tale had been created and placed in a secret room in Hogwarts along with other werewolf memorabilia. Although possibly fictional, the [[Wizard's Field Guide]] implied there were other records of this story, meaning it was likely based on a true event.
  +
|-
  +
|[[William (19th century)|William]]
  +
|A [[19th century]] [[Wizardkind|wizard]] whose family sent him away too early before his transformation, and he died in human form.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Fenrir Greyback]]
  +
|Leader in the [[Werewolf army|werewolf community]] and an ally of the [[Death Eaters]] who rallied many werewolves to their side, noted to be the most savage werewolf in history, incarcerated after the [[Second Wizarding War]].
  +
|-
  +
| [[Remus Lupin]]
  +
|Bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child, member of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], killed by [[Antonin Dolohov]] during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
  +
|-
  +
|[[Silas Crump]]
  +
|A petty criminal and an unregistered werewolf.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Chiara Lobosca]]
  +
|Bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child.<ref>{{HM|1|Howling Hallowe'en}}</ref> Becomes a very distinctive silver-furred werewolf.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Unidentified Dragonologist]]
  +
|Was admitted to [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]] after being bitten.
  +
|-
  +
| [[Unidentified werewolf]]
  +
|Was admitted to [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]] after being bitten, and shared a ward with [[Arthur Weasley]] after Arthur's [[Attack on Arthur Weasley|attack]] by [[Nagini]].
  +
|-
  +
|[[Anonymous author of Hairy Snout, Human Heart|Anonymous author]]
  +
|Author of [[Hairy Snout, Human Heart]] who penned a heart-rending account on his struggle against [[Lycanthropy]] in the 1970s.
  +
|-
  +
| Unidentified werewolf
  +
|Attacked and infected [[Scarlett Sparks]] in the summer of [[1985]].<ref>{{HM|3|Penny for Your Thoughts}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| [[Scarlett Sparks]]
  +
|Attacked by an unidentified werewolf in the summer of [[1985]] and believed [[Death|dead]], later discovered to be alive and a werewolf. First known Muggle werewolf.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Fugitive werewolf]]
  +
| Was admitted into [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]], but escaped and went on the run from the [[Werewolf Capture Unit]], but was later tracked down by [[Alastor Moody]] and [[Jacob's sibling]] and provided with the Wolfsbane Potion required for her to live a more or less normal life.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Wagga Wagga Werewolf]]
  +
|Discussed by [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] during his time as [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and in his book ''[[Wanderings with Werewolves|Wandering with Werewolves]]''. Lockhart may have invented this individual entirely, but since he often simply took credit for others' deeds, the werewolf itself may have existed, but been defeated by someone else.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Werewolf army|Group of werewolves]]
  +
|A group of werewolves living underground, most of whom joined forces with Voldemort for a promise of a better life.<ref name="HBP" />
  +
|-
  +
|[[Gerard Grey]]
  +
|Unable to afford brewing the [[Wolfsbane Potion]], he hid in a forest whenever he transformed. He bit his own daughter, [[Abigail Grey]].<ref name="WW2">{{MA|WW|2}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Abigail Grey]]
  +
|Bitten by her own father, Gerard Grey when she followed him into a forest. Attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].<ref name="WW2"/>
  +
|}
  +
  +
===Other victims===
  +
{{Quote|Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't — won't look the same anymore.... We don't really know what the aftereffects will be — I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time.|Ginny regarding Greyback's attack on Bill Weasley|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
  +
{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="100%"
  +
|-
  +
! scope="col" |Wizard
  +
! scope="col" |Notes
  +
|-
  +
|[[Montgomery]]
  +
|Attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Died from his injuries.<ref name="HBP22">{{HBP|B|22}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[William Weasley|Bill Weasley]]
  +
|Attacked by Fenrir Greyback while he was in human form. Due to this, Bill did not become a werewolf, although he did obtain some lupine tendencies (particularly a liking for rare steaks). Also received severe facial scarring that could not be [[Healing magic|healed]].<ref name="HBP29">{{HBP|B|29}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Hogwartian|Defenders of Hogwarts]]
  +
|It can be assumed that there were more victims at the battle that suffered from lycanthrophy to some degree in later days. It would be similar to the effects suffered by Bill Weasley at the hands of [[Fenrir Greyback]]. Although Greyback was described as 'a grey streak', suggesting he was in his animalistic form, during the battle and biting people that were down, it can be assumed that he was, in fact, in human form, as [[Remus Lupin]] was also in the Battle in human form.
  +
|-
  +
|[[Lavender Brown]]
  +
|Attacked by [[Fenrir Greyback]] during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]],<ref name="DH32">{{DH|B|32}}</ref> [[Death|died]] from her injuries.<ref name="DHF2">{{DH|F2}}</ref>
  +
|}
  +
  +
==Known werewolves==
  +
<gallery widths="125" orientation="portrait">
  +
Unidentified werewolf lady (2).jpg|[[Unidentified medieval werewolf]]
  +
William's body HL.jpg|[[William (19th century)|William]]
  +
File:GreybackHBP.jpg|[[Fenrir Greyback]]
  +
Remus Lupin Deathly Hallows promo image.jpg|[[Remus Lupin]]
  +
Chiara Lobosca HM8.png|[[Chiara Lobosca]]
  +
Scarlett Sparks HM.png|[[Scarlett Sparks]]
  +
Unidentified Dragonologist HM.png|[[Unidentified dragonologist]]
  +
SilasCrump.png|[[Silas Crump]]
  +
Abigail Grey MA.jpeg|[[Abigail Grey]]
  +
Gerard Grey MA.jpg|[[Gerard Grey]]
  +
</gallery>
  +
*[[Anonymous author of Hairy Snout, Human Heart]]
  +
*[[Fugitive werewolf]]
  +
*[[Wagga Wagga Werewolf]]
  +
*[[Unidentified werewolf]]
  +
*[[Unidentified pub owner in Sao Paulo]]
  +
  +
==Published works==
  +
There were many books containing information on werewolves, whether it was their main subject or was just mentioned in them:
  +
<gallery orientation="portrait" spacing="small" widths="125">
  +
Hairy Snout, Human Heart.png|''[[Hairy Snout, Human Heart]]'' by anonymous
  +
WanderingsWithWerewolves.png|''[[Wanderings with Werewolves]]'' by [[Gilderoy Lockhart]]
  +
Fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-pottermore.png|{{FB}} by [[Newton Scamander|Newt Scamander]]
  +
The-dark-forces-a-guide-to-self-protection-pottermore.png|''[[The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection]]'' by [[Quentin Trimble]]
  +
Lupine Lawlessness.png|''[[Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live]]'' by [[Emerett Picardy]]
  +
</gallery>
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
  +
*[[Blood status|Blood purity]]
{{Imagecat|Images of Werewolves}}
 
*[[Blood purity]]
 
 
*[[Remus Lupin]]
 
*[[Remus Lupin]]
 
*[[Fenrir Greyback]]
 
*[[Fenrir Greyback]]
 
*[[William Weasley]]
 
*[[William Weasley]]
*[[Wolfsbane Potion]]
+
*[[Wolfsbane Potion]]
*[[Werewolf Army]]
+
*[[Werewolf army]]
  +
*[[Homorphus Charm]]
  +
  +
==Etymology==
  +
The word ''werewolf'' is from Old English ''wer'' ("man") and ''wulf ("wolf")''.
  +
  +
The term comes from Ancient Greek λυκάνθρωπος, λύκος being "wolf" and άνθρωπος translating to "human".
  +
  +
==Behind the scenes==
  +
[[File:WerewolfPM.jpg|150px|thumb|A werewolf as depicted on {{PM}}]]
  +
[[File:WerewolfWU.png|150px|thumb|A werewolf as shown on {{WU}}]]
  +
[[File:Werewolf - PAS.png|150px|thumb|A werewolf as seen in {{PAS}}]]
  +
*In other media, they look more like amalgamations of humans and wolves.
  +
*The {{W|werewolf}} is a creature found in the folklore of many European countries. Traditionally, a werewolf is a human who transforms into a wolf (as depicted in the ''Harry Potter'' books) but in some modern depictions, the werewolf instead transforms into a man/wolf hybrid (as depicted in the ''Harry Potter'' films).
  +
*[[Professor]] [[Quirinus Quirrell]] had the first-year [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] class copy notes about how to treat werewolf bites. Also, Professor [[Severus Snape]] assigned an [[Essay on werewolves|essay]] during the 1993-1994 school year when he substituted for Lupin, although werewolves were not due to be covered until the last chapter of the third-year DADA textbook. In Snape's case, this was an attempt to expose Lupin by having one of the students work out his secret (which [[Hermione Granger]] did, although she kept the secret rather than exposing it, as Snape had intended).
  +
*[[Draco Malfoy]] once claimed that there were werewolves in the [[Forbidden Forest]]. A [[Forbidden Forest wolf pack|wolf pack]] actually lives in the forest, the cubs of two werewolves that mated during a full moon, however, they were just beautiful and highly intelligent wolves. Despite this, rumours of savage werewolves living in the forest spread amongst the student body of Hogwarts, rumours that the staff let spread in hopes to help keep students out of the forest.<ref name="PM" /> During the detention in the Forbidden Forest, Harry Potter asked Rubeus Hagrid if it was possible that a werewolf could be killing the [[unicorn]]s in the forest, but Hagrid stated that werewolves aren't fast enough.<ref name="PS15">{{PS|B|15}}</ref>
  +
*[[Tom Riddle]] once accused Rubeus Hagrid of raising "werewolf cubs" under his bed as a youngster. Since Riddle was trying to frame Hagrid, the veracity of his statement is questionable. Regarding this, ''[[Harry Potter (book series)|Harry Potter]]'' series author [[J. K. Rowling]] stated in response to a fan question "Riddle was telling lies about Hagrid, just slandering him."<ref name="barnesyahoo">Barnes and Noble Yahoo! Chat, available [http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1000-livechat-barnesnoble.html here]</ref>
  +
*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] referred to werewolf offspring as cubs another time. When at the [[Malfoy Manor]], he ridicules [[Malfoy family|the Malfoys]] and [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]] about the marriage of Remus Lupin and [[Nymphadora Tonks]], asking [[Draco Malfoy|Draco]] if he will "babysit the cubs." Given his purist attitude and disdain for 'half-breeds,' this is far more likely to be a derogatory insult rather than an implication that lycanthropy is inheritable.
  +
*In the film [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]], after Lupin is irritable with Harry, Mr Weasley says that "his condition takes its toll;" later on Tonks explains that "the first night of the cycle is always the worst." This could imply- though nothing like this was mentioned in the books- that werewolves suffer symptoms other than the transformation itself, which either directly or indirectly make them less patient and harsher than they would normally be. What night the cycle begins with is unknown, though the full moon itself, the night after, or the new moon is most likely.
  +
**This could also be a side effect of the "illness" described during the week leading up to the full moon.
  +
*[[The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts|A prop]] made for {{POA|FA}} includes a large number of werewolf lore from the 1995 video game ''{{W|The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery|The Beast Within}}'', but as this text includes several ideas that contradict higher sources, it should not necessarily be considered [[canon]] to the Harry Potter universe.<ref name="PAf"/> The contradictory claims include:
  +
**It identifies several other ways to become a werewolf other than being bitten. These included being given [[Animagus|the power of shapeshifting]] via [[Magic|sorcery]], the [[Lycacomia Curse]], and being born to a werewolf. {{PM}}, however, clarifies that the only way to become a werewolf is via the bite of a werewolf at the full moon, and explicitly denies that inheriting the disease via birth is possible.
  +
**It states that werewolves can transform into their wolfish forms by a variety of means, including by will or when forced by various phases of the moon or hearing the howl of another werewolf. According to {{FB|R}}, the full moon is the only thing that can transform a werewolf.
  +
**It claims that the [[soul]] of a werewolf is eternally damned if they have tasted human blood and cannot move on from the mortal plane upon [[death]]. However, Remus Lupin was successfully recalled from beyond the [[Veil]] using the [[Resurrection Stone]], and thus must have "passed on." Though it should be noted that he never actually killed someone in his werewolf form, as far as we know.
  +
*<span style="line-height:21px;">There is in the real world a very rare mental illness called lycanthropy, in which a patient believes he or she is an animal and behaves accordingly. This is sometimes referred to as clinical lycanthropy, to distinguish it from its meaning in folktales.</span>
  +
*In the books, it is mentioned that the werewolf resembles a normal wolf in appearance, save for a few distinguishing traits. This is not the case in the film, as Lupin in his werewolf form is shown as having a gaunt, humanoid, hairless appearance, with a coyote-like face and no tail.
  +
*Despite how the werewolf cannot be cured in Harry Potter books but in the real world, according to other myths it can be cured by medicine men and antidotes.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
  +
{{Imagecat|Images of werewolves}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' {{1st Mention}}
 
  +
*{{PS}} {{1st Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)]]'' {{Mention}} {{Comment|Heard}}
 
  +
*{{PS|F}} {{Mention}} {{Voice}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{COS}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{COS|F}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]'' {{Comment|PS1 version only}} {{Comment|Heard}}
 
  +
*{{POA}} {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' {{1st}}
 
  +
*{{POA|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{POA|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{Mention}}
+
*{{GOF}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{OOTP}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{OOTP|F}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{OOTP|G}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{HBP}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{HBP|F}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{HBP|G}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{DH}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{DH|F1}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]'' {{Comment|Appears in human form}}
+
*{{DH|G1}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
  +
*{{DH|F2}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)|Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{DH|G2}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{CC}} {{Mention}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{CC|P}} {{Mention}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
 
  +
*{{FB|F}} {{C|Mentioned on label}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''
 
  +
*{{FB|R}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
 
  +
*{{JKRS}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Pottermore]]''
 
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{LEGO|B}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
  +
*{{LEGO}}
  +
*{{HPV|CH}}
  +
*{{HPV|CR}}
  +
*{{FBC}} {{C|Appears in human form}}
  +
*{{HM}}
  +
*{{WU}}
  +
*{{PAS}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{MA}}
  +
*{{HL}} {{Mention}} {{Statue}} {{c|Seen on tapestries}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
  +
{{Creatures by classification}}
 
 
 
{{Defence Against the Dark Arts}}
 
{{Defence Against the Dark Arts}}
  +
[[de:Werwolf]]
{{Creatures by classification}}
 
  +
[[de2:Werwolf]]
 
  +
[[es:Hombre lobo]]
 
[[fi:Ihmissusi]]
 
[[fi:Ihmissusi]]
 
[[fr:Loup-garou]]
 
[[fr:Loup-garou]]
 
[[it:Lupo mannaro]]
 
[[it:Lupo mannaro]]
  +
[[ja:人狼]]
  +
[[pl:Wilkołak]]
  +
[[pt-br:Lobisomem]]
 
[[ru:Оборотень]]
 
[[ru:Оборотень]]
 
[[Category:Ailments]]
 
[[Category:Ailments]]
[[Category:Beasts]]
+
[[Category:Battle of Hogwarts participants]]
[[Category:Beings]]
+
[[Category:Blood-related magic]]
[[Category:Werewolves| ]]
+
[[Category:Boggart forms]]
[[Category:XXXXX Creatures]]
+
[[Category:Creatures found worldwide]]
  +
[[Category:Defence Against the Dark Arts]]
  +
[[Category:Forbidden Forest]]
  +
[[Category:Foundables]]
  +
[[Category:Magical powers]]
  +
[[Category:Muggle-known creatures]]
  +
[[Category:Siege of Hogwarts participants]]
  +
[[Category:Werewolves]]

Latest revision as of 23:54, 26 January 2024

"You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me!"
— Werewolf Remus Lupin regarding his affliction[src]

A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope,[1] was a creature which normally resembled a human being but, upon the complete rising of the full moon, became an uncontrollable, fearsome and deadly wolf.[1] This condition was caused by infection with lycanthropy, also known as werewolfry.[3] Werewolves were almost indistinguishable in appearance from the true wolf. The real difference was in behaviour.[1]

A mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh werewolf bite would seal the wound and allow the victim to live on as a werewolf, although tragic tales were told of bite victims begging for death rather than becoming werewolves.[1] The Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles Belby, allowed werewolf drinkers to keep their human mind during transformation.[1]

A werewolf could not choose whether or not to transform and would no longer remember who they were once transformed and were very aggressive; multiple werewolves were known to kill their best friends or loved ones while in wolf form if they were given the chance.[4] Despite this, they were able to recall everything they had experienced throughout their transformation upon reverting to their human form.[4]

Infection

"To become a werewolf, it is necessary to be bitten by a werewolf in their wolfish form at the time of the full moon. When the werewolf's saliva mingles with the victim's blood, contamination will occur."
— How a human became a werewolf[src]
FenrirGreyback werewolf

Savage werewolf Greyback in wolf form

Lycanthropy was a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood; thus, when a transformed werewolf bit a human, the bitten would become a werewolf themselves.[1] These bites, however, could also be fatal, and a mixture of silver and dittany applied to the fresh wound would seal it and allow the person to live on as a werewolf. Specifically Muggles would die from the extent of their injuries if their wounds were not sealed, as noted by Professor Marlowe Forfang, though some could survive to become werewolves themselves.[1]

Were a werewolf in human form when they bit their victim, the victim would merely gain lupine tendencies such as a fondness for raw meat.[1] Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, would leave permanent scars,[1] even if the wound was sealed.

According to Remus Lupin, werewolves rarely have children.[5] This is likely due to fears, as expressed by Lupin himself, that any children would inherit their affliction, with the danger and prejudice that comes with it. The only known human born to at least one werewolf parent (untransformed at time of conception) was Teddy Lupin, son of werewolf Remus and human metamorphmagus Nymphadora Tonks.

Despite Remus's fears, Teddy did not inherit his father's condition. However it is unknown if it definitively could not be passed on in this manner or if Teddy did not inherit the condition from pure chance, as no other cases are known. In Teddy's case, it was his father who was a werewolf, not his mother, therefore it is unknown if a pregnant female werewolf's transformations would affect the ability to carry the pregnancy to term.

FenrirGreyback PM

Greyback's appearance when in human form had a wolf-like quality

If two werewolves were to mate at the full moon, in their animal forms, it was possible for them to conceive. This was an extremely rare occurrence only known to have happened twice in recorded history. Any offspring were full wolves that were indistinguishable from mundane wolves except for their near-human intelligence and their beauty. They did not inherit the sadistic behaviours associated with lycanthropy, being no more sadistic than regular wolves.[6]

Sometime before the 1980s, a pack of lupine werewolf offspring came to live in the Forbidden Forest on the grounds of Hogwarts Castle with the permission of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the School. Rumours of a pack of werewolves inhabiting the forest soon spread among the student body. Though they posed little actual threat to students, Hogwarts staff never tried to dispel these rumours because they felt that keeping students out of the forest was highly desirable due to actual dangers present.[6]

Treatments

"The many Muggle myths and legends surrounding werewolves are, in the main, false, although some contain nuggets of truth. Silver bullets do not kill werewolves, but a mixture of powdered silver and dittany applied to a fresh bite will ‘seal’ the wound and prevent the victim bleeding to death (although tragic tales are told of victims who beg to be allowed to die rather than to live on as werewolves)."
— Treatments that could be done in order to prevent death[src]
Werewolf attack

Remus Lupin (in wolf form) attempting to attack Harry Potter and Hermione Granger

Unfortunately, there was no cure for lycanthropy. However, some of the worst effects could be mitigated by consuming Wolfsbane Potion, which allowed a werewolf to retain their human mind while transformed, thus freeing them from the worry of harming other humans or themself.[1] It was a very difficult potion to make, with many complicated ingredients.[1] According to Remus Lupin, it tasted disgusting, but sugar made it useless.[4][1]

The high cost of Wolfsbane ingredients made it virtually impossible for werewolves to brew the potion for themselves, as most were reduced to poverty and could not taste the potion without revealing their statuses.[1] Because werewolves only posed a danger to humans, companionship with animals whilst transformed was known to make the experience more bearable as the werewolf would have no-one to harm and would be less willing to harm themself.[1]

Homorphus Charm

Cecile Lee casting the Homorphus Charm against Greyback and his associates

According to Gilderoy Lockhart, the Homorphus Charm could permanently force a werewolf back into human shape. However, due to Lockhart's reputation as a liar, and the many falsehoods he told to inflate his popularity, his information is highly suspect — as is the very existence of a Homorphus Charm in the first place. However, as many of Lockhart's claims were also based on the accounts of more trustworthy wizards (accomplishments he would claim for himself, following the disposal of the originating witch or wizard), there is a chance that the charm did, in fact, exist.[7]

In the 1980s, Cecil Lee, a wizard working for the Ministry of Magic's Werewolf Capture Unit, told Jacob's sibling that he had used the Homorphus Charm during his job. However, for him, the charm "only" forced the werewolf to temporarily revert to human form rather than permanently curing them as Lockhart claimed. Though as Lee was a fan of Lockhart's, he believed that this was due to his own inability to perfectly cast the charm.[8]

Contrary to what the Muggle world believed, werewolves were not affected by silver, except in that it could be used in the mixture of powdered silver and dittany to prevent bite victims' death and would merely close their wounds to prevent bleeding after a severe werewolf attack.[1] There may certainly have been several other ways and solutions to prevent and heal werewolf injuries, as Quirinus Quirrell taught about the topic in first year Defence Against the Dark Arts class. None of them, of course, could completely cure an afflicted person once they were bitten, but could merely prevent and close the physical wounds on the skin.

Description

Monthly transformations

"There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws"
— Description of a Remus Lupin's transformation[src]
Remus Lupin turning into Werewolf

Remus Lupin transforming into a werewolf

The monthly transformation of a werewolf was extremely painful if untreated and was usually preceded and succeeded by a few days of pallor and ill health. The werewolf could display irritation towards people while in the ill following state.[1] While in their wolfish form, the werewolf would entirely lose its human sense of right or wrong. However, it is incorrect to state (as some authorities did, notably Professor Emerett Picardy in his book Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don’t Deserve to Live) that they suffered from a permanent loss of moral sense.

While human, the werewolf could be as good or kind as the next person. Alternatively, they could be dangerous even while human, as in the case of Fenrir Greyback, who attempted to bite and maim as a man and kept his nails sharpened into claw-like points for the purpose. Though werewolves usually only infected their victims through biting, they sometimes took it too far and killed their victims.[1]

Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf would attack itself out of frustration. This would leave many werewolves such as Remus Lupin with self-inflicted scars and premature ageing from the difficult transformations.[4]

Appearance and traits

Werewolf1

A werewolf (Remus Lupin) responding to the call from Sirius Black in his Animagus form

Werewolves were almost indistinguishable in appearance from the true wolf. However, they could be distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail, and their mindless hunting of humans and thus more sadistic tendencies whilst in wolf form.[1] At all other times, they appeared as normal humans, although they would age prematurely, and would gain a pallor as the full moon approached and then waned.[1] It's unclear if the premature appearance of ageing is due to the affliction or the physical and mental stress it causes.

It's possible that some individual physical traits may be present in both forms, as with Chiara Lobosca having silver/white hair in human form and similarly coloured fur in her transformed state.[6]

SiriusLupinPottermore

A werewolf could become aggressive when provoked

The real difference between a wolf and a werewolf was in behaviour.[1] Genuine wolves were not very aggressive, and the vast number of folk tales representing them as mindless predators were believed by wizarding authorities to refer to werewolves, not true wolves. Wolves were unlikely to attack a human except under exceptional circumstances. Werewolves, however, targeted humans almost exclusively and posed very little danger to any other creature.[1]

Reputation

Prejudice and discrimination

"The stigma surrounding werewolves has been so extreme for centuries that very few have married and had children."
— The prejudice surrounding werewolves in the magical community[src]
Dolores Umbridge

Dolores Umbridge, the drafter of the anti-werewolf legislation

Werewolves were generally regarded with fear and disgust by wizarding society. People seemed to think even when in human form, the werewolf could pose a danger. It was not uncommon for people known to be werewolves to be shunned by society and discriminated against within the wizarding world. It was very difficult for a werewolf to get a job in the wizarding community, especially after the passing of restrictive anti-werewolf legislation by the very prejudiced and hateful Dolores Umbridge in the 1990s.[9]

Umbridge drafted this legislation due to her irrational and vitriolic hatred for what she considered to be "half-breeds". Because of the difficulty in finding work in the wizarding world, many werewolves lived in poverty. It also forced some, like Remus Lupin to take jobs far below their abilities. After Lord Voldemort's defeat in 1998, the anti-werewolf legislation was most likely repealed by the new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his effort to reform the Ministry of Magic, therefore weeding out corruption and not tolerating prejudice and discrimination.

As a result of the anti-werewolf legislation, many werewolves suffered poverty. Remus Lupin managed to get by with the aid of his friend James Potter[10] and later by working as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Though in between he had to work at many jobs that were far below his level of abilities, resigning and moving on to another before his workmates noticed his signs of lycanthropy. Lupin did this while living in a tumbledown, semi-derelict cottage in Yorkshire. He decided to resign from this position after his condition was exposed, by Severus Snape, as most parents would not want their children being around a werewolf, despite the safety precautions Remus and Albus Dumbledore took; Remus stated that it would have been impossible for him to even attend Hogwarts as a child if it were not for Dumbledore's kindness, as other headmasters would not want a werewolf in the school.[4]

In a display of ignorance and arrogance, the Ministry expected werewolves would submit themselves to the department to sign various conducts and registries, which would also force the werewolves to promise to secure themselves from attacking others. No person would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves as werewolves, thus showing the Ministry's lack of respect of werewolves' intelligence and dignity. Lyall Lupin, in particular, regarded werewolves as "soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death", until his own son was infected as a result of his prejudicial comment.

Given Kingsley Shacklebolt's friendship with Remus Lupin and the furthering of Muggle-born and house-elf rights after 1998, it is likely that the reforms of the Ministry under Minister for Magic Shacklebolt included less prejudicial treatment of werewolves.

Renka's anti-werewolf poster

Anti-werewolf poster

In 2010, Renka was an anti-werewolf protestor in Hogsmeade. She thought they were "mindless beasts" that had to be driven out of their community. She put posters up around the village warning everyone that they were dangerous and she publicly protested in the streets. When two Hogwarts students disagreed with her, she described them to be naive. Renka thought werewolves were responsible for recent problems plauging the village, even though Abigail pointed out they couldn't do things like envelop the village in a mist. Several villagers agreed with Renka, while others like Rosmerta and Aberforth Dumbledore thought her posters were "filth" and she was "fearmongering" without a cause.[11]

Retaliation

Harry Potter: "How come they like Voldemort?"
Remus Lupin: "They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life. "
— Werewolves' involvement in the Second Wizarding War[src]
Savage FenrirGreyback PM

Fenrir Greyback, the most sadistic werewolf of modern times

Due to the oppression and discrimination they faced, some werewolves came to hate the wizarding society, and as such created their own society. Under Fenrir Greyback's leadership, this society worked to infect as many people as possible, especially children, with the goal of one day having enough strength to take control of the wizarding community.

The werewolves under Greyback's command served Lord Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War, believing that they would have a better life under his rule, though Remus Lupin spied on them for the Order of the Phoenix.[12] Death Eaters looked down on them; for example, they were not permitted to have the Dark Mark.[5] They were used as a threat to ensure ordinary citizens' compliance with Voldemort; for example, five-year-old Montgomery was fatally attacked by Greyback after his mother refused to co-operate with the Death Eaters.[12]

Although only Greyback was explicitly known to have participated, werewolves under Greyback's command may have fought alongside the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts.[5] They were most likely sentenced to Azkaban for life for uniting with Lord Voldemort, or killed for resisting arrest. It is unknown whether this was the only occurrence of the society, though it is implied that it was a new idea of Greyback's. Likewise, it is unknown whether all werewolves in the society were caught, or — as it was "underground" — some of the members evaded capture and continued their efforts.

Ministry relations

Harry Potter: "The Ministry isn't perfect, but think of all the good we've done since the Second Wizarding War ended. Werewolves used to be ostracised and discriminated against. But thanks to our outreach programme, attitudes are changing. The wizarding community is becoming more inclusive."
Constance Pickering: "I'm not discounting the progress you've made, but didn't your original proposal include providing free Wolfsbane Potions to any werewolf who wanted them? Politics and protocols prevented you from making the kind of change that would have done the most good. I know you're trying your hardest, Harry. But at its best, the Ministry is ineffective. At its worst, it's dangerous. You can try to change it, but there will always be things the Ministry simply can't do."
— Discussion of the Ministry's new progressiveness and of its limitations[src]

The Ministry of Magic attempted to regulate werewolves and thus the relationship that existed between them and the Ministry was a rocky one. According to Newton Scamander, werewolves were shunted between the Beast and Being divisions of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for years.

Werewolf Capture Unit symbol

Werewolf Capture Unit symbol

At one point, the Werewolf Registry and Werewolf Capture Unit were both in the Beast Division, while at the same time the office for Werewolf Support Services was in the Being Division. These regulations and services were ultimately a failure, as no one would be prepared to walk into the Ministry to admit themselves as werewolves, and thus none took the prescribed responsibilities of the Werewolf Code of Conduct.

The Werewolf Code of Conduct of 1637 was meant to give Werewolves a framework for co-existing safely and legally within the wizarding world. Werewolves were required to sign a copy of the Code and to promise to refrain from attacking and biting non-werewolves. They were also supposed to lock themselves away during their wolf transformation periods. As no werewolf was willing to sign it, the Ministry had huge difficulty in hunting down culprits of these attacks, such that Fenrir Greyback was able to act innocent in regards to him murdering two Muggle children.[1]

Werewolves were classified as XXXXX creatures in their transformed state.[2] Dolores Umbridge herself incorrectly referred to werewolves as half-breeds, and drafted an anti-werewolf legislation that made it almost impossible for werewolves to find a job.[9]

Even when the Ministry was taken over by the Death Eaters, the relationship between the bureaucracy and werewolves remained strained. Death Eaters and their supremacist allies looked down on werewolves, only using them as foot soldiers and to intimidate the rest of the wizarding world into submission. They did let the werewolves have more freedom of movement than before the takeover, but in no way showed they were equals; Greyback was not given the Dark Mark despite being permitted to wear the Death Eater's robe, and genuine Death Eaters looked down on him, while Greyback himself acknowledged that if he took Harry Potter to the Ministry, he would be left out of any credits for capturing him.

It was not until after the Second Wizarding War, in which Kingsley Shacklebolt took the position of Minster for Magic, did the Ministry's relationship with werewolves improve. Kingsley posthumously awarded his werewolf friend, Remus Lupin, the Order of Merlin, First Class, for his bravery in the war, the first time in history that a werewolf had been accorded this honour. The example of his life and death played an important role in lifting the stigma on werewolves among the wizarding society. The British Ministry of Magic has also setup an outreach programme, allowing the wizarding community to become more inclusive.[13]

Wizarding education

Wizarding children were educated about werewolves from a young age and information about them could be found in various Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry textbooks, for example The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.

Werewolf

Third-year DADA lesson on werewolves

Werewolves were mentioned several times in connection with Harry Potter's Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors, as they were dark creatures which were heavily studied throughout the class. Quirinus Quirrell had encountered them in the Black Forest, and at one point discussed in class how to treat werewolf bites.[14] Gilderoy Lockhart, supposedly, once defeated the Wagga Wagga Werewolf, something that may be discussed in his book Wandering with Werewolves. Lockhart eventually confessed to Ron and Harry that an 'ugly old Armenian warlock' had actually performed the rescue of a village from werewolves that he himself had taken credit for. Remus Lupin, of course, is a werewolf.

Werewolves were discussed in one of Harry Potter's third year Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, with an essay assigned by Severus Snape when he substituted for Lupin, although werewolves were not due to be covered until the last chapter of the third-year DADA textbook.[15]

Victims of lycanthropy

Werewolves

"Nearly all of them are on Voldemort's side."
— Remus Lupin regarding Greyback's pack[src]
Werewolf Notes
Unidentified medieval werewolf An unidentified medieval Lady who was transformed into a werewolf and fled from her home to protect her infant daughter. By the 1890s a series of tapestries depicting the tragic tale had been created and placed in a secret room in Hogwarts along with other werewolf memorabilia. Although possibly fictional, the Wizard's Field Guide implied there were other records of this story, meaning it was likely based on a true event.
William A 19th century wizard whose family sent him away too early before his transformation, and he died in human form.
Fenrir Greyback Leader in the werewolf community and an ally of the Death Eaters who rallied many werewolves to their side, noted to be the most savage werewolf in history, incarcerated after the Second Wizarding War.
Remus Lupin Bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child, member of the Order of the Phoenix, killed by Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Silas Crump A petty criminal and an unregistered werewolf.
Chiara Lobosca Bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child.[16] Becomes a very distinctive silver-furred werewolf.
Unidentified Dragonologist Was admitted to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after being bitten.
Unidentified werewolf Was admitted to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after being bitten, and shared a ward with Arthur Weasley after Arthur's attack by Nagini.
Anonymous author Author of Hairy Snout, Human Heart who penned a heart-rending account on his struggle against Lycanthropy in the 1970s.
Unidentified werewolf Attacked and infected Scarlett Sparks in the summer of 1985.[17]
Scarlett Sparks Attacked by an unidentified werewolf in the summer of 1985 and believed dead, later discovered to be alive and a werewolf. First known Muggle werewolf.
Fugitive werewolf Was admitted into St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, but escaped and went on the run from the Werewolf Capture Unit, but was later tracked down by Alastor Moody and Jacob's sibling and provided with the Wolfsbane Potion required for her to live a more or less normal life.
Wagga Wagga Werewolf Discussed by Gilderoy Lockhart during his time as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts and in his book Wandering with Werewolves. Lockhart may have invented this individual entirely, but since he often simply took credit for others' deeds, the werewolf itself may have existed, but been defeated by someone else.
Group of werewolves A group of werewolves living underground, most of whom joined forces with Voldemort for a promise of a better life.[12]
Gerard Grey Unable to afford brewing the Wolfsbane Potion, he hid in a forest whenever he transformed. He bit his own daughter, Abigail Grey.[18]
Abigail Grey Bitten by her own father, Gerard Grey when she followed him into a forest. Attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[18]

Other victims

"Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't — won't look the same anymore.... We don't really know what the aftereffects will be — I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time."
— Ginny regarding Greyback's attack on Bill Weasley[src]
Wizard Notes
Montgomery Attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Died from his injuries.[19]
Bill Weasley Attacked by Fenrir Greyback while he was in human form. Due to this, Bill did not become a werewolf, although he did obtain some lupine tendencies (particularly a liking for rare steaks). Also received severe facial scarring that could not be healed.[20]
Defenders of Hogwarts It can be assumed that there were more victims at the battle that suffered from lycanthrophy to some degree in later days. It would be similar to the effects suffered by Bill Weasley at the hands of Fenrir Greyback. Although Greyback was described as 'a grey streak', suggesting he was in his animalistic form, during the battle and biting people that were down, it can be assumed that he was, in fact, in human form, as Remus Lupin was also in the Battle in human form.
Lavender Brown Attacked by Fenrir Greyback during the Battle of Hogwarts,[21] died from her injuries.[22]

Known werewolves

Published works

There were many books containing information on werewolves, whether it was their main subject or was just mentioned in them:

See also

Etymology

The word werewolf is from Old English wer ("man") and wulf ("wolf").

The term comes from Ancient Greek λυκάνθρωπος, λύκος being "wolf" and άνθρωπος translating to "human".

Behind the scenes

WerewolfPM

A werewolf as depicted on Pottermore

WerewolfWU

A werewolf as shown on Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Werewolf - PAS

A werewolf as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

  • In other media, they look more like amalgamations of humans and wolves.
  • The werewolf is a creature found in the folklore of many European countries. Traditionally, a werewolf is a human who transforms into a wolf (as depicted in the Harry Potter books) but in some modern depictions, the werewolf instead transforms into a man/wolf hybrid (as depicted in the Harry Potter films).
  • Professor Quirinus Quirrell had the first-year Defence Against the Dark Arts class copy notes about how to treat werewolf bites. Also, Professor Severus Snape assigned an essay during the 1993-1994 school year when he substituted for Lupin, although werewolves were not due to be covered until the last chapter of the third-year DADA textbook. In Snape's case, this was an attempt to expose Lupin by having one of the students work out his secret (which Hermione Granger did, although she kept the secret rather than exposing it, as Snape had intended).
  • Draco Malfoy once claimed that there were werewolves in the Forbidden Forest. A wolf pack actually lives in the forest, the cubs of two werewolves that mated during a full moon, however, they were just beautiful and highly intelligent wolves. Despite this, rumours of savage werewolves living in the forest spread amongst the student body of Hogwarts, rumours that the staff let spread in hopes to help keep students out of the forest.[1] During the detention in the Forbidden Forest, Harry Potter asked Rubeus Hagrid if it was possible that a werewolf could be killing the unicorns in the forest, but Hagrid stated that werewolves aren't fast enough.[23]
  • Tom Riddle once accused Rubeus Hagrid of raising "werewolf cubs" under his bed as a youngster. Since Riddle was trying to frame Hagrid, the veracity of his statement is questionable. Regarding this, Harry Potter series author J. K. Rowling stated in response to a fan question "Riddle was telling lies about Hagrid, just slandering him."[24]
  • Lord Voldemort referred to werewolf offspring as cubs another time. When at the Malfoy Manor, he ridicules the Malfoys and Bellatrix about the marriage of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, asking Draco if he will "babysit the cubs." Given his purist attitude and disdain for 'half-breeds,' this is far more likely to be a derogatory insult rather than an implication that lycanthropy is inheritable.
  • In the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, after Lupin is irritable with Harry, Mr Weasley says that "his condition takes its toll;" later on Tonks explains that "the first night of the cycle is always the worst." This could imply- though nothing like this was mentioned in the books- that werewolves suffer symptoms other than the transformation itself, which either directly or indirectly make them less patient and harsher than they would normally be. What night the cycle begins with is unknown, though the full moon itself, the night after, or the new moon is most likely.
    • This could also be a side effect of the "illness" described during the week leading up to the full moon.
  • A prop made for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban includes a large number of werewolf lore from the 1995 video game The Beast Within, but as this text includes several ideas that contradict higher sources, it should not necessarily be considered canon to the Harry Potter universe.[3] The contradictory claims include:
    • It identifies several other ways to become a werewolf other than being bitten. These included being given the power of shapeshifting via sorcery, the Lycacomia Curse, and being born to a werewolf. Pottermore, however, clarifies that the only way to become a werewolf is via the bite of a werewolf at the full moon, and explicitly denies that inheriting the disease via birth is possible.
    • It states that werewolves can transform into their wolfish forms by a variety of means, including by will or when forced by various phases of the moon or hearing the howl of another werewolf. According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the full moon is the only thing that can transform a werewolf.
    • It claims that the soul of a werewolf is eternally damned if they have tasted human blood and cannot move on from the mortal plane upon death. However, Remus Lupin was successfully recalled from beyond the Veil using the Resurrection Stone, and thus must have "passed on." Though it should be noted that he never actually killed someone in his werewolf form, as far as we know.
  • There is in the real world a very rare mental illness called lycanthropy, in which a patient believes he or she is an animal and behaves accordingly. This is sometimes referred to as clinical lycanthropy, to distinguish it from its meaning in folktales.
  • In the books, it is mentioned that the werewolf resembles a normal wolf in appearance, save for a few distinguishing traits. This is not the case in the film, as Lupin in his werewolf form is shown as having a gaunt, humanoid, hairless appearance, with a coyote-like face and no tail.
  • Despite how the werewolf cannot be cured in Harry Potter books but in the real world, according to other myths it can be cured by medicine men and antidotes.

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 92 images related to Werewolf.

Notes and references

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Werewolves" at Wizarding World
  2. 2.0 2.1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (see this image)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
  7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  8. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 1, Side Quest "Hallowe'en Feast"
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  10. J.K. Rowling's Comments at Carnegie Hall
  11. Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Where's Wolf, Chapter I: Hogsmeade Here I Come!
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  13. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Brilliant Event: Constance's Lament
  14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 13 (Nicolas Flamel)
  15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 9 (Grim Defeat)
  16. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 1, "Howling Hallowe'en" Achievement
  17. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, Side Quest "Penny for Your Thoughts"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Where's Wolf, Chapter II: A Wolf in Witch's Robes
  19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 22 (After the Burial)
  20. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 29 (The Phoenix Lament)
  21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand)
  22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  23. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 15 (The Forbidden Forest)
  24. Barnes and Noble Yahoo! Chat, available here
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
Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
Subjectsdada
D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie