Lesson 3 – Doxy, Fairy, Erkling

Available: Oct 16
Due Date: Nov 5. Please try to hand in assignments before the due date. Due to time zones, while you may think you still have an hour left, in actuality the assignment may have closed 2 hours ago.

DOXY – MoMC- XXX

The Doxy, otherwise known as the Biting Fairy, is quite often mistaken for a fairy- even though they are a completely different species. It has a tiny human form that is covered in thick black hair, and it has an extra pair of arms and legs. The wings of a Doxy are thick, curved and shiny- they can be compared to the wings of a beetle. Doxies are found throughout northern Europe and America. They much prefer the colder climates. Doxies lay up to 500 eggs at a time, and then they bury them all. After 2-3 weeks the eggs hatch. Grown doxies have a double row of sharp, venomous teeth and if a person is bitten, an antidote should be taken immediately.


ERKLING – MoMC- XXXX

Originating in the Black Forest in Germany, the Erkling is an elf-like creature. It averages 3 feet high, just larger than a gnome, with a pointed face and a high-pitched cackle. The laugh is especially captivating to children. The Erkling will lure children away from their guardians using their cackle, and eat them. The German Ministry of Magic have set out strict controls and have reduced the number of Erkling killings dramatically over the last few centuries. The last known Erkling attack was upon the Bruno Schmidt, a young 6-year-old boy. The attack resulted in the death of the Erkling when Bruno hit it over the head with his father’s collapsible cauldron. Not just for brewing potions you know!


FAIRY – MoMC- XX

Pixies, Leprechauns and Elves all belong to the family known as “fairies”. They are often referred to as ‘little people’, ‘wee folk’ or ‘good folk’. Fairies range in height from 1-5 inches; they have a small humanoid body, head and limbs. But they have large insect-like wings that may be transparent of multi-coloured- depending on its type. Fairies have very limited magic. It can only be used to put off predators, such as the Augurey. Fairies cannot speak despite the human-like appearance. Instead they make a high-pitched buzzing noise to communicate. They are found to inhabit glades or woodlands. Fairies are best known in their British forms, but can be found in legends and myths throughout the world. They make up a vast community of magical creatures who are occasionally seen by humans.

The word ‘fairy’ comes from the Latin fata, or fate; which refers to the mythical Fates, three women who spin the threads of life (controlling each person’s destiny). Similar to the Fates, fairies were thought to be active participants in muggle lives. In the Middle Ages some diseases were thought to be the work of fairies. Bruises, cramps and pains were said to be the pinching fingers of angry fairies. Anyone who had a heart attack or paralysis were said to have been ‘elf shot’ by an invisible arrow. They are quite vain, but when it is time to be used as a decoration, they are very docile. Fairies have little intelligence, but are small and decorative beasts. They are commonly conjured by wizards for decoration. Fairies lay up to 50 eggs at a time on the underside of a leaf. The eggs hatch into larvae that are brightly coloured. At 6-10 days the larvae spin a cocoon from which they leave after 1 month. When they emerge the fairies are a fully formed, winged adult. If a muggle were to enter a fairy kingdom, they would become lost in time, and emerge years later, thinking it had been merely seconds. Fairies often leave evidence of their previous night’s dances and festivities. It is said that when fairies dance under the stars, the next morning the spot will be marked by a circle of bright green and matted down grass, known as a ‘fairy ring’. Theoretically a wish made while standing in the centre of a fairy ring under a full moon is said to come true. Any muggle that walks into a fairy ring, while they are still dancing, will be compelled to dance to the point of exhaustion. They can only be saved by another muggle who is still outside of the circle. The rings have been found across Europe and North America. They range from a few inches to as much as 200 feet in diameter.

Please be sure to complete Assignment 3 .

Also used for this lesson: The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter by Allan Zola Kronzek and Elizabeth Kronzek