Wampus cat

SPECIES INFORMATION

EYE COLOUR

Yellow

HAIR COLOUR

Light brown and white

RELATED TO

Cat

NATIVE TO

Appalachian Mountains, North America

MORTALITY

Mortal

DISTINCTION

Eyes capable of hypnosis and legilimency

Incredibly fast and strong

Almost impossible to kill

MINISTRY OF MAGIC CLASSIFICATION

Beast

XXXXX

STATUS

Extant

A fast and powerful cat native to Appalachia

DESCRIPTION

The Wampus cat was a magical cat native to the United States. It was one of the four house symbols of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Description

Somewhat resembling the mundane mountain lion or cougar in size and appearance, the Wampus Cat was native to the Appalachian Mountains. It could walk on its hind legs, outrun arrows, and its yellow eyes were reputed to have the power of both hypnosis and Legilimency. The Wampus cat was fast, strong, and almost impossible to kill.

The Cherokee have most extensively studied the Wampus Cat, with whom they share their native region, and only they have ever succeeded in procuring Wampus cat hair for use as a wand core.

History

Isolt and the Pukwudgie William took trips to observe these creatures and watched newborn Wampus kittens playing. One of the four houses of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded in the 17th century, was named after the Wampus cat. This name of the house was decided by Webster Boot. Isolt Sayre and James Steward also used the hair for some of their wands.

In 1832, wizard Abel Treetops of Cincinnati claimed to have patented a method of taming Wampus Cats for use as guards over wizarding houses. Treetops was exposed as a fraud when MACUSA raided his home and found him putting Engorgement Charms on Kneazles.

The famous wandmaker Johannes Jonker used the hair of this species as a wand core in the early 20th century.

During the 1990–1991 school year, a rogue Wampus cat attacked and injured both Dolores Umbridge and Ismelda Murk in Hogsmeade. Because the creature hypnotised them both, they could only remember seeing its yellow eyes, leaving them to believe it was a werewolf. Jacob's sibling investigated the case with the Beast Division. Jacob's sibling later located the loose beast at Hogsmeade station.