is magically altered in appearance to resemble Ron as cover for his absence from school. The ghoul is enthusiastic about this and seems to relish the attention it receives. In 12 Grimmauld Place there is also a ghoul in "an upstairs bathroom". The Weasleys have gnomes all over their garden and in their shed, bushes, Wellington boots, and more. They are quarrelsome and seem to know many obscenities, which they were supposedly taught by Fred and George Weasley. Crookshanks likes to chase the gnomes while visiting; the rest of the family deals with them by physically throwing them off the grounds. In Deathly Hallows one bites Luna Lovegood; whereas Fred is bitten by one in Half-Blood Prince and as a punishment stuns it, paints it gold, gives it a miniature tutu with wings and hangs it on top of the Christmas tree as an angel. Hagrid's pets Over the course of the series, Hagrid cares for a large number of animals, many of them dangerous, including Aragog (a giant talking spider or 'Acromantula'), Buckbeak (Hippogriff), Fang (boarhound), Fluffy (Three-Headed Dog), Norbert (Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon; later revealed by Charlie Weasley to actually be female and renamed Norberta), and Tenebrus (Thestral). Hagrid's love for animals gets him the teaching job for Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts beginning in Prisoner of Azkaban, following the retirement of the course's previous instructor. In their fourth year, Harry and his classmates take care of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts (a crustacean-like predator), one of which (grown to giant size) is placed in the hedge maze for the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Although its exoskeleton can repel spells, Harry is able to pass it unhurt. They also have lessons on Nifflers, Unicorns, Fire Salamanders and Flobberworms. See also Care of Magical Creatures Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them References Sources Fictional elements introduced in 1997 Creatures Fantasy creatures Ghosts in written fiction Lists of fictional animals in literature Lists of fictional species