The Harry Potter series has become a pop culture phenomenon, thanks to its numerous lovable characters and intricate magical world. However, the characters' pets also steal the spotlight on many occasions. These magical and non-magical creatures have impressed fans with their loyalty, power, and important role in the story.
In the Wizarding World, witches and wizards have loyal companions in the forms of cats, owls, and the occasional dangerous beast to get them through tough times. Whether it's a cowardly dog with plenty of love to give or a fire-breathing dragon who is more deadly than delightful, there's a Wizarding pet for everyone.
10 Fang
Fang was an enormous but gentle Neapolitan Mastiff dog that lived in Hagrid's hut and often accompanied him on trips to the Forbidden Forest and around the Hogwarts grounds. He was easily the most inoffensive of Hagrid's dangerous magical pets and even something of a coward.
Fang was always happy to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione whenever they visited Hagrid, immediately jumping on them and giving them affection. Even though he didn't play a crucial role during Harry Potter, Fang was still present during several skirmishes, including the assault on Hagrid's hut in Order of the Phoenix and the Battle of Hogwarts.
9 Arnold
When Ginny visited Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for the first time, she was immediately taken with the purple Pygmy Puffs—miniaturized Puffskeins that resembled small balls of fur—her brothers had on sale. After convincing her mother to buy one for her, she named her new pet Arnold and took him with her to Hogwarts.
Arnold accompanied Ginny during her hardest and happiest year in school as she navigated her OWLs, her relationship with Harry, and Voldemort's rise to power. When he wasn't playing with his owner, Arnold was either perched on her shoulder or hiding from Crookshanks, who held a particular fascination with the small creature.
8 Pigwidgeon
The Prisoner of Azkaban revealed that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew, so Sirius gifted Ron a tiny, excitable scops owl that Ginny later named Pigwidgeon, or "Pig." Ron was initially excited to have his own pet, but as he spent more time with Pig, he realized that the owl was more noisy and annoying than he had expected.
Pig's hyper personality also seemed to bother others of his kind, like Hedwig, so Ron kept him in his room for most of the year. Until the Golden Trio left for the Horcrux hunt, Pigwidgeon handled all of Ron's mail delivery to and from Harry and Hermione's houses. It was fitting that Ron had a pet as silly as him.
7 Norberta
In Philosopher's Stone, a stranger gifted Hagrid a dragon egg from a stranger, which he kept it in his house in hopes of fulfilling his lifelong dream of raising a dragon. When the egg hatched, out came a Norwegian Ridgeback baby that Hagrid lovingly christened Norbert.
Harry and Ron eventually managed to convince Hagrid to send Norbert to live in a Romanian dragon sanctuary where Ron's brother, Charlie, worked. Six years later, Hagrid asked Charlie about the creature during a meeting at The Burrow. Much to Hagrid's surprise, Charlie revealed that "Norbert" was actually a female called Norberta.
6 Buckbeak
Buckbeak was a magnificent stormy gray hippogriff that lived on the Hogwarts grounds with his herd. As a proud creature, Buckbeak expected humans to bow as a show of respect before approaching. When Draco Malfoy taunted Buckbeak in The Prisoner of Azkaban, the hippogriff did what every fan wanted and kicked him.
After the incident, the Ministry of Magic sentenced Buckbeak to death, but Harry and Hermione managed to save him with the help of the Time-Turner, and he escaped with Sirius on his back. Sirius kept him as a pet for about two years until his death. From then on, Harry owned Buckbeak and returned him to Hogwarts with the name of Witherwings.
5 Aragog
When Hagrid was a Hogwarts student, he secretly raised an Acromantula named Aragog. Before the Harry Potter series, Tom Riddle framed Aragog as Slytherin's monster and suggested that Hagrid was the Heir of Slytherin. To save Aragog, Hagrid took him to the deepest parts of the Forbidden Forest where the giant spider would be able to live in peace with others of his species.
Aragog was incredibly intelligent, capable of human speech, and was supremely afraid of his natural enemy, the Basilisks. Though he fed on human flesh, Aragog loved and respected Hagrid, and he ordered his many children to do the same.
4 Crookshanks
In Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione entered the pet store in Diagon Alley in search of an owl, but she instead left with a large orange cat. The ginger cat had a squashed face and was presumably half-Kneazle due to his lion-like appearance, above-average intelligence, and innate ability to identify untrustworthy individuals.
Crookshanks spent most of the Golden Trio's third year helping Sirius capture and kill Peter Pettigrew, who had disguised himself in his Animagus form as the Weasleys' pet rat, Scabbers. Crookshanks survived the Second Wizarding War and lived to a 'ripe old age' by Hermione's side.
3 Nagini
Nagini was once a woman who could transform into a snake at will. However, Nagini somehow came into Voldemort's possession. He transformed her into a snake permanently, and she became one of his strongest murder weapons.
Voldemort valued Nagini's incredible power and kept her close at all times. He used her venom to stay alive before his rebirth and later had her attack several of his enemies, like Mr. Weasley, Harry, and Snape. Neville eventually killed her during the Battle of Hogwarts. Although Voldemort used her for evil, she was one of the most loyal and powerful pets in Harry Potter.
2 Fawkes
Fans can easily recognize Fawkes for his red and gold plumage. The phoenix was Dumbledore's noble and devoted pet. He had a deep bond with the old wizard and, due to his immortality, had been by his side for many decades. Sometime before the start of Harry Potter, Fawkes donated two of his feathers, which were later used as the cores in Harry and Voldemort's wands.
Fawkes became a symbol of hope and strength, as he frequently appeared in times of need, like when Harry was stuck in the Chamber of Secrets. He had several impressive abilities; he could Apparate himself and others in a flash of fire, heal most injuries with his tears, carry several people at once, and instill courage in others with his song. After Dumbledore's death, he returned to the wild.
1 Hedwig
For Harry's eleventh birthday, Hagrid bought him his first present: a female snowy owl that Harry called Hedwig after a historical character in A History of Magic. Hedwig was intelligent, beautiful, and Harry's most loyal companion. She often delivered Harry's letters back and forth from his friends' houses.
At many points throughout Harry Potter, Hedwig was Harry's only connection to the Wizarding world, especially when he was sequestered in his room at the Durleys' home. After seven years at Harry's side, Hedwig died during the Battle of the Seven Potters because of a Death Eater's stray Killing Curse.