Things You Didn't Know About Magical Creatures In 'Harry Potter' If You've Only Seen The Movies

Buckbeak the hippogriff is on the run far away from England for a year until Sirius returns to the country, and they are both confined to 12 Grimmauld Place. Buckbeak stays in the room that once belonged to Sirius' mother, and after Sirius passes away, returns to Hogwarts to live with Hagrid again.

Because Buckbeak is technically still sentenced for execution, Hagrid calls him “Witherwings” to keep the creature from being exposed to the Ministry.

Buckbeak ultimately fights in the Battle of Hogwarts alongside Thestrals in order to defend the school from the Death Eaters - he survives the conflict and remains at Hogwarts, presumably under his real name.

Firenze the centaur becomes the new Divination teacher at Hogwarts after Dolores Umbridge sacks Sybill Trelawney. Firenze makes it out of the Forbidden Forest only due to Hagrid's kindness because the other centaurs nearly kick him to his demise.

Centaurs consider any form of employment under humans to be a disgrace and would rather take Firenze's life than have him work for Hogwarts. Hagrid is in the vicinity when he witnesses the centaurs mauling Firenze and intervenes on his behalf.

The film version of Goblet of Fire makes merpeople look like savages who can communicate only underwater. In the books, merpeople are like humans and capable of experiencing humor - they laugh at Harry when he asks them for help during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Merpeople can have conversations with humans above water as well, as seen when Merchieftainess Murcus speaks with Albus Dumbledore. Mermish is the official language of the merpeople, and wizards can learn it to communicate with this species. 

The Weasleys comes up with a plan so that Ron can go on the Horcrux hunt with Harry without making the Ministry suspicious because he's not at Hogwarts. Instead, they find a way for him to be at home due to illness: Fred, George, and Arthur Weasley transform the ghoul that lives in their attic so that it resembles Ron with the disease spattergroit.

Spattergroit is an infection featuring purple pustules - the ghoul's appearance is used to pass it off as Ron with the disease. Because spattergroit is highly contagious, the Ministry wizards accept the story without checking on Ron in person, and list him as a student unable to attend Hogwarts due to sick leave. 

Owls in the Wizarding World serve as both pets and the postal service. Unlike in Muggle mail systems, owls don't need an address to deliver messages and can find the intended recipient simply by name.

Harry never tells Hedwig where Sirius is hiding, for example, yet the owl knows every time where she has to go. Hedwig is able to find Sirius even when Harry uses the “Snuffles” alias for him - Harry only needs to verbally clarify that Snuffles is Sirus.

On Harry's 13th birthday, Hedwig and an owl from Hogwarts support the Weasleys' owl Errol by figuring out he's going to Harry's location and help the elderly owl by carrying him.

Butterbeer has very low levels of alcohol content, which makes it virtually impossible for humans to become inebriated by drinking it. House-elves, however, have smaller bodies that don't tolerate alcohol, plus they have different body chemistry from humans.

Winky the House-elf becomes addicted to butterbeer during her depression after she's sacked by Barty Crouch Sr. Winky's consumption of butterbeer is so severe that it nearly proves fatal to her, and Dobby has to force her to stop drinking. 

Dobby learns about the Room of Requirement when he finds antidotes to butterbeer there, and later tells Harry about it so he can arrange Dumbledore's Army lessons in the room.