Erumpents were very large magical beasts from Africa with horns that contained a fluidic substance that could explode. Erumpent horns were also all the rage in the black markets, along with their thick hide, impenetrable by curses, charms, and spells of a wizard or witch. They weighed almost a tonne and were about five times the size of a hippopotamus. The population of these creatures was very low because most male erumpents would blow themselves up during the mating season.
History
An Erumpent is a large grey African beast of great power known to be several times the size of most of its Muggle ‘relatives’ like the hippo and rhino. It was considered quite a dangerous creature in the wizarding world despite being tame until provoked. This title was because of the exploding fluid that resided inside its horn, which, when attacked, could be fatal. It was known to be a deadly fluid that burst spontaneously after it struck someone with its horn.
Most Erumpent parts were also used in potions as ingredients. Interestingly, in the Muggle world, an awareness program for the preservation of Rhinos was conducted in South Africa by drawing parallels between Erumpents and Rhinos, and many Harry Potter fans participated.
Appearance
The Erumpent was a very large animal, resembling a rhinoceros from the Muggle world, but with a roundish body. It had a sharp horn near its nasal cavity and a glowing cloudy mass around the base of the horn, which contained the explosive fluid. It had a thick, rope-like tail but looked very thin in proportion to its body. Its single long horn, which contained an explosive fluid, could explode the injected object it would attack.
Male Erumpents carried a musk, which helped them attract females of their species during mating season. Since the Erumpent was a huge grey African magical beast, it was easily spotted in the jungle or in whichever habitat one would find. It was seen extensively in African forests, and African wizards approached it with great caution and respect so as not to upset it. They rarely attacked humans despite being very powerful creatures among the magical creatures.
Abilities and Magical Traits
In the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by the Magizoologist Newt Scamander, he explains that their skin is very thick and can withstand spells and charms with great ease and that they resemble a rhinoceros, especially when seen from a distance. They had several body parts considered Class B tradeable materials, including their horn and hide, which were valuable in the black market. Even their tail and the fluid stored in their horns were sold at high prices in the black markets.
Erumpent numbers steadily declined as most males were known to explode during mating season. Furthermore, a female could only give birth to one calf at a time, making it difficult for their species to increase easily. Their explosive horn was known to inject an explosive fluid into anyone it attacked.
Appearance in the Harry Potter Universe
The first recorded Erumpent attack on a wizard happened in the 12th century. The first wizard to be poked by an Erumpent was Wilfred Elphick, who survived the attack despite the notion that they exploded anything that they poked. The case of Wilfred Elphick was very unusual and strange because a person whom an Erumpent attacked seldom survived. Wilfred Elphick was immortalized through a Chocolate Frog card, where he appears wearing bandages.
In the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the famed Magizoologist Newton Scamander has a suitcase filled with magical beasts, which he brought to New York in 1926. An Erumpent is also present in that suitcase. When the suitcase is accidentally exchanged with one of Jacob Kowalski’s, the Erumpent and several other animals escape. It was later found by the duo of Newt and Jacob in Central Park Zoo near an enclosure of a hippopotamus.
Since it was a female Erumpent, Newt Scamander tried to capture it by applying some musk on himself and performing a mating dance. However, it was distracted by Jacob Kowalski getting doused by Erumpent musk after a seal from the zoo threw a fish at him, and he dropped the vial containing the musk on himself. Newt finally managed to capture it after it poked its horn into a tree. Interestingly, the tree did not explode, which was one of the rare occasions, like the case of Wilfred Elphick, where the fluid just harmed the host’s tissue without inflicting lasting damage.
During Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna Lovegood’s father, to ask him about a necklace he was wearing at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. It was revealed that this necklace had the Deathly Hallows symbol on it. Eventually, when the trio looked around the house, they found an Erumpent horn. Hermione warned Xenophilius about the risk of keeping an Erumpent horn in the house, but the latter constantly claimed that it was a horn of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
Finally, when the Death Eaters arrived to take Harry Potter captive after Xenophilius tipped them off in exchange for his daughter, who had been kidnapped, one of the spells cast accidentally landed on the Erumpent horn. A significant portion of the house exploded.
Erumpents and the Strange Case of the Rhino Horn
Erumpent parts, especially the horn, are known for being very valuable in the black market. Their horns are also very dangerous because of their explosive nature. Interestingly, even the horn of its Muggle world counterpart, the rhino, is equally valuable in the Muggle black markets. Rhino horn is an essential ingredient in several concoctions used in Ancient Chinese medicine. However, more interestingly, the Rhino horn is also used as an aphrodisiac and has gained notoriety for replacing most drugs like Viagra and for being used as a medicinal extract to cause better erections in men.
While the science of this medicine is not sound, and there have not been any studies to confirm this, like the Erumpent population, the rhino population has been dwindling significantly due to these unnecessarily bloated claims.
FAQs
What is an Erumpent in Harry Potter?
An Erumpent is a large magical beast in the Harry Potter series. It is similar to a rhinoceros in appearance, and some even compare it to a hippopotamus. However, an adult grew to almost five times the size of the hippo, which is why it was considered a large beast. It was mostly found in the African continent and was known to possess an explosive fluid inside its horn.
What is the origin of the word erumpent?
The word erumpent meant a situation in which something (especially plant parts) burst out of an overlying structure. The magical beast in the Harry Potter series may have been named after this word because of its explosive horns. The word erumpent comes from the Latin ērumpēns, which means to burst out.
What was the horn in the Lovegood house?
The horn kept in the Lovegood house was the horn of an Erumpent. However, Xenophilius Lovegood, the father of Luna Lovegood, who was a collector of strange items, seemed to think that the horn was the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Despite Hermione Granger’s constant attempts to convince him that it was an Erumpent horn and very dangerous to be kept at home, he insisted that it was the horn of a Crumple Horned-Snorkack.
