Red Caps

A Red Cap was a dwarf-like magical beast said to be very dangerous for Muggles who came across them alone but were otherwise easy to outwit for wizards or witches as they were scared of charms, spells, and hexes. Red Caps got their name from the fact that they would smear blood on their caps, turning them red. They were known to be easily repelled by hexes or charms and were hence no threat to wizards and witches.

Origins

Red Caps are actually mythological creatures in the Muggle world that are known to kill people who are lost and then smear their blood all over their heads. Hence, they are called Red Caps. They were dwarf-like magical beasts with the ability to hunt down humans and kill them despite their small size. The Red Cap’s hole was an ideal place for it to hide until some unsuspecting person wanders near it. Most Red Caps dwelled in these holes, which were almost always found in battlegrounds where there were a lot of corpses and bloodshed.

It is believed that Red Caps would attack unsuspecting victims with their clubs and soil their caps with the blood of their victims. When the blood dried out and the color of their cap faded, they would hunt down new victims. The only known deterrents to Red Caps in the Muggle world were words from the Bible, crosses, and cross-handled swords. Red Caps were very swift in their foot despite wearing heavy iron boots.

Description

Red Caps grew to about four feet tall and were, therefore, dwarf-like creatures that were not as tall as humans. However, they posed a great threat to Muggles because of their interest in blood. A major part of their threatening nature to Muggles came solely from their need for blood. Otherwise, they were practically harmless to Muggles, unlike practitioners of Dark Arts like Lord Voldemort, or magical beasts and beings like the centaur, acromantula, kappa, and graphorn. 

Red Caps were known to be three to four feet tall and were said to possess green skin, red eyes, and long sharp nails. They carried around clubs usually made of bones that were abandoned in the battlefields they resided in. They used these clubs to attack unsuspecting Muggles who loitered around their residence. 

Red Caps were similar in appearance to a goblin, especially in height and stature. Although dangerous to Muggles, they were practically harmless to wizards and witches. They were easily repelled by spells and charms, and even a novice wizard or witch could easily outwit a Red Cap. 

Since a Red Cap mostly stayed in holes or burrows that were close to the supply of blood of his victims, potholes of old battlefields and dungeons of castles that had been ruined by war were the most likely places to find a Red Cap. Other than spells and charms, Red Caps were also repelled by the use of the beautification potion on them. Their sudden temporary beautiful appearance was very repulsive to them, and they ran away angry and with no intention to harm others. Red Caps were also rarely dangerous during their mating season as they were more inclined to fight each other than hurt anyone who visited their residence.

Red Caps in the Wizarding World

The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, which is a Championship in the Wonderbook: Book of Potions, an augmented reality book designed for Harry Potter fans, was conducted in an enchanted garden that had an ancient battlefield. This battlefield was infested with a lot of Red Caps, and several participants who took part in the Championship would have to evade these Red Caps. 

In the video game, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Jacob’s sibling, Charlie Weasley, and another friend came across a Red Cap when they were trying to search for the arrowhead of Torvus’s Arrow. They tried using a Niffler called Sickleworth, who went into the hole, but after a short while, they encountered a Red Cap. They quickly used the Beautification Potion and scared the Red Cap away. Jacob’s sibling comes across this Red Cap several times when he goes to the same spot in the Forbidden Forest again, one of which he does with Fred and George Weasley, and they throw a Dungbomb at the Red Cap.

Red Caps in the Harry Potter Series

Red Caps were one of the magical beings studied by the third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class taught by Professor Lupin. Other magical beings and beasts studied in his class include the Bowtruckle, Boggart, Grindylow, and many others. Hermione Granger mentions the Red Caps in passing when she tells Professor Snape about the magical beings covered in the DADA classes by Professor Lupin. They also appeared in the DADA final exams as a part of an obstacle course where each student had to face the Red Caps and outwit them. Harry had already learnt the Patronus Charm and that became easy for him to face his Boggart which was a Dementor. 

Red Caps are also featured in the Lego Harry Potter series, where they had a red mushroom instead of a red cap. They were also said to have Voldemort-like faces and beards.

Red Caps – An Annoyance

Red Caps are known to be dwarfish creatures with an interest in human blood. While they can be dangerous to Muggles, especially because of how unsuspecting Muggles would be of a sudden attack by a Red Cap in an abandoned battlefield, they are mostly harmless to wizards and witches. However, the traits of a Red Cap border on annoyance – something that is not seen in most magical beings. For instance, a Dementor would cause fear and despair in a wizard or a witch, and a House-Elf would serve a wizard or witch, thereby causing a sense of comfort. However, a Red Cap is easily thwarted with a spell or two and is almost always never a threat, but creates an annoying situation for any wizard or witch who comes in its way.

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