Muggles or No-Majs! Before you go to see the latest Harry Potter movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we present to you Geek God Review’s guide in watching the film, complete with list of Beasts, characters and spells, for a nice and worry-free experience. Enjoy!

Characters

Newt Scamander

(Born 1897, Order of Merlin, Second Class. Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff) Newton Artemis Fido “Newt” Scamander was a famed Magizoologist and author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Scamander developed an interest in magical creatures early in life, influenced by his mother’s breeding of hippogriffs. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was Sorted into Hufflepuff House and later expelled.

Scamander joined the Ministry of Magic, spending two years in the Office for House-Elf Relocation before joining the Beast Division. In 1918, he was commissioned by Augustus Worme of Obscurus Books to write Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The book became a best seller, making Scamander a respected expert in the field of Magizoology.

Newt was a sweet, awkward cinnamon roll.

In his personal life, Scamander married Porpentina Goldstein, and fathered at least one child. By the beginning of the 1990s, he was retired and living in Dorset.

Gellert Grindelwald

The dark wizard before Voldemort, best friend (and love interest) of Albus Dumbledore (gasp), he was considered one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of all time. He was educated at Durmstrang Institute until his twisted, dark experiments resulted in his expulsion. Later he fostered a friendship with Dumbledore, making plans to find the Deathly Hallows and lead a Wizarding revolution to end the International Statute of Secrecy and creating a benevolent global order led by wise and powerful witches and wizards that dominated Muggles. Their partnership fell apart after the two were involved in a three-way duel with Aberforth Dumbledore that resulted in Ariana Dumbledore’s death.

Grindelwald left Britain and soon stole the Elder Wand from Mykew Gregorovitch, proceeding alone with the revolution he and Dumbledore had planned. He established a power base in continental Europe at the fortress Nurmengard. Grindelwald was a complex figure, highly idealistic but marred by his links with the Dark Arts. A revolutionary operating outside the law, he and his followers committed numerous crimes, including several known murders. In 1945, at the height of his power, Dumbledore confronted and defeated him in a legendary duel. He was subsequently imprisoned in his own fortress for decades, and was slain there by Voldemort in 1998 when he refused to give up information on the Elder Wand.

Places

MACUSA

The Magical Congress of the United States of America (shortened MACUSA) is the magical body in charge of governing the wizarding population of the United States of America. It is led by the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Unlike the No-Maj United States Congress, which is divided into a House of Representatives and a Senate, the MACUSA is unicameral.The MACUSA is located within the Woolworth Building in downtown New York City and has hundreds of storeys.

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ilvermorny is the American wizarding school, located on Mount Greylock in modern day Massachusetts.It accepts students from all over North America. Students of this school, as at Hogwarts in Scotland, are sorted into four houses.

Spells

Accio– (Scene: Used in summoning the egg from Jacob, on the Niffler, and on Grindelwald). The incantation for my favorite spell, the Summoning Charm, this was used widely in the movie. It is simple a spell (used by Harry in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and shortly after the events in the Priori Incantatem chapter, my favorite part). I wonder why not used Expelliarmus though on the scene before Grindelwald was revealed.

Obliviate- (Scene: Used and mentioned throughout the film) The incantation of the Memory Charm, also known as a Forgetfulness Charm, was a spell that could be used to erase memories from an individual’s mind. It was different from the charm that creates false memories. First used in Chamber of Secrets, especially by Gilderoy Lockhart.

Alohamora- (Scene: used by Scamander inside the bank, used by Quennie Goldstein inside the MACUSA office). The most popular spell (aside from Wingardium Leviosa), first used in Sorcerer’s Stone, it is the incantation for opening locked doors and stuff. The Unlocking Charm, also known as the Thief’s Friend, it is a charm that unlocks and opens doors and windows that are not protected by magic. It is also able to open doors locked by its counter spell Colloportus.

Petrificus Totalus– (Scene: used by Scamander on the bank manager) Another popular one used by Hermione on Neville in the Sorcerer’s Stone,  it is the incantation for the Full Body-Bind Curse, also known as the Body Freezing Spell, it s a curse that paralyses the opponent. It is often used by inexperienced or young wizards in duelling. This curse can be found in Curses and Counter-Curses by Vindictus Viridian.

Protego Horriblis- (Scene: the cool part where the Aurors sealed off the subway station) is the incantation to a stronger version of the Shield Charm which protects a very large area against highly Dark Magic. It causes anything within the ranges of Dark Magic, except the Killing Curse, to rebound off of the shield or dissipate. The only known way to deflect the Killing Curse is sacrificial protection, of which someone dies to save someone else, using the magic of love.

Beasts

Billywig– an insect native to Australia. This is believed to be a component in the popular sweet Fizzing Whizbees. According to Scamander’s book, Billywig is rarely noticed by Muggles and often not by wizards until they have been stung, by which you will suffer giddiness followed by levitation.

Bowtruckle- First mentioned in Order of the Phoenix, A Bowtruckle serves as a tree guardian for its home tree, which is usually a tree whose wood is of wand quality (such as Wiggentree). The twig-like fingers are well adapted for digging out wood lice in trees. To take leaves or wood from a Bowtruckle’s tree, one would have to offer it wood lice or fairy eggs as a distraction.

Demiguise- Invisibility cloaks are made from Demuguise’s hair (except on the Hallows cloak). It is a creature that can make itself invisible and tell the future which makes it very hard to catch. It is found in the Far East. Demiguise pelts are highly sought after as the hair can be woven into Invisibility cloaks.Cloaks made from their hair eventually turn opaque, losing their invisibility effects as time passes.The Demiguise’s ability to make itself invisible is used to symbolise the number zero, in the runic alphabet.

Diricawl- Found in Mauritius, it has the ability to disappear like that of the phoenix, it is a plump, fluffy-feathered and flightless bird. It has the ability to disappear and reappear elsewhere as a means of escaping danger. Muggles are aware of the existence of the Diricawl as a dodo (a large, extinct, flightless bird). However, since Muggles are not aware of its ability to vanish at will, they believe that they have hunted the dodo to extinction. The International Confederation of Wizards has not seen fit to reveal that the animal still exists, since it seems to have raised Muggle awareness of the consequences in slaying their fellow creatures indiscriminately.

Doxy- Fred and George Weasley used Doxy venom for their Skiving Snackboxes, sold at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Harold Dingle used Doxy droppings to pretend it was powdered Dragon claw to sell to fifth years, but was confiscated by Hermione Granger. Doxys are considered pests. They can infest houses, taking up residence in the draperies. Removing them requires a good supply of Doxycide. Alternatively, they can be dispatched with a simple Knockback Jinx, as doxies are particularly vulnerable to it, excluding the queens, which are more resistant. The egg of the Doxy is a type of egg that is used as an ingredient in the Girding Potion which is black in colour.

Erumpent- mentioned in Deathly Hallows the horn of which caused the house of Xenophilius Lovegood to explode, Erumpent is a huge African magical beast resembling a rhinoceros. The horn can pierce skin and metal, and the horn contains a deadly fluid which causes whatever is injected with it to explode. Erumpent horns, tails, and Exploding Fluid are all widely used in potions, although they are listed as Class B Tradeable Materials. An erumpent is one possible corporeal form of the Patronus Charm.

Fwooper- is a magical African bird with brightly-coloured feathers, which can include orange, pink, lime green and yellow. Listening to the Fwooper’s song will drive the listener insane, so each bird must be sold with a Silencing Charm placed on it. The Charm has to be reinforced monthly, and a licence is required to own one of the birds.

Graphorn- is a dangerous and aggressive magical creature, native to the mountains of Europe. Its Horn is a highly prized potion ingredient, used in potions like the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons. Graphorns are sometimes used as mounts by Mountain Trolls. The graphorn is large and hump-backed, with greyish-purple skin tougher than that of dragons. It can repel most spells, has two golden horns, and walks on large four-thumbed feet.

Mooncalf- is a shy creature that only comes out of its burrow during a full moon.Once the Mooncalf is in the moonlight, it performs complicated dance moves while standing on its hind legs. It is believed that this is part of the Mooncalf mating ritual, but also has the side effect of creating geometric patterns in wheat fields that confuse Muggles. Mooncalf dung, if harvested before the sun rises, will make magical plants grow fast and strong.

Murtlap- is a marine beast resembling a rat with a growth on its back resembling a sea anemone, found on the coastal areas of Britain.The growth on the Murtlap’s back may be pickled and eaten to improve one’s resistance to jinxes, although eating an excess of pickled murtlap may cause one to grow unsightly purple ear hair. Murtlap Essence is a home remedy for cuts and abrasions. Murtlap tentacles are included in Murtlap Essence which Hermione let Harry dip his hand in to heal the cuts after his detention with Dolores Umbridge. Lee Jordan suggested that Fred and George Weasley use Murtlap Essence on the boils they got testing their Fever Fudge product. As Murtlap Essence proved to be a successful remedy for the boils, they were able to finally complete their Skiving Snackboxes.

Niffler– first mentioned in Goblet of Fire, Niffler is a creature with a long snout and a coat of black, fluffy fur.They were attracted to shiny things, which made them wonderful for locating treasure, but this also meant that they could wreak havoc if kept (or set loose) indoor. Native to Britain, they lived in burrows as deep as twenty feet below ground, and produced six to eight young in a single litter.Nifflers have a pouch on their bellies which holds far more than at first seems possible, like the effects of a Undetectable Extension Charm on a container.

Nundu- is a giant mammal similar to a leopard that is native to East Africa. It moves silently, despite its “gigantic” size, and is considered by some to be the most dangerous creature alive. The breath of the Nundu is toxic and filled with disease. This alone can wipe out entire villages of people. The Nundu is extremely hard to subdue, and has never been defeated by less than around one hundred wizards working together.

Swooping Evil- is a large, blue-and-green winged magical creature.It looks like a cross between a reptile and an extremely large butterfly, and, when it is not spreading its spiked wings in mid-flight, the Swooping Evil lives in a green spiny cocoon. It can be quite dangerous, as it can feed on people’s brains (which it “sucks out”). It also secretes venom that, when properly diluted, can be used to erase bad memories.

Thunderbird- not the resort (bad joke). It is a large, avian creature native to the arid Arizona climate in the United States.It is closely related to the phoenix. An Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry house was named after this creature. It can create storms as it flies, and can sense danger. The famous American wandmaker Shikoba Wolfe used Thunderbird tail feather as a wand core in the early 20th century.