What Are Nargles in Harry Potter?

The Wizarding World is not only home to the greatest witches and wizards. It is also home to the most fascinating creatures that are known to wizardkind.

Great magizoologists spend all of their professional careers tending to and studying these majestic creatures – detailing all their unique characteristics and traits.

However, there is still one creature that eludes even the most experienced experts: the Nargle.

What are Nargles?

What Are Nargles in Harry Potter?

Nargles are magical creatures found in the Wizarding World. We first learn about these magical creatures through Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Despite their mention in the books and films, their existence is debatable.

Not very much is known about Nargles as the only people who seem to acknowledge their presence in the Harry Potter books are the Lovegoods (and Harry on one occasion).

They could either be extremely rare or extinct. There is also a small possibility that they are completely fictional creatures produced by Xenophilius Lovegood’s especially imaginative mind.

What Do Nargles look like?

Nargles are never seen in the movies nor described in depth in the books so no one has any clue as to what they actually look like.

However, there was a short column written on the Daily Prophet about a Nargle resting on a pensioner’s wig. This column described the Nargle as a Fairy Nargle.

Given that information, it would be safe to assume that they appear winged and small as fairies do. A true and comprehensive description of Nargles, however, has not been found. 

What Do Nargles Do?

These little buggers are described as mischievous creatures that are always up to no good. In fact, Nargles are well-known for stealing random items. Their exploits can get so troublesome that at one point, a peculiar Wizard by the name of Philbert Chivers, was convinced that Nargles had taken over Diagon Alley.

According to him, these Nargles were the reason why items kept seemingly disappearing from shops. This led him to purchase Narglecide in an attempt to eradicate the pesky thieves.

When the Nargles are not up to mischief, they are said to infest mistletoe or hide in Muggle sewers. 

Are Nargles in Fantastic Beasts? 

Further adding to their mystique, Nargles are also nowhere to be found in the book “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.

This book was written by one of the greatest Magizoologists known to mankind, Newt Scamander, and used as source material for the Hogwarts curriculum.

Their lack of appearance or mention in this book just adds more reason for wizards and witches to think that their existence is purely fictional. 

What Does Luna Say About Nargles?

We actually first learn about these majestic creatures through the eccentric Luna Lovegood. When inside the Room of Requirement, Luna stares dreamily at the mistletoe above her head.

Noticing this, Harry is startled and jumps back. Luna then remarks that Nargles are probably infesting the mistletoe and leaves. It is unsure if this fact is true or if Luna just mentioned Nargles because she was embarrassed that Harry did not want to kiss her under the mistletoe.

We also encounter her blaming Nargles for stealing her personal belongings such as shoes and papers. To prevent this, she wears a Butterbeer cork necklace which is meant to keep Nargles away.

It is also said that Luna went globetrotting with the side hope of proving the existence of these sly creatures. 

Conclusion

Whether or not Nargles exist still remains a mystery to be solved. They could be one of the fascinating creatures that roam the Wizarding World, or they could be a fairy tale that a father once told his daughter.

While there might be a slight chance that they’re not actually real, they exist in the minds of those who believe in them such as Luna, Xenophilius, and Philbert. And that is the magic the human mind can have.

If you believe in something hard enough, it may just become real.