Exploring animal cruelty and mistreatment in “Potter”
It’s a well-known fact that throughout the “Potter” series we’re introduced to a number of different animals, both “Muggle” and magical, each of which are uniquely portrayed by Rowling in their own way. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Rowling expressed that she typically liked to derive many of these creatures from folklore and mythology, and many, even the seemingly “normal” ones, exemplify magical properties (think owls delivering mail). Further, though, I think it’s important to recognize that a lot of the different creatures in the “Potter” series haven’t necessarily been given happy endings, or stories for that matter.