#horklump

Take, for example, the hippogriff. In a world where hippogriffs roam freely alongside other animals, why would people specifically decide "yes, that one only we get to know about," although it's habits don't differ from other creatures. Yes, you need to bow to it to earn it's respect, but have you tried stroking a cat before earning it's trust? And it's half lion-half bird, but people aren't agreeing platypi are magical because they are part duck-part bever-part who-even-knows?.

Or dragons. Yes, giant, winged, fire-breathing lizards, but the giant lizard part at least we had in the form of dinosaurs, and we know the ancestors of dinos are birds, so really, if you grew up in a world where dragons were just a thing that happened, then yes okay dragons, but also there's a lizard that has a giant frill and runs on two legs for speed.

And don't even get me started on flobber-mostboringcreatureever-worms when muggles get echidna: egg-laying anteaters with hedgehog spikes.

So now I'm imagining the magical peoples of the world gathering with a massive bowl of every animal and plant ever, picking out pieces of paper hunger games style:

("Everyone, we now have the... err... Horklump!"

*muted cheering*

"psst, what's a horklump?"

"Err, a mushroom I think"

"so why is it magical?"

"Maybe it's just an animal pretending to be a mushroom")

[drawing of an exposed horklump (C) Marton Szoke-Kiss]

A relatively simple creature, the horklump resembles a fleshy, pinkish mushroom covered with sparse, wiry black bristles. It feeds upon burrowing insects, spreading its thin, muscular tentacles out underground. When it comes across prey, the tentacles secrete a sticky slime which instantly binds to the victim and is stronger than epoxy. The immobilised prey can then be dragged back to the main body for digestion.

Horklumps are dioecious, although there is no discernible difference between the two sexes. On a moonless night in late spring, when they are ready to breed, the females release their eggs into the air in a fine cloud. If the eggs happen to land upon a male’s mantle, he excretes a sticky layer of sperm to fertilise them before sharking them off. Development from embryo to juvenile takes place in a matter of hours, and many unfortunate homeowners have woken to find their gardens suddenly overrun.

Horklump: 

MINISTRY OF MAGIC CLASSIFICATION  - HORKLUMP

Ministry of Magic Classification: X | XX | XXX | XXXX | XXXXX

Status: Beast | Being | Spirit

Distinction: Juice of the horklump is often used in potions

BASIC INFO: Horklump is often viewed as a pest. They are quite fast breeders, so they can cover a garden in few days. It is also the favoured delicacy of the Gnome. To get rid of Horklumps one may use streeler venom, which is one of the few known substances that can kill them.  

ALSO: Originally native to Scandinavia, the Horklump is now found throughout northen Europe. They may represent different breeds. (via §) (Photo credit:§,§)