#potterfest

HP Cest Fest 2024: Reveals Masterlist ☕️

All* creators are now REVEALED

*sans those who have wished to remain Anonymous

A huge THANK YOU to all of our HPCF24 creators! With 61 works in the Collection this year, we are so thankful for all of the enthusiasm from creators and consumers alike!

2024 Masterlist Stats 📊

🖤 Blackcest (18)

🩶 Gauntcest (4)

💚 Malfoycest (11)

❤️ Pottercest (8)

🧡 Weasleycest (6)

💙 Othercest (8)

💛 Pseudocest (5+)

💜 Selfcest (1)

2024 Revealed Masterlist ⤵️

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter and other fantasy stories, you probably have read about many wondrous and otherworldly creatures that only exist in your imagination.  You may have come across dragons that spit fire and rule the skies, sea creatures that live in the depths of dark waters, or trolls that live under bridges with vicious teeth and claws.  But did you know that some of the fantastical creatures you’ve heard of in stories have counterparts in our world?  Here are some creatures from the Harry Potter universe that are based on real life critters.

1. Acromantula

A large, hairy tarantula – one of the inspirations for Acromantula.

As you might imagine, these giant spiders are based on big, hairy spiders you can find in your backyard or in other places around the world. Specifically, the acromantula that you see in Harry Potter films were inspired by the wolf spider, which you can find in right here in western Pennsylvania! Other spiders that resemble acromantula include the huntsman spider often found in Australia and, of course, the tarantula - the hairiest and most famous of the three spiders.  In fact, the world’s largest spider is a type of tarantula, the goliath bird-eating tarantula, which can reach up to one foot in length - although luckily not as large as a fifteen-foot acromantula.

2. Salamanders

A red salamander slithers over wet leaves. Photo credit: Joe Stavish.

Wait - how can a real animal be a fantastical creature? Well, as it turns out, salamanders have been surrounded by myth and legend since the time of the Roman Empire, when Pliny the Elder declared that salamanders could put out fires with their bodies and spit poisonous fluids. In the Harry Potter universe, salamanders are born and live in fires and can only survive as long as their birth fire continues to burn. In Pittsburgh, salamanders live in moist areas, such as near streams or in damp forests, because they need to keep their skin wet to breathe. In fact, there are over 20 species of salamander in Pennsylvania including the brightly colored Red Salamander and the yellow-flecked Spotted Salamander, both of which you can find in the western half of the state. Some good places to look for salamanders are in parks around the city - there’s even one in Fox Chapel Borough named Salamander Park!

3. Bowtruckles

A green walking stick that looks remarkably like a fantastical bowtruckle.

In the Harry Potter world, bowtruckles are creatures that look like bark or twigs and guard trees used to make wands.  They have sharp claws and are very protective of their habitats. In our world, stick insects mimic bark or twigs to blend into foliage, and while bowtruckles eat tree lice, stick insects are actually herbivores, with each species preferring particular leaves.  Stick insects belong to the order Phasmatodea, which also includes leaf-bugs - creatures that mimic leaves as a form of camouflage.

4. Dragons

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Photo Credit: Joshua Franzos, Treehouse Media.

One of the most famous mythical creatures in our world, dragons are ferocious creatures in the Harry Potter universe with big claws, big teeth, and the ability to breathe fire. While there are no real animals that breathe fire (as far as we know), there are groups of extinct creatures who resembled dragons with sharp teeth, hooked claws, and, sometimes, scaly, lizard-like bodies. Some of these creatures even had wings! You guessed it - dinosaurs and pterosaurs! At the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, there are multiple dinosaur and pterosaur skeletons on display. Some skeletons reminiscent of dragons include two ferocious looking Tyrannosaurus rex and a large pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus northropi that had a wingspan of up to 37 feet.

5. Harry Otter

A North American River Otter (part of the Lutrinae subfamily) at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

The Lutrinae who lived.

Explore nature together.  Visit Nature 360 for activities and information.

Learn more about the science behind the magic of Harry Potter at Potterfest. 

Ravenclaw: just bought Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them off of a vendor and is sitting on a bench reading.

Slytherin: scrolling through memes on their phone with their significant other (also a slytherin)

Gryffindor: comes charging through the door and tells the Slytherins they have to leave

Lion Hat (Inspired by Luna Lovegood / Harry Potter).

Crafted with a baseball cap and carved foam base, covered in a specialty fur felt and decorated with nettings, felt, yarns, trims, wire, and faux eyes.  

Timelapse video is up at youtube.com/enchantedsea

Witches and wizards from all over Pittsburgh descended on Carnegie Museum of Natural History on July 21 for a 21+ evening of Harry Potter-themed fun at After Dark-Potterfest. More than 2,000 guests made up a diverse crowd that drank butterbeer, met live owls, danced in the Hall of North American Wildlife, and enjoyed live music performances, quidditch demonstrations, lectures, live animals, and more. Guests got into the spirit of the night and came dressed as Moaning Myrtle, Harry Potter, Voldemort, and other characters from the books. 

The museum was decked out in Hogwarts house colors and floating candles to recreate the grandeur of the castle, and specimens thought to have magical properties were on display. There was a costume contest, a scavenger hunt, a Potter-themed beard contest, and even double decker bus rides around Oakland at a night of magical museum fun inspired by the most beloved books of our time. 

The museum’s next 21+ event will be Haunted Museum: Year of the Monster. Due to popular demand, there will be two dates for our annual Halloween party this year on October 21 and 27. Tickets are on sale at afterdark.carnegiemnh.org.