Overview

Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are creatures that normally resemble humans but, when the full moon rises, transform into uncontrollable, deadly wolves. This change is due to an infection called Lycanthropy, also known as Werewolfry. Werewolves look almost indistinguishable from regular wolves, with a few small physical differences. The main differences, however, are in behavior. Werewolves tend to be extremely aggressive toward humans. Because of this, it is vital to take safety precautions, especially during full moons. Hogwarts students are strongly advised to stay indoors on nights of full moons and, if they are outside, to steer clear of locations known for werewolf activity.

A mixture of fresh Dittany and powdered silver applied to a fresh werewolf bite could seal the wound, allowing the victim to live on as a werewolf. Other known magical interventions include powerful healing charms to minimize blood loss and pain, but none can prevent lycanthropy once the infection has taken hold. Some healers recommend seeking help from a qualified magical practitioner as soon as possible after a bite to explore any additional remedies that might ease symptoms or reduce the risk of lasting damage. However, many people bitten by werewolves actually protest treatment and opt to die rather than become werewolves.

The Wolfsbane Potion, created by Democles Belby, allows werewolves who drink it to keep their human minds during transformations, making them much less deadly and dangerous. Werewolves cannot choose whether or not to transform, and once they do transform, they lose all memory of who they are. Many werewolves have been recorded to murder their best friends and loved ones while transformed. Once they return to their human form, they can remember everything about those events.

Infection

Lycanthropy is a magical illness that spreads through saliva and blood. If a werewolf in its transformed state were to bite a human, that human would become a werewolf themselves if they did not die from their injuries. If werewolves were in human form when biting their victims, the victim would not become a werewolf but gain lupine tendencies, such as a preference for eating raw meat. A bite or scratch from a werewolf in any form will leave a permanent scar, even if the wound is promptly sealed. Most Muggles end up dying from werewolf injuries, but a small amount do end up becoming werewolves themselves, according to Professor Marlowe Forfang. An employee of the Werewolf Capture Unit within the British Ministry of Magic, Cecil Lee, believed that werewolves were victims of a curse.

Werewolves rarely have children, according to Remus Lupin. This is because most werewolves are afraid of passing down their illness to their offspring. There has only been one known human born with a werewolf parent (who was untransformed at the time of conception), and that is Teddy Lupin, son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Teddy did not inherit his father’s werewolf traits, but it is unknown whether lycanthropy can be transmitted from mother to child. If two werewolves were to conceive during a Full Moon in their animal forms, it was possible. This is an extremely rare occurrence, known to have happened only twice in recorded history. Werewolf offspring are born wolves, with the only distinction being extreme human-like intelligence and beauty. They do not inherit the sadistic tendencies of those with lycanthropy.

Treatment

There is no complete cure for lycanthropy. The most unfortunate effects of the disease, however, can be cured by drinking Wolfsbane Potion. It is a very difficult potion to brew, with many expensive and complicated ingredients. Some of the key ingredients used in Wolfsbane Potion include wolfsbane (also known as monkshood or Aconite), powdered moonstone, and essence of Belladonna. Remus Lupin stated that drinking the potion was disgusting, and adding sugar to it would take away the magical properties of the potion, making it useless.

Because the ingredients are so expensive, it is almost impossible for werewolves to make the potion themselves because most were impoverished due to discrimination from wizardkind and could not take the potion without revealing themselves as werewolves. At Hogwarts, Wolfsbane Potion is made available to students and staff. Those in need may confidentially request it from the Hospital Wing or the Potions Master, who will either brew it themselves or arrange for a qualified brewer to do so. Because they pose such a danger to humans, some werewolves find companionship in other animals while transformed to make their existences much less lonely.

Gilderoy Lockhart was a believer in the Homorphus Charm, a spell that could supposedly force a werewolf back into its human form. However, as Lockhart was a known liar and con man, this information is highly disputed, as is the existence of the Homorphus Charm in the first place. Since Lockhart’s accounts were almost always based on those of more trustworthy, accomplished wizards, however, there is a chance that the charm does actually exist. Cecil Lee reportedly used this charm on a werewolf once, but he claimed it only temporarily forced the werewolf to revert to human form. Lee believed he had achieved this result because he was unable to cast the charm correctly.

Contrary to popular belief in the Muggle world, werewolves are not affected by silver, except in the remedy of using powdered silver and dittany to help prevent death or close a wound from a bite or scratch. It is said there are other methods of preventing and healing werewolves' injuries, according to Quirinus Quirrell’s teachings in his first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Still, none of these remedies can completely cure anyone once they are bitten.

Transformation

The monthly transformation for werewolves is extremely painful and is usually accompanied by poor health in the days before and after the transformation. Some common effects the werewolf may experience include irritability towards others and signs of illness. In wolf form, the werewolf completely loses its human sense of right and wrong. It is incorrect to state, however, that werewolves suffer a permanent loss of this moral attribute. In human form, werewolves could be as kind or dangerous as anybody. Some werewolves made themselves intentionally dangerous in human form, such as Fenrir Greyback, who made it his life’s mission to infect as many people as possible with lycanthropy, particularly having a taste for children. Even in his human form, he kept his nails purposefully sharp so he could bite, claw, and maim others as a human, too.

Even though werewolves can only infect their victims through biting, they have no moral code while transformed and sometimes end up murdering their victims as well. If there are no humans nearby to attack or animals to keep it busy, werewolves may attack themselves out of frustration. This left werewolves such as Remus Lupin with many self-inflicted scars and premature aging problems due to his constant transformations.

Appearance

Werewolves look almost exactly like mundane wolves, but with a few minor physical differences. Their snouts are shorter, and their eyes are more human-like. They also have tufted tails and are much more likely to attack humans when in wolf form. Some of the physical traits werewolves possess may also be permanently present in their human forms. An example of this is Chiara Lobosca, who has white hair in her human form and similarly colored fur in her animal form.

Reputation

Generally, werewolves are regarded with fear and disgust within the Wizarding World. Some people believe that werewolves are just as dangerous in their human form. It is not uncommon to see werewolves being isolated and discriminated against among wizardkind, especially in the workforce. It is very unlikely for werewolves to have jobs or make money in the Wizarding World, because of the prejudice against them. This stigma in the Wizarding World is not specific to werewolves; similar discrimination against other groups has historically been observed. However, in recent years, both Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic have taken steps to support werewolves and improve their quality of life. The Ministry has implemented new outreach programs that provide resources and counseling to werewolves, and Hogwarts currently offers additional support for students affected by lycanthropy, including access to medical care and confidential assistance.

In the 1990s, there were even anti-werewolf laws put into place by Dolores Umbridge to make it even more difficult for them to exist peacefully. Umbridge put these laws into place due to her own highly prejudiced beliefs and hatred for “half-breeds” or anyone who wasn’t a pure-blooded witch or wizard. Ironically, Umbridge herself was a half-blood. Remus Lupin survived with the help of his friends and by taking jobs much below his own abilities. When Severus Snapeexposed his condition in 1994, he resigned as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, knowing that many parents would not approve of their children being taught by a werewolf, even with the proper safety precautions put in place. Remus later admitted he probably wouldn’t even have been able to attend Hogwarts if Albus Dumbledore had not been so kind to him. After the defeat of Lord Voldemort, this legislation was repealed under the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his effort to reform the Ministry of their biases and past corruption.

Due to the oppression they often face, some werewolves hate the wizarding society and created their own. Under the leadership of the sadistic werewolf Fenrir Greyback, they worked to infect as many people with lycanthropy as possible. Their goal was to one day create enough werewolves to take over and control the Wizarding World. These werewolves under Greyback’s command served Lord Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War, believing that they would be given better lives. Remus Lupin would frequently spy on them, as he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Werewolves were not regarded with much respect; they weren’t even given Death Eater status, forbidden from receiving the Dark Mark. Although the only known werewolf to have participated in the Battle of Hogwarts was Fenrir Greyback himself, it is speculated that other werewolves fought alongside the Death Eaters in this battle. If they did not die in the battle, they were most likely either sent to Azkaban for life for their support of Lord Voldemort or killed for resisting arrest.

Wizarding children are educated about werewolves from a young age, and information about them can be found in many textbooks at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. More detailed lessons about werewolves are covered in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and important references include “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” by Newt Scamander, as well as the standard textbooks for the class.

Credits/References

Written by Simone Winter
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.