Many creatures inhabit the Wizarding World of Newt Scamander and Harry Potter, a world filled with powerful witches and wizards, fantastic beasts, and mysterious beings. One of such is the Lethifold, a deadly being lurking in the shadows, waiting for their prey to sleep, before creeping upon them unknowingly. Join us in our little adventure and find out more about these creatures, uncovering why they are so feared and the only way to survive their attack.
Lethifolds, also known as “Living Shrouds”, are carnivorous creatures that resemble a black coat or blanket, about an inch thick (thicker if they recently digested a victim), making them similar to Dementors in their appearance. Despite looking rather unspectacular, beneath their surface lies a deadly predator. They are extremely stealthy and move silently through the darkness of the night, gliding along surfaces in search of their prey and sneaking up on their targets, ending them fast.
They are native to the tropics, and their diet consists exclusively of humans, as far as is known. They are classified as beasts of the rating XXXXX (creatures known as wizard/witch killers, impossible to train or domesticate) by the Ministry of Magic.
The term “Lethifold” is a combination of the words lethum (lt. death, annihilation, ruin) and fold, representing their cloak-like appearance.
Lethifolds attack their victims while they sleep, smothering them in the folds of their curtain-like body. They suffocate them without leaving them a chance for escape. Lethifolds act swiftly and silently, and leave no traces of the attack behind. Their victims simply disappear in the eyes of those who knew them. Because of this, the number of attacks cannot be estimated.
There is only one known method of protection against Lethifolds. During his encounter with one of these creatures, Flavius Belby, as described below, tried out multiple spells to free himself from the grip of the Lethifold. The Patronus Charm would be the only spell that worked. The Patronus Charm creates the silvery-white shape of an animal in its full corporeal form, mostly of a creature the caster shares an affinity with. It requires great skill from the caster to be able to defend them against Dementors, or, if ever encountered, Lethifolds.
Reddit user gauism has taken it upon themselves to further dissect the differences between Dementors and Lethifolds, seeing that they seemed to be of a very similar nature.
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Furthermore, according to W.O.M.B.A.T, Lethifolds are found in tropics, Dementors are not. All of this information could lead to the conclusion that they are distant relatives.
Lethifold encounters are rather rare, but not unheard of. Since its presence is nearly impossible to determine, the number of actual victims is yet unknown. What is known, however, is the number of people who faked an attack. One of such fakers was Janus Thickey, who disappeared in 1973 leaving behind nothing but a note that said that a Lethifold got him and he was suffocating. While his family was mourning him, he was found not soon after, living about five miles away with landlady of the Green Dragon pub.
However, there are also reported attacks that actually happened. Flavius Belby was on vacation in Papua New Guinea in 1782. During the attack, he was not fully asleep and able to frantically cast any spell that came to his mind until he conjured a Patronus that could repel the Lethifold.
Excerp from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by "Newt Scamander":
Near one o'clock in the morning, as I began at last to feel drowsy, I heard a soft rustling close by. Believing it to be nothing more than the leaves of the tree outside, I turned over in bed, with my back to the window, and caught sight of what appeared to be a shapeless black shadow sliding under my bedroom door. I lay motionless, trying sleepily to divine what was causing such a shadow in a room lit only by moonlight. Undoubtedly my stillness led the lethifold to believe that its potential victim was sleeping. To my horror, the shadow began to creep up the bed, and I felt its slight weight upon me. It resembled nothing so much as black cape, the edges fluttering slightly as it slithered up the bed towards me. Paralyzed with fear, I felt its clammy touch upon my chin before I sat up bolt upright.
The thing attempted to smother me, sliding inexorably up my face, over my mouth and nostrils, but still I struggled, feeling it wrapping its coldness about me all the while.
Unable to cry out for assistance, I groped for my wand.
Now dizzy as the thing sealed about my face, incapable of drawing breath, I concentrated with all my might upon the Stupefying Charm and then - as that failed to subdue the creature, though blasting a hole in my bedroom door - upon the Impediment Hex, with likewise availed me naught. Still Struggling madly, I rolled sideways and fell heavily to the floor entirely wrapped in the lethifold.
I knew I was about to lose consciousness completely as I suffocated. Desperately, I mustered up my last reserve of energy. Pointing my wand away from myself into the deadly folds of the creature, summoning the memory of the day I had been voted president of the local gobstones club, I performed the Patronus Charm.
Almost at once I felt fresh air upon my face.
I looked up to see that deathly shadow being borne into the air upon the horns of my Patronus. It flew across the room and swiftly out of sight.
Celestina Warbeck’s father also managed to successfully repel a Lethifold when saving his wife during one of her performances. The creature had disguised itself as a stage curtain and shocked not only her, but the whole audience with its attack.
Harry Potter and his friends never had an encounter with a Lethifold, in fact, they have not been mentioned in the books or movies. However, there is a reference to these creatures in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but they are yet to be appear.
What form would your Patronus take to defend you from Lethifolds?
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