They may not have had many speaking parts in the books, but Harry’s adventures would’ve been far less fun without these five furry and feathery friends.

Fawkes the Phoenix

It’s often said that you shouldn’t judge on first impressions alone and good old Fawkes was a prime example of this. For instance, when we were first introduced to Dumbledore’s loyal pet, he was on fire. Not the best start.

But as it turned out, Fawkes was actually pretty, er, cool once you put out the flames and got to know him. His song could comfort any witch or wizard, his tears could heal pretty much any wound, and his gold and red plumage was simply divine. After the horrendous events of the graveyard scene in Goblet of Fire, Fawkes sitting on Harry’s lap was the only thing that really made him feel better. This was probably because Fawkes had always been so much more than a pet: he was like a natural extension of Albus Dumbledore himself.

Hedwig

It took a while for Harry to comprehend that wizards weren’t that partial to texting or the Royal Mail, instead opting to use owls as their prime method of communication.

Enter Hedwig, Harry’s beloved first pet, a gorgeous snowy white owl who stuck with him through thick and thin. Who knows where she ended up flying to to deliver Harry’s letters, especially wherever on earth Sirius Black was half the time. What a trooper.

Of course, Hedwig’s end came during that scene in Deathly Hallows, but let’s not get sad about it all over again. Hedwig may have died during Harry’s flight with the Order of the Phoenix, but remember – she died in the most noble way possible, flying proudly by Harry’s side in times of darkness. Hedwig, we’ll never forget.

Crookshanks

Hermione’s squashy-faced ginger cat seemed like a typical rodent-hungry feline when we first met him, especially when it came to his personal vendetta against Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers. But it soon transpired that Crookshanks was after something a little more complex than lunch, playing a vital role when it came to outing Scabbers as the wily Peter Pettigrew.

Yep, Crookshanks may have been left to gather dust at the Magical Menagerie for Merlin knows how long, but Hermione had actually picked a remarkably smart pet who was actually part-Kneazle, meaning it was no coincidence Crookshanks was so good at sniffing out suspicious activity. Crookshanks, if you ever want to play Trivial Pursuit with us, you’re on the team.

Buckbeak

This majestic Hippogriff was one of Hagrid’s more interesting subjects during Care of Magical Creatures. He even had a go at Draco Malfoy, which probably wasn’t in the lesson plan. But Buckbeak shouldn’t be judged for his occasional swipes. He was, in fact, a rather polite and old-fashioned creature, who only responded if you bowed to him – and you don’t get more gentlemanly than a bow.

It wasn’t long before Buckbeak became a firm favourite in Prisoner of Azkaban, so it was a bit of a blow when he nearly got executed. Thanks to a bit of Time-Turner intervention, old Beaky was okay in the end, and went on to become part of an awesome duo, teaming up with Sirius Black! Now there’s a spin-off series that should’ve happened.

Fang

Considering all the explicitly dangerous creatures Hagrid took a shine to, it’s nice to think that he also had a normal dog as a pet, and one with a respectable number of heads (one).

Brilliantly, Fang was also probably the least-threatening of Hagrid’s friends, and could normally be found quivering in fear, barking loudly at ominous things or running away from perilous situations.

This is why we love Fang – he was honest. He must have thought Hagrid was crazy when he came home with a dragon egg from the pub. He must have thought all the Voldemort chaos was absolutely ridiculous. Bless Fang for keeping Hagrid on the straight and narrow – and also, thanks for not being a giant, talking spider.