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harry potter - What kind of beings are shown by the Marauder's Map?


The map definitely shows people (humans) inside the castle
But I remember reading Harry watching Peeves bouncing around in the trophy room and Peeves is not human
And I don't remember if I had exactly read it or not, but THIS PAGE says that it shows the ghosts as well
So what kind or creatures or beings come under the map's radar? Any living creature? Or humanoids? Or creatures with a significant size or intelligence? Would it show the house elves in the kitchen, centaurs in the forests and the merpeople in the lake as well? What about the giant squid and the thestrals or unicorns? Would it have shown the troll from the Philosopher's stone if they had the map then? What about Quirell/Voldemort? Would he have shown up on the map? And the basilisk from the chamber of secrets (the book)? May be the chamber itself was unplottable but if the map could show the basilisk he would have been visible when he was slithering around in the pipes.



Answer



The Marauder's map showed humans (obviously), Peeves and the other ghosts, and transformed animagi, as well as Mrs. Norris and Crookshanks, but not insects or vermin (other than Pettigrew, of course; if it did show animals to that level, the map would be a complete mess and unreadable). It showed these beings from every inch of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. So it seems to be any living creature of a certain level of intelligence or higher.


The books never mentioned Dobby, Winky, or any of the other house-elves as appearing on the Map, and Harry never looks at it when any forest creatures are in the castle, but it seems (since cats and animagi can be seen) that it would in fact show the troll, as well as the thestrals and unicorns.


As for the Basilisk, it would probably show it when he was in the castle (though Riddle/Voldemort may have charmed him so as to be personally "unplottable"), though the squid probably does appear on the map (although was never mentioned). Interestingly, this means that the Beauxbatons Stagecoach and the Durmstrang Ship should also logically appear on the Marauder's Map when on the grounds.


EDIT: The map was, according to Rowling on Pottermore, made using a Homonculous charm. "Homunculus" is a word that refers to a (small) human or humanoid; so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that the map detects anything that is human or humanoid (that is, human-like if not specifically human-shaped).



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