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15 Surprising Facts About Errol (Harry Potter Character)

Errol’s 1 of the Weasleys’ trusted owl.

But if there’s 1 thing that made him such a unique bird…

It was Errol’s age.

And it was showing through the owl’s clumsiness.

However, there’s more to Errol than delivering letters…

Not to mention details that will make you love him more.

Continue reading to discover:

  • Why the Weasleys kept such an old owl.
  • What happened to Errol after the 2nd Wizarding War.
  • An eye-opening piece of information that explains Errol’s hard-working nature.
  • And so much more…

About Errol

BornLong before 1984
PurityStrix nebulosa
HouseN/A
Character TraitsClumsy, Old, Hard-working
PatronusN/A
WandN/A
Zodiac SignUnknown

Errol background

Errol was born a long time before 1984.

And he’s a special kind of bird known as the Strix nebulosa. Or better known as a Great Grey owl.

He was already pretty old when we first saw him.

And Ron Weasley often called Errol:

“…bloody bird…” 

In fact, Errol was already with the Weasleys…

Even before Charles started attending Hogwarts.

Errol occupation

Errol Occupation

Errol might be an owl…

But even the wizarding world relies on magical beasts like him to do important things.

In this case, Errol was the Weasleys’ messenger.

He delivered and brought letters for the family, rain or shine.

And it’s 1 of the reasons why I love Harry Potter so much.

There’s just so much life through its creatures.

Plus, Errol handled all kinds of packages too.

For example, he brought Harry a huge fruitcake from the Weasleys.

And an assortment of pastries as well.

But Harry said that Errol was:

elderly and feeble…” 

So he wasn’t also the best at the job…

Because Errol needed 5 days to recover from delivering a package.

Errol character

Although Errol’s a hard-working owl…

He was also pretty clumsy.

In fact, when we first saw him in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Errol bumped into the kitchen window.

Which kind of matches J.K. Rowling’s hopes…

Because she wanted:

“A very comical, large, fluffy, grey, bewildered-looking bird whose breed I had never known”.

Plus, if you want to see Errol in action…

Here’s my favorite clip of him crashing into a table full of food:


More facts about Errol


#1: Delivered Harry Potter’s 1st birthday gift

Sure, Errol might be quite the old owl.

But despite his age…

Did you know he’s the 1 responsible for getting Harry his 1st birthday present?

You see, Ron wanted to get something for Harry on the 31st of July.

So he packed a Sneakoscope. A magical spinning top that could detect when someone was being dishonest.

And alongside a short birthday card…

Errol was on his way to visit Privet Drive. Home of the Dursleys.

Unfortunately, Errol did lose consciousness on the way there.

Not to mention he got a bit of help from Harry Potter’s owl too.

But it’s the thought that counts!

#2: Enjoyed every bit of work

Some fans think the Weasleys were very mean to Errol…

Since they kept him working until very old age.

However, Errol’s actually a work owl.

So not getting to deliver stuff would’ve been much worse for him.

In fact, even research agrees.

Because working hard can make you a lot happier in real life too.

Plus, the Weasleys were very poor.

As a result, they needed every bit of help they could get.

Which worked out just fine for Errol.

#3: 1 of the rarest Patronus forms

Errol might not look the like the coolest owl…

Especially with Hedwig’s snow-white feathers.

But did you know Errol’s species was 1 of the rarest Patronus forms in Harry Potter?

You see, if your defensive spell took the shape of an owl…

It was a sign of great wisdom.

So before you judge Errol for his clumsy behavior…

Just remember how special a symbol the Great Grey owl truly can be.

#4: Used for dragon research

As funny as it sounds…

Errol became the subject of dragon research.

“But isn’t he an owl? How’d that work out?”

Well, Charlie Weasley was bored.

So he put a dragon mask on Errol to help with his studies.

Of course, I doubt Charlie learned anything important.

But research does show learning and playing go together…

Because it makes understanding a lot easier for children.

And I’m sure Errol helped Charles learn how much he loved dragons.

#5: Errol’s probably passed away

As sad as it sounds…

Most fans saw this coming from a mile away.

And since Arthur and Molly Weasley used a different owl for letters after 1994.

There’s a good chance Errol passed away sometime then.

Of course, there’s no guarantee.

But no owl can live forever…

No matter how much we loved Errol.

Bonus: He became a foundable

In April 2020, The Calamity happened again. And large-scale breaches of magic came into the non-magical world.

But can you guess who became a Foundable?

Well, Errol was unfortunate enough to become a memory in the wrong place and time.

Luckily, the Statute of Secrecy Task Force was able to get him back safely.

But it’s funny that a special government branch went out of its way to save a clumsy owl.