Bicorn

• Type: Magical Creature
• Classification: Potion Ingredient Source
• Key Component: Horn

The physical appearance of a Bicorn is not described in the original seven novels. The creature is known solely through its powdered horn, which is used as a potion ingredient. According to the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Bicorn is a two-horned magical beast. Its name implies it has two horns (bi-corn). Further details about its appearance or habitat remain scarce in canonical literature, though it is established to be a dangerous creature from which ingredients are difficult to procure.

The primary and most famous use of a Bicorn is in potion-making. Specifically, its powdered horn is an essential and powerful ingredient in the creation of Polyjuice Potion. This potion is an extremely complex and advanced Transfiguration solution that allows the drinker to assume the physical appearance of another person. The horn must be finely powdered before being added to the potion. The inclusion of Bicorn horn highlights the potion's complexity and the dark nature of some of its components, as noted by Hermione Granger when she found the recipe in the book Moste Potente Potions from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library. Obtaining the ingredient is difficult; Hermione had to steal it from Professor Snape's private stores, as it was not available in the student cupboards.

The use of Bicorn horn in potions dates back centuries, as evidenced by its inclusion in the old and powerful recipe for Polyjuice Potion found in Moste Potente Potions. Its long-standing value in apothecary suggests that Bicorns have been a known, albeit rare, part of the magical world for a significant period. The difficulty in obtaining the horn has likely contributed to its legendary status among potion-makers. The name “Bicorn” is derived from medieval European mythology. In these legends, the Bicorn was a monstrous creature, often depicted as part-panther and part-cow with a human-like face, that grew fat from devouring kind and patient husbands. This contrasts with its counterpart, the Chichevache, which fed on obedient wives and was perpetually thin.

The Bicorn plays a crucial, though indirect, role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Its powdered horn is one of the key ingredients Hermione Granger identifies for the Polyjuice Potion she decides to brew. The goal of this endeavor was for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to disguise themselves as Slytherin students Crabbe and Goyle to discover if Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin. Hermione successfully acquired the Bicorn horn, along with Boomslang skin, from Professor Snape's private storeroom by using a clever diversion during their second-year Potions class. The successful brewing of the potion, made possible by ingredients like the Bicorn horn, was pivotal to the plot, as it allowed Harry and Ron to enter the Slytherin Common Room and confirm that Malfoy was not the heir, pushing them to seek the truth elsewhere.

• In the video game Hogwarts Legacy, Bicorn Horn is a collectible beast material dropped by Bicorns, which can be found and captured in the wild. It is used to upgrade gear with specific traits (video game).
• The Bicorn is listed in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them guidebook, which serves as an in-universe encyclopedia of magical creatures. Its Ministry of Magic Classification is XXXX, indicating it is dangerous and requires specialist knowledge to handle (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).
• The creature itself is never depicted in the original Harry Potter film series, though its powdered horn is presumably among the ingredients Hermione gathers.