Basic Information
Classificiation	XXX Beast
Distinction	Birthed from magical fires

Overview

Ashwinders are thin, pale-gray snakes with glowing red eyes. They rise from the dying embers of magical fires that are left unsupervised. Once an Ashwinder is born, it slithers into a cold, dark, and isolated place where they lay their eggs. The vigilant observer will find that they leave an ashy trail behind on their way to the place they choose for their nest. Once the eggs are laid, the Ashwinder will die and disintegrate into ashes within an hour.

Ashwinder eggs are red and radiate extreme heat, they are very well capable of igniting a dwelling within only minutes after being laid. If a Wizard suspects the presence of an Ashwinder in the house, the nest has to be immediately tracked down, and the eggs should be frozen with a spell.

Frozen Ashwinder eggs are extremely valuable. They can be used as follows:

certain love potions

a cure for ague (when eaten whole)

as a vital ingredient for the Edurus Potion

Habitat

Given that Ashwinders are created by magical fires - fires which have a magical substance of any kind added to them, for example Floo powder - it is possible to find them in many magical residences.
If they are not caught within minutes after slithering out of the fire, and therefore manage to find a place to lay their eggs, those will ignite and most likely burn down the respective building.

History

In 1926, Newt Scamander offered a frozen Ashwinder egg to goblin proprietor Gnarlak in exchange for information about his escaped magical creatures.

Under headmaster Armando Dippet, during a Christmas pantomime an Ashwinder was used to represent the “bloated and blind” worm that appeared in a retelling of the Beedle the Bard tale “The Fountain of Fair Fortune”. The Ashwinder, enlarged by an Engorgement Charm, exploded into a shower of hot sparks and dust. In the chaos that ensued (including some duelling between students who were involved in the play), Ashwinder eggs set fire to the floorboards in the Great Hall and the place almost burned down.

Etymology

The name “Ashwinder” is put together from two words. The first syllable, “Ash”, is rather descriptive, as the snake is of ash-like colour, but it also connects it to the ashes from which the snake rises.
“Winder” aims at the rather unique way the snake moves, which is the same way as the non-magical (but venomous, therefore still dangerous) horned rattlesnake, also known as sidewinder rattlesnake.

Credits/References

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Written by Claude Beauchene
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.