Prologue
Allsham's A-Z
A complete index of Magical Creatures
"S" Hermione muttered frantically. "S…" She began to flip through the pages faster. "S... S…S"
"Stop!" yelled Ron suddenly. She looked at him in annoyance.
"See there?" he asked her. "You've already passed it up. Honestly, Hermione, for all you're so clever…"
"There it is!" Harry interrupted. The entry was rather short and partly obscured by his best friend's hand.
Sirens (Sy'-rens) Classified: Non-Human. Country of origin: Greece.
Sirens, it began, aren't the object of much magical research due in part to their volatile nature and in respect to their rarity. They take (or are created with) the appearance of a beautiful woman. Little is known about how a siren enters the world. It is the belief of some that a siren is the reincarnated form of a woman's soul, though the circumstances 'why' remain unclear. Many view them as a sort of parasitic vampire who steals the soul of its victim in order to live. They are supposedly blessed with unusual powers: the ability to converse in the ancient language of Babel, known to few as Sirean, ability to speak in any tongue, etc etc, as well as other magical abilities. A siren's true power lies in her voice. Most find themselves outcasts of society; seen as soulless monsters, they often face ostracism. The ordinance of 1967 passed by previous minister Cornelius Fudge outlaws the sport of Siren-hunting.
"Well," said Hermione breathlessly. "There you have it. Rainey is definitely not human."
"Yeah." responded Harry absently. Somehow, the though didn't bother him at all.