Merpeople

**Merpeople** are sentient beasts that live underwater. They are found all over the world. Their customs and habits are mysterious, and, like the centaurs, were offered the being status but refused in favour of beast, as they didn't want to be placed in a status with Hags and Vampires. Merpeople can breathe above the water for a time, but it is unclear if they can ever truly leave their habitat.

## History

The merpeople date back to ancient Greece, where they were first known as sirens. By the modern era, however, merpeople have spread worldwide.

The history of merpeople's relations with wizardkind, or at least the wizarding British government, are somewhat rocky. Chief Elfrida Clagg refused to accept merpeople as beings under her definition of the term as those who could "speak the human tongue". She thought Mermish to be inadequate as it could not be understood above water. Her decision upset both the merpeople and their allies the centaurs.

Though they were allowed being status under Minister Grogan Stump's revised 1811 definition of the term, they would eventually request to be treated as beasts once more, objecting to the fact that dark creatures such as hags and vampiresalso claimed that status.

Despite being considered beasts at the time, a delegation of merpeople were persuaded to attend the 1692 summit of the International Confederation of Wizards, where they would help decide what to do on the matter of hiding the existence of various magical creatures from Muggle comprehension.

During Dolores Umbridge's career in the Ministry, she suggested that merpeople to be rounded up and tagged, as her irrational revulsion to anything that have a part-human appearance. However, the ludicrousness of such an act was never put into effect.

### Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

A colony of merpeople lived in the Black Lake on the grounds of Hogwarts Castle.

They played a role in the Second Task of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament. They agreed to keep four people in an enchanted sleep in their village for an hour, and protect them until the champion sent to save them arrived. They watched the champions swim around, with spears clutched in their hands, and tried to stop Harry Potter when he tried to save more than one person.

## Description

Merpeople are creatures resembling half-human, half-fish hybrids (though they are not, in actuality, half-breeds). Like humans, merpeople come in a variety of appearances, For instance, the majority of the Black Lake Merpeople colony had green hair, yellow eyes, and grey skin. They also had silver tails. It is very unlikely a human would resemble that.

Merpeople also seem to be taller than humans, with seven feet appearing to not be an unusual height, at least for a selkie.

Merpeople are divided up into various sub-species or races, depending on where they live. The earliest merpeople lived in Greece, and were known as sirens. In modern times, merpeople living in warmer waters take on a more beautiful appearance, while those in colder waters, such as the selkies of Scotland and the Merrows of Ireland, are less attractive.

## Society and culture

Merpeople are a sapient species, and would qualify for full beingstatus if they did not, as a race, reject the classification. Although their exact level of intelligence as compared to humans is unknown, they possess many traits beyond those of mere animals. Merpeople have a developed language, Mermish, and have even created music (which they are known, as a whole, to be fond of).

Evidence that the Merpeople have a thriving culture is that they live in highly organised communities, some containing elaborate dwellings made of stone, and have been known to domesticate creatures such as the Grindylow, Hippocampus, and Lobalug (the latter being used as makeshift weaponry).[1] Other signs of their intelligence include jewellery and weapon making, production of art (both paintings and statues), and an ability to understand basic communication via gestures.