Troll

"Anyone can speak Troll. All you have to do is point and grunt."

- Fred Weasley joking about Troll language.

A Troll is a magical creature of prodigious strength and immense stupidity. In fact, they are so stupid that they actually had a wizarding exam failing grade named after them.

Physical Description
Trolls generally reach a height of about twelve feet and weigh up to nearly a ton. Troll whiskers have magical properties, and are sometimes used as wand cores.

Behaviour
They are dangerously violent and incredibly aggressive, and then engage in unpredictable behaviour; a bit comparable with giants.

Origin
Trolls originated in Scandinavia, but are now found all across Europe.

Diet
Trolls, similar to Acromantulas, have a taste for human flesh, but enjoy to take it raw, and are not that fussy about what they eat.

Society and Culture
Troll language is nothing more than simple grunts that only Trolls seem to be able to interpret, though skilled magical multi-linguists such as Barty Crouch can understand them. Trolls understand only a limited number of Human words, and some smarter ones can be skillfully trained as security Trolls. Professor Quirrell had a gift for communicating with Trolls, and then used it to set one loose in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991 in an effort to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

History
A Troll was Quirrell's contribution to guarding the Philosopher's Stone.

Artemius Lawson was an outspoken advocate for the strict restraint of trolls. He thought it was wrong to allow them to roam free, stating that "they were creatures who weighed a ton, but had brains the size of a bogey".

Sub-species
There are four different types of Troll, each with its own highly unique set of physical differences.
 * Mountain Troll
 * Forest Troll
 * River Troll
 * Part-Troll (apparently)

A sub-type is the Troll of Nadroj, a kind of troll with disporpotionate hands.

Security trolls, the smartest troll specimens, are skillfully trained to guard several wizarding locations.

Behind the scenes

 * Troll is the lowest grade that one can receive during their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations.
 * In the Philosopher's Stone book and PS1/GBC game, there is a room with a troll that belongs to Professor Quirrell. However, in the film, this scene was omitted.
 * In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ron Weasley draws a picture of a troll and describes Gregory Goyle as one.
 * In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, "Security Trolls" are made in the last parts of the game. They are shown to be watching the library, and will end the game if they catch the player. To distract them, Ron must throw a Dungbomb around one. If close enough, the Troll will walk towards them. Humourously, when a Troll walks to a Dungbomb, they seem to lose sense of the player.
 * Harry Potter once speculated that Marcus Flint has some traces of Troll blood in him; however, this might be simply to insult Flint's stupidity and appearance.
 * When Ron Weasley was captured by Snatchers in 1997, he told them he was Stan Shunpike, due to them not looking very intelligent, and even speculated that one of them might have been part-Troll, judging by his odour.
 * In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, if someone casts a spell at a security troll, they can create an expansive wave in self-defence.
 * Troll whiskers may be used in wand cores, though they are considered inferior to the Supreme Cores.
 * There is some contradiction as to the ability of trolls to perform magic. In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it states that trolls have no magic powers other than their naturally enhanced strength. However, one of the questions on the Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test, when taken with information on the Patronus Charm from Wonderbook: Book of Spells, implies that both hags and trolls can use rudimentary magic.
 * After the details of the Sorting ceremony were revealed in 1991, Ron stated that he was going to kill his brother Fred, who had suggested that the test to get into Hogwarts involved wrestling a troll.
 * Though often derided as stupid, trolls are obviously intelligent, or at least sapient, beings. This is seen in their wielding of weapons, dressing themselves, and their attempts to domesticate other beasts (such as graphorns).  This indicates that trolls are early to mid Stone Age in terms of culture, and probably possess intelligence comparable to early cavemen.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * Daily Prophet Newsletters
 * Harry Potter Trading Card Game
 * Pottermore
 * Harry Potter LEGO Sets
 * Harry Potter for Kinect