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In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry performs accidental magic and lets a boa constrictor out of it's cage in a zoo. What happened to it? The story seems to have just let it run out to Brazil. Did the accidental magic reversal squad show up to get the mess fixed?

Any canon level answer is appreciated.

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    Odds are the muggle zoo staff noticed that a snake was running free, caught it, and put it back in its cage, though I don't know if there are any canon statements to that effect.
    – nick012000
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 8:49
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    @nick012000 how would they explain the explain the missing glass in the enclosure? That kind of thing is a job for the AMRS.
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 8:58
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    @freedomn-m Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor.
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 9:17
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    @freedomn-m The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 9:17
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    @user13267 my bad, I thought Dudly got stuck inside when Harry restored the glass - guess that didn't happen in the books, don't have one to hand.
    – fdomn-m
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 9:21

2 Answers 2

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We don't know. The last we see of the boa constrictor in any canon work is as it leaves the scene with a hearty

‘Brazil, here I come … Thanksss, amigo.’

JKR doesn't seem to have discussed its fate, other than to confirm that it's not Nagini.

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    Its been awhile, but I thought it was born in captivity. So though it's species is from Brazil, it has never been in the wild. [EDIT: Yes I checked. It was born in the that Zoo. So has never been in the wild. It is very unlikely it will make it to Brazil.]
    – NJohnny
    Commented Mar 9, 2023 at 22:29
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    @NJohnny - Mebbe it did, mebbe it didn't.
    – Valorum
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 5:24
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    @NJohnny Trust in Me... (PS: Yeah I know, it's a Python and not a Boa,).
    – Clockwork
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 7:56
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    Because if it had been to Brazil, that would somehow help it swim across the Atlantic, @NJohnny? :)
    – terdon
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 10:48
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    @terdon: There is precedent for airborne snakes.
    – psmears
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 11:39
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It's not really a mess needing magical fixing, a kid fell into a terrarium and a non-venomous snake escaped without harming people, the only witnesses to the glass itself disappearing are Harry and Dudley, and both know better than claim the glass disappeared and reappeared to the public.
They seem to get involved when the magic itself needs reversing like an aunt blowing up, not when a kid (or a cake) falls.

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    The zookeeper knows the glass is missing as well
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 15:33
  • The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 15:34
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    Note: wrong answers are still answers...
    – DavidW
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 15:46
  • The glass didn't reappear in the book apparently.
    – Clockwork
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 16:00
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    "Did the accidental magic reversal squad show up to get the mess fixed?" => "It's not really a mess needing magical fixing" I didn't say it's a good wrong answer, but it at least attempts to address part of the question.
    – DavidW
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 18:57

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