Have you noticed the Thestral carriage as you exit the Hogwarts Express Hogsmeade station? A Thestral is a breed of winged horses with a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat’s.
They are very rare, and are considered dangerous by the Ministry of Magic. Thestrals are, undeservedly, known as omens of misfortune and aggression by many wizards because they are visible only to those who have witnessed death at least once (and fully accepted the concept) or due to their somewhat grim, gaunt and ghostly appearance.
Thestrals can be domesticated and mounted, so they are used as an alternative to brooms, Apparition and other methods of transportation. Once trained, they are very diligent and will quickly carry their owners wherever they wish to go. However, travel by Thestral is technically illegal, as it is a breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
Due to their classification as XXXX, only experienced wizards (or Hagrid) should try to handle Thestrals. Breeding as well as owning these beasts may be discouraged or even illegal without Ministry consent; in fact, wizards that live in areas not protected against Muggles are forced by law to perform Disillusionment Charms on their Thestrals regularly.
At the new Hogsmeade Hogwarts Express Station, you can find a Thestral animated carriage as you exit Hogwarts Express to visit Hogsmeade. Do you see the Thestrals pulling the carriage?
Thestral Carriage Video
For more information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the goings-on in Diagon Alley, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
Book your Harry Potter and Universal Orlando package or theme park tickets today!
Want to get all our tips and tricks for visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? We wrote a travel guide for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade! We included all our tips and tricks that we’ve learned over the last year to make your visit to the Wizarding World as magical as possible. Be sure to check it out!
Get your Harry Potter theme park souvenirs from the official Harry Potter shop, the WB Shop!