This article is part of a directory: Hogwarts Legacy: Complete Guide & Walkthrough
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Of the many Beast-related side quests in Hogwarts Legacy, "Foal of the Dead" is arguably the most difficult, not to mention one of the most time-consuming. Players will unlock the quest after completing Charles Rookwood's Trial, at which point, they'll be able to get the ball rolling by speaking with Deek in the Room of Requirement.

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The thing that makes "Foal of the Dead" so difficult is that it requires players to catch a Thestral, which is a lot easier said than done due to its tendency to flee. Thankfully, there are a few things that players can do to rescue one of these majestic creatures before it flies away, though they'll still need to wait at least 30 minutes before they can turn the quest in.

How to Complete the Foal of the Dead Side Quest in Hogwarts Legacy

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In order to complete the "Foal of the Dead" side quest, Hogwarts Legacy players will need to rescue a male Thestral and purchase a Breeding Pen Spellcraft. In order to get a Thestral, players should head for the quest marker in the northeastern part of the World Map and then look for a male Thestral. They'll be able to identify a male Thestral by locking onto it, which will cause the text "Testral ♂" to appear at the top of the screen.

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After identifying a suitable Thestral, players should alter their spell set to include the Disillusionment charm, Levioso, Arresto Momentum, and the Nab Sack. By turning invisible, players will be able to sneak up on the Thestral without it flying away. After that, they'll want to cast Levioso and Arresto Momentum in quick succession to freeze the Thestral in the air and then pull it into the Nab Sack. If players are fast enough, they'll catch the creature before it has a chance to flee.

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Once they have a male Thestral, players should make their way over to Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade, where they'll be able to purchase the Breeding Pen Spellcraft for 1,000 Galleons. While they're here, they might also want to pick up a Spellcraft for a Potting Table with Large Pots if they haven't already, as this will be needed for one of the game's many Assignments. If they can't afford it, they can always sell some of their unwanted gear to Mr. Brown.

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Now that they have everything they need, players should return to the Room of Requirement and conjure the Breeding Pen in the newly unlocked Beast vivarium. It will only cost 15 Moonstones, so most players should be able to afford this right off the bat. If not, it's easy enough to farm Moonstones quickly in Hogwarts Legacy. Once the pen is ready, players should place the male Thestral they just caught and the female one that they got earlier into the vivarium and then breed them by interacting with the pen.

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Unfortunately, breeding Thestrals takes time, so players will need to wait a while for nature to take its course. To be more precise, the process will take thirty real-world minutes, so players can either set their controller down and go and do something else for half an hour or crack on with some of the other side quests in Hogwarts Legacy until the Thestral Offspring is born. At that point, players just need to groom and feed it and then speak with Deek again to turn in the quest and receive the usual 180 XP.

Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC. PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions are currently in development.