There are likely more magical beings abounding in the wizarding world than us Muggles could ever count.
From dragons to nifflers, the majority of these beasts and creatures are not meant for non-magical society. And if a Muggle were ever to cross paths with a magical being of any variety, it’s entirely likely that a witch or wizard would need to wipe our memory.
And yet, with all the magical species out there, it’s quite possible that there are a few creatures that Muggles cannot even comprehend. Like Thestrals. No memory wiping required!
In this article, we’ll analyze whether a Thestral is one of those magical creatures that may be beyond our Muggle abilities. Or what it would take in order for someone who is not a witch or wizard to be able to perceive a Thestral, if they were to ever encounter one.
Thestrals and the Wizarding World
What is a Thestral?
A Thestral, as described in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, is essentially a “winged horse” that only SOME witches and wizards are able to see.
While the majority of their appearance is indeed rather horse-like in nature, they are also quite a bit reptilian in the way that they look. They have dragon-like heads and completely white eyes, lacking both pupils and irises.
The body of a Thestral is also completely devoid of any muscle or “meatiness”. Instead, their thin bodies are composed entirely of skin and bones. Their dark black coats cling to their skeleton-like frames, which are flanked on either side by large leathery wings.
Within the context of Harry Potter, these creatures are responsible for pulling the “horseless” carriages that upper-year students occupy when they first arrive for the school year at Hogwarts. The reason the carriages are said to be “horseless” is because most students are unable to see the Thestrals.
Why can only some witches and wizards see Thestrals?
Thestrals can only be seen by a person after they have witnessed, and internalized, death first-hand.
This is why the first time Harry himself encounters a Thestral isn’t until The Order of the Phoenix—since Cedric Diggory’s murder in The Goblet of Fire was the first death he consciously witnessed.
Thestrals and Muggle Society
Do you have to be magical to see a Thestral?
As it turns out, you do not need to be a witch, wizard, or other magical being in order to see a Thestral. Muggles CAN see them too.
Of course, in order for a Muggle to be able to see a Thestral, they would also have to have seen someone die in front of them.
The fact that Muggles are able to see Thestrals is proven in the companion book to the Harry Potterseries, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themby famous Magizoologist, “Newt Scamander”—aka J.K. Rowling. This text shares the following:
WINGED HORSE
CLASSIFICATION: XX-XXXX
Winged horses exist worldwide. There are many different breeds, including the Abraxan…and the rare Thestral (black, possessed of the power of invisibility and considered unlucky by many wizards). As with the Hippogriff, the owner of a winged horse is required to perform a Disillusionment Charm upon it at regular intervals (see Introduction).
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by J.K. Rowling
Readers of the book are also educated on how any witch or wizard who owns a magical beast, such as a Hippogriff—ergo, a Thestral— “are bound by law to enchant the beast with a Disillusionment Charm to distort the vision of any Muggle who may see it.”
Since wizardkind is bound by law to perform Disillusionment Charms on creatures like Thestrals, it seems obvious that these creatures can be seen—or at the very least detected—by Muggles.
