Hogwarts Legacy is full of side quests that give you unique gear or unlock additional gameplay elements. If you’re a fan of beasts, then one of the first things you will want to do is unlock beast breeding. This can be done by unlocking and completing the quest Foal of the Dead. Unlike the other beast quests, this isn’t part of the main story, so you will need to seek it out on your own. The guide below goes over how to start Foal of The Dead, how to easily catch a Thestral, and how to breed beasts in Hogwarts Legacy.

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Thestral breeding in the Foal of The Dead side quest.

How to Start Foal of The Dead¶

To start this quest, you must reach winter and have completed Deek’s previous quest, The Plight of the House-Elf. Once this is done, a message will pop up notifying you that there is a new quest for you to complete from Deek. Speak with him, and he will task you with catching a Thestral, buying the breeding pen recipe from Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade for 1000 G.

How to Catch a Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy¶

Once you have the recipe for the breeding pen, head to the location that Deek mentioned on your map to encounter a herd of Thestral. These are tricky beasts to nab as they have four catch bars and will fly away after being spooked. Make sure you use Disillusionment and use Leviosa on the Thestral to hold him in place long enough for you to catch.

At this point, the other Thestral have likely taken flight and have a large range. You will need to wait for one of the opposite sex of your first catch to land back in the beast den. At this point, use these two spells to sneak up on the Thestral and hold it in place until you successfully capture it. Make sure to scope out the others as you may even run into a shiny thestral while doing the quest.

How to Breed Beasts in Hogwarts Legacy¶

Once you have your breeding pair and breeding pen, speak with Deek and place the thestral in the new Swamp Vivarium. You will need to set up the breeding pen and then enter act with the stand in front of it. Select the thestral and then come back after 30 minutes when they are done breeding to find a baby.

At this point, you will need to show a bit of love to the thestral baby and then speak with Deek to finish up this side quest. If you don’t wish to keep the thestral, then you can sell them to the beast shop in Hogsmeade.