Thestral Paddock

The Thestral Paddock was a term for the portion of the Forbidden Forest where the Hogwarts Thestral herd was kept. The paddock was heavily wooded, even in comparison to the rest of the forest, to the point where it looked like twilight even in the middle of the day. Luna Lovegood often visited this paddock to feed the Thestrals, whom she seemed to have a fondness for.

During a Care of Magical Creatures lesson in November of 1995, Rubeus Hagrid took his fifth year class to this paddock to teach them about Thestrals. Like many of his lessons, this did not go well; he was observed by Dolores Umbridge, who used the occasion to belittle him and gather evidence that would be later used to put him on probation. Later that school year, a large number of Thestrals were attracted by the scent of Grawp's blood from their paddock to where Harry Potter and other members of Dumbledore's Army waited in the Forbidden Forest. The group would use these Thestrals to get to the British Ministry of Magic.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7