Sanctuary and refuge to a number of dangerous creatures, this not a place for the faint of heart.

But not all who dwell in the Forbidden Forest are always what they seem at first. Read on to find the creature you’d most likely be friends with…

Are you… always hungry and longing to be part of a gang?

You’d be great friends with Aragog.

When a young Voldemort made Aragog a scapegoat for the Basilisk’s attacks on Hogwarts’ students, Hagrid – a student at the time – helped the overgrown spider to find sanctuary deep within the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid then introduced Mosag, a female Acromantula – the giant species of spider - to the Forbidden Forest. Soon after, Aragog and Mosag had a brood of hundreds, all with a hunger for meat, and even witches and wizards were on the menu!

OK, so admittedly nobody wants to be pals with a giant spider and his brood of flesh-eating children BUT they are one heck of a tight-knit gang. Aragog has also shown signs of deep loyalty, although only if your name is Rubeus Hagrid.

When Harry Potter and Ron Weasley encounter Aragog during their second year at Hogwarts, the fearsome beast explains that while he won’t allow his hungry children to attack Hagrid, he refuses to stop them from feasting on the young wizards.

Hmm, maybe not an ideal candidate for friendship then.

Are you… extremely loyal but very misunderstood?

You’d be great friends with a Thestral.

Only visible to those who have seen death, Thestrals are often undeservedly seen as a bad omen due to their grim appearance.

The black horse-like creatures had a skeletal body with vast, leathery wings reminiscent of giant bats.

But behind the eerie and sinister appearance, Thestrals could be incredibly loyal creatures.

The intelligent animals had a keen sense of direction and their rider need only say where they want to go and the Thestral would oblige.

Showing their loyalty to the staff and students of Hogwarts, the Thestrals joined forces with Buckbeak the Hippogriff to battle Voldemort’s army during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Are you… a music lover who is always sleeping?

You’d be great friends with Fluffy.

The three-headed canine was born in Greece but arrived at Hogwarts after gamekeeper Hagrid purchased him at The Leaky Cauldron. While Fluffy may seem fierce and ferocious, there’s one way to his heart and that’s the sweet serenade of music!

Harry, Ron and Hermione found this extremely useful when Fluffy was blocking their way to the Philosopher’s Stone. By enchanting a nearby harp, they immediately sent Fluffy to sleep, allowing the trio to make their way past all three of his heads...

Is your philosophy that everything happens for a reason?

You’d be great friends with Firenze.

The centaur shows all the best characteristics of a true friend, even when it’s cost him the most. His wisdom with Divination also gives Firenze an often calm, if sombre, mood. But Firenze isn’t always just gazing at the stars.

Showing huge amounts of bravery, Firenze saved a young Harry Potter during an encounter with Professor Quirrell and Lord Voldemort, surely knowing he was important.

This, and his later teaching position at Hogwarts following Professor Trelawney’s temporary dismissal, saw Firenze be cast out from the clan of centaurs that reside in the Forbidden Forest as they felt he was becoming a servant to wizards.

But after showing his fierce loyalty and bravery during the Battle of Hogwarts, Firenze was welcomed back into the centaur group as they finally understood his pro-human leanings were admirable and not so shameful after all. If you too like to stick to your guns, we think you’d be a great companion to Firenze.

Are you… unique but with a fiery temper?

You’d be great friends with a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Yes, really.

The unique creatures were bred by Hagrid while employed as gamekeeper for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

When Harry first encountered the newborn creatures, he described them as smelling strongly of rotten fish. Not a good start.

Not only that – but sparks would often fly out of their rear end, propelling the scorpion-lobster like creatures forward. When fully grown, they’d use this unique skill to charge at enemies when the males would attack with their stinger - while females opted to use blood suckers to drain their enemy’s life.

Their strong armour defended almost all spells, with their only vulnerability being their unprotected underside – something Harry realized when confronted with a deadly Blast-ended Skrewt during the Triwizard Tournament.

On second thoughts, maybe a friend with a stench of rotting fish and a lethal sting isn’t such a good idea?

OK, so lesson learned… maybe don’t venture into the Forbidden Forest looking for friendship. There’s nothing there but mystery and danger!