Here’s What We Know About a Certain Magical Device Seen in the “Fantastic Beasts” Trailer

Pottermore has today revealed several new details about a certain magical device seen in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trailer. You can see the device in the top left of the screenshot below, right next to President Seraphina Picquery’s portrait.

As we already know, in 1926 North America, the fight to keep magic a secret from the No-Maj community is fierce. The enormous, heavy and majestic-looking device, which is located in the foyer of MACUSA, contains four faces and spindly black hands like the ones that patrol a clock face. So what does it actually do?

This device works like a barometer; like a meteorological instrument that could predict a change in weather. Only, it’s far grander than that. It’s more ominous. It measures danger…

It can measure the magical exposure threat level, or the risk of wizards and witches being exposed to the No-Maj community living in the United States of America.

The little hands swing between levels to indicate the level of threat – green for a low level threat, blue for high, yellow for danger, orange for severe unexplained activity, red for emergency. It counts the number of witch hunts in America, the number of times a witch or wizard has been exposed, and the number of times someone has had to Obliviate a No-Maj.

If the magical community is vulnerable to exposure, or a No-Maj is at risk of witnessing magic, then this device will sound the alarm. It’s incredibly helpful to the Aurors in America. Miraphora Mina, graphic designer for the Potter films and Fantastic Beasts, worked on this object alongside her graphic design partner Eduardo Lima and production designer Stuart Craig. She says,

There’s a miniature version of it on Graves’s desk. He has his own.

Eduardo adds,

Stuart was very clear about what he wanted. He wanted it to look like a station clock. We looked at how they show terror alerts in the States, and National Security issues like that, and used their colour scheme.

Mina further explains,

It does say in J.K. Rowling’s script that there is a radar-type clock that’s measuring the amount of threat or danger. She says the dial is on ‘severe unexplained activity,’ and we came up with the other words on the clock face and the cogs you can see working underneath.

You can see a close-up of the awesome prop by MinaLima below.

It’s certainly a sight to behold! We are very much looking forward to seeing it in action when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters on Friday, November 18. What do you make of this new magical device? Let us know your thoughts!