Exclusive clip from 'Hogwarts Legacy' recalls Harry's first meeting with Buckbeak the hippogriff

Here's an important rule of thumb to remember whilst exploring the Wizarding World: If a hippogriff crosses your path and you'd like to walk away without the beast slashing you to ribbons, be sure to bow as a sign of respect and do not break eye contact.

We're looking at you, Draco Malfoy. Oh, and having a dead ferret or two on hand wouldn't be such a bad idea, either. If you're lucky enough, you may even get to ride the half horse, half eagle amalgam that Potterheads met during Hagrid's first-ever Care of Magic Creatures lesson in Prisoner of Azkaban.

RELATED: Dive into the Wizarding World with stunning gameplay footage from 'Hogwarts Legacy' video game

That's just a long-winded way of saying that you can now summon and fly on your very own hippogriff in Hogwarts Legacy (coming next week from Portkey Games after years of development), and we've got the exclusive clip to prove it. The magical sneak peek — which aired during SYFY's Harry Potter marathon Monday evening — introduces us to Highwing, a forerunner to Buckbeak. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if it's one of his ancestors. The real question is will the game also give players access to Thestrals?

Check it out above!

Set during the 1800s, the hotly-anticipated game fulfills the wish Potter fans have had for decades: to not only be accepted to the most prestigious school of witchcraft and wizardry in all of Europe, but to also move freely through the expansive world depicted in the books and films. Now you really can do it all: learn and cast spells, brew intoxicating potions, grow magical herbs and fungi, tend to a menagerie of magical creatures, and unlock the castle's many secrets.

Just be sure to steer clear of the worst headmaster in all of Hogwarts history, Phineas Nigellus Black (voiced by Simon Pegg), the great-great grandfather of future convict Sirius Black. If Phineas was completely insufferable in portrait form, just imagine what he was like in person.

Hogwarts Legacy goes on sale next Friday, Feb. 10, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions are set to be released Tuesday, April 4, while the Nintendo Switch version doesn't become available until Tuesday, July 25.

A making-of book devoted to the game's production, The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy: Exploring the Unwritten Wizarding World, also goes on sale Feb. 10. Click here for an exclusive look inside as well as an interview with co-author Jody Revenson.

Want some magic in your life while you wait? The extended versions of all eight Potter films are now streaming on Peacock.