Real Hogwarts Train Saved This Stranded Family

A family in Scotland got a big surprise when the actual Hogwarts Express came to the rescue. According to Time, a storm stranded the Cluett family while they were out camping on Loch Eilt. After the canoe washed away during the night, the family of six had no way to get home. When help arrived, it was practically magical.

Jon Cluett explained that the family car was miles away and that the journey would have been over marshes and bogs. When he called the police to see if there was any way the family could get help, the station said the next train would stop to pick them up. Lucky for the family — which had its fair share of Potterheads — the next train happened to be the Jacobite steam train, which played the part of Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.

"The policeman said, 'We've arranged for the next train passing to stop for you, and you're not going to believe this but it's the Hogwarts Express steam train. Your kids are going to love it,'" Cluett told the Associated Press. "They know the Harry Potter films and they know that are filmed in the Highlands. But they hadn't put all of that together in their heads until they saw the train."

When it's not being used for blockbuster film franchises, the Jacobite steam train "runs on a remote and scenic route through the Scottish Highlands." Lucky for the Cluetts, the train also embarks on impromptu rescue missions. The family had a predictably enchanting trip back to civilization, but that wily canoe is still missing. Jon Cluett told the Associated Press that he hopes that the boat will turn up. Hopefully, some good samaritans will see the bright-red boat floating around somewhere and alert someone. No magic necessary.