DISCLAIMER: I do not own the story of Harry Potter or any of the characters residing in the Harry Potter novels.

This is from Luna's point-of-view. It starts on page 760, chapter 33 (Fight and Flight) of the American version of the Order of the Phoenix. The Italicized parts are taken directly from the book.

Luna followed Ron, Neville, and Ginny as they made their way deeper into the wood. They could hear crashes and hooves up ahead and urged farther through the roots and leaves and brambles of the forest. They faintly heard someone speak, "…how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

From in front of her, Luna heard Ron, "Yeah, we were just wondering that." They finally cleared through a space in the trees to see Harry and Hermione, covered in dirt and blood, their eyes wide as they looked at Ron.

"So," said Ron, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and holding out Harry's wand, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.

Luna began to tune out the rest of his words; she had been there of course. It was only a matter of a few spells and curses; most of them she learned form the D.A. She smiled at the memories in the Room of Requirement and looked around at the trees. She saw a pair of big white eyes staring at her. Her smile widened.

"…chased off by Grawp," said Harry.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly, only just tuning back into the conversation.

"Hagrid's little brother, " said Ron promptly. Luna nodded and turned her head back towards the thestral, which was now looking at Harry and Hermione. She reasoned they must have come because of the blood. They really were beautiful creatures. It was a shame people didn't like them…

"We want to help."

"That's right," said Luna, smiling happily, though she was just agreeing. She was still too preoccupied by the thestrals. She did catch, however, Harry's ignorance.

"… because we still don't know how to get there-"

"I thought we'd settled that?" said Luna maddeningly. "We're flying!"

"Look," said Ron, "you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we-"

"There are other ways of lying thank with broomsticks," said Luna serenely.

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?" Ron demanded.

Luna was angry. He was very ignorant.

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly," said Luna in a dignified voice, "but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for." She pointed to a space in the trees and everyone turned. The thestrals were slowly moving towards Harry and Hermione, slipping their tongues out from between their teeth to lick at their robes. Their eyes lingering on the blood they would soon lick up.

Luna giggled slightly. What silly creatures…

"Well, we need three," said Hermione.

"Four, Hermione," said Ginny, scowling.

Luna quickly counted how many people stood in the clearing. "I think there are six of us, actually," said Luna, calmly, and turned towards the thestral now trying to lick Hermione's robes and began to pat it on its scaly neck. She was only vaguely paying attention to the protests of not everyone being able to go to the Ministry. She had always wanted to go there. Maybe she could ask her father to take her there someday…

"I'm not staying behind!" said Hermione furiously.

"There's no need," said Luna, smiling, and still patting the neck of the thestral. "Look, here come more now… You two must really smell…."

More thestrals entered the area as Harry told everyone to pick one and get on. Luna, still patting its neck, climbed onto the back of the thestral, sitting sidesaddle and straightening her skirt. She didn't want it to get ruined. She rather liked this skirt. She could wear it with almost all of her sweaters…

"How're we supposed to get on?" said Ron faintly. "When we can't see the things?"

"Oh it's easy," said Luna, sliding obligingly from her thestral and marching over to him, Hermione and Ginny. "Come here…."

She walked each of them over to a thestral and helped them get their legs over the backs and their knees behind the wing joints for more stability. She then went back to climb onto her thestral and straightened her robes again. She looked down at her thestrals and began petting its neck, the rough scales stretching around to look at her. She smiled widely. She was really looking forward to being in the air…