Written for The Houses Competition
House Hufflepuff
Category: Drabble
Prompt: Thestrals
Word count: 762
Beta: Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns
What if you were really old and really kind and alone. What could you do then? You couldn't just stand there and watch children cry. ~Amy Pond, The Beast Below
They were feared; taken as signs of death and placed in the same category as the Black Dog or Grim as it was otherwise known. They were loved; taken as the spirits of those that had passed and placed in the same category as Guardians. It all depended on who was viewing them, and the manner in which they had gained the ability to see them. To some, they were a vision of Death itself; but to others, they were the companions that saw them through the hard times.
No one knew the origin of the Thestral; all that was known was that they were carnivorous and could only be seen by those who had previously seen death. They were assumed to be harbingers of death due to the fact that there were herds around when death had happened. In truth, they had always been there, simply living out their lives unseen until they were needed.
For those who had lost those closest to them, the Thestral was a friend that was purely theirs. Many times, a child would run crying into a forest and come upon a Thestral who would then take it upon themselves to calm the troubled soul. While they may not be the most pleasant to look at, they were caring creatures and hated to see a soul in pain.
The Thestral is a fiercely protective creature, never letting any harm come to those they had claimed as their own and never ones to stand by when a child was being hurt. Their skeletal appearance gave credence to the theory that they were servants of Death. Occasionally, they would be allied with the Dementors; and indeed, the Thestral would sometimes live in close proximity to the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban with no ill-effect to itself or its herd.
As the years went by, the Thestral faded into the background. The species becoming an almost myth even though there was quite a large herd of them living in the Forbidden Forest just outside of Hogwarts castle. A student would sometimes see them and shy away, returning to the safe confines of the castle. They were used to it by now, but still they stayed; a child would need them eventually, and they would stay for that child.
In the end, it was several children that needed them. The blonde-haired child that brought them raw meat and talked with them sometimes guided the group towards the skeletal horses. They knew one, the boy with messy black hair had accompanied Luna—as she said her name was—on a trip to the forest not that long ago.
The other black-haired boy was skittish around them, but they were gentle and kind; and he accepted them for what they were. The other three were unable to see them, so the Thestrals did not know how to help these three. How do you help someone that can't see you? Nevertheless, they tried. They ensured that the children were safe on their backs before lifting off and flying to the destination given.
Harry—the black-haired boy who had accompanied Luna—visited them frequently after their adventure together. He needed them, and they were there for him. They curled around him as he cried and distracted him with playful foals when he grew despondent. Sometimes Luna would be there too; but often it was simply the Thestral herd and Harry.
They were kind, providing companionship and distraction to those who needed it. They were loving, placed in the same category as a Phoenix. The Thestral species was very old, very kind, and very lonely. It was their mission to keep the lonely children from feeling too lonely. It was the mission of every creature that felt the heart-wrenching pain of utter loneliness to keep others from feeling it. The Thestral may be misunderstood but the Thestral will always be there for a child in pain. A Thestral will never leave a child alone. A Thestral will be feared and hated, depended on and loved.
A Thestral was never cruel or cowardly, and a Thestral never gave up. They were the healers of the soul. No one knew the origin of the Thestral and no one would know the ending. All that was known was that they were there when needed and they would always be there.