I Can See The Thestrals, Too
Alice got off the train, shivering as the cool breeze hit her face. Her best friend, Eve Lawrence, grinned and pointed at the group of first years who were huddled together.
"Were we that scared last year?"
"Hush," Alice admonished. "And you were terrified! I still remember how you jumped when you saw the ghosts for the first time."
Eve pursed her lips and jutted her chin out. "Well, I am a muggleborn. I was new to the wizarding world and had the right to be 'fraid."
"Of course."
Her friend punched her in the arm, which made Alice laugh even harder.
"Let's get to the carriages. I'm freezing!" She grabbed Eve's hand and pulled her after the group of the Gryffindor boys from their year.
They reached where the carriages were waiting, and suddenly, the boy walking in front of her stopped. Alice walked right into him.
"Ouch!" She rubbed her nose where it had hit the boy's head.
"W-What are t-these?" the boy — Longbottom, she remembered — asked, pointing to the front of the carriage.
"What are you talking about, mate?"
Longbottom glanced at his friend, then turned back to the horse-like creature tethered to the carriage. Its black coat was clinging to the skeleton; each bone was visible, and even in the moonlight, it seemed as if the creature was sucking the light in, casting shadows around. With its white, pupil-less eyes, dragon-like head, and black, leathery wings, it looked eerie, and Alice took a step back. "The thing pulling this carriages."
"There's nothing there," his other friend said. "I say, you've got off your rocker, Frank?"
Alice put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can see them, too." Eve stared at her.
"What are they?" he asked.
Alice closed her eyes, trying to push away that dreadful scene. "Thestrals," she answered, her voice shaky. "Only those who have seen someone die can see them."
She could hear Eva and the other boys gasp. Longbottom put his hand over hers, and she looked at him. "It's okay," he said in a quiet voice. He led her to the carriage, helping her up, and climbed after her, taking the seat to her left. Their friends joined them, and Eva elbowed her in the side, but Alice stayed silent. A tear fell down her cheek.
Suddenly, the boy spoke up. "It was my father. H-He was a A-Auror. He was injured badly, a-and went to St Mungo's. He d-died in front of us."
Alice mentally thanked the boy for sharing his story, just to take her mind off hers. She turned to him, and when she saw her tear stained cheeks, she felt she had to say something.
"I saw my brother," she said. "He was a year younger than me. We were flying, a-and he-he—" she couldn't complete. The incident was still fresh in her mind. She broke down into sobs.
She felt someone wrap their arms around her. It was him. She buried her face in his chest, not caring that he was a boy. Somehow, his presence comforted her.
She pulled back, wiping her tears with the sleeves of her robes. "'m sorry, I got your robes wet," she said.
"It's fine."
"T-Thanks, Longbottom," she said.
"Frank. Call me Frank."
"Frank." The name easily rolled off her tongue, and she smiled.
Word Count: 557
Prompts used:
From Writing Club
• Alice Longbottom
From Gringotts Wizarding Prompt Bank
• OC Names: Eve Lawrence
• Wizarding Occupations: Auror