"I see them too." Harry turned, startled for a moment at the words he heard behind him. He thought he'd been alone, came specifically without Ron or Hermione's intrusion so that they wouldn't think he was seeing things again. After the way they looked at him on the ride into the castle yesterday Harry wanted to investigate on his own.
"Hi Luna. You can see them too then? Do you know what they are?" He said to her, looking over his shoulder for a moment to glance at her. "They are often called Thestrals." She murmured in her soft lilting voice before moving forward and slowly past him, reaching into her bag she pulled out a small portion of raw meat that she gently tossed towards the nearest of the creatures.
Harry watched curiously as the Thestral approached cautiously towards Luna before bending and beginning to eat. "Do you know why the others can't see them? Nobody else seemed to notice them pulling the carriages. And before now neither had I." He said quietly, slowly moving up to stand next to her in front of the Thestral.
She turned her head at his question and gave him a small, warm sympathetic smile before saying "Thestrals are only visible to those who have seen Death. Daddy says that Thestrals are Deaths personal steeds, that they spirit away the fallen and provide passage into the next life. They only become visible to those who have been marked by Death himself."
With a start at hearing this, his thoughts turned at once to Cedric. To seeing that green light collide with him, and watching the light and warmth leave his face. His face became dark, as a small frown marred his lips.
"Despite what is said about them, they really are quite gentle creatures. I like to think they know more then they let on though." Luna said while stepping closer to the Thestral and beginning to lightly stroke its large neck.
Harry studied Lunas face as she continued to pet the Thestral. "They do seem pretty innocent, despite how they look." Suddenly Luna turned and grabbed his arm gently, pulling him closer and lifting his hand up to rest against the smooth skin of the Thestral. She slid her hand down his, and up his arm leaving tingles in her wake. Before removing her hand and turning to smile at him.
"When I really begin to miss my mum I come here, I can easily picture a gentle Thestral coming to guide her onwards to whatever comes next. It helps me be at peace with her passing." She said in her soft voice.
"Though I suspect that won't work the same for you, Harry Potter. You are much too caught up in blaming yourself for what happened. Stop to consider that Death had other plans for Cedric and it was simply his time to move on." With these words she moved closer to him, if it was even possible.
"Just keep him here." She brought her hand forward to rest above his heart and stroked her thumb across his chest gently, soothingly. She leaned up towards his ear "As long as he is here in your heart he's never truly gone" she said barely above a whisper, her soothing voice sounded magical in his ears. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his face and he had trouble finding his voice.
"All you have to do is try your best, and know that you have done all you can, because while now you could change what happens back then. You must realize that things played out as best as you could make them. Fate has a funny way of working, and it was simply time for Cedric to face the next great adventure." With these words in his ears she slid past him like a breeze humming a soft tune under her breath as she wandered back up the path, leaving Harry to his confused thoughts. His hand still over his ear and his heart beating a mile a minute.