This Is Where

13. Carriages

"I really hope we don't have to walk all the way up to the castle," Parvati complained as they got off the train.

Lavender laughed. "Didn't wear your walking shoes?"

"No, of course not! But look." Parvati paused a moment and lifted her foot, showing off a pair of shiny black flats with little bows on the top.

"They're so cute!" Lavender exclaimed.

"If you're nice to me this year I'll let you borrow them," Parvati said, flipping her long braid back over her shoulder. She still wore it in a braid most of the time but now at least she didn't do it because she felt like she had to.

"If I'm nice? I'm always nice! You're the one who - "

But she cut off when the crowd cleared up and they could see the carriages that would take them to school. Horrible horse-like creatures were tethered up to each carriage. Lavender stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, good, we don't have to walk!" Parvati said joyously. "I wonder how the carriages move?"

Of course. Lavender had nearly forgotten. Her parents had warned that she would see these awful creatures. Thestrals. Students moved about and climbed into carriages, chattering loudly and oblivious to the skeletal creatures they were walking past.

"Lav?" Parvati asked. "Come on, let's get a carriage."

"Coming," Lavender mumbled, moving forward.

Parvati led her over to the one that Padma and her friend Mandy Brocklehurst had gotten into. As Parvati climbed in, Lavender went around to the front of the carriage to look at the thestral pulling their carriage. It looked terribly eerie, and Lavender could see every bone in its body sticking out underneath what looked like very sleek skin. Leathery wings were folded up at its sides.

She gave a small squeak as the thestral she was looking at turned its head to meet her gaze. Its eyes were pure white, and she felt her fear leave her when she sensed no hostility from the creature. Rather, Lavender thought she could feel pity coming from it. Maybe the creature knew what she had seen, knew why she could see it. Maybe it understood.

"Lav! What are you doing?" Parvati asked, sticking her head out of the carriage. "Get on, we've got to leave!"

"Coming!" she exclaimed, scampering over and into the carriage. A second later they began to move.

"Oh, I wonder how they're moving," Parvati said, looking curiously out the window.

Lavender nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. "I wonder."