THC: Round 3

House: Ravenclaw

Class subject: Herbology

Story Category: Standard

Prompt(s): [creature] Thestrals

Word count: 1308

A Parade of Nightmares

Thestrals were hauntingly beautiful creatures, but not many people knew that. Seeing them was something that broke even the strongest of people. Percy, being the know-it-all that he was, knew that they weren't invisible horses that pulled the carriages at Hogwarts. But knowing wasn't the same as seeing.

People always remembered the first time they saw Thestrals. The pain of death marked their hearts. Percy knew why he could see them now - he knew what it felt like to watch someone die right in front of him. He also knew the pain of being the reason they died. Even so, he could appreciate the beauty of the creature in front of him.

Carriage after carriage, a death parade, of sorts, and everyone in attendance could see the Thestrals. Percy would be surprised if there was someone at the funeral who still thought they were invisible horses. The carriages only held the caskets of the dead; their images cast above them due to a charm. Percy didn't recognize all of the faces. It was a sad thing to note that there were children amongst the dead that were too young for him to have met during his time at Hogwarts.

The notion of death was something abstract to most people. It's not tangible in the way other things are and it comes when people least expect it. A dead body was tangible. The image of a looming creature, dark as midnight, was tangible. And yet, people think they can still avoid death. Every single person in the funeral procession in front of Percy was dead because one monster thought he could avoid death.

Percy thought back to his days learning in the castle that was the backdrop for all of this. He remembered Quirrell and wished he could go back in time and expose him. He thought of all the professors that contributed to the pain they're in right now. Most of all, he thought about all the time he spent discrediting his siblings. He hated the competition that their family represented. Growing up and being compared to his older brothers, and then his younger siblings being compared to him. Why couldn't they all just be themselves? He strived so much for the recognition of his parents that he tore the twins down especially, and he regretted it more than anything.

As Fred's carriage passed them, and his family tenses up next to him, he made a promise he'll spend the rest of his life making up for his mistakes. He'll invest in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. He'll buy Ginny some better quidditch gear. He'll support Ron in his endeavors to be an Auror. He'll put in the effort to connect with Bill and Charlie. Because he doesn't want any more of them to end up in the ground because of him.

He had always thought about what Thestrals would look like in person, curiosity getting the better of him. Now he despised that curiosity. He never wanted to see another Thestral in his life, but he knew it's wishful thinking.

His apartment was dreary when he moved back in. After having spent so long within his childhood bedroom in the eccentric mess that was the Burrow, his London flat is downright sad. His mother begged him not to leave, but they all can't rely on her forever. George offered to let him stay with him above the store, but the thought of being therein Fred's place made Percy sick to his stomach.

Besides, Percy liked being alone. The chaos of his home growing up made him ache for somewhere quiet to hide. Even at Hogwarts, he had never truly been alone. One of his siblings was always around the corner, or their names were brought up by professors.

But now, being alone meant the nightmares could creep in. Every night he would see visions of Fred dying over and over again, Thestrals stampeding over the dead bodies of the war's victims. Sometimes he'd see images of a Thestral kicking him in the chest. He'd always wake up drenched in sweat with tears on his face. Even in his sleep, he couldn't escape the nightmare that was his life.

Sometimes he'd catch movement in the corner of his eye, in the shadows, but he could never quite make out what it was meant to be. Percy had never been afraid of the dark growing up; he knew there was nothing that could hurt him, and hated any ounce of light when he tried to sleep. Now, he left every light on for as long as possible. He spent hours enchanting things to cast light so he wouldn't waste electricity. Still, he couldn't sleep.

He had begun to look as gaunt as a Thestral. Deep eye bags sunken into his face, and his skin lost color, it had turned a sickly gray. One of his co-workers politely tried to tell him he looked like a walking corpse and he just nodded at her before walking away. He knew what was happening to his body. During his time at Hogwarts, there were several moments when he would pull all-nighters studying for exams. There was only one person who could pull Percy away from his work and get him to sleep.

So after weeks of nightmares and choppy hours of sleep he went to visit Oliver Wood. It was tough for Percy to admit he needed help in any situation. Now, it was even worse than when he was growing up. Even Oliver seemed surprised to see Percy standing at his door.

As soon as he stepped foot into Oliver's apartment Percy broke down. In between sobs, he told Oliver everything he could think of. The haunting image of the light leaving Fred's eyes, the looming figures of Thestrals, the stench of death that hit him at random points of the day, how he couldn't sleep, and the odd movements in the shadows he saw. Oliver held him on the couch as he spoke about everything. Instead of interjecting his opinion or giving advice, Oliver soothed Percy, calming him down. After a short while, Percy's eyes began to close, and he drifted off to sleep.

In Oliver's arms, on a relatively uncomfortable couch, Percy had the first "dreamless" sleep he's had in ages. He was actually met with happy memories of his childhood, but upon waking, he couldn't remember the dreams he had. They weren't as mentally straining as his recurring nightmares, so his brain didn't feel the need to remember them. Oliver was asleep beside him by that point, both of them crammed onto the couch.

Percy didn't dare move. He attempted to fall back asleep hoping to reset himself in a way. He wasn't sure if, when he went back to his own apartment, he'd be able to sleep peacefully or not; he wanted to capitalize on it now. All of the psychological stuff happening in his brain stopped him from healing from Fred's death. He knew that's why Fred and the Thestrals showed up every time he closed his eyes. Hopefully, his brain would allow him to move forward now.

Percy knew he would always be able to see Thestrals in real life, but he didn't really think he'd ever cross paths with them again. He truly hoped they wouldn't invade his dreams anymore. Healing would take time but now he believed that, with his family and Oliver, he could manage it. That of course meant having to reach out for help and allowing people to care for him, but he needed to. Percy knew that's what Fred would want for everyone.

Already, the shadows were no longer filled with the prying eyes of the ghostly creatures. His ears no longer caught on the sound of Fred's laughter, and he was no longer afraid to sleep in the dark.