Authors Note: It took me awhile to write this chapter even though it's a pretty short one. I hope you enjoy reading it!
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling
Chapter 3: The Thestrals
Hogwarts was bigger than Liana had imagined, maybe even bigger than Durmstrang. Lights glittered among the scattered castle windows, which made her think of the fireflies she had often seen dotting the warm summer nights. "It's beautiful," Liana whispered, following her new friends out of the train and into Hogsmeade Station.
"What- what are though things?" Liana said pointing over to carriages, which seemed to be pulled by fleshless horses with scaly wings protruding from their withers. Their warm breath smoked from there nostrils in the cold night air.
"You can see them too?" Harry asked gazing over at the scaly beasts. No one else seemed to notice them, but than again they weren't prettiest sight.
"How couldn't I? There kind of hard to miss." Liana shivered, pulling her robes tightly around her. The summer had just ended and the fall chill was beginning to linger in the air.
Harry came to stand beside her. "Thestrals, they're invisible to most people. You can only see them if you've seen someone die." Someone die? But she never seen...Wait. A bright green light flashed through her thoughts. An ear piercing scream rang through her head, clamping her hands over her ears she waited for the horrible shrieking to stop. Looking up she saw everyone was staring at her.
Her breathe caught, hadn't they heard it as well? "You didn't hear that... did you?" Hermione who was looking worried, shook her head. "Someone was screaming..." Liana trailed off.
This time it was Connor who gave her a concerned look. "No one was screaming Liana."
She was sure she had heard someone screaming, or had she? Beginning to question herself she dismissed and said, "It's OK, it doesn't really matter. C'mon we better get going before they leave without us." Quickly the five friends boarded one of the stagecoaches which was already occupied by two other girls. A big eyed, blond haired girl who introduced herself as Luna Lovegood, and Ron's sister Ginny Weasley. Liana hadn't been surprised to learn Ginny and Ron were siblings, they had the same red hair and freckles after all.
Harry leaned over toward Liana and murmured, "You said you heard someone scream?"
"Yeah, I guess, it was probably nothing though..." Liana replied.
Harry wasn't convinced. "Was it a woman that you heard scream?"
"Umm...," Liana remembered the loud, terrified screams. "I don't really know- I mean it could have been."
"Maybe..." Harry trailed off.
"Maybe what?" Liana asked.
Harry tried to explain. "I don't know it's just... sometimes I can hear my mother screaming in my dreams. You know, when she tried to save me from Voldemort." There was a flicker of sadness in his deep, green eyes.
"I'm sorry about your parents..." Liana replied, shifting her gaze out the window.
"Yea," Harry said bitterly, "so am I."
Liana decided to change the subject and turned back around to face Ginny and Luna."So um... what houses are you two in?"
Ginny spoke up first. "I'm in Gryffindor and Luna here, is in Ravenclaw. We're both 5th years," she added.
Suddenly the carriage came to a stop and students began flooding up to the steps of the castle. Once inside a tall, thin woman with spectacles, dressed in green robe and hat lead them into the entrance hall. "Good Evening everyone. Previous students may find a seat in the Great Hall. Exchange students, if you will, please follow me."
"In trouble already?" Connor grinned.
"Very funny," Liana replied sarcastically.