A/N: Written for The Golden Snitch's Ollivander's Wand Shop Challenge.

Thestral Tail Hair- write about a person seeing a Thestral for the first time. House: Horned Serpent School: Ilvermorny

Disclaimer: This is entirely J.K Rowling's world.


Luna was nine when she first saw it. It was ten days after her mother died.

Her father was trying to write the perfect obituary for his late wife, one that would perfectly encapsulate her unrivaled and absolute singularity, and skill. He was far too busy to notice that his daughter was no longer asleep, and that she had crept past his door and into the yard.

It was a starlit night, with hints of chill breezes disturbing the stillness of the thin branches on trees. The clouds were fluffy, and inviting, with a slim silver of a moon dangling delicately in its midst. Luna quickly checked to make sure no Nargles from the plants outside had strayed indoors before making her way to the garden gate.

Her father had once told her that the moon acted as a messenger between the living and the dead. But she felt sorry for the moon. It looked so thin and weak. Perhaps her mother could make it some Freshwater Pimplie soup to help it regain its strength.

A rustling sound from right outside the yard caused her to turn suddenly. A long skeletal animal was moving slowly around a tall tree, nuzzling the leaves gently. It had huge, leathery wings that were a shade lighter than black but too dark to be gray, and its features resembled a reptile's, thin and slippery looking.

Luna watched it approach their wooden fence, its wings gently flapping with the breeze. She was unafraid. She knew what it was, and why she could see it. She only wondered why it had come there. It nibbled on the leaves of the tall, wide, leafy tree, avoiding some of the smaller, Nargle infested trees.

The Thestral swayed gently and slowly swung its long graceful neck straight into their yard. Luna had never seen one before but she stretched her hand forward to touch it on its head. The Thestral made a noise that sounded like a cross between a neigh and a groan. Luna listened intently, as it made the noise once again.

She nodded and stroked its head. It nuzzled her hand. "Thank you," she said. "Tell Mum that we love her too."

Her father nodded knowledgeably when she returned and recounted her experience to him. It was not unheard of for a Thestral to assist the moon in carrying messages from the dead to the living, but he did think that they should have offered the Thestral some refreshment.

Luna and her father put several green apples in a sack and placed them by the garden gate. Her father said that Thestrals came right in if there were apples kept for them by the gate, but he warned her that Blibbering Humdingers might get at them if they grew too old or rotten. Luna promised to check the apples everyday, and her father returned to his typewriter, satisfied.

Luna went upstairs and drew a picture of the Thestral, its long body and thick wings; and then she drew herself beside it. She pinned it next to a picture of her mother.

Luna spent the rest of the night sitting by her window, swatting away the Wrackspurts, and waiting for the Thestral to come again.

It did come again. The very next night. Luna saw it enter the yard and feast on the fresh green apples. Then it paused and looked up. Straight to the window, where she was sitting. Instantly she rose and ran down to the door, her drawing of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack's horn falling unheeded to the floor, to greet her new friend.