A.N. I have been caught in a foolish mistake. Consider it corrected. My apologies.

Chapter Four
Thestrals

"Are you sure?" Luna asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course, I'm sure!" Ginny screeched. "I double checked! Ooooh, mum'll have his hide for this! How is he going to get to school?

"Well, Hogwart's is quite far," Luna reasoned, "perhaps he'll fly."

Ginny snorted. "You haven't seen my brother on a broom. He couldn't fly over a candlestick." Suddenly she looked struck dumb. "I didn't see Harry either." She whispered in a horrified voice.

Luna tried to soothe and comfort the best she could, but it had never been her strongpoint, never having had much practice at it. She could see the station in the distance up ahead when she looked out the window, and even Ginny craned her neck to catch a teary peek, still sniffling helplessly.

When they got off the train, the older students were herded toward a long row of carriages led by the strangest animals Luna had ever seen. She wondered to herself why more people weren't looking, as they were absolutely captivating. Sleek and black, with glinting dark eyes and large wings folded delicately at their sides. Then it clicked. "Thestrals..." she whispered under her breath. "They're real..."

"What are?" Ginny asked distractedly, eyes darting every which way for a glimpse of her missing brother.

"Don't you see them?" Luna asked, not taking her eyes of the creatures for a second. "No... I suppose you wouldn't, would you... I just never... I thought maybe he was making those up..." She could remember the event quite clearly. After all, it had only been two years earlier when her father had taken a shell-shocked Luna aside and told her a pretty story about how, though sometimes bad things happen, beauty can come out of tragedy. Words were her father's greatest power, but even then, at a mere nine years of age, Luna knew- she knew- that he was lying. There were no such thing as thestrals, and her mother was dead.

She walked closer, raising her hand slowly to one of the leathery black wings and stroking it softly. The thestral made a deep grumbling noise and brought his neck up straight and proud to look Luna in the eye. His eyes were black, almost frighteningly so, but Luna had never seen such a beautiful thing in her life.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked. "With your hand?"

"Nothing," Luna murmured, lowering it immediately. "See your brother?"

"No... but wait!" Ginny jumped up onto the balls of her feet. "Percy! Percy over here!"

Luna followed the path of Ginny's focus. A tall, thin boy with carefully styled red hair and horn-rimmed glasses glanced over with an annoyed expression, then began to walk toward them.

"Ginny." He greeted coolly. "Is there anything I can help you with?" Ginny grabbed at his robes with her hands balled into fists, pulling him down to her level.

"Ron is missing! He wasn't on the train! Neither was Harry!"

Percy's jaw slackened a bit, then snapped back shut. "Of course Ron is here. Don't be silly."

"He." She shook him for emphasis. "Isn't. Here."

Percy straightened, using his hands to smooth over the fabric of his robe where Ginny's hands had wrinkled it. "I will mention this immediately to the heads of houses once we arrive at Hogwarts. In the meantime, I would suggest you and your friend here join the others by the pier." Percy seemed ready to turn and leave them, but then lowered his hand to pat the top of Ginny's head fondly. "Go on then." He smiled slightly and walked back over to the group he had been talking with before.

As they walked toward the boats swaying gently in the water, Luna stayed silent, thinking back on what she had seen. She would have to owl father straightaway.