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It was nearing nightfall, even if it wasn't even past five o clock. The sky had begun to turn a honey and amber hue, painting with red silk and violet velvet as the sun disappeared. The grass fields were meadows of vibrant flowers and pale paths of beige and dove grey stones leading down to Hagrid's hut, then branching off towards the Forbidden Forest.
I followed the path lined with snapping flowers roaring tiny, tiny amounts of fire as I passed. Clutching my robe and coat close, I walked up to Hagrid's door, knocked twice and waited.
"Back! Get back, Fang! Fang!" Hagrid's voice came from within. He opened the door, holding his large canine by the collar. "Uh, 'ello Miss Potter. What can I do for yeh?"
"Hello. Professor Kettleburn suggested I get a special salve from you," I said, look at the dog, trying not to step back at the growling creature. "I thought it would be best that, um, I get it now before curfew is called.
"Er. Alrigh', come on in," He opened the door more and allowed me in. "I'll, er, get it for yeh. Would yeh like a cuppa, Miss Potter?"
"If it isn't too much trouble, sir," I replied.
The hut consisted of one large room. Plenty of hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling with thick metal hooks. A fire rumbled under a whistling brass kettle. A small window hung over a massive bed tucked with a multicoloured patchwork quilt. A moleskin coat and an obviously used crossbow sat in one corner near the door.
"I don't' get called sir a lot," Hagrid muttered, fixing a large teacup of steaming liquid. "Here yeh go, would yeh like some sugar?"
"Yes, please," I said, sitting on one of the table chairs. Hagrid placed a very large cup of tea in front of me, plopping one very large spoon of sugar in. "Thank you. It's getting warmer, but it is still very cold."
"Yeah, innit? See, some of the herds keeps tryna steal my pheasants. I've had to keep 'em high up," Hagrid said, pointing to the hooked pheasants. Amber and bronze feathers had been ripped from certain spots and lined the floor. "Damned Hippogriffs, even the Thestrals joined in now."
I didn't know that the school employed Thestrals, let alone that they allowed them on the grounds. Since only those who saw a death could see them, most people believed Thestrals were a bad omen. It was strange to think the creatures were considered evil just because of their appearance.
"Thestrals? There are Thestrals at Hogwarts?" I asked, sipping my tea.
"Yea, what else would've pulled the carriages to school?" Hagrid said. "But yeh didn't see 'em, did yeh? Yeh were on the boats."
I nodded. "We didn't have time to waste, we all left for the boats straight away. I've wondered what pulled the carriages the older years spoke of. What do they look like?"
"The Thestrals yeh mean?" I nodded at his words and he gestured vaguely. "Well, yeh take a horse and take away the skin, make it look like it's decaying and add bat wings."
"Is that why they're considered an Omen? Because of their appearance?"
Hagrid scratched the back of his head, then shrugged. "I believe so. I, eh, can see 'em so they can't be that bad, can't they? Almost time to feed 'em, would yeh like to join me?"
"In feeding them?" I stood up straight away. "I'd love to!"
I had a strange fascination with animals, even the ones considered dangerous. They were animals, they had insticts that they lived by. They couldn't help their nature and these Thestrals were the same.
Hagrid stood to his full height, reaching for a large satchel. I followed him out, only after charming my robes warm again. I struggled to keep up, having to jog a little because of our stride difference. Hagrid led me to the edge of the forbidden forest, then he whistled loudly.
A rustle in the foliage made me flinch. Something tinted red glowed for a second, then slowly closed much like an eye would blink. It quickly disappeared when another rustle came.
Thestrals were fleshless creatures with black coats clinging to their skeletons. Their heads were like a Dragon's, long and angular. They had white eyes, no pupil seen. Wings sprouted from their backs; large, vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they belong to giant bats. They were horses with a reptilian quality that frightened anyone who saw them
A small form, the size of a Muggle feline, flew around the bodies of the group of Thestrals, twisting itself and turning as the creatures nipped at it. The small creature was quite similar to the Thestrals but less horse-like.
"Come on, Norbert! Why do yeh have to mess with them Thestrals?" He waved the creature over. It flew over instantly, going around Hagrid once then twirled around me several times.
"Norbert?" I muttered, watching the creature circle me again. The creature was mainly dark green scaled with red accents on the muzzle, claws, wings and tail. This wasn't a baby Thestral, as I suspected at the beginning when I didn't get a good look at it.
This was a Dragon, a mere chick of a few days, and extremely hungry.
"Yea, yeah. Norbert's my, eh, er, my, my," Hagrid grumbled. "'E's my Dragon."
"How do you know it's a he?" I asked as I tried to get the Dragon to stop spinning around me. When I lifted an arm, it landed and hooked itself like a bat would, flaring its wings and baring teeth. "I read a book about Dragons, females are more aggressive compared to male ones."
"Well, he bit me on me hand the moment he hatched. He might be a she, I dunno," Hagrid said, watching me toy with the Dragon's wings and claws. It dug its claws into the tip of my finger and making me wince. The Dragon lapped at it and it healed instantly.
"I believe it is a she, see these talons?" I pointed to the small hooks on the tips of the Dragon's wings. "Traits of a female. And females are more aggressive. I think Norbert is actually Norberta. I've got the book in my bag."
Rummaging through my bottomless pouch, I took out my copy and flicked to the page.
I skimmed my finger over it before reading it over, "See? Female Ridgebacks are generally more ferocious than the males."
"Didn't know that," Hagrid grumbled under his breath, a light gleam shone in his eyes. "Alrighty, come on. We've got to feed the beasts now."
When we reached the Thestrals, Hagrid gave me my own satchel of freshly killed meat. I took a large and heavy piece, holding it out to the creatures. A tall, wide Thestral came closer to me. He took the flesh between its bony jaws and clamped them shut, gently pulling the meat away from my hand. He threw the piece into the air then caught it, swallowing it whole.
The Thestral circled around me until his flank was to one side and his head started at me from my other side. I couldn't help but touch the boney creatures. Raising my hand slowly, I kept my eye on the creature. When he pressed his snout into my bloody palm, I knew he was content with my touches.
I laughed when his left wing swooped over my shoulder, hooking itself over my torso and pressing me into his larger body.
When he pushed his snout into my loose hair, he sneezed. And sneezed again when he realised it made me laugh.
Turning his head away, I looked at where this creature looked. A thinner Thestral with a curvier, boney head, stood in the treeline. A young foal stood behind her extended wing. He began to nudge me over there, using his wing as a strong force to push me gently all the way. I let him lead me towards the two other Thestrals.
I knew Thestrals could be aggressive but they would have been if they wanted to hurt me. They would have already done it.
The female came over quickly, pushing her face into mine. She was suddenly too close, making me shrink away in fear. The male shoved his face into his mate's huffing slight. The female came close again and I shut my eyes tightly. A cold, wet sensation went over my right cheek, from my jaw to hairline.
She licked my cheek.
The female Thestral licked my cheek and then sneezed into my face. The shock of it all made me burst out in a mini giggle fit. The young foal huffed, glancing at her mother. She received an incline of the head, then the young foal dashed forward and jumped into my legs.
After making me fall, the young foal jumped off and circled me as her parents moved away and watched their offspring and me.
"It seems yeh've got a knack for creatures, Miss Potter," Hagrid said. "They've seemed alright toward' me but they don' allow me to touch 'em, let alone go near their youngins."
"It does seem like animals and creatures like me," I admitted, watching the foal dance around me and then chase a small, white butterfly. "I'll never understand why."
"Yeh best be off, Miss Potter," Hagrid said. "It'll be curfew soon. Yeh needn't get in trouble fer helping me."
"Ok, thank you for showing me Norberta and the Thestrals," I said, gently pushing the young foal off of my lap and then stood up. "I'll have to visit more often, if that's alright with you, sir?"
"Yeh're welcome to come any time, bring Emperor next time," He said. "He can hang out with Fang. Bye, Miss Potter."
I had taken only one step before something pulled my sleeve. The male Thestral held it in his mouth, a disapproving look in his eyes.
"If I promise to come back, will you let me go?" The Omen of Death thought for a moment, tugged my sleeve once and then sneezed and nodded. "Thank you."
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