(A/N): Hey Guys! So, my sister's best friend is distraught because her boyfriends probably going to break up with her (they've been together for more than a year, I think), and my sister is sleeping over her house to help her out, so I have the room to myself. Which means...well, it doesn't really mean anything, but eh, figured you should know.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Nicholai, Shari and Mia.

Leo

Fifteen minutes later, and there was only one game left running. The winners of the other games were given a small token, to show that they had competed and were through to the next round, and those who lost were mulling around, bandaging their wounded egos.

"Chess. It's brutal alright." I joked, and Elaine elbowed me in the side lightly. We watched the last game, which was, conveniently, Remus's game, against the Ravenclaw player.

He didn't seem to be losing, from what I could see, but he wasn't exactly beating the pants off this other guy either.

A few moves later, the Ravenclaw moved his last pawn, and Remus sat, staring for a second, before smirking ever so slightly.

"Checkmate." The Ravenclaw's eyes widened, and he stared down at the chessboard, where it was now clear that his King piece was in check, with no possible way to save it. Remus clasped his hands together in front of him as the Ravenclaw sighed deeply.

They both stood, and shook hands, something none of the others had done.

"Great game." The Ravenclaw boy congratulated, and Moony nodded as a sign of respect and politeness.

"Brilliant game." Remmy agreed, and the boys parted, Professor McGonagall handing Remus his winning token.

"Well done Remus!" Lily exclaimed as he reached us, a goofy grin on his lips. Sirius rested an arm across his shoulders as a congratulatory gesture, and Peter clasped a hand on his shoulder.

James, however, went for a more theatrical route.

"Chess champion Moony, protector of the lowly pawns, ruler of the mighty knights, I congratulate thee." Lily rolled her eyes as he clapped three times slowly, before bowing and moving backwards slowly.

"Prat." Elaine muttered fondly, and it was my turn to nudge her with my shoulder.

"Job well done, Moons." I told him, and Elaine glared at me lightly before beaming at Remus.

"You beat the pants of that guy." Remus blushed slightly, obviously not used to the attention, and shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. He just wasn't very observant." We stared at him curiously. "He had me in check three times, he could have beaten me if he had blocked my escape path." I saw the Ravenclaw boy he had been versing shake his head, burying his face in his hands. Ah, so he was listening.

"Wit beyond measure may be man's greatest treasure, but being observant may save your butt." Lily giggled quietly while Elaine raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well, well, look who's getting all philosophical?" I smiled down at her lightly before turning back to Moony.

"Perhaps Gryffindor will win this tournament yet." James wrinkled his nose at me.

"Why are you still speaking like that?" He asked, and I shrugged.

"Why, it's fun! Thou should giveth it a try!" The others stared at me for a minute before bursting into laughter. "No, but seriously, I didn't even know I was doing it." I shrugged, and Elaine rested a hand on my shoulder.

This was the first time I noticed the height difference. I mean, Elaine wasn't exactly short, but I was a few inches taller than her already, the top of her head only coming up to my nose.

"Well don't do it again, it's creepy." Lily told me, and I grinned at her.

"I'll do it at your birthday then." James looked like he was trying to smother more laughter, and Lily mock-glared at me.

"You better not! Remember Joannis, I know where you live." I shrugged, not taking her threat very seriously.

"Yeah, I know where you do, too." James eyes brightened, and Lily crossed her arms over her chest.

"Say Leo-" James was cut off from whatever request he was about to make by Lily.

"No!" James stepped back, almost timidly, before shrugging.

"Just thought I'd ask."

After breakfast, I headed out into the grounds to train. See, even at school I had to train. Of course, with the added people, I had to train in the Forbidden forest.

Even for me, a half-breed, the Forbidden forest was creepy. I don't know, maybe it's the human in me talking, but people shouldn't go into dark places with giant man-eating spiders in them.

For me, training consisted of a few exercises, mostly fighting technique, and a few more spiritual type things. This time, however, as I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm myself before starting to train, I heard the sound.

The sound of hoof beats, and wings, on the same animal. There weren't any flying horses around here, were there?

Curious, I headed towards the sound, listening closely for other sounds, sounds that meant something was coming my way.

The sound grew closer as I neared, and soon enough, through the gaps in the trees, I could see a clearing ahead.

As I emerged from the trees, stepping onto dirt instead of a thick layer of leaves from the trees, I heard them, but couldn't see them.

I knew where they were, by the sounds, but I couldn't see them.

An idea struck me, and I closed my eyes lightly, praying they were friendly, before letting the Sensory Alert take over.

As I opened my eyes again, I saw them. Well, I didn't see them, but I saw their shapes, and the blood rushing through their circulatory systems, pumping through their hearts.

I was right, winged horses. However, if these things were normal winged horses, then I was full-human. While seeing their blood, I saw everything filled with blood, their muscles, everything, but I could also see the faint outline of them, and knew they were skeletal.

If anything, they looked to be how I imagined the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse's steeds to look.

Darkly coloured, shiny, bony and terrifying. One difference, however, was the feeling I got from them.

I think, if I stayed away from their young, they would mean me no harm.

Another thing, was the smell. I had smelt it before, a few times even. At the carriages! The ones that take the non-first years to the castle every year. These were the things that pulled the carriages?

One of the winged horses, a small one, perhaps an adolescent, walked towards me cautiously. I stayed still, and it approached even slower, getting ready to run if I attacked.

I raised a hand, very, very slowly, showing it I meant no harm, stretching it out towards it.

This way, it knew, with my arm at its full extension, I couldn't attack without taking a step forward.

Carefully, slowly, it neared me, and gently rubbed it's nose against my palm. I smiled at it kindly, petting it lightly.

"You know, you're actually very cute." I heard footsteps nearby, and I stayed where I was, knowing by the tone of the steps exactly who it was.

As they arrived at the clearing behind me, I turned off Sensory Alert, so they wouldn't get freaked out.

"Hey Hagrid." I said quietly, before turning around, trying not to freak out the winged horses I knew were all around us. Could he see them?

"Yeh can see the Thestrals then?" Hagrid asked, in that thick accent of his, comforting almost.

"A little, but not really." His eyebrows wrinkled and he stepped closer, and I held my breath as I smelt the meat he held.

"I just came to feed 'em. What're you doing out here?" He said 'out' like 'ow', I noticed, before gesturing around.

"I was going to hunt." I lied, no point in having Hagrid know about my training, after all.

"Oh." Was his reply, and I could tell he was still having trouble digesting the fact that a twelve-year-old boy could probably kill him, if I wanted to.

"Don't worry, I stay away from the Acromantula's...and the- the Thestrals." I faltered for a second, remembering what he had called them. "What are they, exactly?" He shrugged his huge shoulders, throwing the meat in the middle of the herd, and I resisted the animalistic urge to follow it.

"A relation of the Winged Horse, but most people see 'em as death omens because of the way they look. Thestrals are good creatures, deep down, just severely misunderstood." I nodded, turning back to look over the seemingly empty clearing.

"Just like a lot of us out here." I told him, referring to him, Remus and I, along with some of the other creatures who roamed the Forest.

"Aye. People see what they want to see, not what actually is."

(A/N): So, what did you think?

Sorry if I screwed up Hagrid's accent.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

This chapter has had minor edits made to it on 29/12/22