Daddy had said that a bucket of meat was all that was needed to draw them out, and he had been right. He usually was. He knew exactly the moment at which dirigible plums could be picked for optimal performance, and how much salt to add to soup. This was the latest in a long line of lessons he had taught her.
She may have not been at school for long, but there was something about wandering through the forest with her feet bare and her hair full of twigs with no concern as to what others thought about her. She set the bucket, which contained meat practically swimming in blood, down on the grass and she was immediately surrounded.
"Hey, hey, you wait your turn," she said to the nearest thestral. "I brought enough for all of you, but you are all going to have to be patient."
Her hands got covered in blood but it was fine. It was worth the sacrifice. The forest was very quiet except for the occasional flapping of wings as a bird took flight and rustling of twigs as a squirrel soared through the air. They were red here. In all her travels, she had never seen a red squirrel. Daddy didn't bother with creatures if he knew that they existed already. Why bother?
She stroked the same thestral that she had chided on its forehead, and it nuzzled up against her. Thestrals were beautiful and she was so glad that she had the opportunity to spend so much time with them at Hogwarts. After all, they weren't exactly popular, and neither was she.
A/N: Because this is a short chapter, this is the first of two that are being posted this week.