Friday, September 3, 1993
The next morning found me enjoying breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, seated across from a cheery Rosmerta and a distinctly sleep-deprived Aurora. I grabbed a toast and added a generous layer of orange marmalade before glancing at her with interest.
"So," I said lightly, "how did your first day of classes go?"
Aurora took a long sip of her coffee, her eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep, and groaned. "Ugh. First-years and seventh-years. It's unbelievable how helpless children are these days, half the first-years were using their telescopes upside down."
Rosmerta winced sympathetically. "Oh dear."
"At least the seventh-years are manageable," Aurora continued. "They don't need much guidance, and there aren't many of them. The only problem is that their class is too late." She punctuated the word with another yawn.
Rosmerta leaned closer, concern softening her expression. "You should really get some more sleep once you've finished eating."
"She's right," I added, taking a bite of toast. "You should go back to bed."
Aurora nodded sluggishly. "You're right… and it's not like I've got any daytime classes anyway."
I checked the time and stood, brushing imaginary crumbs from my robes. "Well, my class is in the morning. Hagrid's handling most of the preparations, but I'd better go supervise, just in case he decides to introduce a manticore instead of what we agreed on."
Both women visibly winced.
"That does sound like Hagrid," Rosmerta said dryly.
I smiled and called out casually, "Dobby!"
With a soft pop, the house-elf appeared at my side. Lucius had upheld his end of our arrangement, Dobby's ownership had already been transferred to me.
The elf looked up at me with shining eyes, vibrating with barely contained energy.
"Yes, Master Lokihart?" he squeaked.
I quickly applied a few grooming charms, ensuring my robes were immaculate and my teeth gleamed brilliantly. After giving Rosmerta and Aurora each a brief, courteous goodbye kiss, I turned back to Dobby.
"Take me to Hogwarts, would you?"
"Right away, sir!" Dobby exclaimed, seizing my outstretched hand.
Another pop, and we reappeared at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Here we are, sir," Dobby said eagerly, practically bouncing in place, looking at me expectantly as if waiting for praise.
"Excellent work as always, thank you, Dobby" I told him warmly. "Now go back to the Three Broomsticks and help Rosmerta in her work."
At the praise, Dobby looked as though he'd just experienced the greatest moment of his life or just gotten his daily dose of heroin. With a blissful grin, he vanished on the spot.
I straightened my robes, took in the morning air, and headed off to meet Hagrid, hoping fervently that he hadn't brought anything with a venomous stinger.
…
Half an hour later, the fifth-years finally arrived, the Weasley twins bringing up the rear with identical, far-too-innocent grins. The sort of expressions that usually meant Filch's blood pressure had just spiked. I decided, quite sensibly, not to ask.
I greeted the class warmly and let my gaze sweep over them before saying, "Today's creatures are rather ominous. In fact, if you haven't noticed… they're already here."
That earned me a chorus of confused murmurs. A few students instinctively turned in slow circles, others stiffened, eyes darting toward the forest line.
"Any guesses?" I prompted lightly.
Beside me, Hagrid looked positively torn, as though struggling not to raise his hand and answer his own lesson, completely forgetting he was supposed to be one of the teachers.
Roger Davies of Ravenclaw shot his hand up confidently. "A Demiguise, professor."
He puffed out his chest, clearly expecting applause.
"A good guess, Mr Davies," I said with a smile. "But not quite."
Before anyone else could speak, Alicia Spinnet let out a sharp shriek.
"Something licked my hand!" she exclaimed, recoiling as she grabbed Angelina's arm for protection.
The clearing went tense in an instant. Wands twitched. Eyes widened.
Only Hagrid and I saw the truth.
I grinned. "Miss Spinnet, perhaps you should wash your hands more thoroughly after breakfast."
That earned a few nervous laughs, though Alicia looked unconvinced.
"Here's a clue," I continued smoothly. "There are several of them. You meet them at the start of every year and they have four legs."
Cedric Diggory frowned thoughtfully, then raised his hand. "Thestrals, professor. My father told me they're what pull the carriages."
Lee Jordan blinked. "Hold on, aren't the carriages enchanted to move on their own? You're saying something invisible's pulling them?"
"Five points to Hufflepuff," I said brightly. "Mr Diggory is absolutely correct. Now can someone describe them?"
Cassius Warrington spoke up next, his tone clipped but precise. "They look like skeletal horses with bat-like wings. Their skin's all black. They have sharp, carnivorous teeth. And are only visible to people who've seen death."
"Excellent," I said. "Five points to Slytherin."
I folded my hands behind my back. "They're often considered omens of misfortune due to their association with death. But in reality, they're remarkably gentle creatures when trained properly. You'd know that if you could see them, since they've been surrounding you this entire time."
Right on cue, Angelina Johnson yelped as something nudged her firmly between the shoulders.
The students erupted into startled laughter and alarmed whispers.
I smiled to myself.
"Now, who wants to see them?" I asked, letting a deliberately mischievous note creep into my voice. The twins caught on instantly. George's hand shot up.
"Professor, if you're planning to kill someone so we can see them, Lee volunteers," he said cheerfully.
"He's always saying he wouldn't mind being a ghost," Fred added helpfully.
Lee's face drained of color. "I most certainly…"
He took a step back and promptly bumped into something solid.
The Thestral he collided with let out a snort and Lee let out a shriek so high-pitched it could've shattered glass, flailing as he scrambled away. Fred and George high-fived with perfect synchronization.
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "What I meant," I said once the noise died down, "was that I'd be using illusion magic to make them visible. But I do appreciate the enthusiasm, and Mr Jordan's willingness to sacrifice himself for educational purposes."
Hagrid wheezed with laughter beside me.
I lifted my staff and struck it lightly against the ground. Magic rippled outward like water disturbed by a thrown stone, washing over the clearing. A thin, shimmering veil settled around the unseen shapes, and then, slowly, the Thestrals revealed themselves.
Gasps erupted all at once.
Where moments before there had been empty air, now stood a herd of skeletal, winged horses, black as ink, eyes pale and knowing, wings folding and unfolding with quiet power. The illusion mirrored their movements perfectly, every twitch and snort visible.
Several girls backed away at once, hands flying to mouths. Angelina muttered something unprintable.
Meanwhile, Fred and George were already arguing over who got to mount one first.
Cedric Diggory approached a smaller Thestral cautiously and, to my mild surprise, began stroking its neck. The creature leaned into his touch with a low, contented sound.
"Careful," I called. "They're gentle, but they do appreciate manners."
The twins had already clambered onto a larger Thestral.
"You may go for a short fly," I said quickly, "but stay within the castle grounds. I do not want to explain to Dumbledore why two Gryffindors ended up sightseeing over Hogsmeade."
They whooped and kicked off, wings beating the air as the Thestral lifted them smoothly skyward.
I scanned the rest of the class. "Anyone else?"
To my surprise, a Slytherin hand rose.
Adrian Pucey stepped forward, trying, and failing, to look casual. "If that's allowed, sir. I play Quidditch."
I smiled. "Of course you do. Go on, then. Let's see if Slytherin can keep up."
Hagrid beamed like Christmas had come early as Pucey mounted, the Thestral launching into the air with elegant precision.
As I watched students stare upward in awe, fear giving way to fascination, I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile.
Yes, another successful class.
For those who clearly preferred to keep both feet firmly on the ground, and their necks unbroken, I clapped my hands once to draw their attention.
"If you don't wish to mount them, that's perfectly understandable," I said generously. "Heroics aren't mandatory today. Those of you not flying, please take out parchment and quills. I want detailed sketches; wing structure, skeletal definition, facial features. Thestrals are elegant creatures once you look past the whole harbingers of death reputation."
Several students looked relieved at the mention of drawing. A few Ravenclaws were already halfway through labeling their parchment before I'd even finished speaking.
To ensure no one escaped the practical portion of the lesson entirely, I nodded to Hagrid.
"Feeding time," he announced cheerfully, as if he weren't about to traumatize half the class.
He produced several large buckets filled with raw meat; thick, bloody cuts that made an impressive thud as he set them down. A collective wave of horror rippled through the girls, accompanied by more than one strangled squeak.
"With yer hands," Hagrid added helpfully. "They like it better that way."
I watched Angelina Johnson turn a shade lighter than parchment.
"Think of it as building trust," I offered. "And iron intake."
Reluctantly, the students approached. Some extended trembling hands, others pinched the meat between two fingers as if it might bite back. The Thestrals, for their part, were impeccably behaved; gentle, curious, their leathery wings rustling softly as they accepted the offerings.
One brushed its muzzle against a Ravenclaw girl's sleeve, causing her to yelp and drop the meat entirely. The creature merely cocked its skull-like head and waited patiently.
"See?" I said, pleased. "Absolute sweethearts."
Hagrid beamed like a proud parent.
Between the flying, the feeding, and the frantic sketching, the clearing buzzed with nervous energy and excitement, a perfect first impression. Educational, hands-on, and only mildly terrifying.
Exactly how a Care of Magical Creatures class should be.
…