In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom - Chapter 65: The Thestrals

Luna has never seen this kind of winged horse, but she had heard about them from her father and she instantly made the connection in her mind.

‘The Thestrals!’

Without making others wait behind her, she hopped on the carriage and others also joined her. How boring, they just kept silent for most of the time though.

‘Maybe they also think I am weird. Am I weird or just like you?’ Luna kept thinking about herself and brushed her hand against the wings of the Thestrals pulling her carriage.

Many would consider these gentle creatures as a sign of a bad omen because of their appearance. Some might even consider them carriers of devil or evil or simply associate them with something like Dementors. However, the truth is very simply and far from this.

They are just horses with wings. Winged horses exist worldwide, and it has many branches according to geography. Some of the most famous are the Abraxan, Aethonan, Granian and Thestral. However, compared to all other horses with wings, Thestrals are the most underappreciated and unwelcomed.

All because of their appearance.

Luna kept thinking these while Hermione saw Pansy looking at Luna intensely.

She kicked her feet and in response, Pansy simply pointed towards Luna and made a concentric circle like action on her head indicating Luna is not right in her head.

Hermione, even though felt that Pansy was not incorrect, still kicked her back. That was simply because it was too rude to say about the freshmen and especially about a girl.

Neville kept squinting his eyes trying to imagine how Thestrals might look but he failed. Luna noticed his silly action but didn’t say anything.

The carriage started slowly considering many others in front, but Dean and Seamus started a new debate. Seamus’s point was because of his new focus bracelets, he might be better than Dean now in the school. Dean simply laughed at this point.

Dean has been training under his uncle and preparing for the Auror exam in future. Unknown to his friends, his uncle Kingsley Shacklebolt, started teaching his Duelling. Wand magic, Occlumency and Legilimency. Dean has kept silent about this training as he wants to make sure he can use his skills at the best possible time and is not keen on showing off.

Soon, the group of six people landed outside the Hogwarts castle and were invited by the house prefects to their respective house areas while the first years were simply escorted by Professor Flitwick. All except one that is. Luna is still standing at the Hogwarts Castle door as the magic prevents her from entering the second grade as the first-year ones need to go through the sorting ceremony.

The house prefects were at loss on this as this was the first time, they face this situation but Professor Sprout somehow came at the right time and escorted the little lost blonde to her group. Professor Flitwick thanked her multiple times and then these kids were handed over to Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall was on the verge of a potential meltdown. The famous Harry Potter and his friend Ron Weasley, sadly part of her Gryffindor second year, decided to drive an enchanted car from London to Hogwarts and muggles manage to catch them in their act.

Imagine muggles claiming that they saw a car flying in the sky and nearly hitting some buildings.

She cannot even imagine how the two boys came up with this trick. She feels she was cheated by their innocent looks.

Thankfully, she knew Headmaster Dumbledore won’t say anything to Harry Potter and it will save the task of debating with Severus.

Neville and their gang simply took their seats and were waiting for all the professors to come on their stage as most of the chairs were still empty. Most of the students were guessing about the identities of new professors as their last DADA professor simply died in the very place they were going to eat, and another Professor Silvanus Kettleburn finally retired last year.

One by one the professors came and took their seats and students met their new DADA professor. A young white man with long red hair and an earring in one ear came up in a new black colour suit and took the chair at the Professor’s table.

Harry felt this young professor was really ‘cool’ and different from Gloomy and strange Professor Quirrell and suddenly all of the Gryffindor students in senior years went crazy.

Especially the twins, Fred, and George.

Turns out, this new professor is their oldest brother, William “Bill” Weasley, the first child of the Weasley family. A perfect model student with advanced knowledge in charms and transfiguration, someone with enough brains to put Ravenclaws in shame with enough bravery to make the Lions proud.

That was the oldest Weasley Child. His temperament and dressing sense was so ‘cool’ that he looked nobler than the Slytherins and when he gave a slight smile to all the students, nearly half of the girls in the auditorium felt their hearts flutter for a moment.

Not only Gryffindor but even students from senior classes in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff cheered for their new professor. After all, even though this professor might be the youngest professor in Hogwarts, he was still a known face among senior students and was a trustable fellow.

Meanwhile, the second-year sorting ceremony was ready to begin, and the moment Professor McGonagall entered the auditorium, she just coughed a little and made the room go silent in less than a minute.

Soon students were sorted out into various houses and Neville gladly welcomed the youngest Weasley into their house. Somehow, almost all the Weasley kids except Charlie were present today inside Hogwarts which was a rare sight even for them.

Just before the ceremony was almost finished, an older grey-haired woman took one of the empty Professor’s chairs. No one knew her identity, but they guessed she must be the one replacing Professor Kettleburn.

Finally, Headmaster Dumbledore appeared and introduced the professors – Professor Bill Weasley and Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank to the students and the feast began.

Luna who was sorted into Ravenclaw felt the appearances were always misleading. The Thestrals were mistreated because of it. The young professor was madly cheered because he was young, but the older and wiser professor was ignored. Her house is famous for valuing the ‘wit’ but the students are her judged her on her looks.

Somehow, she felt like a Thestral and decided to befriend them soon.