The harsh winter arrived abruptly, and heavy snow transformed Hogwarts into a breathtaking silver landscape. As dawn broke, the snowfall eased, and stepping out of the Slytherin common room, warmed by its green-flamed fireplace, revealed a snow-covered expanse. Thick layers of snow blanketed the castle's grounds, the lawns, and even the frozen edges of the Black Lake.
After finishing breakfast in the Great Hall, Augustus set out alone from the castle, heading to his first class of the morning: Care of Magical Creatures.
The snow on the ground was deep, reaching over his calves, and as he walked, his footprints left stark patterns across the pristine white surface. Frost clung to the tree branches, and up ahead, clusters of students from Slytherin and Gryffindor were already gathering for class.
"Good morning, Mr. Augustus," Lilian greeted him with a smile and a wave. "The weather's not bad today. Actually, in winter, the coldest time is usually when the snow melts. Without sunshine, it's a bit more bearable."
Augustus walked closer and gave a slight nod. "This year's snow came earlier than usual. Around this time in previous years, you could still feel the lingering warmth of late autumn. But it's not unwelcome; snowy weather tends to stimulate the activity of ice elements."
Lilian pouted, her crimson eyes reflecting mild exasperation. Three sentences in, and he was already talking about magic. Even discussing the weather, Augustus managed to link it to magical elements.
More students gathered, but the professor was noticeably absent. Usually, the Care of Magical Creatures professor would have arrived early.
"Hey, isn't that Hagrid?" Draco pointed toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Augustus squinted and saw Hagrid emerging from the woods, carrying the carcass of a bull over his shoulder.
Hagrid didn't look good. His face bore old injuries, and a swollen bruise in a sickly yellow-green shade encircled one eye. Several small wounds on his face were still bleeding.
"Wow. Hagrid looks like he's just returned from a battlefield. I wonder what secret mission Dumbledore had him on all this time. Judging by those wounds, it seems he fought some kind of wild beast," Lilian mused, crossing her arms.
"We'll be having class here today!" Hagrid cheerfully announced to the students, jerking his head toward the forest. "It's a bit darker in the woods, but they prefer it that way, you see?"
"What prefers the dark?" Malfoy asked nervously, his voice tinged with fear. Clearly, his traumatic experience with Buckbeak still haunted him.
Harry smirked. Anything that unsettled Malfoy was fine by him.
Augustus stroked his chin thoughtfully. At such a tense time, if Hagrid brought out another dangerous creature, Umbridge would surely use it as an excuse to impose further penalties.
"Ready, everyone?" Hagrid asked, scanning the group with enthusiasm. "Great! For today's lesson, I've prepared a field study to observe these creatures in their natural habitat. What you're about to see is incredibly rare. In fact, I might be the only person in all of Britain who's tamed them—"
"Are you sure they're actually tamed?" Malfoy interrupted with an incredulous tone, his fear escalating. "It's not your first time bringing wild beasts to class, is it?"
"Alright, Draco, shut it," Lilian interjected with a shake of her head. "You're embarrassing Slytherin."
Grumbling under his breath, Draco reluctantly followed the group into the Forbidden Forest.
After about ten minutes of walking, they reached a densely wooded area shrouded in perpetual twilight. The ground was bare, devoid of snow. Hagrid hefted the bull carcass onto the ground with a grunt, stepped back, and turned to face the class. Many students hid behind tree trunks, glancing around nervously as though expecting an ambush.
"Come closer, come closer!" Hagrid encouraged. "The meat will attract them, but I'll call out to speed things up. They recognize my voice, see?"
Hagrid tilted his head back, tossing his hair out of his face, and emitted a sharp, peculiar cry. The sound echoed eerily through the dark forest, resembling the shriek of a giant bird. No one laughed; most students were too frightened to make a sound.
Faint rustling could be heard nearby. Augustus glanced around, his gaze sharp, but saw nothing except the sound of footsteps in the snow.
Activating a spell for detecting minor invisibility yielded no results. Suspicious, Augustus cast the Eye of Omniscience. Sure enough, glowing white orbs of eyes emerged in his vision, gradually growing larger. Soon, the outline of a dragon-like face, a long neck, and a skeletal body materialized—a massive, winged black horse emerged from the shadows. It stared at the students for a few seconds, flicked its long, black tail, and lowered its head to tear into the bull's flesh with sharp teeth.
Thestrals, Augustus realized. These creatures weren't truly invisible but rather existed at the boundary between the hellish plane and reality. Only those who had witnessed death firsthand could perceive them.
Ron squinted into the forest, whispering after a moment, "Why did Hagrid stop calling out?"
Many students looked similarly puzzled and tense, their eyes darting around fruitlessly, unable to see the black horse standing just a few feet away.
"Oh, here comes another one!" Hagrid announced proudly as a second Thestral appeared, folding its leathery wings as it joined the first in devouring the carcass. "Now—anyone who can see them, raise your hand!"
Harry raised his hand, eager to finally understand the mystery of the Thestrals. Hagrid nodded at him approvingly.
"Knew you could, Harry," Hagrid said solemnly. "And you too, Neville?"
"What exactly are we supposed to see?" Lilian asked, bewildered as she scanned the area.
"Good question," Malfoy snapped impatiently. "What are we supposed to be looking at?"
Hagrid gestured toward the dead bull in response. The class stared at it for a few seconds before a few gasped audibly. Parvati shrieked. Augustus chuckled quietly. To those who couldn't see Thestrals, watching chunks of meat seemingly detach themselves from the carcass and vanish into thin air must indeed appear unsettling.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09