Ethereal

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The Order of The Phoenix

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Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above the first year up to the castle. Sadie glanced quickly at them and turned away to keep a lookout for Ron and Hermione. The Thestrals didn't surprise her anymore. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither, vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister.

"Ah, here we go," Sadie said smiling when she saw Ron walking toward them.

"Where's Pig?" said Ron, standing next to Sadie.

"That Luna girl was carrying him," said Harry, turning quickly, eager to consult Ron about Hagrid. "Where d'you reckon. . . ."

". . . .Hagrid is? I dunno," said Ron, sounding worried. 

"He'd better be okay," Sadie added.

A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of cronies including Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson, was pushing some timid-looking second-years out of the way so that he and his friends could get a coach to themselves. Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd.

"Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first-year back there. I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever. Where's Crookshanks?"

"Here you go," Sadie said, still holding a squirming Crookshanks. Ginny had just emerged from the crowd and joined them.

"Thanks," said Hermione, relieving Sadie of the cat. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up. . . ."

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry remained behind with Sadie and Ron.

"What are those things, d'you reckon?" he asked Sadie and Ron, nodding at the horrible horses as the other students surged past them.

"What things?" Ron asked.

"Those horse. . . ."

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms, the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are," she said. "He's a sweet little owl, isn't he?"

"Er, yeah, he's all right," said Ron gruffly. "Well, come on then, let's get in. What were you saying, Harry?"

"I was saying, what are those horse things?" Harry said, as he, Sadie, Ron, and Luna made for the carriage in which Hermione and Ginny were already sitting.

"What horse things?"

"The horse things pulling the carriages!" said Harry impatiently. They were, after all, about three feet from the nearest one. It was watching them with empty white eyes. Ron, however, gave Harry a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about. . . . look!"

Harry grabbed Ron's arm and wheeled him about so that he was face to face with the winged horse. Ron stared straight at it for a second, then looked back at Harry.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"At the, there, between the shafts! Harnessed to the coach! It's right there in front. . . ."