𝐎, 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 ⎥ "He wants a fight with
a God? I'll give him one."
﹙ from stardust we came, to stardust we return ﹚
Prisoner of Azkaban - Deathly Hollows
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HARRY SCRAMBLED CLUMSILY ONTO THE HORSE'S SILKEN BACK. it did not object, but twisted its head around, fangs bared, and attempted to continue its eager licking of harry's robes. neville had heaved himself over the back of the next thestral and was now attempting to swing one short leg over the creature's back. luna was already in place, sitting sidesaddle and adjusting her robes as though she did this every day. elara, ron, hermione, and ginny, however, were still standing motionless on the spot, openmouthed and staring.
"what?" said harry.
"i'm not riding on one of those," said elara faintly. "i — i can't — heights — "
"how're we supposed to get on?" said ron, his tone matching elara's. "when we can't see the things?"
"oh it's easy," said luna, sliding obligingly from her thestral and marching over to him, hermione, and ginny. "come here. . . ."
"lara, d'you wanna ride with me?" said harry, sliding off the horse.
"c'mon lara, you can to this. . . . for sirius. . . . take a deep breath," she murmured to herself. "remember who the fuck you are."
elara inched forward until harry took her hand and pulled her over to the threstral. he helped her boost up before clumsily climbing back on the undead horse. he wasn't up two seconds before elara wrapped her arms around harrowers tightly and pressed her forehead into his back.
"this is mad," ron said faintly, moving his free hand gingerly up and down his horse's neck. "mad . . . if i could just see it —"
"you'd better hope it stays invisible," said harry darkly. "we all ready, then?"
"when i said i wanted something interesting to do," said elara sourly, "i did not mean rebelling against the government as irresponsible teenagers."
"that means we're ready," said hermione, translating for everyone.
"okay . . . ministry of magic, visitors' entrance, london, then," said harry uncertainly. "er . . . if you know . . . where to go . . ."
for a moment the thestral did nothing at all. then, with a sweeping movement that nearly unseated elara (followed thereafter by a yelp), the wings on either side extended, the horse crouched slowly and then rocketed upward so fast and so steeply that elara had to clench her legs tightly around the horse to avoid sliding backward over its bony rump. she closed her eyes and buried her face deeper into harry's backside as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees and soared out into a bloodred sunset.
