Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

12) The Sorting Ceremony

"Well — that thing — the dementor — stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) — and you — you —"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," Ron looked a little scared still. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching—"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked towards the dementor, and pulled out his wand," Hermione said, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," Neville said, voice high. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny suddenly gave a small sob, and Hermione wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

"No," Ron said, looking worried again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Lupin came back in, pausing at the doorway. He looked at each of us with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned the chocolate, you know..."

I turned and saw that everyone else had not eaten the chocolate. I raised an unimpressed eyebrow, and they all took a bite. I smirked at the surprise on their faces.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Lupin turned to my friend. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry muttered, blushing slightly.

***

We didn't talk much the rest of the way there. Eventually, we did make it to Hogsmeade station. Everyone hurried to get outside.

"Firs' years this way!" Hagrid called. We turned and saw his gigantic figure beckoning the first years over. I wondered which first year was Heath, my younger brother.

"All righ', you four?" Hagrid called over the bobbing heads. We waved, but couldn't talk to him because of the people pushing us along the platform. We followed them, and saw at least a hundred 'horseless' carriages.

"I thought you said that they were pulled by invisible horses, Hermione," I said as we climbed inside one of the carriages.

Hermione gave me a look, "They are pulled by invisible horses."

"No, they're not," I shook my head. "The horse is right there. Right, horse?"

Don't call me horse. I am a thestral.

"Oh, sorry Mr. Thestral. Right, Thestral?"

Right.

"What are you going on about?!?" Hermione looked wide-eyed.

"The horses! Or, er, the thestrals! They're pulling the carriages!"

Sir, only people who have witnessed death can see us.

I frowned, "Oh. Never mind. You can't see them."

We road to the castle in silence after that.

The iron gates we passed through were beautiful, even if dementors were flanking either side. Harry closed his eyes until we had passed them. We picked up speed as we rode up towards the castle. Hermione leaned out of the tiny window, watching the turrets go by.

I was staring at the thestral, and wondered if they were subjects to Hades or subjects to Poseidon.

Both.