Eternal Glory | A Hogwarts Story

One - Thestral

Will picked at the white skin around his nails, accidentally peeling back the wick causing low hiss to slither from his lips. His green eyes looked back down to see the red flesh on show and he brought his thumb to his mouth, sucking the pain away.

"Were ere' lad." The squib gargled, dropping the boy's leather case down. It struck the toe of his shoe, bringing his endless foot tapping to a halt and Will grunted before reaching down to scoop it back up.

He frowned watching the man limp away into the treeline but called out to say, "Thanks." regardless of his inhospitality and unprovoked coldness.

Another deep voice grumbled, "Don't mind him." drawing his attention back to the black iron gates in front of him. Stood just beyond their barrier was a man with his hands clasped together, cloaked in a soft grey robe with long silver hair; stemming from his head and chin. "He doesn't have the warmest of hearts."

A large smile stretched across the boy's chapped lips, "Professor Dumbledore." glad to finally see a familiar face after his long journey across the seas.

The kind gesture was returned and then the headmaster waved his hand gracefully through the chilling wind. His action was followed by the irritating wail of the opening gates and Will was ushered through from Dumbledore's beckoning nod.

A wrinkled hand landed onto the brunette boy's shoulder, gripping his dark robes firmly. "You know you're safe here at Hogwarts, don't you William?" He met with the sapphire gaze of the professor and nodded. His smile had faded, but he tried to pull it back onto his lips in a weak attempt at giving a confident answer.

Finally, he spoke, "Yes Professor." And it seemed to suffice as Dumbledore gave a squinty-eyed smile before adding,

"I'm glad. And if you begin to have doubts, you know where to find me." He winked and then his arm then outstretched to the gritty path ahead of them. Will turned to see a single wooden carriage. "Your friend is waiting."

Will turned back to Dumbledore with a frown and a question, "What..." but where the man once stood was empty. He sighed, finishing anyway, "Friend?"

His question was swept away with the wind and he began to head towards the carriage in defeat when a whistle ripped through the air followed by a nasally yell, "Come on, we haven't got all night you know!"

As Will walked up the side of the wooden cart he was startled as a goblin lept from the front, snarling at him before snatching his things right out of his grasp. He turned to see him hobble off to the back, struggling to drag the leather case through the dirt as it was almost the same size as the moody man.

A chuckle escaped his lips, but then his attention was stolen by the animals reigned to the front of the carriage. Thestrals. He recalled them from the forest near his home in America and his temptation got the better of him.

The boy's pale fingers ran down the cold bridge of the creature's nose and it let out a warm and heavy huff, flaring its nostrils. Will smiled and scratched behind its ear before being snapped out of it by the call of someone else. "So you can see them too?"

He looked up to meet the stare of a girl with crystalline eyes and a golden fringe sitting just above her long lashes. Will's smile remained as he responded with a prompt, "Yeah."

Her smile dampened as she continued, "It's sad really, isn't it?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and Will noticed that the top half was completely missing. In shock, he completely lost his reply and it caused the blonde to laugh.

In the same soft tone, she told him, "It's okay to stare. Everyone does it." Will blinked and his eyes pulled away from her, still startled that she had caught him looking. Then he felt something nip at his thigh.