The Heiress of Slytherin || Fred Weasley Love Story

III

Apparently first years are traditionally supposed to take the boats across the lake to get to the castle from the train station, but seeing as Dez would have looked funny strewn in with a bunch of eleven year olds, not to mention the sky had decided to open up and was pouring down rain, she happily followed Fred, George and Lee to the carriages which were being pulled by strange horse-like creatures.

    "What are those things?" asked Dez as she approached. She looked up and studied the intimidating creature. Its skeletal body was the size of a large Clydesdale horse. It's face had reptilian features and its eyes were milky white. It also had large wings that resembled bat wings. 

    "What things?" asked Fred, holding his bag over his head to shield himself from the pouring rain. To him, it appeared as Dez were staring off into space.

    "This thing right here," she said pointing to it incredulously. "This horse thing pulling the carriage."

    George laughed.

    "There's nothing pulling the carriage, Dez."

    Dez's eyes flickered back and forth between the twins and the strange creature, wondering if they were pranking her.

    "Come on," she sighed. "It's my first day at this bloody school and I'm already confused. The least you could do is make me feel less bloody stupid."

    "They're called Thestrals," said Lee, approaching from behind them. He tossed his bag into the carriage as well. Fred and George were already seating, waiting to go. "They can only be seen by people who have seen death."

    Fred and George stared quizzically at their friend.

    "You're telling me that you see something right there?" Fred asked, pointing at the space occupied by the Thestral.

    Lee shook his head.

    "No, but I know it's there."

    Dez could hardly take her eyes off the magnificent creature, but was wondering why she could see it and the others couldn't. To her knowledge, she hasn't seen anyone die, at least not that she could remember.

    The four of them piled into the carriage and closed the door. The rain pounding against the cloth top.

    "Blimey. You've known someone who has died?" asked George.

    "Don't be an ignorant prick, George," said Fred. "She's an orphan. Of course she knows someone who has died."

    "Oh – right," said George. "Sorry about that."

    "It's not like I can remember," said Dez, not liking the feeling of people pitying her. "I mean, my mother died after giving birth to me. Supposedly."

    "What about your father?" asked Lee, simply out of curiosity.

    Dez shrugged her shoulders.

    "I don't know who the sorry bloke is."

    The carriages sprung to life and Dez couldn't tear her gaze away from the creatures pulling them. It was intimidating for sure, but Dez could tell that the creature was a lot like herself. She could see how people would avoid them because they were different, or because they didn't understand them. That's how she had been for her entire life. Completely misunderstood.

    "What do they look like?" asked Fred, curiously as he watched Dez carefully.

    Dez looked back at him.

    "Do you seriously not know?"

    He shook his head. 

    "You've lived in this world your entire life, and you're asking me what something looks like?"