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ELOISE STARED AS HARRY MOUNTED HIS THESTRAL, LOOKING LIKE HE WAS FLOATING IN MIDAIR.
Luna got on hers easily but Neville had a bit of trouble. Harry looked to the others to see their shocked faces.
"How're we supposed to get on?" said Ron faintly. "When we can't see the things?"
"Oh, it's easy," said Luna, sliding obligingly from her Thestral and marching over to them.
She pulled Eloise over first, leading her to the thestral Eloise stuck her hand out and it hit something she couldn't see. Luna helped her onto the creature. Eloise looked down and saw nothing but air. She reached out and stroked what felt like a mane.
"This is so sick." She said as the others mounted their Thestrals.
"This is mad," Ron murmured. "Mad... if I could just see it -"
"You'd better hope it stays invisible," said Harry darkly. "We all ready, then? Okay."
He looked around at all the Thestrals and swallowed.
"Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then," He said uncertainly. "Er... if you know where to go..."
For a moment Thestrals did nothing at all; then, with a sweeping movement they rocketed upwards so fast and so steeply that Eloise almost fell off. She closed her eyes and held on for dear life as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees. She peeked her eyes open to see they were flying over the school with the sunset in front of them. The view was breathtaking.
They flew for a while, soon into darkness. It was freezing, Eloise's hands were numb but her grip was still tight on the mane of her Theastral. She had grown to admire the creature in this short time. She named him Delancey.
Suddenly, the Thestrals were descending. Eloise gave a yelp at the speed they were going. The lights below grew bigger fast. They touched the dark ground lightly. Eloise finally let go and slid off her Thestral. She patted it's invisible head as she watched Ron landed a short way off and topple immediately from his Thestral on to the pavement.
"Never again," He said, struggling to his feet. He made as though to stride away from his Thestral, but, unable to see it, collided with it and almost fell over again. "Never, ever again, that was the worst."
Eloise giggled and stroked her Thestral's head (or at least she assumed it was its head) smoothly.
"Thanks for the ride." She said. "Bye Delancey."
"Don't tell me you named that thing." Ron shook his head at her as the others landed.
"Where do we go from here, then?" Luna asked Harry.
"Over here," He said, leading the way quickly to a battered telephone box and opening the door. "Come on!"
They all got in, most of them hesitantly. They were all squeezed in tightly. Anyone walking by would think they looked like idiots. Eloise was packed between Ron and the wall.
