Yeah, Harry could sense them too. They felt like fleeting shadows, that were somehow skittish, their dark forms blending seamlessly with the surrounding darkness. Luna approached them with serene confidence, her pale blue eyes filled with a gentle understanding. The creatures, shrouded in an aura of mystery, seemed to recognize her, responding to her silent call.
Luna started stroking one of the smaller Thestrals and then proceeded to take a few slabs of meat from her bag and feed it to them. She giggled as the skeletal winged horses licked her hand after finishing the food.
Harry was smiling for some reason. He was feeling content. He hadn't felt that way in years and wasn't that a bizarre revelation? After a few minutes, he chose to break their comfortable silence, "You can see them."
"Yes," the girl answered with an airy voice, "It was my mother. She was a spell crafter, you see. She did something wrong and it backfired. She was like me and had this gift, but it wasn't as strong for her. I guess I considered it a curse in some way. It wasn't nice, feeling her soul leave her body, seeing the sheer terror of death that she felt when it happened. I didn't want to let go of her, and I guess I went too far. Ever since then, I could see the creatures my mother made up for me for my bedtime. She told me stories about Wrackspurts whenever I was scared, and she told me I could chase them away with positive thoughts, and other silly things. I guess I wanted a piece of her to stay with me, and my gift agreed. Now, every time I see someone, I see a part of my mother. What about you? You can see them too, right?"
Oh, that sounded like she was traumatized by her mother's death, and she tried to peer too much using her gift. Her clairvoyance must be extremely powerful if she was able to go this far. Maybe it was just the fact that she saw and felt her mother's death that made her repress her gifts in a way that only expressed itself in the form of creatures. Honestly, Harry wasn't going to judge her. A traumatized child didn't need more on her plate from the sound of it.
Instead, the Potter scion replied, "I guess you can say that Death is an old friend. I have to ask though; I know that the other students give you a hard time and you just let things slide. Why are you so angry at Tom for doing what he did? What makes him different?"
"I couldn't see Tom with my clairvoyance. I just thought it was a like a portrait in diary form. It was the first time I really trusted someone in a very long time. After my mother died, I wasn't well. My father pushed himself in his newspaper trying to drown his sorrows with more work, and I had lost most of my friends. It was why Ron called me Loony, at the time. I could see people's true nature and it made things so easy. Tom was different, he was a friend. I couldn't see him, but I chose to trust him. I hadn't done that before, and he betrayed me. This is why I am so angry at him. He used me to hurt others. He possessed me, petrified two people and killed a cat. I just can't let something like that go. People are mean because they want to feel superior, or they're scared, or they're angry. I can see it with my own two eyes, but what Tom did… It was unforgivable."
Harry nodded, "I guess I can understand that. You're right about a lot of things. I was neglecting my friend. I was so focused on dealing with Tom, about stopping the monster that I just forgot about them, I guess. I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth. You're a wise young woman, Luna Lovegood."
He wasn't lying. With the time he was able to buy with Riddle's recent release, the pressure to destroy the diary was gone. Sure, he was still going to train and make plans like normal, but he wouldn't act like a madman in a rush. He would still take breaks and just hang out with his friends again. Sure, it would have been better to find and destroy the diary, but Riddle was unpowered and considering that Lockhart looked like an idiot amateur during his duel with Snape, he stopped having control over his network.
The girl hummed, "Of course I am. I'm in Ravenclaw after all."
Harry simply watched as Luna kept feeding and stroking the Thestrals. It was a peaceful scene, and considering how hectic his life has been recently, he could use some of this peace. Of course, that was when Harry felt something with a big signature come closer. He could feel his magical crest stinging slightly.
Luna also seemed to notice that something was coming. The large intruder happened to be the familiar sight of a certain three-headed dog. The Cerberus seemed overjoyed to meet Harry for some reason. The strange familiarity between them was still there for Harry's arcane hearing to pick up. This feeling of soul was still there.
The giant dog playfully started to lick the Potter scion, covering him in drool, "Yeah, yeah. I'm happy to see you too, Fluffy. I didn't know you lived in the forest, although that did make sense. I missed you bud. It must be nice to stay here in the forest after an entire year cramped in a room."
The dog whined and Harry kept stroking him. When he turned towards Luna. He found her openly gaping at him. It was a comical sight, especially considering how composed she usually was. Harry could guess that to a clairvoyant, there wasn't much that she would consider surprising. And yet, the young Ravenclaw was openly showing surprise.
Harry simply shrugged at her, "What's wrong."
"Merlin's beard. I thought my mother made them up. I didn't think they were real," the blonde kept murmuring.
Harry quirked his eyebrow, "What are you on about? Cerberi are documented in countless books and studies."
"No, you don't understand. This isn't a magical creature at all. This is a Phantasmal Beast."
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