Under the faint, flickering glow, the blood vessels on the thestral's wings stood out clearly, pulsing with a soft, ghostly phosphorescence—like starlight scattered across a midnight sky.
Alice suddenly realized the wings weren't completely black. In that eerie light, the edges shimmered with the faintest silver-gray halo, like moonlight frozen in place.
She held her breath, fear completely forgotten, totally blown away by the creature in front of her.
The awe the thestrals gave her was every bit as powerful as the first time she saw a unicorn.
The herd didn't seem to care that she was there.
The lead thestral lowered its head again, exhaling over a cluster of white berries on the ground. The moment its breath touched them, the berries flash-froze into sparkling ice crystals, then crumbled gently into the damp earth.
Another thestral walked over to a dead tree and rubbed its eyeless head against the trunk. Instantly, silvery-white runes appeared on the bark—like ancient symbols glowing for a few seconds before fading back into the darkness.
Alice was mesmerized. Miri had told her thestrals could sense sadness and despair but never harmed humans.
Seeing them now, she finally got it.
These creatures were born from darkness and lived alongside death, yet they carried this pure, quiet calm—like they'd already seen every joy and heartbreak the world had to offer and were totally at peace with it.
All of a sudden, the lead thestral lifted its head and let out the softest whinny. It didn't sound like a horse at all—Alice couldn't think of any animal that made a noise quite like that.
The moment the sound left its throat, the thick mist swirling through the trees started churning wildly, like it was being pulled by the thestral's power.
Tiny silver-blue sparks began floating in the fog—little flickering lights that felt like whispers from the dead.
The Deathly Hallows banner hidden against her soul trembled.
Her vision blurred.
In the mist, faint silhouettes started to appear—people of all ages, wearing all kinds of clothes, their faces hazy but smiling peacefully, like they were waving goodbye.
Two of the figures stood out. She recognized the outlines instantly—her mom and dad, wearing that familiar wool coat, smiling at her. No pain, no regret—just pure serenity. Nothing like the last time she'd seen them.
"Mom… Dad…" Alice reached out, desperate to touch them, but her fingers only passed through cold mist.
The silhouettes dissolved at her fingertips, turning into silver-blue sparks that drifted away, caught in the current from the thestral's wings.
…Was that even real?
Her hand hung in the air, empty and aching.
The lead thestral whinnied again—this time with a distant, almost summoning note.
It spread its wings. As the thin membranes sliced through the fog, they left behind fleeting trails of light—like shooting stars streaking across the sky.
The other two followed, their wings stirring the mist into a small whirlwind.
They backed away slowly, melting into the deeper darkness. For one last moment those empty eye sockets seemed to "look" straight at her, and in that indifferent gaze she caught the faintest hint of pity.
Alice stood frozen, watching them disappear into the fog.
The chill from their wings faded, but that strange scent—pine resin mixed with cold moonlight—lingered in the air.
She glanced down at the back of her hand where the lead thestral's breath had brushed her skin. A cool sensation still remained, like a snowflake resting on her soul—neither stinging nor melting, just… there.
The mist thinned a little, making the Forbidden Forest feel a bit brighter.
A deep, indescribable calm settled over her.
In that one moment of seeing her parents' souls—or whatever that was—all the regret she'd carried for years felt… smoothed over, like some invisible hand had gently ironed it out.
She finally understood: maybe death wasn't the end. Maybe it was just another beginning. That's what the thestrals represented—mysterious, yeah, but also peaceful.
She looked in the direction they'd vanished. The fog was still thick, but faint glowing trails from their wings still hung in the air.
Alice turned and started walking out of the forest.
Tonight was going to stick with her forever—the riddle-loving unicorn, these mysterious thestrals, the shadows in the mist—all of it burned into her heart.
When she reached the edge of the trees, the castle's lights mixed with the forest mist, creating a soft, dreamy halo.
She took one last look back at the dark, mysterious woods, half-expecting to still see those empty eye sockets and the faint glow on their wings.
Then she took a deep breath and headed toward Hogwarts castle. Real-life trouble was waiting.
Inside her soul, the Deathly Hallows banner was practically doing backflips, fluttering like crazy even though there wasn't any wind. She could feel its excitement.
It had been buzzing ever since they saw the unicorn—it was dying to absorb a unicorn soul for the massive power boost.
But after meeting the thestrals? Yeah, the unicorn suddenly looked like small potatoes.
The banner wasn't craving a thestral soul exactly; it just really wanted to form a connection with them.
It explained that thestrals were special—they existed in a weird in-between state, so they could link up with the banner and let Alice communicate with them over long distances through it.
If she could become real friends with a thestral and it agreed to lend more of its power, the banner could even manifest a thestral soul projection—creating a pseudo "Myriad Souls in the Banner" effect.
Obviously it wouldn't be as strong as the real legendary artifact, but a thestral-powered version would still be insanely useful for her right now.
Alice mentally kicked herself. Why didn't you tell me sooner, you dumb banner?! If I'd known, I would've tried to stop them from leaving and actually made friends!
She decided she'd go find Hagrid again soon and ask about thestrals—where they hang out, their habits, all of it.
A weakened Myriad Souls effect in the near future? That could help her pull off so much.
She floated toward the castle—then froze.
There was a super sketchy figure sneaking around.
Honestly, how does someone that huge even think they're being sneaky?
Hagrid was hunched over, neck hunched like a turtle, clutching something wrapped in the rattiest, smelliest-looking blanket ever, glancing left and right like he was smuggling state secrets.
What the heck is he carrying?
Alice was about to drift closer and investigate when she felt eyes on her. She turned and locked eyes with the Bloody Baron, who was staring at her with his usual grim face.
From his angle he probably couldn't see Hagrid—just her.
Crap! She'd dropped her invisibility when the thestrals showed up and totally forgot to turn it back on!