Unicorns and Thestrals

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The first day back at Hogwarts brought the usual commotion. Students rushed to adjust to their schedules, swapped exaggerated tales of summer exploits, and groaned about the return of early morning classes. 

Herbology kicked things off that morning with the notoriously pungent Bubotubers. Professor Sprout, ever enthusiastic, explained their pus's magical properties while several students grimaced at the slimy task of extracting it.

Next came Care of Magical Creatures, where Hagrid proudly introduced the Skrewts—an apparent cross between fire crabs and manticores. The creatures were hideous, aggressive, and unpredictable, much to the dismay of the students tasked with attempting to handle them. One particularly bold Skrewt launched itself toward Daphne, who was pulled back by Harry, as she said with a sharp tone, "Hagrid, are you trying to kill us?"

"'Course not!" Hagrid replied cheerfully, easily corralling the Skrewt with his enormous hands. "They're jus' misunderstood is all. Great creatures if yeh give 'em a chance."

"Misunderstood? They tried to set Draco on fire!" Blaise muttered, looking at Harry as they stood at a safe distance. Harry smirked faintly but kept his focus on maneuvering his Skrewt back into the pen without losing a limb.

In the afternoon, Harry was seated at the Slytherin table, now joined by an eclectic mix of his closest friends from other houses. With the first-day formalities over, house boundaries became less of a barrier as usual. Ginny and Luna had squeezed into seats near him, while Astoria sat across from Harry, looking mildly annoyed that she had been relegated to second-year status, unable to pick electives yet. Tracey was perched on the edge of the bench, stealing chips from Harry's plate as he swatted at her hand without much effort. Daphne sat next to Harry, nibbling on a piece of toast while pretending not to care about the raucous chatter around her.

Harry, sipping on pumpkin juice, glanced over at Ginny and Luna, who were deep in conversation about some creature Luna had spotted on the way to the Great Hall. Cutting in smoothly, he asked, "Have you picked your electives, Luna? Ginny?"

Luna, who always appeared just slightly detached from the present, tilted her head. "Yes," she said, her wide eyes gazing somewhere past Harry's shoulder. "I chose Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. The latter's supposed to help me identify patterns in the Wrackspurts."

There was a brief pause as everyone processed Luna's words. Blaise snorted into his goblet, and Tracey shot him a look that clearly said, Don't be rude. Ginny, meanwhile, grinned as she leaned forward. "Divination, really? You're going to let Trelawney ramble on about doom and gloom while you hunt for imaginary creatures?"

"They're not imaginary," Luna replied serenely. "But it does help to have an open mind, Ginny. You wouldn't want them tangling in your ears."

Ginny rolled her eyes, though her smile didn't fade. "Right. Wrackspurts." Turning to Harry, she added, "I picked Care of Magical Creatures too. And Ancient Runes. Bill told me it's one of the most useful subjects if you want to work in curse-breaking. And there is you."

Harry nodded, impressed by her choice. "Good call. Runes will take some effort, but it'll be worth it. You'll learn things most wizards never bother with."

Daphne glanced up from her toast, chiming in with a compliment. "Ancient Runes is a solid pick, Ginny. At least you're aiming higher than your brothers."

Fred and George, who were seated next to Astoria across from Harry and Daphne, dramatically clutched their chests as if mortally wounded. "Uncalled for, Daphne. Do you want to break our tender hearts?" Fred asked, feigning offense.

Daphne raised an eyebrow and snorted. "The only thing tender about you two is your idea of a prank. And that's just bullying wrapped in glitter."

Astoria giggled into her hand, clearly enjoying the exchange, while Harry leaned back in his seat, watching with mild amusement.

"Glitter?" George asked, affronted. "We would never stoop so low! Glitter's too tame."

"Exactly. We would use something with a bit more flair. Maybe Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," Fred added, his expression mischievous.

"Which you've no doubt 'borrowed' from some shady shop in Knockturn Alley," Daphne said dryly, her tone sharp but amused.

Fred pointed a finger at her as though she caught them in the act. "Now, now, Greengrass, don't go tarnishing our good name."

"Good name?" Daphne scoffed, shaking her head. "That's rich."

Ginny jumped in. "Ignore them, Daphne. They've spent so much time blowing things up that the fumes have permanently addled their brains."

"Addled but brilliant," Fred corrected, grinning.

"You keep telling yourself that," Ginny shot back.

Luna, oblivious to the banter, tilted her head toward Harry. "I always wondered if your trunk has Nargle-repelling charms. It would be terribly inconvenient to open it one day and find them nesting in your socks."

Harry smiled at her expression. "Isn't that a good thing? I read they prevent odor."

He wasn't just humoring Luna—over the years, after hearing her talk about these peculiar creatures, he'd taken the time to study what he could. Despite finding no concrete proof of their existence, he kept an open mind. After all, dismissing something outright was a mistake only a fool would make in the magical world—or in science.

Luna, visibly surprised but clearly delighted, tilted her head. "True, but they also eat away at the wool. If you're not careful, you'll end up with sock holes the size of Galleons."

"That would explain why Misty's wardrobe always looks like it's been through a war," Harry quipped, sipping his pumpkin juice.

Tracey snorted, stealing another chip from Harry's plate. "You do realize you're both mad, right? Nargles. Wrackspurts. What's next, invisible unicorns?"

Luna turned her dreamy gaze toward Tracey. "Oh no, unicorns aren't invisible. Though there are whispers of them having cloaking charms when they feel threatened. Have you never wondered why they're so hard to find?"

Tracey opened her mouth, then paused, clearly weighing whether it was worth debating Luna. Ultimately, she just rolled her eyes and popped the stolen chip into her mouth.

Harry then said, "There are also Thestrals. They're invisible, though not unicorns."

Luna nodded, her wide, eyes flickering with recognition. "They're horseys."

"And a bit dark," Harry added.

Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. "Elegant."

Harry raised a brow, countering, "Mysterious."

"Wise," Luna chimed, her voice as soft as ever.

"Hardy," Harry followed up, glancing at her.

"Patient," Luna said, almost in a whisper, her lips curving into a small smile.

Harry smirked faintly. "Practical."

"They are," Luna agreed, clasping her hands together. "But not as playful as unicorns."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe. But they're loyal."

"Unicorns are pure," Luna countered lightly, her voice never wavering.

"Thestrals are resilient," Harry said with a small nod.

"And unicorns are gentle," Luna replied, her tone still calm, as though she were commenting on the weather.

"Thestrals are fearless," Harry shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly in amusement as he waited for her next move.

"Unicorns are enchanting," Luna replied without missing a beat, her gaze as unwavering as her tone.

Ginny, who had been watching this back-and-forth with increasing bemusement, finally interjected. "Are you two just going to list random adjectives until someone gives up? Because I've got a few of my own if you need help."

"They're not random," Luna corrected, her expression serious. "It's a game of contrasts. Thestrals and unicorns are both magical but in very different ways."

Ginny snorted, shaking her head. "Right. Well, carry on, then."

Harry and Luna smiled at each other, choosing not to continue their odd little game. Before any of the others could comment, Draco dropped heavily onto the bench beside them, his face unusually grim. He slapped a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the table in front of Ginny, drawing everyone's attention.

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