"Gather roun', gather roun'," said Hagrid happily. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat, but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me..."
                          
Viola jumped in alarm when Hagrid turned around and gave an odd, shrieking cry. When she glanced sideways, Hermione nearly looked as nervous as she did before exams. A bit over, Ron was looking confused. She caught Harry's eye and sent him a questioning look, but he turned away quickly, looking like he was about to burst out laughing.
                          
But he was the only one. The rest of the class was staring forward, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever Hagrid was calling. They waited a few minutes, with no sign, and Viola wasn't sure if it was better that the things just didn't come, or if they did, and turned out to be... not entirely safe. Either way, it didn't look like this would be ending well for Hagrid.
                          
Viola didn't see it for a few seconds, since no one pointed it out or made a move as if to announce the oncoming creature. But when she looked back up after adjusting the collar on her shirt, she spotted a pair of shiny white eyes. She almost gasped when realising it was those creatures pulling the carriages at the start of the year. The ones only her, Harry and Luna could see...
                          
She nudged Hermione and pointed in the direction of the creature. Hermione stood up straighter to get a better look at where Viola was motioning, but frowned.
                          
"What is it?" she whispered. "What can you see?"
                          
Viola frowned, too. The creature was now nearly right by Hagrid. It was almost impossible to not see them. "It's those... reptile horses. From the first day, pulling the carriages."
                          
Hermione stood on her tipoes to get a better look. "Where? Are they behind something?"
                          
When Viola looked around to gauge the rest of the class's expressions, it was a blow to the stomach to realise most people were still looking half bored as they peered in front of them for the creatures. In fact, the only ones besides Viola and Harry who seemed to be able to see them were Neville and a Slytherin boy— Viola was sure his name was Blaise Zabini; she had seen him around at some Ministry parties, since her father and Blaise's mother, Calista, knew each other.
                          
"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid, as a second thing came from the dark trees. "Now... put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"
                          
Viola raised her hand. She was right in her guess that there were only three others who could see them.
                          
"Yeah... yeah, I knew you two would be able ter," said Hagrid seriously, nodding at Harry and Viola. "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' Blaise—"
                          
"Excuse me," Malfoy interrupted rudely, "but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"
                          
Viola almost felt smug at the fact she could see them and Malfoy couldn't. 
                          
"Thestrals," Hagrid explained, pointing at the animal carcass the thestrals were eating. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows—?"
                          
"But they're really, really unlucky!" exclaimed Parvati. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once—"
                          
"No, no, no," Hagrid dismissed, "tha's just superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate— an' here's another couple, look—"