I stood next to Hagrid and Fang. Buckbeak wasn't far away from us and the woods were littered with Thestrals but I knew only a handful of students would see them. As the crowd of students thundered toward us I shrunk behind Hagrid, I hadn't taught a lesson with him since my death. "It's okay," he said and pushed me forward. Rons, Harry's and Hermoine's gaze all caught my own, they all offered me a warm smile and a kind nod. I blew the crystal whistle around my neck and within moments we were joined by my unicorns. A stallion, mare and their filly.  I kept an eye on Malfoy I didn't need him teasing my animals. 

They turned their heads toward me as I walked in the middle of them. I rested my hands on their soft glittering necks. "Many of you looked shocked, have none of you ever seen unicorns before?" I said and looked around at their shocked and impressed faces. Bjorn nudged me in the back playfully with his snout, I had fairy dust pellets in my pocket and he knew it. One boy raised his hand. "Yes, Mr Longbottom." 

"I...I have Miss," he said. 

"You have?" I asked and turned my head to the side. 

"I saw them on the edge of the forest one night," he replied and stepped toward us making Bjorn, Frida and Gilda retreat to the safety of the dark forest. 

"Unicorns are very skittish creatures, you must earn their trust and in turn, they will offer their company to you," I explained. With gentle encouragement, they joined me again.  Suddenly the Threstal that stood behind Harry reared up and beat his wings, he let out a screeching scream almost like a banshee and collapsed. "Class dismissed!" 

"What's going on?" Hagrid asked. 

"Calder!" I exclaimed and ran to the panting Thestral. I looked him over, his eyes rolling in their sockets, he kicked out his legs and whacked me with his wings. He was choking.  "He's dying!" 

"Don't panic, I'll see what I can find for you," Hagrid said. 

"You can't it's too late," I said as I watched the light leave his eyes. I rested his head on my lap and cried into his neck as I heard the last of his breath wheeze out from his lungs and snout as he passed. 

"You need to keep his body separate from the others, who knows if what he had was contagious," he replied. 

"If it's affecting them, how do we know it won't spread to the unicorns or centaurs?" I asked looking at him with concern.

"You raise a good point there," he said. I looked around at the rest of the Thestrals, they all had their heads hung low. Calder's baby wandered over and gently laid down next to me, I ran a hand down his leathery back and locked my eyes with his milky black eyes. He would depend on me now, the whole herd would for they lost their leader today.