First Impressions Are Always Strange (Sebastian)

[Luna Lovegood]

Thestrals, a mysterious yet beautiful type of creatures. There wasn’t as much on them in books as a certain Ravenclaw graduate wished there was but she didn’t mind too much for she learned just as much about them just by being with them. The thestrals weren’t visible to many, only those who had seen the death of another and when one had witnessed the spell of their mother fatally backfire along with the loss of those one knew during the war, the thestrals weren’t so invisible to oneself. As it so happened, that was the life of the young woman named Luna Lovegood. Much had happened since she’d last seen the creatures at her old school, she no longer was one of the few able to see them at Hogwarts but that did not mean that her fellow classmates ever returned to see them again like she did.

As it were, the blonde had come back to Hogwarts long after graduating after finishing her last two years at the school once the peace was returned to the wizarding world. It took a fair amount of convincing from a fellow magizoologist to leave her exploring and discoveries about magical creatures. She was hesitant to go back to her old school but there was a post open for the care of magical creatures class which meant she could teach others about the creatures she so dearly loved. Mainly she was hesitant just to stop working to help the creatures but teaching students not to be afraid and to enjoy the class as she did as a child were what helped her fellow magizoologist to convince her to apply for the post. That application for the post of being a teacher at Hogwarts was exactly what brought her to the situation she was in.

That very day, Luna found herself at her old school for a meeting with the new headmaster of Hogwarts to see if she was the right fit for the position of the care of magical creatures professor. Without meaning to, she got distracted on her way to meet the man by the thestrals that were meant to deliver her to the school just as they did when she was young. She knew they would be there and she made sure to bring them a snack as a thank you for them taking her to the school. However, that day seemed better for walking rather than for the carriages to take her there so she let the thestrals that were to take her off their reins so they could walk with her. It may have been over eight years since she last saw the pack of thestrals that pulled the carriages and lived in the Forbidden Forest but they remembered her from when she used to feed them and held no issue with her letting them free to walk with her. Of course, it probably helped that they could smell the raw meat she had in her bag for them but she didn’t mind all that much.

So, accompanied by two thestrals, Luna walked to the castle and tried her best to catch the thestrals up on what she had been doing over the years, they were splendid listeners but they did tend to interrupt her with their nuzzling at her bag. Each time she felt one of their heads nuzzling at her bag, she couldn’t help it as a laugh would escape her lips before giving in and feeding them one piece of meat each though occasionally she gave them an apple which they unsurprisingly turned their nose up at. It was all incredibly calming for the woman as it made her feel like a young girl again who hadn’t yet been changed by the war but it was making her rather late. By the time she was meant to meet the headmaster, Luna was only just outside of the Forbidden Forest and was quickly distracted as more thestrals came out to greet her. To anyone who hadn’t seen death, she’d likely look insane for to them she was talking softly to things that were invisible but she’d dealt with that in her school years. Looking insane was just a daily thing for her especially with her knowledge of creatures that most didn’t believe in, she didn’t much mind it even if it would not give a good impression to an employer.

Of course, distracted by her old friends, she barely noticed as a man came towards her as a thestral nudged her hand in hopes of food.

[Sebastian Grindelwald]

Sebastian sat in his office reviewing the applications he had received for the professor positions open. Checking the clock in the headmaster's office he scowled, his appointment was late, dangerously late. But she was the only applicant for care of magical creatures.

"Ziggy" he called and almost instantly a old house elf appeared "Yes Headmaster sir" "I am waiting for a Miss Lovegood to arrive, have you seen anyone around the grounds?" he asked.

The elf looked contemplative and scratched his chin before nodding "Ziggy heard from a younger elf in the kitchens that there's a lady wandering by the forest sir"

Sebastian frowned and plucked a picture from the woman's application and showed it to the elf "Does she look like this?"

"Yessir she looks how the other elf described to ziggy sir, She was seen tending to the thestrals sir. Shall ziggy fetch her?" the elf asked. Sighing Sebastian stood "No thank you Zig, i'll go get her myself. May as well see how she is with animals. thank you."

"It is ziggy's pleasure sir" the elf bowed low and disappeared. Sebastian left his office and headed to the grounds, his long strides taking him down the sloping lawns quickly. As he approached the woman surrounded by thestrals he called out "Miss Lovegood I presume?" he raised an irritated eyebrow but reached out a hand to a thestral as it came to him to request a few pets. Stroking the animals neck he said "You do know your interview started an hour ago?"