"They're pretty fascinating, all the same."

"I wonder if these ones will recognize me..." Ellie murmurs.

- Hm?

"I have, ah, another version of that cloak. It helped me- It was part of why I made friends with the flock in my home."

There's a suspicious look on her face briefly before it smoothes out. "Why would they still recognize you here?"

Shrug. "Eldritch beings beyond the petty limitations of time and space? Maybe they get together and chat once in a while."

Snort. "Maybe."

"It's a bit of a fairy tale thing to happen. But, well. Thestrals are closer to fairy tales than most things."

Serious nod.

Maybe that's enough of a clue for Lily to put things together. Ellie... doesn't want to say it outright. Not yet.

She doesn't say whatever she's thinking. Instead, after a few moments of silence - "We should be close."

They are, in fact, under the eaves of the Forbidden Forest, and there's familiar dark shapes moving towards them. 

"Guess they smelled us coming."

An exceptionally pale nightmare of a ¿horse? leads the pack. "Hello, Master," it whispers somewhere beyond speech. 

Still counts even though there's obviously a separate collection of relics in this world. Good to know.

"Hey there," Ellie says, with a sideways glance at Lily to see if she heard it talking.

She doesn't seem to have. 

The thestral laughs with a sound like a death rattle. "You have wandered from where you usually walk."

"Not intentionally, but here I am. Figured I might as well start taking care of this world's Riddle. I was hoping I might get a ride."

Lily raises an eyebrow. 

"Of course, Master."

"I appreciate it."

To Lily, "Looks like I've got a ride."

"You can speak to them?"

"Yeah. I've, uh, been closer to Death than most."

" - The Horcrux removal?"

"I'd recommend looking into alternative methods if you want to speak with thestrals."