A/N Set in Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge is evaluating Hagrid's lesson when he is showing his class the thestrals.

"And what about you?" Umbridge asked, turning to the stringy Slytherin boy who, ever since Hermione had said that only people who'd seen death could see the thestrals, had turned even paler than usual and was looking anywhere but at the winged creatures.

"Who did you see die?" She asked him once again in a tone of indifference.

"My mother" Theodore replied in a layered voice that carried every emotion reigning from anger to sorrow.

Harry was surprised to find his heart lurch in sympathy for the boy. He'd never even spoken to him before but he couldn't help feeling sorry for Theodore since he knew all to well the what it was like to loose your mother. He was suddenly very grateful that he was only a baby when she died so that he was too young to remember watching her death.

However he was even more surprised to find Malfoy looking at his fellow Slytherin with a similar gaze of sympathy. Even Blaise Zabini, whom Harry had never seen without smile of vain smugness, inched further towards Theodore to place a gentle comforting hand in his shoulder.

Unaware of the intense atmosphere Umbridge smiled chirpily at Hagrid before retreating back to her abomination of an office. As Hagrid hastily dismissed the class in a confused and disgruntled manner Harry saw Pansy and Draco head straight for Theodore who was being cautiously manoeuvred by Blaise in the direction of the castle.

"My father will hear about this" Harry heard Draco whisper in Theodore's ear, his voice void of its usual arrogance, before he was dragged away by Ron. For once Harry felt comforted by those words.