Theo replied to Ernie's chuckle with a smile of his own; he couldn't imagine the blond treating his kids the way Acanthus had treated him, even if he did tend to see glimpses and flashes of the monster the man was in the people around him despite himself.
He rarely thought about thestrals being an omen of sobriety or mourning, as they'd always been a comforting constant to him, but he could see why they may not be a welcome sight to others when he was prompted to recall this. This was made especially obvious with Ernie's reminder that the macabre animals had been all but a secret to most of the student body until the horrors they'd witnessed. Theo didn't even remember why he could see thestrals, and thinking on it made his head hurt so he tended to leave that train of thought alone. He nodded though, although that wasn't a very specific answer until he actually spoke. "There were some on the moors at home when I was little. And I've seen them other places, here and there. They move like herds but like flocks as well. You get the odd one or two flying solo sometimes, but not often." he lifted his hand and played with a lock of his hair that was poking at his neck, smoothing it with his thumb. "I like them." he added, somewhat guarded and wary or criticism; he knew how that sounded.