Awfully strange
It's awfully strange to find Luna Lovegood floating on the black lake. Although, Luna being Luna, Harry simply shrugged off his initial concern and continued on his way to quiditch practice. It was when he looked back and could just make out the top of Luna's hair sinking into the murky water that Harry began to truly worry for her. He spotted Ginny sprinting towards him out of the corner of his eye. She grabbed his shoulder and roughly spun him around to face her. Her eyes were glinting with fear.
"was that Luna?" she hissed. Harry nodded. Ginny began to shake.
"Harry! You have to go and get her! Now!" she spun away from him and began to run towards the castle. "wait!" Yelled Harry. "where are you going?!" Ginny didnt even turn to answer.
"to get Snape! And Madame Pomfrey! And perhaps Dumbledore!"
Harry turned back to the water. Luna had dissapeared. He mounted his broom and pushed off, aiming his wand at the water and yelling "Point Me!" his wand tilted left, and then down, into the water. Harry followed the directions, the water biting at his skin.
Bubbles were rising from the inky blackness.
With no gillyweed, neither Harry nor Luna could be expected to last very long. Harry's chest ached as he propelled his broom-which had miraculously managed to survive the water, probably Sirius had cast some sort if charm on it- further into the lake. His hopes began to rise as he spotted Luna's white mop of hair. A fine silver chain rose past him. Harry grabbed it, and pulled hard. Luna shot up towards him. He noted that the end of the chain was attached to her own wrist. He aimed his wand at the bottom of the lake and screamed as best as he could underwater:
"STUPEFY!"
Although the spell hit nobody, the force slammed into them and they shot upwards. Suddenly, a searing pain; the silver chain was wrapped around his wrist- they were up in the air, Harry's broom seemingly steering itself. Dumbledore's wand pointed in their direction- Ginny staring at them- and the pain in his wrist going on and on- Harry felt Luna's hand grasp his own as he succumbed to unconsciousness.
He awoke in a cot in the hospital wing, with something cold brushing his wrist. Ginny and Dumbledore stared down at him. He looked to his left. A very bedraggled Luna was asleep in her own cot, with Snape and Madame Pomfrey tending to her.
"proffessor," he croaked. "what happened exactly?" Dumbledore frowned at him. "I'm sorry I let this happen to you both." started Dumbledore. Harry felt stirrings of dread rise in his stomach.
"you've been cursed."
Harry's stomach dropped. Cursed?
"its rather complicated. You see, miss Lovegood was in possession of a cursed silver chain. Whoever touched it would be the second -victim. It seems that miss Lovegood was aware of this, because she entered the lake of her own accord. You saved her, my boy. Thus making yourself the second victim." Harry swallowed. "what does the curse do?" he was hoping for perhaps a painless poisoning curse, or a chain that killed the person who touched it next. At least then he could use it on voldemort-
"it's a binding curse Harry. You and Miss Lovegood are stuck together until we can undo it. We have, however, managed to weaken it slightly. The chain will now stretch to a length of four meters, where as before it's limit was one."
"but today's the last day of school! I'm going back to-"
"the dursleys. Miss Lovegood will be accompanying you. Don't worry. They believe that this is a kind of test, you see. A test that, if they pass, they will be rewarded. To see how they can accommodate witches and wizards when the latter is either injured or ill."
Harry looked over at Luna, then back at his wrist. The chain had formed a little circled around it, and was glowing a faint blue. Harry sighed. This was going to be a a very long Easter holiday.
"Harry dear! Oh we were so worried about you!" Harry's eyes widened in surprise and horror. Petunia dursley practically ambushed him at the door, embracing him in a bone crushing hug. Luna looked on happily. Was this all because of that fake test Dumbledore had told them about? Vernon smiled at him once petunia has let him go, and clapped him on the back.
"good to see your alright, boy."
"um, thanks. This is Luna." he murmured, gently tugging on the chain. Luna skipped towards them, the chain clinking all the while.
"it's very nice to meet you." she smiled. Petunia beamed and cupped Luna's check.
"and you dear," she crooned. "I'm so sorry about all this." Harry suppressed a shiver at his uncle and aunt's sickly sweet demeanour. Harry showed Luna inside, where Vernon took their bags and stowed them inside the cupboard under the stairs.