Challenge Prompt: Word prompt - Night

Setting: Varied

Hogwarts, March 1993 (second year)

Harry was wandering the school grounds. He knew it was against the rules to be outside after curfew, but at this point he didn't care. He had his cloak, so nobody would see him, and it wasn't like anything else could go wrong… half the school thought he was the heir, Hermione was petrified now, and nobody seemed any closer to figuring out what was going on. He knew he wasn't going to sleep, so he'd gotten up and gone outside hoping… just hoping for something, really. So now he was wandering, the cold night air doing little to help him.

He stopped when he saw a girl sitting by the lake. She was small, and blonde, and didn't seem to be paying attention to anything that was happening around her. Harry tried to get closer, to get a better look at her. Her eyes were unusually large, and the moonlight gave them an oddly silver glow. The blue robes identified her as a ravenclaw.

"Hello?" She called out, and turned in his direction. "Are you going to introduce yourself?"

"Ummm…" Harry pulled the cloak down around his head. "How'd you know I was there?"

"Because you are." the girl shrugged. "Was I not supposed to notice? I'm sorry, I can pretend you're not here if you like." She turned back to the lake, and Harry was surprised to notice that she didn't sound sad.

"No! Well, yes, I mean… I was trying to hide, but not from you, just from the teachers and… well, most everyone, really." Took the cloak off and sat down next to her.

"Well, if you weren't trying to hide from me, you should know how I found you." She said.

"Er…." That seemed to make a lot of sense, and none at all. "I guess, but most people don't notice me when I'm invisible."

"Well, most people spend a lot of time looking around and not really seeing anything. It's sad, really." The girl looked at him.

"I guess." Harry shrugged. "I don't know your name, though."

"Luna. Luna Lovegood. And you are?" Luna turned toward him.

"Er… really?" Harry hated how excited he sounded. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"Can I tell you a secret, Harry Potter?" Luna whispered, leaning a bit closer.

"I suppose… and you can just call me Harry." Harry said, unconsciously leaning closer.

"I did know your name, I just didn't want to be rude." She nodded and looked very solemn about this, and Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Well, thank you Luna. What are you doing out here anyways?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I got locked out of the common room again. I don't think the prefects like me very much." Luna shrugged. "I don't think they believe me when I tell them about nargles and snorkacks."

"Locked out of your room, by the prefects?" Harry was shocked. "Why didn't you tell a professor about it?"

"Why should I? Either he'd stop them, and they'd do something even worse next time, or he wouldn't, and they'd know they could get away with it. If I do nothing, all I have to do is come out here to enjoy the night, and they'll be too scared to try again for a few days." Luna shrugged. "Why don't you talk to the professors about the people picking on you?"

"Well... " Harry trailed off. He wanted to say that the professors couldn't do anything, that he'd tried last year and it hadn't helped. "I guess the same reason as you, it wouldn't do any good."

Luna nodded. "They care, but they're like everyone else. They spend so much time looking they don't bother to see." She stood up. "But usually the door lets me back in after midnight. I think whatever spell they use wears off at midnight, so I'm going to see if I can go back in." She gestured down, and he saw that she was barefoot. "It's a bit cold without my shoes, I have to admit."

Harry wanted to offer to help, but what could he do? Just another problem he couldn't solve. As Luna walked away, he started to follow her. He thought about Luna, about Hermione, about the diary and the basilisk, until Luna stopped and he realized they were standing outside the castle doors.

Luna turned around. "Not everything needs fixing right away, Harry. Just talking to someone can help. So thank you." She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Maybe we'll talk again sometime? Don't forget to put your cloak back on." She smiled and walked back into the castle. Bemused, Harry went back up to his room.

It wasn't until he awoke the next morning that he realized how quickly he had been able to go to sleep after coming back.

Hogwarts, near the Whomping Willow, night before the leaving feast, 1994 (third year)

Harry found himself once again wandering the castle grounds after curfew. So much had happened this year… he'd spent the whole year worrying about being caught by a notorious mass murder, only to find out the criminal in question was not only innocent, but someone who wanted to take care of him. His defense professor had turned out to be another old family friend, someone he might be able to turn to.

On the other hand, Snape still hated him, and thanks to him Remus had lost his job. Sirius was still a criminal, and because the traitor had gotten away, Sirius wouldn't be able to look after him. Despite everything, he was still being sent back to the Dursleys for another summer.

Harry stopped, and found himself near the Whomping Willow. He looked up at the Willow, which had harbored so many secrets over the years. He stared at it for a few minutes before he realized there was someone sitting at its base, apparently safe. He looked closer and saw that it was Luna. She looked back in his direction and tipped her head. "Is that you Harry?"

Sighing, he pulled the cloak off. "Let me guess, I wasn't trying to hide from you?"

She shrugged. "Did you want to try and hide from me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm just surprised you're not scared of the tree. There's a spot you can push on to calm it down, but most people don't know about it."

Luna looked up at the tree. "I don't see why people are so scared of it, it's not angry, it just doesn't want to be toyed with. And I suppose years of having a werewolf on the other end of the tunnel would make anyone touchy."

Harry stared at her. "How did you know about that?"

Luna turned back to Harry. "I see things, rather than just looking at them. The tunnel has lots of animal markings, the shack on the other end was rumored to be haunted but doesn't have any spirits… and I saw the most remarkable things happening not too long ago over by the lake. Your patronus is very impressive."

Harry stared at her for a few moments, before chuckling and walking over to her. "I was amazed nobody else had noticed what was going on… it's all been crazy lately."

Luna patted the ground next to her. "Everyone returned all of my things already, so I've got nothing to do if you'd like to join me."

Harry sat down and looked at Luna. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to him, now that he was here. He sat, and his thoughts began to drift back over the events of the past few weeks. More than anything else, he kept coming back to Sirius and Wormtail.

He looked up and realized the moon had shifted quite a distance, that he must have been sitting and thinking for a long time. He looked at Luna, and saw she was staring up at the sky.

Without turning to face him, she spoke. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, actually… how'd you know?" Harry asked.

Luna smiled. "You seem better. The nargles aren't quite as thick around you anymore." At his confused look she laughed. "You'll get the hang of it. If you'd like to share, I'm always happy to listen, but I don't need to hear anything you're not ready to say."

Harry shrugged. "Wondering if I did the right thing mostly, letting Peter escape. He betrayed my parents, he put my godfather in prison for 12 years… and if we'd killed him, we might have his body, might have been able to clear Sirius's name."

"You're not a killer, Harry Potter." Luna looked him in the eye, and he found he couldn't look away. "You worry that your choice will hurt others, but if you had Peter right now, would you kill him?"

Harry considered. He imagined Peter lying before him, helpless. He tried to imagine lifting his wand against him... "No. I might kick him a couple of times, but I couldn't kill him. I wanted him arrested, not dead."

"Then you did the right thing, no matter what happens next." Luna said, looking back up at the sky. "You'll worry about it, of course, but there's a difference between worrying about the future and regretting the past."

Harry smiled, and leaned back against the tree with Luna. "Thank you."

They didn't say anything else until the sun rose, and they went to get ready for the leaving feast.

Hogwarts express, September 1994 (Beginning of fourth year)

"Harry, I'd like you to meet…" Ginny started.

"Luna, how was your summer?" Harry interrupted, smiling.

"Not as good as we'd hoped. My father and I were hoping to catch a crumple-horned snorkack, you see." Luna said, smiling over the upside-down copy of the Quibbler she held in her hands.

"Shame, that. Maybe next summer?" Harry said, taking a seat.

"I didn't know you two knew each other…" Ginny said, looking suspiciously between Harry and Luna.

"That's because you were looking, not seeing." Harry said, with a smirk on his face. Luna said nothing, but Harry saw in her eyes that she was amused by his comment.

"Ugh, I don't think I can handle two of you!" Ginny said, settling in as the train continued its journey.

Hogwarts, night before the final task of the Triwazarding Tournament, 1995

Harry sat beside the lake. Hidden by his cloak, he looked at the water and remembered what it had been like to try and rescue his hostage. As much as some people had made fun of him for it, he didn't regret saving Gabrielle; with the incompetence of the Ministry, he wasn't convinced that she had been as safe as the officials had claimed.

It was a testament to his growth, he thought, that he was only mildly surprised when Luna sat down next to him. He pulled the cloak off, and smiled at her. "I don't think I expected to see you, but I'm not all that surprised either."

She returned his smile. "You aren't going to ask how I found you this time?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't hiding from you, why would you have trouble finding me?"

She shrugged. "That's what I thought, but people can be very strange sometimes. Do you think you're ready for tomorrow?"

Harry laughed. "About as ready as I'm going to get. It's a maze, so there's not much I can do. Can't be much worse than the first two tasks though, can it?"

Luna put her hand over Harry's, and he turned to look at her, startled. "It will be, but you'll survive. I imagine you'll be quite busy after the tournament, but…. I look forward to seeing you on the Express next year."

She tightened her grip on his hand for a moment, then stood and walked away. Harry watched her as she made her way back to the castle.

It was a long time before he followed, and made his way back to his room.

Hogwarts express, September 1995 (Fifth year)

"You know Harry," Romilda Vane said, "You don't have to sit with…. them. " She pointed at Neville and Luna. "You could come sit with us, instead." The two girls behind her giggled.

"Luna and Neville are two of my closest friends. If you don't see… no, you don't see, do you?" Harry asked, his voice cold.

"See what? They're just a couple of…" Romilda trailed off as she found herself staring at Harry's wand.

"I don't suffer Malfoy to insult me or my friends, what makes you think you're any different? You're not welcome here, and until you apologize to them you won't be welcome anywhere near me."

Romilda backed away, stammering. She tried twice to speak, before abandoning the attempt and running back toward her compartment, her friends trailing after her.

"Harry, you didn't have to do that." Neville said.

"Yes, I did." Harry said. "Other people can say things about me, and I can't stop that, but they don't get to decide who I spend time with." Harry looked at Luna and smiled. "And right now I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with."

Hogwarts grounds, March 1996 (Fifth year)

Harry was outside, eager for a break from everything that had been happening. Umbridge, the Inquisitorial Squad, Dumbledore's departure…. It was all getting to be too much. The nighttime air helped to clear his mind. He wandered, not quite realizing he was looking for Luna until he spotted her, once again by the lake.

As he approached, his heart sank. She was cradling her right hand.

"Luna." Harry swept the cloak off and sat beside her. "Not you too."

Luna smiled at him, though there were tears in her eyes. "She is rather vile, isn't she?"

Harry reached into his pocket, and retrieved the essence of murtlap he'd taken to carrying everywhere. "This will help." He carefully applied the murtlap to her hand, before looking up into her eyes again. "She'll pay for doing this to you."

Luna shook her head. "I'm fine. And you're still not a killer, Harry Potter."

Harry smiled a hard smile "But I can protect the people I care about. One way or another, we'll find a way to stop her from doing this, and get rid of her."

"Just… don't lose yourself Harry. It'd be very easy for you to do." Her eyes drifted out of focus for a moment. "I don't think I'd enjoy that."

"Well, you've never had a hard time finding me before, so I think I'm safe." Harry said, his smile softening.

As they sat enjoying the night, Harry never noticed that he still held Luna's hand.

Hogwarts, hallway outside the girl's bathroom, December 1996 (Sixth year)

Hermione and Luna came out of the bathroom. Luna had chased after Hermione to comfort her after Ron's unpleasant remarks about Slughorn's upcoming party. "I can't believe I was going to ask Ron to go with me," Hermione said, "If he thinks… Harry! What are you doing here?"

Harry was leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom. "Waiting for the two of you, actually. I trusted Luna to help you, but I still wanted to make sure you were alright."

"What? Oh, yes, I'll be fine. Why don't we head back to the common room?" Hermione said.

"Actually, Hermione, I wanted to talk to Luna as well. I'll catch up, if you'll be ok?" Harry said.

Hermione smiled. "I'll be fine, take as much time as you need." She walked off, leaving Harry alone with Luna.

"What did you want, Harry?" Luna asked.

"I was hoping you'd want to go to Slughorn's party with me." Harry said.

"As friends? That would be lovely." Luna said, smiling.

"Well… I mean, if that's what you want, but it's not quite what I had in mind." Harry said, scratching the back of his head.

Luna's smile grew wider. "Are you asking me to go to the party as your date, Harry Potter?"

Harry smiled. "I am. I thought it might be nice to spend the night together indoors for once, someplace where you could just look at me if you wanted."

Luna nodded. "I would be delighted."

Gryffindor Common Room, the morning after Slughorn's Party

"You're actually dating Luna?" Hermione asked.

"You knew I'd asked her, why are you so surprised?" Harry asked, confused.

"It's just… I know you're friends, but how well do you really know her? She's a sweet girl, but she's…" Hermione trailed off.

"She's brilliant." Harry said, his voice firm. "And we've known each other since second year, her first year."

"How'd you meet? I never saw her." Hermione asked, curiosity roused.

"That's personal." Harry said. "It's… just a few times we ran into each other. She's helped me a lot, and I enjoy being with her."

"Harry, you know I'm friends with her," Ginny said, coming up beside Hermione. "But she's not the same as everyone else. If you're with her, people will talk."

"How is that different from any other time? Everyone always talks about me, they're always looking at me. There are only a few people that I feel like have ever seen me, and Luna… Do you know she's never once asked me if I'm fine? How I'm doing? She's sometimes asked if I'm better, after she's seen that I've improved, and once she asked if I was ready, but she'll sit next to me for hours letting me think, until I'm ready to talk." Harry took a deep breath. "I know as well as you do that she's different. I just happen to think that's more reason for me to be with her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit with her at breakfast." With that, Harry stalked out of the common room, leaving a stunned silence behind him.

Ginny and Hermione stared at each other for a moment, shocked at the furious defense of Luna. Hermione shrugged. "I don't think you have much of a chance right now, Ginny… maybe you never did."

Ginny nodded sadly. "I have no idea when that happened, she never even hinted that she was interested in him, let alone that she already knew him... but how often does he stand up to either of us like that?"

The Burrow, the night of July 31st, 1997

Harry sat outside the Burrow, on a rock near the Weasley's garden. He wasn't looking forward to leaving, but he knew he would have to, soon. Voldemort's horcruxes had to be destroyed, but he still wasn't sure where to start.

He heard footsteps behind him, soft deliberate footsteps he knew could belong to only one person.

"Do I want to know how you made it past the wards here?" Harry asked.

"We all have our secrets." Luna said, sliding onto Harry's lap and wrapping her arms around him. "Do you know when we'll be leaving?"

"Luna…" Harry knew she wanted to go with them, but he couldn't stand the idea of her getting hurt.

"Harry, you can't protect me by keeping me away." Luna looked into his eyes. "Besides, what are you going to do?"

"Luna, you know I have to keep it a secret." Harry said, hating that he had to hide anything from this girl.

Luna shook her head, and when she finished her eyes looked unusually focused and sharp as she held his gaze. "Assume for a moment that I know how Voldemort survived, that I know all about the horcruxes. What are you, Ron, and Hermione going to do when you leave?"

Harry's lips turned upward, just a bit. "Well, if I assume you already know everything, which more and more seems like a very good assumption, then we're going to go look for his…. " He trailed off as his choice of words sank in.

Luna nodded. "Precisely. If you go with Hermione and Ron, you'll wind up looking, not seeing." She leaned forward, and kissed him softly. "You're much better than most people, but there's still one thing holding you back."

"Oh? And what's that?" Harry asked, struggling to keep his mind on the conversation.

"This." And Luna leaned forward again, this time kissing his scar. As she did so, an unpleasant tingle ran through his head, and he leaned back.

"Luna?" Harry started, but Luna held one finger over his lips.

"I told you long ago, that where most people look, I see. One of the things I saw when I first met you was a great evil, locked away in your scar. Most people would have given in a long time ago, but you hold it off, sealed it away without even realizing what it is you carry."

"Is it…." Harry started.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." Luna said, reaching up to kiss his scar again. The tingle was just a little bit weaker this time. "Pure evil, rage, destruction… these are all that he knows. The life you've lived… you could so easily have been just like him, and you're not." She traced her finger along the scar. "Love, and hate…. One must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives."

Harry stared at Luna. "How…. "

Luna leaned forward and silenced him with another feather-soft kiss. "I never asked, because you didn't want to talk about it, but I've always known. I'm going with you, Harry Potter."

Harry sat, stunned. For a long time, he couldn't even think, he just held onto Luna and tried to grasp everything she had told him.

It was only when he noticed the sky starting to lighten that he focused on her face again. "What would I do without you?" Harry asked, smiling.

Luna shrugged. "Probably something dreadfully boring. Are we ready to get up then? This is rather comfy, but there's quite a lot to do."

Harry nodded, groaning as he stood and stretched his legs. "There is, but somehow that doesn't bother me as much anymore." He grabbed Luna and turned her to face him again. "I do love you, Luna. I think I always have, it just took me a while to see it."

Luna smiled, then tipped her head as her eyes lost focus. "D'you think they'd let us get married today as well?"

Harry laughed. "I don't think that would go over very well. We'll have to wait for another day."

Luna turned, and smirked at Harry. "Was that a proposal?"

Harry returned the smirk and shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to let me know when you figure it out."

Luna tipped her head, put a finger on her chin, and made little humming noises for a few moments. "I think you're right. Our wedding will have to wait for another day."

Harry smiled and pulled Luna in for another hug. "Any ideas when it should be?"

"Oh, a few." She pulled back and her eyes were twinkling. "You'll see soon enough."

"I think I can wait. Now let's go, we need to figure out what we'll do when we leave." Harry took her hand and they started to walk back to the burrow.