A/N - And my drabble entry for the Challenge.

Prompts were metallic and protection.


Luna and Hermione stood outside the Headmaster's office, not really sure what they were waiting for.

When it came, it wasn't what they were expecting. Suddenly there was total darkness that even a Lumos Maxima couldn't penetrate, the sound of rushing feet and cackling laughter and the smell of fine leather and expensive cologne.

Something or someone roughly grabbed Luna's arm, dragging her away from Snape's door. Hermione was dragged along, as she had seized Luna's other arm as soon as the blackness had fallen.

The two girls were roughly shoved into a storage closet, the door slamming behind them and the lock turning with a metallic scrape.

They pounded on the door and shouted until they were hoarse, but no one came to let them out until almost daybreak.

That was when they heard of Dumbledore's death, Bill Weasley's injuries, and the Death Eater attack on the school.

Hermione complained long and loud about missing the whole battle locked in the closet.

Luna walked outside, searching the fading sky to the far north for the twisted constellation representing the dragon.

She smiled, because she knew who locked them in the closet.

And that he had done so for their protection.