The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Season 2 Round 8
Team: Falmouth Falcons
Author: MaryRoyale
Position: Beater #2
Round 8 Challenge: Twisted Fluff. Story must be fluffy-NO ANGST. Beater #2 was assigned dementors.
Title: Changing the World
Official Disclaimer: The original characters of this story are the property of the J.K. Rowling. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. It is my contention that this work of fan fiction is fair use under copyright law. No monies received for receipt of this work.
Prompts: difficult, transformation, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." (quote)
Pairing: None
Rating: T
Word Count: approx. 1200
A/N: I couldn't find a classification for dementors on the HP wiki, but for the purposes of this story they are XXXXX.
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The war was over and wizarding Britain was doing its best to recover. Neville had decided that he could best help by joining the Aurors. That, and it made him feel closer to his parents. In the beginning, it had been a gritty, dirty job rounding up all of the Death Eaters that still roamed free, but lately it had been quiet. When they had received a frantic call from Ottery St. Catchpole Neville had been free and more than willing to go check out the call. Luna was staying with her father, and Neville figured that it wouldn't hurt to stop by and check on her.
It was a beautiful summer day if a bit hotter than Neville normally cared for normally. He spotted the small spot of overcast sky and outlying fog quickly-it was almost a beacon in the otherwise perfectly blue sky. He frowned as he realized that the overcast sky seemed to be centered around the Rookery. He steered his broom toward the Lovegood residence and touched down neatly. He didn't see anything unusual in the front so he headed around the back.
Pacing around the back garden was a quick, silvery hare. Neville frowned slightly at the sight of Luna's patronus going round the garden in circles. He searched the garden until he spotted her slender form flitting about under an ancient oak. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what had caused the overcast sky and the low-rolling fog. The black, wraith-like form of a dementor hovered near Luna. She appeared to be speaking to it and was gesturing wildly. All of his friends agreed that Luna was a very special witch, and despite her peculiarities they all adored her. He had a sinking feeling that whatever was going on could be laid firmly at his friend's door. Neville cleared his throat and moved closer to Luna.
"What is going on here?" Neville had really hoped that saying those words out loud would help. It hadn't.
Luna turned around and smiled at him. "Neville! Hello! Oh, Midnight, no! Remember, happy thoughts."
Blinking didn't help either.
"Neville, whatever are you doing?" Luna demanded.
"Pinching myself," he replied absently. "It's something Seamus told me about once."
"Why are you pinching yourself?" Luna stared up at him quizzically her wide grey eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
"I thought I might be dreaming," Neville offered weakly.
"Oh, are you attempting lucid dreaming? I've heard it's terribly difficult. Or perhaps bilocation?" Keen intelligence made Luna's eyes sharpen on him and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Have you ever thought about astral projection?"
"Not if I can help it," Neville admitted. He watched Luna for several minutes. "Luna, what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to retrain Midnight," Luna explained with an airy wave of her hand. "Isn't it obvious?"
"You named it Midnight?" Neville stared at the dark figure that appeared to float aimlessly near Luna. It seemed to radiate a sort of malevolent melancholy. Neville shuddered reflexively and inched closer to Luna.
"Well, it's a sort of inky blackish colour so I thought Midnight worked," Luna defended herself. "Don't you like it?" She pursed her lips and looked up at the dementor. "Maybe Mr. Gloomypants?"
The dementor appeared to shudder slightly, and Neville couldn't help but agree with it.
"Luna, the name isn't really the problem," Neville protested.
"I know," Luna agreed with a sigh.
"You do?" Relief filled Neville at the thought that this might not be quite as painful as he had envisioned.
"I'm trying to get Midnight to feed off of sad memories, but he just doesn't seem to want to do so," Luna explained with a pout in the dementor's direction.
"You... what?" Neville stared at Luna and then turned to the dementor. "I... what?"
"If I could help dementors they could be reclassified and people wouldn't be so upset about them," Luna continued.
"But, er, Midnight doesn't seem too keen on the idea?" Neville was fairly certain that the dementor was currently glaring at him despite the fact that it had no discernable eyes.
"Not really, no," Luna admitted. She skipped to the side and twirled in a circle. "I got the idea from something Hermione said."
"Hermione?" Neville blinked in surprise. "She told you to convince dementors to feed off of sad memories?" He tried to imagine such a scenario, but his imagination couldn't quite picture it.
"No, not exactly," Luna contradicted him. "She was talking to another Muggleborn about vegetarians. Those are people that don't eat meat."
"I know what vegetarians are, Luna," Neville informed her. He rubbed his temples. "A conversation about vegetarians made you think that you could retrain dementors?" Why hadn't he let Smith take this call? Why hadn't he just gone to lunch?
"Well, dementors feed off of memories, right? Sad memories are still memories. It is feasible that a dementor could feed off of sad memories." Luna explained. "Then people would be left with only their happy memories. Children that have been abused wouldn't be able to remember the abuse. It could mean so much for the Mind Healers. Can you imagine the transformation this would create in our world?"
"I... I suppose," Neville admitted. He shifted anxiously on his feet. "Aren't you afraid that you might be, er, inadequate for this particular task?"
Luna laughed brightly. "Oh, Neville. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." Luna put her hands on her hips and glared up at her pet dementor. "Now if some people would cooperate we could have their classification changed with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
"And that's important," Neville guessed.
"Of course it is!" Luna exclaimed. "The dementors are currently listed as XXXXX. Do you know what they do to creatures with that classification?"
"Of course, it's part of Auror training," Neville replied automatically.
"They kill them! On sight!" Luna continued on as though Neville hadn't spoken. "Now if only I can retrain Midnight I could appeal to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
"Ah."
Midnight floated aimlessly near them, but it didn't seem interested in sucking out either his or Luna's soul so Neville ignored it.
"You understand, don't you Neville?" Luna looked up at him beseechingly. Neville rubbed the back of his neck and flushed.
"Just... try to keep, er, Midnight under control, yeah? If anything happens, I won't have a choice," he told her.
"You're the best Neville!" Luna flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"I don't know if I'd go quite that far," he protested.
"You'll see, Midnight is going to help me change the way the Ministry deals with dark creatures!" Luna vowed.
"If you say so," Neville muttered. He waved at an exuberant Luna and headed back toward the front of the Rookery and his broom. He might regret doing this someday, but perhaps not. Maybe Luna could convince the dementors to change. If anybody could do it, it would be her.