The Amorconozkentia Incantation

Chapter One

"Ginny!"

The redhead turned. The speaker was someone she did not care much for. Her brother's girlfriend. Ugh.

"Yes, Lavender?"

"Do you know why Ron is ignoring me?"

Maybe because you are annoying? Ginny thought. "I don't know. Ask Harry. He's friends with my brother, not me. I don't ask him about his love life."

"I thought that since you're related, you might know through intuition or something."

"Well, I don't. Now, goodbye."

Ginny hurried off, ignoring Lavender's cries behind her. How her brother ever got stuck with such an insufferable girlfriend she did not profess to guess.

When she got to Charms class, she flashed a smile in Luna's direction. Luna returned with her own wry smile. But Luna could not know the reason for Ginny's smile. It wasn't just to be friendly.

"Today we will be practicing Heart-Key Charms," said Professor Flitwick. "These Charms reveal a person's deepest desire. Or at least they would if they were fully mastered. Most wizards have not mastered them; in fact, so few do. However, potential is the key here, and if anyone in this classroom can master the Heart-Key Charms, it would be nice to see them do it."

A girl raised on her hand.

"Yes, Olliwot?"

"If you please, sir, wouldn't it be better to wait until we've attained N.E.W.T. level to teach us this?"

"Alas, it would seem so, wouldn't it? But no, it would not. You have to start as early as possible if you have any hope of attainting the Heart-Key Charm mastery. It takes an entire lifetime to pull it off."

Ginny raised her hand. "Have you accomplished it, sir?" She was surprised that she could ask so confidently when the reason her heart was palpitating was sitting so close…

"Yes, I am proud to say that I have mastered the Charm. It took an awful long time. In fact, it was less than ten years ago when I finally achieved it. I placed it on a mirror.."

"The Mirror of Erised!" Luna exclaimed. Ginny found this fitting since if she looked in the Mirror of Erised she would see…but that was silly. She shouldn't think of this now.

"That is correct, Miss Lovegood. I used it on the Mirror of Erised along with Dumbledore. We had to combine our powers to effect the Charm upon the mirror. Actually, just between us, I think Dumbledore could have done it himself, but he asked for my aid."

The class still seemed stunned that they would be practicing a Charm that wizards much older than them couldn't master.

"I know it's a little daunting, but we've got to try," Flitwick said. "Now, everybody up.

Ginny stood up, her hand brushing Luna's sleeve.

"Choose a partner."

Ginny reached for Luna's hand. "Partners?"

"Always," Luna said.

Flitwick was glad to see that not only Gryffindors paired with Gryffindors, or Ravenclaws with Ravenclaws. In the past, he had encouraged this, but since the war was going on, he much preferred it this way.

He only hoped that his students would live through this war. And the Order would triumph with as few deaths as possible…

"Um, Professor?" said the student called Ollicot.

This shook him out of his reverie. "Hmmm, yes. To perform the Heart-Key Charm, you must point your wands at your partner's aorta."

"Our what?" Ginny whispered.

"It's a part of the heart," Luna said. "Don't worry. Just point your wand in the general direction of my heart, and you should get it."

Ginny did so, though the idea made her sick. What if she thought of a non-verbal spell like the Killing Curse by accident? Could the Killing Curse harm anyone if it was done non-verbally? Could she even cast a non-verbal spell, having not been trained in it yet?

"The caster must close their eyes and picture the Elysian fields."

"The what?" Ginny asked Luna

"Just pastureland, meadows, Dirigible plums…whatever brings you peace."

Ginny could only think of one thing that brought her peace, or one person, that was. And she was standing right in front of her.

She shut her eyes and thought of Luna, how her heart kept skipping a beat every second that she was in her presence.

"Now say the word Amorconozkentia to cast the spell. And try not to think of any fruit."

Of course, now that he said that, Ginny could think of nothing but fruit. She imagined bananas dancing with oranges and pears at a cotillion. When she tried to shake the image from her mind, she could only think of strawberry shortcake. And she wasn't sure she said the word right. Anyway, it didn't sound like anything happened.

"You're all thinking of fruit, aren't you?" Flitwick asked.

"If you please, sir," asked Ollicot, "why is thinking of fruit bad for this spell?"

"Because fruit clogs desire. This is why grown men drink wine. Because by drinking wine or other fruit-flavored drinks, they do not have to worry about their failed dreams."

Ginny tried the spell again, but she was now imagining blueberries in a figure-skating competition, with a pineapple, a grapefruit, and a peach with score cards ready.

"That's enough for the first try," Flitwick said. "Now you may open your eyes, and your partner will take their turn."

Ginny thought that Luna looked like she was ready to be kissed when she shut her eyes. Of course, she couldn't actually go over and kiss her. Not with half of the class watching. And anyway, Luna wouldn't want it. Would she?

"Amorconozkentia!" Luna exclaimed.

The first time she said it, nothing happened. But the second time a tiny wish of purple emerged from her wand.

"Congratulations, Miss Lovegood," Flitwick said. "You have mastered the ability to block fruit from your mind."

Luna opened her eyes. She had not seen the purple wisp, so she did not know what caused Flitwick to be aware of her strength in locking out the fruit from her mental strayings.

"I think that's enough for today," Flitwick said. "Class dismissed."

In the hallway, Ginny asked Luna what she had done to block fruit from her mind.

"Oh, I just thought of important things like Wrackspurts and Crumple-Horned Snorcaks. And I imagined that Nargles had got me. I don't know where I misplaced my radish ears, but since radishes are a fruit, it is probably a good thing I didn't have them."

Ginny chuckled. "You know, I really love you."

Luna stared at her.

"Not…I mean…I just think that you're fun to be around, some of the things you say…other people wouldn't say them if they did believe in them."

"People shouldn't hide from what they believe in. They should wear it on their sleeve."

And with that, Luna walked off. Ginny wished Luna could have remained with her. But she did have Quidditch practice anyway, so…