The Hunger had returned. It never remained sated for long. This battle had brought such feasting for me and my brethren, but still the Hunger lurked. I need to feed! Now that the Dark Lord has changed us and we can feed on all strong emotions, it should be easier to assuage the Hunger. Why can't I be sated?

Suddenly, coming from the building, is the one who we are to watch for. That's the human we are to destroy. "Destroy his soul," the Dark Lord told us, "but leave his body. His body is mine to destroy." I have tasted it before. I can taste it still. I can feel my siblings on all sides as I glide up to it.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The feeble Patronus that the human produces is no more than a small sting; not enough to prevent me from feeding on its soul. I will devour it. This one is powerful enough to sate the Hunger. I move to it and am ready to feed. Its despair is a delicious taste, it has experienced so much pain, seen so much suffering; more than most of the pitiful humans here. It has seen death and destruction firsthand and I will make it taste that despair over and over again as I devour it. I will feed on its pain. I will feed on its suffering. I will feed on its happiness. I will drain every last bit of consciousness from it. It is mine to feed on.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!

EXPECTO PATRONUM!

EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Three Patronuses strike from nowhere. The human has accomplices hidden. The pain of being hit with three full Patronuses at once. The indescribable pain of those concentrated happy memories; damaging me, ripping at me. Their shining thoughts driving me off; killing me. They dare to try to drive me off! They dare to raise my wrath! The Hunger arises full strength, but I can't feed. Patronuses on each side are hemming me in, falling on me, tearing me apart. I must escape. Using the last of my strength, I burst out of the mound of Patronuses covering me and glide back to the edge of the woods.

As I watch, the one I wanted moves off with the others standing guard. Stymied in my attack, I cannot follow.

Wait! One of the humans is following, separating from the others. I will feed on it, devour its soul, and send it screaming into the darkness forever. The torment it will experience will be everlasting.

"There's one right at the edge of the forest here," it says.

I pounce before it has time to react more strongly, putting my mouth over its mouth. I can feel its soul pouring out, but something is wrong. The memories, the despair and anguish aren't coming. Instead, horrible burning pain! It's not possible for it to hide the pain from me: it's not possible! This creature, this female has only happy memories.

No, wait. It does have painful memories, but they're hidden. It has sealed its pain away. I can sense the pain. I must go deeper.

As I delve deeper into its soul, I can see the doorways it has locked. This door houses a painful memory. If I can open it, I can break the human's hold.

It knows I'm here. How can it know? How can it sense me? I try to move through the door, but it resists me as if I were solid. Knowing my body is dying, I try to force my way further, redoubling my mental assault on the door.

Suddenly, the door opens. The room beyond is filled with grey mist. Filled with pain. It draws me in. As I enter the pull increases. A trap! How can it draw me in? I can feel it devouring me, draining my soul. NO! This is wrong; it cannot be happening like this! How can any mere human resist me? I am Dementor! I am being devoured now; flowing into the human's body.

"Luna?"

The voice came from a long way away. Slowly, she recognised it as Dean's.

"Luna, are you okay?"

"What happened?" she asked as Dean grabbed her hand and helped her up. "The last thing I remember, I was looking for the Dementor that got away."

"I don't know," he stammered. "I saw a Dementor giving you the kiss from over by the castle, but it had disappeared by the time I got here."

"We'd better return to the castle," she said, standing and starting to look through a pile of leaves. Dean helped her search and found her wand first. Luna took the wand gratefully and stowed it behind her ear. Dean reached over and took the wand from behind her ear and firmly put it back in Luna's hand.

Luna put the wand back over her ear and said, "I don't think I'll need my wand for a while. I saw Harry heading toward Voldemort's encampment in the Forbidden Forest. I think it will all be over soon."

Dean said nervously, "Please, humour me. Constant vigilance you know."

Luna pulled her wand back out with her right hand and leaned on Dean heavily.

Neither spoke again as Dean let Luna lean on him and they headed back to the castle. She seemed strangely even more pale and frail than she had been just moments ago. Dean could not rid himself of the image of Lavender's still-twitching body and vowed it would not happen to Luna.

Wait, what's that? A thread of memory. I can follow that thread. Ah, sweet pain, I can feed on this. These walls can't hold me long. I can use this thread of pain to feed on the human. I am Dementor, none can stand against me.