Chapter 1 - Arrival
Cocking her head to one side, she listened absentmindedly to the man's wild ramblings about the snarshlucks. Or was it the Horned Screwzits? She sighed, brushing her blonde hair back from her eyes and leaning forward on her elbows. The bearded man, believing his young listener was enraptured, grinned toothlessly and waved his arms around more zealously than before.
For a moment, Luna grimaced at her surroundings. Raunchy, drunk wizards downed tankards of beer and whiskey, shouting at each other as they did so. Their lopsided grins, illuminated barely by the flickering torches on the wall, reminded Luna of the wicked smiles carved into pumpkins around Hallow's Eve. Some less alcohol-tolerant wizards lay sprawled across the dark staircase that led to dingy rooms where Luna herself was staying.
Despite the grubby tavern and its less-than-satisfactory living conditions, Luna Lovegood reveled in her first assignment abroad for the Quibbler and her father. Finally deemed learned enough to venture out on her own, Luna had embraced the topic others would've turned their noses at. For the past three days, Luna diligently gathered accounts of various new beasts in this forsaken town for the new Quibbler special edition issue from individuals Luna could only describe as "shady."
"Eh, how 'bout another Firewhiskey there, Antiqus?" Luna's interviewee bellowed toward the bar.
Luna blinked as the old bartender hobbled over to oblige the toothless drunk seated across her. She bit back her cry of disgust as she watched the man down another tankard, satiating the thirst his words had caused him and indifferent to the foam trickling down his already scraggly beard. As Antiqus continued to refill the cup, the bearded man gave Luna a wink.
"So, yeh here for any other stories mayhap?"
Luna smiled warily and gave him her trained response. "Only for stories interesting and true," she replied, reciting the line her father had taught her to say for "headline-mongerers."
"'ell, you came to the right man then! Famos 'ere got a belly-full of stories for yeh!" Luna chuckled nervously as the man leaned toward her to whisper, "Bet yeh haven't heard about the golden-haired Muggle who lives just in those mountains over yonder," pointing toward the horizon. Luna caught sight of the majestic peaks outlined by the setting sun, coloured a royal purple.
"A Muggle, say you?" Luna was unimpressed. Muggles lived all over the area, often preferring the quiet of the countryside to the cacophony and chaos city life brought. Surreptitiously, she signaled for Antiqus, who was lingering beside their table, to bring her the bill. Unsurprisingly, Antiqus paid no heed to his lone female customer as his eyes narrowed at the story Famos was telling.
"Aye a Muggle! And not just a regular Muggle! But a magical Muggle." The man hiccupped as he wiped his beard with a dirt-covered hand.
This time, Luna rolled her eyes openly. There was a limit to what lunacy she would stand for, and this certainly crossed the line. "Sir, there are no such things as magical Muggles. People are either Muggles or wizards. Now really, Antiqus, bring me my-"
"This Muggle can see this 'ere village," the drunkard droned on as if Luna never interrupted, "yet he can't perform any spells. No education in the wizarding ways, this man!"
Luna paused. "A Muggle who can see a wizarding village? That is interesting indeed. Well, sir, I promise you we will look into this, but-"
"Oye, Antiqus, fellow! Bring me another tankard!"
Antiqus, jolted from his thoughts by the booming voice of Famos, hurried away to refill the tankard.
Luna cleared her throat, getting more and more irritated. "I promise we'll look into this, Famos, but I'll need to talk to my father before deciding anything." She stood up, ready for bed and, at the crack of dawn, heading back to Quibbler Headquarters. She took out a pouch full of Sickles and slapped it onto the table with disgust. "Thank you for your help, Famos." She turned on her heels and marched toward the stairs, eager to escape the stench of vomit, Firewhiskey, and sweat.
As she passed the bar, she noticed the unrelenting stare of the bartender Antiqus. The ancient and deformed man, though seemingly frail, glared at her with eyes deep with menace and…hatred. Pure hatred. Luna stumbled a bit, catching herself on a nearby table. As she looked up into Antiqus' eyes again, she was surprised to see it glazed with concern and friendliness; every remnant of the Antiqus she had seen a moment before had vanished without a trace. She smiled shakily as she made her way to the stairs, bidding him a quiet goodnight.
"Sleep well, Ms. Lovegood."
Luna stepped out from the shower feeling somewhat more refreshed and relaxed than before. She sighed contented as she dressed herself. On her way out of the bathroom, she afforded the mirror a glance.
A petite blonde female smiled innocently at her. Locks of amber hair cascaded down her back and in front of her shoulders. Startling blue eyes that could've rivaled those of Albus Dumbledore stared back. Her eyes. Her father's pride and joy. The windows into her soul, as her mother loved to say. Luna leaned forward, gazing deeply into the eyes in her reflection.
What do I see in myself?
A girl.
Luna winced as she hastily stepped away from the mirror. She squeezed her eyes shut as she remembered those painful words:
"Grow up Luna! It's time you did. We all did."
Oh Ron.
She felt her stomach heave and her heart churn as the familiar face conjured itself in her mind's eye. Her eyes began to burn as tears long suppressed threatened to flow.
No.
I'm strong. Everyone always says tears are for children. And aren't you going to grow up? For him? Come now, Luna. Get a hold of yourself.
Composing herself and supporting herself with the sink, Luna straightened herself up. Her reflection had turned paler after she had closed her eyes. I'm okay, Luna thought brightly as she smiled to the girl, yes, girl, in the mirror.
As Luna stepped out of the bathroom, she let her mind focus on her debut article in the Quibbler. Absorbed in her work, she barely noticed the two cloaked strangers standing between her and her room until she bumped into them.
Looking up, she smiled politely and opened her mouth to ask for entrance into her room.
"Stupefy!" Both strangers muttered the spell, their voices muffled by their heavy cloaks.
Luna felt the spell hit her in her stomach twice. Then, she felt no more.