The Guardian Diaries- Book 1: Luz en el Oscuro

Part 1- The Nest

Chapter 1- Turning Winds

Author's Note: I'm sure it won't take a genius to notice that there are five houses at Hogwarts in my fan-fics. You're not hallucinating, but don't worry. There is a reason for this, Mellon Marteslon was Godric Gryffindor's apprentice and was therefore given his own house, with the symbol of a white stallion and a Persian green background. The Marteslon House is known for its optimism, fortitude, calmness and innovation, as well as courage and loyalty. You'll notice that Marteslons and Gryffindors share the same Common Room (but not the same Quidditch teams) to symbolise the close bond between Gryffindor and Marteslon, which caused jealousy on the part of Salazar Slytherin, which we will deal with in a later book, so please be patient.

I'm sure you'll notice that the protagonist is a guy called Gallardo (pronounced Ga-yar-do) Eagle. Please bear in mind that there is no, nor will there be, any slash between Gallardo and Harry- just bromance.

Here's something that you might notice: sometimes the characters act like school teenagers, mainly because that's what they are at this point. However, they will do some maturing and have a fair bit of character development!

So without any further ado, here's the first chapter. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, safe for the ones that I've created. Hopefully, they'll be obvious.

16th March 1997

The cool night breeze scattered over the boat house, as Gallardo stood on the embankment, throwing stones across the lake. The air was quiet except the sound of these stones charging across the water. He exhaled as he ran out of stones, and energy, as his arm fell to his side. He drew from his pocket a small black bottle, he sat down and took a sip.

For a few minutes he just breathed, before resuming his drinking, he grimaced and sighed as he gulped another.

"Hello, Gallardo," a soft voice called from his left. A blonde girl with a dreamy look smiled at him on his left. "May I join you?"

He nodded grimly and edged a bit for her. There could be no harm whatsoever in letting Luna Lovegood join him as he idled just above the muddy part of the embankment. He offered her his bottle but she declined.

"Gallardo, I think you'll like this better!" she said, taking out a thermos. "Some hot tea! I've heard you like sugar."

"Thanks," he replied, taking the cup she had just poured him. He took a sip and almost laughed. "How much sugar have you put in here?"

"Five," replied Luna.

"Five?" Gallardo cracked a smile and actually started laughing this time. "Luna, remind me to visit you when you become diabetic!"

Luna began laughing too. "There you go," she said. "I was wondering where Gallardo Eagle had vanished off to!"

"Well, I'm still here!" he pointed out. "Anyway, looking forward to the Marteslon v Ravenclaw match?"

"Yeah, I am," replied Luna. "I don't think they'll let me do the commentary again, though."

"That's a shame," he said. He then nudged her. "Because I think, your commentary was absolutely amazing, funny and fantastic. A bit like you!"

"Oh, thanks," she blushed.

"And what's more is that you are a gorgeous girl who I'm lucky to hang out with."

She started giggling nervously. He put his finger on her chin and drew her in but just as his lips reached hers, the fire had already cooled down to ash.

"No, Gallardo, no!" Luna berated. She slapped him with moderate force, which he did not respond to or try to defend himself from. "That's not on! I like you! I know you don't think of me this way, but I consider you a friend! Friends don't do that to each other!"

Gallardo's heart thudded numbly. He sighed, staring into the distance before rising to his feet.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, I had no right to do that," he croaked. He turned on his heel quickly, but Luna grabbed his hand.

"No, I didn't mean it like that, please stay?" she said.

Gallardo swallowed and looked away, as there were clouds circling where they were like wolves trapping their prey, infecting him with claustrophobic paranoia in the wide empty grounds.

"Gallardo, maybe it will help if you talk to me, eh?" Luna suggested. "I'll pour us both some more tea, how about that?"

Gallardo sighed and sat back down before taking a few more sips. He shook his head and forced himself for composure, as his deep breaths dried up what he would not let out. "Do you know what it's like to feel like nothing goes right for you lately? Lately, I feel like the Gallardo I was is just fading away!" He began explaining about how all his hard work, character and his wish to do the right thing had counted for next to nothing. When he failed to secure a scholarship to study law as the Board's distant cousin easily got it despite not really needing it. When he had made to feel like a mug, the girl he loved, or thought he'd loved had twisted her knife in his flesh and vanished. His dad, had been dancing with this knife around him, waiting for it to sink in one way or the other.

"Have you talked to your friends about this?" Luna asked.

Gallardo coughed. "No," he croaked, before pouring himself more tea. It streamed through his blood stream to steady him.

"Gallardo, you talk all the time, but you don't say anything! You're always there to help others but you expect so much from yourself."

"I used to be so sure," he said, quietly. "Of who I was, where I was heading. I really was. I used to believe that integrity, hard work, creativity and optimism, with a bit of luck were the way forward. Now, I'm not sure what to believe!"

"Well, I'm sorry that this is all I've got," Luna consoled, after a pause. "But, you're Gallardo Eagle. You start believing again!"

Gallardo sniffed and smiled grimly. "Yeah."

"And believe in yourself!" added Luna.

"You too," he concurred. "I meant what I said. About you being amazing, funny and fantastic." He raised his cup. "To believing!"

"To believing!" Luna grinned. She pulled out a small phial with bright gold liquid, which brightened the night sky.

"Felix? No way!" Gallardo exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, I'm not in Ravenclaw for no reason. Want to try some?"

Gallardo took the phial and sipped. He closed his eyes and he felt like he was flying into the horizon. The wind was streaming past his face and rejuvinating life into him. All of his worries felt so light, that he had the energy to glide and run rather than lie down.

He snapped his eyes open and beamed. "Let's make some fireworks!" he suggested. He tipped his bottle of sherry into the grass and puffed it into the ether. With his wand he aimed into the sky and said: "Verdimillus!" A jet of green sparks shot into the starry sky and vanished, they scattered and faded into the night like stars and vanished.

"Wow!" said Luna. "I'm glad that you're starting to feeling happy again."

"Thanks," winked Gallardo. "By the way, I do consider you a friend; a really good friend."

Luna blushed and nodded. "It's getting late, we should head back to our Common Rooms."

"I'll walk you," Gallardo offered, to which she accepted. They walked side by side, chatting into the night. They reached the Covered Bridge; Gallardo stopped dead and motioned for her to be quiet.

Two silhouettes were arguing on the bridge, a guy and a girl. Gallardo edged closer before realising who they were.

"I can't believe it!" Marcena snapped. "Do you have any idea what I've done for you? I trusted you, and you betrayed me, Gary!"

"Come on, stop being a drama queen," Gary Thoburn excused. "I was lonely, so what did you expect? Besides, it's not like it meant anything!"

"No, don't give me that crap!" cried Marcena, struggling to hold back tears. "Just because I wouldn't give you what you wanted, just because I'm not the girl you watch in your dirty spare time, you treat me like this? You really have no idea what I've sacrificed for you!"

"All right, how about this," Thoburn said. "I'll take you to the most expensive place around, wherever you want. I'll even buy you whatever you want."

Marcena looked at him pitifully and shook her head. "No, Gary, you still don't get it. I'm sorry, but I'm done. We're over!" She turned on her heel to walk away.

"Hey, don't walk away from me!" Thoburn yelled after her. When it was evident that she wasn't listening he ran and grabbed her hair. She struggled and caught his face with a sharp slap, but he struck her harder, causing her to scream in shock. "You don't break up with me, you harlot! I decide when we're done, got that?"

For the past few minutes, Gallardo's blood had been growing redder and hotter. He had kept the fire in but now he was going to let it out. Thoburn was exactly what was wrong with the world. Gallardo was shorter than Thoburn, but the former knew that he would be better at hand to hand combat. He marched over and before he knew it, he grabbed Thoburn's wrist and knife handed his temple, striking him with surprise and immense strength. Thoburn stumbled to the edge of the bridge and grabbed it to steady himself.

Marcena almost fainted with shock. She breathed a sigh of relief, releasing a stream of silent tears down her cheek and breathed out, watching in anticipation.

But Gallardo kept his eyes firmly on Thoburn, who was recovering. He faced his challenger and glared in rage.

"Piss off, Eagle!" Thoburn warned. "Keep your nose out of this! It's none of your business!"

"I don't think so!" Gallardo challenged. "Lay off her, now!" he ordered.

"I'm warning you, Eagle!" Thoburn responded reaching for his wand. "Piss off, or else I will wreck everything for you!"

"No, you won't!" snapped Gallardo, defiantly.

"I'll put you in the hospital-!"

"I doubt it!"

"Do you want a bet?"

"Gallardo, maybe we should get a teacher?" Luna whispered.

"If you were going to do anything!" growled Gallardo, pacing away from Luna. "You would have already done it by now."

"Stupefy!" shouted Thoburn, but Gallardo had already tucked his wand into his sleeve.

"Enduro!" he thought. Gallardo's green wand core charged against Thoburn's orange. Luna grabbed Marcena and pulled her out of the way. The wand lock did not last long, as Thoburn was thrown back, unable to withstand his opponent's endurance. He panted as he dropped to his knees. For a second he just looked at Gallardo, before grabbing his wand in a last ditch effort to hit back.

"Impedimenta!" bellowed Gallardo, blasting him down again

"What on earth is going on here?" barked a Scottish voice.

"Wands away!" roared another.

Professors McGonnagall and Marks strode on to the bridge, drawing their own wands.

Gallardo obliged at once, but he was still fuming.

"Will someone tell me why you two were fighting while you should be in bed?" Marks yelled.

"I-I don't know, sir!" cried Thoburn. "He just attacked me for no reason!"

"He's lying!" Gallardo disagreed, as calmly as he could. "The truth is, Professors, that Thoburn was abusing Marcena and I challenged him."

"It's true," Luna concurred.

"P-please, sir, and ma'am!" Marcena burst into tears. "Please don't punish Gallardo, he was only trying to defend me, and defending himself from Thoburn."

"Very well, then," Marks said. "That will be twenty points from Marteslon, and a further fifty. Mr Eagle, I expect you to see me tomorrow to discuss what you've done," he said, with a fraction of a smile.

"Sir," Gallardo responded.

"Mr Thoburn, you will join me for detention, I am thoroughly disappointed with your behaviour. Abusing Miss Sempatho and then lying about it! That is very unworthy of what a Marteslon should do!" roared McGonnagall. "Now, you will all disperse to your dormitories. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Gallardo said, concurring with Marcena and Luna's nods. "I'll walk these two back."

"You do that," Marks allowed. "Goodnight!"

The three walked in silence, except for their footsteps and for Gallardo's exhaling. They approached Ravenclaw Tower, where Luna hugged them both.

"Take care, lovely," she chirped.

"You too," croaked Marcena.

"Thanks for our talk tonight," Gallardo said.

"No worries!" Luna tapped the door with the eagle beak knocker. Suddenly, the knocker vanished, a porthole opened with the sound of a singing phoenix.

"Forgiveness is for the weak, or for the strong?" asked a voice.

"Forgiveness is for the strong," Luna replied, looking at Gallardo. "Because true forgiveness requires courage and wisdom, it means letting yourself off their hook, rather than letting them off the hook. The weak will never be able to do that."

"Well argued," praised the door, before opening to reveal a corridoor. Luna disappeared into her Common Room.

Gallardo and Marcena made their way down the long spiral staircase, on any other day Gallardo would have regarded this as fun. But this time he just walked with her in complete silence to the kitchens. There were a group of barrels piled on top of each other. Gallardo put his finger over the middle of the second row. Marcena nodded. He tapped the barrel, while muttering: "Helga Hufflepuff." The lid popped open to reveal a copper handle. Gallardo pulled it, causing the barrels to pull open like a door leading to some green carpeted stairs. He beckoned to her, but Marcena just stood there, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Gallardo, I just want to say thank you, so much for what you did today," she whispered. "You really did the honourable thing."

"It's OK, we'll see how far that gets me in life," Gallardo answered, avoiding her gaze and looking down. His head raged and rioted while his heart lay down in silence like a soldier being blitzed but not wanting to do anything, because it was easier that way.

"No, I mean it," said Marcena. "You're a good man! I-I'm so, so s-"

"Look, it's late!" Gallardo snapped, in a voice that didn't belong to him. "Let's be grateful, than Thoburn didn't hurt any of us too badly."

Marcena opened her mouth but refrained. "OK, take care. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," croaked Gallardo, painfully. He turned and headed to his own dormitory, fiercely blinking and refusing look back. He rushed into the nearest gents' bathroom and looked into the mirror.

Many moons ago, in September, he would have seen a youthful, cheerful and idealistic young man looking back. But that man was long gone, if not dead. In his place was a man who's heart felt so numb that it hurt. His skin looked worn, as it felt like it was bleeding out his happiness and vigour. A tear ran down the man's cheek, as his eyes struggled to imprison all the rest.

How could she? How could she just come back into his life? After stabbing him and blazing their friendship in December. All those memories that he had shared- the sweet, joyful, and then the bitter, they all came flooding at him like a plague intent on draining his heart of everything it could give. Did she really expect him to forget what had happened, about all the time he wasted on her, imagining something that could have been?

No! He did what he did purely because it was the right thing to do! Nothing to do with her! He would not let the way she looked so scared, vulnerable and so delicate, distract him from the real thing. Is this what Felix called lucky?

He quickly wiped his tears. He was not that man anymore. Gallardo exhaled and strode out of the bathroom and back to his Common Room.

"Veritas!" he told the portrait and rushed through the hole, once the Lady had strafed aside.

"Hey, mate!" Seamus greeted him.

Gallardo just grunted and nodded half heartedly. He swept up to his dormitory, much to the dismay of Parvati, Sandra, Lavender, Penelope, Hermione, Seamus and Dean, who he had seen staring at him. They all, even the younger years, must have realised that he was acting out of character.

Gallardo pulled of his clothes and got dressed into his thermal blue t-shirt and dark jogging bottoms.

The door opened with Neville coming in sheepishly. Gallardo did not look back but just stood there motionless.

"Thoburn's been saying that you started on him for no reason," Neville murmured. "That you got into a massive fist fight with him, hence his bruises and cuts.

"A load of rubbish, if you ask me," he continued, before holding up a pot. "I've saved you some strawberry tea."

Gallardo turned around to see Neville with a china pot and three small cups and some sugar; Harry had joined them.

"If you had wanted to pick an actual fist fight with him, he would not be standing here!" Harry suggested, quietly.

Gallardo smiled and nodded gratefully, before pouring three cups of strawberry tea.

"Do you want to talk about what's happened?" Neville asked him.

"Not yet," Gallardo sighed. "But thanks."

"You'll be fine," Harry said. "Whatever it is. You are the strongest and most determined guy I know."

"Yeah," Gallardo patted them on the shoulder. "I'll be fine. We all will!"

"One does not prove his companionship and loyalty when it is easy, but when the times are tough, when loyalty may come with a price. This is the sort of fellowship that we all long for, but very few of us find."