After hearing these dainty footsteps echo in my head, I began to fall victim to a unbreakable haze. Everything was slowing down, swirling into colors I didn't know I had inside my head. Clip, clap. Clip, clap. Then I heard nothing but a loud, Boooooooooom.

And there was black.

I woke up the next morning, with slight sparkles inside my eyes. The backs of my eyes were quite sore, but I didn't mind. What upset me truly was that I could not remember why I was in the Hospital Wing. More importantly, why is Neville at my side?

His eyes looked drained, his skin pale as usual. But today was different; his epidermis had a grey tint to it. His pale blue eyes darted, left, right, left, up, and then slowly closed. His body lowered and slithered into the medium brown wooden chair, he looked very uncomfortable. A large chunk of his mop-like hair slid off his scalp and curtained his sleep-deprived face.

I let out a weak cough, more like a wheeze than anything else. My lungs felt like raisins, my breathing was shallow and light. My entire right arm was thickly bandaged, so was my left. With much effort, I brought my small pale hand to my face, and felt rough cuts and stitches. My hand collided into a tender bruise and I quickly thrust it back down to my lap.

I softly murmured, "Neville. Wha-what happened?". His head snapped up. His drooping, weak eyes were now larger than his irises, his pupils big. He squeaked, his voice cracking after every other syllable, "LuNA! YoUR awake! I can'T BELIeve you are OKAy! Thank MERlin!". I wheezed a weak giggle, which caused my face to hurt quite a bit.

I breathed, "What happened to me? I don't remember these at all!" I flashed my bandaged arms, and pointed to my cut and bruised face. He laughed and said, "Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember. It was horrible. I walked into the hallway that leads to the kitchens, to thank the elves once again for making me dinner, and there you were! Unconscious, bruised, cut up, and covered in glass, blood, and Doxy poison! I didn't know what to do, so I levitated you to the hospital wing, I walked along side your unconscious body. Mrs. Pomfrey was quite upset, I remember her saying, 'Good Heavens, now how did Luna manage to spill this mess all over herself? Kids, kids.' Then she just started erm…tutting for about an hour, as she bandaged you up and put you in bed."

Part of me felt very good somebody came, and cared on top of that. It was even better that it was Neville. Growing up, I have always felt alone, or lonely as some would say. I do not elude to this to anybody, they just think of me as crazy. You know, it isn't fun to know that everybody that walks past you in this place thinks you're off your rocker. It makes me happy to know somebody thinks about me. It's a caring feeling. One I do not feel, or have not felt in a long time.

I motioned Neville to come close, I could not speak loud at the moment. I managed to whisper, "Thank you Neville. You're a good friend. I'll try to take care of you next time your in a classic Neville predicament.". I laughed at this, and added, "And only Merlin knows what that will be!". He laughed as well, and said, "Thanks Luna. That's…nice to know?". I suddenly looked at the clock and urged, "Neville! Class starts in five minutes! You had better get going, I'll talk to you later! If your late to McGonagall's class, I think I may know what your next predicament may be…". His eyes widened, which caused my heart to race. He yelled as he ran out the door, "I'll see you later!", and was gone in a second. I then heard a loud thump, papers rustling, and a muffled, "I'm okay!" shortly following his leaving.

I looked around the Hospital Wing. Buff stones lined the walls, with stained glass windows in colors more than I can name. The white, basic beds lined the walls, with curtains above every window. I looked down; my hair is strewn about on my torso, I am in my Quibbler T-shirt. But my jeans were gone. I immediately assumed this is the doing of a certain type of creature, one I do not know. I sighed heavily; they will come back to me.

Madam Pomfrey hustled over to my bed, and asked, "Oh Luna, you are awake! How are you feeling?". I coughed loudly, and wheezed, "Most likely a little better than last night…". She only gives me a look of confusion and then snorts with laughter. She mutters something under her steady, heaving breath, though I do not hear. Then I felt a jolt of sharp pain, channeling up my arm. I gasp followed by a shallow shriek. Madam Pomfrey is poking my arm, inspecting my wounds.

"Well, they're pretty bad. Are you left handed or right?" she says. After I moment of confusion, I replied, "Erm, don't two rights make a…left?". She only laughs. But Iam used to this from the many people at my school, I do not mind. Fighting her laughs, she broke the words into speech, "No, Luna, do you write with your left or right hand?" Then I realized her reasoning of speech. "Oooooh! Well, why didn't you ask me that? I'm a left handed writer." I exclaim. She rolled her eyes, and said, "I shouldn't have asked. Either way, you won't be writing with either hand for a while. Nor will you be casting spells. I hope when you get better you will think wisely of when to get out of bed, and for Merlin's sake, to check your robes before you run!".

I do not reply. This was because I felt myself falling into a deeper haze than last night, and before I knew it, I was dreaming. I launched my eyes open, trying my hardest to stay awake. Feeling a prick in my neck, followed by a feeling of cool run through my body, I start to feel drowsy. I reach up to my neck with much effort, and feel a tiny needle. Madam Pomfrey. She must have stuck me with something. But slowly before I know it, the Hospital Wing was drifting away from me, and Madam Pomfrey's clip clap of her shoe becomes more and more distant with the passing seconds.

I awake many hours later, I know this from the color of the sky. The once bright blue sky, accented with white clouds in the forms of dogs and dragons, is now a sky of blackened ash, dotted with white stars, forming constellations, many at that. One thing I admire most about Hogwarts is the mysterious night skies. They always seem to be telling a story, or sending a message. I am very hungry, is there any food? My wand lies on the nightstand. I look around, my pale blue eyes darting in different directions, checking for Madam Pomfrey. It seems she is somewhere else. Perhaps, at the Quittage game, waiting for the weekly injured.

I slowly, carefully slide my bandaged hand toward the nightstand. The pain in my arm has melted into a low, dulling throb. I extend my short, pale fingers extra long so I don't have to reach too far. Steady, steady. I clasp my hands around the wand, and grip it tightly.

I could not see, the darkness was too overwhelming to my tired eyes. The pulsing pain in my knuckles became too much for my weak hands, and I dropped the wand. I heard the clicking of the wood on the cold, stone floor. This was just my luck, for after the second my wans stopped its click clicking on the floor, the door creaked open. I quickly shut my eyes, waiting for the sounds of a visitor. But there was silence.

This made me quite anxious. I was afraid to open my eyes, afraid to see what opened the door. I silently started to panic, after thoughts of Moaning Myrtle's fate flooded my mind like a cheap basement after a heavy downpour. I lay completely still, helpless if I was about to be attacked. The butterflies in my stomach morphed into angry Cornish pixies, violently throwing themselves against the walls of my stomach, and chewing on my insides.

Through my shut eyelids, I saw and felt the warmed of a pale, pastel light coming my way. My brain frantically tried to connect the dots, trying to figure out what it could be. I lowered it down to two options; the Basilisk's eyes, or somebody's Lumos charm. Either way, I was very afraid.

Then I heard a soft voice penetrate the silence, whispering, "Luna, are you awake?". Hermione. I wonder why she has come to see me? All the same, I smiled inside. Somebody else has come to visit me. I opened my eyes, only slightly. Hermione's eyes met mine, hers shot away. She greeted me, "Oh, hello Luna. I…wanted to see how you were doing in here.". This, yet intriguingly, touched me. Hermione is a very nice person, but I do not usually talk to her. I shot a look of confusion at her, but then smiled and she returned the favor.

"Well, my arms hurt quite a bit…but I have a feeling the boredom is more painful than anything else." I said in a small voice. She only smiled, but did not speak to me back. I only watched her, the candle flame flickering off her face, highlighting the red tones in her hair. The candlelight marched past the arch of her nose, her high cheekbones. Her shadow moved about on the opposite wall, stretched overly thin from her seat. We sat in silence for seemingly centuries.

The clip clapping of Madam Pomfrey's tiny black shoes briskly tapping the floor ended our pensive silence. She looked at Hermione, but I could not configure a label to call her facial expression. Her old, wrinkled face then fell to mine, her eyes widened. She gasped, "How in the name of - why are you awake, my dear? Surely Ms. Granger did not wake you up?". She grimaced at Hermione. Hermione did not seem at all afraid, only wearing a blank expression, with black flecks now present in her normally brown eyes.

She abruptly stood up from her chair, and quickly said, "I must be off. Studying to do. Good to know you're okay, Luna.". With those words only leaving her lips, she quickly left the Hospital Wing, leaving only Madam Pomfrey and myself. Madam Pomfrey sighed, and quietly asked, "Now, dear, would you like more painkillers?". I half screamed,

"NO!".