For the next few days, I couldn't stop thinking about Neville. Why had he told me about his parents? What did he see in me that made him talk about it? Perhaps he had also seen the similarities between us. We both had been raised by a single guardian and had both lost a parent, well in his case, both parents. We were both considered outsiders by the majority of the Hogwarts population, especially the Slytherins.
All thoughts of Neville were pushed aside, however, by my first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. I had heard whispers in the hallways and in the common room about the new teacher, Professor Umbridge and they hadn't been good whispers. I had heard that she had already given Harry a week's worth of detention for trying to tell the truth about You-Know-Who.
I took a seat in the second row and sat quietly. Professor Umbridge wasn't in the room yet and the class was talking loudly as everyone got settled. I looked around. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors had this class together, I noticed. Nobody was paying me any attention. I was used to it by now, but I still sometimes wished that people would talk to me because they wanted to, and not to call me Loony or ask rudely if I've found a Crumple Horned Snorkack lately. Really, they have no sense. I mean, I can't go looking for Snorkacks during the school year.
"Ahem," said a quiet voice from the back as Ginny slid into the only available seat next to me.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hi," I said back.
"There will be no talking," Umbridge said in a fake happy voice. "Welcome to your first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of this year. I'm very happy to meet you all. Now, I see that you all have your wands out-,"
"Are we learning spells today?" one boy in the back asked.
Umbridge laughed. I was beginning to really hate that sound and I was the kind of person who didn't feel hate towards anything. I believe hate to be a really strong word. There are things I strongly dislike, but I've never found myself to hate anyone or anything. That is, until Umbridge came along.
"No, no," Umbridge said, shaking her head and patrolling up and down the rows. "We will not be learning any spells in this class."
"At all?" Ginny asked.
"That is correct," Umbridge said. "None at all."
"Why?" someone else asked.
"I request students to raise their hands when they wish to speak or ask a question," Umbridge chirped. "And we will not be learning spells because there is simply no need to."
"Well, won't we need to learn spells and practice them so that we can use them?" Ginny asked.
"Hand, Miss…?" Umbridge asked.
"Weasley," Ginny answered bravely.
"Miss Weasley," Umbridge smiled. "We don't need to learn, practice or use defensive spells. Why on earth would you think that we would?"
"I believe you've already been told why," Ginny said. I flicked my eyes nervously between her and the teacher. I could sense the tension and while I sometimes envied Ginny's bravery and ability to speak her mind freely, I didn't think now was the best time to do it.
Umbridge stared at Ginny, her expression unreadable. Then, she laughed. "What Harry Potter has been spewing about a certain dark wizard is a total lie."
Ginny crossed her arms. "Well, I believe him."
"Well, if you want to believe in lies, Miss Weasley, then I certainly can't stop you," Umbridge said. "However, I can tell you that the Ministry is assured that You-Know-Who is not back and the wizarding world is in no danger."
I sighed. Was she really that out of it? For that matter, was the whole Ministry really that out of it? Even I had noticed the signs of You-Know-Who's return and I'm known for spacing out and not paying attention.
Ginny managed to hold her tongue for the rest of class. It's a good thing she did, too, because I got the feeling that she was about an inch from receiving a heap of detentions. However, the rest of class was nowhere near as exciting as the beginning of class. We had to read and copy from a "Ministry approved textbook."
"That was awful," Ginny groaned as we walked to lunch together. "My hand is going to fall off." She dangled her hand limply in front of my face.
"I actually found it to be relaxing," I said. "You know, the silence and just copying from the book, not having to listen to teachers droning. Although the book was quite boring."
"I wouldn't have been able to tolerate any droning from that woman," Ginny said.
"Oh, I noticed," I said. "You were very upset."
"Because I know Harry isn't lying."
"I know it too. I told him so. I told Harry that my father and I believe him."
"Good," Ginny said, smiling. We had reached the great hall and she waved at me as she went to join her friends at the Gryffindor table.
I sat down at the Ravenclaw table and I found myself sneaking glances at the Gryffindor table, but more specifically, Neville Longbottom. I had been paying more attention to him then I had to anyone before and it kind of scared me a little. I got the impression that there was more to him than met the eye. I was rather drawn to him for some odd reason.
I tried to convince myself that the strange fluttering feeling in my stomach, the way my head felt fuzzy, and the way my cheeks felt warm when I was around him were all due to curiosity and confusion, or perhaps even Wrackspurts, but I was actually doubting that was the case. While Wrackspurts did make the brain go fuzzy, they had no effect on the stomach or cheeks.
I finished eating and started to walk out of the great hall. I saw Neville catch up to me out of the corner of my eye.
"Hey Luna," he said.
"Hello Neville," I answered, smiling at him. The fluttery feeling was back in my stomach. Maybe it was a Flutter Bug, a moth-like creature that landed on food and camouflaged itself to blend in with the food. People didn't see the creature, so they swallowed it and the Flutter Bug would flutter around their stomach, looking for a way out.
"Luna?" Neville asked. I realized that I had been staring past him dreamily.
"Oh, I'm sorry Neville," I said. "What were you saying?"
"I was asking you how your classes were going so far."
"Oh, they're going wonderfully. All except Defense Against the Dark Arts, though. I'm not too fond of that Umbridge woman."
"Neither am I," Neville said. "I take it you heard about Harry."
"Yes, I did. It was quite brave of him to stand up to her."
"It was," Neville nodded. "I wish I were brave enough to stand up to her like that."
"But didn't she give Harry a week's worth of detention?" I asked.
"Yeah, but, what, he'll probably have to just write lines or clean something for her." Neville shrugged. "That's nothing for him."
"Well, this is my class," I said, pointing towards the door to Professor Flitwick's room. I smiled at Neville again and he just stared at me with an odd expression, like he hated that we had to stop talking.
"Oh, okay, well I'll see you later, then."
"Okay, Neville," I said, before turning and walking into the classroom.
Ginny stomped into Umbridge's class the next day and sat next to me with a huff. Umbridge was writing on the board with her back to the class and Ginny was staring daggers into the woman's back. I believe that if looks could kill, Umbridge would have fallen to the floor right then and there.
"What's wrong, Ginny?" I asked.
"Her," Ginny whispered.
"Class hasn't even started yet."
"No, it's about what she made Harry do in detention."
"Neville said she would probably make him clean or write lines," I said, looking at Ginny with a vague smile. "He said that was nothing for Harry."
"He was right," Ginny said. "Writing lines is nothing. That is what she made him do, by the way."
"See? That's not so bad. Why are you so angry, then?"
"Because," Ginny whispered, "he had to use a magical quill that wrote in his own blood."
I stared at her blankly. "I don't-,"
"She had him write 'I must not tell lies,' and the words appeared on the paper in his own blood as well as in the back of his hand in the form of a cut."
"Oh my, that's terrible," I gasped.
Ginny nodded. "She's evil."
"Yes, I quite agree," I answered.
Umbridge began class just then and Ginny and I didn't get another opportunity to talk. I made sure to keep my mouth shut, an easy task considering I'm normally quiet. Ginny, however, looked ready to tackle Umbridge every time she walked past us as she patrolled the rows of desks to survey our work.
The weather grew slightly colder as the rest of September dragged by. My days were pretty much always the same, except for the increasingly frequent times that I spent talking to Neville. He always walked me to class and looked disappointed when we reached our destination.
"Neville, I'm going to feed the thestrals during lunch today. Would you like to come?" I asked, pausing in front of the Transfiguration classroom on one afternoon mid-October.
Neville looked up. "Oh, yes, I'd like that," he said.
"Meet me at the entrance to the kitchens after class," I smiled.
"The kitchens-?" Neville asked. He didn't know where they were.
I gave him directions and hurried into my class. Usually I fed the thestrals alone because I never knew anyone else who could see them. Even though Neville could see them, I expected him to be weary of the fact that I went to feed them quite often. Lots of people were afraid of the harmless creatures, but not Neville. He was quite brave, I realized, even if he didn't see it himself.
After class, I waited outside the fruit portrait that led to the kitchens. Neville came running into view a few minutes later. He skidded to a stop in front of me, panting.
"Did you run all the way here?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"Why? I didn't mind waiting. In fact, I was just examining the portrait, here. You see, there is a creature that my dad told me about that hides in paint. I was trying to look for them."
"Did you find any?" Neville asked.
"No," I shook my head sadly. "Maybe it's because this is a very old painting."
"Maybe," Neville agreed. "So, how do we get in?"
"Like this." I reached up and tickled the pear in the portrait. It giggled and the portrait swung open.
"Miss Luna!" Dobby squeaked, rushing up to me. "Dobby is so glad to see you!"
"I'm glad to see you, too, Dobby!" I said, smiling at the elf. "This is my friend, Neville Longbottom."
"Ah, hello, Neville Longbottom!" Dobby said, bowing. "You is lucky to have a friend like Miss Luna."
"I know I am," Neville grinned at me before looking away quickly as his cheeks turned pink. That was exactly what happened to me! There must be some mysterious creature flying around the school. I have to remember to ask dad about what it could be.
"How can Dobby help you today?" Dobby asked, bowing again.
"I'm feeding the thestrals today," I answered.
"Of course!" Dobby said. At once, another house elf hurried over with some food.
"Thank you," I said, taking it.
"You are very welcome," Dobby answered. "Come back anytime, Miss Luna, and you too, Mr. Neville." Dobby waved at us as we left the kitchens.
"So, Miss Luna," Neville grinned. I blushed. Darn those stupid creatures, whatever they were. "How often do you feed the thestrals?"
"I usually try to come once a week," I managed to answer as we left through the oak front doors and walked towards the forest.
"Wow, that's commitment," Neville whistled.
"It's fun," I shrugged. "Not many people can see them, so it's like this little secret that only a few people know about, and they're such gentle creatures. Nothing to be afraid of."
"I'm not afraid of them," Neville said, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"I know you aren't, but some people are. Even people who can't see them, because of the whole death concept."
We reached the clearing where the thestrals were, and one of them immediately walked over to us and sniffed the package of food in my hand.
"Can I feed one?" Neville asked.
"Of course. Why do you think I asked you to come with me?" I asked.
Neville shrugged. I laughed and turned back to the food, which the thestral was trying to rip open. "Calm down," I whispered to the horse like creature.
I handed some food to Neville and took some in my own hand. A few more thestrals surrounded us, gently eating from our hands.
Neville laughed. "I feel like we should be in one of those Muggle princess tales. You know, with the animals surrounding them."
I smiled. "I don't think thestrals are typical princess tale animals. I never saw myself as a princess anyway."
"Why not?" Neville glanced at me.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not princess material."
"Maybe you are and all of the stereotypical princess are the ones who aren't princess material."
"But they have stories written about them," I argued, patting a thestral on the nose.
"So? That doesn't mean anything," Neville said, sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree.
"That is very kind of you, Neville," I told him as I continued to feed the thestrals.
Once we had gone through all of the food, we headed back up to the school. At the entrance, we headed towards the great hall, since lunch hadn't ended yet, but we were stopped by a bothersome woman dressed all in pink. A woman that I didn't want to see.
"Where have you been?" she chirped.
"Outside," Neville answered. "Taking a walk."
"I see. You'd rather take a walk than eat lunch? I expect that you would be hungry," Umbridge said.
"Well-," I began, but she interrupted me. Apparently her question had been rhetorical.
"What was in that package you are holding, Miss Lovegood?"
"Oh, this?" I held it up. I had forgotten that I was holding it. "Food was in here."
"We took it outside with us," Neville said. "That's why we aren't in the great hall eating. We took it outside."
"So you snuck this food out of the school and also left the school during a time when you were scheduled to be indoors," Umbridge said.
I sighed. It might have been better to tell her about the thestrals. Apparently our lie wasn't much better than the truth. She was still finding a way to twist it into sounding like we broke the law.
"Well, we didn't know it was illegal to take a walk during lunchtime," Neville said, looking angry. I stared at him. I thought he was afraid of her and afraid to stand up to her. Maybe he had been possessed by an Alternate Spirit, a spirit that makes you act in ways opposite how you normally act. Or maybe he was just a lot braver than he thought.
"According to Educational Decree number 22, Mr. Longbottom, all students must remain in the castle unless it is break time. Meals do not count. I am going to have to give you both a detention. Tonight in my office."
"After dinner?" I asked, assuming the time.
"No, I think during dinner should be fine, since you already ate a very nice lunch," Umbridge grinned evilly and I now understood fully why Ginny always looked ready to slap her.
"Lovely," Neville sighed sarcastically as Umbridge walked away.
I took his hand and squeezed it. "Don't worry, Neville, it'll all be okay."
"Nothing's okay with her around," Neville answered, frowning and shaking his head.
I actually had to agree with him. For once, I didn't actually believe my own words. For once, I didn't think everything would be okay. This "toad," to use Ginny's word, was taking over the school, slowly but surely, and she had to be stopped.
On the bright side, however, her job was supposed to be cursed. With a bit of luck, she'd be gone by June.
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