The silence had started on the 15th. Strange how it was easier for her to remember that one dreadful day than all the good days before that. School had just started, the first fourteen days had been great, sunny, and cheerful. Luna could spend all the time that she wanted with Harry (which she did), Dixie had been her normal cheerful self and Ron and Hermione had finally admitted their feelings for each other.
But then began the reign of fire. Voldemort had succeeded in a complete takeover of the Wizard government, and Harry had been forced to run. Hermione had been captured by the death eaters, but rumors spread that she had escaped, of course, that didn't stop Ron form nearly getting himself killed in an attempt to infiltrate the Death Eaters to try to save her. To put it simply all of Lunas friends were missing, even Dixie. Luna could still clearly remember the last thing she'd ever heard Dixie say. It was about a week after all hell had broken loose. For the first time in a week the whole castle was silent, no talking, no screaming, so signs of battle, not even the hourly news reports that all wizards in Britain were now required to listen to, who's loud noise filled the hallways delivering nothing but messages of hopelessness and despair were playing at that moment. Dixie had been standing at a window, staring out across the grounds. The color of the lake had changed from crystal blue to a muddy black. Even the trees seemed to have darkened their leaves.
"Hey Dixie," Luna had said quietly, trying not to startle her friend. Dixie had not responded.
"So, um, how you doing?" Luna said again, in a vain attempt to start a conversation. Dixie still hadn't replied.
"What are you looking at?" Luna asked, attempting once again to break the silence.
"I don't know," Dixie said. And then she turned and left. Luna never saw her again after that.
At that point Luna had lost everything. But it was okay, because it's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything, and Luna was free.
