A/N: Okay – two new things are mentioned in this chapter: both from the handy dandy English to Latin translator. The Verto contemno potion translates as being the 'Turning Hate' potion, and Nex addo, a spell – translates to 'Death Bringer'.
The next morning, all the seventh years – except Ron, who had been left out of the entire plan - were surprisingly eager to get up, dressed, and congregate in their respective common rooms – whispering conspiratorially and casting excited glances towards each other. All the younger years were wondering just what was going on, but the seventh years just grinned at them and resumed their whispered conversations – not even giving a hint as to what was going to happen. They all eagerly watched the clock hands tick slowly around, and one minute before the designated time, Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood exited their dorm and walked down the stairs together, drawing warm smiles from the gathering of students, and a look of complete and utter 'ohmigod what the hell' from one Ronald Weasley. Harry checked the clock one last time at the bottom of the stairs, grinned as excitedly as the rest of the students – except, of course, Ron – and walked through the portrait exactly as it chimed half seven.
All of the seventh years left their common rooms at the exact same time, and it made for an odd sight as they all entered the Great Hall simultaneously before sitting down in their respective houses and chattering as if nothing was amiss. Professor Dumbledore frowned slightly, but raised his arms and allowed the morning's meal to appear on the tables. The chatter continued, and slowly the rest of the school filed in – looking equally as confused at their seated elders. Dumbledore sat at the head of the hall, with a frown on his face as he contemplated the reasoning behind the unusual occurrence. McGonagall was whispering to Professor Sprout, asking her if it was some kind of new teenage craze to stick to schedule, but the plant-loving woman simply shook her head – looking just as confused as the rest of the staff. Snape had labelled the behaviour as 'sickening', and stabbed rather more forcefully at the sausages on his plate than he normally did. Dumbledore had been pondering the matter for quite a few minutes before giving up and deciding to perform his usual morning check on his key students.
The first port of call was Ginny Weasley; who he was pleased to find felt that her relationship with Harry Potter was progressing nicely, and who couldn't wait to share his money with her family once they were married. His next probe targeted the younger Weasley's older brother, and what he found made him frown. He was equally as confused about the groups odd behaviour, but he had wondered what Luna Lovegood was doing in his dormitory that morning – or more to the point why Harry had been walking beside her. When the elderly Headmaster drudged up that memory, he immediately jumped to Harry – but found himself bounced back. He frowned, and tried again – but received exactly the same treatment – it was almost as if he was being blocked. Seeing no reaction from the student of attention, Dumbledore stood up and leant down beside Snape's ear. "Severus, are you keeping up with your duties regards Harry Potter?"
The Potion Master's eye tWitched at the mention of the young Potter. "Yes Headmaster, every week I destroy his shields."
"Well then Severus, please tell me why I cannot pierce his mind this morning."
The Death Eater frowned at Dumbledore's words, and immediately focused his eyes on the student in question. He forced his way forwards, but found that much like the Headmaster only moments before, his efforts were deflected. He tried three times more before trying to do the same to Hermione Granger, but found his efforts failing to do anything – even provoking a reaction on their faces. He turned, confused to the Headmaster. "I'm afraid I cannot explain this; I will look into the matter."
Dumbledore returned to his seat, more than a little disgruntled at the phenomenon, and proceeded to eat his eggs while probing the other students. Or at least trying to. He found himself getting increasingly more frustrated as he tried to force his way through the mental barriers of Neville, and then had no luck with either Dean Thomas or Seamus Finnigan. In desperation he sWitched to the Ravenclaw table – and found himself blocked by Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, and every other face he set his eyes on. He felt a leap of triumph when he pierced the mind of a sixth year Hufflepuff – but his victory was short-lived when he realized that the young girl had absolutely no information of any value. He checked every seventh year student personally, and found himself forced away at every attempt until he reached the Slytherin table, where he found virtually every mind open like a book.
He looked over the students that seemed to have blocked him, and his frown deepened when he saw that they seemed completely unaware of his attempts to force his way inside their minds – or if they did then they were hiding it. For the rest of breakfast Dumbledore valiantly tried to break inside Luna Lovegood's mind, focusing all of his energy on the young woman – even forgoing his breakfast to strengthen his effort. Harry saw the stilled Headmaster and followed his gaze, relaxing when he saw it was fixed on Luna. "How are you holding up love?"
Her bubbly reply came a moment later, and Harry smiled happily at his table. "Very well thank you Harry, although it does feel as if somebody is forcing quite a barrage of – oh, Snape decided to join in!" On the contrary to sounding scared at the prospect, she came across as positively gleeful for the challenge, but found that she had more than enough power to continue eating her breakfast – she absolutely loved Dobby's pancakes. An hour passed, and all of the students began filing out to head to their first lessons of the day, leaving two of the faculty very frustrated. For the rest of the day – barring lunch when his annoying voice was drowned out by his other friends – Ron constantly pestered Harry about his relationship with Luna Lovegood. Harry found it hard not to punch the read-head full in the face at a couple of points, but somehow found it in himself to save it for later.
All of the teacher's that taught the seventh year students noticed a difference in their attitude immediately; they seemed to be buzzing with excitement, and actually trying hard in their lessons; something that was quite out of the norm for nearly every student apart from Hermione. One thing that all the students in the sixth year noticed was Luna Lovegood, and the smiles and conversations she shared happily with all the older students in the hallways. One of the Slytherins decided to pass comment on the matter, stating that she was a 'dreamy loony whore', and was quickly dragged into an empty classroom by several older students for a 'little chat'. Nobody had said a word against the odd Ravenclaw from that moment forth.
Likewise, the younger students – and the older Slytherins – noticed an almost overnight change in how all the other houses treated Harry Potter. Much to Draco and Snape's disgust, Harry was often seen laughing happily with his peers in both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and quite often shared covert jokes in class – causing virtually the whole room to snicker quietly. The reports of the odd behaviour came in frequently to Dumbledore throughout the whole day – although it was only the potion's master that thought it a bad thing – and it caused no end to his distress. It was as dinner approached that things came to a crescendo. The excited buzz seemed to increase, and it was commonplace to see small groups of the older students huddled in corners and hallways with wide, excited eyes and wide grins.
As soon as Dumbledore entered the Great Hall for dinner he noticed the change. The whole room seemed electrified, and the older students seemed more animated than usual; their gestures more wild, and their chatter louder than ever before. It was with great apprehension that Dumbledore raised his arms and began the feast, and he nearly winced as the food appeared on the tables; expecting something bad to happen. When nothing happened after five seconds, Dumbledore sat down at his chair at the centre of the staff table and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the accumulated students. His eyes swept over Harry Potter and his friends, and stuck there for a few moments as he once again tried to break their mental defences – but once again found his access to the teenagers' minds obstructed. Frustrated, he angrily chewed on his chicken drumstick – but the food dropped from his mouth – and quite a number of the staff and students – when a trill of Phoenix song came from overhead.
Fawkes gracefully glided down to Harry and dropped a small, green letter beside his plate before flying off, just seeing Harry's thankful, two-fingered salute before disappearing once again. What shocked Dumbledore and virtually everybody was the seventh years' lack of reaction to the intrusion. Harry's friends continued talking as if it was the most expected thing in the universe, and the other houses' eldest students merely gave the mystical bird a slight wave or nod before continuing with their meal. The sound from the older students obscured the deafening silence from the staff, younger magicians and Slytherins, and Dumbledore watched as Harry picked up the letter. Harry had laughed internally when he had seen Dumbledore's reaction to the Phoenix, but was equally as glad to receive the reply to the letter he and Luna had sent to her father two days previously. He had enclosed a picture that one of the Ravenclaw's had snapped, with Luna and Harry holding hands and smiling happily – their rings clearly visible, and he was eager to read her father's reaction to the news.
He carefully sliced the envelope with his fingernail and pulled out the folded letter before unfolding it and allowing his eyes to read over the elegant scrawl on its yellowed surface.
Dear Harry and Luna.
I must say that your letter was a bit of a surprise – I had expected you not to write this term, so that Dumbledore would have no reason to suspect you – but now I can see why you risked it. When I saw the picture of the both of you, I won't lie: I cried. Luna, you looked so beautiful and happy beside Harry – I've never seen anything like it before in my life. Your eyes were full of life, and the way you looked at Harry assured me that you had found the one – even though I already knew it.
I can remember the day that you came home for your first holidays after starting at Hogwarts, and the loneliness that I saw in your eyes. I remember the nightmares that you used wake from, screaming; and you later told me that it was because you saw yourself dying alone. It broke my heart to hear you say that, and I even considered pulling you out of Hogwarts once you told me about some of the things you faced there. I was going to send the letter in fact, the night you wrote to me for the first time in your fourth year. I read that you had made friends with Harry and Hermione, and that you felt safer now that you knew you had people that cared for you.
I tore up that letter to Dumbledore right there and then, and when I next saw you I was amazed at the change. You were more confident, you had the life back in your eyes, and I often caught you staring happily at the horizon, a look on your face that I hadn't seen since your trip into Ottery St Catchpole. I saw you begin to heal.
I couldn't have been happier when I found Harry in your life last year, not as a friend, but as your lover. Although I was shocked at the circumstances, and the horrors that both of you had had to face to find each other, it only strengthened my hope that you were made for each other. I remember the moment Harry spat out the words "You know we're bonded?" I most certainly did not know, hence the large amount of spluttering and wheezing that followed his statement – I wouldn't worry Harry, I've forgiven you for nearly giving me a heart attack. Before my very eyes I saw the both of you develop into the most loving couple I have ever seen – and I thank you Harry for turning my daughter into such a beautiful and thoughtful young woman.
I had been meaning to tell both of you last holidays, but Luna informed me at the last minute that she would be spending her time with you – and so I expect you both at the Lovegood home for Christmas this year; NO EXCUSES HARRY! What I meant to tell you was that not only did you have my blessing for just your relationship, but indeed your eternal union. I know it is not really required, since you are both already bonded, but I feel the need to tell the both of you how proud I am, and how much I accept you both.
I read what you plan to do with Dumbledore this week, and I can only hope that this letter aids in the chaos you will cause. I have – I'm sure you will both be happy – met with Tonks and Remus, and have also managed to secretly recruit Minerva McGonagall, Fleur Delacour, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Rubius Hagrid, along with Arthur, Fred and George Weasley, all of whom will stand behind you during the fight against the dark.
Raise hell you two, and keep safe,
Lots of Love,
Xenophilius Lovegood
Harry smiled at the words, and quickly wiped a tear from his eye before flicking the letter above his head and wandlessly guiding it to Luna's outstretched hand. While Luna read through her father's letter, Harry noticed several things happening in the room. Firstly, the younger years had begun to talk again, although only in muted whispers, Slytherin table looked furious, and he saw Draco glancing worriedly at Snape, who looked deathly pale. Harry glanced up at the rest of the staff and caught the eyes of two of them – Professor McGonagall and Hagrid; both of whom gave him an almost unnoticeable smile and nod, and finally Harry's eyes came to rest of Dumbledore; who looked as if he had just been slapped across the face with a Bowtruckled Flobberworm. His face was slowly turning red, and Harry was sure his blood-pressure must be reaching dangerously high level.
With a cry of "Harry!" the raven-haired Wizard snapped back to attention and turned only just in time to see a blur of gold flying towards him. He caught the flying woman, and allowed himself to be tacked over the Gryffindor table and onto a mattress he had conjured on the other side. Harry could've sworn he heard Hermione whisper, "I told you so" as he flew overhead, but he had no time to dwell on the matter as the Ravenclaw pressed her lips passionately to his, and every thought in his mind disappeared. After quite some time passionately kissing, Luna broke away and blushed at a few cat-calls she caught over the chatter. Harry pulled himself to his feet after banishing the mattress and pulled Luna into a firm embrace. "I'm so glad Daddy gave us his blessing Harry!"
Harry nodded and smiled into her hair. "I know, me too."
It seemed however, that everything had become a bit too much for the Headmaster at that point, and they were all treated to his rare yell of "SILENCE!" which seemed to echo unnaturally around the huge hall. And silence he got; every student looked up at him; albeit the majority of the seventh years' with expectant smiles on their faces, and he paused to catch his breath – missing when McGonagall flicked her wand and petrified the greasy potions teacher. "What is this?" He hissed savagely, and both Harry and Luna noted that his words sounded quite similar to one Vernon Dursley.
Harry smiled innocently up at him, and asked the question that quite a few people were wondering. "What is what sir?"
"What is that?" The old man hissed, and pointed to Harry and Luna's joined hands.
Harry looked down at her pale fingers intertwined with his, and then back up at the Headmaster in confusion. "Umm…joined hands?" He offered.
"Why," he stabbed his finger at them again, "are you together?"
Harry – had he not been just winding the powerful Wizard up – would have been genuinely confused at this point. "Because we love each other…I thought that's why most people are together…"
The entire school gasped when the white-haired man whipped out his wand and pointed it at the newly-revealed couple. "You can't be."
"Actually we can," Luna raised her left hand, and Harry raised his to clearly show off the rings on their fingers. "Engaged, see?"
"Fiendfyre!" The entire hall gasped as a whole when the curse was spoken, and watched – horrified, as a giant dragon of fire emerged from the tip of the Headmaster's wand. Harry and Luna both pulled their wands from their pockets when they saw the horrific flames begin to lick the ceiling, and tensed when it came rushing towards them. The entire Gryffindor table screamed when they saw the huge creature surge towards them, and ducked under the table. Dumbledore's view of the two students disappeared behind his wall of fire – but it was with wide eyes that he saw his flames seem to freeze in mid-air before falling in a solid mass to the rock floor and shatter with a deafening crash.
Standing completely unharmed, were the two students he had intended to kill; a milky white shield surrounding them and the entire Gryffindor table. Harry saw the crazed look in the man's eyes and knew without a doubt that tonight would be the night one of them would fall, and that he needed to keep the students safe at all costs. With a nod to his fellow seventh years, an almost deafening boom echoed out in the large hall as they grabbed the younger students and Slytherins before apparating themselves to their common rooms – unhindered by the school's wards which Harry had been slowly dismantling for the past three months. Dumbledore looked as if the rug had been whipped from underneath his feet at the incredible act, and roared angrily as his two enemies gave him one last look before popping out of existence themselves.
What ensued was a horrific and terrifying demonstration of some of the most powerful magic on Earth. The students who were safe in their common rooms rushed to the windows to peer outside as Dumbledore appeared nearly a hundred meters from where Harry and Luna were standing on the school grounds, and even from where they were standing they could feel the waves of power from the old man. Harry gave a nod to his fiancé, and forced through their own wards, finally exposing their magical auras to the outside world. It felt as if they could finally take in a full breath, their unrestricted magic flowing freely through their veins, unhindered by the secrecy wards. Everybody's eyes widened at the sight of the now visible auras of the couple – so powerful it actually manifested as a soft, white glow, while black curls of darkness seemed to flow off the Headmaster. The two forces clashed simultaneously, and the dark ground lit up with huge bursts of light, flame and ice.
Luna knew her lover needed time to begin his rhythmic spellchaining, and so forced her shields outwards – deflecting Albus' immensely dark magic and firing her own deadly bolts of light across the expanse. Everybody knew when Harry had finished his preparations. He had felt the power of his opponent's shields and dark magic, and so had done something he had never once before attempted. Luna felt the blast as her lover fully uncaged his magic, and braced herself for the inevitable onslaught from her partner. When it came, it wasn't the typical sequence of stunner, stunner, bonecrusher, Sectumsempra she was expecting. What emerged was a flurry of spells which even she had never heard before. In the moments before he attacked, Fawkes had provided him with a sequence that seemed to be made for the simple purpose of complete and utter annihilation, and he had taken it without a second thought.
The first spell that twisted his lips was foreign, but produced a titanic wave of light, which blasted right through several of the Headmaster's defences, and the second a twisting beam of red, which shot forth from his fingertips with a speed and ferocity that made even the students in the castle flinch. The chain continued for several minutes before repeating once more, and Luna struggled to keep her own shields strong enough against Harry as well as protecting him from Dumbledore's ever-present attacks. She felt her last resistance to Harry's power fail, and braced herself for the unavoidable blast of raw power – but opened her eyes when she felt a warmth spread around her. She saw Harry standing there, his mouth still moving furiously; reciting the spells at a staggering rate, but smiling at her from the corner of his eye. His voice seemed to come from all around her. "I promised I would 'do the boyfriend thing', didn't I?"
She smiled back at him and nodded, before savagely resurrecting her shields around Harry when a deep slice opened across his cheek. In-between attacks she healed his wound, and he nodded his thanks when it finally closed. Dumbledore knew he was on the losing end of the battle; his shields were being decimated by the potent storm of spells from his students, and so he pulled his last resort out into the open. He flung the two objects towards the couple, and grinned when he saw them pass through their defences unhindered. Harry knew something terrible had happened when he felt something pierce his leg, and he felt a twinge of pain through his link to Luna as well – turning to see her pulling a dark spike from her arm, grimacing at the pain. It was then that Harry felt the poison coursing through his veins – and he could feel its powerful dark magic slowly affecting his mind. He immediately stopped his spell casting and limped over to Luna, ripping the dark spike from his leg on the way, before focusing all of his energy into his shields and purging his and Luna's bodies of the dark magic flowing through them.
His mind began to cloud over, but in a moment of startling clarity a memory floated into focus. He leaned down to Luna's ear, struggling against the horrible pain from resisting, and said two words. "Verto contemno." Her eyes widened through the pain and she looked up at him, horrified. The potion that was flowing through their veins was perhaps the darkest potion of all time. The turning hate potion, as it was translated, did what most Wizards considered to be impossible; it turned love to hate. It was such a forbidden potion, with such horrific consequences for the drinkers that it had all but disappeared from the world's knowledge. When Dilys had been telling them of the potion during their training, they had both been repulsed by the fact that it even existed – but both of them were now subject to its effects first hand. When she had looked up at Harry, she had seen something that gave her some hope – and fought against her rising hate for the man in front of her as he pressed his lips to hers.
Harry sunk into the feeling; so familiar, but so different every time. The softness of her lips always made him moan, and the feeling of her body pressed against his raised feelings to the surface that he had promised himself to not let lose until their wedding night. Unbeknownst to Harry, Luna was experiencing much the same sensation – and she smiled as she heard her bonded moan into her mouth before flicking her tongue teasingly against his. Harry held her as close as he could without hurting her, and drowned himself in the love she was feeding him, and pouring his feelings into the kiss he was giving her. He felt the hate surge at being fought, and nearly broke away from her lips before forcing himself back to her – holding her lips to his with the hand he had resting on the back of her head. Luna felt a wave of disgust shoot through her as his hand forced her back to him, but battled against the feeling, wrapping her arms around his waist and forcing his body against hers.
Slowly the poison seeped into their memories, forcing its way through their shields as if they didn't even exist, and Harry felt his hate for Luna grow as the vile potion forced his thoughts to her faults and shortcomings. It seemed to whisper to him that she was unworthy, a weak, disgusting whore that deserved nothing better than to be used and then cast aside like a doll. He felt the dark views asserting themselves over his own – but fought furiously against the evil force; knowing with all his heart that he loved the woman beside him with all his being. In the same way, the potion had turned Luna's thoughts against the man in her arms, and she felt tears leaking form her eyes as it manipulated her memories and forced hate upon her, sinking into her thoughts and ripping through her body like fire. The two clung desperately to one another, tears running down their cheeks and their eyes squeezed shut in pain as Dumbledore's dark fluid surged through their veins. Harry pushed the memories of their happiness through their kiss, through their link to give Luna strength, and she returned his love; forcing her feelings above the hate and forcing them through the dark blockade to her beloved.
Harry felt his grip on his love slipping and forced himself back towards her comforting presence, pushing himself through their connection and reaching out to her mind, clutching desperately for her touch, any sign of her love, any sign of her. His call was answered, and he felt a gentle presence cling to his, and he held onto the connection with his life. Luna felt his presence in her mind and nearly cried in relief – knowing that he was with her; that he had kept his promise to never leave her side. Harry felt a new spark of power inside himself, and pushed Luna his feelings, forcing it past the clutches of the Verto contemno and into her soul, while she did the same for him; feeding him her love and care; every memory that he had ever given her; every meaningful moment that filled her with happiness. The two lovers began to feel the darkness recede, and their love flow more freely across their connection, and Harry smiled joyously against Luna's tear-covered lips while she clutched at his back with a newfound strength; pushing herself against him once again; closing the gap that had begun to inch between them.
Dumbledore and the students had been watching the two lovers for the past hour with all their might, and the old man felt a surge of triumph when he saw their shields finally collapse and drop. Slowly the Witch and the Wizard separated their lips, and Dumbledore found his twisted grin turn into a look of complete disbelief when Harry tenderly reached up and brush a stray hair from Luna's face before running his finger down her sweat and tear-stained cheek. He met her stunning silver eyes with his emerald, and smiled lovingly down at her. "I love you."
"NO! Nex addo!" Dumbledore's desperate cry rung over the ruined battlefield, and a serpentine shadow forced itself from the end of his wand, filling the entire gap between the two forces.
Harry stared at the creature's red eyes and saw a very familiar memory in its glowing orbs – a memory Luna had shared with him; a memory of the netherworld. Harry stepped forward confidently, and Luna stood by his side, her eyes glowing mystically in the darkness – matching her true love's which were glittering serenely in the face of hell. He raised his hand above his head, and yelled to the sky. "FAWKES!"
Almost as if waiting for the call, a line of flame burst from the clouds above the demon, and quickly disappeared inside the dark mass – causing it to writhe in agony, and release a scream that made all the castle's inhabitant's cover their ears in pain. Harry and Luna glanced at each other and, with a mere nod, sprinted forth and morphed into their animagus forms. They reached the dreadful creature and dove inside its black mist – joining Fawkes in the middle and returning to their human forms. The two lovers held tight to one another inside the choking power surrounding them and let forth an explosion of their remaining energy – blasting a beam of pure, uncorrupted light right through the head of the great beast. The beam speared the demon with a sizzling hiss, and shot upwards before disappearing through the clouds above, and the creature itself released a earth-shattering, bone-chilling scream that pierced even the lover's shields – making their ears bleed. With a furious implosion, a dark shockwave blew outwards – sending the summoner of the Incubus flying into the wall of Hogwarts with a sickening crunch, and leaving a massive crater in the middle of the battle field. The entire Hogwarts population held their breaths.
Slowly the dust and smoke settled, and McGonagall nearly fainted at the sight that greeted the eyes of everyone. Standing in the middle of the crater was Fawkes; his wings outstretched and a red shield covering the two warriors underneath. Harry was curled protectively over Luna, and blood streamed from lacerations covering his arm, which was held above even the Phoenix, projecting a stunningly white barrier protecting all of them underneath. Slowly the powerful shield flickered, and then disappeared completely form view, and Fawkes brought his feathers back into his body. Luna opened her eyes which she had squeezed shut as the Hell-daemon had exploded, and her head shot upwards when she felt something warm drip on her forehead. She saw Harry's tired, but relieved smile above her, but gasped when she saw the ruined state of his arm and the blood leaking from his wounds.
Tenderly she helped him stand, and then quickly begun to heal his cuts. He stopped her once she had stemmed the bleeding, and nodded over to the castle walls where the broken and bloodied Headmaster lay, placing his hand over hers. "I can't do it." She looked up at him, shocked, and he stared grimly at her. "I would if I could Luna, but I don't have enough power."
She understood his words, and nodded solemnly before helping him limp slowly with her. When they were within touching distance of the old Headmaster, Luna gently let Harry onto the ground where he sat, panting and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Hesitantly she stepped forward, and Dumbledore's fading eyes looked up at her in disgust. Harry watched as she pulled out her wand, and pulled himself painfully to his feet before she could cast the spell. She jolted when she felt her fiancé's arms wrap around her, but then relaxed when she realized his intentions. He gently wrapped his hand around hers, and helped her raised the wand to point it directly at the man who had tried to kill them. Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly and then started saying the curse, joined by Luna.
Every student jolted when they saw the green flash impact against the now ex-Headmaster's chest, under absolutely no illusions of what the spell was, but rushed to the doors when they saw Harry collapse and Luna crouch down beside him worriedly. He smiled up at her, and saw the happy tears in her eyes before chuckling himself, and then gasping at the pain that tore through his chest. "Don't make me laugh."
She sobbed in happiness and wrapped her arms around him, and the pair watched as the lanterns streamed out of the castle towards them. She looked down into his stunning green eyes and pressed a tender kiss to his dry lips, causing him to smile. "I love you."