Ch. 11
Well, I have officially been ostracized by my entire house.
Well ok not my entire house. Just everyone other than Harry, Hermione, Neville, and the twins. Other than them, everyone was either cruel or, the very minority of the house, indifferent.
McGonagall had forbidden anyone from giving me passwords, so I basically had to sit and wait for someone to open the portrait to the common room every time I wanted to get into the common room, which was now guarded by giant security trolls.
I was also banned from all future Hogsmeade visits, given detention for two months, and banned from going to quidditch, which sucked because that didn't happen to Neville in the books. Thankfully I didn't have any parents in this universe so I wasn't going to get any Howlers or anything like that.
Or so I thought.
A week after what I had dubbed, "The Incident" I got a letter from none other that Frank Bryce. My mentor back at Little Hangleton.
"What's that?"Hermione asked as she saw me holding the letter.
"I got a letter from my boss, and I guess mentor in a way."
Dear Daniel,
I got a letter from one of your Professors. I don't really know why they contacted me. Seems strange now that I think about it. I mean you worked with me for one summer. Don't get me wrong you worked well and you seems to have a good head on your shoulders but still seemed strange that they would send me a letter instead of the orphanage. Anyway, I heard that you caused an incident that put another student's life in danger. I have to say that I'm disappointed, and…. Well just don't do it again. Now if you'll excuse me I have to figure out how to tie this letter to this fuc- damn owl.
-Frank
"Huh, guess they sent a letter to my boss instead of the orphanage. Weird."
"Why would they do that?" Neville spoke up.
"I honestly have no idea. When I first got to the Wizarding World I tried learning about the government but then I realized that they're just making it up as they go along."
"At least it wasn;t a howler," Hermione said, "Ron got one last year and he's still embarrassed about it."`
"Perks of being a muggleborn I suppose. Our parents and guardians, or in my case boss, can't send us howlers even if they wanted to."
"Cheers," Hermione raised her glass
"So what do you miss the most about your world?" Luna asked.
I looked up from my book. "Is this really the best place to ask me a question like that? I mean the library doesn't seem like the best place."
She shrugged. "I figured people wouldn't listen since they're reading their books. I usually tune mostly everything out when I'm reading. It really helps while studying or reading a really good book. Oh and when I research Nargles in Magizoology."
"Is that what you want to do when you get out of Hogwarts?"
"Don't you already know what I do when I get out of Hogwarts?" She asked right back.
"Touche." she shrugged. "But, that is what happens later in life. I'm curious about what second year Luna Lovegood when she's grown up."
"Well Magizoology is very interesting. But maybe writing would be something that I could try. I love reading all of the articles in the Quibbler, maybe I could try writing for it one day."
"Well your dad does own the thing so I don't see why not."
"Have you ever read the Quibbler?" She asked suddenly.
"In my previous life no. In this life yes. Why do you ask?"
She bit her lip. "Well you see… would you be able to tell me whether Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks exist?"
Can I? I mean you said so yourself that they were marvelous creatures, so I take it that they exist-"
Existed, Rowean interrupted me.
Wait they went extinct? How?
Their horns had a particular magical potency and then someone discovered that they tasted marvelous with a glass of wine. We hunted them for years before they went extinct. Rowena sounded saddened by the loss of the creatures.
Oh well… shit. Can I tell her?
I suppose so. Hopefully the universe does not implose.
I'll take that risk.
"So Luna… it turns out that the Crumpled Horned Snorkacks… well they went very well with a glass of wine."
Luna had cried for an hour. I swear I will do everything in my power to never hear that sound again. It was horrible! Maybe I should have told her that there was still a chance at finding them instead of just telling her outright that they were all gone from the Earth. God I feel like a dick right now.
After she was done crying Luna had hugged me and said thank you. She then left, muttering something about writing her father about the snorkack extinction as she walked away.
Freakin' Mondays.
-Hermione-
"Neville I need a favor. As you may know, Hogsmeade is next weekend and well I can't go," I know I know, eavesdropping is wrong but my table was right next to Daniel and Neville's table, I couldn't help it. "And I wanted to get Luna something special."
"Why?"
"Well it may of may not have to do with me telling her that the ever illusive Crumpled-Horned Snorkack is extinct."
Not to mention imaginary. Despite Daniels obvious intelligence I couldn't believe that he believed in those idiotic fantasies.
"Why would you tell her that. And how would you even know?"
"I have ways of finding things out, a perk of being a Champion. And before either of you ask, no I will share my source of information."
Either? Did he know I was listening?
"What do you mean either?"
I could hear Daniel turn in his chair. "Has anyone ever told you that it's rude to listen to other people's conversations Hermione."
I felt my face flush red but I didn't say anything.
He turned back to Neville. "Anyway I wanted to get her something special. So," I heard the clinking of coins, "would you kindly, take this and get her some sugar quills and a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
"Where'd you get this?"
"Frank sent me some money with the letter. I wish he didn't though. Hell the man can barely support himself with what he has. But he's proud. If I sent this back he would've seen it as an insult."
I smiled when I heard Daniel talk about Frank. His voice had a certain warmth in it. She couldn't see his eyes but she knew that they held a light in them.
"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" I heard Ron shout from the other end of the common room. I looked over and saw that they had taken a table near me. "What d'you reckon?"
"Well Filch hasn't done done anything about the passage into Honeydukes…."
"Harry," I whispered, "if you go into Hogsmeade again… I'll tell Professor McGonagall about the Map!"
"Can you hear someone talking Harry?"
"Ok guys calm it down," Daniel said as he stepped between us.
"No! First she let's her damn cat eat Scabbers, now she's threatening to have Harry expelled! She's done enough damage this year!" Ron said furiously.
I stood up and ran up the stairs to the dormitory.
I almost didn't hear Daniel calling after me.
-Luna-
Daddy had taken the news as well as I had. The extinction of the species we had been looking for our entire lives was a devastating blow to our moral. But just because one species was extinct did not mean that the rest were.
We could still find Heliopaths and Blibbering Humdingers… but unfortunately the Snorkacks would only be bones in a museum.
I hummed a little tune my mother used to sing as I skipped to the spot on the Gryffindor table that I always sat at with Neville, Daniel, and most recently, Hermione.
I have to say it is rather sad that Ronald is treating Hermione the way he is. But on the other end of it Hermione's cat did eat his rat. Funny how both of the animals had the same two letters that ended the word. Rat, cat… what other animals had the same last two letters? Well I suppose a bat… but a bat is also an object that people hit things with.
Anyway when I got to the Gryffindor table I saw Hermione whispering to Daniel who was sporting a black eye and a grim look.
"Hello Daniel what happened to your eye?"
"Oh nothing."
Hermione swatted his arm. "He yelled at Ronald for what he said about me. Ron said something to him and so Daniel here thought it was best to attack him."
"What did he say?"
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure, no one will tell me. Not even Neville."
I turned and faced Daniel now. "Are you alright?"
He gave a grim smile. "You should see Ron."
Neville snorted. "You barely gave him a busted lip."
Daniels smile widened. "But I did give him one."
"That's not something to be proud of," Hermione chided.
"After what he said about you I think it is."
Luna couldn't be sure but she thought that she saw Hermione blush.
Hey guys! So I'm gonna try and get back into regular updates with this story. Luckily for me my time in high school is almost at a close so and strangely enough the work load is getting lighter other than a research paper that I have to write. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to review! ~Pacco1
