I made my way back to the Ravenclaw common room. He really DID owe it to me. I kept telling myself. But I just couldn't bring myself to trusting him. Why would Malfoy be trying to help me? He seemed too interested in my family history. How did he even know all of that? It could be possible that his father told him. Some of this was news to me. If Malfoy knew that my uncle was back around, I wonder if my father knew?
Communication with my father's side of the family had been scarce since his mother, my grandmother, died several years ago, right before my birth. He blamed it on his brother, Amycus, who was his mother's prized possession. She learned of his commitment to the Dark Lord during the first Wizarding War and passed shortly after from a heart attack. Amycus and his sister, Alecto, went into hiding shortly after to avoid imprisonment to Azkaban. Well, that was our guess. We hadn't heard from them since, which was a blessing. My mother and father were trying to make a new name for the Carrows and sided up with the Ministry of Magic. Many people don't even associate us with the Dark Lord anymore, thank god. Although, apparently Draco still was a horrifying realization.
I had to shake off all of this negativity. I saw Luna reading her Quibbler upside down. She looked up with wide eyes and ran over to me.
"Where have you been, Lyra?" Her voice was a little muffled as she hugged me. I looked across the couch at a clock and noticed that it was a little after 9pm. I had been gone for over two hours? What am I doing with my life? I wondered. I hugged Luna back.
"Errr... I was... I was just in the library studying! Nothing to worry about Luna." I staggered. The library was the most likely place I would be.
"I checked there and didn't see you!" She replied. Shit.
"I...was in the restricted section." I lied, "I had a sudden inkling about a death eater. I had to dig up some information." She looked intrigued. I probably should've been in the library digging up more information on the Malfoys. If Draco knew all about my family, he was already a step ahead.
"It was a false lead." I responded. "I didn't find anything." Luna's face dropped. She has been wanting to help Harry with finding out Voldemort's weaknesses ever since last year's battle in the Department of Mysteries. She knew my parents were Aurors so she constantly tried to get information out of me. We were all trying to piece this problem together. I just wasn't as reckless as Harry and Hermione and Ron. I wish Luna wasn't either but she had a heart of courage. It suited her well.
"You know Lyra, I know you've been hesitant about joining in the past, but I really think the D.A. could really use you."
Luna has been trying to get me to join Dumbledore's Army that started up last year. I highly considered it when they first started but after their confrontations with Umbridge, I decided to play it safe. The last thing I needed was to get kicked out of Hogwarts, especially since I only have two more years to go.
"I mean what better time than now? We just got a new recruitment in and with your new..."
"...stalker?" I finished. I knew who she meant and it made sense. "I guess a little extra help with some defense spells wouldn't hurt." I thought aloud. Luna danced up and down on her toes like she just won a hundred galleons. Looking at her prancing around made me smile. She was a goofball and I loved her for it.
The next morning I woke up and went to potions. When I arrived, I overheard Malfoy whining to a bunch of students that he had to quit the Slytherin quidditch team because of his arm, which, mind you, didn't need that sling in the first place. I rolled my eyes and sat down far away from him and his group. The Slytherin girls were all complaining, telling him how great he was and how Cho deserved the knock down, how I was so cruel and unforgiving. I could feel all of their eyes drift to the back of my head. I clenched my fists until I could feel their warmth strengthen. This was all bullshit but I wasn't going to give him the benefit of a reaction. I could feel my fists burning and released them, allowing the air to rush back to cool them. Was this the power? I shook it off, blaming it on my anger. Draco not on the Slytherin team was actually great news. Our team suffered horribly on the last game. We were lucky to rebound in time for the game against Hufflepuff this week. I knew this had to have not been an easy decision for Malfoy. I didn't realize this injury was that bad. I mean, he has been on the quidditch team for the past four years.
I had to stop myself. Was this a feeling of remorse for this slug? Surely not. He deserved it. I became frustrated that I had to keep reminding myself this. What was wrong with me? I glanced behind me to look at him. He caught my eye and his smirk started to appear. He raised an eyebrow at me. Oh my god. I shook my head and went back to my work. That boy pisses me off.
That night Luna practically drug me through the corridors.
"Where exactly is this meeting Luna?" I raced after her through corridor after corridor. I swear I had never been in this part of the castle. Of course, Hogwarts was so huge there were probably parts of the castle I would ever see in my entire seven years of schooling.
We finally arrived at a tiny broom closet door "Luna... this doesn't seem..." She shushed me. She closed her eyes and a huge smile spread across her face. I watched the door grow bigger and bigger in size as her smile grew. The Room of Requirement. Of course! I had never seen it in person but there were some rumors about this room. It was always given to the suitor that needed a place to go; albeit a sanctuary, a place to study, or, in our case, a place for practice.
Luna opened the doors to find Harry and Ginny practicing the Levicorpus spell. Ginny cast the last spell, sending Harry backwards to the floor. She rushed over to him to help him up. He rubbed the back of his head and looked up to see us.
"Oh Lyra! Luna mentioned that you were coming tonight." I bet Luna has been talking about this all day. "Come in, come in." He motioned us in the room. Luna closed the doors behind us. I glanced back to see the door shrink out of sight.
I turned back to Harry, who was still rubbing the back of his head. "We have got to stop meeting this way Harry. Every time we see each other, we're always getting hurt." We both gave nervous chuckles.
"Why don't you take off your scarf and get comfortable. Today we're learning the Levicorpus spell."
"Erm...I am a bit chilly. I think I will just keep this on." Luna looked at me nervously. I saw Cho and took a seat next to her. She gave me a welcoming smile as Harry started to talk.
"The Levicorpus spell is a great one for a silent attack. Meant as a jinx, you can say this spell nonverbally or verbally, which you must master first. It simply takes the victim by the ankle and hangs them upright. Ron, come attack me." He motioned for Ron to go to the front of the room. Poor Ron. He looked extremely uncomfortable but did what his friend asked.
Harry pointed his wand at Ron and yelled, "LEVICORPUS!" An invisible rope seemed to fly out of Harry's wand, catching Ron's ankles and spun him upside down, trapped. A few of us giggled as Ron's body swung to and fro, making him blush. Harry finally dropped him and then directed to practice on each other. Luna, having had a year of practice with most defense spells as it was, immediately sent me flying upside down. I fell to the floor after she countered the spell, giving her an evil eye. I couldn't help myself and busted out laughing. She smiled and urged me to try.
I look my stance and aimed my wand at her. As soon as I was ready to call out the spell, my body lurched from beneath me, making me fall face first onto the floor. Soon my ankles were bound and I was hoisted into the air again. I tried to regain control and see who cast the spell on me. I was flung around the air, turning this way and that. I could hear Luna yelling at someone, "Neville, put her down!"
"I can't! I can't control it!" He responded feverishly. The spell continued to whip me all around the room. I was paralyzed. My scarf was loosening and I could feel it coming undone.
"Just drop your wand Neville!" I heard Luna say. Neville dropped his wand, sending me falling to the floor on my head. Harry, Luna and Hermione ran over to me. I sat up dazed and saw Neville staring at me across the room in complete fright.
"Lyra, your neck..." Hermione whispered. I quickly looked around to gather my scarf that had fallen and wrapped it over my head, hoping no one else noticed. Neville what have you done?! I stared at him angrily. He was soon lifted into the air by his ankles and slammed hard into the wall behind him. He dropped to the floor in pain. Harry switched gazes and ran over with the other students to Neville. Hermione and Luna looked at me. My anger quickly diminished as I realized what I had done. Tears started to well in my eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whispered. I got up and ran to the evolving door, only to once look back at Neville through the crowd. He looked up at me with sympathetic eyes as I turned and ran out, tears flying from my face.