Chapter 12: Luna
My name is Luna.
It was quite the intriguing tale the kids had to share with us. But perhaps I shouldn't call them that. They are younger than anyone in the DA, but I was not any older when I went to the Ministry with Harry. And their eyes did not look young. They looked like Harry's. Like the wonder that was rightfully theirs was taken away in the face of battle.
They told us of all the things the Yeerks had done. How they had conquered many planets and turned them to wastelands. How they enslaved anything sentient. How they preferred voluntary hosts that don't fight back, but are happy to break you to pieces if you resist. They enjoy hearing you scream in anguish in your own head. They told us about the gentle Hork-Bajir, the bladed creatures being forced to live as weapons. The very creatures that Anthony had seen in the Chamber. They told us about the Taxxons too. That they were willing allies that almost never had a Yeerk inside their heads. Their hunger was eternal, insatiable and agonising. It sent any Yeerk who had to deal with it for more than a few hours completely insane.
They told us of how they fight them, using the power of Andalite science. That being the power to turn into any animal that they touch. It fascinated me really. I wondered if the Andalites had actually discovered a type of magic without realising it. It was possible. My father once told me that a parrot once learned discovered the magic of changing the colours of its feathers, even though parrots are not magical creatures at all. He also believes that all science created by the Muggles has a touch of their own unique magic, so why could it not be the same for the fair people of other planets?
Anthony was thrilled with the nature of their power too. It was only his shyness and the grave looks on the others' faces that stop him from asking what was likely to be a hundred questions. I could see it in his eyes. The fact that he was barely stopping himself from shaking with excitement helped too.
The others however, were quite moody and more interested in the less fascinating parts of the tale. Like when Jake informed us that the Yeerks had been on Earth and moving into major Muggle positions for years. Or when he said that the Andalites still had not been able to return after they were defeated in space. You know, the boring stuff.
"So the Muggle world's gone from being defenceless during the slow, initial set up of an infestation invasion to a fast paced infestation with only six people fighting back?" Ernie exclaimed incredulously. I don't think he wanted to believe it. He just realised that he had to. "How is it that there's still anyone to fight for?"
"They want as many hosts as they can get." Jake answered, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he looked up at the taller Hufflepuff. "It's slows down their process more than you think, though they do still take hundreds a month. To be honest, we don't even know how bad the rest of the world is, we only know that our home is where the Yeerks' forces are strongest and their condition here."
/Though as Prince Jake says, we do not have much information about any other towns and cities in America right now, let alone other continents./ Mr Andalite piped up in my head. A rather intriguing talent. /We know that our town of battle was definitely the hardest hit point when my people originally came to fight the Yeerks, however that may not be the case now. Especially since we have slowed down progress. There may already be entire towns or cities that have been infested./
"This sounds hopeless." Seamus groaned, dropping his face into his hands. "If that's the case, then even if we get them out of Hogwarts, we'll still be at war with them again soon anyway. Only they'll be using the Muggles and alien bodies to fight us and hurting them would mean that stopping the Dark Lord would be for nothing."
"Not true. If it comes to open war, then we can deal with them." Ginny shook her head defiantly and slapping the back of Seamus'. "Magical wards, disillusion and revelation charms would make subtle acts null and void and large amounts of constant magic shorts out technology. Shield spells could protect us from these space weapons of theirs. It would be hard and painstaking, but a united magical front could do it. It's if we're infiltrated, our kind infested that we're doomed."
"I agree." Neville nodded. "We probably couldn't save the world, but we could save our kind and a lot of Muggles thrown our way by holding up in places like Hogwarts or locations bearing a Fidelius Charm. If the Muggle world falls." He added quickly, noticing the girl, Rachel, giving the Gryffindors dirty looks. It was obvious from the moment I met her as a cat that she had no intention of losing the War.
"It won't." She stated sharply, ignoring the 'be nice look' Jake was giving her. "We're not the only fighters for the non-magical world and we're picking up steam. And when the Andalites do finally decide to grace us with their almighty presence, we'll send those slimy slugs to hell where they belong. Provided no magical slaves give them any unwanted advantages." I believe that she is quite passionate. And is a little irritated at the wondrous, blue, space centaurs.
"Did space fairies come down and help too?" I asked, tilted my head curiously. I think Rachel took insult to my question though, as she turned and glared at me. The Andalite was staring at me like he thought I was ridiculous too while Jake merely looked confused. It didn't bother me though, I was used to those expressions.
"What, you think I'm making a load of-"
"Easy!" Neville burst in, throwing up a hand and staring Rachel down just as hard as she was him. "She was only asking a question. Don't let her tone fool you, she's genuinely curious."
"Oh, right. She always talks like that." Rachel sighed, realisation covering her face before she turned to me apologetically. "Sorry, I thought you were being sarcastic."
"But no, there hasn't been anything but Yeerk ships coming to Earth." Tobias stated. I think he wanted to get back on track, but I wasn't sure. His face was strange, always neutral. "We've gained connections with a spy network in the Yeerks' forces, helped start a colony of free Hork-Bajir back home that works to take back more of their kind and a long missing Animorph has just returned back home."
/Few species in the Galaxy can fight the Yeerks at all and only the Andalites can do so head-on on every world./ Ax stated quite proudly. He was nicer, but he definitely had a personality similar to an Earth Centaur. Rachel did not seem to agree with him however. She rolled her eyes at his comment.
"So did you come here to help us?" Anthony asked, hesitantly yet excitedly. "To get them out of Hogwarts?"
"Yes and no." Jake answered, frowning thoughtfully. "We can't stay long enough to remove the Yeerks completely. They're set up too well already and Hogwarts isn't the only place they've started infesting. We came here to warn you and possibly give you a gift that might help you."
"Well, we know and are warned. What's the gift?" Ernie asked, his hard face growing curious. However, the look disappeared as Jake shook his head.
"You're not fully warned yet. We've only told you that the Yeerks are here and what they've done. Your world's more vulnerable than you know."
"The Yeerks discovered the magical world by a wizard they lucked out on infesting. Apparently he was a rather pathetic one." Tobias continued, his eyes growing darker, fiercer. I thought they were quite similar to his hawk eyes. "Through him, they learnt about your world in England and your war. And they planned methods of infestation for three areas. The slow, carefully selected infestation within your school and Government and another plan for your jail."
"Azkaban?" Anthony cried, all the colour draining from his face. It was an understandable reaction. The situation was quite unpleasant.
"Why there?" Neville asked confusedly, earning raised eyebrows from our guests. "I mean, why go after them? If the Yeerks don't want to be noticed or be left in a place where they can be driven insane, why infest people that would have to stay on an island full of Dementors?"
"Dark creatures that feed on happy memories and force you relieve your most horrible ones over and over again." Seamus added. Our guests are not from the magical world after all. "They make it really cold too." He added as an afterthought.
"Are they around the school? And the town?" Tobias asked, his face finally showing an emotion: realisation.
"Yeah, why?" Ginny asked, tilting her head. "Have you felt something from them?"
/I believe that Tobias, Marco and I have crossed paths with them./ Ax stated. It was rather strange that time. His mental voice sounded a little shaken up. /It was not pleasant./
"But back to the jail," Jake cleared his throat. "They're not infesting any of them right now. They're using the Dementors' trick to break and destroy their wills while encouraging the dark wizards into sending more people there while they keep a ship bearing a Yeerk Pool hidden above it and watch over the place. When your war with this Voldemort guy ends or he's infested himself, they'll infest everyone there on the spot while their agents in the school and Government will move out to quickly infest your war's gathered survivors. After that, they'll take over the rest of the wizards in England and move on to the other countries."
Hmm. Well, I suppose that's pretty bad. The English Ministry's rather disorganised at the moment, which is the only way these Yeerks could have gotten into the Wizarding world undetected, but if it was reunited under Yeerk control, they would have the perfect access point for the rest of us. And a globally united wizard front would easily defeat the entire Muggle world. they'd never be able to stand up to our magic even if they outnumbered us twenty to one. We better fix this.
"So how would this gift of yours help us?" Neville asked, his tone growing far more dark and serious. Looking around, I noticed that even Anthony had sobered and developed a quite sharp look. But then that was to be expected. The future plotted out for the tortured, innocent people was rather appalling.
"We fight the Yeerks using Guerrilla tactics and by making them think that we're Andalite Bandits." Jake informed us, gesturing to Mr Andalite for emphasis. "If they found out we were human, they'd find out exactly who we are and infest us. It also gives us and edge because, just like they're everywhere, hidden behind who knows which faces, we can be anything, even one of them. if you need it, it's that power we can give you."
"You can give us your power?" Anthony asked, intrigue starting to break through his hard face again, if only for a moment. "How?"
"A boy back home found its source. We'd thought that it had been destroyed beforehand." Tobias responded. "We can give it to you if it's necessary, but we thought you may have magical ways of copying all its benefits. The power allows us to become anyone or animal we touch. Their DNA is absorbed through concentration during bare skin contact and forever stored within our own. We morph just by concentrating on the image of the animal. We gain the animal's instincts and physical forms as well as the ability to use an Andalite's thought speak."
"In addition, since it works by DNA, morphing heals all injuries, is an instant cure for poisons and generally heals the body of bacterial, viral and infection related illnesses." Jake added. "You could rip your arm off and it'll grow back when you morph. Do you guys have the power to do all that?"
"No. At least, not on our own or instantaneously." Ginny shook her head as the others stared at Jake and Tobias in amazement. It really was quite fascinating that technology could do so much. It was almost impossible for even me to not believe magic was involved. Maybe my father would have some insight on a creature or ancient magic that might have helped the Andalites along. He usually has an answer for everything. "We can use Animagi, but that takes years to master, you only get one form and that form isn't always one you're going for. It usually depends on what animal you most associate with. Transfiguration could turn us into animals, but we'd have to know the spell and we'd need another wizard to cast it to get a full transformation. Luna and I are just starting to learn self-transfiguration, but that only lets you change half your form."
"I full transformation would make it impossible to change back unless you could convince someone else that you were human. Which is rather difficult unless they saw you transform." I added, deciding to clear up the slightly confused looks on the Muggles' faces. "Changing to and from both require a wand and a specific hand movement."
"Polyjuice potion can turn us into other humans, but it has limitations." Ernie picked up from there, frowning thoughtfully. "It takes a month to brew and you need a threw strands of hair from whoever you want to turn into. Plus, without taking more, the effects only last about an hour or so. It can be really dangerous too, if you accidentally use non-human hair."
"Like Hermione did five years ago." Neville, Ginny and Ernie all turned quite annoyed as Seamus struggled and failed to contain his chuckle. "That was a pretty interesting Cat-human hybrid scenario."
"Even the medical advantages surpass some of ours." Anthony muttered, leaning his chin on his hand as he thought it over. If any of us would know about that area, it would be him, he was one of the best healers in the DA. Healing us and the people we saved was the only act of rebellion he'd made before last night. "Fixing cuts and broken bones can be done with a wave of a wand, but there are plenty of other, more serious scenarios that would take hours to heal at the least, even if we could go to a professional healer for, and we don't have many healers period. Besides that, if the morphing works genetically, it may be able to remove or speed up the course of magical injuries, heal in days what can sometimes take weeks."
"Like the ear George lost to a dark curse." Ginny nodded, her voice soft and sad.
/We cannot say too much for sure where lingering magic is involved./ Mr Andalite cautioned, growing a stiff. He didn't like being out of his element and bearing a lack of knowledge. /Magic and Morphing technology has never been mixed before. Only experimentation will determine how much magic may interfere with the power./
"Or enhance it." I commented, drawing everyone's startled eyes on me. "And it in turn enhance us. For example, magic moves through our genetics and never leaves us. Who's to say it won't go into forms we'd take from non-magical creatures?"
"And then there's another possibility." Anthony said quietly, though his voice and excitement rose as he continued to talk. "The morphing power. If you guys give it to us then we could morph magical creatures. We'd be the first wizards to ever do that, it's impossible to turn into them with magic! And if Luna's right, then who's to say that the magic in their DNA wouldn't have some kind of effect on our human forms, mixing in with our own? If their DNA is forever inside us then their magic would be too and magic of one source can feed and mix with that of other sources when their focused on the same place. Depending on the creatures we'd acquire, the possibilities would be endless."
"But then that would mean that I'm somehow..." Rachel frowned, confused and sceptical, before her eyes widened in a look of shock and realisation. Taking a few breaths, she stared at Anthony hard enough to unnerve him before turning quickly to Tobias. "Last night, you were as close as me when you saw me going towards the castle, right? When you talked to me?"
"Yeah, why?" He asked. I think e was baffled.
"Because you called the castle ruins." Was Rachel's response. "But I didn't see any ruins at all. I saw the castle and everything around it perfectly from my first glimpse through the trees. I saw ruins when we were at the village, so I just thought that I'd made it past the illusion."
/I have been watching the castle from the outside almost all day. I only saw past the illusion when I was a mere two inches away from it./ Ax stated in response, Jake nodding in agreement with him.
"But you...acquired a magical creature! That's how you got caught and led to the castle by that Hagrid guy." Jake exclaimed, connecting the dots. "And we were told that magical beings could see past the magic protecting this place."
"So your power really can turn us into magical creatures?" Ernie asked, suddenly very intrigued and hopeful, as Anthony beamed. "What creature did you touch?"
"Hagrid called it a Thestral."
"That's a very good choice." I smiled, picturing the wondrous creature in my head. "They are very interesting creatures. Very loyal, gentle to all but their prey, very fast and only seen by those who have seen death."
"And no creature has a better sense of direction." Neville added, grinning slightly. He was remembering when we took them to the Ministry. Or when they took us. "You name a place anywhere in the world, they'll know where it is and go there."
"And I haven't gotten lost in the castle once all day." Rachel said softly as his words registered. "Even when I was a cockroach or in the most random place in this castle, I've know exactly where I was and needed to go."
"Like magic." Seamus grinned broadly as the younger group stared at Rachel in amazement and my other friends stared at them in wonder and surprise. Not to blame them of course, this was entirely unheard of. It was a way to share magical powers with the non-magical, to give them our power like the Ministry was currently claiming was the way all Muggleborns had magic, though this version does not have them stealing ours.
"This will have to stay hushed." Ernie stated firmly, drawing everyone's attention. His face had grown very hard and dark once again, though this time there was a great deal of worry there too. "Maybe we can explore the possibilities of morphing power giving Muggles magic at a later date, but right now it will only be used to prove the Ministry's 'Muggleborns are magic thieves' claim. And if you guys do give us your power, we'll need to keep its magic based effects on us a secret too. It'll be too suspicious if anyone found out about any usual gifts we might get and the Death Eaters may deem us to dangerous to be alive and walking free."
"That's assuming that they give us their gift." Ginny stated before turning towards the Animorphs. "Will you?"
"Yes. I think we will." Jake decided, looking each of over approvingly. Though, I did get the feeling that one more test of us would be made before the gift was given. "Though, if it's alright, I'd like to ask of one in return. I'd like you guys to help all my teammates and I gain a magical creature morph. It would be nice to not have any anti-non-magical human illusions in our way."
"I think that'll be easy enough to arrange." Neville nodded with a snort. "You've come to the best place to get one. The area's full of them."
"Then I say we get this started." Ernie stated, standing up straight and heading towards the door, turning questioningly to the young Muggles. "Since it's technology, I'm guessing the source of your power is outside Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, with two other teammates." Rachel nodded as she followed him, the rest of us doing the same right after the confirmation. We only waited long enough for Mr Andalite to morph into a fly again before heading out, the others opting to remain human. And off we went through the corridors and down the stairs, careful to avoid the teachers, on our next grand adventure.
I hope whoever's watching us goes away soon though. I can't see them, but I know whoever's eyes I'm feeling on my back are most unpleasant.
AN: Not sure how well this one turned out. Sorry if it seems a little off, but of all the characters, Luna's head is by far the hardest to get into. If I haven't done it right, I apologise.
