Chapter 16: Saving Luna
WARNING: This chapter deals with extreme bullying, though only passively. I put up bullying wards for a reason. No one was hurt or molested. Still, some might want to be forewarned. I tried to keep it teen rated. That being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
DaughterOfIris23 and AngstyCanadianGleek are the betas for this chapter
HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS
"Joyce, you had better get Albus and Minerva," Xander advised. He sniffed the air to see if he could catch a scent, but there were too many people. "Harry, I want you and the rest of your house to get to the dorm. We'll handle it from here." He never took his eyes off the words on the wall. It bothered him how close to the floor they were placed. That meant someone of a short stature wrote them. The fact that it named Harry made his blood boil. Plus, the taunting way it was written also indicated a child.
"Okay, Xander," Harry said and waved the rest of the Gryffindors on. They all huddled together, scared that they might be next. Slowly, silently, but surely, they made their way. Harry, not wanting to be alone, went to the common room. That and Xander had just suggested that he go there.
Joyce appeared next to Xander with Dumbledore and McGonagall. Both the senior staff members gasped at the scene.
"Well," Xander started as soon as he heard them, "this narrows it down." He had really hoped it wouldn't be this snake. The others were easy to trap, but this one, not so much. It also showed that seeing itself in the mirror didn't turn it to stone as well. So much for myths. Still, the mirrors had prevented a death.
"Narrows what down, Xander?" Joyce asked, looking hard atMrs. Norris.
"It's a basilisk," he sighed. This made the job much harder, and more dangerous. Still, not as bad as some of what Willow called the oogly booglies, but he didn't have a Slayer or the Red Witch to help. However, he did have his own magic. Things might not be as bad as he was thinking. He had wanted a hunt, now he had one.
"How do you know?" Minerva wondered.
The wolf-eyed man pointed to the mirrors and then the cat, and said, "She's petrified. I put the mirrors up in hopes that if it was a basilisk then no one would die."
"That was very smart of you, Mr.Harris," McGonagall stated, with a relieved and proud smile.
"Professor Sprout has some mandrakes in her greenhouse. Unfortunately, they will not be matured for many months," Albus said, standing from his investigation of the cat.
"You can't import them?" Xander asked, appalled that anyone who fell victim would have to stay that way for such a long time.
"No, they have a short shelf life," Joyce answered, thinking hard on what could be done.
"Isn't it different seasons all over the world? Can't we get some almost mature ones from other countries?" Xander inquired. That made sense to him, he knew some of the herbs the witches back home used had to be imported.
"No, they all grow at the same time all over the earth. Something about star alignments and planet rotations. It's magic," the spirit of Hogwarts again answered. "Ask Nicholas tomorrow if he knows any other formula," she added. Maybe Alchemy had a different approach.
"Well, we'll just have to make sure no one else is affected," the Head of Security stated. "I'll have the goblins here by morning. Then I'm going hunting. Where did you feel it come out?" he asked Joyce.
"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. A floor down from where your portal dropped you. I thought I had it trapped, but somehow it escaped. We'll have to investigate that," she answered thoughtfully. "Oh, and after Harry called me, I felt the snake slither back in. There was one person with it, but since I'm in body form, I don't know who. They're gone now, but the feast let out and I couldn't track them."
"I need you to have the suits of armorpatrol. If it's a basilisk I don't think they'll be affected. I need a report by tonight that no one else is hurt. Albus and Minerva, you guys make sure that all the kids are in bed. Tell the other Heads and teachers. Let them know I have it under control for tonight. Joyce, close off that bathroom for all but me," he ordered, looking at the wall.
Albus visibly bristled at being commanded.
Minerva nodded.
"Okay, Xander," Joyce said, and then she disappeared.
"Okay, I'm going to go check out that bathroom. Someone get Argus, tell him Mrs.Norris is with Poppy. He'll want to know," he suggested. He waved his hand and the cat was now in the infirmary.
Then he left, not realizing that his show of magic had left a stunned Albus behind. The first thing he did was to go to the phone room and call Gringotts. He told them that he needed an army here by morning. Then he went to the bathroom Joyce had indicated.
He saw nothing of note. He checked as quickly as he could and only saw that one sink had a snake on it and that it was out of order. He wondered if that was pertinent. He did his evaluation, and when the sledgehammer did no damage, he figured there was magic involved. He then closed the bathroom and sealed it.
Making his next stop at Gryffindor dorms where he told the kids to go to bed and that the staff was handling it. He gathered his ward, and they went to the 'house.' He sent Harry to bed and pondered the problem some more.
If what he was thinking was correct, he'd need Harry to open the sink. That way lay badness. He didn't want the kid anywhere near this. He wondered if he could just have Harry seal the sink. With that happy thought, he went to bed.
The next morning Xander and Harry waited for the rest of the Gryffindors as they would all be going to breakfast together; all the Houses were staying together for safety. The words were still on the walls, but the contingent of goblins would let no one stand and gawk. One goblin handed his king a piece of paper, but that was all that was allowed. So, the students and Xander moved quickly to the Great Hall. When they were about halfway there, Lockhart appeared and fell into step with Xander.
"Ah, Mr.Harris, I heard you had a hairy night. I would have come to help but was told that my services were not needed. Next time do not hesitate to call, and I will come to slay the monster," the braggart said with a bright smile that made half of the girls, even Hermione, swoon.
"If I ever need your help with anything, remind me to get checked out by Madam Pomfrey for love potions. Because that is the only way I'd call on you," Xander quipped back, not slowing down a single step.
"Oh, that was a good joke indeed," Gilderoy said with a nervous laugh. Then he sped up to remove himself from further damage.
"Idiot," Xander grumbled.
They made it the rest of the way unmolested and they split up to take their seats. Xander read the report. It stated that six students were not at the feast at the time of the attack. Two seventh-years, two fourth-years, one second-year, and one first-year. His eyes narrowed at the fact that the two older ones were from Slytherin, two of the fourth-years were from Ravenclaw. That left one second-year Slytherin and one first-year Ravenclaw. None of them had any reason to not be at the feast and he made a mentalnote to keep an eye on them. Since it was Saturday, he'd take Harry to close the sink after the mandatory class, which was held here in the Hall. Hopefully, that would stop the attacks until he figured out a way to get to where what was behind them led.
It was announced that there would be restrictions effective today. The professors made it clear when the state of emergency was called that no one was to wander the castle. All first-years were to be in one of two places today. Those places happened to be the TV room and the library. So, other than a few squabbles as to what to watch in the TV room, it worked out very well. Second-years and up were only allowed in club rooms, the game rooms, the dorms, or the TV room and library. Ghosts were set to watch with a couple of suits of armor at the doors. If the restroom was needed, then one or the other would escort them.
After the meal cleared, everyone settled in for the class. Starting the lecture, Xander moved in front of the staff table. This lesson was about solar powering, and how it worked. He touched on the windmill and the possibility of geothermal power. The class was one hour long, and everyone went away with some understanding of the lecture. Even the purebloods were starting to understand electricity and see its merits.
Harry, Hermione, and Neville stayed behind after Xander had finished. "Okay, guys, we're going to the restroom that the snake came out of, and I'll show Harry what I want him to do. I need you all to stay close. If you hear me give an order, follow it without question. Okay?" Xander said as he led them away.
"Okay, Xander," they all agreed.
Once there, Xander took Harry to the sink. "See this snake? Try talking to it and see if you can get it to open."
The boy wonder shrugged and hissed, "Open." At first, nothing happened. Then a loud grating noise filled the air. The sink split down the middle, then each piece moved to the side, revealing a long dark tunnel slanting downward. It was so dark that they could not see more than a half a meter into it.
"Now, see if you can close it."
"Close." The sink closed.
"See if you can seal it shut," Xander said hopefully.
"Seal," Harry hissed, but nothing happened. "Shutdown." He tried three more times with different words, but still nothing. "I can't. Something's preventing me," he complained.
"Besides," Hermione interjected, "couldn't anyone who can speak parseltongue unseal it? Whoever opened it last night has to be speaking that."
"Right, thanks for pointing that out. I was hoping Harry's seal would be too powerful. But anyone who can control a basilisk might be able to break it. Okay, Harry, open it back up." He waited for the boy to comply. "Now, you three get to the door and close your eyes, but don't leave until I tell you to," Xander ordered, pushing Harry toward his friends. "Actually, strike that. Go outside the door and wait there with your eyes closed."
The three did as bid and stood holding onto each other's hands, Hermione in the middle. They were terrified but also knew that Xander was there with his axe and gun in his hands.
Xander looked down the deep hole and decided he'd check it out. But, to do that, he needed Harry in case there were any more roadblocks. He hemmed and hawed about what to do. Then it came to him. He called Joyce. "Hey, can you block this room? I need to talk to Harry a minute," he asked when she appeared.
"Sure, but this time I'm staying right here," she said, determined to make sure nothing escaped.
"Okay, give me five minutes and I'll be back." With that, he went to the kids, who still had their eyes closed, and moved them further away from the room. After the door sealed, he told them they could look now. "Okay, Harry, I need you to hiss at this rock. I've magicked it to record your voice. Just hiss 'open' and any other form of the word. That way you don't have to come with me. Just start hissing when I say 'record', okay?"
"I think I need an image of a snake," Harry said after trying a few minutes.
So Xander took out a knife and carved a small snake on the rock. "Now try," he said, holding the rock so Harry could see what he needed.
"Okay, Dad," he said unthinkingly. He hissed at the stone, trying everything he could think of to open a door, short of foreign words. When done he stopped and said, "That's all I can think of."
Xander spoke the command to replay and was delighted when it worked. They did the same with another rock for 'close.' Xander pocketed the recordings and said, "Okay, you guys head to the library with this suit of armor, and I'll grab some goblins. I'll find you when I'm done, so don't worry."
"Okay, Xander," they all said again, albeit reluctantly, and with worried looks, they moved toward the library with theirarmored guard.
Xander volunteered a ghost to let the goblins know he was going on an adventure. He waited until a large group appeared and then knocked on the wall where the door was supposed to be. After they entered the room and the door was sealed again, he addressed the group of vicious warriors. "Okay, guys, this is the opening to the Chamber of Secrets. I know a basilisk is down there, but I don't know where. I need volunteers to come with me. Who is looking for a good but possibly deadly fight?" he asked, which was stupid because all goblins were always itching for deadly fights. To prove the point, they all raised their hands and grinned.
"Like we'd let you go alone," one goblin sneered.
"Right, let's do this," the wolf-eyed man said, going to the opening.
Spears and axes at the ready, they moved to the hole. Jumping one by one, goblins first, Xander in the middle and goblins last. The slide down was long and dark. And slimy. Xander hated slime. He could still remember all the times demons exploded on him and the gang. He still laughed at all the excuses Buffy came up with when Joyce didn't know she was a Slayer.
He shuddered as he was sliding in. The crunching noise they all made when they landed didn't help either. One brave goblin opened his eyes and noted there was no snake. "All clear," he said, and they took in the dripping walls and mass quantity of small bones on the floor. There was a large shed-skin that had the goblins excited at the size.
"Creepy," was all that Xander could say.
"Quite," one goblin replied, looking at his king funny.
As they moved down the only tunnel the walls seemed shaky, so they stayed as quiet as they could. One or two goblins snapped their fingers to fortify the rock. Still, they needed silence, so it was only every couple of meters or so. The tunnel was dark, and the Lumosin his hand and the goblins' globes didn't cut the dim as Xander had hoped. All they did was cast crawling shadows, making the walls seem alive.
They crept onwards, and soon they came across a large double door. It was lined with snakes that crisscrossed the center. Xander activated the 'open' rock and the snakes hissed and slithered around the door until it slid open. They moved into a large, cavern-type room that was littered with statues of people holding snakes. It was like a serpent cult had created the scene. There was a huge face of a man that Xander supposed was Salazar. He was either an ugly brute or the sculptor was an awful artist, he wasn't sure which.
The dripping of water was loud, and their footsteps were mostly quiet, but even with their soft footfall, they echoed. The goblins examined the entire room but found little to concern them. Xander was holding the stone to each statue, even the ugly one of Slytherin, to see if it opened another door.
Nothing.
Greatly disappointed that no battle was to be fought, they exited the room with Xander using the 'close' rock to shut it.
"I'd leave one of you guys down here, but there's no way out, that I can see. I want to seal the sink, but it's warded to prevent that. So, I'm going to have you guys patrol this hall the most. If you hear anything slither up behind you, use the mirrors and don't hesitate to kill it. We're dealing with a basilisk here. Don't take chances," Xander said as they made their way back to the pipes.
"Yes, My King," a great many said. The rest grunted.
Xander popped them all up in teams of four and then closed the sink. He had Joyce seal the room and added a few wards of his own. No one was getting in or out of that room.
In the library, Harry and Neville were staring at each other. Hermione was studying from a large tome and taking notes.
Xander came across them and chuckled. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, taking a seat next to Harry.
"Telepathy," Hermione answered. "Neville figured that if you heard Harry's cry for help last year, then it might work." She appeared excited about the whole concept. Xander knew if it worked, she would be researching it in depth.
"Oh, okay, that makes sense. Did you guys crack a book first?" the wolf-eyed man asked the boys.
That got both boys to stop staring and blush. They sheepishly shook their heads and looked at Xander, a bit embarrassed.
"No," Harry replied, "but Hermione was reading up on it." He pointed to his bushy-haired friend, who held up a book on mind arts.
"It's not quite the same. You will understand better if you read the research yourself. That way you get the feel of it. Imagination is a wonderful tool. How do you think I do all the things I do?" Xander said, mussing Harry's hair.
"Did you catch the snake?" Neville asked nervously. "My gran might pull me if there's a huge snake around," he offered. Xander knew that his grandmother would do just that, if he didn't find the snake soon.
"No," Xander replied, heaving a great sigh of disappointment. "However, we did find a nifty room down there. Slytherin must have really loved serpents." At least it was something. They had a point of contact, they just needed to get the snake to show for the contact to begin.
"Does that mean we're still in danger?" Harry asked. He, too, was nervous. He had read up on the myths, and any snake that big was worthy of being frightened of.
"Well, we know where it comes out, so we blocked the way. Joyce is going to be monitoring that room. The goblins are going to patrol the corridor. You guys will walk with the armorand ghost. Hopefully, we'll get it trapped soon enough. I'll have Albus writethe parents. Anyone who wants to pull their kids should at least have the option. If anyone gets hurt, we're going to have to close the school until the snake is found," the older man explained.
It was not something he wanted to do, but needs must, and all that.
"I have faith in you, Xander," his son said, giving him a huge smile.
"Thanks, Harry," the man beamed back. "I'm going to have to go to the Ministry tomorrow and let them know what's going on. You guys stay in the appointed areas and don't wander. I mean it. Let me and the goblins handle the snake," he warned, knowing that if something went wrong, Harry would jump straight into trouble.
"We will," the three kids said.
"Okay, let's hit the books on telepathy and see if we can't get this done. Great thinking, Nev," the wolf-eyed man said, flashing a smile at the shy boy.
That night, Xander addressed the school.
"Okay, listen up. We are in a state of emergency. Your parents are being phoned, owled, or Flooed as we speak. They will be told what's happening and have the choicetotake you home. If you do leave, you will be expected to read your textbooks and do the homework, the teachers are putting together a package for you. Unfortunately, we can't assign practical homework, so it'll be essays. However, when you come back you will be expected to have it done," he said firmly, then smiled. "Now, I don't want you to panic. I'm going to the Ministry tomorrow to let them know what's what. You've already seen the goblins about, do what they say. They have the power to take points and assign detention if you don't. Don't push them. Enough of the gloom. Eat," he said and clicked his fingers to have the meal served.
There was a great deal of murmuring and whispering, but not the overshadowing fear.
"Nicholas, do you have something that can combat paralysis?" the wolf-eyed man asked the immortal.
"I do," Flamel answered with a nod. "It would be mass marketed, but it's alchemy, so it can't be produced by regular wizards. I have a batch in the works as we speak."
"Great. I look forward to not using it," Xander said, and then returned to his meal.
"I could unspell anyone who is infected," the faux-blond blowhard jumped in. "I ran across a basilisk in my journeys. I know how to fix someone who has been caught by their eyes."
"Then if the snake shows, you'll be the first person we throw at it," Xander promised. His eyes flashed with a clearwarning. "And if anyone dies because of you, you'll be next."
That shut the man up quickly, and the rest of thedinner was eaten in blessed silence.
The next day Xander went to the Ministry. While he was gone the school was on tenterhooks. Half the student body went home with homework packets for at least a month. They all hoped it would be over before then, but everyone wanted to make sure the kids were kept up to speed.
While he was gone, which stretched into the night, something terrible happened. The major bullying alarm went off. Someone was about to be hurt… bad.
The alarms blared, and Harry ran out of the 'house.' "Jarvis!" he yelled, "Who and where?" He would have called Joyce, but she was still the school and watching for the snake. Hopefully, she'd show up when he did.
"I don't know who, but whoever it is, is in Fluffy's old room," the armoranswered.
Harry didn't hesitate, he disappeared, reappearing in the room. A loud snarl was heard, then three thumps were sounded on the cold stone floor. There was a girl, who looked to be disheveledand still in nightclothes. He could see bruises on her arm from where she cowered in a corner. Harry tried to return to hishuman form, but his anger was too strong. He was stuck the way he was until he calmed down.
Just then Joyce appeared. "Harry, what's happening?" she asked, not even blinking at his new form.
"I'm not sure, but it's not the snake. So, you should go. The teachers will be here soon." He didn't want this to be the distraction that would cause someone to die. Joyce had an important job to do. She couldn't do it here.
"Okay, but you should try and calm down before they see you," she said, glancing at the downed teens, the frightened girl and the larger Harry. "I'll keep an eye on what's happening here. Call me if you need me." And with that she reabsorbed.
"Miss," Harry said hesitantly, his voice a soft rumble, "are you okay?"
The little blonde girl slowly lowered her arms and looked at the sight in front of her. Never, since she had come here, did she feel so safe. Which was strange, since she was looking at a teenage dragon. He was black as the midnight sky, with only a white lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "Harry Potter?" she inquired, getting up and crossing the room, then she started petting the dragon's head. Well, they always did say she was a bit strange.
"Yes, but I'm a bit out of body right now," the dragon said sheepishly, thumped his tail at her ministrations, causing the walls to shake a bit.
"Perhaps, if you calm down," she suggested, still petting the smallish dragon.
"Okay, keep doing that and it'll help." And with an enormous sigh, that almost knocked the girl over, he relaxed. One minute he was a dragon, the next he was a little boy. "Thanks," he said, with a huge smile. Then he remembered why he was here. "What happened?" he questioned as he snapped his fingers tying the three older boys up with so much rope, they were lucky they could breathe.
"I'm not sure," she said. "One minute I was in my bed, the next I was here with bruises on my arms, and these boys were talking about doing some bad things to me. One mentioned adult things. I didn't like the look on his face, so I hid as well as I could. I don't know how I got here, but the nargles must have helped. They've been stealing my things, don't you know," she said with a detached dreamy voice like it didn't affect her anymore.
Harry was going to ask what a nargle was but decidedto leave it for now. Obviously, the girl was being bullied by her Housemates, it must be passively so to not set off the alarms. Still, to trap her in a room with only nightclothes and three older boys was pushing things way over the line. "What's your name?" he asked instead.
"Oh, I'm Luna Lovegood," she replied, holding on to his arm, like a lady being led to dance.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Lovegood. I'm going to pop us to the Hospital Wing. After I take care of these guys," he said, then waved his hand and the perpetrators disappeared to the dungeons that Xander had told him about shortly after he had arrived. He'd tell someone about them soon, maybe. They could wait the night. Just as he was about to leave the room, a group of teachers and a contingent of goblins stormed in.
"What happened?" McGonagall asked, pointing her wand around the room, looking for danger that wasn't there anymore.
The goblins spread out, looking for something to kill.
"Miss Lovegood, what are you doing here?" Professor Flitwick inquired, going to the girl, who backed away from him, making him frown.
"Yes, do please tell us what occurred," the Headmaster put in, lowering his wand. Harry had heard that Dumbledore had had to get a new one from Ollivanders. That his old one had long disappeared in the last war.
"We're not sure. Luna was here when I got here," Harry replied, holding the girl's hand on his arm, which was trembling. "When I came, there were three boys about to hurt her. I was just about to take her to Madam Pomfrey."
"Where are the boys now?" Dumbledore asked, looking over his half-moon spectacles, with a raised eyebrow.
"I sent them away," Harry said with a shrug.
"How did you do that?" was asked.
"Accidental magic, I think," he answered, furrowing his brow as if to think. He didn't want to tell them it was on purpose.
"Where, might I inquire?" was the next question from the old man.
"Somewhere in the dungeon," was the answer.
"Are you going to say where?"
"Nope. Find them yourself."
"Mr. Potter, show some respect," McGonagall said firmly. She might be the boy's foster grandmother, but that didn't mean she was going to let him get away with bad manners.
"Fine," Harry huffed as he started walking out of the room, the goblins surrounding the couple. "AsI said, they are in the dungeons. In one of the cells."
"We have cells?" Flitwick asked, still glancing at a worried Luna as if to figure out why she feared him.
"Yes. At the bottom of the castle," Albus answered, following the two students. "They will be fine there, for now."
"Do you know who it was?" Minerva asked the kids.
"Three upper-years. Two had Slytherin robes, the other was in Ravenclaw. All boys, alone, in a room with a scantily dressed first-year girl," Harry snarled.
"We will address them later. Are you hurt, Miss Lovegood?" the Headmaster asked.
"Harry saved me," she said in that detached voice of hers.
"From what I wonder," the smallest professor mumbled to himself.
"Do you know how you got here?" McGonagall asked as they walked on.
"No, I woke up here," Luna answered, holding tight to Harry's arm.
"Filius, you're going to have to interrogate the girls in her room," the Deputy Headmistress said, knowing that boys could not enter there.
"Yes, I will do just that," the diminutive man stated, thinking the same thing.
After that, the walk was done quietly. Harry would have popped them, but they were still hiding that from the others.
The exam showed Luna mostly unharmed. Shaken, but not hurt badly. The bruises wereeasily healed. The theory was they were caused by tight ropes around her arms. She had nothing further to tell them.
Hpbtvshpbtvs
Xander was pissed that this happened on his watch, it didn't matter that he wasn't there. He stormed down to the dungeons and questioned the boys. They confessed that they were going to do unspeakable things to the girl, that her Housemates had set her up, and that they had been paid. Bullets were a wonderful incentive to get people to talk.
All three were arrested on the spot. Six of the Aurors, that had come with Xander, took them into custody and Joyce had the house elves pack their bags. They would never appear in Hogwarts again. Since two were still minors there was little hope of them seeing Azkaban. The other was a rich pureblood, so they didn't hold hope for him going there either. However, they were expelled and were now considered shames to their family. Albus didn't interfere, Xander figured the man felt it was not worth losing his fragile hold on his job.
Flitwick finally realized why the girl feared him. Her Housemates had told her horror stories about what they'd do if she told. They made him out to be a full-blooded goblin that would eat her if she caused trouble. And while she didn't believe it completely true, her father ran stories about mythical deeds goblins had done. So, she was very wary. It broke his heart.
Ravenclaw was gone through with a fine-tooth comb, and a great deal of them was either suspended or had year-long detention. Two were expelled, but they could not be held culpable for the kidnapping. They were minors, only forth-years, but they had been seen giving the boys money. They too were never seen at Hogwarts, or even Britain, again. Their families fled in shame.
A great many students and parents, when the notice was sent to those at home, were relieved that Hogwarts was changing for the better. Too many years had passed that this would have been swept under the rug, so this was good.
Luna still feared going to Ravenclaw dorms and was put in a room in the 'house.' Hermione joined her. Neville was added to Harry's room, and all were put under chastity spells. Everyone treated each other like siblings, something they all knew little about.
Xander found that the mirrors had had a large part in this little caper. The kidnappers used them to sneak the halls and avoid the goblins, ghost and armor. Still, they had to stay up until the basilisk was dead. That also left the one second-year Slytherin as his likely suspect, since the other five that missed the feast were accounted for. Luna had been spelled to sleep that night, missing the feast. The others were now expelled. So that left the one unaccounted for student. He just had to figure out how.