Title: Strings of Fate
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Being raised only by his Aunt, Harry comes to Hogwarts not only knowing about the Wizarding World, but with a kind of training no one at the school is expecting.
Professor McGonagall sighed as the last of the students disappeared around the corner heading back to their Dorms before turning back to the gathering of Professors, except Lockhart, and Ghosts.
"Right, so if Miss Norris is not dead then what happened?" McGonagall said.
"Like I said, she has been petrified." Dumbledore said. "I don't think it was a potion and it seems unlikely that it was a student."
"No, defiantly not a potion." Snape said, taking a close look at the petrified cat. "Not unless Potter has created another new one."
"I know one or two plants that could potentially do this, but nothing available here." Professor Sprout said.
"Did Potter say anything? Did the Castle tell him anything?" Professor Vector asked Myrtle.
"Nothing." Myrtle replied. "He was as surprised as any of us."
"If there was anything foreign to the Wards, Hogwarts would have let me know as well." Helena said. "And she did not track anything near to this point at that time."
"Wait! The Castle talks to Potter?" Dumbledore asked. "And to you?"
"Of course." Helena said. "Hogwarts is female. She sees the Founders as her parents and me as her sister."
"I must not be getting all my memos." Dumbledore said quietly.
"So, what does it mean if whatever did this is not foreign to the wards?" McGonagall asked.
"Well, if this is some kind of entity, then that is a real worry." The Baron said.
"Agreed." Helena said. "Hogwarts tracks every entity within the wards. There is only one way something could be hidden from the wards."
"Of course." Professor Sprout said. "The Founders set up the original wards, they are the only ones who could exclude something from the wards."
"Bugger." Snape said. "Just what I need. A thousand-year-old scavenger hunt."
Harry entered the Apartment and saw Susan and Hannah sitting on the couches.
"How was the Death Day Party?" Susan asked.
"Well, Luna danced wildly with Helena Ravenclaw, heard some stories about my mother and then found Miss Norris who had been Petrified outside the girls' bathroom on the second floor." Harry said.
"So… same old, same old?" Susan said.
"Any clue on what did it to Miss Norris?" Hannah asked.
"None, but the professors are looking into it." Harry replied.
Petunia slipped in the back of the courtroom and slid into a seat next to Amelia. The court case had been going on for several hours, and was expected to continue for a few more days.
"What's happened so far?" Petunia asked quietly.
"Prosecution has called four of the Aurors from the team that arrested Black, and are now have the Dispatch Officer on the stand." Amelia replied just as quietly. "They don't know it but they are starting to build our case."
Petunia nodded and watched as the Prosecution finished questioning the Dispatch Officer and the Defence Attorney stood and began his cross examination, clarifying the exact timing of the Floo Call into the Auror Office and when the teams left to search for Black. Sirius himself was sitting at the defence table and, on legal advice and threats of bodily harm from both Amelia and Petunia, he kept calm and silent.
"So… when are our witnesses testifying?" Petunia asked.
"In two days." Amelia replied. "We're keeping Dumbledore out of this but Hagrid will be testifying, and McGonagall if we need her."
The way the Defence Attorney was asking the questions made it seem more like he was trying to catch the Dispatch Officer in any inconsistency rather than trying to solidly establish the timeline that proved Sirius was innocent.
Luna sat in the Ravenclaw Common Room, sitting with Hermione and Padma. No, wait, it was Wells and Padma, though she may be Athena soon. It was important to remember these little social things, and it was hard for Luna sometimes. She had to remind herself to pay attention to these kinds of things and not let herself get lost in the world she had built for herself since her mother's death.
She was working on her homework for Charms, while the two older girls were chatting as they worked on their own homework. The Common Room had become more welcoming to Luna since the incident earlier in the year with Chang and Tiller, and none of her clothes had gone missing since then either, knowing that she was under Harry Potter's, no, Ambassador's protection. It felt good knowing that Wells and Ambassador were looking out for her, and were perhaps even friends.
Luna looked up when a soft hoot sounded from next to her and saw Diomedes, her family's owl, perched on the edge of the table with a letter tied around his leg. Nodding her thanks, she untied the letter from the owl's leg and pulled a few owl treats out of her pocket. Even without opening the letter she instantly knew it was from Dudley, given that it was paper in an envelope rather than parchment sealed with wax as her father, the only other person not at Hogwarts who would be writing her, would use.
Seeing who it was from, Luna smiled. Dudley Evans, who insisted since their second conversation that she call him simply Dudley, despite him also having a nickname, was an interesting and sweet boy. He was often a bit shy around her but he listened and believed her without reservation when she spoke about Nargles and Wrackspurts.
She opened his letter and read with fascination as he described his Prep School and the Rugby games he had played. He also inquired about her school work and asked if he would be able to see her at some time during the Christmas Break. Apart from Ginny, who had spent a lot of time playing with Luna as they grew up as much for being the only two Magical girls in the area as that their parents though it was a good idea, Luna had never had anyone besides her parents who actually wanted to spend time with her when they could be doing something else.
"Wells, I got a letter from Dudley and I don't understand." Luna said.
"What don't you understand, Luna?" Hermione replied.
"He wants to spend time with me. I don't understand why." Luna clarified, passing the letter to Hermione.
Hermione quickly read the letter with Padma reading over her shoulder.
"It's simple." Padma said when they finished the letter. "He likes you."
"But what does that mean?" Luna said, struggling to understand. "What does he want?"
"Nothing. He wants nothing but to spend time with you." Hermione explained. "Later something may come from it but for now, that's all he wants."
"Ok." Luna said happily. "If that's what he wants then that is fine."
TBC…