Another three years later
Lizzy looked around her small flat in Diagon Alley, pulling a fuzzy blanket more securely around her shoulders. In the three years since the end of the Second Wizarding War, Lizzy had finished her education and had decided to put her charms and ancient runes prowess to good use by securing a position in the experimental charms division at the Ministry. However, today she was working from home.
She was seated on the sofa, several stacks of books and rolls of parchment scattered over the coffee table. Lizzy stared blankly at the book she had open on her lap, trying to remember what she had been reading about. After some minutes, she gave up, running her hands over her face in frustration. How was she supposed to get anything done like this? Her report on her new communication spell was due the next day, and that wasn't even mentioning the four or five extensions she'd already been given on the project.
Honestly, it was a wonder she hadn't been fired already, she thought miserably as she slowly got to her feet to retrieve a glass of water from the kitchen. She hadn't actually been to work in weeks.
Stop! She reminded herself sternly before her mind could descend down that road. You know what happened last time!
Ms. Twinklekins meowed pitifully from the living room as a whooshing sound filled her ears. Lizzy sighed. It was probably Luna. Luna was the only person who ever visited her. She'd been gone for several months though, on an expedition to China to look for rare creatures. Lizzy had forgotten Luna's return date was getting close. If she'd remembered, she'd have at least tried to tidy up a bit. Oh well, too late now.
Luna swept into the room gracefully, her signature dreamy expression noticeable. Her skin was tanned slightly and she looked more put-together than Lizzy had ever seen her. What do you know? She thought wryly. I guess even Luna had to grow up sometime.
What about you? A sly whisper began in her ear. You probably look terrible, you've locked yourself up in here for so long. Useless.
"Lizzy!" Luna had finally caught sight of her, and glided over to give her a hug, mercifully cutting off the whispers.
"Hi Luna, how was your trip?" Lizzy said, gingerly returning the gesture before extricating herself from her cousin's grip. "Sit down…"
She trailed off, noticing that there was, in fact, nowhere to sit. Her books and papers covered the entirety of every surface in the sitting room.
Useless, the whisper said again.
"Oh, no, that's ok," Luna smiled. "I'm here to take you to lunch."
"Lunch?" Lizzy said, surprised. "But…"
But you haven't showered in three days, and you smell, the nasty whisper added unhelpfully. Why would she want to hang out with you? You are just an awkward, no-good -
"Expecto Patronum!" Luna cried, waving her wand over Lizzy's head just as pain cut into her wand arm. The bouncing hare made its sudden appearance, leaping into Lizzy's arms and easing the throbbing slightly. Lizzy instantly felt a wave a calm wash over her for the first time in ages. She sighed in relief.
"Thanks," she gasped. Luna's dreamy expression had vanished. She was looking very seriously at the air over Lizzy's head, almost glaring at the spot.
"How long have the wrackspurts been like this?" She asked without preamble, glancing at Lizzy's arm looking upset. Lizzy gaped, trying to think, but the sudden relief had nearly brought her to tears and she was trying to keep herself together.
Luna waved off her own question, seeming to decide something. "Never mind. Come on!" She seized Lizzy's wrist and pulled her to the bathroom, shoving a towel into her hand. "Take a shower while I will find you some clothes, and then we'll be off!" Lizzy wanted to protest, but Luna was already closing the door behind her.
Once the door had closed, Luna looked around the flat. There were dishes in odd places, papers and books everywhere, and it looked (and smelled) like the cat litter hadn't been changed in quite some time. Those wrackspurts were really doing a number on her cousin, she thought grimly, shaking her head. Drawing her wand, she cast some cleaning charms, letting the dishes begin to wash themselves and vanishing the smelly cat litter.
Next, she headed to the living room and began to tidy up the reference materials that had been strewn over all the available furniture. Once the books and notes were gathered in a neat pile, Luna made her way over to the bookshelves. She noticed that some books were covered in dust, while others looked like they had a lot of wear and tear due to frequent use.
She idly flicked through books that had been piled haphazardly in a tall stack within the shelf. If there was anything her cousin was good at, it was finding new and interesting books to read. She saw many different ones, Muggle and Wizarding titles intermixed with each other. She picked up a few, examining them before stacking them again.
Suddenly, there was a slapping sound as a small notebook fell to the floor, hitting the wood loudly. Luna recognized it; it was the notebook Lizzy had been using to keep track of her moods as a teen. Luna picked it up and opened it. It naturally turned to one of the last entries, dated some two and a half years previously.
I feel terrible, it read. I haven't felt like myself for a long time now, but I don't knowhow to fix it. There are terrible whispers in my ears. They never end. I can't think, I can't feel, otherwise I'll be overrun. My body has become a collection of cuts and barely-healed scars. Sometimes I feel I might burst from the pain. I don't know how much longer I can do this. And my patronus is gone.
Underneath the messy scrawl was an equally-messy illustration of a person. Red ink slashed this way and that over much of the figure's body. Luna's eyes widened. She had known that the wrackspurts had become vicious, but she hadn't known it was that bad. Lizzy must have taken great pains to keep this information from her, otherwise there was almost no way she wouldn't have noticed. And the patronus…Luna flipped to the next page, but there was little else besides some random doodles. She hastily turned the pages back, but most of the previous information was not news to her.
Replacing the books, Luna sank heavily onto the sofa, a serious look on her face. It looked like Lizzy was going to need her help, just like she'd thought.
Some minutes later, a freshly-showered and dressed Lizzy followed her blonde cousin out back through the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. "Ok Luna, what's going on?" She finally asked, as Luna made her way through the crowded pub and out into Muggle London. But Luna just smiled.
"You'll see," she sing-songed happily before continuing her path down the street. Lizzy stared after her, then shrugged and followed.
Some minutes later, they arrived at a small cafe some several blocks from the Leaky. Luna led them to a large table in the back corner of the establishment and ordered four soups. Lizzy said nothing but looked around curiously.
"Are we meeting someone else?" She asked. Luna smiled again, but said nothing staring at a spot just over Lizzy's shoulder.
"You are indeed," said a jovial voice from behind her, and Lizzy jumped, looking around. The man behind her was tall, with reddish hair. The muscles in his arms and chest were defined, and he was just as tanned as Luna was. "Rolf Scamander," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. "And you must be Elizabeth. Luna's told me all about you," he continued.
Lizzy took his hand. "That would be me," she agreed, hoping she didn't sound too stupid. They all retook their seats, Rolf catching Luna in a brief hug before sitting down. Lizzy eyed the two curiously as she noted the way Luna was watching the newcomer. Her face split into a grin.
"Don't tell me you've been holding out on me, Luna," she teased, and when Luna beamed back, that was all the answer she needed. "How long have you two been together?"
Rolf chuckled. "You caught on quick," he said with a wide smile. "I met Luna about a year ago on the expedition to Brazil, but we've only been together-"
"-for 29 days," Luna cut in happily, taking Rolf's hand in her own.
You won't have a relationship like that, the whisper began again. No one wants you. No one needs you. You just-
"Oh, the soup's here," Luna pointed out, thankfully cutting across the whispering, drowning it out. Lizzy turned her full attention to the bowl and the two people in front of her.
"So…did you just ask me here to introduce me to your boyfriend, Luna? Not that I'm not glad to meet you, of course," She said, nodding to Rolf as she scooped up a spoonful of chicken and veggies. She looked up just in time to see them exchange a look before they turned back to her. "What?" She asked suspiciously.
"We were actually hoping you could help us with something," Rolfe answered after a slight hesitation. "You see…" he trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"We want to study the wrackspurts," Luna said with no trace of apology in her voice or expression as she took a bite of her soup. Lizzy stared.
"You…what?"
"Luna described the strange behavior of the wrackspurts that surround you, and we thought maybe it was…worth looking into," Rolf said hesitantly, studying her as though he were trying to decode the posture of a hippogriff to see if it was safe to approach. "There are a rising number of people coming to St. Mungo's complaining of mood swings and pain with no plausible cause since the war. Some are hearing voices, and a few of them have slices all over their bodies, but they don't know what is causing them. We think the wrackspurts might be behind it." Lizzy frowned at her bowl.
"If we study them, we might be able to find a way to get rid of them," Rolf added, sounding hopeful. He pushed a sheet of parchment across the table toward her. "You would live in an observation area in the ministry with the others. We would be working on ways to cure you, as well as understanding the objectives of the wrackspurts- how they think, what motivates them, if their appearance is coincidence or engineered by someone…you get it. We're hoping to begin a week from next Monday." He gestured to different points on the parchment as he spoke, leading her to believe it was some sort of informational form or brochure, or perhaps a contract.
They think you're a freak, the voice whispered. Besides, how can you help? You haven't been to work in weeks. You'll just let them down. They have lots of other specimens they can use. They don't actually needyou.
After looking over the parchment, as well as a few more seconds thought, Lizzy finally shook her head.
"I don't think this is a very good idea," she said slowly, continuing to eat her soup. Rolf's face fell, but Luna patted him gently on the arm.
"That's alright, Lizzy," she said, not looking at all phased by this news. "We can talk to some others." Rolf looked disgruntled, but nodded his head.
"Of course, we won't force you to," he added.
The trio sat in silence as they ate, until she caught sight of the fourth soup bowl.
"Was there someone else coming?" She asked, gesturing to it.
Rolf nodded his head, but before he could speak, Luna interjected.
"No, they won't be able to meet us this time," she said, slipping her hand back into her jumper pocket, as though replacing something. "As a matter of fact, Rolf," she said, getting to her feet, "we really need to go." Lizzy's brow furrowed as Rolf looked at his girlfriend in confusion. Luna's expression turned serious. "We need to go now, Rolfe," she repeated, tugging the man to his feet. He seemed to have caught on, because he quickly threw a wad of British pounds on the table and bid Lizzy a hasty farewell with a grim expression on his face. Before she could ask anything else, they disappeared, leaving the parchment behind.
Lizzy made her way slowly back to Diagon Alley, trying to figure out what had just happened. Luna had a new boyfriend; Luna and Rolf wanted to study her wrackspurts; but then something had happened and they'd had to rush off. Was it related to the research? To the other person that they were supposed to meet?
Arriving back at her flat, she sat down on the sofa, which she dimly realized was clean, and looked over the parchment again. She would be compensated for the time she spent; the salary honestly wasn't bad, especially considering that the ministry department would provide her with food and a place to stay. She would be in a facility that would be like a large house, but also like a two-way mirror. She wouldn't be able to detect the researchers most of the time, but they would be able to observe the people and their reactions to certain stimuli. It would last for at least a month, so she would have to quit her job or get some sort of extended leave…
It was then that Lizzy realized she had been thinking about all this from a positive standpoint and shook herself. She had no intention of doing this, she reminded herself sternly. Her track record with commitments did not inspire confidence. Besides, it would be useless; wrackspurts didn't actually exist, after all. But a niggling feeling continued to bother her at the back of her mind. It was so insistent that the whispers couldn't get through. Some part of her, the part that was tired of feeling awful, the part that was run down from all the pain, the part that longed for peace, needed her to do this.
She quickly scribbled a note before she could change her mind, then rushed back out into Diagon Alley to send an owl to Luna.
And so that was how Lizzy found herself heading through the ministry about a week and a half later, carting a rucksack with an extension charm which held basically all her books and a carrier which housed Ms. Twinklekins. By this point, she was no longer sure this was a good idea. She had flip-flopped over this, agonized over possibilities, and been sliced several more times by the wrackspurts. Her body was screaming in pain as she shifted her rucksack slightly, the straps rubbing on her wounds, but she urged her feet onward through the atrium.
Suddenly, Luna appeared, taking the luggage from her cousin and carefully taking her arm.
"Come on, this way," Luna said, escorting Lizzy to the lift. There were a few other people milling about, but it was extremely early on a Monday morning, so not many wizards and witches had bothered to come in to work yet. The lift door opened at the Department of Mysteries, and Luna continued to pull Lizzy with her. They opened a door to a round room, which spun with a dizzying speed. Luna pulled out her wand and cast a spell. A door just to their right glowed purple. Luna grasped the handle, opening it to reveal a somewhat dark room.
A glowing image of a room was displayed on the wall, changing every so often to a new room. Some of the rooms had people in them, others were empty. Arranged in the dark room was a number of desks, filing cabinets, and shelves with reference books on them. And in the center was a door. The door did not seem to be connected to anything, but just then the door opened and someone walked out into the office.
"He's stable now," the man was saying as he sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was probably around the same age as her, had light brown hair, and wore sky blue healer's robes. On his nose was a pair of rectangular spectacles. "I had to stun him while he was distracted by the others, and give him an Extra-Strength Sleeping Draught and an Extra-Strength Calming Draught," he continued, addressing Luna, who was looking uncharacteristically serious again. "The others are still stuck to the ceiling, though, I couldn't get them down."
"Keep him asleep for now," Luna replied, sounding more no-nonsense than Lizzy had ever heard her before. "I'll unstick your colleagues. If he wakes up, let me know immediately." The man nodded, dashing away.
"That's Euan Ambercrombie," Luna explained. "He's one of several healer students that are here to help. This way," she added, gently pushing Lizzy toward the door Euan Ambercrombie had just appeared from. Lizzy did as she was told, stepping through the door into an entryway, which looked like it might have been part of some old Victorian mansion. A house elf wearing a black toga made from a pillowcase appeared and took her luggage from Luna before popping away. Luna returned her gaze to her cousin.
"Ok, here's a copy of the house rules and procedures," Luna said, handing her a sheet of parchment. "Feel free to settle in. There should only be a couple others here, but they may not feel like having company at the moment. Stick to your room or the common areas of the house," she said in a business-like tone. "Most of the other participants will be here later today."
"How many of us are there?" Lizzy asked, more for something to do than anything else. She had no intention of snooping on the other people in the house. She just wanted to figure out where she was living and get out of the spotlight.
"By the time everyone arrives, there should be about 10 or 12," Luna replied, motioning for Lizzy to follow her up the stairs. "Honestly, it was a miracle we even got that many. Most people don't believe in wrackspurts, so it was difficult to convince them why we needed to do this at all."
"How did you get the funding then?" Lizzy asked curiously, more engaged in the conversation as they walked. "I would have thought the Ministry wouldn't be thrilled about it if you're spending their money to research what a lot of people think is nonsense."
Luna grimaced. "I had to make a case to directly to the Minster," she answered. Her expression held something Lizzy couldn't quite identify. Guilt? Pity? Lizzy looked at her cousin questioningly, but Luna only shook her head, as though to indicate she wasn't going to say anymore. Lizzy didn't feel like prying into it, so she silently continued to follow up another flight of stairs.
When they reached the next floor, Lizzy caught sight of a number of people bustling about outside a room there. Some were wearing healers' robes, others were probably researchers or maintenance. Rolf was there too, looking frazzled.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here," he said, looking to Luna in relief. "We really need—"
"Let me get Lizzy settled, and then we can figure out what to do," she replied quickly, cutting off whatever the man was going to say next. He nodded, running a hand through his auburn hair distractedly, before turning on his heel and making his way back to the room in question.
Luna did not move to follow, having stopped in front of a door next to the one where all the activity seemed to be happening. She waved her wand at the doorknob, then gestured to it.
"Press your thumb to the doorknob," she instructed. "Once you are done, only your touch will open your door. The only others who can open it are the staff, and they would only do so in an emergency." Lizzy did as requested, then turned the knob, letting herself into a comfortable room.
A large full-size bed stood at one wall, with white sheets and comforter draped over it neatly. Several white throw pillows were strewn artistically next to the headboard, and a fuzzy white blanket was folded at the foot of the was also a chest of drawers, a nightstand, and a writing desk. A window, probably enchanted, allowed some amount of sunlight into the room, framed by white curtains. A plush tan sofa stood some distance in front of the bed, and a fireplace was on the wall opposite the bed. A door to the left probably led to an ensuite bathroom.
"Feel free to change the colors of anything to suit you," Luna continued. "You may call Daisy the house elf if you need anything." She turned toward the door. "I need to go see to some things. Go ahead and unpack your belongings to your liking. I'll see you later." With a brief smile and a wave, she was gone.
Lizzy looked around the room, beginning to feel excited. A change of scenery might be helpful, she decided. Pulling out her wand, she made some of the pillows sunshine yellow, and others sky blue. With another wave of her wand, the throw blanket took on the same shade as the blue pillows. The sofa became a chocolate brown, as did all the wood in the room, and the couch throw pillows became the same colors as those on the bed. Waving her wand again, another fuzzy white blanket appeared. Stowing her wand, Lizzy picked up the blanket, draping it carefully over the couch. Satisfied, she smiled to herself, looking around for her belongings.
The house elf downstairs seemed to have gotten there before them, because Ms. Twinklekins and her rucksack were sitting near the desk. Opening the carrier, she released her cat into the room, who immediately curled up on one of the throw pillows and went to sleep. Smirking to her self, she shook her head. Apparently Ms. Twinklekins had no reservations about this move.
It won't do you any good, the sly whispers said in her head. You're broken. You will always be broken. Nothing you do here will change that.
You're wrong, Lizzy thought back stubbornly as she turned her attention to another project, taking out her wand. A few moments later, she had in front of her a bookshelf in the same color wood as her other furniture. Adding a few more spells to it, she stood back to admire her handiwork.
The shelf was small, with only three levels. However, the additional spells should have made it so she could cycle the books held within it. She moved to test it, pulling several tomes from her rucksack and stowing them within the shelves. Then she waved her wand and the shelves became bare once more. Shelving several more books, she waved her wand again. The shelf was once again, empty. Repeating the process a few more times showed that she had seven compartments, just as she had anticipated. Waving her wand in reverse, she was able to access the compartments again.
Happily, she got to work organizing the compartments. This series here, that series there; single novels in this compartment, non-fiction in that one. Finally, once all her books were neatly arranged, she turned her attention to her clothing and toiletries. When everything was in its proper place, she sat down on the sofa, sighing as she wrapped herself in the throw blanket.
Now what should I do? She thought. She didn't much feel like reading at the moment. Actually, some part of her really wanted to meet the other people there.
They won't like you, the whispers insisted. You're so useless, they will think you are boring. You aren't smart. You don't know anything, really. Why don't you just stay here? You won't bother anyone that way.
"Expecto Patronum!" She incanted, fully fed up with the whispering. Her fluffy cat patronus did not appear, but a small amount of silver mist sprouted from the end of her wand. Gasping in awe, she allowed a smile to appear on her lips. It had been so long since that spell had done anything, since she'd even felt like trying to fight back! And something had finally happened. She decided to take this as a good sign, an omen that maybe things would be different now.
After taking some time to read through the parchments that Luna had handed to her (which detailed things like when to expect meals, meetings with the other attendees, researchers, and healers, activities, that sort of thing), Lizzy decided it was time to explore the house. Carefully leaving Ms. Twinklepaws asleep in her room, she made her way to the door, but stopped short. From what she had seen thus far, this was a huge facility. Maybe it would be better to have someone show her the way. She didn't want to cause an embarrassing scene by trying to open the doors to someone's private room, after all.
"Daisy," she called, and instantly the house elf appeared with a small pop. This house elf was not the one who had taken her luggage, but another. Her eyes were slightly wider, and her nose shorter. But like the first elf, she also wore a black toga emblazoned with the Ministry's insignia.
"What cans Daisy be doing for you, Miss?" The elf asked, blinking huge eyes in her direction.
"I'd like to look around, but I don't want to get lost," Lizzy explained. "Do you have time to give me a tour?"
The little elf nodded. "I can certainly be doing that for you, Miss," she squeaked. "Is there being anything of interest you want to see?"
Lizzy shook her head. "I just need to know how to get to the main areas of the house," she replied.
"This way, Miss," Daisy said, gesturing toward the door. Lizzy opened it, following closely behind as Daisy led her back down the hall the way they had come until they reached the stairs again.
"All the bedrooms is being on the top floor," Daisy explained as they descended to the next level. "This floor is having a game room, a library, a music and art room, and an exercise room." They wandered slowly through all of these activity rooms, and Lizzy was happy to see that the library had many quiet nooks to curl up in. As they exited, Lizzy nearly ran into someone who was attempting to enter the room.
"Why don't you look where you're going?" Demanded a surly voice that Lizzy somehow recognized. Looking up, she got a glimpse of blonde hair and gray eyes, before the person pushed past her and disappeared behind a row of shelves. Malfoy? What on earth was Malfoy doing here?
"Follow me please, Miss," Daisy's voice sounded from behind her.
"Just Lizzy is fine," Lizzy said offhandedly, still mulling over the mystery that was Draco Malfoy's appearance.
"Yes, Miss Lizzy," Daisy replied, pulling at the sleeve of her sweater. "This way please."
Lizzy shook off the thoughts and turned to follow Daisy to the staircase. They continued on their way to the ground floor, which held the entryway, a large sitting room, a kitchen and dining area, and a garden space.
"Lunch is being soon, Miss Lizzy," Daisy piped up, handing the young woman a container. "Missy Luna be asking you to eat in your room today. Dinner will be here in the dining room when all the others have arrived."
"Thank you, Daisy," Lizzy said, taking the container. The lid was clear, allowing Lizzy to see a sandwich and salad inside.
"You bes needing me to take you back to your room?" Daisy inquired when Lizzy didn't move. Lizzy shook her head.
"No thanks, I think I can find it," she said. Daisy made a small curtsey, then disappeared.
Lizzy looked around. So far, the only person she had seen was Malfoy. Maybe he was the person Luna had been talking about? The one in the room next to hers? He looked fine now though, if he was feeling well enough to go to the library.
Or maybe not, she reminded herself. When she was in her books, that's when things were threatening to overwhelm her the most. Maybe he had a similar escape mechanism, she thought.
Just then, she heard a noise from the direction of the entryway. Making her way toward it, she caught a glimpse of a young man and woman she remembered seeing in school. The boy had been a little tiny kid as a first year, she remembered, who had fallen into the Lake on his way to the Welcome Feast. She thought he'd been sorted into Gryffindor…was he Colin Creevy's brother? That certainly sounded right, she thought. The girl had been a Slytherin she thought, just a couple years behind her in school. Her appearance reminded her of Daphne Greengrass.
"This way," she heard Rolf saying as the three of them began climbing the stairs to the next floor. Lizzy waited a few minutes, then followed, not wanting to look like she was eavesdropping. She decided to take a detour to the music room, since she was fairly confident there wouldn't be anyone there. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the library.
But upon entering the room she noticed she was not alone. There was an older woman, around the age of forty or so, running her fingers gently over the keys of the piano. Lizzy watched her for a moment, feeling uncomfortable as she noticed the tears running down the woman's face.
Unable to watch anymore, she turned and fled down the hall, up the stairs and to her own room. It was then that she noticed that her door had her name on it in sky blue and white lettering. She blinked at it for a moment, then turned her gaze to the rest of the hall.
The door across from her's was marked, "Dennis" in royal blue. "Astoria" was on the door next to hers on the right, inscribed in purple and lavender. To the left of Dennis's room was "Emma", in pale yellow and pink. The door to the right was blank, so it probably did not have an occupant. Several doors down she could make out another name written in silver, but she could not quite read it from the distance at which she was standing. It probably belonged to Malfoy, she reasoned. Several more rooms across from Malfoy's were also empty, lacking an assignment. At last she turned her attention to the room to the left of her own. The name on the door read, "Harrison" in deep green letters.
Harrison should be the person that had stuck several of the healers to the ceiling that morning, she guessed. She wondered if he would be an older man, if he had powerful enough magic that several of the researchers couldn't figure out how to get them down. She certainly didn't remember any Harrison going to school around the same time as her. He would probably be an adult, she decided. Well, a more-adult adult than herself, she amended to herself, remembering that she was, in fact, legally grown as well.
Finally pulling herself out of her thoughts, she opened the door to her own room, sitting down at the desk with her food and a book she hastily pulled from the shelf. This was going to be an interesting experience.