Chapter Twenty "Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die" Psalm 79:11

"Did you know that Archimedes is working on the Ministry to release the Death Eaters from Azkaban who had been in the ranks for less than one year? That means your school friends would be getting out if he's successful," Luna commented to Draco one evening as they sat in front of the fire after dinner.

Draco's pale eyes snapped onto her face instantly. "No. Where did you hear that?" he asked, his long fingers suddenly still where he had been drumming them against the tapestry covering of his armchair.

"Archimedes told me himself today. We had our first session this afternoon after my morning lectures," Luna replied. "As I was about to leave, he mentioned it because he knows I am a friend of Jinty's and her sister Jasmine would be released if he is able to persuade the Ministry," she added by way of explanation.

Draco's eyes glittered like ice as the firelight played over his face as he absorbed this information. He bit his lip and his eyes narrowed as his mind quickly ran over ideas of how he may be able to help Archimedes in his plan. "Did he mention whether the Ministry is receptive to the plan?" Draco asked hopefully.

"No but I would guess Dumbledore would be behind it in a trice if he was told about it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Archimedes has already enlisted his support," Luna mused.

"Neither would I," Draco murmured and put the tip of his thumb in his mouth and chewed the nail as he thought. "Maybe we should owl Dumbledore about it?" he suggested finally.

"Oh, let's just go and see him," Luna shrugged. Draco nodded and they flooed over to Hogwarts.

Dumbledore was very pleased to see them and offered them both a glass of brandy once they were seated in his study. "Well young Luna, how did your first session with Archimedes go today?" he asked kindly.

"All he did was give me a mountain of books to read. He wants me to know the theory before we begin on the practice," Luna replied wryly. She liked to read and would enjoy the books she had been given as she had a natural interest in the subject matter however it would be hard to keep up with her University work and the amount of reading Archimedes had given her. Just because he has no life, Luna thought to herself feeling disgruntled.

"Good, good. Now, how can I be of assistance? I take it the Slytherins who just visited you for the summer holidays behaved themselves?" Dumbledore said with a smile. "They certainly came back to Hogwarts looking relaxed and happy."

"We had fun," Luna said with a smile, her green eyes amused at the memory of their antics.

Draco nodded in agreement. "No, they were no problem at all. The House Elves were in their element trying to keep up with the constant demand for food. They get quite depressed when the kids go back to school," Draco commented dryly. "We actually came to see you about something Archimedes mentioned to Luna today," he added and went on to explain.

"Ah yes! Archimedes has been keeping me up-to-date with this excellent plan of his and I will be meeting with Ministry officials tomorrow about it," Dumbledore nodded, his expression pleased.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Draco asked quietly.

"I think Archimedes whole plan arose out of the information you gave about the Death Eaters and your first few months in their ranks. It made him realize that a lot of the youngsters really joined out of the expectations of their Death Eater parents and the new initiates had little or nothing to do with planning and implementing the horrors at Gillamoor. I think he feels that these kids deserve a second chance to choose," Dumbledore clarified with a benign smile lighting up his blue eyes.

Luna smiled at Draco, pleased to hear that his work with the Ministry had unforeseen benefits. Draco nodded, feeling relieved that his co-operation and openness was already yielding results. "Would it help for me to be at your meeting tomorrow?" Draco suggested.

Dumbledore looked at him consideringly. "Yes, I think it would be very beneficial indeed," he replied sounding pleased.

* * *

The meeting the next day went off very well and by the time the Minister had heard all of Archimedes persuasive arguments, Dumbledore's compassionate pleas and Draco's own story he agreed to speak to the necessary legal authorities. Azkaban did not give up its prisoners easily but if the Counselors could be persuaded, there was nothing to prevent the young prisoners being given full liberty again.

* * *

As an object lesson, Archimedes took Luna with him next time he visited the young ex-Death Eaters in Azkaban. None of them had been sentenced to a Dementor's Kiss so as long as they were given a Petronus Cloak for a short time, they were able to speak quite lucidly to their visitors.

Draco's old friend Crabbe was there, as was a girl who looked so much like Jinty that it had to be Jasmine. There were other kids there, some of whom looked as though they may be related to some of the kids who visited Malfoy Manor every holiday. They were all thin (even Crabbe) and pale with large purple bruises under their eyes. They looked haunted and hunted and desperate.

Luna suffered badly in Azkaban. Not because of the effect of the Dementors - the Patronus Cloak prevented that. She could feel the suffering of the inhabitants, past and present, hanging in the air like a thick fog. Luna could feel the fear and suffocating misery crowding in on her like something physical. Walking along the corridors was a hard as swimming against a current; she was battling so much negative emotion coming at her from the very walls. The problem was, Luna acknowledged to herself, that she felt other people's emotions as though they were her own but somehow magnified. When she was little, sometimes she got other people's emotions confused with her own. She couldn't explain to anyone except perhaps Archimedes because they didn't understand what she meant. She had understood her own status as a freak from a very young age.

Luna picked up something else more interesting while at Azkaban. Jasmine was very much like her sister with thick, long, wavy chestnut hair, large hazel eyes and a tall, slender build. Frankly, Luna could not understand why Draco hadn't been smitten with her. There was nothing about her that wouldn't attract a teenage boy. The minute Archimedes and Jasmine were in the same room, Luna knew that Archimedes loved the girl. He didn't give the slightest sign of it. He didn't flicker an eyelid or behave at all differently towards her than he did the other kids but Luna just knew as certainly as she knew her own love for Draco.

Luna sat back and absorbed this new revelation. Archimedes loving anyone was rather a new thought for Luna. He always seemed so self-sufficient and sensible, not the type to have much of a heart but he did - Luna could feel it like something tangiable, like an electric warmth. Like the Northern Lights lit up the Arctic sky, so Archimedes' emotion lit up the emotional charge of the room. Interestingly, Luna was unsure of Jasmine's own feelings. She caught the girl looking at Archimedes a few times when she knew he was not looking in her direction but her eyes showed little emotion but helplessness and blank misery which had probably more to do with her current imprisonment in the hell hole of Azkaban.

Luna calculated that there was probably only 5 to 6 years that separated Archimedes and Jasmine in age. If Jasmine did love Archimedes once the nightmare of Azkaban was over for her (and Luna was sure it would be sooner rather than later), he would be able to provide a very stable environment for the girl to heal in emotionally and in other ways.

Luna leaned forward across the table separating herself and Jasmine while Archimedes was busy with Crabbe and said, "do you remember your sister Jinty?" Jasmine looked up at her and her large hazel eyes filled with tears. She nodded and then swallowed, lowering her head again. "I see her all the time. She just spent 2 months at Malfoy Manor with myself and Draco and the other Slytherin kids. She talks about you all the time. She loves you very much," Luna continued.

It was a relief to see some other emotion in Jasmine other than misery, despair and horror. Her love for her sister Jinty woke her up. A gleam almost of pleasure came into her eyes. Luna kept talking. She talked about what Jinty had done over the summer holidays, what Jinty's plans were for the future, what their younger brothers were getting up to in grade school, about Jinty's handsome Hufflepuff boyfriend who followed the attractive girl around the school like a puppy dog, about Jinty's friends and how they all invited her around to their homes for the holidays but Jinty preferred to be at the Serpent's Den. The whole time she talked, Jasmine's face gradually lost its blank despair and her eyes kindled and her lips almost smiled.

Luna suddenly realized that Archimedes was waiting to speak to Jasmine but his eyes had been fixed intently on the girl's face as Luna spoke as though he was unable to tear his gaze away from seeing her even slightly animated for the first time. His expression was as shuttered and stern as it ever was however and Luna doubted that Jasmine even suspected the handsome Senior Auror had any feelings for her at all. Silly man, Luna thought irritably.

* * *

As they left Azkaban and crossed over the swamp to where they could apparate from again, Archimedes abruptly said, "you did a marvelous job with Jasmine. You reminded her that there were still good things in the world. Azkaban robs you of those memories. For a few minutes, Jasmine got a break from her torment."

"You might want to show her that you love her. That would probably help her too," Luna said bluntly. Archimedes was a direct person, if rather severely private and hedging wasn't going to help any.

Archimedes lips compressed but he neither confirmed nor denied what she said. "No fun having another sensitive around is it?" Luna grinned at him. Archimedes sent her a freezing glance then realized the truth of what she said and relaxed in resignation. "You don't have to make any declarations for goodness sake. Just do what I did today, talk to her and remind her about the good things out here. She won't forget anything you do for her in there when she gets out. Besides, I reckon she thinks you're really hot," Luna added her grin spreading and her green eyes glinting with evil fun.

Archimedes opened his mouth to say something then shut it abruptly like a trap. "Oh, she does so. I saw her checking you out when you weren't looking," Luna continued cheerfully, enjoying herself hugely. She knew perfectly well Archimedes was dying to hear her impressions but would rather rot in hell then ask. "Which is amazing when you think about it considering her mental state," and Luna sighed, her grin fading away.

"I have to get her out," Archimedes murmured almost to himself. "I mean, get them out," he corrected himself hastily.

"I could tease you mercilessly but I won't," Luna said smugly.

* * *

"Hey, Archimedes is in love with Jinty's sister," Luna told Draco when she got home. Draco's eyes got very wide.

"How do you know? I can't imagine him ever saying anything like that in a mad fit!" Draco replied incredulously.

"I'm a sensitive, remember? I just know," Luna said loftily, her voice amused.

Draco made a rude noise. "Well, you didn't know how I felt about you. Remember the whole bit about 'you didn't like me enough for it to be worth my while'," Draco mimicked her high girl's voice maliciously.

"Awwww! Diddums! Didum widdum hurt your ickle feewings?" Luna mocked him wickedly. "Besides, it doesn't apply when it's your own romance. I'm sure Archimedes has no idea of whether or not Jasmine returns his feelings," she added sensibly.

"Really?" Draco said, his interest caught and rather relieved that Luna couldn't read his emotions like a book. "So does she?" he asked curiously.

"Not sure," Luna frowned. "Azkaban tends to only permit misery so it would be hard for any prisoner to feel anything positive like love while in there. Then again, she was checking him out when he wasn't looking."

"All you girls check him out when he's not looking," Draco said sourly.

"Eye candy," Luna said unapologetically without flickering an eyelash. "But he's not as cute as you," she said with teasing syrupy sweetness, going up to him and putting her arms around him smiling up into his angular face.

"Sure," he said dourly but relaxed when Luna nestled her dark head against his shoulder and held him close, breathing in his scent. All thoughts of Archimedes and Jasmine went immediately out of his head as his long fingers curled around hers.