A/N: Hello again. I get bored, and hence I update quicker. How do y'all
like it so far? I won't know unless y'all post some reviews! Also, if
anyone has some suggestions as to what they'd like to happen next, I may be
able to put a few things in.
Chapter Three
"Oh, Harry...this one will be hard to explain to everyone. Definitely." Hermione smiled.
Ron blinked at the picture several times. "Well, glad they didn't..." he began, but Hermione smacked him hard. "Ow! What?"
"Exactly! Why don't the stupid newspapers ever catch you two? Don't think I don't know what's going on!" Harry accused them.
Ginny and Neville could only laugh. "We actually think it's really sweet, Harry. And you shouldn't give a bloody hell what other people think, anyway." She offered.
"Thank you, Ginny." Harry smiled.
Neville giggled to himself, and began to write on a piece of parchment. Hermione had bewitched the ink to be invisible, and had done her own version of an impenetrable charm on the paper.
"You still haven't fixed that up, Neville?" Harry called.
"It's about done." He replied.
"What was he supposed to be doing again?" whispered Ginny.
"You've seen the Marauder's Map, right? Well, we're making our own, in a manner of speaking. It includes the grounds and Hogsmeade, and every secret passage in-between. I even asked Professor Lupin to show me how they made the old one..." Harry explained.
"And? So why is Neville doing it?" asked Hermione.
"Because I messed it up, and because Neville is a genius. He's even been able to label people. Like, next to you, it would say 'Hermione Granger- Prefect'..."
"And for Malfoy, it says 'Draco Malfoy- stupid git'" laughed Neville from several seats down.
"Ingenious..." Ron whistled.
Luna ran up to the table. She was panting for breath. She flopped down into the nearest chair, nearly knocking into Harry and Ron.
"Luna, what's wrong?" asked Ron. Tears were forming in Luna's eyes. Harry noticed a letter she clung tightly in her hand.
"Luna, what is that?" Harry whispered, slowly taking the paper from Luna's shaking hands. She said nothing, but began to sob.
Harry read the letter three times in quick succession.
'Dear Luna,
I'm so sorry dear. Something terrible has happened. You must come home right away. Your father has died of what the Muggles call a 'heart attack'. It was sudden. I am so sorry...
Your Loving Aunt- Belinda'
"Oh god, Luna..." Harry gasped. "Oh god, I'm so sorry." He wrapped her tightly in a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"A letter by owl?!" Luna shrieked. "That's all she could do? She doesn't even care!" Luna sobbed.
"I know, Luna. It will be all right..." Harry tried to smile.
The rest of the Marauders crowded around Luna. "We'll go with you. You won't have to go alone..." Neville choked as he offered her his sleeve.
"She doesn't care!" Luna was still screaming, and her tragedy was starting to catch the attention of the other students.
"I know, Luna. It will be all right..." Harry wasn't sure how many times he had repeated this phrase while he held her. She cried on his shoulder for what seemed like hours.
"I'm an orphan, and she doesn't even care!" Luna choked between sobs. "An owl?!" She blew her nose. "A bloody owl?"
McGonnagal and Lupin ran over with Dumbledore. They crowded around the Marauders, who were trying to shield Luna from the prying eyes of the other students.
"My dear, what has happened?" asked McGonnagal.
Harry said nothing, but handed McGonnagal the letter from Luna's Aunt Belinda.
"Oh, no..." she frowned.
Dumbledore sighed heavily, and shook his head. "This is terrible, dear. I shall have you packed right away..." he promised, wrapping her, and Harry (whom she was still attached to) in a hug.
"Luna, are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?" Harry whispered. "We could come with you, you know. We want to be there for you."
Luna planted a small kiss on his forehead. "I'll be all right." She smiled, and glanced at the rest of the Marauders. "I'll be fine." She said to the group, but she choked back a small sob. "Marauders?"
"For life." The group chorused. They all wrapped her in a large hug.
"You're looking rather antsy, Potter. What is it this time?" Professor Snape snarled. "Need I send you to McGonnagal's office again?" He was an inch from Harry's face now. "Potter, are you listening to anything that I have just said?"
Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." The truth was, he really wasn't paying attention. The truth was, he was glaring at the clock behind Snape. There was only two minutes and thirty-two, thirty-one, thirty.... Luna would be back to Hogwarts today.
They didn't see Luna until later that night. She came into the common room looking drained and paler than usual. She immediately dropped into the nearest chair, letting her bags fall at her side. She sighed heavily, and her shoulders sunk.
Harry was alarmed. "Luna? Are you all right? What happened?"
Luna was silent for several seconds before she finally replied. "I have to live with my aunt. I have to live with my aunt..." Luna wasn't crying. Her voice was monotone. She seemed to be expressing no emotion whatsoever.
"Luna...sweetie, snap out of it!" Harry clapped his hands.
"No, Harry. I have to live with my Aunt. You don't understand. She's a Muggle. She's going to take me out of Hogwarts." Luna droned. She seemed to have no tears left to cry.
"Wait a minute!" Hermione's temper flared almost instantly. "Is this the same aunt that sent you an owl saying your father had died of what Muggles call a heart attack? She can't be serious!"
Luna blinked. "No. Not the same aunt. Aunt Belinda is my father's sister. She doesn't give a damn about me either. No. I have to go live with My Aunt Melissa. She's my mother's sister, you see? She doesn't like that I go to Hogwarts. Says it isn't normal..."
"And where does she live, Luna?" asked Harry as an evil plan began to form in his head. "Come on. Tell us."
"In Surrey." Luna spat.
"Well, well, well...what a fine co-inky-dink that is..." Ron grinned.
Luna looked up. "What?"
Harry pat her on the shoulder. "Luna, you go ahead and pack your trunk, but don't bother unpacking it once you get to Surrey." He advised her.
She blinked, swallowed, and blinked again. "Why?"
"Because Harry has a plan, obviously!" Hermione grinned.
"Yeah, and we're going to come bust you out!" Neville added.
Luna smiled. "Bust me out? You sure?" She wiped away a tear. "Sounds kind of interesting, actually."
"Oh, trust me," Harry laughed, "this will be."
Chapter Three
"Oh, Harry...this one will be hard to explain to everyone. Definitely." Hermione smiled.
Ron blinked at the picture several times. "Well, glad they didn't..." he began, but Hermione smacked him hard. "Ow! What?"
"Exactly! Why don't the stupid newspapers ever catch you two? Don't think I don't know what's going on!" Harry accused them.
Ginny and Neville could only laugh. "We actually think it's really sweet, Harry. And you shouldn't give a bloody hell what other people think, anyway." She offered.
"Thank you, Ginny." Harry smiled.
Neville giggled to himself, and began to write on a piece of parchment. Hermione had bewitched the ink to be invisible, and had done her own version of an impenetrable charm on the paper.
"You still haven't fixed that up, Neville?" Harry called.
"It's about done." He replied.
"What was he supposed to be doing again?" whispered Ginny.
"You've seen the Marauder's Map, right? Well, we're making our own, in a manner of speaking. It includes the grounds and Hogsmeade, and every secret passage in-between. I even asked Professor Lupin to show me how they made the old one..." Harry explained.
"And? So why is Neville doing it?" asked Hermione.
"Because I messed it up, and because Neville is a genius. He's even been able to label people. Like, next to you, it would say 'Hermione Granger- Prefect'..."
"And for Malfoy, it says 'Draco Malfoy- stupid git'" laughed Neville from several seats down.
"Ingenious..." Ron whistled.
Luna ran up to the table. She was panting for breath. She flopped down into the nearest chair, nearly knocking into Harry and Ron.
"Luna, what's wrong?" asked Ron. Tears were forming in Luna's eyes. Harry noticed a letter she clung tightly in her hand.
"Luna, what is that?" Harry whispered, slowly taking the paper from Luna's shaking hands. She said nothing, but began to sob.
Harry read the letter three times in quick succession.
'Dear Luna,
I'm so sorry dear. Something terrible has happened. You must come home right away. Your father has died of what the Muggles call a 'heart attack'. It was sudden. I am so sorry...
Your Loving Aunt- Belinda'
"Oh god, Luna..." Harry gasped. "Oh god, I'm so sorry." He wrapped her tightly in a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"A letter by owl?!" Luna shrieked. "That's all she could do? She doesn't even care!" Luna sobbed.
"I know, Luna. It will be all right..." Harry tried to smile.
The rest of the Marauders crowded around Luna. "We'll go with you. You won't have to go alone..." Neville choked as he offered her his sleeve.
"She doesn't care!" Luna was still screaming, and her tragedy was starting to catch the attention of the other students.
"I know, Luna. It will be all right..." Harry wasn't sure how many times he had repeated this phrase while he held her. She cried on his shoulder for what seemed like hours.
"I'm an orphan, and she doesn't even care!" Luna choked between sobs. "An owl?!" She blew her nose. "A bloody owl?"
McGonnagal and Lupin ran over with Dumbledore. They crowded around the Marauders, who were trying to shield Luna from the prying eyes of the other students.
"My dear, what has happened?" asked McGonnagal.
Harry said nothing, but handed McGonnagal the letter from Luna's Aunt Belinda.
"Oh, no..." she frowned.
Dumbledore sighed heavily, and shook his head. "This is terrible, dear. I shall have you packed right away..." he promised, wrapping her, and Harry (whom she was still attached to) in a hug.
"Luna, are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?" Harry whispered. "We could come with you, you know. We want to be there for you."
Luna planted a small kiss on his forehead. "I'll be all right." She smiled, and glanced at the rest of the Marauders. "I'll be fine." She said to the group, but she choked back a small sob. "Marauders?"
"For life." The group chorused. They all wrapped her in a large hug.
"You're looking rather antsy, Potter. What is it this time?" Professor Snape snarled. "Need I send you to McGonnagal's office again?" He was an inch from Harry's face now. "Potter, are you listening to anything that I have just said?"
Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." The truth was, he really wasn't paying attention. The truth was, he was glaring at the clock behind Snape. There was only two minutes and thirty-two, thirty-one, thirty.... Luna would be back to Hogwarts today.
They didn't see Luna until later that night. She came into the common room looking drained and paler than usual. She immediately dropped into the nearest chair, letting her bags fall at her side. She sighed heavily, and her shoulders sunk.
Harry was alarmed. "Luna? Are you all right? What happened?"
Luna was silent for several seconds before she finally replied. "I have to live with my aunt. I have to live with my aunt..." Luna wasn't crying. Her voice was monotone. She seemed to be expressing no emotion whatsoever.
"Luna...sweetie, snap out of it!" Harry clapped his hands.
"No, Harry. I have to live with my Aunt. You don't understand. She's a Muggle. She's going to take me out of Hogwarts." Luna droned. She seemed to have no tears left to cry.
"Wait a minute!" Hermione's temper flared almost instantly. "Is this the same aunt that sent you an owl saying your father had died of what Muggles call a heart attack? She can't be serious!"
Luna blinked. "No. Not the same aunt. Aunt Belinda is my father's sister. She doesn't give a damn about me either. No. I have to go live with My Aunt Melissa. She's my mother's sister, you see? She doesn't like that I go to Hogwarts. Says it isn't normal..."
"And where does she live, Luna?" asked Harry as an evil plan began to form in his head. "Come on. Tell us."
"In Surrey." Luna spat.
"Well, well, well...what a fine co-inky-dink that is..." Ron grinned.
Luna looked up. "What?"
Harry pat her on the shoulder. "Luna, you go ahead and pack your trunk, but don't bother unpacking it once you get to Surrey." He advised her.
She blinked, swallowed, and blinked again. "Why?"
"Because Harry has a plan, obviously!" Hermione grinned.
"Yeah, and we're going to come bust you out!" Neville added.
Luna smiled. "Bust me out? You sure?" She wiped away a tear. "Sounds kind of interesting, actually."
"Oh, trust me," Harry laughed, "this will be."