Chapter 4
Harry'd been following her around for days but for some reason, Luna seemed to be ignoring him. He whisked behind her in the Three Broomsticks, followed her into the Forbidden Forest, but each time she only gave him a glazed stare. He didn't understand, what had he done wrong?
"Don't be like that. . ." Hermione had been quite frustrated since she found out about Harry's new relationship. "You know Luna. She's pitifully stupid, and she'll come back to you eventually." Harry was too confused to blow his top over this one.
In a way, Harry supposed Hermione was just saying that to cheer him up. But on the other hand, he recalled several events of the same circumstance, and for some reason, it never worked.
He had tried to talk to Ron.
"Hi," Harry grinned. "Want to go to watch the Quidditch game real quick? I don't have much time,"
Ron was disgusted. "You never have time, Harry!"
Harry was confused, and Ron continued. "You've gone looney over Looney Lovegood!" He shook his head. "I really miss the memories. The days when our trio actually meant something. But I guess that's all they are," Ron sighed with somewhat of a laugh, although he wasn't smiling. "Memories."
He hadn't talked to him since then, and Harry was lost.
Harry laid on his four-poster bed, listening to the whispering wind and the song of the trees. He had a long day ahead, the Gryffindor team was playing Slytherin, and he wasn't about to let Malfoy make a fool of him. Especially if Luna was there, and he guessed she would be.
He fiddled with his fingers, and finally decided to go back to sleep.
"I love you, Harry."
Luna's voice rang in his head. He pictured her face, her old face. Her real face. Not the made-up Luna he'd seen the other night. Before now, he would've believed Luna to need serious help. But finally, he actually knew her. He wasn't judging her by her looks, or by her father and The Quibbler. It felt wonderful, but she had changed, and Harry hated it.
***
Harry's eyes flipped open.
"Harry, there's something you need to know."
He rolled out of bed and put on his clothes for the day, and looked up at Ron. His face was gloomy, pale, and strangely, white. Harry'd never seen Ron's face not rosy and warm. He didn't like it, it made him feel awkward, and uncomfortable.
"Yeah, what'd you want to tell me?" Harry stood up so that his eyes were level with Ron's.
Ron didn't speak at first, and when he did, it didn't sound like him. "Luna Lovegood. Harry. . . she's not here."
Harry didn't believe him. It didn't make sense, and he couldn't comprehend it.
"She's gone, Harry." Why was Ron talking to him like this? How could he lie when he knew Luna was here? "Dumbledore reported it today at breakfast. You slept in, but he said that Lovegood went to the forest, that there's no hope for her,"
Harry couldn't handle it. Luna, she couldn't possibly have run away. She couldn't have. No. . . never. But Harry had to say something.
"Isn't someone going to go after her?!" Harry felt his fists tighten. That dimwit Hagrid, it all started with him. Or maybe. . . it all started with himself. Harry had judged her ever since the day he met her. He had laughed at her with Ron and Hermione. He had never said he liked her, not until she changed.
He felt it again. Like he was being controlled. What was happening to him? It was like his envisions of the Department of Mysteries.
Voldemort had taken it, taken it to his heart. But at this point, Harry didn't care. Voldemort was probably doing this to him, to try and get him to go to the forest, so that he could kill him. Or try to kill him. But either way, he could have Luna too.
"I'm going," Harry spoke, and for the first time, he felt he didn't trust Ron.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry stepped back, and Ron simply smiled, and his gloominess continued. It wasn't Ron. It couldn't be. Suddenly, Harry noticed something. Ron's hair was turning black, and his face was becoming very greasy. It was the shape of a rat's now, and at Harry's confused look, 'Ron' ran to the floor-long mirror and screamed.
It was Wormtail.
Harry could hear him mumbling as he ran away. "Bloody Polyjuice Potion. . ."
He had been tricked, and his mind was gone. Where was Ron? Had Luna really gone to the forest? He had to find out for sure, and be more cautious when talking to people around the castle.
"Harry!" Hermione ran through the door. Harry peered at her, and realized with a relief that she was herself. "Where's Ron?! I can't find him anywhere!"
Harry felt a pierce through his heart.
"Voldemort."
"Voldemort?!" Hermione was in despair. "What on earth are you talking about? He didn't. . . take Ron. . . did he?"
Harry found that he couldn't answer that question. He was subconscious, in a way. He knew that Voldemort was tricking him, yet his heart didn't care. He knew he should have taken Occlumency with Snape.
He ran away, leaving Hermione in the boys dormitory, speechless.
His mind was playing games. It couldn't be true. He didn't know what was true anymore, come to think of it.
Why did everything bad in the world have to happen to him? He was sure the entire school always planned on him saving the day. This was just another day like that, and it wouldn't mean much to anyone. It burned throughout his body to think about this. He didn't want to think it. Harry knew he was being selfish. He was always selfish. He had to be the hero. But if he knew what he was doing wrong, why was it so hard to fix it?
A scream. Luna.
"Crucio!" The spell rang through his ears, and he knew he couldn't handle having Luna in such a horrible circumstance. That is, until he realized that it wasn't her under the curse. It was himself.
***
Harry'd been following her around for days but for some reason, Luna seemed to be ignoring him. He whisked behind her in the Three Broomsticks, followed her into the Forbidden Forest, but each time she only gave him a glazed stare. He didn't understand, what had he done wrong?
"Don't be like that. . ." Hermione had been quite frustrated since she found out about Harry's new relationship. "You know Luna. She's pitifully stupid, and she'll come back to you eventually." Harry was too confused to blow his top over this one.
In a way, Harry supposed Hermione was just saying that to cheer him up. But on the other hand, he recalled several events of the same circumstance, and for some reason, it never worked.
He had tried to talk to Ron.
"Hi," Harry grinned. "Want to go to watch the Quidditch game real quick? I don't have much time,"
Ron was disgusted. "You never have time, Harry!"
Harry was confused, and Ron continued. "You've gone looney over Looney Lovegood!" He shook his head. "I really miss the memories. The days when our trio actually meant something. But I guess that's all they are," Ron sighed with somewhat of a laugh, although he wasn't smiling. "Memories."
He hadn't talked to him since then, and Harry was lost.
Harry laid on his four-poster bed, listening to the whispering wind and the song of the trees. He had a long day ahead, the Gryffindor team was playing Slytherin, and he wasn't about to let Malfoy make a fool of him. Especially if Luna was there, and he guessed she would be.
He fiddled with his fingers, and finally decided to go back to sleep.
"I love you, Harry."
Luna's voice rang in his head. He pictured her face, her old face. Her real face. Not the made-up Luna he'd seen the other night. Before now, he would've believed Luna to need serious help. But finally, he actually knew her. He wasn't judging her by her looks, or by her father and The Quibbler. It felt wonderful, but she had changed, and Harry hated it.
***
Harry's eyes flipped open.
"Harry, there's something you need to know."
He rolled out of bed and put on his clothes for the day, and looked up at Ron. His face was gloomy, pale, and strangely, white. Harry'd never seen Ron's face not rosy and warm. He didn't like it, it made him feel awkward, and uncomfortable.
"Yeah, what'd you want to tell me?" Harry stood up so that his eyes were level with Ron's.
Ron didn't speak at first, and when he did, it didn't sound like him. "Luna Lovegood. Harry. . . she's not here."
Harry didn't believe him. It didn't make sense, and he couldn't comprehend it.
"She's gone, Harry." Why was Ron talking to him like this? How could he lie when he knew Luna was here? "Dumbledore reported it today at breakfast. You slept in, but he said that Lovegood went to the forest, that there's no hope for her,"
Harry couldn't handle it. Luna, she couldn't possibly have run away. She couldn't have. No. . . never. But Harry had to say something.
"Isn't someone going to go after her?!" Harry felt his fists tighten. That dimwit Hagrid, it all started with him. Or maybe. . . it all started with himself. Harry had judged her ever since the day he met her. He had laughed at her with Ron and Hermione. He had never said he liked her, not until she changed.
He felt it again. Like he was being controlled. What was happening to him? It was like his envisions of the Department of Mysteries.
Voldemort had taken it, taken it to his heart. But at this point, Harry didn't care. Voldemort was probably doing this to him, to try and get him to go to the forest, so that he could kill him. Or try to kill him. But either way, he could have Luna too.
"I'm going," Harry spoke, and for the first time, he felt he didn't trust Ron.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry stepped back, and Ron simply smiled, and his gloominess continued. It wasn't Ron. It couldn't be. Suddenly, Harry noticed something. Ron's hair was turning black, and his face was becoming very greasy. It was the shape of a rat's now, and at Harry's confused look, 'Ron' ran to the floor-long mirror and screamed.
It was Wormtail.
Harry could hear him mumbling as he ran away. "Bloody Polyjuice Potion. . ."
He had been tricked, and his mind was gone. Where was Ron? Had Luna really gone to the forest? He had to find out for sure, and be more cautious when talking to people around the castle.
"Harry!" Hermione ran through the door. Harry peered at her, and realized with a relief that she was herself. "Where's Ron?! I can't find him anywhere!"
Harry felt a pierce through his heart.
"Voldemort."
"Voldemort?!" Hermione was in despair. "What on earth are you talking about? He didn't. . . take Ron. . . did he?"
Harry found that he couldn't answer that question. He was subconscious, in a way. He knew that Voldemort was tricking him, yet his heart didn't care. He knew he should have taken Occlumency with Snape.
He ran away, leaving Hermione in the boys dormitory, speechless.
His mind was playing games. It couldn't be true. He didn't know what was true anymore, come to think of it.
Why did everything bad in the world have to happen to him? He was sure the entire school always planned on him saving the day. This was just another day like that, and it wouldn't mean much to anyone. It burned throughout his body to think about this. He didn't want to think it. Harry knew he was being selfish. He was always selfish. He had to be the hero. But if he knew what he was doing wrong, why was it so hard to fix it?
A scream. Luna.
"Crucio!" The spell rang through his ears, and he knew he couldn't handle having Luna in such a horrible circumstance. That is, until he realized that it wasn't her under the curse. It was himself.
***