Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anybody in this chapter.
Sorry the last couple chapters were weird. Here's the next one. Hope it's better. Please review and Happy Holidays!
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"So she just told you?"
"Yeah. Weird, huh?"
"Well, I don't know," said Hermione.
"How do you mean?"
"She never really seemed to get along especially with her before. The other teachers all seemed to keep a little bit of a distance from her actually," said Hermione.
"Yeah, you're right, I guess," said Harry, leaning back in the chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
He woke when Ginny and Hermione were shaking him. "Harry, get up! Dobby just came and told us. It's Luna. She was attacked."
At the words "Luna" and "attacked" he sat up immediately. "What?"
"She's in the hospital wing."
He got up and ran out, not even bothering to put on his shoes, he shouted a quick, "Thanks, girls!" over his shoulder and ran.
He was winded by the time he got to the hospital wing. "Madam Pomfrey," he gasped. "Is Luna alright?"
Madam Pomfrey looked almost amused at his concern, but he didn't notice. "She'll live, Mr. Potter."
"Can I—?"
"Yes, yes, you can go see her. Right in the first bed."
"Thank you." He went past her and to the bed with the curtains drawn around it. "Luna? Luna? Are you okay?"
She was lying in the bed, propped up on pillows. Her arm was in a sling and there were cat ears growing out of the top of her head, though those were slowly shrinking.
"Are you okay?" he repeated, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding her hand.
"I'll be okay."
"What happened?"
"Death Eaters, or students with Death Eater masks, came up behind me and started hexing me. I fended them off at first but it was 4 on one. Out of all the curses they used only the cat ear one stuck. I managed to block the rest, the more dangerous ones."
"Then how did you get your arm broken?"
"Fighting, we knocked over a statue. I ended up tripping over a statue when they ran off. I don't know why they aren't up here. Probably tried to heal themselves. I didn't do anything major to them, only enough to keep them away."
"Whoever they are, I'll get them. They can't do this to you!" he said angrily.
"Don't worry. It'll all be okay." She smiled placidly at him.
"How?" he demanded. "Tell me how."
"How what?"
Student Death Eater attacks at school? This was going too far. Luna had done nothing wrong. She didn't deserve to get attacked just because she was his girlfriend; it wasn't fair! He took a deep breath, "Tell me how you can be so can calm and know it's all going to be right! Because right now, I seriously doubt it!"
"If you fall off the edge of the earth, you've just got to keep falling and eventually the universe will embrace you. Things always turn out all right in the end, you just have to figure out where and what the end is. Eventually, things will be okay. Maybe we'll all be dead before then, but eventually it will be right."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because, the universe doesn't hate us. There's a big plan out there and we're just part of it. And I don't think that plan includes the world falling into fear and rule by the same evil Death Lord twice. Normally I'm right about these things, trust me."
"I want to trust you, but after everything that's happened, you can't honestly think everything is for the best."
"But doesn't that just prove my point? Good things don't come without some sacrifice. Your parents were the sacrifice to save the world once. Cedric and Sirius were just part of the next sacrifice. Things will turn out okay in the end. Just believe and have faith. If you don't trust the rest of the world, trust me."
Looking into her eyes there, he found he did trust her. But he wasn't going to stop being angry. Right now, sitting next to her, he was at peace. But he knew that as soon as he got up and left her side, he was going to be angry again. Angry enough to hunt down the ones who put her here.
But he wanted to postpone that anger until he had time for it. So he sat there talking quietly to her until visiting hours were over. "Do I have to leave, Madam Pomfrey?"
Something about the desperate look in his eyes decided her opinion on the matter. "You can stay the night, Mr. Potter. Just this once. But you have to stay in the chair next to the bed." She was indicating that he couldn't remain sitting on the bed itself. "I'll get you a pillow and blanket."
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you."
She bustled off to give them a moment to say goodnight and to get him a pillow and blanket.
"Goodnight, Luna." He hugged her gently and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He sat back in the chair and held Luna's hand. Madam Pomfrey brought him a blanket and pillow.
Harry fell asleep like that. Sitting on the chair with the blanket around him, his hand holding hers. Madam Pomfrey came and checked in during the night and covered him up again, the blanket having fallen partway down.
Harry woke up, his hand cramped from holding Luna's all night. He opened his eyes and realized that he had slipped during the night and his head was resting on the edge of Luna's mattress. He sat up just as Madam Pomfrey came in with breakfast for the two of them.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter. Good morning, Miss Lovegood."
Luna had just woken. She smiled. "Hello, I think my arm is better now."
"And the cat ears have shrunk until they were gone. You're free to go after you've eaten. The potion sometimes takes away appetite and we can't have that."
Luna tucked in as avidly as ever and left an empty plate. Madam Pomfrey was pleased. "Young man, would you leave a moment while Miss Lovegood gets dressed?"
Harry blushed and went to stand on the other side of the curtains. When Madam Pomfrey opened the curtains again, Luna was standing dressed in her Hogwarts robes.
"Miss Lovegood, please report to the Headmaster's office. He'll need to know the details of what happened."
"I don't know where his office is."
Harry couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not but volunteered, "I do. I'll show her the way."
"Okay, Mr. Potter. Escort her there. Do you know the password?"
"Yes."
"Go on, then."
Harry and Luna walked and made their way down to the Headmaster's office. He said the password and they entered.
They walked up the stairs and knocked.
"Come in!" They entered. "Good morning, Harry, Luna. Luna, I trust you're recovered?"
"Yes, sir."
"Sit, please. Would you mind telling me what happened?"
"I was walking through the corridor on the 4th floor when I heard a shout behind me and I turned around and saw 2 students in black robes and Death Eater masks. They shouted curses at me and I managed to avoid them, but two more showed up on my other side. I managed to fend off most of the curses, I keep a certain number of magical shields on me at all times. I even delivered a couple of blows myself. Eventually they left when they realized the weren't doing much damage and that I was fighting back. They were just leaving as a house-elf showed up. He was fierce! He started using his own magical against them. The funny thing was, this house-elf was wearing clothes."
Harry asked, "Did his socks match?"
"No, but the patterns were very interesting. And he had a tea-cozy on his head."
Harry shouted, "Good old Dobby!" He grinned. "He's an old friend of mine. He's the one who came and told us you were in the hospital wing."
When they left, Harry walked her back to the Ravenclaw house (or close enough). He went down to the kitchens to find Dobby and when he found him he hugged him and promised to buy him an armful of new socks the next time he was in Hogsmeade.
Back in the Gryffindor common room he found Ron and Hermione playing chess.
"Harry," said Ron. "You never came back to the dorm last night. Where were you?"
"Madam Pomfrey let me stay the night. Can you guys help me?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"I want to call an emergency D.A. meeting. I need to track down whoever hurt Luna."
"Are you sure? I mean I know you're angry but . . ."
"Of course I'm angry! Some bloody Slytherins attacked my girlfriend! Now, I'm going to hunt them down and hurt them with or without your help. Are you coming?"
A look passed between Ron and Hermione. "We're coming." They divided up the list of which D.A. members each would find and separated.
