Our World Winter

By Hermione Starise

DISCLAIMER- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. ROWLING and WARNER BROTHERS, not me!

EXTENDED SUMMERY- Six months on from the events of Precious Stones and an intense political argument rages over the fate of the auroring profession. Hermione, caught up in it finds herself bored and longs for a new challenge; so when an opportunity arises for her to travel to New Zealand, on a mission from the new minister of magic, she seizes it enthusiastically. Harry and Ron have their own problems with a dark wizard is never where he's supposed to be and Ginny is in her element making use of the changing political climate. Meanwhile Luna Lovegood is having disturbing visions and Neville Longbottom is at his wits end trying to help her…

AN- Hi, well no sooner is Precious Stones finished that I start this one… I've got a lot of ideas swimming around in my head for this one and it could become something of an epic. Anyway for a start I don't suppose it's a hundred percent necessary that you read Precious Stones before you read this but it would really help.

I can't take credit for the title, which is the name of an exhibition in Christchurch's (New Zealand) Natural History museum. My recent holiday to New Zealand inspired a lot of this fic.

Anyway enjoy… Prologue

High up in the Divination tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a young, blonde haired woman was sat at her desk with a stick of perfumed incense burning.

Professor Luna Lovegood, had at least an ounce more sense than her predecessor and the room was uncluttered with sensible desks and chairs. The windows were flung open and a pleasant summer breeze filtered in.

It was the first time in months that she had tried to see into the future, more earthly things had distracted her lately and she feared she was out of practice. Nevertheless some unsettling dreams and forced her hand.

Slowing her breathing and closing her eyes, Luna concentrated.

A soft light filled Luna's mind and she held onto it. She could see the vague outline of mountains, surrounded by shifting. silvery mists. She got a swift impression of tall trees and vast, cold lakes. She breathed in the sharp glacial air and knocked on the door of a pretty wooden house.

Suddenly it changed, and all she could feel was fear and blackness. Something was missing too, something was terribly wrong. The lack of magic filled her consciousness with a deep, dark dread and she panicked, flinging herself forward through the normally ordered, well organised passages of her mind.

Colours rushed past as she fought to regain control and briefly the mountainous country reappeared to her but she couldn't make the image re-focus in her mind.

Someone screamed and everything went black.

"She's coming round." Someone said.

"Luna?" she recognised Neville's anxious tones.

"What happened?" She asked sitting groggily up.

She was laid on the little couch in her office, which was on the next floor up from her tower classroom.

"I don't know." He replied, helping her, "Your class found you slumped over your desk."

Luna blinked up at him, his boyish faced was filled with concern, with a gasp she remembered the vision that she had summoned.

"Are you all right Professor?"

Luna looked round to see one of her third years pupils hovering awkwardly behind where Neville knelt.

"Yes thank you Miss Toward," Luna said with a smile recognising one of her more promising pupils, "Just let my mistake be a lesson to you. Never try and over reach yourself."

"I'll… er just go then Professor." Saskia Toward mumbled and the little dark haired girl turned and fled the room.

Luna looked back towards Neville, who was still looking worried.

"Are you all right?" He asked taking her hand in his.

Luna looked down at their hands; her own pale and slender fingers entwined with his sun browned work roughened ones and felt she had to tell him.

"I think I'm being called somewhere." She whispered.

Neville didn't reply, only nodded gravely. He understood.

AN- So, what did you think? The prologue's really just my way of getting started, I've already written most of Chapter 1, so it shouldn't be too long before that's up.

Please review with your thoughts!

Thanks,

Hermione Starise