Accident in Dumbledore's office
Murky silhouettes danced in Harry's vision, yet his head was still not sufficient to see quite plainly. Leaning back, Harry attempted to recall the previous events.
He had gone to Romania, yes and met a man..........darn, what was his name? It was O something. Ogden? No, that couldn't be it. Olaf? Yes that's it! He had gone to Romania and had met Olaf. They had walked somewhere, but where?
This was the point at which the vague impression had started to sink in. What had happened? Where was Olaf?
Harry then remembered. Olaf was dead.
"You're awake, I see." Harry gazed above him. A shrouded figure with the voice of a woman cross its arms with satisfaction.
Harry began to rise, but was stopped when he realized that his arms could not go higher than five feet as they were shackled to the wall.
The witch laughed a high note, its tone ruthless and sinister.
"You idiot." She snarled. "Did you really think that we would let you off that easy? Well you can think again cause –"
"Scarlet"
The deatheater spun on her heel and gave the new figure, this one in violet robes, something that oddly reminded Harry of a salutation.
"I will take it from here. Your presence is uncalled for."
It was another female. Scarlet arced for the lady before leaving the premises.
"Well, well well Harry." the woman's voice was frosty with a hint of anger. "We meet again.
Harry was distantly acquainted with that voice. Now where had he heard it before?
He had obviously looked baffled as the female suddenly giggled to give off a clue.
Harry's brain fluttered into gear.
"No," Harry whispered. "Not you."
"Oh yes Harry," Cho smiled. "it most certainly is me."
Harry growled, his fury intensifying by the second.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing to me?" he hollered.
Cho squatted beside Harry.
"I love to see you suffer, just for me of course." She whispered in Harry's ear.
Harry snapped his head back, his eyes burning with rage.
"Who do you think you are?" he retorted.
Cho laughed, the sound thudding against each wall in the vast room.
"Just a very vindictive, but still exquisite woman of course." She leered. Afterwards, before Harry could react, Cho leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips.
"Cho!" Harry roared. "I am a married man!"
"We can fix that."
Harry seethed as he observed Cho slip his nuptial ring off his left ring finger.
"Now you are not." Cho announced grandly.
Harry glowered at the smirking woman, craving greatly to strike the smile off her vile face.
"We are going to have so much fun Harry!" Cho squealed. "I can hardly wait to begin!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Where are you going?"
"You really need to stop entering people's houses without knocking Hermione."
Hermione lifted her shoulders into a simple shrug.
"Let me ask again," Hermione said. "What are you doing?"
Luna stretched out her back. With a child in her abdomen and a day's worth of packing, she had left her back in poor condition. A brusque sting blasted up her spine as she went from right angle to vertical.
"What does it look like I am doing?" Luna asked briskly. "I'm packing."
"For where?"
"Romania"
Hermione forced herself in front on Luna.
"There is no way that you, especially in that form, are going to Romania to find Harry." Hermione snapped. "Let the Aurors do their jobs. They will find him."
"Yea" Luna retorted. "After he's dead first."
Hermione whacked Luna's travel case shut. Thrusting Luna into a chair, she continued to discuss.
"Don't be preposterous." Hermione sputtered. "They won't let Harry die. Anyway, you are not going to Romania. End of conversation. Period."
Luna glared at her friend. There were times when Hermione was domineering, and this was one of those times.
"You are not my mother, father, or any relative of mine." Luna barked. "I go where I please and right now, I am pleasing to go to Romania to save my husband's life. Pregnant or not, I am going. Harry has saved me several times before and it's time for me to return the favor. He needs my help Hermione, and I am going to give it to him. Now please move five feet to the right so I can conclude my packing."
It looked as if Hermione was going to stay where she was, so Luna was taken aback when a disinclined Hermione moved.
"At least you have a husband who cares." Hermione muttered out of Luna's hearing distance.
"What?"
Hermione positioned herself into a chair.
"It's nothing." Hermione said quietly. "Forget I ever said it."
It was Luna's turn to interrogate. Sitting in the seat reverse from Hermione's, Luna studied Hermione attentively.
"You constantly want to know what's amiss with me," Luna said. "Now it's my turn to know. What's wrong Hermione?"
Hermione sighed. She detested the corner that Luna had placed her in, but she had no other choice but to tell.
"It's Draco." Hermione said.
"What about your husband?" Luna asked.
"He's...." Hermione paused for a moment. "He's altered somehow. I don't know. I mean, he comes home late, barely talks to me, eats his supper, and heads directly up to bed. That's not how he used to be. After our marriage, he was always surprising me with flowers and candies and gifts, but now he's........he's changed."
Luna felt a streak of empathy run through her veins. If anything, it was the feeling of being disregarded that Luna knew the most about, as she had been treated that way for a great deal of her life.
"Don't worry about it." Luna said benignly, "I'm sure he is.....uh......busy."
Hermione gazed at Luna, her eyes loaded with melancholy and skepticism.
"Nice try." Hermione said. "But it didn't work."
Luna exhaled as she returned to cramming her luggage with attire and other accessories that she possibly would need on her lengthy journey.
"I guess I will have to let you go on one condition." Hermione said.
"And what is that?" Luna asked, stuffing a pair of socks into a side slot of the case.
Hermione skimmed her hand across Luna and Harry's wedding picture. Unbeknownst to Luna, a lone tear oozed down Hermione's face. Rotating around to confront Luna, she said decisively, "I'm going with you."
Hermione's pronouncement was final. Nothing that Luna said would relieve Hermione of her fortitude. In the outcome, Luna reluctantly consented to Hermione's departure with her to Romania. Who knew? Maybe Luna would need Hermione's support after all.
"Alright." Luna conceded. "You can come."
The duo ambled to Hermione's bungalow, where Hermione's things were collected for the dodgy expedition to Romania.
"Now what do we do?" Hermione questioned as they entered Diagon Alley, a place where wizards exhausted their day shopping.
Luna felt pathetic. She had had no objective whatsoever once they had left her house. Liberating her case from her grip, Luna crumpled into the nearest chair that she could find.
"I have no idea." Luna moaned.
"Well this is just extraordinary!" Hermione barked heatedly. "We haven't even left Great Britain yet and we don't know what to do!"
Luna sensed that Hermione was exactly dead on. An unfathomable sensation propelled into her belly as she stood up. Hermione was right. They couldn't do this. All they would have to wish for was a phenomenon now. That, and good fortune.
"Look it's Fawkes!" Hermione abruptly exclaimed.
Luna stared in bewilderment as a scarlet, long-winged phoenix fluttered to the ground, a piece of exceptional parchment embraced securely in its beak.
Mrs.'s Potter and Malfoy,
Please meet me in my office at the school later on today.
We have much to negotiate.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
"We will have to Floo." Luna said, enfolding the letter into quarters.
"Yes." Hermione agreed.
Moments later the two females were found stepping out of a fireplace surging with jade flames into a office of atypical objects with snapshots of young and old wizards and witches alike smearing the walls behind a heavily decorated, oak desk.
"He will be along with you shortly." One of the pictures affirmed kindly.
Luna nodded her head, confirming that she heard as she and Hermione parked themselves in seats.
It was only a moment's wait when Dumbledore strolled through the door.
"Good afternoon Professor Dumbledore." The ladies chanted.
Dumbledore smiled as he sank behind the desk.
"Please," he said gently, "As I am no longer your teacher and you are no longer my pupil, I must request that you either call me Albus or straightforward Dumbledore. Pick your selection."
"Alright Prof- Dumbledore." Luna shifted agitatedly in her seat. Somewhere out in the world was Harry, maybe locked away, famished, with only cracks of air peeking into his place from the outside settings. Perhaps worse. Maybe he was already –
"No." Luna scolded herself silently. Harry was not dead. He couldn't be, the thought was out of the cosmos!!! But still..... she didn't know where he was or how he was, so there was a chance.........
"My commiseration for your hit of ghastly fate Mrs. Potter."
"Thank you." Luna whispered. Pushing inwards into the cushions on her seat, Luna rested her arms across her distended abdomen as she concentrated on what Dumbledore said.
"I believe that you are taking a journey, a intricate and perilous journey to locate your husband, is that not correct?"
"Yes." Luna answered. "It is correct."
"And why, may I ask, are you going to do it when we have our valiant Aurors probing for him already?"
"Because," Luna said, "I have a very disturbing misgiving that they are not going to find him, so I must at all costs go search."
Dumbledore's head dipped, his chin digging into the top of his chest.
"Even if it means," Dumbledore asked, "the life of your child?"
The room endured a chilling silence. Luna rubbed her stomach, a jolt of uneasiness pushing within.
"I have to look for him Pr- Dumbledore." Luna whimpered, "You don't know how critical this is to me. Every day that surpasses, the chance of Harry's wellbeing goes down. For years I have dreamt of our being together, but I never imagined it could come true until the end of sixth year. Harry has jeopardized his life for me countless times, and now it is that moment in which I must do my part. Please Dumbledore, you HAVE to understand!!!"
Dumbledore smiled at Luna.
"You have an astounding love for the man that you call a husband." Dumbledore said. "Your love is so great, I have seldom seen such devotion as yours. As for your travel to Romania, I carried out this meeting to not deter your voyage, but to help."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I have assembled three Aurors to trek with you ladies. I believe you know Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt."
"They haven't retired yet!?" Hermione cried in incredulity.
Dumbledore nodded his head.
"No, although Moody and Sturgis Podmore have." Dumbledore said. "Well you must be eager to start your quest so I shall be departing from the two of you when we reach the Great Hall. And do not worry about the disturbance to students as their third classes merely started a few minutes ago."
Dumbledore raised himself out of his chair and opened the door. Hermione shortly followed. Luna staggered out of her seat, but she was prohibited from continuing as a brusque and agonizing strip of pain ascended from her abdomen.
"The baby!" Luna gasped. "It's coming!"
Misty forms grew bigger in Luna's eyesight. But she was incapable of recognizing them as she descended into a faint.
A/N: Sorry this took SO long but school has started and I have been unable to reach the computer for awhile. So the next chapter might not be on for a long time. Sorry. Hope you enjoyed!!!
