Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything in this story except for the OCs, as we are sure you're all aware of.

A/N: Well done Akalei who predicted it in chapter four!

For this chapter we have created a monster.


FFF

14. Midnight

Draco Malfoy woke up in a cold sweat. He had had the most horrible nightmare of his entire life. He had been all alone, standing in the ruins of his manor, and he had been looking for someone. Then Pansy Parkinson had come and tugged at his shirt. He had felt irritated, but as soon as he'd turned to face her she had disappeared. In her place there had been a giant, hairy, gross spider, with clicking mandibles and spiky fur, and blazing yellow eyes. He had screamed, and screamed, and screamed…

He wanted to talk to Kya – no, he needed to talk to her. She was the only one who understood, the only one who didn't see him as an egoistical little snot. Even his friends thought of him as that… not that he had any real friends. He'd thought he had Pansy, but she had ignored him for a long time. Kya was the only one he could really talk to.

She made him realize how horrid his life had been up to that point. She made him want to change.


"It's Luna," said Jacobson. She peered down at the white figure which was making its solitary way across the grounds.

"Luna?" said Ron and Neville at the same time.

"What is she doing there?" Jacobson wondered.

"She is heading towards the Forbidden Forest," muttered Snape.

"And in her nightgown too," said Jacobson. "My, my, she'll catch her death of cold. I'll go down and get her."

She handed Ron her omniocculars and went to fetch her broomstick. No one said anything.

She opened the window and climbed up on the sill. Then she was off.


Draco was tired out of his mind by the time he reached the top of the astronomy tower. He didn't know why he had expected to find her there, but nevertheless, there she was.

He caught his breath.

She sat perched on a ledge, elegant and graceful as a lily, in a flowing robe that was dark as the swaying trees below, and elbow-length black silk gloves. As he watched, the wind tugged at the black gauze of her cloak, making the hood slide off her head. For once the lustrous, cascading locks of her hair were pulled back in an elegant knot, leaving a few pale, gossamer-like strands to caress her neck and temples. Not even the profound darkness that was midnight in the Astronomy tower could mute the near-incandescence of her flawless skin. She had not yet noticed him, and in that unguarded moment there was such pain, such longing, such infinite grief in those amethyst eyes that he had to fight back tears.

Slowly she turned to face him. Was that a flicker of annoyance in her eyes? But then they widened when she saw the state he was in, and she extended her hand, beckoning him to her. Draco thought she looked ever so vulnerable and sweet. He felt vulnerable as well.

They hugged.

"Tell me what's wrong," she murmured beseechingly.

As Draco poured his heart out to her, she couldn't help glancing out across the dark expanse of the lawn every now and then. She looked worried, but Draco was sure that if anything serious was bothering her, she would tell him about it.


The dark shape tore through the air. Suddenly it dove, like a falcon, snatching up the white-clad girl from the ground, and carrying her away.

Ron had trouble following her movement with the omniocculars. Professor Jacobson was an excellent flyer, and since she knew that people were watching her anxiously, she couldn't help showing off a little. She swooped down, did a funny loop and spiralled up towards the window. Ron fervently hoped she hadn't forgotten completely that she had a passenger onboard.

The professor landed on the windowsill, and Luna appeared to be intact.

"Lovegood," Snape began. He looked very sinister, his dark cloak billowing in the wind which came through the open window.

"Don't bother," said professor Jacobson. "She's unconscious. She collapsed the moment I picked her up."

"What's wrong with her?" Neville wondered.

"Sleepwalking?" suggested Ron.

"I thought so too, at first," said Jacobson. "But her eyes were open."

Jacobson and Snape exchanged a dark look.

"What is it?" said Ron, nervously. He could tell that something was terribly off about the situation.

"Er... shouldn't we take her to madam Pomfrey?" asked Neville.

He got no response.

Everyone was staring at Luna, who was stirring. After a moment, she stood up.

"Luna, are you okay?" Ron asked, hesitantly.

She didn't say anything. Her eyes were wide open, and Ron thought they seemed a bit glassy.

"Why are you out of bed at this time of night? Lovegood?" said Snape.

"Luna?" said Jacobson.

It was as if she couldn't hear them. She was staring straight ahead, and then she started walking towards the door.

"Luna! Where are you going?" Jacobson exclaimed.

"Lovegood! Stop right there!" said Snape. "Stop her!"

Ron seized Luna by the arm. Neville shoved a desk in front of the doorway, and positioned himself by it.

She shook off Ron almost effortlessly, and since the door was barred, she started to walk towards the window. When Jacobson and Snape attempted to stop her she struggled violently, kicking and biting them. Ron could see that they had to work to keep their hold on her. She seemed to posses an unnatural strength.

"Stupify!" cried Neville.

Luna stopped struggling and went limp in the professors' arms. They carefully placed her in the chair by the desk.

Then they stood looking at her for a while.

"It was Kya, wasn't it?" said Ron.

Snape snorted.

"Must be," said Jacobson.

Then Neville spoke up.

"Remember the day when I blew up my 500th cauldron?"

"I think so," said Ron.

"Yes," said Snape. "It was memorable."

"Anyway," said Neville, "I don't think you were there, but I was reading an article about the attack on that village, which the ministry stopped. And Kya became really interested, and Luna wandered over and told her that her dad had tipped off the ministry about it. Then Kya started asking her about who her dad was and what he did. I didn't think about it at the time, but…"

"Yes," said professor Jacobson. "Interesting. Yes, that would certainly explain that horrible accident Mr Lovegood had three weeks ago."

"He was in an accident?" said Ron.

"Yes, and it was nearly fatal too. He fell down a flight of stairs."

"They obviously tried to make it look like an accident," said Snape. "Probably they want to make sure that people don't suspect she's a spy – as these events confirm that she is."

"Yes, obviously," said professor Jacobson.

"Shouldn't we take her to Madam Pomfrey?" said Neville again.

Professor Jacobson conjured up a stretcher and, levitating the unconscious Luna onto it, set off for the hospital wing. Ron and Neville were left alone in the classroom with Snape.

None of them said a word to one another until Jacobson returned a few minutes later.

"I told a house elf to guard the door, and come straight to me if anything happens," she informed them. "Now, before this little disturbance," she added, brightly, "I believe we were discussing plans of action."

"What plans?" said Ron.

"The plans to liberate the victims of this hypnosis, of course."

"So we have plans now?"

"Yes," said Snape. "I have actually been doing some serious thinking about the problems at hand. I would be much surprised if you recall it, but at the beginning of term, we were working with the muddling potion. This potion is designed to confuse an opponent, and weaken his mental defences, making him open to suggestion."

"Yes, I know," said Ron, irritably.

"Don't interrupt," said Snape. "As I was about to say, the antidote to this potion might well be effective against miss Morris' form of mind control as well."

"Although you might have to tweak it a bit," said Jacobson. "I wouldn't be surprised if Morris is more powerful than a muddling potion."

"Yes, well, that can be taken care of easily," said Snape, "as long as we have someone to try it on."