Author's Note This chapter is gory at the end. This is pretty much the main reason why I rated this fiction T.
Left, right, left, right, right - his feet moved in their usual way.
"Hello, Harry."
Harry met Luna outside the used-to-be-forbidden corridor, as usual.
"Hi," he said, trying to sound cheerful.
"You're not happy. What happened?"
Harry told Luna what had happened with Ginny.
"She needs to talk to Hermione," said Luna, nodding her head vigorously.
Harry realized that yes, Luna was right. Maybe he could get Hermione to straighten Ginny out.
He sat down next to Luna.
There was silence for ten lonely minutes until Luna took a drawing out from her pocket.
Harry
realized it was a drawing of him, and definitely not a bad one.
Although his head was slightly lopsided, everything else looked
realistic: his eyes were painted just the right green, greener than all
things good; his hair was jet-black, the color of ink (and Harry smiled
when he realized that she had used ink to give it its coloring) and
sticking up in just the right places; his face looked strong but kind.
But
then he noticed something he hadn't immdiately picked up about his
eyes. They had a look in them, a destitute look. The rest of his face
had a false look of happiness, but his eyes were truthful. They showed
that they had been through incredible calamitousness, and that he had
been hurt. He felt something warm around his eyes and then he realized
he was about to cry.
Harry turned his face away from Luna but she leaned on him anyway.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't think it would upset you."
"No,"
said Harry, "it's wonderful, Luna. I just - my eyes looked kind of like
Sirius's when I first met him. And I'm the one who should apologize."
"Why?"
"I'm making the paint run."
Sure
enough, his tears were scattering paint, like a rabbit fleeing a
thunderstorm. The black spread out like a deadly flower and the green
dots suddenly became large, blotchy circles. Some of the paint got onto
Harry's hand.
He laughed. "I look a lot like Dobby."
Luna did not laugh. "Who is he?"
"He's
this house-elf I met. He tried to save my life in my second year but
ended up nearly killing me each time, but I set him free. Now he's
working for Dumbledore."
"Oh. I would like to meet him, he sounds interesting," Luna replied seriously.
"Really?" asked Harry, trying not to laugh. That's Luna, he thought. Always something surprising.
"Yes"
"Okay, we can go now."
He took her hand and led her to the kitchens.
Luna
had never seen anything like it. Elves were moving about in all
directions, hundreds of them, preparing breakfast for the next
day.Harry instantly noticed Dobby. With his tall hats and multiple
scarves, he squealed and ran over to Harry.
"Harry Potter!" Dobby was squeaking with excitement.
"Hello," said Harry. "How've you been?"
"Excellent,
excellent, sir! Dobby has been working hard for Albus Dumbledore, and
Albus Dumbledore is so kind to Dobby, sir! Much kinder than Dobby's old
master?"
Dobby ran toward the nearest fire and stuck his foot into it. "BAD DOBBY! BAD DOBBY!"
"Dobby, NO!"
Harry ran to Dobby, seized his neck and pulled him out of the fire.
"Thank you, Harry Potter!" said Dobby in admiration. "And who is that girl?"
"This is Luna," said Harry. "Luna Lovegood."
"Hello, Luna Lovegood!" Dobby exclaimed, eyes popping, dancing on his toes.
"Oh, no!" Luna said in horror. "Don't dance, Dobby! It'll make your head fall off and your fingers turn into salmon bones!"
Harry assumed this was something Luna had read in The Quibbler.
Dobby looked absolutely terrified. Slowly, he turned his head to Harry. "Is-is it true, Harry Potter?"
"I
don't know," muttered Harry. He didn't want to scare Dobby, but he
didn't want Luna to think he didn't believe half the things she said.
He looked at the clock. It was midnight and they needed to go.
"Luna," he whispered, pointing to the clock.
"Oh! Well, bye Dobby!"
And they ran off.
I must be back in the Ravenclaw Common Room by nine o'clock every evening.
Luna
had written this twenty-seven times so far. She and Harry had,
unfortunately, been caught, and each had to write lines, even though it
was nearly one in the morning.
Luna glanced up at Proffessor Flitwick for a moment.
"Keep
writing," squeaked Proffessor Flitwick. "I know you are tired, but this
is also part of your punishment. Running around with boys at this hour!
I would never have expected you to do something like that!"
Luna went back to her parchment and continued to write.
Once she had finished writing it one-hundred times, she turned her paper in to Flitwick and left the room.
Harry left McGonagall's room at the exact same time, and they met each other half-way to their common rooms.
Slowly, they moved closer to each other and kissed.
Ginny was on her way to her second-to-last class of the day when she saw Luna."Hi, Ginny," said Luna cheerfully.
"Hello," Ginny said, sneering.
"I know you're unhappy. Harry told me all about what happened."
"Oh, did he?" asked Ginny. When I find that boy, he is going to be sorry.
"Yes, we had quite a talk," Luna informed her seriously. "There is someone out there for you, you'll find him."
"Whatever."
When Luna had left Ginny looked around at everyone walking by.
She heard a voice and immediately recognized it.
There was a clash. Harry was slammed into one of the many suits of armor by Draco Malfoy.
Harry
stood up and rammed into Draco, who hit his head hard on the wall.
Blood spurted onto his blonde hair, but he recovered even quicker than
Harry had. Pushing Harry to the floor he slowly closed his fingers
around his throat.
Harry gagged but managed to kick Draco in the nose, causing more bleeding.
Draco whipped out his wand and pointed it at Harry. There was a bright flash of orange light.
Harry sat up and gagged again, although Draco had released him. He stood up slowly, retched, and vomited.
But it was blood.
He vomitted again, this time all over Hermione and Ron. Hermione
screamed as blood seeped into her mouth and eyes and Ron had a look of
pure horror on his face..
Harry
hated this feeling. He felt it again..the warmth of his blood rising to
his mouth, and then out it went, staining all the areas around him red.
More people screamed and backed away, all shouting insults at Malfoy.
Harry tried to stand but slipped and fell into his blood. He immediately rolled onto his side; he didn't want to choke.
Nothing happened.
"I hope that taught you a lesson, Potter," said Draco.
Harry said nothing.
Ginny smiled. She had a plan.
"Go Draco!" she screamed.
This, she thought, is the start of all things good.
Harry looked at Ginny in disbelief as he took deep breaths.
"Well," she said, "look who it is. Harry Potter, once again covered in blood."
Draco studied her.
"I think Draco's given you what you deserve, Harry," she said.
The
look on Draco's face was unmistakably one of admiration and surprise.
He couldn't think of anything offensive to say to Ginny, nor could he
figure out what she was up to.
She glanced back at Harry, who lay beaten and bruised on the floor.
"Come with me," Draco whispered.
