Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: My special thanks to John Adams and aliceravenclaw for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.
Chapter Note: Much of the action in this chapter takes place in different places simultaneously. I've attempted to organize the material to maintain the flow of the story, but the transitions may be rough in some places. Please bear with me.
CHAPTER 12: THE ISLE OF DREAMS
Harry and Luna returned to the Gryffindor common room about an hour before dawn. In spite of what lay ahead the two seemed unusually relaxed and happy, as their friends could see. All of the members of the DA were assembled to say goodbye and wish them luck; even though most of them believed that they were unlikely to ever see their friends again. Their looks of courage and determination gave strength to the others as they passed out through the portrait hole.
As they walked down the hallway Harry held Luna back for a moment and whispered in her ear, "No matter what happens today, this is just the beginning for us."
"Yes, just the beginning," Luna whispered back, smiling.
The six teens joined Belletrix Lestrange at Professor Dumbledore's office, and she led them out through the great doors and down across the grass to the front gates. She probably never noticed that Harry and Luna were holding hands as they walked down the hill, but those they were leaving behind certainly noticed. From the high windows of Hogwarts castle, two dozen very serious students watched their every move. And now it was their turn.
Seaman turned to Cho and gave her a warm smile. "You know, Harry and Luna are really lucky," he said wistfully; and she knew just what he meant. Then he wished her luck and led his little group down the hallway towards the stairs. Cho called for him to stop, and she ran down the hall to catch up with him. She looked him in the eyes, and then suddenly kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Be careful," she whispered. He gave her a surprised look, grinned, and replied, "You too."
As Seamus continued down the hall he weighed their chances in his mind; touching his cheek with his hand he suddenly felt much better about it. He was taking eight of the strongest members of the DA, sixth and seventh year students all. Their mission: surprise the death eaters in the Shrieking Shack, overpower them quickly, and rescue Professor McGonagall. They quietly left through the front doors in the still, early morning darkness and made their way down to the Whomping Willow by the light of their wands. As Harry had instructed, Seamus put an Immobilus Charm on the tree, and was amazed when its movement froze. Looking around the trunk of the tree they quickly found the tunnel entrance and descended into the darkness, seeing the way only by the light of their wands. They walked on in complete silence, hunched over in the low tunnel, brushing by the numerous roots that penetrated through the rocky ceiling.
Finally they reached a flight of ancient stone steps that led upwards to a wooden floor above their heads. Seamus extinguished his wand and signaled the others to do the same; then they waited silently until their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Carefully moving up the steps, Seamus listened for any sound from the room above. Hearing nothing, he put his shoulder against the trapdoor and slowly pushed, praying that the ancient hinges wouldn't squeak. He peered into the dingy room through the crack of the trapdoor; and by the early morning light that came in through the partly boarded up windows he could see some broken furniture, a torn carpet, and little else. He lifted the trapdoor carefully and stepped up into the room, the others quietly following. Harry had drawn them a diagram of the shack, so they knew where they were. He nodded to the others, all of them with their wands at the ready, and he quietly opened the door at the far end of the room.
They entered the hall in single file and moved towards the front part of the house, where they could see a soft light glowing. There, by the flickering light of the fireplace, they saw Professor McGonagall lying on the sofa. She was bound by some kind of a charm and was very pale; but at least she appeared to be conscious. There were three Death Eaters in the room; two of them were asleep on a second sofa and the third was awake in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace.
At that moment someone stepped on a loose floorboard and it emitted a loud squeak. The Death Eater by the fireplace jumped to his feet, yelled to his sleeping comrades, and pulled a wand out of his robes. At that same moment Seamus jumped into the room and started shooting spells, the others coming in behind him. For a few seconds there was a wild melee of spells and curses shooting in all directions. When the dust cleared, three death eaters lay sprawled out on the floor moaning in pain; having been hit by a variety of curses and hexes. Two of the students were down, apparently hit by stunning spells, and Seamus himself had been grazed in the shoulder; but they had won.
Seamus rushed forward and freed Professor McGonagall from the spell that held her, and Lavender Brown administered basic first aid. Seamus then shot a reductor curse against an outside wall of the shack, blowing out a large hole. Dean Thomas and two others rushed through the hole and ran down to Hogsmead for help, bursting into the Three Broomsticks just as Madam Rosmerta was settling down to a morning cup of coffee.
Dean rushed past her without saying a word, grabbed a handful of floo powder out of a container by the fireplace, and threw it into the flames. "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Ministry of Magic," he shouted. In a few seconds Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley were standing in the dining room of the Three Broomsticks listening in shock as Dean Thomas spoke to him in short, terse sentences. Madam Rosmerta had been too shocked to say a word the whole time, and as she listened to the boy's story her shock only increased.
"Wait here." Dumbledore ordered tensely, as he took the coordinates of Avalon from the boy, and then he immediately vanished back into the flames. Within seconds two Medi-Witches and a team of Aurors appeared in the dining room of the Three Broomsticks.
- o -
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Cho Chang was leading her own group toward the Slytherin dungeon. She already had the password from Andrew, who was waiting inside with a few Slytherins he could trust and the DA members that he had admitted earlier that morning. Cho had decided against attacking the Slytherins directly in their common room; there was too much chance that innocent students might be injured. Instead she decided to wait for them outside.
Just before dawn, Pansy Parkinson and a dozen "junior death eaters" emerged from the hidden door. As soon as they had all stepped out into the hallway, Cho called upon them to drop their wands and surrender. Spells suddenly shot off in all directions. Pansy shot an Avada Kedavra at Cho, but her quick Quidditch reflexes allowed the Ravenclaw seeker to roll out of the way and just as quickly fire a stunning spell back at Pansy. Cho's spell was better aimed, hitting Pansy full in the chest and dropping the girl to the stone floor.
Without a leader, the Slytherins retreated back into their common room; but there was no safety for them there. Andrew and the DA forces inside started shooting at Pansy's people from behind. Caught in a murderous crossfire, they were forced to put up their wands and surrender. The only one seriously hurt was Pansy herself, who had been knocked unconscious.
Cho left three of her group to guard the Slytherins and led the rest up the stairs to help Seamus. Just as she was passing out the front doors, a group of carriages pulled up with Seamus, Professor McGonagall and several Aurors. It had been a nice, neat operation. Now they had to wait to hear about Harry and his friends.
- o -
It was still quite dark as Harry and his friends passed out through the main gates of Hogwarts. Once outside, Lestrange stopped and pulled a knotted rope out of her robes. The rope had seven ends, and they each took hold of one. No one said a word as they waited for the portkey to activate, there was nothing left to say.
Harry felt the familiar tug behind his navel and he was suddenly spinning through the air. He still held tightly to Luna's hand, and he wasn't going to let go, no matter what. His feet came to rest on a hard, uneven surface; and he was immediately aware of the sound of crashing surf. Opening his eyes he discovered that they were standing on a small, flat rock in the middle of the sea. Waves were crashing violently into other rocks surrounding them, and the strong wind was whipping the sea into foamy milk. The sky was leaden grey color; a storm was threatening to break soon. But the thing that Harry immediately realized, and his heart sank with the realization, was that the sun, though not visible, had clearly risen above the horizon. But how could that be? They had left Hogwarts seconds before in the pitch dark. How could it be grey dawn here?
Belletrix Lestrange seemed to read his mind, and now chose to provide the answer. "Didn't I mention it?" She began with a smirk. "Avalon is several hundred kilometers east of Hogwarts. The sun rises a bit earlier here. But we still have plenty of time for Miss Lovegood to raise the mist."
Harry's whole plan had been to reach Avalon just before dawn. He had intended for Luna to raise the mist and for them to be on the island in possession of the sword before Voldemort could strike. If he could have gotten the sword before Voldemort, he would have stood an excellent chance of defeating him. But now, with it clearly past dawn, he didn't know where the Dark Lord might be. If Luna's cousin had been able to raise the mist herself, then Voldemort might very well be waiting for them on the island, and already be in possession of the sword. In that case they wouldn't have any chance at all. But it wasn't like they had any choice, and they all knew it.
Lestrange pointed to the boiling sea just east of where they stood. "That is Avalon! Miss Lovegood, will you raise the mist?"
Luna took a last look at Harry, he nodded to her gravely, and then she stepped forward to the edge of the rock. She raised her arms to the heavens and began to speak the elemental chant that Hermione had found in the Hogwarts library. As she spoke the fury of the storm broke around them, with wind, lightening, and deafening claps of thunder. But Harry could hear Luna's voice ringing out clear and strong above the sound of the wind and thunder:
By the earth that is her body
And the water that is her blood
By the air that is her breath
And the fire that is her spirit
I ask the goddess to raise the mist
And reveal the sacred isle
Everyone else was looking toward Avalon, but Harry was watching Luna. Standing against the raw power of the storm, he saw again her strength and courage. The lightening was flashing behind her, and the wind was whipping her hair about wildly, but she didn't flinch for a second. He had been so preoccupied in watching her, that it was a moment before he realized that a change had taken place; the wind had died down and the lightening had ceased. Looking up, Harry saw that the gray storm clouds were scudding off in all directions, to be replaced by clear blue skies. The violent seas had become tranquil, and were gently lapped at the rock on which they were standing.
The swirling gray mist, which had obscured the horizon to the east, began slowly to lift and revealed a small, cone-shaped island with a flat top and steep sides. A rocky causeway then rose above the waves, and connected the strange isle to the rock upon which they stood.
As they started to walk across the causeway, Harry looked at the others. Without words he warned them that from here on they needed to be on their guard at all times. They all gave him a slight nod to indicate that they understood.
As they approached the small island Harry had a better opportunity to observe it in detail. It was a tall, cone-shaped island heavily strewn with large rocks and boulders, but showing no sign of any vegetation whatever. A steep trail ascended from the rocky shore, in a number of switch backs, to the top of the cone. At the highest point of the island was some kind of a structure, which Harry assumed must be King Arthur's tomb. He couldn't distinguish much about the building itself, for it seemed to be made a material that reflected the early morning sunlight. But as Harry got closer, he could see that the structure had a front portico supported by four columns and had a pitched roof; it greatly resembling pictures of ancient Greek temples that he had seen. But the most striking thing about the structure was that it appeared to be built entirely of rock crystal.
As they ascended the steep trail, Harry and his friends were alert for anything. As they had arrived after sunrise, Voldemort and his Death Eaters might be hiding anywhere along the way. But Harry didn't think so; there had to be more to it than that.
When they reached the top they saw the entrance to the tomb: a heavy bronze door with elaborate raised runic symbols. Luna studied the door intently for a few seconds and then declared that this was indeed Arthur's final resting place; something that Harry had already assumed. At this point Belletrix suggested that Harry and Luna should probably go on alone, as space in the tomb was likely quite restricted. Harry knew that this was a deliberate attempt by Lestrange to separate them, but it played into his plans as well. He didn't want to chance them all being trapped in the narrow confines of the tomb; preferring the others to have the freedom of movement that remaining on the surface would allow. Harry nodded to Ron and Neville, and they understood that they were to remain outside.
Lestrange transfigured two torches and gave them to the teens, and hand in hand they descended into the depths of the tomb.
"You know they are probably waiting for us?" Harry whispered, and Luna responded with a slight nod.
They descended deeper and deeper until at last they reached a large chamber with a high-vaulted ceiling; in the center of the chamber was a raised stone platform upon which a marble sarcophagus lay. Before entering the crypt itself they carefully looked around the circular stone chamber. Several large stone steles were set up at various intervals around the tomb; but there was no sign of Voldemort or his Death Eaters. But that didn't matter very much, because both teens were aware that their enemies could be using some type of concealment charm to render themselves invisible.
They advanced cautiously into the crypt; the air was heavy and stale. As they got closer, the flickering light from their torches revealed the stone image of a sixth-century knight lying atop the marble sarcophagus. The knight was dressed for battle, complete with plumed helmet and spurs; all finely carved out of stone. Both Harry and Luna knew that this must be an image of the legendary King Arthur. On the chest of the knight lay a heavy battle sword, with a gold hilt that still gleamed in the flickering torch light.
Harry took a step forward and then heard a cold, hard voice say, "Beautiful, isn't it Harry? Not just the sword itself, but the power that it represents. It's mine now Harry, just as you and your little girlfriend are mine."
The two teens spun about, their wands aimed, but there was nothing there. Suddenly their wands were ripped out of their hands by spells cast by unseen Death Eaters.
"Harry, Harry, you don't want to end our pleasant talk so soon, do you? It will be over soon enough as it is…." Suddenly Voldemort became visible, a grinning Draco Malfoy stood on his right side and Wormtail stood on his left. Four other black-robed Death Eaters became visible around the chamber. Behind Voldemort, lying against the wall was a young girl with long blond hair in braids.
"Your only choice in the matter," Voldemort continued gloatingly, "is how it will end. It can be quick and painless, or it can end with more pain and suffering than you and your little friend can ever imagine. The choice is yours, Harry; give me the sword and I'll make your end a quick one. What's more, if you give me the sword now, your little friend shall go free; for I have no need of her. But either way I shall win. Dumbledore is an old man; you are his strength and the only one that can stop me, and I have you now."
Harry felt Luna squeeze his hand; and looking down at her, saw strength and courage in her eyes. He had hoped that they would have time together in this lifetime; that they could have children of their own and see them grown. That wasn't going to happen now; but it really didn't matter, they still would have all eternity together.
Harry turned defiantly towards the Dark Lord and, holding Luna's hand tightly, spat out words of contempt, "No Tom, in the end Dumbledore will win and you will be destroyed. It doesn't matter what happens to us, you'll never win."
Enraged at being called by a name he hated, Voldemort ordered two of his Death Eaters to make the two teens die in agony. The two dark clad figures drew and aimed their wands, more than ready to carry out their master's order. Harry hugged Luna tightly in his arms; feeling the warmth of her body against his, and he closed his eyes. He heard two harsh voices shout "Avada Kedavra," then he heard screams of pain, and then silence. Harry opened his eyes and saw two Death Eaters lying on the rocky floor, obviously dead.
"What magic is this?" Voldemort demanded. Then pointing at another of his followers he screamed. "Kill them I said!"
It was only at that moment that Harry and Luna realized that they were surrounded by some kind of blue aura. They didn't know what it was, but it was certainly there.
The Death Eater, somewhat reluctantly, drew his wand and shouted, "Avada Kedavra." A beam of intense green light shot out of the end of his wand, struck the aura that surrounded the two teens, and bounced back against the sender. The Death Eater screamed in pain, and dropped to the ground dead.
They all just stared at the body of the dead Death Eater for a moment, as if not able to comprehend what had just happened. Harry certainly couldn't understand it, but he was certainly going to take advantage of it while he could. With Luna holding onto him tightly, he marched determinedly up to the sarcophagus, picked up the great sword, and turned it in the direction of the Dark Lord.
"No! Stop him!" Screamed Voldemort, and he shoved one of his Death Eaters forward. Once again the curse was cast, albeit reluctantly and once again a Death Eater lay dead on the floor.
Harry swung the sword around to point at Voldemort, but before he could attempt to use it the Dark Lord reached inside his robes and vanished. Draco and Wormtail looked at each other in shock, and then quickly disappeared themselves. Looking around the chamber, Harry saw that he and Luna were now alone, except for Luna's cousin. The young girl was staring at the two teens in wild-eyed shock, and Luna immediately went to her and tried to comfort the frightened child as best she could.
"Luna, we have to go." Harry urged. "The others!" Harry and Luna helped the young girl to her feet and they made their way as quickly as possible up the passageway and back towards the surface. As they got closer to the entrance they heard the sounds of a battle underway, and curses being thrown.
Ron and Hermione were fighting from behind the columns on the left side of the entrance, and Ginny and Neville were shooting spells from behind some boulders on the right. Seeing Harry out of the corner of his eye, Ron turned and grinned at him. "Glad you could join us, mate. We have some very unfriendly Death Eaters up here that can use your attention."
"Nice of you to save them for me," Harry responded with a smirk, just as a spell hit the doorway just to the left of his head. Harry and Luna crouched down in the entrance, and using their spare wands, started shooting spells at some nearby Death Eaters. Luna's young cousin was sheltered further back in the passageway. Then Harry suddenly thought about the sword; he picked it up from where it lay on the ground beside him and pointed it at a group of dark clad figures about fifteen meters away. They were shooting spells from behind a pile of boulders. Harry aimed the sword, concentrated, and suddenly a beam of intense red light shot out of the sword and hit the boulders, causing a tremendous explosion.
Everyone was shocked by the massive explosion, even Harry. The battle completely ceased for several seconds as everyone stared at the scene of shattered boulders and blackened earth. The four Death Eaters had completely disappeared. Then a curse hit the face of the temple close to Harry. Ron pointed to a pile of rocks off to his left. "Over there, Harry." He exclaimed.
Harry swung the sword around, another beam of red light, another powerful explosion, and three more black robed figures lay still on the rocky ground. The remaining Death Eaters, realizing that their cause was lost, beat a hasty retreat down the slope. But they didn't get very far, for charging across the causeway was Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley and a dozen members of the Order. Seeing that their position was hopeless, the surviving Death Eaters threw down their wands and surrendered.
- o -
After Harry and Luna had entered the tomb, shortly after their arrival on the island, Belletrix Lestrange had tried to subtly move away from the other students. They had noticed her movement immediately, and Ron pulled out his wand and aimed it at her. "Not going anywhere, are you Professor?" he asked her. "We'd like you to stay here with us." The others had also drawn their wands.
Suddenly someone shouted a disarming spell and the wands flew out of their hands. Lestrange quickly pulled her own wand and aimed it directly at Neville's heart. "You never learn, do you boy?" She said with a cruel, mocking laugh. "Your parents never learned either."
Neville, though unarmed, was just about to launch himself at the evil woman when she was suddenly thrown backwards a good five meters, crashing to the ground in a daze. Hermione had managed to quietly take her spare wand from its holster, and hit Lestrange full in the chest with a stunning spell.
Curses then started coming in from all directions, and the four teens ran for whatever cover they could find. Ron and Hermione took cover behind two of the large crystal columns, and started shooting spells at a group of Death Eaters on the path. Ginny and Neville dived behind some boulders on the other side, and also started shooting spells.
Ron quickly realized that they were dueling with none other than Lucius Malfoy, father of their old enemy Draco. Malfoy was using some kind of a pulverizing spell that was slowing chipping away at the columns behind which they stood. At that moment, Hermione got in a good shot and one of the Death Eaters dropped to the ground unconscious. Ron quickly picked off a second, who was trying to work his way around their flank. Then both teens started to shoot at Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy got in a lucky shot, and hit Hermione in the shoulder with a Cruciatus Curse, and she dropped to the ground in terrible pain. Ron gave a scream of anger, stepped out in the open where he could take a clean shot, and hit Lucius Malfoy full in the chest with the Avada Kedavra. Malfoy went stiff as a board and dropped to the ground. Ron then ran to Hermione's side in panic. She was still in pain, but was alright otherwise.
Meanwhile, Ginny and Neville were keeping two separate groups of black-clad figures pinned down. Suddenly, an Avada Kedavra curse came in from the side, narrowly missing Neville. He spun around and saw Belletrix Lestrange smiling at him evilly. "First you boy, and then your little friend," she shouted. With that she shot another Avada Kedavra, and it took all of his reflexes to dodge it. With no time to aim, he shot back by instinct alone. The spell hit her squarely, and she let out a surprised scream as she fell backwards down the hill. Neville watched as her body rolled down the steep slope, gathering a cloud of dust as it went. Then, with a certain sense of satisfaction, Neville returned to the fight. It was a few seconds later that Harry and Luna joined them, and the tide of battle rapidly changed.
- o -
Under the direction of Professor Dumbledore the surviving Death Eaters were rounded up, checked for weapons, and secured with restraining spells. Several Order members then escorted them across the causeway on their way to trial and prison.
Professor Dumbledore and several others began the assent up the steep trail that led to King Arthur's crystal mausoleum. Watching from high above, Harry was really surprised at the agility of the old wizard, as he led the others up the steep trail at a rather brisk pace. With him were Edward Lovegood, Arthur Weasley, and another wizard that none of them recognized. At one point along the trail the four of them stopped, and it was clear to Harry that they were inspecting the remains of Belletrix Lestrange. Then the four of them resumed their climb with renewed vigor.
The four wizards finally made it over the crest of the trail and onto the flat top of the island. Both Luna and Ginny ran forward to embrace their fathers, and Harry stepped up to greet Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster nodded approvingly at the sight of the great sword in Harry's hands.
"Well, I see the six of you have come through not too much the worse for wear." He said, looking carefully at his six students. "What about Voldemort?"
Harry looked disappointed. "He got away, Sir."
"Don't worry, Harry; it's a great victory, anyway. You have the sword, and Voldemort has suffered a crushing defeat. You and your friends have every reason to be proud."
While they were talking the fourth wizard, who turned out to me a midi-wizard from St. Mungo's Hospital, was doing a quick examination of Hermione. He reported to Dumbledore that she had received a slight injury from a Cruciatus Curse, but that it was nothing too serious. He had given her a mild potion to lessen the pain, and he felt no other immediate attention was required. Ron had been at her side from the moment the injury occurred, and refused to leave even to greet his father.
"If you will please escort Miss Granger down to the shore, we will follow as soon as we inspect the tomb," Professor Dumbledore said, addressing the medi-wizard.
"No!" Cried Hermione in near panic. "Please, Professor Dumbledore. It's King Arthur! Couldn't I please go along?"
Dumbledore smiled and looked at the medi-wizard, who also smiled and nodded his head. "I guess it is something that you all deserve to see." He responded.
Lighting their wands, they descended the narrow passageway that led to Arthur's crypt. Reaching the burial chamber, Harry and Luna proceeded to explain to Professor Dumbledore exactly what had happened there. Neither of them had any idea why the Death Eaters' killing curses had failed to work properly, but they both remembered the strange blue aura that had surrounded them.
"I think I can supply the answer to that." Edward Lovegood said with a smile. Then addressing Luna he asked. "Are you wearing the necklace that Harry gave you at Christmas?"
"I never take it off." Luna responded dreamily, reaching over to take Harry's hand.
"Professor Dunbledore, have you ever heard of the Shield of Selena?" Edward Lovegood asked.
Dumbledore thought for a moment, and then answered. "Yes I have; but I always thought that it was just a myth."
"So did everyone else, except my Father. It took him thirty years to find it, but he finally succeeded." Then, addressing Harry, he continued. "You remember Harry, I told you the necklace protects the wearer against all forms of evil; it does that by projecting a blue aura around the wearer. I assume that you and Luna were holding each other when the spells were cast, and therefore the aura protected you both." Then, musing for a moment, he continued. "I always wondered why my Father never did anything with the charm during his lifetime, and now I believe I know. I think he always intended it for you, Luna. Somehow I think that he knew that you and Harry would need it today, and was somehow able to return from the other side to bring it to you."
It gave Harry a strange, yet rather reassuring feeling to know that Luna's grandfather was watching over them. Looking down into Luna's clear silver eyes, he felt rather proud to be joining such a family. And he was certain that wherever his parents were, they were very proud as well.
- o -
After their return to Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey insisted on doing a complete examination on all of them, and not even Dumbledore dared oppose the formidable witch. Professor Dumbledore asked that they all join him in his office when she released them. During the intervening time he interviewed Cho Chang and Seamus Finnegan about their part in the "battle." By that afternoon the headmaster thoroughly understood the remarkable events of that day.
When Harry and his friends finally met with Professor Dumbledore they weren't really sure what to expect. On the island he had seemed quite pleased with what they had accomplished; but now, upon reflection, would he think that they had behaved recklessly? They had taken a great risk walking into Voldemort's trap; but they felt that there was no alternative. Though what would Professor Dumbledore think; had there been a safer way they could have gone?
The minute they entered the Headmaster's office all their fears melted away. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk smiling broadly. Professor McGonagall, who still looked rather frail after being released from the Hospital Wing, was seated in a comfortable chair at the side of his desk. He motioned the six teens to chairs before his desk, but Luna immediately moved her chair over next to her favorite teacher. It was their first opportunity to speak since all that had happened, and Luna had been very concerned about how the older woman had handled the ordeal. They soon fell into a whispered conversation, and it became very apparent that little Luna Lovegood was going to play the role of mother until Minerva McGonagall was fully recovered.
Professor Dumbledore smiled as he looked at the older woman and the young girl. 'How different the two of them are,' he thought, 'and yet how exactly alike. Minerva will be just fine in Luna's care.' Then he turned to address the others. He immediately reassured them that he felt they had all handled the situation very well, and added that he was very impressed with Harry's leadership abilities. Dumbledore's only criticism was of himself; as he expressed his regret that Voldemort had succeeded in luring the teachers away from the school with such relative ease. He explained that the attack on the Ministry was a diversion to pull the staff away from Hogwarts. Voldemort sacrificed the Dementors and a few of his Death Eaters in the Ministry attack; all in an effort to gain the Sword of Astragal and kill Harry with a single stroke. But he had failed miserably at both.
"Voldemort has suffered a significant defeat and has lost his strongest supporters. It will take him a long time to recover his strength; but I'm afraid that he will in time. It's not in his nature to give up; he'll fight until he wins, or is destroyed. But for now, and for the immediate future, I think we can all relax a bit." Dumbledore said.
Harry took the Sword of Astragal, which had never left his side since their return from Avalon, and presented it to Professor Dumbledore. "I'd like you to take this, Professor. It will be safer with you."
"No, Harry, I can't do that. The sword has come to you for a reason, and it's important that you keep it. Someday you may need it."
"Then will you hold it for me, Sir? Keep it here at Hogwarts until I need it."
"That, Harry, I will be honored to do." And the Headmaster accepted the sword from Harry's hands.
As the six students got up to leave, Professor Dumbledore noticed the matching rings on Harry's and Luna's fingers. "May I look?" The two teens smiled, and showed him their rings.
The old man smiled, and Harry could once again see the long absent twinkle in his eye. "Pledge Rings." he said with satisfaction. "I'm glad to see that you two are maintaining that particular tradition; it's right for you, for both of you."
As soon as the meeting with Professor Dumbledore concluded, Harry and Luna excused themselves and returned to the hospital wing to be with Luna's young cousin, Freda. The child had come through the stress of the proceeding months amazingly well, but Madam Pomfrey was concerned with delayed shock about her parents' death. The child had not seen it happen, and Voldemort had not told her about it, but somehow she instinctively knew that they were gone. The Dark Lord seemed to have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep things as normal as possible for the child, perhaps realizing that if she was too afraid she might be unable to raise the mist. But the girl seemed to have resigned herself to the fact that her life would never be the same again. Harry and Luna, who have suffered such a loss themselves, were doing their best to be supportive of the child; and indeed she seemed most at ease in their presence.
Edward Lovegood was setting at the young girl's bedside when they returned, and he announced that as soon as Madam Pomfrey released her, he would take Freda home and get her settled in her own room. Luna told her all about Grimmy, and knew that the gentle wolf would take good care of the girl until they returned home in June. Luna eagerly looked forward to having a sister, although she wished it had happened through less tragic circumstances. Perhaps because he himself was an orphan, Harry felt himself strangely drawn to the child, and already regarded her as his little sister.
- o -
That evening the six teens came down for dinner a bit early, at the special request of Professor Dumbledore. When they entered the Great Hall they saw that the teachers were already assembled at the High Table, and there were a number of other familiar faces present as well. In fact, a whole separate table had been set up to accommodate all the specially invited guests. They included the Minister of Magic and his wife, Annabelle Longbottom, Albaster Moody, Tonks, and Hermione Granger's parents, who were on their first visit to Hogwarts and seemed quite overawed by the grandeur of the Great Hall. Edward Lovegood was also there with his young niece, who waved happily at Luna and Harry. Professor Dumbledore waved the six students up, and pointed to the great stone fireplace where they could all see the Sword of Astragal mounted in a place of honor.
"But is it safe there?" Neville asked of the seemingly unprotected weapon.
"You should have no fears about that, Mr. Longbottom. There are more protective spells on that sword than on the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts combined. Only Harry or I can remove it from the wall." Professor Dumbledore said. And then the Headmaster made rather a strange request. "For just this night alone I would like to ask all of you to sit at your own house tables. I do have a reason for making this request." He assured them.
This struck them all as a bit curious, as Luna had eaten at the Gryffindor table for many months now; but they agreed to his request. As they started to walk towards their tables, Luna pulled on Harry's arm and nodded back to the High Table. Looking back, Harry saw Neville introducing Ginny to his formidable Grandmother. The older woman seemed to like the spirited young girl immediately, and they were soon talking like old friends. Then she handed Neville a small black box, which he took carefully and slipped in his pocket. Harry knew that the first thing Neville had done upon his return to Hogwarts was to send his Grandmother an owl requesting his family's Pledge Rings. He was glad that he and Luna weren't the only ones keeping the old tradition alive.
As Luna sat down at the Ravenclaw table she was immediately joined by Cho Chang and several other Ravenclaw girls. While they were naturally interested about what happened on Avalon, the story that had raced through Hogwarts like wildfire was that Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood had pledged each other before going out to face the Dark Lord together. All the girls in school thought it so very romantic and they all wanted very much to see the ring.
As the other students entered the Great Hall they whispered and pointed at the great sword on the fireplace and at Harry Potter as well. But the old feelings of isolation didn't return to Harry; he had learned from Luna that it was alright to be different, as long as one was true to himself. But there was another difference as well. They were not just whispering about Harry; they were talking about all six of them, and about Cho, Seamus and the other members of the DA. Harry was later to learn that more than half of the school had asked about membership in the DA within the first twenty-four hours after their return; they all wanted to join the fight. Hogwarts suddenly discovered that it had many heroes. Suddenly the whispering stopped, and Harry noticed that Professor Dumbledore had stood and raised his arms.
"Welcome to this very special celebration feast. Tonight we have much to celebrate, and we have several special guests that have come to celebrate with us. I wish to especially welcome our Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley, and his wife Molly. Earlier this year the Sorting hat once again reminded us that only if we all came together could we hope to defeat the dark forces aligned against us. Well, yesterday that house unity was fully achieved as our students joined together and handed Lord Voldemort a crushing defeat.
I wish to recognize some of the students responsible for that defeat, who in the last few hours have shown such extraordinary courage and bravery. Mr. Harry James Potter organized and led the resistance to the Dark Lord's attack. Mr. Potter, together with Miss Luna Lovegood, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Neville Longbottom, and Miss Ginevra Weasley went to the island of Avalon, confronted and defeated the Dark Lord, and brought the Sword of Astragal back to Hogwarts. Here at Hogwarts, Miss Cho Chang and Mr. Seamus Finnegan led the forces that rescued Professor McGonagall and defeated an attempt by Voldemort's supporters to take control of the school. Mr. Andrew McDonnell, Miss Lavender Brown, and all of the members of the DA provided invaluable assistance in this matter. They are all heroes, and we are all very proud of them." Applause and cheering rose in the Great Hall that lasted for several minutes. Slytherin House, now purged of its dark elements, cheered as loud as any.
"And now there is another matter to be brought up. As wise as our Sorting Hat is, on very rare occasions it does make a mistake and places a student in the wrong house. This usually occurs when a student possesses all the qualities required for two different houses and makes a conscious choice of which house he, or she, would prefer to be assigned. When we discover these mistakes, we do our best to rectify them and transfer the student to their proper house. This decision is not made lightly, and should not be taken as a negative reflection on any house. It's an effort to place a student in that house where they can be happiest and most successful.
Yesterday, Miss Luna Lovegood exhibited qualities of courage and loyalty that few students at this school have ever shown; and this was not the first time that she has shown these qualities. After discussions with the teaching staff, the Sorting Hat, and Miss Lovegood's father, I have reached the conclusion that Miss Lovegood should have properly been sorted into Gryffindor House. Miss Lovegood possesses the intelligence for Ravenclaw House, but also the courage for Gryffindor; as her mother was a Ravenclaw the Sorting Hat placed her in that house. We now realize that decision was incorrect, and it only remains to rectify it. Therefore, effective immediately, Miss Luna Lovegood is transferred to Gryffindor House. Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, addressing Harry. "Would you please escort Miss Lovegood to join her new housemates?"
A cheer went up from the Gryffindor table that was deafening, and the other tables in the Great Hall soon joined in. Harry jumped out of his seat and walked over to Ravenclaw table, extending a hand to Luna. She took it happily, and they walked back together. There was obvious regret at Ravenclaw table, but they were applauding as loud as any. Luna Lovegood deserved to be in Gryffindor House.
"Finally, I have saved the most important matter for last." Professor Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. "Last night two of our students chose to join their lives together. Those of you from wizarding families understand the significance of the Pledge Ceremony. It's a commitment requiring extraordinary amounts of love, understanding and courage; such that it's rarely practiced today. But for these two people it was the right decision. It's a tradition in the wizarding world that dates back to a time before remembering…"
As Dumbledore spoke, Harry got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew the old man was sincere in his good wishes, but he certainly hoped that he and Luna weren't going to be embarrassed in front of the entire school. But the Headmaster seemed to understand Harry's fears, and simply concluded his remarks by wishing the two lucky students a long and happy life together. While he didn't mention their names, most of the school already knew who they were.
Later that evening, in Professor Dumbledore's office, in the presence of their friends and their families, Neville Longbottom and Ginevra Weasley continued that ancient tradition, and bound their souls together.
- o -
But if there was reason for celebration at Hogwarts, that was certainly not the case in a decaying manor house in the Midlands. Built on a hill above a small English village, the manor had been abandoned for many years and was in advanced decay. Overlooking the village like a brooding nemesis, the townspeople gave it a wide birth. Stories were told of the house, and the things that had happened there, that were sufficient to send chills down the backs of even the hardiest of men. Earlier that day, many people reported seeing smoke rising from one of the chimneys; but none was brave enough to investigate.
In a darkened upstairs sitting room of the house, Voldemort sat brooding before a dying fire. Draco Malfoy and Wormtail stood nearby, in a fearful silence. All day long he had raged about the terrible things he would do to Harry Potter and friends; but now he had fallen into a dark, brooding silence that was even worse.
His servants, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, stood in the shadows and listened to him mutter, "I must find a way to kill him. He must have a weakness that I can use. The sword, the sword is the key to everything. I must have it." And then the silence would return, and the two men stood trembling in the darkness.
Suddenly Voldemort stood up. "Gather our things, we are leaving this place immediately," he ordered. "I will make a portkey."
"Yes, Master," Wormtail responded. "May I ask where we are going," he asked in an attitude of utter subservience.
"To visit an old enemy," Voldemort responded, a sinister smoothness returning to his voice.
"An enemy, master?"
"Yes, and a rival. But sometimes an ally, when there is mutual benefit. I had hoped I would not have to use his…err, services; for he charges most dear. But now I am left with no choice. Let us leave now, before members of Dumbledore's beloved Order arrive.
Author's Note: My original plan was to end the Sword of Astragal here, and then write a six chapter sequel that would take Harry and Luna through year seven and beyond. But the two stories are so closely connected that I decided to continue it as a single long story. You, the readers, can decide if that was the right decision or not. Chapter 13 will follow soon, I hope.