Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Chapter 18: the Half-Blood Prince Part 1
(Young Luna's thoughts)
Old Luna's thoughts
Selena, Luna's mom's thoughts
The sword's thoughts
Parseltongue
After the end of term, Most of the long-term members of the D.A. chose to stay with Luna and Harry rather than return to their families, much to their parents' consternation. Using their port-key rings, Squad A was transported to the newly refurbished Potter Manor, as Luna needed some time to grieve in the company of a few close friends. Squad G was transported to Gryffindor Castle so that they could better assess the army that Harry and Luna were building and devise tactics to utilize it. Squads B, E and F were transported to Gryffindor Castle to train. Squad C was transported to Ravenclaw Tower to begin absorbing books and devise a priority list of books for the others to absorb. Squad D took the train to London and then helped Fred and George set up their Joke Shop, which would serve as a front to cover their research activities.
After the funeral of Luna's Father, Harry called all of his house elves together and issued them uniforms and made them accept pay.
Scene Break
On the day the Will was read, Harry took Luna shopping at Diagon Alley, first. Mostly, she bought new clothes. Finally, they went to Gringott's. After he read the will, which was filled with legalistic mumbo-jumbo, Grindbar summarized it for them.
"Your father left a lot of debts," began Grindbar. "He borrowed against everything he owned in order to keep his underground paper afloat. The only thing he didn't hock was his Lordship title, and its seat on the Wizengamot."
"I don't want it," said Luna. "You can have it, Harry."
"Are you sure?" asked Harry.
"Yes. Pay off the debts and you can be Lord Lovegood. But, I'm not sure what I'll do with the Quibbler. We don't really have time to run a magazine," said Luna.
"You need a professional journalist to run it for you," observed Grindbar.
"Of course!" exclaimed Harry as he reached for a quill and paper from Grindbar's desk. "I need to send an owl to Hermione."
Scene Break
"Thank you meeting with me," said Harry as they sat at the Leaky Cauldron. "How have you been, Ms. Skeeter?"
"Much better since your interview," said Rita Skeeter.
"How would you like to work for me on a more permanent basis?" asked Harry.
"What do you mean?" asked Rita.
"I would like you to become the new editor of the Quibbler," said Harry.
Rita stared at him, her mouth hanging open. After a few minutes of silence, she recovered a bit.
"Would I have editorial control?" asked Rita.
"Of a sort," replied Harry. "While I will be using my interest in the Prophet to make it impartial and truthful, I would like the Quibbler to become a partisan political paper that is slanted towards me. I don't want you to print lies. But I know how biased your writing can be. I just want it to be biased in my favor."
"And I won't have to do stories about strange phenomena that nobody believes in anyway?" asked Rita.
"You may do such stories if you wish," replied Harry. "But you won't be required to cover such things. I've got a war to run. I won't have time to micromanage you. I'm relying on your skills as a journalist."
"Lord Potter, I believe we have a deal," said Rita as she offered her hand.
Scene Break
Harry had made an elaborate throne room in Potter Manor. In it, he sat on an ornate throne with Luna at his side in a similar one. The other four members of Squad A were standing guard in the four corners of the room.
"Arcesso Paelexa!" intoned Harry.
With a pop, two, rather large women appeared. It was clear that Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had gotten their looks from their mothers.
"Welcome to Potter Manor Mrs. Crabbe and Mrs. Goyle. I am you new Master," stated Harry. "You may have noticed that your rings disappeared and your wands shattered a few days ago. Since you are now my property, you will not be getting new wands until I feel that you have reformed."
"Fuck you Potter!" said Mrs. Crabbe. "We don't need your handouts! The Malfoys will take care of us!"
"Are you quite sure of that?" asked Harry, steepling his fingers. "Draco is in Azkaban and Lucius is in Saint Mungo's. You are quickly running out of Malfoys to take care of you."
"The Goyles and the Crabbes have been vassals of the Malfoys for seven hundred years. They WILL take care of us," said Mrs. Goyle.
"Ablegatio Paelexa!" shouted Harry as he sent them to 4 Privet Drive.
Scene Break
With a popping sound, a half-dozen Death Eaters appeared on the Brockdale Bridge. Their Master had promised a mass Muggle killing unless the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood aside. They were here to make good on that threat. A half-hour before they arrived, the bridge had been closed. So when the Death Eaters arrived, there were no cars on the bridge. Instead, there were six teenagers, who were ready to fight. As soon as the Death Eaters arrived, Harry stunned one of them.
"Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Serpensortia! Petrificus Totalus!" the Death Eaters began flinging curses at their opponents, but they all bounced off the shields that Neville and Ginny had erected.
Come wrap around my ankle and I will protect you, Luna hissed at the snake.
Vaporo Conus! hissed Harry as a jet of super heated steam erupted from the end of his wand and expanded into a cone shaped area that scalded the Death Eaters to death.
One managed to duck and roll out of the way. He came out of his roll in a kneeling position and cast a Death Curse. "Avada Kedavra!"
Luna leapt in the way and absorbed the Death Curse with her sword.
"Delibro!" shouted Harry as he cast the Onion Peel curse at the Death Eater.
"Protego!" the Death Eater got his shield charm up into time to deflect Harry's curse.
Luna pointed her sword at the Death Eater and let loose a blast of energy that disintegrated her opponent's head.
Then, Harry notice that the now, headless villain was wearing a Lordship Ring.
"Praedia-" began Harry.
"Hold it Harry! It won't work!" said Luna
"Why not?" inquired Harry.
"Because you didn't defeat him," explained Luna. "I did. Praedia Bellica!"
"Oh cheer up. I may be Lady-" she glanced at the ring that had appeared on her hand. It had an emerald, with a serpent and scorpion on either side of it. "-Nott now, but being my husband makes you Lord Nott and I'll see that you get a Lordship Ring."
Just then, there was the distinctive popping sound of the Aurors apparating in.
"Looks like it's time to go," said Stan.
Next time
Against the Giants!