Symbols

Ginny couldn't understand why her sister gave this diary to her and took it back. All speculations were not very convincing.

One afternoon, Ginny and Luna came out of the library and discussed the information they had collected.

"I bit the bullet and read everything I could find about school history, and now I at least know half of the things in Hogwarts. I didn't find anything that mentioned the Chamber of Secrets." Ginny said.

"Okay… "

"The theory that there's a monster that can petrify people also sounds unreliable. I even doubt if there are really those things in the world."

"Okay… "

"My sister is acting weird, she came to me suddenly that day… "

"Okay… "

Ginny stopped and looked at Luna's face

"Luna, you are also acting a little weird… "

"Really?" Luna looked up suddenly like waking from a dream, "Do you think so too?"

"You're not even responding to the Misfortune Cloud anymore! Are you sick? You seem very tired."

"I think… " Luna said worriedly, "I think I was bitten by a Memosquito… Have you heard of this Memosquito? They take away your memory… I feel dizzy, as if I can't remember something, and feel flustered. I think it is a side effect of Memosquito toxin… "

Ginny felt that Luna's discomfort came from her fantasy.

"Let's go to the hospital wing and see."

Ginny didn't take much effort to persuade Luna to follow her to the hospital. When she passed the Great Hall, she saw a group of people crowded in front of the bulletin board to read the new notice.

The two of them stepped forward and took a look, Luna immediately became more energetic.

"No need to go to the hospital, let's go to the Dueling Club tonight."

"Aren't you dizzy anymore?"

"Ginny," Luna patted her shoulder seriously. "Have you never heard of it? Exercising is the best way to keep healthy, and here's one that we can participate in."

For the sake of a healthy body and mind, Ginny and Luna came to the auditorium at eight o'clock to join the Dueling Club. Everyone thought that the teacher would be Professor Flitwick, who was a dueling champion when he was young, but Lockhart came on stage, and his assistant was Snape.

If he is here, Ginny thought, then she won't be far away.

Sure enough, when a team of Slytherins walked in five minutes later, Ginny started to feel dizzy.

"Luna, let's go… "

"Wait, I wanna see Lockhart and Snape duel."

"Wouldn't it be better if they finish each other off?" Ron walked over from behind.

The demonstration duel started and ended with a perfect arc that illustrated Lockhart's body motion.

"What a beautiful parabola… y = ax^2 + bx + c, reflect over the x-axis… " Didn't know what Luna was talking about.

Slytherin students applaud for their Head of the House.

Lockhart got up, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me - "

They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Ron first.

"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter - "

Harry moved automatically toward Hermione.

"I don't think so," said Snape, smiling coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Potter. And you, Miss Granger - you can partner Miss Bulstrode. As for you, Miss Weasley, you would partner me."

Great fear and dizziness hit Ginny, and she leaned back uncontrollably, thankfully Luna held her back.

"No, not you, he was talking about your sister, that girl with too many Whackspruts around."

"Thank you, Luna, I'm not afraid… I… I feel dizzy."

"Frankly, if I'm not feeling dizzy too, I would think you're trying to look tough… "

Luna paused and left Ginny aside. The chaotic practice scenes around could not interfere with her full concentration on Aquamarine and Snape.

"Luna, Luna!" Ginny tried to pull Luna back to reality, "What are you doing?"

"That's not Professor Snape… "

"What? What do you mean? How's that not Professor Snape?"

"Ginny, everyone has their own magnetic field… I can feel that Professor Snape's magnetic field… suddenly disappeared… "

Ginny admitted that there's still so much she didn't know about Luna. For instance, how many bizarre things does Luna know?

"Your sister… is very interesting… " Luna seemed to look like she's back in her dreamy state again.

Lockhart wanted to pick Neville and Justin as the volunteer pair but Snape rejected and suggested Harry and Draco.

The scene was completely out of control, and all kinds of spells were flying all over the sky. Suddenly, Malfoy's wand spouted a long black snake which fell heavily on the floor. When it raised its head to attack, the crowd quickly backed away, screams filled the hall.

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

To everyone's surprise, Harry spoke, but the sounds coming out of his mouth were hisses.

Then he looked at Justin and smiled.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted, and before Harry could say anything, he had turned and stormed out of the hall.

Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look.

Before Harry realized what's going on, Ron and Hermione steered him out of the hall.

Ginny stared blankly and nudged Luna with her elbow.

"Luna, let's go see Harry… "

Luna didn't answer, she walked up to Snape and said loudly:

"Professor, I volunteer to perform and I'll ask Miss Weasley to be my partner!"

And she meant Aquamarine Weasley!

The crowd was shocked for the second time. Most of the people were surprised that someone dares to challenge Aquamarine; Ginny was surprised that the challenger was Luna.

"Is it okay?" Luna smiled and said to Aquamarine, calmly. The latter nodded.

"Alright," Lockhart said. "But only the Disarming Charm!"

"Promise." Luna said.

They went on to the platform, and this was an unforgettable match for Ginny.

Ready, set, go!

Aquamarine's posture of waving her wand was elegant and swift. She could have used the nonverbal spell since she has learnt that a long time ago, but facing Luna, she slowly pronounced, with a sweet contempt at the corner of her mouth:

"Expelli… "

The following "armus" haven't even come out yet, Luna had already thrown away the wand, causing the Disarming Charm to fly upwards, and instantly rushed to the opponent, her forehead slammed against Aquamarine's forehead; the latter fell, and the crowd astonished.

"Oops, I was too nervous. Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry!" Luna quickly apologized and ran off the stage. Although Snape wasn't too happy and took Ravenclaw ten points, he didn't particularly make things too difficult for Luna. He walked towards Aquamarine. Luna took Ginny through everyone's eyes full of surprise and ran into the darkness of the night.

In Ravenclas's common room, Ginny helped apply ointment on Luna's forehead and picked up Luna's wand.

"Bloody hell, is your wand okay? It looks so bent."

"It was supposed to be like this."

"Luna, you and Harry are not normal today. He is a Parselmouth, and you are a… "

"I'm a psychopath," Luna smiled faintly. "Why do you think I hit her? Since she walked to Professor Snape's side, I started observing. Something was flashing in her eyes. I remember that ever since I got on the train at Hogwarts, I have been dizzy from time to time. Most of the time when that happens I can see her somewhere around me. Maybe it has something to do with her."

"You can't be thinking that the thing in her eyes attracted all these Whackpruts?"

"To be honest, that's exactly what I'm thinking." Luna put her hand on her forehead, "I wanted to see what was in her eyes. I was too anxious to see it, so I thought of this idea. She definitely wouldn't let me if I ask her directly."

"That was close," Ginny squeezed cold sweat for her. "If she was a little more serious just now, you would be getting humiliated."

"Do you think I am not humiliated now?" Luna blinked, "Ravenclaws are afraid of being bored, not being humiliated."

"Anyway, did you see what was in her eyes?"

"It's a Magic Pattern, there were three weird symbols in it." Luna wrote them on two pieces of paper, "Take a copy. Oh, and, do me a favour."

"Sure."

"Raise my hand and say K.O!"

"What?" Ginny was confused.

"Someone has to cheer for the winner. Although I won with humiliation."

They looked at each other and laughed.

Ginny raised Luna's right hand high:

"K.O! Let's cheer for Luna's iron head!"