THC

Hufflepuff

DADA Professor

Round 2, Year 8

Drabble

Words: 875

Prompt: (Character) Luna Lovegood

A/N This story is set sometime during the spring of Harry's third year. Thank you so much to my wonderful teammates!

Harry still couldn't get his mind around the fact that Sirius Black was his godfather. It felt like a punch in the gut every time he thought about it. Even worse, he knew that Professor Lupin knew more than he was letting on, which frustrated Harry to no end.

It was a cold Saturday morning in January, and Harry just needed a quiet place to think. He wandered the grounds until he found a hidden spot in the woods near the Black Lake. It seemed like the perfect place to quietly think over things.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said, startling Harry. "It seems you are deep in thought. I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

Harry shook his head as he slowly turned to face the odd girl. "I'm just… trying to get a grip on things."

"Things often become revealed to us at the most unexpected moments."

"That is true, I suppose."

"Would you like to talk about anything? Perhaps I can help you think things through?"

Harry shook his head again. "The only way you could help me is if you could somehow find a way for me to get information from Professor Lupin. He knows something that he isn't telling me."

Luna got a strange look in her eyes that Harry did not like.

"What?"

"Well, you would get information, but you might not like what you find," Luna finally said.

Harry resisted the urge to snort. "I need to know what he's hiding. I don't care about anything else."

Luna didn't bother arguing; she personally knew what it was like to be desperate for information. She knew she couldn't talk him out of it, but she could protect him in a way no one was able to do for her. "Do you know Alohomora?"

"Do I—of course, I know it! Hermione forced me and Ron to learn it in our first year."

"Good. I will find you when I am ready, Harry Potter."

Harry tried to say something else, but by the time he had turned to face her again, she was gone.

"Typical Luna Lovegood," Harry mumbled under his breath. "I'm never able to get a straight answer from her."

It was after a particularly strenuous quidditch practice a few weeks later that Luna found Harry. He had almost forgotten about their strange conversation, but his hope of finding out more information kept it fresh in his mind.

"I'm ready if you are," Luna said beside him as they walked back to the castle together.

Luna, Harry noticed, seemed to be wearing the strangest outfit he had ever seen, which said a lot considering it was Luna.

"Right now?"

"It is the perfect time. Things are in our favor right now. If we wait any longer, the world could come out of balance and it will take longer before things are perfectly aligned again."

Harry didn't have it in him to argue with the strange girl, so he agreed. He was very thankful he had decided to leave his equipment in the locker room after practice. "Tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it."

"Professor Lupin's room is located in the dungeons. Be sure you are not seen by anyone. You will hopefully find everything you are looking for in there."

She was gone again before Harry could respond.

Harry was surprised that all it took to get into Lupin's personal room was Alohomora. He figured for sure that if any professor was to have multiple protective spells, it was going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but Lupin had once again surprised Harry.

The room was pitch dark when he entered, so he cast Lumos and moved carefully around the room. The door clicked shut behind him.

Harry didn't find much in the first few minutes he was there. He didn't want to risk staying there for very long, so he turned to leave the room even though he hadn't found anything.

That's when the light from his wand brightened up an old photo.

Harry slowly walked towards the mirror where the picture was, unsure he was seeing things correctly. In the picture was Sirius Black, his father, a pudgy man he didn't know, and Lupin. They were all laughing at something, and Harry found himself longing to know what.

Harry had just picked up the photo when he heard Lupin saying from somewhere down the hall, "Yes, Ms. Lovegood was once again asking me about Nargles. I don't know how you've put up with such nonsense for so long, Severus."

Harry paled. He didn't know what to do. He knew hiding was never a very good idea, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. Harry dove under Lupin's bed and extinguished his wand.

Lupin was laughing now at something Snape had said. "That is very true, Severus. No one would dare come to you for such tomfoolery, would they?"

The door clicked open, and the room was suddenly flooded with light.

Harry held his breath and closed his eyes, trying to think of a way out. He didn't see Lupin crouch down in front of the bed.

"You are exactly like your father, Harry."

Harry was so startled he screamed.

Lupin laughed.