Chapter II
July 5, 1996
It hadn't been easy, getting there. The muggle airwaves had been filled with reports of the inexplicable natural disasters that were unrelentingly advancing through Europe, and all available transportation was engaged in evacuating people out of the path of Sibittu, not moving anyone towards it. In the end, Dumbledore had to employ some questionable compulsion charms for them to hitch a ride on an emergency vehicle to take them from Vienna to where they stood now, in a small hamlet barely 15 miles from the Austrian capital.
Fischamend was a quaint little village, known mostly for its adjacency to Vienna's international airport. Dumbledore and Harry took position in a large field to the east of the town, awaiting the arrival of the fastest of the Seven - the Unquenchable Inferno. Daphne held back, closer to the town, her inability to apparate keeping her from taking part in the initial engagement.
When they arrived, the air was already thick with smoke despite no visible sign of the Inferno. Harry apparated about fifty yards away from Dumbledore, putting distance between them as the demon finally appeared on the horizon. It was similar in form to the ifrit - large, humanoid in shape, but formless and made up of searing orange flame.
In a way, he was glad that the Inferno had outpaced the other Sibittu to such an extent. His own battle against the ifrit gave him a small measure of confidence; especially given the way that he'd destroyed the two Sibittu at Azkaban with what amounted to relative ease.
He'd made sure that he was out front, further east than Dumbledore, knowing that was the direction that their enemy would approach from. The mighty Danube River was not more than a mile to the north; 'the Inferno is about to be extinguished', he thought with grim amusement.
The heat was strong, but Harry waited, conjuring a few balls of water and freezing them, flinging the ice spears towards the Inferno to gain its attention. The spears evaporated before they came within twenty feet of the monster. 'That didn't happen last time' The Inferno approached, quickly roaring across the field.
"Harry! Fall back!"
He ignored Dumbledore, extending both hands and conjuring two wide columns of water that lanced upward before descending toward the demon from above. Just like his ice spears, though, the torrent of water evaporated before making contact. A massively overpowered Flame-Freezing Charm shot through the Inferno, taking effect on the fire that was burning the field behind it but having none whatsoever on the demon itself.
The smoke was getting thicker as more of the field burned. It was nearly upon him. Inhaling through clenched teeth, his throat burning from the ash-filled air, Harry's aura exploded into being. A loud rumbling sounded, and cracks began to spiderweb in the ground in front of him, grass and dirt flying as the earth itself seemed to split in two. A massive trench gouged out of the ground sped north, heading for the Danube.
The crackle of the flames was soon overshadowed by the roar of rushing water, as Harry diverted the flow of water towards the battlefield. The second largest river in Europe came cascading towards them, quickly overflowing the deep but narrow trench that he'd ripped into the ground.
The massive wall of water suddenly swirled in a decidedly unnatural fashion, spiraling out of the ground and crashing into the Inferno with a tremendous clap that echoed through the open field. A massive cloud of steam formed, the muggy vapor providing a respite from the ash-laden air he'd been breathing. Harry grit his teeth, his jaw clenched and squeezed his hands into fists. Visibility was so low that he couldn't quite make out the effect, but he could feel it with his magic, the steam solidifying into ice.
The Unquenchable Inferno, though, was far greater than a fire djinn. The ice melted away instantaneously, and the steam vanished entirely seconds later, with Harry forced to finally heed Dumbledore's warning and apparate further back.
"It's a magical fire, Harry, water isn't enough!" Dumbledore called out, holding his wand aloft and shouting "Ignis infernum!" Fiendfyre burst forth, charging towards the demon and, finally, halting it in its tracks, the two beings engaged in a mortal struggle. Harry took the opportunity to apparate to Dumbledore's side.
"Fiendfyre cannot be quenched with water?"
His former headmaster's voice was strained, his effort and focus obviously still directed at the demonic flames he'd summoned. "Water can weaken and eventually extinguish it, but fiendfyre does not share the same properties as a normal fire. You dumped an entire river on it and it shrugged it off like it was nothing!"
Harry's mind raced, his eyes barely processing the fiendfyre being ripped apart, the darker red of the cursed flames dissipating within the vibrant orange glow of the Sibittu's heat. An inkling of an idea began to form. 'Will I have the strength?' Diverting the Danube had, after all, been a colossal magical expenditure.
At his side, Dumbledore had not waited for him to work through his plan, his trademark long and unusual wand a blur of motion, summoning two earthen golems out of the ground that charged forward, smashing into the Sibittu in an explosion of dirt to no effect. There was no change in his expression, as though he'd anticipated the failure of his attack, though he did pause and look questioningly at Harry when a simple granite wall rose out of the ground directly in front of their opponent.
The granite melted away, slower than the earth golems or the water attacks, but again provided only a brief pause in the Inferno's unstoppable march. Another wall rose, this one formed of slate, and the flames of the Sibittu actually flowed around the wall for almost thirty seconds before it, too, disintegrated before the terrible heat.
"What are you doing?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Harry didn't reply for a long moment, seemingly coming to a conclusion before answering. "I have an idea."
"Why is it that I feel a great sense of trepidation at the way you say that?"
"I'm going to- shite!" Grabbing onto Dumbledore's shoulder, Harry apparated them to the edge of Fischamend where Daphne was waiting. "Sorry, it sped up at the end."
"Quite alright. Miss Greengrass, who are your friends?"
Harry belatedly took in his surroundings, noting the twenty-five men and women standing behind her, clad in blue robes with gold trim. "What- who are you?"
"They arrived not long after you left. They're aurors, from the Austrian Ministry."
"The Austro-Hungarian Ministry, girl. What are you doing here, Dumbledore? Are you aware that you are traveling with a wanted criminal?" The presence of drawn wands all around him suddenly came into sharp focus, and Harry had to suppress a groan. 'Seriously? Now, of all times?'
Dumbledore held out his hands in a placating gesture, his wand already tucked away. "Gentlemen, I assure you, we are only here to offer aid and assistance. Mr. Potter and I engaged the creature that threatens your nation. It pursues us, even at this moment. You should flee to a safe distance."
"We are here to destroy it as well. We cannot allow Vienna to fall; such a loss would be inexcusable," the auror that had spoken before said, "Our previous attempts to stop it failed. We will make our stand here."
"If you couldn't stop it before, what makes you think you'll have better luck now?" Harry didn't have time for this, for them. The noticeable glow of the Inferno was clearly approaching. "Just get as many people out of here as you can. I think I can defeat it."
"Fischamend was evacuated weeks ago, Vienna over the last several days. There are no people left here. However, we aren't going-" the man trailed off as a fissure opened in the ground thirty feet to the east of them, tracing a jagged path towards the Danube. "By all that's magical, how are you- you intend to drown it?"
"I already tried, it didn't work." He leaned towards Dumbledore, lowering his voice. "Get Daphne and get out of here. I'll meet you at… the street where we hitched a ride to here, in Vienna."
"What are you planning?"
"We don't have time to run through an explanation. Get rid of the aurors, and get her out of here!"
Dumbledore gave a slow nod, eyeing him skeptically, before taking hold of Daphne's arm and walking towards the aurors. Harry ran a hand through his hair, hoping that the sweat pouring off of him was a sign of his nerves and not a symptom of his dwindling magical energy. Ripping open two separate diversions was no small feat. He closed his eyes, tuning out the conversation around him, immersing himself in the placid depths of his power. This would need to be flawless if it was going to work.
Hearing a staccato of cracks from multiple apparitions as Dumbledore and the aurors departed, he opened his eyes and waited for his foe's arrival. It did not take long, cresting the gentle hill that obscured the field where he and Dumbledore had engaged it.
Once more, it approached the diverted river, showing no signs of hesitating despite the Danube quickly flooding the entire village. Harry tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his silver robes, eyes aglow, magical energy billowing out in waves from his blazing aura.
Thick walls of slate rose from the ground, flowing smoothly around the Sibittu, forming a huge globe around it, additional layers forming concentric circles. At the same time, the ankle-deep water surged upward, tens of thousands of liters seeping into the stone sphere through cracks that sealed shut as soon as the liquid passed through it.
A loud hiss was clearly audible, even through the layers of stone, as the Inferno's heat evaporated the water, but the airtight bubble kept the steam trapped. Harry's eyes flared once more and his aura vanished, conjuration completed, as he spun in a circle and apparated away.
Dumbledore and Daphne looked at him in surprise, whether because they had not expected him to return so quickly or because he screamed out "SHIELDS!" the moment he arrived, he couldn't tell. In the end, it didn't particularly matter as all three of them were hurled into the unforgiving stone wall of the building behind them when a blast wave ripped through the city, shattering every piece of glass in sight.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Daphne checked him over, clearly concerned by his condition. Dumbledore, though, had picked himself up off the ground and was staring to the east, wearing an expression of horror.
"By the gods, Harry… what have you done?" he whispered.
Both Harry and Daphne turned, taking in the devastation with wide eyes; glass sprinkled over every surface like a deadly layer of snow, the tall buildings that dotted Vienna's skyline crumbling, several collapsing outright, sirens and alarms blaring all around them.
And beyond, further away, but still visible in the sky - a dissipating mushroom cloud.
"How do you feel? Are you sure you're okay?" Daphne helped Harry to his feet, wincing as she did so - she'd unwittingly cushioned Harry's impact against the wall, the blast wave sandwiching her between him and the building behind them. "What happened?"
He started to speak but was interrupted by a coughing fit. Breathing in so much smoke left his throat raw and sore. "Slate endured the heat from the demon much more effectively than I'd anticipated. After I used the river to flood the town, I trapped the Inferno inside a sphere of rock that I filled with the water. When I tried to drown it with the Danube before, it evaporated almost instantly."
"So you trapped it in an airtight ball filled with steam? But, the explosion…?"
"I transfigured all of the oxygen in the steam to hydrogen. It's, uh, highly reactive when introduced to heat."
"That's one way of putting it," Dumbledore cut in. "So, what, you blew the monster apart?"
Harry nodded. "The explosion scattered it to the four winds. If it were going to reform, I think we'd have spotted it by now."
Daphne nudged him with her shoulder. "Nice work! Three down, four to go!"
"I think your congratulations may be a bit premature, Miss Greengrass," Dumbledore's tone was severe. "The Inferno may be gone, but I fear that Harry's means of victory, though clever, may yet prove counterproductive."
"What do you mean?"
"Just look around. You've leveled half of the city! What do you think those aurors we encountered earlier will do when they find us?"
"Isn't half the city better than all of it?"
"Don't be difficult, Harry. Did you already forget what the aurors said?" Daphne asked.
"They said that all of their previous attempts to stop the Sibittu had failed-"
"They also said that you were a wanted man, and that losing Vienna was 'inexcusable'. I don't think this was the ideal outcome they'd hoped for."
"But… why would they want to arrest me? I've never even been to Austria."
"It is an international warrant. Miss Greengrass is correct, though. We should make haste; I don't doubt that the aurors will seek us out, and we didn't come here to battle aurors."
"Right," Harry mumbled, the gravity of their words seeming to make an impact. "Sorry."
Daphne grinned as Fawkes appeared in a flash of flame. "Hey, at least you won. And I fully expect you to teach me that trick with the… whatever you did to cause that explosion."
"It seems rather obvious, but for formality's sake - Mr. Weasley, have you tabulated the votes?"
"I have, Chief Warlock. The 'nays' have it, 52-8."
Fawley nodded. "Thank you, Percy. If there's no further business? Very well, I call this session to a close." Banging the gavel, he stood and made his way down from the bench, shaking hands with several Wizengamot members, pointedly ignoring the pale-faced Minister.
Senio watched from the public gallery, noting the smug satisfaction among the Lords after soundly voting down MacDougal's proposals for enhanced interrogations in service of apprehending suspected criminals. From the moment that the Minister had begun his pitch, it was obvious that the bill would not be getting through.
Someone must have tipped them off. Standing up, he made his way out of the gallery, pausing only momentarily at Nott and Macmillan holding court with reporters from the Prophet. This wasn't entirely unexpected, although it somewhat complicated the optics of the operation.
Returning to his quarters - a room in the Leaky Cauldron - Senio sat down in the worn wooden chair, tapping his wand on the desk in the corner. A set of runes lit up, and after tapping each in a certain order, the lock on the drawer opened with a click.
Senio removed a thick candle and set it upright in the center of the room. He walked over to the gas lamps, pulling out a long scrap of wood from within his robes. Using his makeshift pilot light, he returned to the candle in the center of the room and lit it with the flame.
The moment the wick caught fire, hundreds of tiny runes carved into the wax activated, the illumination from the single candle completely lighting the room with a dazzling brilliance. Eight man-sized shadows slowly appeared, sliding along the floor and up the wall. His own shadow, despite the candle's radiance, was noticeably absent.
"Senio," an ethereal voice spoke, emerging from one of the shadows. "This had better be good. The Lux Conventus is to be used only for issues of grave import."
"Give it a rest, Quinctus, Senio understand as well as the rest of us the difficulty in acquiring new candles." Iugo was right; besides the weeks that it took to carve the runes into each candle, the dried potion that made up the wax demanded a not-insignificant amount of blood from each of them to effectively link the enchantments. "Regardless, even if he just wanted to hear our voices again, this method of communication has a set time limit. Let him speak."
"Thank you. There's been some resistance from this country's legislative body to our programs. I was hoping to consult with you about what our response should be."
"What sort of resistance?"
"They voted down a measure that would have allowed aurors to use more… thorough interrogation techniques."
"So? Since when do we ask for permission?"
Senio was growing irritated. "I know you're the most recent to join us, Tuor, but you should know the Umbra have never had to take over an entire country before. We can't afford to jeopardize the ICW's reputation with rash actions."
"And yet," Unus said, "You were assigned to Magical Britain for a single purpose. Overstepping our mandate is far less of a concern than allowing the Statute to crumble. Potter cannot be allowed to live. Do what you must."
"Hey Mum, how was work?"
Leila Edgecombe's lips twisted into a scowl for a moment. "It was- it was fine, dear. How was your day?"
"Okay. Cho and I went to Madam Primpernelle's."
"Oh? For you, or for her?"
"Her, though I don't know why, she's gorgeous."
Leila chuckled. Marietta had near-idolized the Asian girl since her First Year. "And so are you, darling. Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do next summer?"
"Not really, I have to take my NEWTs first. Who knows? I might not qualify for any good positions."
"Your mother is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic - as long as you graduate, your scores don't matter."
Marietta smiled proudly. The Edgecombes were finally getting their due; it was about time. "You looked upset when you got home. Shall I have Whitey prepare some tea for you?" Finally being able to afford a house-elf was yet another status symbol that came with her mother's new position.
"That won't be necessary. It's just the Wizengamot. Those stodgy old fools don't understand what a delicate position the Minister is in."
"This is about what you and Dad were talking about last night?"
Casting a sharp glance at her daughter, Leila warned, "I raised you better than to eavesdrop, Marietta. But yes, you're correct."
"Is it really worth going to so much trouble over a boy not even out of school?" Marietta delicately asked.
"The Confederation wants him. Desperately. And if Minister MacDougal and I are to keep our positions, we need to find him and hand him over. In short, yes, he's worth the trouble."
Marietta mulled this over, quickly identifying a way to get a bit of revenge. "You know, he was dating the Bones heiress before she passed. I bet Madam Bones has some information on where he is."
Having learned from Marietta exactly why she'd been passed over for promotion at her previous position, Leila's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Why, who knows, maybe he's even hiding out there. Might be worth pointing the aurors in that direction," Marietta remarked, her innocent tone failing to mask the undercurrent of viciousness in her words.
"Indeed. I think I'll bring that up with the Minister tomorrow morning. Now run along and wash up for dinner, dear."
Walking upstairs to her room, Marietta tried and failed to suppress a cruel smirk. She hoped that bitch would roll over in her grave when the Edgecombes ruined the Bones name.
"Edward! Come in, come in." Randolph greeted his friend and former benefactor warmly, with a bracing hug, clapping the large man on the back and escorting him into his office. "Cedric, this meeting will be off the record, feel free to take your lunch." He closed the door behind him.
"I'm impressed, Minister. If only your father could see you now," Edward said, accepting a tumbler of firewhiskey with a grateful nod.
"None of that 'Minister' nonsense, unless you want me to call you Lord Abbott for the rest of the afternoon! I've known you since we were lads. I daresay without you to look up to, there's no way I'd have ended up where I am now."
"You're far too kind. I'm just glad that, even with all of the upheaval, the ICW recognized the right man to get the Ministry back on track. Our nation is in dire need of stability, after all." He took a sip, belching out a small lick of flame. "Now, what's this about?"
"I need your help. The Wizengamot can't see the whole picture of what's happening right now."
"Is this about that bill? Randolph, you had to have known it had no chance. Honestly, it's like asking the fox to vote for more hunting."
MacDougal sat down, steepling his fingers in front of his lips. "Times are changing, Edward. Those that rule today may find themselves with a boot on their neck tomorrow."
"I could just as easily counter by noting that when change threatens to rule, the rules are changed. The Lords have governed Britain for longer than the ICW has existed. We will not submit so easily."
"Edward- Lord Abbott, please. Listen to me when I tell you that our position is untenable. There are less than a half-dozen aurors and hitwizards left in the Ministry's employ. Entire departments have been re-staffed since the occupation. You have always been there for my family; I would not offer such a frank warning if it were not justified. A storm is coming; do not find yourself at sea when it arrives."
There was quiet for a long moment. Edward finished his drink, setting the glass down on the Minister's desk. "What would you have me do?"
"Cooperate. Attempt to gather support for-"
"You can't possibly think that I could convince-"
MacDougal raised one hand to halt his interruption. "I do not. But if you are publicly on the Ministry's side, I can- I will protect you and yours. I swear it."
"If I am seen as a collaborator, my family may suffer from our own countrymen."
MacDougal looked disappointed. "I am not without power, my friend. With my new international contacts, I can ensure that Abbott Estates has access to new markets overseas, free of tariffs. Open competition with foreign suppliers on the Continent."
Edward chuckled. "I wasn't fishing for a bribe, Randolph. Very well. You've never let me down before. I trust you not to make this the first such occasion."
After one more drink with the Minister, Edward left the Ministry to head home. Stepping out of the Floo, he felt an immediate sense of concern at the sight of his wife in tears, seated next to their son who was trying to comfort her.
"Delilah? What's happened?" He looked from her to the parchment on the table. "What's wrong?"
It was Alfred that answered. "Amelia reached out, seeking our help. Susan is alive."
Dumbledore had applied glamours to each of them, too concerned that using compulsion charms and Notice-Me-Nots would draw attention. Instead, they paid for a train ticket after Fawkes had dropped them off over the border in Slovakia. He'd somehow produced the correct muggle currency necessary for them to pay the fee.
Harry had fallen asleep almost immediately the moment they left the station, the rocking of the train and his exhaustion from the battle taking their toll. Daphne had lifted the armrest between their seats, allowing him to use her lap as a pillow.
"You shouldn't have been so hard on him. He won, like he always does, and you made him out to be some sort of villain."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at her accusation. "I daresay that this apprenticeship with Harry has brought out a protective streak in you."
"I don't know about that. You've already got me lying to him," she remarked in a bitter tone.
"Yes, and I am grateful that you were willing to assist me with that."
"I- why can't I just tell him?"
"When your sister informed you of the ICW occupation, what was your immediate instinct upon learning that news?"
Daphne thought back to Astoria's mirror call, frantically informing her that the ICW had taken over the entire country. "I was afraid, worried for her safety, worried about everyone."
"A perfectly natural response, one that I have no doubt that Harry would share. The ICW came to Britain for him; if Harry were aware of this, I fear he would demand we return."
"After everything, though, doesn't he have the right to make his own decisions? What are we even doing? You're going to, what, have him fight the Sibittu and then spring the news on him?" Dumbledore didn't reply, and she clenched her teeth in fury. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't wake him up right now and tell him the truth."
"I have been trying to protect Harry from himself for years. Make no mistake, the ICW will kill him if he returns. However, if Harry Potter, wanted for his massive violations to the Statute of Secrecy, were to single-handedly seal the breaches caused by unbeatable demons…"
He trailed off, but Daphne understood. "All of this - coming to Grimmauld, pushing Harry to join you on this venture, tracking the Sibittu; it was all to gain him a pardon?"
Dumbledore gave a halfhearted shrug. "The potential for one, at least. I believe that if-, no when he defeats all of the Seven, he will be regarded by Europe much the same as I was after defeating Grindelwald. The Confederation will hopefully attempt to co-opt him, rather than execute him."
Daphne brushed aside the hair on Harry's forehead, idly noting that it had grown longer than she'd ever seen him wear it. "I just hope that he'll forgive me for not telling him the truth."
"Unfortunately, the entire plan may not matter at all. Which brings us back to what just happened in Vienna."
"What do you mean?"
"It's rather simple. Right now, the various Ministries under siege by the Sibittu are either attempting to battle them on their own, or allowing them to pass unfettered through their lands. If the methods that Harry uses to defeat them, though, continue to be so…"
She couldn't help herself. "Explosive?" she asked, with a grin.
"Indeed," came the droll reply. "Then it is safe to assume that the target on his back will grow to ever greater proportions. I fear that my plan may have only exacerbated the original problem."
"Then what should we do?"
His blue eyes twinkled. "What we've done all along. Our best, and hope that it is enough."
Astoria stared critically at the mirror's reflection, grumbling in dissatisfaction and tugging out the braid in her hair, grabbing a brush and quickly running it through her wavy brown strands. Somewhat satisfied with her hair loose and unfettered, she looked over her outfit in frustration.
"Don't worry, little lady, you look fine."
Turning to see Tonks giving her a knowing smile from the doorway. "Oh, hey. Sorry, I know I didn't ask to use your room, but-"
Waving away the younger girl's comments, Tonks stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. "Don't worry about it, privacy's pretty hard to come by in a place this size. Now, what was that sigh about?"
"It's nothing. Just- I don't have any nice outfits."
"Ah, I think I see," Tonks commented, looking Tori over. "Sirius doesn't much understand girl's fashion, does he?"
"No- I mean, it's not important, not really," she lamely defended, "but I'm fourteen years old now. I don't want to dress like a little kid anymore."
"I can see why that would be a concern today," came the teasing reply. "Here, let me see what I can do. I'm no deft hand at transfiguration, but I've got enough fashion sense to do a decent job at it."
Astoria watched as the loose dress that she wore transformed into an off the shoulder t-shirt and a tight skirt. "Tonks!" she loudly cried, her face a vivid crimson hue.
"Too much?" The outfit changed again, into a light rust-colored sundress. "How's that?"
"Thank you! I love it!"
"I'll get Sirius to give me some gold to take you girls shopping before Hogwarts starts. That old dog can barely dress himself, much less figure out apparel for teenage girls." The sound of a doorbell rang through the magically expanded flat. "Oh, that must be our guest. I'll go say hello and then find something else to do."
Astoria smiled, nodding happily. Living with Tonks was, well, a lot more fun than Grimmauld Place. A minute or two passed by, then a familiar voice came from the door.
"Tori?" She turned at his greeting, her smile widening as her eyes ran over him.
"Hi Neville, how are you?"
"I'm alright. Hasn't been the best summer, but I'm getting by." Astoria unconsciously ran her hands over her dress, disappointed his eyes hadn't left hers once. "Your letter said there was a problem you needed my help with?"
"Yes," she replied, her smile vanishing. "It's Luna."
"What's wrong? She's not- not ill, like before, is she?"
"Not like before, but… Well, something isn't right. You know how close she was with Susan, and after Harry left, things just got worse."
"Can I see her?" Tori nodded, leading him to the room that she shared with the blonde. "This is our room. She's inside."
"She's not sleeping, is she?" he frowned; it was well after noon, after all.
"No, she's not. I was just hoping that maybe you could get through to her."
He cocked his head with a confused expression before opening the door and stepping inside. A set of bunk beds was on one side of the room, two desks pushed together to face each other on the other side. Luna sat, her bare feet dangling, on top of one of the desks.
"Hey Luna, how're you-"
"I said I was trying! I'm not made of magic, I don't imagine that these things will come as naturally for me as they do for you," she said in a pleasant tone. There was a pause. "Of course! Just try again, nothing but time, after all-"
"Luna?" he tried again, reaching out and gently touching her shoulder.
"Oh! Neville!" she started, flinching as he made contact with her. "Drat, now I'll have to find my focus all over again! You know," she continued, her silvery eyes wide in mock anger, "It's rather rude to interrupt a conversation that way."
"'Conversation?' It's just you and me in here."
"Is it?"
"Are you doing okay? Maybe you'd like to talk with me for a bit?"
She gave him a dreamy smile, but shook her head. "That's a kind offer, but we've got so much to do. I may not be going back to Hogwarts, but I can't stop learning. 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure,' and all of that."
"Who's 'we'?" But the conversation was apparently over, her eyes unfocusing and lips occasionally moving, mumbling words he couldn't understand to someone that wasn't him. "Luna?"
She didn't acknowledge him again, so he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and looking at Astoria. "How- how long has she been like this?"
"Since three days after Harry left. We've tried to take her to St. Mungo's, but, well you saw her - she's lucid when she wants to be. The problem is she rarely wants to be."
Inside the room, Luna's feet swung back and forth, her heels tapping against the wood of the desk's side. "Yes, I know, but they mean well. Now, any last minute advice before I try again?"
'It is a matter of need, master. Your call is being ignored because your will, not your magic, is lacking.'
"Okay. Let me see… bu umāmu!" She felt a draw, a pull on her energy, as though she'd just run up a flight of stairs. The room darkened momentarily, and a glowing crevice appeared out of the air in front of her. Another jagged crack, chained to the first appeared, and a scaly hand with three long talons appeared. The talons closed around the edge of the break in reality, as though trying to force it open wider, then the darkness fled the room and the crack - hand and all - vanished into thin air.
Luna clapped happily, full of giggles and cheer. "I did it, Sunny!"
'Yes, the summoning was nearly completed that time.'
Soon, she'd have all the friends she ever wanted, friends that couldn't be taken away. She'd lost her father last winter, and then, just when she'd found a new family in Harry and Susan, she'd lost them as well.
It was Sunny, as usual, that had helped her out of the dark place she'd dwelled after Susan's death. The redhead had meant so much to Luna; Susan had been there at her side for years. Following so closely on the heels of her father's death, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to move on.
But Sunny had promised her new friends, friends that would never go away, that would be there always, whenever she called for them. She'd been working day and night since, and it looked like it was finally paying off.
Soon she'd have a family that was just hers, and no one would be able to take them away from her.
Soon.
A/N: Wow, 100 follows within the first six hours of posting chapter 1. Thanks everyone!
Recommendation: "Unrepentant - A Black Family Christmas" by Wakefan. I know exactly what you guys are thinking - I want to enjoy Harry Potter fanfiction *and* Christmas! Well here you go! Enjoy, and be sure to review! It's a nice xmas present for us authors ;)
Had some amazing reviews from some familiar faces, and a few not so familiar.
IImagic - yes, Tom Riddle can't help himself. Megalomania started early!
PrimeCronos - the French haven't vanished. We'll see them soon enough.
Dean(guest) - the British don't look that much more favorably on muggles than the MACUSA. Also, can't imagine how muggles would be of any use against an international force of wizards!
Thanks so much for the reviews! See you guys later!
