Chapter 9: Down the Rabbit Hole

It had been about a week into their year at Hogwarts when Harry slipped Luna a note during lunch before going to the Gryffindor table. Curious, she opened it up to see what he wanted. She couldn't keep the grin from spreading as she read, because it was an invitation to go on the excursion after curfew with the cloak that he'd promised. He wanted her to meet her in front of the Room of Requirement at ten. While Luna had never intentionally snuck out, she did sleepwalk and tended to wake up in strange places. People hardly ever stopped her then, so she doubted she would have much issue getting out to meet him now. Taking out a pen of her own, she wrote 'sounds good' on the back and handed it to him on her way out to head to her next class.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever, most likely because she was so eager to get out that night. It got worse after she'd had dinner and was simply sitting in her room working on her essays for her classes. Eventually she gave up and decided to get ready for her outing with Harry. She grabbed a small purse and packed it with her extendable ears, the bubbles, and a sneakoscope she'd gotten herself last year. Once that was done she pulled out her sketchbook and started drawing a picture of Draco being hunted by Cornish pixies. It was rather amusing and served to pass the time, and she was rather pleased all things considered with the way it turned out. Luna shrugged and packed the picture with the other things she was bringing, sure Harry would get a kick out of it. When she checked the time she noticed it was 9:45, and she quietly stole out of her dorm and down the steps to the Ravenclaw common room.

Usually there were at least one or two older students in the common room either studying or making out at this hour, but luck was with her and she found it empty. Luna quietly went to the entrance and opened the door. Instead of walking out, she reached into her bag and pulled out the extendable ears. She tossed one end out the door and listened with the other for a full minute. When she was satisfied nobody was out there she wound it up and put it back in her bag before exiting herself. After that it was smooth sailing as she made her way to the seventh floor and found the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. It was all too easy avoid detection so far, but she knew getting into and out of the castle would be the more challenging task. Checking her watch, she saw that she had five minutes to spare so she hid behind a suit of armor as she waited for her boyfriend to show.

Right on time Harry came strolling down the hallway under his invisibility cloak, his eyes scanning for Mrs. Norris. Filch he could outwit fairly easily, but Mrs. Norris was uncannily good at sniffing out student who were out of bed. Even while invisible he had yet to figure out a way to avoid her detection. Maybe if he found a good book on kneazles and half-kneazles it would explain to him what he was doing wrong, but that was a task for another day. Seeing nobody else there, he took off his cloak with a little swish. "Luna, are you here?" he called out quietly, hoping she was close enough to hear him. He knew it was a bit of a risk to just take it off, but they needed to get moving and he wanted her to know it was definitely him and not somebody else.

Luckily for Luna, Harry happened to be facing away from where she was hidden so she took that moment to play a small prank of her own on him. She stole forward and pressed her wand into the back of his neck. "Why, Mr. Potter, it seems you aren't as good at this as I thought. Maybe I should be the one leading this expedition." she told him. Before he could respond she moved her wand to his side. "Rictusempra." she whispered, grinning widely as Harry burst into laughter. He fell onto the ground clutching his sides and she smirked at him. It was the tickling charm and appeared to be quite effective when it landed. "Careful now Harry, you'll get us caught." she said with a laugh, before ending the spell and helping him up.

Harry took her hand and stood up, glaring at her. "You are cruel. Here I am trying to be nice and take you on an adventure and you ambush me." he said, pouting. Luna was unfazed and Harry let out a sigh before grabbing the invisibility cloak. "Come on, then. We need to get moving." he told her, before throwing the cloak around them. They had to be rather close together for the cloak to fit around both of them, but he didn't think she minded all too much by the way she was pressing back against him. It was distracting in more ways than one, and he was about to chide her for it when they both caught movement down the hall.

When the invisibility cloak slid over them like cool water Luna noticed a few things. The first was that this cloak seemed to be perfect, there were no seams or wearing of any kind on it. In fact it reminded her of the tale of the three brothers, and the cloak that the youngest had gotten from death. She knew her father believed the Deathly Hallows to be real, but she'd always been undecided. Maybe she could ask Harry to show it to him some time to see what he'd thought. The second and more important thing she noticed was Draco Malfoy heading to the Room of Requirement just before they turned to walk down the hall. They waited patiently while he walked in front of it imagining where he wanted to go before disappearing inside. She waited until the door closed before finally speaking "Harry, do you think he's up to something?" she asked him, not having forgotten the way he'd acted at Borgin and Burke's a few weeks ago. "Perhaps he's just using it to get some space from his dorm mates, but if that's the case why wait until after curfew to go?" she asked.

Harry stopped and turned to look at her, frowning as he thought. "Probably, although it could be as simple as him wanting a place to be alone. We can figure out that mystery another time though, I have something else planned. Besides, whatever he's doing we won't be able to get inside while he's in there anyways." he told her quietly, and Luna nodded. They carefully started making their way through Hogwarts, taking shortcuts where they could. Soon enough they were at the entrance to the school, and Harry bent down to check something on the ground. Smiling, he pulled open the door that had been held cracked open and pocketed a small rock. He had set it there earlier in hopes nobody would notice it, and it served its purpose in keeping the doors from closing fully. "Now we go to the Whomping Willow." he said, and they kept the cloak over they slipped out of the castle, Harry replacing the rock as he went so they could get back in.

Now Luna was not the type of girl who got too scared to try things. However, she did have enough sense not to go in over her head most of the time and when she heard him mention the Whomping Willow she started to get nervous. Was he going to dare her to try and touch the trunk or something else, just to see if she would. "Harry...umm, I know you planned something but, why exactly are we going to the Whomping Willow?" she asked him. She wasn't going to do something stupid simply because she was dared to or anything like. That was how you got hurt. She figured that when you were out after curfew, getting an injury was the last thing you wanted and the tree was most definitely deadly.

Turning around, Harry couldn't help laughing at the anxious look on her face. "Don't worry, we aren't doing anything stupid. It's not the Whomping Willow we're after, it's what's underneath it." he informed her. They reached the terrifying tree and he made sure to stop them well outside of the tree's reach. "Just watch." he said, before finding himself a loose twig. "Wingardium Leviosa." he said firmly, doing the proper swish and flick, smiling as it floated up. He carefully floated it over to the base of the tree and moved it under the gap in the roots. It took a few tries but he eventually got it to hit the knot that made the tree go still. With that done, he dropped the spell and smiled widely. "Shall we?"

Luna's jaw dropped open when she saw him cause the entire tree to be stunned. "How did you know to do that?" she asked, following him as he began to walk forwards. Harry ignored the question for the moment as he proceeded forwards, getting on all fours as he started climbing through the tunnel that was beneath the tree. "Harry, where on earth are you taking me?" she asked, following him. The tunnel was rather a tight squeeze, and it muffled any answer he tried to give. Eventually they came out to a small set of steps leading to a door that Harry opened, walking into the room beyond it. She had to admit that she wasn't expecting anything like this. The paint was peeling on the walls and there were what looked to be bloodstains in places. All of the windows were boarded up, making her think of a prison. "Harry...I don't like it here." she said, shivering a little.

Harry didn't answer until he'd taken a seat on an old, dusty couch. "My third year, your second, was one that led to some interesting revelations. Sirius Black, my godfather and thought to be murderer of Peter Pettigrew and betrayer of my parents to Voldemort was actually innocent. He did come to Hogwarts, but he wasn't after me. You see, he was after Pettigrew. The man had escaped, faking his death by turning into a rat and leaving his finger behind. He posed as Ron's rat, Scabbers for about twelve years." he explained. "This building, the Whomping Willow, and the tunnel weren't always here, it was put here to give Remus Lupin somewhere safe to go during the full moon when he would transform. That's why this place is so torn up, and why there are bloodstains in places. I know it's rather worn and messy, but with some work...well, I was hoping this could kind of become our secret hideout. What do you think?" he asked her.

Luna had known of course that Sirius was innocent, but as for the rest of the details she hadn't heard a lot of it before. It was hard to think of a tree being planted on the grounds just to give a werewolf who went to school here a place to go, but she could see Dumbledore doing it. "If we're going to make this a secret hideout we'll definitely have to redo the interior, but I think it could work." she admitted, looking at him curiously. "It's called the shrieking shack, though. Just what do you plan on doing to me in here, Harry?" she asked, moving a little closer. "Are you planning my murder, or trying to make me shriek in other ways?" she asked, moving closer and letting her hands wander across his chest. She knew she was pushing it a little with the teasing, but he was her boyfriend and it was her job to make him squirm a little. Plus it was fun trying to see just what he was willing to do, a bit of information gathering that she was sure would prove helpful in the future.

Hearing his girlfriend talk, he felt his heart began to pound as he blushed. Instead of replying normally, Harry took the initiative and pulled her close, arms wrapping around her as he gave her a fierce kiss. He even bit her lip at the end of it and tugged lightly before pulling back with a grin. "Why Luna, are you suggesting we christen the place somehow? To make it ours or mark our territory as it were." he specified, very interested to hear her response. He knew they weren't ready to go all the way yet, but that didn't mean there weren't other things for them to do.

Luna rubbed her lip, grinning and laughing a little. "Mmm, you're coming along quite nicely I like how bold you were." she told him, before shaking her head. "No, I don't think we're ready for anything like that yet. We can make it ours by painting, fixing things, maybe adding some decent furniture." she told him, patting him on his cheek. "With a lot of work who knows, maybe we could even make this a place for a romantic dinner. If you were to cook for me, who knows what would happen." she told him, intentionally being vague about it and giving a cute little shrug.

Harry listened to her, nodding as he did. He knew that it would take a lot of work, but it would definitely be worth it to have a place of their own. The only other people who knew about it had either graduated or died, aside from Ron and Hermione that is. Unless things changed, though, he didn't really see Ron or Hermione sneaking down here. "There was one other surprise I had for you." he told her, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the silver Raven with the Sapphire eyes. "I saw you looking at it when we were there, so I went back for it. I know it's expensive, but...I don't know, there was just something about it that seemed perfect for you. Will you take it?" he asked, holding it out to her carefully. While he was aware Xeno had told him not to buy her expensive things, Harry could tell that Luna had been drawn to this item like he had been to the bowl in Ottery St. Catchpole. As long as he didn't make a habit of it, he didn't think it would be that big of a deal.

When he pulled out the Raven Luna could barely stop from staring. Her hands shook slightly as she reached out to take it from him, but she managed it and pulled it close to her chest. "Thank you, Harry. Of course I'll take it." she said. Luna stared at the Sapphire eyes when all of a sudden they flashed a bright white, and just like a marionette with its strings cut she collapsed to the floor. The last thing she saw before falling unconscious a glimpse of a stone door that had snakes carved into it. Harry didn't have time to do anything aside from brace her head before it hit the floor.

Seeing Luna suddenly collapse after a flash of light left Harry shocked and angry, uncertain on what had caused it and what on earth he should be doing to help her. He took the Raven away and pocketed it, because that had seemed to be the trigger and then began the long, arduous task of pulling Luna back through the tunnel. It had been challenging enough crawling through it, but going on his back while dragging his girlfriend was enough to leave him panting for breath every ten to fifteen feet. It had to have taken at least an hour, but thankfully Luna was light enough that he was able to pull her all the way through the tunnel. He went up and punched the knot before pushing her up ahead of him. Harry followed after she was out, and then slowly carried her back to the castle, thoroughly worn out. "This is all my fault, I should have asked somebody to test that thing for dark or unusual magic before giving it to her. I mean, I got it at Borgin and Burke's for Merlin's sake." he said to himself, feeling incredibly guilty for his lack of care.

Luna still hadn't woken by the time he'd carried her into the castle, and he knew that he was going to need help. Sucking it up, he took her straight to the hospital wing, knocking on the door. "Madam Pomfrey?" he called, hoping she was there. He knew she stayed there at night when there were patients, but he didn't know if she had other quarters for when the Hospital Wing was empty. He knew he would probably get detention if not worse for carrying an unconscious student to the hospital wing after curfew, but none of that mattered right now. The only thing that was important was making sure Luna got the help she needed.

It took a few moments, but a sleepy Madam Pomfrey came to the door in some striped pyjamas. "What is it, Mr. Potter? Why on earth are you out of bed?" she asked him, before she finally noticed who he was carrying and letting out a gasp. "Is that Miss Lovegood? Get her inside, quickly now." she said, shutting the door behind him and helping him carry Luna to a bed. Madam Pomfrey immediately jumped into action, running some scans with her wand and making notes as she went. She held her eyes open and checked to see if they were responsive to light, which they were. There didn't seem to be any real symptoms and she seemed to behave as she would just if she were asleep. "How did she come to be like this, Mr. Potter?" she asked him.

It took Harry a moment for his brain to process Madam Pomfrey's question, he'd just been so concerned about Luna. Once he did Harry pulled out the silver raven with the sapphire eyes and set it carefully on the bedside table. "I gave her this and she was looking at it, before I knew it the raven's eyes flashed white and she just collapsed." he explained, at a loss as to why it had happened. "I'll admit, I don't really know a lot about the object. It was in Borgin and Burke's and Luna seemed to like it, so I bought it as a surprise. We...we started dating recently, you see." he said, before burying his head in his hands. "Is...is she going to be alright?" he asked, the panic starting to really set in as a few tears began to fall. If Madam Pomfrey couldn't figure out a way to help the only alternative he knew of was St. Mungo's. If they had to do that he knew her father would be furious with him, which he probably already would be when he found out. This was such a mess, and he promised to himself never to give any more gifts if he wasn't aware of how they worked first.

Madam Pomfrey reached over, squeezing his hand firmly. "As far as I can tell, yes she'll be just fine. However, this object...I would recommend having Professor Dumbledore take a look at it. Whatever magic it has it's old, and clearly quite powerful." she told him. "Also...for being out of bed past curfew I am taking fifty points from Gryffindor. You will also be serving detention with me every Saturday for the next month. Luna has clearly already paid a price, so I'll go easy on her this time." she said, looking at him sternly. "Look, I know you were trying to do something nice but what you did was incredibly dangerous. We're lucky she only seems to be asleep after you purchased an item from a known purveyor of dark goods and then gave it to her. You need to think things through, because there may come a time where I won't be capable of patching you or your friends up." she told him seriously. She was fond of the boy, but he was far too reckless and that she was not a fan of.

Hearing he'd be losing his Saturdays as well as so many points was a blow, but he nodded. "I'll do whatever I have to, just make sure she gets better. And believe me, seeing this happen was a wake-up call. I won't be doing anything so careless again, Madam Pomfrey." Harry said quietly. He stared at her unmoving form for a moment before looking back at the healer. "May I stay? Or do I have to go back to bed?" he asked. He really didn't want to leave Luna after what had happened, especially because he felt responsible for having gotten the raven in the first place.

Madam Pomfrey's heart reached out to the boy and she nodded. "Aye, you can stay. I'll make us both some tea and grab some biscuits for you to snack on. You've had a rough night, and right now all we can do is wait until she wakes up and tells us what she experienced. Now put that statue away until we can get it properly examined." she told him, before leaving him alone with Luna as she went to get some tea and biscuits for the both of them.

The comforted him a little and he nodded, grabbing Luna's hand and holding onto it tight. At least he would be here to apologize properly when she woke up. He really hoped she wouldn't be too angry with him, but he wouldn't blame her if she was. A few tears began to slip down his cheeks as he squeezed her hand a little tighter. If he lost her because of this, he didn't know if he'd ever get over her. She was the most incredible person he'd ever met, and he'd failed her. "Merlin, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to do something special, and instead I put you in danger. I...I don't think I can forgive myself." he said quietly. Harry of course got no response, as Luna was still out cold. More tears began to fall as he reached up to stroke her hair gently, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Please come back to me." he whispered.

Madam Pomfrey came with the tea and biscuits but saw Harry with Luna and instead chose to simply leave them where he could get some if he wanted before going back to bed. It was obvious to her that Harry cared a great deal about Miss Lovegood and was having a private moment that she didn't want to interrupt. She knew that him talking to her like that was a good sign, but it still broke her heart to see. She really hoped the two of them would be able to work it out. From what she knew of them both, they would be a good match.

Not surprisingly, Harry didn't get a response from Luna and he sighed before settling back into his chair. Even though he was still dreadfully worried, both the physical and emotional exhaustion began to take their toll and he gradually slipped off to sleep. It had hit him so fast he hadn't even taken his glasses off to set them on the side table. All that was left was to see what the morning would bring for the young couple.

A/N: Please read and review! This is the first real twist in the story and I'd love to hear your thoughts.