Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, spells etc... they belong to JKR!
Chapter Note: Keep a weather eye on the horizon. Some things in this one may be more important than you realise! Enjoy!
From her untouched bowl of cereal, Luna's eyes rose to stare at Remus. She sensed discomfort and maybe even a spot of guilt eddying around his aura. Nobody else seemed to notice though; they were too busy shoveling toast and porridge into their mouths to pay much attention to anything. Luna saw it clear as day, and there was something strange about Tonks this morning too, and it was not her porcupine inspired hair-do, which flew around like a wave as she nodded in agreement with Lupin's whispered words.
Remus kept shooting anxious glances toward Luna while Tonks regarded the others, unnoticed.
Luna raised an eyebrow, she sensed whatever it was should not be spoken aloud to the others.
Remus shook his head: 'Later,' he mouthed.
She nodded once, and then turned back to her cereal. Harry put down his coffee and rose.
'Right, tonight,' he began in an assertive tone, the well-mapped-out plan levitating in mid-air beside him. Luna called it a plan, but it was just a map of Diagon Alley, though it showed all entrances, and layouts of shops.
'—Neville, you'll announce us. Hermione, Ron, I don't want him to see you two if we can avoid it. Four death eaters should be enough to convince him we're the real deal.'
Luna raised her hand; she liked to have questions answered before they left for their missions. In this case, one detail puzzled her.
'Harry, what if the real Malfoys come in while we're still in there? Or what if they're there already?'
A few, namely Hermione and Ron, rolled their eyes. Everyone expected these kind of questions from Luna by now.
'It's unlikely, Luna,' sighed Harry impatiently.
'But it's not guaranteed they won't be?' she asked, unfazed by his bluntness. 'Luna, we'll have Hermione and Ron waiting outside, any trouble and they'll warn us.' It was clear Luna would be met with an annoyed Harry should she question the plan further. Despite her better judgment, and a strange nagging feeling in her head, she let it go.
'Everyone got their hairs from our fight last week?' Hermione asked them, as though checking they had all remembered their homework.
Half the group then each presented a small phial containing a single hair, each holding it to the light, probably doing final checks they had the right hair colour of their designated disguise. Luna's was long, dark and seriously knotty: Bellatrix. She had kept it safe in her sock for the last seven days. Neville's was one of the palest blonds Luna had ever seen: it practically matched her own. 'Malfoy' he mouthed to Luna, his face a mask of horror.
He had fought well that night, Luna remembered. Lucius Malfoy was old enough to be Neville's father and yet he had beaten the arrogant man after only a few moments of dueling. The death eaters left when they realised they were easily outnumbered, though Luna could not help wondering why they had come in the first place. They had obviously wanted something, but their determined faces told Luna they were not out for Order blood. Not that time, anyway. But if not that, then what? It had bothered Luna that the others didn't seem as worried. They were all just happy to have the hardest part of the plan over with. Snatching death eater hairs any other way would have been suicide.
Luckily for the Order, Fenrir Greyback took the loyalty of his werewolf tribe far too lightly, and it had been easy enough for Lupin to find out the Death Eater's next move. As a result, the Order had been ready to fight as their enemies barged down the door of the burrow. Luna worried what would happen when the day came for Lupin to prove his loyalty to Greyback. She preferred not to think about it.
The attacking death eaters were each missing a hair or two now, though it had been done so skillfully they had not noticed. Those hairs were now each held in the air.
'Draco', muttered Harry, returning his own phial to his jacket pocket.
Following his lead, Remus and Neville each announced who they would be transforming into.
'Rodolphus,'
'Lucius.'
'Bellatrix', Luna sang, feeling Neville stiffen at the name. He made a vague sound in the back of his throat but said nothing.
Hermione jumped in with: 'Pansy,' and Ron quietly muttered, 'Goyle'. He didn't look too impressed by his allotted death eater.
Luna felt like her hand had been placed on top of the others in a pact of sorts: not unlike Ravenclaw used to do in the common room before a quidditch match. Only this time nobody yelled the chant: 'GO ORDER!'.
She reckoned they would all make quite an impression, all trundling into Borgin and Burks later that evening. Of course they would be going after dark, it would make them appear more threatening, which, Luna realised with a sinking feeling, was probably why Harry had planned an intrusion at such an hour. They were after the vanishing cabinet Draco Malfoy had used when Luna was in her fifth year at Hogwarts—the cabinet that had played a dreadful part in the death of Albus Dumbledore. All Harry had disclosed to the Order was that there was something powerful hidden somewhere in the school, and what with Severus Snape and the Carrows stationed within Hogwarts, it was just asking for trouble to go bounding up to the school gate, as Hermione had informed Luna when she had asked.
Luna was very curious about what it was they were after, but since none of the older members saw it fit to question Harry's secrecy, Luna decided neither should she.
'Right, tonight then!' grinned Harry, happy to be back in the action. Things had quieted down over the last few days, and Luna could feel Harry's desire to be out there doing something, anything other than waiting around under the protection of the Burrow. His passion seemed to infect everyone else as heartbeats started to beat faster in anticipation. Ginny, Molly and Luna were the exceptions: Molly hated the war, hated everything about it. Ginny was, again, being kept out of any immediate danger, which Luna could tell she absolutely hated. As for Luna, a small sparrow was circling the tree out in the garden, and, for now, it held the majority of her attention.
She only realised Harry had stopped talking when he sat down again, his hands on autopilot as they reached for more toast.
It was about twelve hours later, just after twilight, when the first part of the plan was set in motion.
Harry fastened his dark cloak around his neck. Everyone else followed suit. They were taking as few as possible: the less order members out in the open down Diagon alley the better.
They had only been able to take the hairs from the death eaters who had attacked them the previous week anyway, and so there was only enough for six to take the dreadful smelling potion Luna could smell bubbling away on the table. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Neville and herself.
Molly was busy scooping it into the phials for them as the group that would be going tonight fastened their cloaks, all of which had been replicated after noting what each death eater had worn. Bellatrix's was a deep purple, which Luna loved. And although hers was clean and neatly cut, she imagined Bellatrix's would carry remnants form previous duels: perhaps a bloodstain over the breast that would pass for a badge, or a tattered hem posing as a deliberate fashion mistake.
'All ready?' asked Harry, from underneath a dark hood.
The party chorused a determined 'Yes' as their reply. All were ready.
'Harry, be careful,' warned Ginny, holding his hand. Her eyes had a scared tint whenever Harry left. It most likely came from his usual knack of walking into trouble with open arms. Luna did not worry for Harry; he would be alright. She just knew it.
She whispered such to Ginny as she collected her potion from the table.
'I don't know, Luna. We're not exactly living in a harmless fairy world right now, are we?'
'No, I suppose not. But Harry's been in worse danger before. And besides,' Luna whispered, not looking at anything in particular, 'we're going after a cabinet. Borgin isn't renowned for his superb wizarding abilities is he?'
'No, Luna.' Ginny smiled, though it did not reach her eyes.
'And my socks match today!' Luna practically beamed, stowing her potion away for when they would arrive at Diagon alley.
Luna shot a glance over at the others when Ginny did not reply. 'If they match then we have luck on our side!'
Ginny seemed to be fighting a strange cough. Harry's arm appeared around her shoulder though, before Luna could ask how she was.
She averted her eyes as the couple kissed, feeling like she would spoil the moment.
'Hey, Luna,' Neville called over to her.
'What is it, Neville?' Luna asked.
'I just wanted to ask if, well, you'd be all right not talking to me for a while,' Neville said. Seeing the hurt look on Luna's face, he rushed to finish, 'Oh no, just tonight, I mean.' Luna thought it over. She could feel her polyjuice swirling around inside her robes. Oh, Bellatrix, she realised.
'No, it's fine, Neville.'
'I'm not saying you remind me of her, but you know,' Neville looked bothered at the thought, 'that will be hard to tell myself when you look just like her.' He sighed.
From across the room, Luna could feel Remus eyeing the clock. He had such a passion when it came to timing. He planned things right down to the last minute. It probably came from a lifetime needing to avoid the full moon, monitoring his wolfsbane potion and working undercover with the werewolves for Dumbledore. It was what Luna guessed would must keep someone like him on his toes, resulting in a need to keep a close control over something. In Remus's case, the control was over time.
'Harry,' Remus called.
He broke apart from Ginny to answer. 'Yeah, right, well—come on everyone.'
Luna always apparated with someone. She hadn't quite mastered apparating on her own yet. Although she got the gist of it, you needed total concentration to pull it off, and for Luna that was easier said than done.
Luna held her hand out, waiting for someone to take it. Neville reached over almost instantly. Of all the people in the order, she was closest to Neville, even if Ginny was counted. The two just shared a similar outlook that none of the others did, and that was really all Luna would ever need from Neville. It had been suggested that they date, but neither had really considered it.
Sometimes friends were better.
'Don't let go,' Neville said, like always.
And, like always, Luna responded by placing her other hand over where theirs joined. If it helps him sleep better, Luna thought.
The kitchen disappeared in a swirling, odious mass, taking with it the farewell-waves and good-luck-smiles of Ginny and the others.
Luna could not help questioning what would happen to a wizard who didlet go during apparation. She had never paid attention to that part in their lessons.
Diagon Alley appeared in the place of the Burrow. Molly, Ginny and Arthur were replaced by a cobbled wall reaching high up, out of sight. Luna observed the sky, or at least what she could see of it.
'Luna,' Neville tugged her along. She was losing herself again—a fairly easy thing to do at night when the body is already preparing to dream. Luna believed the hours before bed somehow morphed into a sort of transition stage, in which the mind prepared to let itself bubble away in the hours before dawn.
They traveled the streets as though a magic guide led them on. Nobody could see much, but they knew the place well enough, and Harry, as always, marched on up front.
'Harry, it's time,' Lupin said.
The group walked so close they would remind children of the five-headed woopanaga beast, stalking the dark streets in its eerie manner, ready to capture any wandering youngsters.
'Everyone,' Harry instructed. Five arms drew out five almost identical potions. Luna heard Neville's flow down his throat before swallowing her own. The sensation was not unfamiliar to them anymore, since going practically anywhere in the wizarding world now meant disguises for the order. Harry, unfortunately, did not trust anyone.
Her hands bubbled with the potion as it spread through her blood, pounding through all it touched and changing everything. Leaving, in its wake, a much scarier person stood next to Neville Longbottom, or rather Lucius Malfoy, than there had been before. Luna, despite Neville's warning, could not help feeling bad for him as he sauntered over to Remus. All the while keeping his eyes averted from Bellatrix's double. Behind Draco, Lucius, Rodolphus, Pansy and Goyle, Luna fell in line. Peering around just to make sure no late night wanderers would see them. She doubted anyone would dare approach them, anyway, but the nagging feeling was prominent in her thoughts, and a strange fear was coiling itself up inside her trail of wonder.
'Next turning on the left,' Harry declared under his breath.
'Wands out?' asked Ron.
'No.'
'Why not? If Borgin has his out...'
'Ron, he's dealt with this group probably most of his life. He'll have seen their wands before.'
'Oh,' grumbled Ron, sounding, to Luna, very disappointed. She could no longer remember the last time he did not want to fight.
'We take ours out, and...' Harry began.
'Yeah I know. Plan ruined. I got it!'
The group pretended not to notice the squabble. In truth, Luna had been busy watching a large raven, anyway—her mind somewhere else entirely. As they turned, she thought she saw the dark bird follow in their direction, but it had flown off ahead of them when Luna looked back.
If, by any chance, a passerby should see them, Luna figured the determined frown on Harry's face would propel them onward, away from the path of the death-eater mini-mob.
As they marched down the final street, the sign for Borgin and Burke's became visible—at least as close to visible as possible in the murky darkness.
Harry banged a fist against the door three times, probably terrifying the poor man inside right down to his holey, woolen socks.
Borgin answered the door with a nervous: 'Name?'
The group looked to Neville who, under the effects of the potion, was the main leader of the pack.
The proud voice of Lucius responded with 'Malfoy!'
Luna had never seen a door open so quick in her life, nor seen a man looking as utterly petrified as the old shop owner was.
'Mr Malfoy? Oh and Draco too! All... here, are we?' Borgin tried to keep his voice steady; he was clearly scared of these people, and Luna felt a touch of guilt at having to do this to the poor man. Ron would have said they were not doing anything.
Harry moved to stand next to Neville, who had now shuffled his way to the front. From over Remus's shoulder, the man caught a glimpse of Bellatrix's wild raven hair. He looked ready to sit down and let them do what they would to his forsaken store.
Harry nudged Neville, to whom he raised an eyebrow; then the latter glared at Borgin. If it had been n Neville's own face it would have looked downright ridiculous, but as Lucius...
'Come in, come in! I'm afraid I wasn't expecting anyone tonight.' The small man stood aside, welcoming them inside.
All except Hermione and Ron, who stood pressed against the wall, entered. They would wait on the street and keep a sharp eye out. If anything went wrong, the others were to get out of there immediately.
'We need the cabinet, Borgin. You still have it, yes?' Neville said, trying on his best impersonation. Luna stared around the shop. She had only been in once or twice before and both occasions had been with her father.
'The vanishing cabinet? You want it again?' The man looked puzzled.
'Should I repeat myself?' Lucius looked moderately threatening now. Luna wondered why Harry had given Neville the task of the talking death-eater. He had never been the outgoing sort.
'I don't think it's in your best interests to be questioning us,Borgin,' Lupin muttered from behind Neville.
'No, no, of course it wouldn't...' Borgin trailed away from them, his eyes growing distant.
'Look Borgin, it's late. We'd appreciate it if you would just take us to the thing,' Lupin took a little control over things. Of course, Luna thought. Rodolphus would be the next threat after Lucius. It would make sense for Lupin to hurry him up.
Borgin excused himself and retreated behind a thick, brown curtain. It appeared, for a while, he would not return.
The group stood closely, eyes all free to roam the contents of the store. If it had been labeled as 'suspicious' before, there was no doubt this store clearly specialised in dark artifacts now.
A much more confident looking Borgin reappeared: 'In here then.'
Luna waited behind, captivated by a curious pendant shaped as a small moon. A waning crescent, Luna noted. She read the description:
Alternating lunar pendant, originally designed by muggle astronomer Galileo Galilei. With each new lunar passage this charmed silver moon will transform to match the local lunar state. Please note: this artifact is not the most reliable of means for the study of astrology. Note to werewolves: charm is made from silver. - B&B 1954
Luna only stopped staring longingly at the thing when a sharp tap from the window made her look up. Pansy Parkinson and Gregory Goyle gaped at her: both pointing to where the others had disappeared.
'Luna!' mouthed Goyle.
She didn't rush but went to join the group behind the curtain nonetheless.
'...had no trouble with it yet. But if a Hogwarts student were to find the other—'
'Shut up, Borgin,' Luna caught Draco Malfoy snapping. Borgin glared at him from behind the cabinet, though because of the odd angles, nobody else saw it.
She would prefer it if she could stay quiet; the idea of Bellatrix's voice forming her words was a little unappealing to say the least.
'We'll be needing to use this tonight. Have you added any charms to it?'
'No. I haven't, Ms. Lestrange,' said Borgin. Lupin nodded—it was one potential problem they had now eliminated.
'Good.' Lupin smirked.
'You're welcome to test it, if you think it's necessary.' Borgin moved around the cabinet, looking, if Luna was not mistaken, slightly mad. Not in an angry sense either. He just looked as though he'd left his mind on the other side of the curtain, and, Luna noticed, his eyes no longer held any remote sign of fear. They were so glazed that she couldn't decide whether or not he'd been possessed. The others were too busy examining the vanishing cabinet to listen to her. She watched Borgin closely, half expecting him to jump into a dance routine any moment.
'I think that's a good idea. One moment though, if you would.' Borgin staggered backwards at once.
'Go get the others,' Harry said to Luna.
She nodded distantly and drifted out, retracing her steps to the door, opening it and motioning for Pansy and Goyle to hands; at that Luna smiled.
Quietly, she said to Hermione, 'We're in. Borgin thinks we're testing it. I don't think he has his wand, so if you're ready...' Hermione nodded, her hand letting go of Ron's as she held her wand out.
'Borgin, I think we'll need the key,' Luna heard a deep voice say.
'Yes. Of course.' A slight shuffling, then Luna heard Lucius give the go-ahead.
'Hand it here, Borgin,'
A quiet clinking, and then Luna pictured a hand closing around a small key, shaped, if the key-hole had been anything to go by, like a magnifying glass.
She pulled the curtain open, and Hermione aimed her wand right at Borgin.
'Stupefy!' Hermione's jinx hit its target. Borgin fell to the floor, looking like a cardboard cut-out that had been pushed over.
'Come on then,' motioned Harry, gesturing inside the now unlocked, and open, cabinet.
They scrambled in, the shadows inside engulfing each in turn, until the only two left, Remus and Luna, smiled bravely at each other.
'How long until it wears off?' Luna asked
'Forty one minutes. We'll do fine. Harry seems to know exactly where he wants to go when we arrive. I wouldn't worry,' he said.
'Yes, you'll be okay.'
'We all will, you mean.'
'Hmm? Oh yes.' Luna stared into the space they were about to walk into.
'By the way, Luna,' said Remus, checking behind himself, into the cabinet, for the others. 'Tonks and myself are going to look into what you said earlier. About the Death Eaters mission?' He stared at Luna with a look that told her she was to keep this to herself.
Luna did not like keeping secrets from the others, but, in this case, she could see why it was called for. It would be best not to press her concerns about the newspaper clippings anymore, until they had something solid to go on. Otherwise, the order would probably start thinking she was loony again. That was not a reputation Luna missed; even if it had never bothered her, personally, it could change how people saw her.
She did not like to be seen as something she wasn't.
She nodded at Remus: Okay.
'Good, off we go then!' He grinned, and it made his face appear much younger.
His body swayed in the darkness as the charm of the cabinet worked it's magic; in just a few steps, Remus would hardly be seen at all.
'Oh no, Luna, did you lock the door?' a distant voice called.
'No, I'll get it, you go on.' She assumed he did, for a second later Luna could feel herself all alone in the shop.
She pointed her wand at the lamps, causing them to dim, though not go out completely. She kept the door key with her after she had locked it and rechecked. Just be sure, Luna, she told herself.
It was not until she drew the curtain to conceal the hidden area of the shop that she sensed something might not be right.
For starters, she could not see Borgin anywhere, and, surely a mirror that tall she would have noticed earlier...wouldn't she?
Her mirror image sneered at her. Bellatrix sure had a face made for the expression. It just seemed to suit her, not many people could get away with it without looking insane. Bellatrix could. Luna supposed it was because she already was insane; therefore what more harm could a simple expression do?
But that's what puzzled Luna—was this a magic mirror? For she certainly was not sneering.
The mirror Bellatrix, whose arm was hidden behind her back, pulled out something that Luna had to squint to see in the darkness.
He was as stiff as cardboard and looked totally out of it. Like a befuddled child, Borgin's dazed eyes stared straight ahead, unblinking.
Luna realised too late that the cursed Borgin had been the one who had reappeared from behind the curtain. She had known. Luna had known and not said a word.
She raised her eyes from the Imperio-cursed man to the black, and very insane, eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange.
From behind the cabinet, emerged a laughing form. Squinting more, Luna recognised Pansy Parkinson as she walked to stand by Bellatrix.
'What do you reckon?' breathed Bellatrix.
'A bad knock-off. Totally unoriginal,' Pansy laughed. 'Guess they just don't make polyjuice like they used to,'
Pansy Parkinson looked straight at Luna.
It was not Hermione.
Bellatrix pointed her wand, and Luna realised she had dropped her own in shock.
She had not entered the cabinet again, but darkness came as Luna knew it would have if she had. The last thing she heard was the dark ring of Bellatrix's laugh, which continued to echo through her head again and again as she fell to the floor. On her knees, Luna felt it happen.
Darkness reminded Luna of a bird descending on it's prey. Upon Luna, descended a Raven.
A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading!
