The Edinburgh Vaults had a reputation among both wizards and muggles for being one of the most fear-provoking locations in the country. As Luna, Ginny and Neville walked along its maze of corridors, rooms and staircases, they could see and feel exactly why. It seemed even darker than the secret passage to Hogwarts had been, even though it couldn't possibly have been. Only Luna and Neville's wands were being used to light the location they were in now, as Ginny was using hers to lay an invisible trail back to the entrance in case they needed to escape.
They had been in the Vaults for twenty minutes now, and hadn't found anything yet. All three were keeping their guard up, as they had no idea what would be waiting for them and any point. Turning a corner, Luna let out a small gasp as she came face to face with a ghost. It was a woman, wearing old looking clothes and appearing to have been not much older than the three of them when she had died.
"I've not seen you around here before," she said in a soft voice.
"We've just arrived," Luna explained, "We're here to find someone called Moonlight, but we're a little lost."
"Ah, yes, he and the others arrived a while ago," the ghost helped, "I don't like them though. I used to have this place to myself, apart from the odd person coming through. Now there's hardly anywhere I can go without them telling me to go away." She looked sad.
"What's your name?" Luna asked her kindly.
"Henrietta," she replied, "I died here four-hundred years ago."
"Well, Henrietta," Luna went on, "If we can find Moonlight, we can get him and his followers out of here forever, and then you'd have these vaults to yourself again." Henrietta smiled.
"Go down that corridor," she said, pointing to the left, "And then take the first right. There are no branches after that, so just follow it right down, and you'll get to Moonlight. But be careful, there are things along the way to try and stop you."
"I was afraid she'd say that," Neville said.
"Thank you," Luna told the ghost as she drifted away and through a wall. The three of them moved immediately, heading down the corridor Henrietta had pointed out. They walked cautiously along, looking out for the traps they had been warned about. Before they could have seen it though, a vine-like plant came out from the walls and caught all three of them, pulling them against and they were unable move at all.
"Devil's Snare!" Ginny cried.
"No! It's not," Neville said, realising it was similar, but not the same plant. He struggled against the restraints, but was getting nowhere. At least unlike Devil's snare, the grip didn't get tighter with a struggle.
"We'll have to burn it," Luna said, and Neville nodded. Although it wasn't an appealing option, it was the only one they had at the moment. All three pointed their wands as best they could towards the vines holding them.
"Incendio!" The plant burst easily into flames and released its grip on Luna, Ginny and Neville, who fell face first onto the ground. The back of Neville's shirt had caught fire, and Luna quickly rushed over and hit at it with the bag she was carrying. The flames went out.
"Thanks," he said, standing up.
"What was that?" Ginny asked, staring at the plant as it gradually burned away to nothing.
"I've no idea," Neville replied, "We should carry on, and watch out in case there are any more of them." The three of them resumed their slow pace through the corridor, hoping the vicious plant would be the worst thing they would have to face here, but they doubted it. As Henrietta had told them, the corridor simply twisted around without any turn-offs, leading them in the one direction.
Five minutes went by without incident, and Luna was being cautiously optimistic that the plant had indeed been the only security measure Moonlight had put in place. That was before the optimism faded away and Luna began to feel depressed, hopeless, and was now sure her mission was going to fail. It wasn't a feeling she was used to. She looked at Ginny and Neville, whose faces suggested they were thinking the same thing. As the room suddenly got even colder than it had before, Luna realised what was going on.
"Dementors," she stated. Sure enough, shining their wands forwards, three of the floating hooded figures were slowly coming towards them. Luna closed her eyes, mustering all of the happiest thoughts she could.
"Expecto Patronum!" A hare burst from the end of her wand, hurtling towards the dementors, who scurried away in the opposite direction.
"Should have known there would've been some of them here," Ginny said.
"We can't know what we're going to find here," Luna pointed out. After checking there were no dementors left around, they carried on, Luna now once again determined to find Moonlight and the machine he was building. Having just faced the dementors, she was sure they were getting close.
"What were you thinking of?" Neville asked Luna.
"What do you mean?" she inquired.
"When you sent out your patronus, what were you thinking of?"
"Oh, just a trip I took to Sweden once, with my parents, while my mum was still alive. We were looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. It was a fantastic time, and always makes me happy to think about it."
As they tuned another corner, Luna put out her arm to stop her two companions. She could hear voices in the distance.
"Sir, we should move, Lovegood knows our location now."
"No," Luna recognised the voice as Moonlight's, "We're too close of finishing the machine, and once we use it, it won't make any difference where we are. And see to it that whoever told Lovegood our location is dealt with."
"He was under the influence of Veritaserum, sir."
"I don't care, no-one betrays me."
"Sir," another voice had joined, "The Ipsil plant has been destroyed and the dementors are flying all over the place like they've been hit by a patronus. Someone has gotten in."
"Probably Lovegood," Moonlight said, "We'll find her soon enough if she's already passed the dementors. And she's most likely got some silly cronies with her. We shall sort all of them out."
Luna looked in the direction she was sure the voices were coming from. Unfortunately, to get any further on, and to, presumably, find the machine, they would have to get past Moonlight. Carefully dropping her bag onto the ground, she fished out the invisibility cloak once again. Motioning to Ginny and Neville, they crammed back under it, and began to slowly walk through the corridor, and into a large stone room. It was well lit by candles and contained only a table and chair, in which Moonlight was sitting. The two wizards he had been speaking to were gone, no doubt to search for her.
Making no noise whatsoever, and walking at an almost crippling pace, Luna led them towards the door at the other end of the room. Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid the sound would give her away. She kept her eye on Moonlight, who was reading a piece of parchment, apparently oblivious to their presence. The three of them finally reached the other side of the room, and stepped through the opening into another corridor. Once she thought they were safely out of sight and earshot, she whipped the cloak off the three of them.
"I was sure we were going to be caught then," Ginny admitted.
"So was I," Luna agreed, "But we're through, and that must mean we're getting close to the machine." They carried on again, unconsciously moving a little faster, with Ginny and Neville both sure Luna was right. The machine must be really close.
The corridor continued twisting along, and then down another crumbling spiral staircase. As they reached the bottom, Luna and Neville heard a cry behind them as Ginny crashed into Neville's back. Luna quickly turned round, to see her friend lying, clutching her leg.
"I think I've broken it," Ginny announced. Luna and Neville both reached out to try and move her, and she creamed out in pain.
"You'll need to leave me here," Ginny said, "Until you've gotten to the machine."
"We can't just leave you," Neville protested, "What if someone finds you?"
"Hang on," Luna stated, getting out the cloak for the third time that night. Her and Neville managed to move Ginny a little into the corner, and threw the cloak over her.
"Just wait here," she said to the apparently empty space in front of her, "And try not to make any noise." Luna didn't like having to do this, but it seemed like the only choice they had. Her and Neville walked on, Neville giving a reassuring smile to Ginny, not knowing whether she had responded or not. Soon, the now two-strong party had reached another room, similar to the one they had seen Moonlight in. In this one, however, there was just one table, and on it an orb which Luna recognised immediately. It was her prophecy. The one she had seen two years ago at the Ministry.
"That's mine," Luna explained to Neville, "I've seen it before." Deciding right now she had to know what it said, she went over to the table and picked it up, but she found to her dismay that she couldn't bear to look at it.
"Neville," she said, turning to him and handing him the orb, "Can you please tell me what it says?" Neville reluctantly studied what was written on it, and suddenly looked very worried.
"It's just like Harry's," he explained, "It says you have to be the one to destroy Moonlight." Luna nodded. She had expected that's what it would be. She took the orb back from him, and placed it again on the table. She walked over to the other side of the room, on which was a small wooden door. She got the feeling what she was looking for was on the other side. She carefully opened it.
The room awaiting her on the other side was the biggest she had seen in the Vaults so far. It was large and dome-shaped, and looked as if it was a potions classroom. The walls were filled with shelves containing seemingly endless amounts of potions, and in the centre of the room, as she had expected, there was the Mezola Machine.
"This is it," she announced to Neville behind her, "I've got to destroy it now." Neville himself looked through the door and around the room.
"Luna," he started, "If you set off its destruction in here…you'll be killed."
"Yes," Luna simply stated. Before Neville had a chance to do anything, Luna had spun round to face him.
"Petrificus Totalus!" the beam hit Neville and he fell to the ground, paralysed. Luna looked at him.
"I'm sorry, Neville," she said, "But I know you'd only try and stop me. When you can move again, go and help Ginny. Goodbye, Neville, and thank you…for never calling me loony." And with that, she turned around, walked into the room, and closed the door behind her.