Disclaimer: Not mine. I swear. The HPUniverse belongs to JKR. Really. (Unfortunately.)
***I decided that Loneliness needed more to the story, and the suggestion of my FIRST reviewer for that story helped the idea along. Thanx!
Friendships
Full of life. That's what Harry Potter thought, upon meeting Luna Lovegood. There was something about her, something that just called out and sang with magic. He found himself shocked – how had he never noticed her before?
Reality, simple plain reality, gave Harry his answer. He had been more than a little self-centered. Focused on the immediate dangers in his life, on the crazy things that happened to him, Harry had never looked outside of his own house for a positive purpose.
Indecisive. That's how Harry felt, a couple of months after meeting Luna. Hermione wanted him to start a Defense Club, right under Umbridge's nose. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that he was already in quite a bit of trouble, and, frankly, he doubted his teaching skills.
Evidently, though, Luna believed in his teaching skills. Or, that's what she said. She had a funny glint in her eyes when she said it, though, like she was remembering something that nobody else could. Harry resisted the urge to hug her, and thought about the idea a bit more seriously. Most people would be put off by the idea that Luna Lovegood approved, but Harry disagreed with that view. Luna was smart, and special.
Nearly two months later, Harry gained his first proof that his teaching skills were tolerable – and that Luna was powerful – in the form of a silvery hare. Luna Lovegood, out of all of the DA members, was the first to cast a complete, corporeal, Patronus.
December came and went. The New Year came in, and with it, the DA learned more. Harry found himself shocked by how well the lessons were going, considering that he was the teacher. But between headaches and Umbridge, it grew more difficult to teach by the day.
Snape was the cause of the headaches, with his "Occlumency lessons." The lessons were top secret, so Harry couldn't even go to the hospital wing for potions to help with the headaches. Therefore, he was quite surprised when Luna sat down next to him near the lake, one afternoon, and brought up the subject.
Her techniques, compared to Snape's methods, were much easier on Harry's head. Luna taught Harry to relax, and to focus on something neutral and calming. They bonded together while counting clouds.
In fact, Harry had to hold the tiny blonde down when she found out what Snape had been doing. Oddly enough, she'd begun to rant in Gaelic when she figured it out. After forcing an oath out of Harry to keep her knowledge of Occlumency, Legilimency, and Gaelic secret, she swore to teach him all she knew.
Pride was the dominant emotion the next "lesson" Harry had with Snape. Snape tried to get into Harry's head, but Luna had efficiently trained Harry in the art of what she called "distant focus." Unfortunately, while the Occlumency helped with the headaches, it didn't stop the dreams. Luna suggested that it had something to do with the fact that it was actually Harry going into Voldemort's head, as opposed to vice versa.
So when Harry got a vision, no one doubted it. Before they knew it, they were trapped. Harry watched in horror as Neville was put under the Cruciatus Curse, before managing to destroy Bellatrix Lestrange's concentration. Neville had been overly dazed, though, and that had cost Harry precious time. And then Sirius was dead.
FRIENDSHIP. It came pouring back, as Sirius fell past the gates of Life and Death, and millions of memories that were not his own swamped Harry's head. Memories of love and life and death and friendship. In a moment, he knew – one death, one possession, one curse, and now another death – they were back. True friendship beyond imagining. Luna, Ginny, Neville, Harry. Rowena, Helga, Godric, Salazar. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin.
True friendship, past the grave and into a new life, Harry's life.
AN: This story is now officially UNFINISHED! It was going to only be a oneshot, but then... well, I'll have to see how this chapter is reviewed.