The soft smile grows wide, disturbing. The face displays amusement, a peculiar type - cruel when you squint and innocent when you blink. Filius struggles to make sense of this reaction. One can never be sure whether someone can be taken at face value or not, particularly when people can so frequently switch.
"I have no need to touch." the King delivers, his smile unchanging. The temperature in the Hospital Wing may not drop but any warmth in the atmosphere fades, a frosty silence growing between them. Conversation by Toby's bed falters, having to weather out the storm before it regains its momentum.
"Hey!" Sarah scolds. "Filius is worried about the children, li-". She bites her tongue to avoid finishing that sentence, to prevent herself from saying 'like you' since she has no desire to debate that point with both of them. Thankfully, neither decide to challenge her on it.
"I will not." Jareth adds. The stress on the 'I' makes this less reassuring than it should be. It would be even less reassuring if Filius was aware that often it is the goblins who appear, not their King - who must later sort their mess out. They make it a game to test him.
Aptly, Tumble stands up and blows a raspberry at an indignant Goblin King. They are not Bogged; Sarah does not like the smell. Privately, he is also inclined to laugh at the childish gesture. As childishly, he will never admit it, will forever deny it.
"Why are you here?"
"I was called."
"What have you come to do?"
"Nothing, sim-"
"Why do you remain?"
Not taking a quick peek at Sarah and Toby is far harder than it has any right to be. This answer will heighten Filius' paranoia, will do Jareth no favours. Changing pieces to fit them into the wrong puzzle is an integral part of human nature. The Goblin King's motive is far from complex. Filius Flitwick wants a puzzle and so he makes one, consciously or unconsciously.
Jareth's eyes threaten to stray again. This time, he lets them. Sarah and Toby are talking quietly, faces earnest. In contrast, Luna and Draco sit silently. The former looks at the latter with conflicting emotions written all over her face while the latter does not realise, lost in his own bubble.
It is enough to move Jareth.
Ignoring Filius Flitwick and his ready wand, the Goblin King strides over to the boy. There are many things one does for children that they would not ordinarily do. Jareth kneels so their heads are about the same height and leans in - not too far, he does not want to spook the teenager.
"I will not be taking Toby and Luna away today." he says lightly. Draco Malfoy's father is in his grasp. He cannot promise anything in his regard, cannot tell him that Lucius Malfoy will be returned unharmed, whether or not he was a good father.
It is often the case in scenarios like this: children left behind by parents who pretended for them or who cared for them and who could not muster up the compassion to do the same for others. They can be the best of parents, the kindest. They can be the worst torturers, the cruelest.
Draco Malfoy nods gravely with the kind of deep relief that is incredibly hard to fake.
Sometimes, teenagers can learn their lesson through words and feelings. Not everyone needs an adventure. His father is gone and he thought he would lose his friends and such guilt is difficult to take.
The Wish King says nothing of Draco's father and he cannot be surprised. Refusing to take away his… acquaintances is a small consolation as Draco does not want to be the one to explain to explain the fate of one of her patients to Madam Pomfrey. It would be tiresome. And though she is mad, Luna Lovegood is a Pureblood. At the end of the day, blood wins. Lucius Malfoy will be back. He will be. He will. He has to.
"Next time, I will have to." the Goblin King warns. There is no reaction to his words. Getting up to give the boy some space, he is reminded of the presence of the protective Charms professor and former duelling champion, mostly due to the wand pressing into the side of his head. In delight, he grins.
"This is-"
"Luna!"
Hermione Granger barrels into the Infirmary, stopping dead in her tracks. The bizarre image of Professor Flitwick, wand held to an otherworldly man's temple, an exasperated Sarah Williams, one shell shocked Slytherin and two giggling teens is a lot to take in.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley follow in her footsteps, loud feet echoing then coming to a similarly abrupt stop. Without turning around, she determines that they too are transfixed by what is going on in front of them. She had wanted to ask Luna a question, a question that she has now forgotten. She'd also forgotten to tell the boys why she took off, hence why they followed.
"You, play nice. And you, he rescued me."
That is right, isn't it? The librarian was gone… Madam Pompfrey likely looked over her because she is remarkably unruffled. They had all feared for her - Sarah is a Muggle in the Wizarding World and people can be quick to take advantage of that. It makes no sense that - it does. It must have something to do with the man, the stranger. What happened?
Harry Potter has his own ideas. He knows this man, got a brief opportunity to look at those eyes up close. Imagining them potentially meeting again is nothing like the reality: he finds he cannot even go up to his saviour to thank him. He wants to, wants to express his gratefulness at him coming when no one else would, when no one else did.
"Wicked." Ron Weasley mutters to his left. It is unclear who or what he is talking about - Sarah's boldness, Jareth's strangeness or Filius' wand.
The quiet mutter combined with Hermione's shout is more than sufficient to attract the adults' attention. Squirming under the sudden scrutiny, the three try to rearrange themselves in order to project some semblance of confidence, futilely pursuing the courage displayed by Sarah mere seconds ago.
"Erm…"
"Filius, Sarah, our guest. Shall we discuss this in my office." Dumbledore's voice cuts through what would have otherwise been a long, drawn out 'm'. The second part is clearly not a question.
"We shall." Sarah Williams agrees. Her smile is sharp as she casts it at Filius Flitwick and remains the same as she rounds on the Goblin King. They will both be going to Dumbledore's office. Lest she start dragging them, they both relent.
Gossip is easy to start and quick to spread. By the time the four of them arrive in Dumbledore's office, half of the students are convinced that Sarah eloped with the stranger and that Flitwick wants to challenge him to a duel. Accounts split here - some are convinced that Sarah and the Charms Professor are simply related or good friends and other think she broke his heart. Others believe that the stranger hurt her and that Flitwick came to her aid.
Albus Dumbledore is a teacher first and foremost. Letting the silence persist is an old and continuously effective way of getting answers. The method works perfectly on three adults especially when one is exasperated, one is worried and one is clearly amused.
"Albus, do you know know who that is?" Filius is not normally so forceful, so forthright. It is another sign of how shaken he is. He tends to be silent in the presence of others and to choose his words carefully.
"I believe he was introduced as Joe. Joe King."
"Joking?"
Unwilling to help himself, Jareth snickers. It was an unintentional pun on Sarah's part which he had quickly picked up on and been delighted by. A pointy elbow lightly digs into his side. In response, Dumbledore tilts his head forward to better catch the culprit in his piercing gaze.
"Would you care to explain, Miss Williams?"
Starting from the beginning is good, right? "I woke up in front of a table full of peopl- actually, I think they were all men. I was in chains and Wannabe Chucky didn't-"
"Wannabe Chucky?" Dumbledore questions.
"A film reference." Jareth answers for her. "Chucky is a horror villain."
"-seem too friendly so I wished."
"You wished?" the Charms Professor snaps before he remembers that this is her trial, that she feels that the Goblin King does care and that he had to answer her call. No wonder she called him. How else would she have escaped? He has never heard of this being done before - it must be new, just like Sarah's trial. He supposes that even Goblin Kings must change with the times.
"Wished?" Dumbledore parrots. He does not immediately understand the word the same way as the three of them. Running through his list mentally, he narrows down the options with this new piece of information.
There are two viable options, one in particular that he hopes is not correct. Inhuman as he is, it is better that Joe is the Wish King. The Goblin King is ruthless, secretive, manipulative and steals children. The last is occasionally attributed to the Wish King but children stolen by him are often returned. It is not so with the Goblin King, not when the wishers themselves go missing too.
The Wish King is kind in a way that the Goblin King is not. For that, Dumbledore is left unsure about their guest's identity, having heard him comfort young Draco but also make clear that he poses a very real threat.
"While I would like to hear your account, I must first ask you to identify our guest, Miss Williams. Will he for any reason pose a threat to the students of Hogwarts?"
"No." She says it just as sternly, glaring at Jareth for good measure. He smiles innocently. She sighs.
"Miss Williams has vouched for you Mr King. You will appreciate, however, that given the circumstances of your last appearance, I will need some information from you."
"Of course."
"Why aid Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter?" Does the Goblin King have some designs on the latter? He could have heard the prophecy… Or is this the Wish King, helping the hopeless, protecting the children?
"They were taken out. The Labyrinth insisted on them being returned." A labyrinth, a maze. Both symbols of the Goblin King. "I am fond of children." their guest adds, face growing unhappy. "A few may struggle to cope with the loss."
"How many of those Death Eaters were parents?" Sarah demands, horrified.
A fully formed picture shapes in Albus' mind. The Death Eaters kidnapped Sarah and she called upon the Wish King - it must be the Wish King - to help by wishing them all away. As for his motives, all is rather clear when he watches the two of them. Love is a stronger force than anything else. It is nice to see his belief affirmed.
"We will talk in the morning.", the Headmaster dismisses. He is hopeful that Sarah's wish has dealt with the Horcruxes, that Tom Marvolo Riddle is finally vanquished. He doubts it was enough.
"Filius." he calls before the man can leave. "Should you give him a chance, I believe the Wish King will reveal that he has no ill intentions."
Toby wasn't worried about Sarah so why is he crying? Draco is like a deer caught in headlights, takes one look at him and flees right past the three Gryffindors. He does not look back. This brings a fresh wave of tears tears to Toby's eyes which doesn't seem fair since Draco wished him away.
He reminds himself that Sarah was around the same age when she wished him away. It doesn not make a difference, does not make him any less upset. It is easy to understand why she might have wished away a toddler that was annoying her, why she might not have wanted to watch him.
And she didn't know the goblins were real. She didn't know. Draco Malfoy did. He did and in spite of that, he wished Luna and Toby away.
Quack squirms in his lap.
The goblin cannot handle his tears, never feels confident that what they are doing will help. Luna steps in, her hand taking his. Decisively, Ron makes his own way over, brotherly instinct kicking in. Hermione follows to make sure she can kick him in the leg when he begins to say something insensitive.
Harry is skittish, does not try to come over into Toby's personal space until Luna reaches a hand out in his direction.
"I should have known better." Harry says after several minutes of silence. "Scheduling a DA meeting on Halloween was asking for trouble. I had a panic attack and three meetings later you ended up here. Fourth year, there was the Triward Cup. Third year, Sirius Black broke into Hogwarts. Second year, the Chamber of Secrets opened again. First year, there was a troll." He says the last part very quietly. "Voldemort attacked my parents on Halloween."
None of them know what to reply.
Hermione and Ron especially are speechless. They love their friend of course but he has been so angry this year, has not shown so much vulnerability before and has certainly not admitted it out loud.
"He won't ever again." Luna finally pipes up. She slides a piece of parchment over to Hermione. "This will be in the next Quibbler article." Hermione takes it eagerly, seizing it with the kind of enthusiasm that is bordering on scary.
Ron and Harry were rather surprised when she first received a copy at breakfast. They knew her (previous) views on the paper and that she would never order a copy in order to pacify or enrage Luna. This small skill in observation does not outweigh their cluelessness. The only reason Hermione would order the Quibbler was interest, which they still do not seem to have worked out.
She told them later that something Luna had said caught her attention and then had to spend the rest of breakfast explaining her new, warm relationship with the odd girl. At dinner, Hermione was too lost to answer them, flipping frantically through the pages and it was the next day when she imparted that little bit of wisdom: acronyms.
A whole new world opened up under her fingertips. Past copies were available for a discounted price. Hermione bought in bulk, cross referencing and analysing. When she felt she was getting nowhere, she would find a link and when she thought she was getting somewhere, it turned out to be a continued red-herring.
She suspects that even Luna and her father do not have access to all the Quibbler's truths and lies. They are the type of people who prefer it that way. How many of the contributing authors are simply playing a prank? How many are spilling secrets that may only be deciphered when something related is leaked to the Daily Prophet?
The Quibbler is not an ordinary newspaper, not when some of it is not real. It is a challenge, a puzzle. Hermione had thought it ran on old money, that it was an unprofitable venture. The small but loyal readers (that she has now joined the ranks of) mean it is not.
Being given what will soon be part of June's (or maybe July's, depending on when Luna's father receives it) edition is thrilling.
"Under much pressure, the queen has retreated. Know, however, that this board is not yet complete. Who will win is clear. Gone are the queen's chances." Hermione reads.
"Is it true?" her voice shakes. "Is he really gone?"
"He is." Sarah Williams confirms, fingers laced in the stranger's. "Voldemort is gone."
Harry doesn't believe her which is valid considering what Voldemort has put him through. "Wish the goblins take him away, that all of his power goes away." Toby instructs. Ron sucks in a loud breath through closed teeth.
"Harry, mate, wish." he encourages. "It will work." He looks squarely at the stranger, at Harry's rescuer. It would not hurt to try. Harry trusts no adults, not even Sirius. It all came back to the fact that the stranger did not have to save Harry and he did. It is not like wishing will hurt him.
"I wish that the goblins take away all of Voldemort-" he cannot finish his sentence, not when his head explodes in pain. The scar on his forehead goes an angry red then everything comes to a stop. When he tenderly pokes his forehead, it does not hurt. "'s power and him." he finishes.
"He won't be back." his rescuer repeats. The strange thing is that Harry believes him.
Draco Malfoy does not sit with Toby Williams and Luna Lovegood in the library anymore. The rumours might have focused on it more if Draco Malfoy's behaviour had not radically shifted. The boy is withdrawn, does not attempt to go out of his way to talk to anyone, let alone bother Harry Potter - his biggest hobby.
He keeps his head down in class, works the bare minimum and when he barks orders at Goyle and Crabbe, he speaks quietly. These interactions are still harsh yet there is something changed about them now - they feel almost as if Malfoy is reading off a script and does not mean what he is saying.
Luna Lovegood and Sarah and Toby Williams know far more about it than they perhaps should. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter suspect. The suspicions are both reinforced and challenged by the mass Azkaban breakout following from Sarah Williams' return.
None of the students are supposed to know she was missing so naturally, all of them are aware that she was gone for a few hours. There are several reasons bandied about, mostly to do with mental breakdowns, family emergencies and dates. Some of the keener eyed students have realised there is now a ring hanging from her neck but it has been there for three or more months so they get no points for observation.
No one, however, doubts that something did happen in that period of time. First Toby Williams was attacked and then his sister went briefly missing and now Draco Malfoy's behaviour has radically changed. There has to be something linking it all together. To top it all off, the most well-known conspiracy theorist in their school - Luna Lovegood - refuses to say a word (that anyone can understand anyway), which means she knows what is going on. As she is Toby's friend, the trail leads right back to him.
Harry Potter quite unexpectedly stumbles upon a clue after a DA meeting. To his friends, this veers more into the territory of expected, given Harry's proclivity to eavesdrop. There he is, chasing after Luna at the end of the meeting - she has forgotten her bag when he comes across a quiet conversation between her and his arch-nemesis. He nearly drops her bag out of shock.
"Were we ever friends?" Luna asks and Harry has to stop himself from going closer to comfort her. He has never heard Luna so hurt. The closest was probably with the Thestrals and Hermione, all the way back at the beginning of the school year.
He does not move, intent on staying here until this is done. Luna is his friend. He had thought that Malfoy was the same, having seen him pick up her shoes and return them before. Harry is not five anymore, understands that your friend can be friends with someone you do not like and Malfoy backed off a bit after he started sitting with Luna.
Malfoy doesn't say anything for a good five minutes, swallowing uncertainly and keeping his eyes shut. He is afraid to look Luna in the eyes, Harry guesses. Good, the vicious part of him mutters. Malfoy has never really gotten along with him and he has hurt Luna. He deserves to be hurt back. The better part of him tells him to forgive. The largest part of him reminds him that it is not in his place to make any decisions.
"No." Malfoy replies.
Harry can tell it is a lie and so can Luna who huffs quietly, unimpressed. "That makes things complicated." She raises a hand when Malfoy opens his mouth. Obediently, he shuts it again.
"You are lying to try to protect my feelings, aren't you? You don't owe me anything. When the Wrackspurts leave you, maybe we can talk again. I know it's difficult to think with them all whizzing around your brain and trying to stop you from thinking about your wish and what happened and how we weren't taken again. You know, if you wished again, he'd probably come. Goblin Kings are a good way to repel them. Now," she says sternly, "please leave.".
Luna doesn't speak fast. Her tone is not harsh. It still feels like he's being slapped and Harry isn't even part of the conversation. He moves on before Malfoy comes out and finds him, mood brought crashing down for the second time today. The first time made him feel angry and this fuels the fire.
Toby made an offhand comment about Kingsley Shacklebolt (the current DADA professor who replaced Umbridge in January and is making the DA increasingly unnecessary) becoming the Minister of Magic. All of the DA collectively agree that he is one of the best Ministry workers they have met. Harry had cheered on the idea but Ron had shaken his head sadly.
"It will never happen." he had confidently declared.
"Why not?"
Ron had sneered and cast a none too discreet look at Toby, "Shacklebolt's a 'foreigner'.". They all knew what he meant. Toby had gravely nodded his head and refused Luna's offered arm.
Harry risks a second glance at her and is unsurprised to see the tears rolling down her face. She chokes back a sob and runs, rocketing around the corner. Malfoy is long gone and Harry is left to stare dumbly at the spot where they were talking, only remembering that he still has Luna's bag when he unsticks his feet and nearly trips over it.
Where does Luna go when upset? She has no shame about her emotions but prefers to cry in private - the Ravenclaw dorms maybe? A gentle breeze sweeps across his face and Harry takes it as some sort of divine sign. Outside. She will probably be outside. Harry cannot see the Black Lake from here but he reckons she is there. If not, at least he gets a workout.
There are so many steps in Hogwarts that unless you miss a lot of classes or walk really slowly, it is difficult not to be at least a little fit. Harry is willing to bet that Crabbe is fitter than Dudley.
He continues on in much higher spirits.
Sometimes, Neville thinks he should have just listened to his instincts and fled when he heard Luna crying. He was taking refuge in the greenhouses because plants are much easier to befriend than people. Feed them and handle them firmly but gently and they like you.
People are not quite the same because you can argue with people. You rarely argue with plants. Well, maybe the Whomping Willow.
Anyway, he has comforted her and somehow the whole ended with him being stood in the Forbidden Forest, a day before the end of the school term, watching Toby watch Luna interview a centaur named Bane who had turned his nose up at all of them, particularly Ron, Harry and Hermione. The centaur warmed up to Dean first, because he made an impressive sketch of him for Luna's article.
That was still manageable though sort of weird. Neville is used to that after sharing a dorm with Harry and Ron for fou-five years.
Where Neville has to draw the line is Luna and Toby inviting Sybill Trewlawney, a professor, along and her not even reporting them or giving them detention but coming along and bonding with Firenze over their different branches of Divination. It doesn't seem to bother anyone else.
As he watches Toby vibrate impatiently (keen to move down Hermione's agenda and go see the House Elves), Neville wonders how and much more importantly why.
Toby's compartment on the train ride home is far busier than last year so he has to step out just to get a breath. As nice as it is to be with everyone, he just needs a little space.
Running into Cedric is not the plan but when he sees Dolores Umbridge walking along, checking the compartments, Toby dives straight into the first relatively empty compartment he can see. Thankfully, the 7th Year does not take any offence. It's actually going better than Toby anticipated, at least until Umbridge draws nearer.
Quack wails in alarm as the door slides open, the disgraced ex-Professor now in front of them without a barrier of glass. Cedric shares Toby's panic, the two of them instinctively closing ranks, shoulders a bare finger-width apart. They both attended DA meetings, after all.
There is something mad about the woman, a broken bit inside that does not allow her manicured clothes and picture perfect smile to calm them, to lull them. There is something dangerous about Dolores Umbridge. 'Wannabe Chucky' is what Sarah calls You-Know-Who and Toby thinks it fits Umbridge perfectly - she even dresses like a doll!
Quack launches himself off Toby's shoulder, landing unsteadily on Umbridge's perfectly coiffed hair. Cedric chokes back a laugh and Toby coughs into his hand to hide his grin as Quack makes a mess. He wonders if Cedric might be able to see goblins. Probably.
Dolores Umbridge shakes her head ever so slightly, as though she feels Quack's weight but the goblin is an expert at staying put. They continue as if there was no disruption, careful not to drop any strands in front of Umbridge's face. Toby winks at Cedric before he can be embarrassed by his forwardness. Cedric winks back.
Toby counts himself lucky that his skin is dark. He doesn't flush red like Luna, probably doesn't even go a little pink. Cedric would be too kind to comment either way. The thought just makes him blush more. Why does the boy he likes have to be such a decent person? It makes it increasingly difficult to get over him. You would think that after all their DA sessions together and with them being in the same house, he would be less flustered by now.
"Hello Mr Williams."
There is something cruel about Umbridge's voice and a glint in her eye that he really does not like. Cedric has a glint of his own as he watches Quack, one Toby does like.
It must have been hard to spend so long being able to see goblins and staying half-convinced that you must be mad. Toby should have guessed earlier really, with all the times Cedric stared at his hair. Other people wear theirs the same way, in long braids.
Said braids make it hard enough for Quack to mess with his hair that they stick to Luna's, who doesn't at all mind the flowers the goblin threads into hers as long as they help detangle all the knots and plant matter before she washes it on Sundays. Toby will be eternally thankful to her for it.
"Madam Umbridge."
Is Umbridge still a Madam? Can 'Madam' get revoked? He cannot call her Professor - not that he wants to - so what is he supposed to call her?
"I should like you to try that again. 'Hello, High Inquisitor Umbridge.' is the appropriate response."
Obligingly, Toby parrots her words. Cedric joins him, despite Umbridge not greeting him in the beginning. What exactly she hopes to achieve here, neither of them is sure. Is there a point being made? What is it? Trying to exert some sort of power, Toby concludes. She probably misses it, misses being in a position where the students stayed silent out of fear and has nothing better to do than try to take it out on him.
"Where is that Muggle sister of yours?" Her nose sticks up in the air as she says 'Muggle'. Whatever translucent pretence she once employed was discarded when she was replaced as their DADA professor.
"I don't know, ma'am."
Dolores Umbridge's expression is pleased and she swiftly raises her wand against the two Hogwarts students (who she is banned from being near), wrathful and self-righteous. The speed with which they draw their own is languid in comparison. She casts a spell neither of them recognise.
Toby does something he can only describe as going away (nothing, essentially) as the spell's light races towards him, only snapping out of it when Cedric shoves him a little. He should have pulled Toby instead because now he is directly in its path.
The light of Umbridge's spell comes even closer and from his position, Toby can see exactly where it will hit - Cedric's heart. In desperation, he does the only thing he can do, babbles:
"Iwishthegoblinstakeyoubothaway! Right now!"