Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not something I can claim to own, although I wish I could.
Chapter 13: Finding Hermione
Early Evening, Tuesday July 2nd 1996
Luna let out a frustrated groan as a frown adorned her face.
The last few days had been difficult, beset with one problem after another and it all started when she boarded the Hogwarts Express. After stowing her things in the usual spot in the last car, Luna set about finding her troubled friend but had no success. Looking back she could only describe the situation as 'annoyingly ironic.'
'Really,' she chided, 'How does one lose a person on a train?'
At the end of the journey, Luna made sure to be the first one off which should have provided an opportunity but ill-luck would strike again. This time it took the form of Malfoy's entourage minus the would-be Slytherin King, which was odd. They threw a few insults and stood in her way, barring passage while she looked around casually in an attempt to not give away her hurry. When she did catch sight of her quarry, Hermione was just passing through the barrier of Nine and Three-Quarters.
An off the wall comment later and Luna was quickly making her way but by the time she crossed over, Hermione was nowhere to be found.
Her father showed up not long after and since then, she'd been busier than a Lackishmurt looking for food. The first half of her days were taken up with helping him get an emergency issue of the Quibbler printed and out for delivery. The latter was spent at Muggle libraries in several different counties, pouring over the public registrars in hopes of finding her friend.
Luna didn't have a lot to go on, a fact that became apparent when she found ten Granger residences spread across a fairly small area. Hermione had spoken little of her parents or her childhood, another fact that was beginning to grind on the Ravenclaw's mind. She'd have to visit each location in order to find her and that would take time.
Fortunately, Luna had been taught to apparate shortly after her mother died. It was one of several things Xeno spent time teaching her in the name of safety, Ministry regulations be damned. He wouldn't risk her future just because a fat man in a fancy robe said to.
The skill to apparate would prove useful later this evening as she went about searching the houses and if she was lucky, it wouldn't take long. If she was unlucky, finding Hermione might take another two days or so.
"How are the corrections coming darling?" asked Xeno as he placed another stack of papers in front of her.
Luna sighed quietly to herself, "Well, Daddy. I suspect everything should be ready before tomorrow afternoon."
"Wonderful! We may yet get it out tomorrow morning. Thank you so much my little Crescent!"
She smiled but a whimper escaped her lips. Luna wanted to help, she really did, but there was a growing concern in her mind someone else might need her more. She folded over another sheet of the draft and tried to refocus.
If the situation wasn't so dire, she could have waited and narrowed things down further but four days was already too long for something of this nature. Luna wasn't completely sure of what was going on and subtle queries with Ginny and Ron before boarding the train didn't ease her concerns. As far as the Weasleys could tell, nothing was wrong. Hermione may have been a little more reserved than usual, but she still talked with them.
Luna let out a huff of annoyance before setting the Quibbler down on the table and stood up. There was nothing for it at this point; she would just have to abandon her father for the time being. It bothered her to resort to such a thing, but Hermione needed her. Not to mention her promise to Harry.
She caught sight of Xeno leaving one of the editing rooms before heading to the printing press down stairs. Luna hastily followed and when she drew close, he smiled to her.
"Hello, poppet. I think this will be our best issue yet! Quite a thing to say if I say so myself; last's week's article on the Hackless Shindler was top notch, a very difficult act to follow."
Luna smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, "Daddy, I must speak with you."
He looked at her for a moment, noticing the seriousness in her eyes. Without a word, he turned and set down the papers he was carrying before facing her completely. To the untrained eye, nothing changed in the time Xeno took to relieve himself of his work, but Luna could see that her father's eyes had cleared a little.
"What's the matter, Moonbeam? Is everything alright?"
"I… No, something is very unright and I'm sorry, but I can't help you anymore. I must go find Hermione."
Xeno looked at his daughter with worried eyes, "You spoke of her falling ill the other day. Is she in danger of relapsing?"
Luna shuffled on her feet, "I didn't want to worry you, Daddy. I didn't want to worry anyone, especially Harry but I can't hide this anymore."
Xeno paled. He and Luna had a very close relationship and for her to hide something from him spoke of many things.
"What's happened?"
She told him everything, about Voldemort's attack, the attempted possession and ritual, Hermione's recovery and finally her odd behavior toward what seemed to be only Luna and Harry. Luna was so upset from keeping this from him that the words came quickly, stunning Xeno as she spilled her fears of what Hermione's behavior could mean, particularly for Harry.
"He hid it well, Daddy," she said, shivering in his arms. "I fear Harry is coming of age too quickly and if Hermione's condition is serious, then..."
Xeno held her tight, "I understand your fears, Luna. Once that type of growth starts and a catalyst presents itself, it becomes difficult to stop. Do you think he will go to extremes?"
Luna nodded, "He's close to realizing his feelings if he hasn't already and when that happens, he'll do what he must. Harry won't stop until he knows he can protect them all."
"Them?"
She pulled away, "Hermione's just the beginning. I've watched him carefully, Daddy. His aura, it's," and she sighed, her eyes alight. "There are no words," she whispered. "The slightest connection between them will move mountains and once Harry starts to believe, once he knows he can, he won't stop with Hermione. She'll be the most secure, that is to be sure but he'll protect them all."
Xeno smiled wistfully, "All those who dwell, pumpkin?"
Luna turned back around, her eyes filled with tears and she slid back into her father's arms.
"It's not fair. Why are such burdens forced upon them?"
He sighed, squeezing Luna gently before tilting up her chin, "I've wondered that myself; about you, about me and certainly about people like Harry. Seems I can add Hermione to the list too. After all this time, I think I may have uncovered an answer." Xeno took a step back and reached for his coat, "I think it's because we can take it. The Great Power knows we are exceptional, even if we don't want to be which is why we are given such tasks. Not because no one else is better suited or because we are the only ones who can but because we must. It is who we are and no matter our desires, we can never be anything less."
Luna dried her tears and smiled as Xeno put on his coat and an old inspector's hat, one he only wore when he was hot on the heels of something important. It didn't have to be a scoop or one of their creatures, but it showed in his playful way that he was devoted to the task at hand.
"Do you know where she lives?"
Luna shook her head, "No, but I have it narrowed down to several locations. With luck, we'll find her before the night is over."
With a grin, Xeno tapped the hat snug onto his head, "Then we're wasting time. Come Luna, let's find your friend."
An hour later and they apparated to the outskirts of Canterbury, appearing in a dense patch of woods. Luna took the lead, her father trailing and keeping a careful watch of their surroundings as they drew closer to a small suburb just outside of where they appeared.
The two of them fell into a familiar rhythm. They had gone creature hunting many times before and although Luna always painted her adventures with a colorful stroke, there was more danger in their activities than anyone knew.
"This is Daw's Wood. One of the houses I found is somewhere in the neighborhood nearby."
"Fourth time's a charm, dear."
"That's the third Daddy but I agree, fourth is a lovely spell too."
Xeno chuckled quietly to himself as they came to the edge of the woods and stepped out. It was getting late, the sun having already set beyond the horizon. No one was out and about at this time so their venture was a bit safer. They explored the quiet neighborhood, scanning mailboxes for the name they wanted.
"Moonbeam, look!" he whispered.
A small brick rancher stood off to the side, nestled in between the trees. On a simple, yet elegant box was written, 'The Grangers' and Luna felt her heart quicken.
"Wonderful, Daddy! Thank you!" and she quickly kissed him on the cheek before dashing off to the door.
Knock Knock
"Coming," said a male voice and they heard a lock being unlatched before the door was pulled open to reveal an older gentleman who looked a little worse for wear. His eyes bore dark circles around them and his shoulders were slumped, indicating fatigue and stress.
"Excuse me sir, but do you have a daughter by the name of Hermione?"
A flash of recognition ran across the man's eyes, "Are you one of her friends from school?"
Luna bounced happily on the heels of her feet, "Yes I am! I've been searching all over for her. May I come in and speak with her?"
The look of hope that bloomed on the man's face wilted and he took a cautious stance.
"Your reaction indicates you were searching for her and yet you do not know of what ails my daughter?"
Luna winched, not expecting such a harsh reply. Xeno stepped up, "Good evening Sir, I am Xeno Lovegood and this is my daughter Luna. I must apologize, as I am to blame for our tardiness. Luna was searching for Hermione every spare chance she got and I unknowingly slowed her. After setting me straight, we both sought her out hence, here we are."
Hermione's father looked Xeno over before his eyes flickered to Luna. The happiness that had burst from her face was replaced with a stern and worried look. The military man, an assumption Luna made based on his physique and stance, visibly deflated.
"Forgive me, that was rude" and he held out his hand. "I'm Marcus. Marcus Granger. Come in and perhaps we can shed some light on what is going on."
They stepped inside, Luna moving gracefully around her father so Marcus could shut the door. A quick glance into the house showed they stood in the living room, with stairs off to the right leading to a second floor. The carpet was a shaggy brown and unsurprisingly, there were a great number of books on shelves in the room. The walls were painted in earth tones and the light was bright enough to read by, yet dim enough to give the place a warm glow. It was homely and well lived in, a feeling that described Hermione quite well if you knew where to look.
"You mentioned an ailment, Mr. Granger," Luna said. "Last I saw of Hermione she appeared well. Has something happened?"
"Marcus, who's here?" came the voice of a woman quickly followed by its owner. Luna would have smiled, for the the older woman looked very much like her friend only there was evidence of tears shed not long ago. Her eyes were read and cheeks flushed.
"These are friends of Hermione, Olivia. I presume from Hogwarts?" he said as he looked back at them.
Xeno nodded and stepped forward, taking Olivia's outstretched hand, "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger," he said with a smile and a light kiss. "My name is Xenophilius Lovegood; to my friends I go by Xeno and this is my lovely daughter Luna."
She curtsied, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger. I'm a friend of Hermione's from school and if I may say, it is easy to see where Hermione gets her spirit from."
Both Marcus and Olivia smiled, but it didn't reach their eyes, "Bit old fashioned, eh?"
Xeno chuckled, "The Wizarding world is known for being a little behind, yes." He let go of Olivia's hand and stepped back towards Luna.
"To answer your question Luna, Hermione was fine when we first got her home but that changed in the evening when she refused to come to dinner. Said she wasn't hungry and has been locked in her room since." Marcus turned to his wife, "They came looking for Hermione, Liv. They want to help her."
Olivia sniffed, fighting tears, "She keeps saying she needs time to be alone although she stopped answering a while ago. I worry she's starving herself and I, I just don't know what to do. The door won't budge and Marcus was going to take an axe to it if she doesn't come out to eat. She's never done anything like this before."
Luna and Xeno shared a glance, "We don't know exactly what's wrong," he said, "but I'd wager she locked the door with magic, probably reinforced it too. No offense Marcus, but an axe would have done little except bounce off."
"Why though?" Marcus replied. "Why would she do this?"
Luna stepped forward, "I don't know, but I will find out. Daddy?"
Hours spent in forests together gave them a sixth sense and he discreetly tapped the wand in his pant leg, erecting a temporary Notice-Me-Not charm.
"I get the feeling they know little of the dangers in our world. Not to say Hermione purposely lied to them, but more so stretched the truth in order to ease their worry. I'm sorry to ask this of you."
The charm dispelled and he bent down to kiss her on the forehead, "Focus now, Moonbeam. You have a friend in need."
Luna smiled graciously and began climbing the stairs, much to the confusion of the Grangers. Xeno held out his hands and ushered them to sit on one of the couches, "My daughter has a knack for seeing the unseen and I have no doubt she will find Hermione. Therefore, while my daughter tends to yours, I'm afraid I must ask you some questions."
As Xeno spoke to the Grangers, Luna moved quietly in the hallway at the top of the stairs.
In the dim light, she could see picture frames along the walls of Hermione and her parents in many different scenarios: as a child, several holidays and a few looked to be from different countries, among many others. It brought a smile to her face, knowing her friend was so well loved.
She stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hall, the currents disappearing as her eyes clouded over. The door was obviously sealed by magic, but there weren't any guards in place to keep the door from being opened by the same means.
"Why, Hermione?" she asked quietly and tapped the door with her wand and it opened silently.
Unlike the rest of the house, this room was dark and it held a dense atmosphere inside it. Not knowing exactly what she might find, Luna tiptoed in and gently shut the door behind her. She was about to light a faint Lumos but was spared the action when several sparks of light sprang into existence. Before going out it lit the room just enough to show Hermione over in the corner, sitting down on the floor.
'Limino,' Luna chanted softly and the whole room filled with light.
Hermione was sitting cross legged, wearing a tank top and loose fitting shorts. Her usually bushy hair was plastered to her head, drenched in sweat just like the rest of her body. She was in a Lotus position and if her face was anything to go by, she was struggling.
Luna took a labored breath, surprised the air was so heavy. More faint sparks appeared in random locations, some of them running along the floor while others came from Hermione herself. Luna allowed her eyes to clear again, watching in fascination as the currents came back into view. The magic swirling around her was intense, varying shades of color wrapping around her in swift, fluid motions. At times the magic would become squirrelly and the streams moved out of sync with one another. That's when the sparks appeared and then the currents became more natural again, having released the unwanted energy.
Luna sat down on the floor several steps away from her friend. The magic whirling in front of her was definitely from Hermione. If Voldemort was involved, the currents should have been different. Tainted maybe or just a feeling of wrongness but they weren't.
This was good, very good but there were oddities Luna couldn't rationalize, like how well defined the currents were. It had been a while since she found such density outside of Hogwarts as magic was naturally calm and even keel no matter where she may look.
Luna took a deep breath and then exhaled before shutting her eyes.
It would take time, but her presence would eventually create its own disturbance in order to shield herself from whatever Hermione was doing. Once her natural resistance interacted with Hermione's active aura, the Gryffindor would be made aware of Luna's presence, even if on just a subconscious level. For a majority of cases, that should be enough to snap her out of the self-induced trance.
Regardless if that worked, her own meditative efforts would provide a means for Luna to try and find her way inside Hermione's mind.
In theory, anyway.
X
Marcus held his crying wife as Xeno sat back into the recliner and closed his eyes. Several hours of storytelling left him exhausted and feeling terrible for crushing what little protection Hermione had erected around her parents, but they needed to know. He was surprised Marcus was taking it so well, then again, they both admitted to knowing something was amiss.
"It was in her eyes, Xeno. I saw conflict while serving in the military and after awhile, you could tell if the soldier next to you was going to have nightmares that night. We knew she wasn't telling us everything, but we never could have guessed how much she wasn't saying."
Not for the first time, Xeno thanked Merlin for having such an open and wonderful relationship with his daughter. She told him everything, 'Well, almost,' which included the nasty things people said about them and he always admired her spirit to ignore whatever was said. Some days Luna reminded him so much of her mother it hurt.
"xEnO?"
He turned his head sharply towards Marcus, who was looking at him strangely. The man's mouth was moving slowly and Xeno could make out what looked like an 'are you alright?'
'I'm pushing it. Without the medicine, I won't be able to keep this up much longer.'
"Xeno? Is everything alright?"
He blinked and smiled towards the Grangers, "My apologies. I'm a little winded and usually am in bed by this hour."
"Marcus, it's midnight!" exclaimed Olivia.
"How long have they been up there?"
"About six hours by my count. I'll go check on them," and Xeno stood up. "I know this is going to be difficult but I must ask you stay here. If something is going on, better to be safe than sorry."
Olivia paled, "Are you saying Hermione might, might hurt us?"
Xeno shook his head, "Not intentionally." 'At least, I hope not.'
Olivia sniffled again and Marcus nodded to him, "Up the stairs and down the hall, last door on the left."
He turned back to Olivia and Xeno went in search of Luna. It didn't take long to find the door Marcus spoke of and he frowned at finding it unlocked. He opened it slowly, "Luna dear, are you alright?"
The room was dim and the air felt heavy. He could see Luna sitting on the floor and Hermione was in the corner, shrouded in the shadows. Most of the sudden flashes of light and energy occurred between them and the elder Lovegood could see sheens of sweat on both of their foreheads.
"Bugger," he muttered, knowing to disturb them could invoke trouble. He gripped the wand in his hand, feeling nervous but confident this wouldn't do any harm.
'Sint Vos' he spoke firmly and an orange cloud burst from his wand before entering the space between Luna and Hermione. He watched with some fascination as the magics between the two girls tore up his little cloud, what was the magical equivalent of a poke to someone's shoulder. While the spell closest to Hermione was ripped apart, what strayed towards Luna was quickly absorbed into her body.
'Good,' Xeno thought to himself. 'She recognized it at least.'
He waited for five minutes, then another five but nothing outwardly changed between the two young women.
Worry started to creep into his mind and he turned towards the door, thinking of what to do next when a flower bloomed on the frame. Xeno smiled and tapped it gently, watching as the petals fell off and disintegrated into an orange mist. It circled him twice before taking the shape of a Thestral and then an Owl, before ending with a bolt of lightning. His smile faded and he quickly left the room, sealing the door as he went. Marcus looked to him when he heard Xeno descend the stairs.
"Any word?" he asked quietly and Xeno noticed that Olivia had dozed off from exhaustion.
Xeno shook his head and Marcus carefully extracted himself from his wife's embrace before leading the two of them outside.
"What's going on?"
"I'm not sure," Xeno replied truthfully, "Hermione is in a deep trance and if her facial expression was anything to go by, she's fighting something. Before I left them, I locked and sealed the room, both for their sakes and for yours. The two of them are producing quite an aura and it would have started to disrupt the neighborhood before long."
Marcus took a deep breath, "So Luna's infected too?"
Xeno smiled, "I wouldn't say that; she's trying to reach out to Hermione. Luna communicated with me briefly before she had to refocus her efforts."
"What did she say?"
"She wanted me to seal the room away from prying eyes, myself included. I disrupted them to a small degree in order to determine their status but I don't think any harm came from it. She also requested I owl a friend of hers for some aid."
"Owl? Hermione mentioned that before. You mean, like call someone, for help?"
"Yes," he replied, looking up into the night sky. "The fact she requested an owl and not something else is telling. It means there isn't an immediate hurry and whatever they are doing, they appear to be succeeding or on level ground."
Marcus rubbed his temples wearily, "What do we do then?"
Xeno frowned, "I must go home briefly to carry out Luna's wishes, afterwards I can return here if it would make you feel better. Other than that I'm sorry Marcus; the only thing we can do is wait."
XX
Harry slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light.
"Glad to see you're finally getting up. I was beginning to wonder what kind of slouch I was."
He groaned, no longer needing an explanation for the over abundance of white. "Hello to you too," he mumbled, shaking off the last remnants of sleep.
Magic Harry chuckled, "Hello indeed. So then, how are you feeling?"
Real Harry stretched a bit and yawned. "Good," he admitted, "surprisingly good."
His other half smiled, "I would hope so. Sure, the world was dropped on our shoulders and four days of solid rest is a little on the low side but,"
Harry sputtered, "Wait a second. I've been out for four days? It was only two the last time this happened."
Magic Harry laughed again and started doing some sort of dance, "4 days, 6 hours and 2 minutes to be exact. Quite a few of our friends showed up at the castle doors but Hogwarts refused to let anyone inside. Before you ask, I kept us alive although you're going to be starving once you leave here." Magic Harry finished his little jig and settled back down with a content smile on his face, "It really is good to feel rested, isn't it? I don't think you realize just how tired we were."
Harry smiled despite himself, "The weight isn't so bad anymore. It's"
"manageable, yes. We've aged a lot recently, well, you have for the most part but I'm a little bit older too. Our maximum has expanded, if you prefer such phrases and it just so happens we're going to need it." The aloof smile lost a bit of its shine, "We have work to do before you go."
Harry nodded and they began to walk in a seemingly random direction. As they did, the scenery changed; the blanket of white peeled away and revealed memories of the not so distant past.
Hermione's back was to him and she quickened her pace as she left the castle.
"Stings, doesn't it?"
Harry frowned, not surprised to hear the emotion from his other self, "Yes it does. You all right?"
"The same as you, I suppose. I tried calling out to her in that moment, but her magic refused. It was... cold. I wasn't expecting it..." The image faded away and Magic Harry turned to his counterpart. " What is she to us? We've danced around it long enough."
Harry sputtered and became defensive, "Why are we talking about this now, of all things? And I haven't been dancing around it!"
Magic Harry frowned, "Because we know what happened when we nearly lost her and yes you are."
"Oh no, no please no. Not Hermione! Please, not Hermione!"
Harry hesitated, the image of her lying broken and covered by pieces of the altar was still too near. His voice cracked, "You know just as well as I do how much she means to me."
"It's one thing to think about, entirely another to voice it and give it form. We can't afford to lose her, not now not ever."
Harry's throat felt tight, "I,"
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things-friendship and bravery and… Oh Harry, be careful!"
He would never understand why those memories appeared when they did, but there they were: Firsties in a mess so much larger than they could have known. On a night in what seemed like forever ago, he lost what little childhood he had thanks to Voldemort but gained something so much more important. Since then it had only grown to what it was today.
His eyes grew soft, "Why did it take me so long?"
Magic Harry shrugged, "I don't know. It took us both too long, but at last we know. Question is, what are we going to do?"
'Why does that ring a bell?' "What is our purpose, you mean?"
Magic Harry smiled, "That's what Hogwarts wanted to know. It's what we want to know and what everyone else searches for in themselves. We have it easy Harry. We've got a script to play by; a prophecy binding us to a course of action but only by the ends are we bound, not the means or the journey. That's what Hogwarts was asking because it's important, not just for her or the inhabitants, but for us as well."
"Why?"
"Surely you've noticed? We're no match for Voldemort let alone the challenges we have to face before the end. A miscalculation and overconfidence on Snape's part allowed us to live. The same pattern can be applied to all our survivals and you know such a thing will not last."
His shoulders sagged, "I know. I think I've always known, its just easier to ignore something you're afraid to accept." He sighed, searching for words. "What do I, I mean, what do we do? You can't just wake up and know which direction to go or what you have to do."
"You're right," said his magic, "it doesn't work that way, but acknowledging a way must be found is the first step. Realizing what drives you to find the way is the next, which leads us back to what Hogwarts was asking. What is our purpose, Harry? It changes from day to day to suit the needs of the times but underneath everything, underneath our titles, our prophecy and the bad luck following us around there is something that drives us. What is it?"
Harry didn't even hesitate, "It's Hermione. She the one who drives us." and it clicked. He started laughing, louder as the seconds ticked by and it gave him a rush, "Is it really so simple?"
"Well for one it's hardly simple and two, only for those who already know the answer. For everyone else it takes years, lifetimes even to figure it out."
"And you knew all this?"
His magic smiled fondly, "No, I didn't. I can tell you how I react, how I feel around others. To everyone, I am as you see me but when Hermione's around." He stopped and a happier, faraway look flashed across his face, "Well, you know."
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath and when he opened them, he could have sworn he saw Hermione's smiling face.
"Where to from here?"
Magic Harry looked like he wanted to say something but was stopped when a huge, winged shaped shadow appeared overhead. The creature was gigantic, with wings blocking out the sky.
"What in Merlin's name is that?"
Magic Harry looked nervous, "Oh bugger, we forgot all about her..."
X
Hedwig latched onto Harry's shoulder, rocking it gently with her landing. She twitched her head and started to hobble up and down his arm, bobbing and hooting to try and wake him up. After several attempts, she got annoyed and resorted to a more direct approach.
*peck*
"Ow, Hedwig!" Harry shouted, sitting up in bed and rubbing his forehead. A trickle of blood ran down between his eyes and he grumbled at the owl while she hooted angrily at him. He quickly got out of bed and fetched a cloth to stem the flow, glancing warily at his ow.
"I'm sorry girl! I know I haven't been up to see you lately but I've been really busy!"
He searched through his trunk and after finding some owl treats, tossed a few towards her. Hedwig hooted several times in acceptance and dropped the letters she had been carrying. Almost immediately she grabbed the treats and took off out the window.
"Sorry girl," he murmured and picked up the letters.
Harry –
Hope all is well, pup. Been to the castle several times but she's locked tight. That includes the secret entrances I know of.
What the bloody hell are you up to?
Well, no use fretting about it I suppose but when you get a chance, mind throwing an old dog a bone?
Padfoot
He smiled, "Long overdue Sirius."
Headmaster Potter –
At your earliest convenience, please come to Gringotts as there are several financial matters to discuss concerning the Hogwarts accounts.
Yours in Prosperity,
Director Ragnok.
Harry frowned. Unexpected news from the goblins was never a good thing and he wondered what these matters entailed. 'Looks like I'll be making another jaunt to Gringotts.' Setting it aside, he picked up the last letter which was yet another surprise.
Harry,
Forgive my informal approach but I was asked to deliver a message from Luna. When you find yourself with a spare Moment (hold onto them tightly lad, if you thought Snorkacks were hard to find, Moments are another beast entirely), I would request you make your way to Ottery St. Catchpole. Assuming you have access to Floo, my address is 'Serenity's Garden.'
Xenophilius Lovegood
Harry felt the hair on his neck stand on end and he reread the message.
Feeling tired again, he leaned back into his chair and rubbed his eyes. 'Sirius could probably stand to wait a little longer,' he thought to himself. 'Whatever he goblins want probably can't though. Who knows what the political climate or financial stability of Britain might be with Hogsmede obliterated.'
Harry stared at Xeno's handwriting.
He needed to know what was going on with Hermione and Luna, but the Headmaster had to know what was happening to the finances of a school supporting hundreds of students. What was the right choice, the best choice, for everyone? He picked Hermione before in place of the safety of the castle when it came to Coetus, so why was he hesitating? Should he have chosen to merge instead?
'Is this what Albus had to do every day? Weigh such decisions for the good of the castle and her inhabitants?'
His stomach growled, reminding him he'd been out of it for a few days. Glancing at the parchment one last time he set it down and headed for the bathroom.
"Shower, clothes, food. Get yourself back to one-hundred percent and go from there. Your name isn't being shouted and the door isn't getting pounded down - there's a little time."
XX
"Harry!"
Luna's eyes shot open at Hermione's scream. She blinked, stunned at first but proceeded to get up out of the chair she found herself in and looked around. The room was spacious with floor to ceiling high bookcases lining the walls. The chair she previously occupied sat in front of one of three windows and a stormy sight greeted Luna when she looked outside. A lightning bolt flashed and she flinched away.
Fire reds and shining golds, the mark of Gryffindor, decorated the floor and walls. Other than a few candles floating in the air, there was nothing overly special about this room. It was cozy, exactly how a reading den should be.
"No! Harry!"
Luna's gaze shifted to a door on the far side, slightly ajar and swaying ominously. Feeling strengthened by having finally gotten to Hermione, she headed towards the door and wasted no time in moving to the next room. What she saw frightened her, but Luna knew she couldn't interfere.
"Not Harry! Take me! I'll go in his place!"
Hermione was chained to an altar, moaning and screaming. Her eyes were wide as she stared at some unknown enemy. Bound by her ankles and wrists, she thrashed about bruising and cutting where the shackles held her. Luna cringed as the young girl shrieked his name, tears falling from both of their eyes.
The Mindscape: unconstructed mental space, imagination in its rawest form. A welcoming place when entered on your own but a hellish nightmare if forced here unwillingly.
Luna was no stranger here. She'd come here many a day in her younger years and knew full well what it was like to fight your own demons. She wrapped her arms around herself when Hermione let loose a blood curdling scream. Luna looked to her with sad eyes, knowing she was less than a ghost and unable to help this one.
Taking a breath, she steadied herself and squared her shoulders. To falter would risk falling down her own rabbit hole and saving two maidens was not a task she had in mind for Prince Harry. At best, she would have found the real Hermione right away. The one in which all others stemmed from but it was not to be. This particular shade was a memory, of that much Luna could see. A dream perhaps or a waking fear, she did not know and it would do no good to linger.
She started walking away from the shade, the screams fading with each passing step through the darkness. It was for several blessed moments the cries went silent, offering an eerie reprieve. All the more reason why Luna nearly jumped out of her skin when a soft voice echoed in her ear.
"Go away…" the owner moaned in defeat and Luna braced herself as the next shade appeared. She could make out the edges of a darkened room, barely visible despite the spotlight on a little brown haired girl at the center.
The young one was surrounded by a bunch of older boys, "Look, it's Four-Eyes! What's wrong, can't see?"
The boy who taunted her was somewhat chubby and taller than the younger Hermione. Tears stained her cheeks and she jumped up and down trying to reach a pair of glasses but she couldn't.
Luna was taken back, 'Hermione never mentioned needing glasses when she was younger.'
One of the other boys pushed her away and the little girl fell to the floor, crying.
Luna wanted to comfort her but the scene faded, only to be quickly replaced with a well lit Great Hall. Hermione stood in the middle of a ring of students and they appeared to be speaking to her, their voices mumbled. It was an odd parallel to the previous memory.
'Strange,' thought Luna. 'I wonder if'
"Confringo!"
Her jaw dropped as Hermione blasted them away. As they turned their wands against her, Hermione's spells became stronger and darker.
"How could you!" she shrieked, her eyes blazing. "What has he done to you? How could you not believe him!"
Luna shut her eyes as one of the students, a Hufflepuff if she remembered correctly, was hit in the leg with a Reducto. Somehow, it wasn't blown off and instead he was thrown back against the far wall. Not that the crunch was any better.
'She was never this violent in protecting him. Are her emotions that strong?''
Luna watched as Hermione meticulously cut down everyone, sparing not one student before the images flickered. Hermione looked stunned for a moment, her eyes glazing over, before the students reappeared in front of her, just like how it all started.
"How could you!" she shrieked, eyes blazing in rage. "What has he done to you? How could you not believe him!"
The scene replayed itself, over and over.
'A darker side to Love, pushed too far, too fast. Oh Hermione, what has happened to you?'
The doors to the Great Hall opened, although no one paid them any heed. Luna knew this was her moment to leave and so found herself in another dimly lit room. Hermione sat in the middle, her position mimicking the outside world. There was a faint glow covering her body as wisps of shadow danced around her.
"You cannot win, you know. He will die in time."
Hermione's breathing was labored, sweat pouring off her face.
"Why do you persist? No one will help you in here. I own you now."
The Gryffindor snarled and opened her eyes, "You bloody hell donot! This is my mind, Voldemort!"
The room flashed and the shadows were pushed away, crying out in rage. They flew faster around her until the room darkened again and the creatures drew close once more.
"You will never stop this cycle! I will break you!"
The shadows coalesced into one, creating a dark shadow of Harry.
"I hate you, you bookworm! You said nothing to me after I risked everything to save you! You left without saying goodbye!"
She grit her teeth and growled, "Lies! I did it because I knew something wasn't right! Get out of my head!"
The ghost of the Dark Lord laughed, "There is nothing I cannot posses, child. Already your mind is succumbing to the anger, the vengeance. I can give you power, a strength to destroy those fools who would slander your beloved. Never again would you feel hopeless and insignificant when aiding him. You could be worthy of his love..."
Hermione quivered, "No. No, that's not right."
"Leave shade," growled Luna. "You do not belong here."
Hermione's eyes snapped open and her head spun around, "Is someone there? Hello?"
Voldemort however looked directly at Luna.
"She is mine, intruder! You have no power here, be gone!"
Luna felt herself getting pushed forcefully away and she summoned her own magic, digging her heels into the floor.
"Don't listen to him, Hermione! This is your mind, cast him out!"
"I'm try-argh!"
Voldemort turned back and put more pressure on her, "Harry Potter is dead. Your inactions have led to this!"
The force against Luna grew stronger as false images of the past appeared before them. A basilisk swallowing Harry whole, followed by a Dementor sucking out his soul; a dragon crushing him in the First Task and then Voldemort's rebirth, where the Dark Lord used the Boy-Who-Lived as a gateway.
Hermione cried and screamed through them all but her eyes still held a defiant glint.
Luna pushed hard, "It's not real, Hermione! It's not real!"
"I won't give in, I. He… Harry will come; I know he will! Vo-Voldemort… Get… Get OUT!"
The Dark Lord hissed angrily and went on the defensive, shielding himself from Hermione's mental barrage but she couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Luna too was caught and struggled to keep her footing but Voldemort was quicker.
He smiled when Luna's hold faltered, "As I said, be gone."
What felt like a wall slammed into Luna and she was thrown from Hermione's mind. The force was so great she tumbled back from her position and conked her head on the wall behind her. The last thing Luna saw before falling unconscious was Hermione gritting her teeth as pent up magic around her released more sparks.
XX
Xeno swished a reddish liquid around in a small vial and took the tiniest of sips. He sighed, capping it and held it up to eye level.
'Not much left. I'd hate to leave her so soon, especially when'
The clock in the kitchen chimed on the hour, causing Xeno to frown. He placed the vial back into a cabinet with other potions and looked wearily in the clock's direction.
"8 A.M." he mumbled. "Marcus is expecting me and I can't delay any longer." He had hoped Harry would show sometime in the late evening yesterday or first thing this morning though clearly, neither would be the case. As he was scribbling a note, the fireplace roared green and out came the one he was waiting for.
"Mr. Lovegood?"
Xeno was relieved, "I'm very happy to see you Harry and it's Xeno from here on. By this point we mustn't dawdle, I'm certain the girls are in need of help."
XX