HARRY POTTER AND ICE CREAM DELIGHTS12-16-08
Author: Luckner
Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER 12: HERMIONE CRAFTS A SPELL
After the first few hectic days, life at school returned to a normal routine; well at least as normal as a magical school could hope to be. Students would go to class and return, fill the library and common rooms each evening for homework, and talk endlessly about the upcoming Quidditch season. But in a very real sense, normality was a forgotten dream to the students of Hogwarts. The attack upon the Hogwarts Express was still fresh and raw in everyone's mind, and barely a night passed when one or more of the younger students didn't wake up screaming from some horrific nightmare. Older students were more on edge as well, having accepted the fact that He-who-must-not-be-named had indeed returned.
Also weighing heavily on everyone's mind were the prophetic words spoken by the Sorting Hat on the night of the Arrival Feast. The thought that the fate of their entire world rested in the hands of teens no older than themselves was almost incomprehensible, and caused most students a great deal of fear and apprehension. The prophetic words also separated Harry and his friends even more from their fellow students, who now viewed them with something approaching awe.
But in spite of all of this, for Harry Potter the new school year had started with more promise than any that had preceded it, and he was determined not to give up the positive feelings. His friends had rallied around him and together they had handed Voldemort several crushing defeats. Most important of all he had Luna, a person who seemed to understand him completely and made he feel happy and secure.
The two young teens would go for long walks along the shore of the Black Lake each afternoon, sometimes not returning until long after dark. Then they would then slip down to the kitchens for a private supper by the fire, and often not return to their common rooms until after curfew. Hermione in particular was concerned about this, feeling that the two were neglecting their studies; but she knew better than to say anything. It was a new experience for both teens to have someone so special in their lives, and they both reveled in the experience.
The last Friday of September was unusually warm and sunny, but for those attuned to the signs of nature there were indications of an early and severe Scottish winter. The students of Hogwarts realized that this might be their last chance to experience summer-like weather for a long time, and after the last class of the day most of them made their way outside to enjoy it. Ron Weasley saw it as a perfect opportunity to get in some Quidditch practice before their first game of the season against Ravenclaw, and he went in search of the other members of his team. He found Harry and Ginny deeply involved in a conversation with Hermione and Luna near the stone Griffin fountain in the castle courtyard.
"How about a little Quidditch practice, mate; we play Ravenclaw in two weeks you know?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Sorry Ron, Luna and I have something more important to do right now," Harry answered and taking Luna's hand he led her in the direction of the lake.
'More important than Quidditch?' Ron asked himself in shock. Had his best friend totally lost his mind? Looking at Hermione he shook his head in disbelief. "Well there they go again; what in the world can they be doing every afternoon?" He asked in wonder.
"You really are thick, aren't you?" Ginny asked her brother with a look of complete amazement on her face.
- o -
Throughout the month of September, Remus Lupin worked diligently with his advanced Defense Class, teaching them a variety of offensive and defensive spells. He was very pleased with the training that Harry had given his fellow students the previous year, and actively solicited the young man's help in demonstrating new material to the class. The raven-haired boy found that he really liked teaching, and enjoyed the interaction with his classmates and the sense of accomplishment when one mastered a particularly difficult spell.
But while Lupin was pleased with the proficiency level demonstrated by most of his students, he couldn't say that for Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. The two Slytherins trailed the rest of the class in spell knowledge and their ability to execute them, and stubbornly resisted Lupin's every attempt to help them. It seemed that the two regarded learning anything from a werewolf as somehow beneath them. Draco had already achieved a record numbers of detentions for the month of September, and seemed determined to exceed his record in October. But with the start of that month Professor Lupin decided that he could no longer delay the introduction of his next class component, and announced that actual dueling practice would start immediately.
The autumn weather was still quite nice, and it was decided to hold the first dueling practice on the shores of the Black Lake, where Lupin had laid out a training court. Harry was a bit disappointed to learn that dueling pairs would be selected by drawing lots, rather than individual choice. He always liked to train with Luna, as her unconventional style really kept him on his toes. But Professor Lupin correctly pointed out that when people trained against a single opponent they were likely to become rather one dimensional in their approach to dueling; although that really couldn't be said for Luna, who loved to try new and different tactics.
Harry was still trying to figure out how, in their last practice, Luna had managed to create multiple shadow images of herself. After his initial shock he had managed to dissipate two of the images before the real Luna hit him with a light stunner to win the match. Another time she had charmed a bush to snatch the wand out of his hand, and he had been wary of shrubbery ever since. The creativity she exhibited with her spells never ceased to amaze him, and it had forced him to be more creative as well.
The day of the first competition arrived and everyone was hoping to give a good account of themselves. Professor Flitwick, who had been expert duelist in his younger days, agreed to serve as referee for the matches. Wooden bleachers had been transfigured beside the dueling court, and everyone eagerly took their seats as they awaited the first match. A surprising number of students from other years had turned up to watch as well, in spite of the fact that most of them should have been attending other classes at the time.
The first pair to be called was Harry Potter and Seamus Finnegan. As the two walked up to the starting line Harry could see that Seamus already had a defeated look on his face, and wondered if there wasn't something he could do to encourage his friend. Professor Flitwick explained the rules of the match, and then signaled for them to begin.
Harry immediately threw up a shield charm to counter the quick stunning spell that Seamus had cast, deflecting it harmlessly towards the lake. Seamus followed as quickly as he could with an Expelliarmus and two more stunners. The raven-haired boy dodged some of the spells, blocked others using various shields, and generally made it look like he was really having difficulty resisting Seamus' attack. Luna was watching him closely from the stands, and knew full well that he was putting on an act for the other boy's benefit. Finally after allowing the other boy to save his reputation, Harry landed a mild stunning spell that knocked the boy off his feet. He followed it up quickly by summoning the other boy's wand into his hand.
"Match to Potter," Professor Flitwick squeaked out as he named the winner.
"Good match, Seamus," Harry declared as he helped the other boy to his feet and returned his wand.
"You too Harry, and thanks," Seamus replied gratefully.
"For what?" Harry replied innocently.
"You know 'for what;' you could have taken me down with your first spell," Seamus said with certainty.
"That's not true; you've gotten a lot better with your spells," Harry said sincerely.
"Well thanks anyway," Seamus said, feeling much better about himself.
"That was so nice of you," Luna said sincerely as Harry took a seat next to her. The boy knew better than to deny his actions because his girlfriend knew him far too well, so he simply shrugged his shoulders modestly and laced his fingers with hers while they waited for the next match to begin.
The next pair was Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, and the young Slytherin was really looking forward to some sweet revenge. He had told Pansy that he wanted to get Looney; but secretly he was concerned that he might not be able to beat her; but against the Mudblood Grainger he had no doubt.
As Professor Lupin called the two teens forward, Hermione received wishes of good luck from all of her friends. Harry and Luna had their wands out and ready just in case Draco tried to break the rules. The young Slytherin strutted up to the starting line with a look of supreme confidence, while on Hermione's face was only grim determination.
"On the count of three you may both cast your spells," Professor Flitwick said as he prepared to start the duel. "One…two…," but before Flitwick could say three Draco beat the signal and sent a powerful stunner at Hermione.
Hermione had expected nothing less from the sneaky Slytherin, and was ready with her shield the second she saw movement by Draco's wand hand. The Stunning Spell was deflected harmlessly away, and she quickly responded by calling out "Accio wand!" Draco stumbled forward as the wand was ripped from his fingers; it soared through the air and into the outstretched hand of his opponent. She then followed up with the Aguamenti Spell, which released a powerful jet of water from her wand. Draco tried to evade the stream of water by running to his right, but the water struck him in mid-stride. Caught off balance Draco spun awkwardly backwards and tumbled over the back and into the lake. The class descended into riotous laughter as the boy emerged from the water covered in mud and lake weed.
"Match to Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick declared proudly.
"That's not fair!" Draco declared angrily. "You can't use a water spell in a duel."
"Oh on the contrary, Mr. Malfoy. You can use any spell you wish in a duel, and Miss Granger used it most effectively," Professor Flitwick declared knowingly.
"And you and I can discuss it tonight during your detention for trying to beat the starting count; and also, Slytherin just lost another ten points," Lupin said with a smirk.
As a sullen Draco Malfoy walked towards Pansy Parkinson he gave Hermione a look of pure hatred. 'If only I could have used the spells I wanted; but she'll get hers yet,' he thought angrily.
By far the best and most entertaining duel of the day was the one between Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottem, as Harry knew that it would be. Neville had more power, but Luna knew more spells was more imaginative with her strategy.
The two friends wished each other luck and took their places at the starting lines. Cho Chang and some of the other seventh-year Ravenclaw girls had come down to the lake to watch the competition, and they were quick to discount the younger girl's chances against the older boy.
Harry overheard their remarks and shook his head is disbelief, 'how can they be so stupid and still be in Ravenclaw,' he wondered.
The second that Lupin gave the signal to begin, Luna stooped low and swept her wand over the grass in front of her calling out "Engorgio!" Then she stepped quickly to the side in time to avoid the Stunning Spell that Neville had fired off a second before. Before Neville could throw another spell the grass concealed his target as it shot upwards. Soon the entire dueling court was obscured in a jungle-like growth, concealing both contestants from view.
"Good one, Luna," the audience heard the voice of Neville coming from somewhere inside the floral mass, which was now covered with red and pink flowers.
"Thanks Neville," she responded, also concealed from the view of the onlookers.
A second later the jungle vanished as Neville succeeded in banishing the choking vegetation. He was surprised when he found himself confronted by five Luna Lovegoods arranged in a crescent in front of him. Harry recognized that Luna was using the same 'shadow-image' tactic against Neville that she had used against him, and he resolved to have her show him the spell. All five figures started firing stunners at Neville and the boy did the only thing that he could: he threw up a full body shield and took cover behind it.
Realizing that this was going to be no conventional duel, Neville took a page out of Luna's book and did the unexpected. Lowering his wand to ground level he whispered a charm and a thick fog began to issue forth, quickly obscuring the entire court. Then stepping out from behind his shield he shot several stunners into the fog, centering them on the locations where the various Lunas' had been standing.
Luna had taken advantage of the fog to shift her position, and quickly conjured up a strong breeze that blew the fog away. Neville had to dive to the side to avoid a pink twisting spell that she had sent his way. And so the duel continued with neither combatant able to gain an advantage over the other. The audience was amazed as they watched the two students use one unexpected spell after another; including spells that created torrents of rain, blazing fire and gusting winds. Finally after fifteen minutes Professor Lupin reluctantly called the match a draw.
"I'm really sorry to end this duel, but the class is running out of time. I do want to say however that this was one of the most interesting duels that I've ever witnessed. Ten points each to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and well done to both of you." Lupin declared with a wide smile. The rest of the class erupted in applause as the two combatants met in the center of the court to shake hands and congratulate each other on a fine match.
- o -
After a quick lunch, and before their first afternoon class, Harry and his friends took a walk out into the bright courtyard of the castle. The autumn weather was warm and sunny and the winter seemed far away. Apparently other students felt the same way, for many enjoying the warm sunlight as well.
Suddenly Draco Malfoy came stalking across the courtyard toward the teens, with Pansy and his two thugs trailing behind. He had a look of absolute hatred on his face, and it was directed at Hermione Granger. Completely ignoring Harry Potter the boy walked directly up to Hermione, stopping just inches from her.
"You think you're so smart, don't you Granger. You think you made me look like a fool today…" Draco began.
"I think you took care of that yourself, Malfoy," Ron declared with a smirk.
"Shut up Weaselbe, I'm not talking to you."
"Well if you hadn't tried to beat the count I wouldn't have used that spell…" Hermione began, trying to explain.
"How dare you speak to me you filthy Mudblood…." But before the boy could say another word he disappeared from sight, leaving only a pile of robes behind.
Professor McGonagall, who had been hurrying in their direction in order to prevent a more serious confrontation, stopped short when the boy suddenly vanished. None of the teens had a wand out so she couldn't believe that they could be the ones responsible, but he was gone nevertheless.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, looking at Harry and Ron fiercely. She wasn't honestly sure if the boys had any involvement in the disappearance of the young Slytherin, but she had to start somewhere. But as she watched them stare down at the rumpled pile of clothing she realized that they were as confused as she was.
Before McGonagall could ask another question, the pile began to tremble and a tiny nose began to wiggle its way out. Soon a platinum-colored hedgehog emerged from its cocoon and began to scamper away in terror, and the teacher's attention was diverted to the tiny creature as it tried to make its escape.
"Catch that student…err, hedgehog," McGonagall ordered as she began to chase the frightened creature. The other students, not knowing what was going on, thought it was some kind of game, and began to chase the terrified animal as well. The hedgehog, with remarkable speed for one so small, began to dodge in and around the thundering feet that threatened to trample it.
Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, grinned, and joined in the chase. Neither boy really liked Draco, who constantly ridiculed them, but their fathers had forced them to act as his bodyguards. But this opportunity was just too good to miss, and they rushed forward to join in with the fun.
But while Minerva McGonagall and two dozen students were pursuing the frightened blond rodent, Hermione Granger was hugging her friend Luna Lovegood.
"It worked, Luna. It really worked," she cried as she hugged her friend tightly.
"What have you two been up to?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"That was the first spell that I ever crafted; with a lot of help from Luna," Hermione said proudly. At that moment the hedgehog (a.k.a. Draco) scurried between Pansy's legs and fled in the opposite direction, causing a near disaster as the pursuing students tried to wheel about quickly in quest of their prey. Seamus Finnegan and Hannah Abbott collided with each other and tumbled to the grass laughing and out of breath, while Dean Thomas was forced to make a suicide dive to the side in order to avoid knocking down Professor McGonagall.
"I'm getting in on the fun," Ginny declared with glee as she and Neville ran off laughing to join in the chase.
"You made that spell?" Ron asked incredulously. "But you didn't have your wand out!"
"I didn't need my wand, the magic came from Draco's own wand," Hermione replied proudly.
"How can you do that?" A voice asked in amazement, and everyone turned to see Fred Weasley and Susan Bones with large grins on their faces.
"Luna showed me how to craft a spell with all the elements that I needed and then I cast it on Draco like a charm. It lies dormant on the subject until it's triggered by a word or an action, and then it pulls the magic from the person's own wand," Hermione said as she tried to explain the complicated process.
"That's incredible, how was it triggered?" Fred asked, as the teens crowded around Hermione with interest.
"Luna showed me how to use a word trigger," she answered.
"What was the word?" Ron asked.
"Uh…well, Mudblood," Hermione answered, a frown coming to her face.
"Hermione, that's brilliant," Harry declared in admiration, as he watched the smile return to her face.
"But why didn't you turn him into a white ferret, like the fake Moody did?" Ron asked.
"Well we discovered that the charm to transfigure someone into a ferret is very similar to one that would change him into a white rhinoceros, and we didn't want to have an accident," Luna said dreamily as she spoke up for the first time.
"Good thinking, Luna," Harry declared as he imagined the chaos that could be caused by an angry white rhinoceros charging around the courtyard.
"Hedgehogs are rather easy so I thought I'd better play it safe for my first try," Hermione explained shyly.
It had taken almost five minutes, but the students finally succeeded in boxing the hedgehog into a corner of the castle wall. At that same moment the spell ran its course and the hedgehog changed back into the form of a boy, minus his clothing of course. The courtyard erupted into gales of laughter at the sight of Draco Malfoy on his hands and knees. Professor McGonagall quickly threw up an obscuring charm to save the boy from further embarrassment, but the damage was already done. Hermione quickly averted her eyes when she saw the boy's condition, and a touch of pink appeared on her cheeks.
"I didn't think about that," Hermione said in embarrassment.
"But that's the best part," Fred declared, unable to control his laughter.
"Yah, it's a shame it's all over," Ron added with a grin.
"Actually its not; every time he uses that word, or someone uses it speaking to him, he will transform again," Luna said with a grin.
"What?" Harry asked in astonishment.
"Well the spell is permanent. Any time he uses that word he will be changed into a hedgehog," Luna said dreamily, as more laughter erupted from the group.
"Would you two ladies be interested in joining a growing wizard business? Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes will pay you two hundred Galleons per spell and ten, no twenty percent of the sales," Fred declared eagerly.
"Two hundred Galleons?" Ron asked in amazement.
"Absolutely, Spellcrafters as good as these two are in high demand. I want them working for us before someone else snaps them up," Fred answered honestly.
Hermione and Luna look at each other slyly for a few seconds, and seemed to be having some kind of a non-verbal conversation; then in one voice they both declared: "Yes!"
"Partners?" Hermione asked extending her hand.
"Partners!" Luna declared and shook it.
By dinner in the Great Hall the incident was the only thing that students could talk about. Fred Weasley, being a marketing genius, immediately got out flyers announcing the debut of the newest product from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes: "Hedgehog Hilarity." He was quickly deluged with pre-orders for their newest prank, and questions about what other animals they could do. It was no surprise to anyone that Draco Malfoy missed dinner that night; in fact he avoided large concentrations of his fellow students for several days thereafter.
- o -
But while Harry and his friends were enjoying magical pranks and the pleasure of each others company, the rest of the wizarding world was not doing so well. A week after the incident in the courtyard Professor Dumbledore entered Harry's Advanced Charms class, a grave look on his face. He asked Professor Flitwick if Justin Finch-Fletchley could accompany him to his office, and Harry immediately got a bad feeling.
By lunch time the word had leaked out that Justin's home had been attacked by Death Eaters, and that both of his parents had been killed. As muggles they didn't even have a chance to escape, which was one of the reasons that they were probably targeted. Justin had been sent to the home of his Grandmother so he could attend the funeral and help console his younger sister who had fortunately been away at the time of the attack.
Harry's first inclination was to somehow take the blame on himself, but Luna stubbornly refused to allow it. She finally grabbed him by the shoulders and focused his eyes onto her own.
"This is not your fault Harry; this has nothing to do with you. Justin is muggle-born and the Death Eaters have always hated muggle-born witches and wizards," she said firmly as she refused to allow him to sink into depression.
"Luna's right; they were targets because of who their son was, just as my parents will be targeted," Hermione declared, fear evident in her voice.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't think," Harry said sincerely.
"I have to talk to Professor Dumbledore," she responded urgently, and rushed out of the Great Hall, her friends close behind. When she reached the gargoyle guarding the stairs to the Headmaster's office she realized with frustration that she didn't know the password.
"Just open!" She shouted at the stone figure, not prepared to waste a second guessing at candy passwords.
The gargoyle suddenly jumped to the side to reveal the hidden staircase. Ron and Harry looked at Hermione in amazement, when suddenly Professor McGonagall appeared on the descending stairs and saw them waiting.
"Yes Miss Granger?" The stern head of Gryffindor House asked, observing that Hermione was leading the party.
"I need to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione declared, urgency evident in her voice.
"I'm afraid that he's quite busy today, I'm afraid that you'll have to speak to him at another time," McGonagall said dismissively.
"No, I need to speak to him now," Hermione declared, leaving no room for debate.
"Miss Granger, I explained that the Headmaster is occupied at this time," Professor McGonagall declared firmly, trying to control her surprise at the defiant attitude displayed by her favorite student. Harry and Ron were listening in disbelief as their friend contradicted the formidable teacher.
"This is a matter of life and death, and I'm not leaving until I speak to him," Hermione declared stubbornly.
McGonagall's surprise had now turned to shock, but she realized that the normally polite girl must have an urgent reason for her defiant attitude.
"Very well Miss Granger, but I do hope that this is important." And with that the head of Gryffindor House turned around and led the four teens up the stairs.
"Miss Granger, how nice it is to see you. To what do I owe this visit?" Dumbledore asked cordially as Hermione led her friends into the office.
"I want to know what is being done to protect the families of muggle-born witches and wizards?" She demanded.
"I see that you've heard the sad news about Mr. Finch-Fletchley's family. To answer your question, we are immediately establishing first-degree wards around the homes of all our muggle-born students…" Dumbledore began.
"But that's not enough, even an incompetent wizard can get through first-degree wards," Hermione declared in outrage.
"You didn't allow me to finish, Miss Granger," Dumbledore resumed patently. "The first-degree wards are just a temporary measure that can be established quickly. We will begin upgrading to more advanced systems as soon as everyone has basic wards installed. In addition to the wards we have provided an emergency portkey which can be activated by muggles and which will take them to a safe house in case of trouble."
Placated by his words Hermione continued more calmly. "And my family?" She asked in a more controlled voice.
Because of your close friendship with Mr. Potter, and your high academic standing in the school, I myself set up the wards on your parent's home and business some time ago. They are fully as strong as the wards protecting the Weasley home," Dumbledore concluded.
Hermione breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for bursting in on you Professor Dumbledore, I was just so frightened about what might happen," she said.
"I quite understand Miss Granger. But please believe me when I tell you that we care very much for the safety of our students and their parents," Dumbledore said sincerely.
It was a much calmer Hermione Granger who entered her first afternoon class a few minutes later.
- o -
When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room that evening he was immediately stopped by Seamus Finnegan, who was very concerned about the news that he was hearing.
"Harry, I know that Professor Lupin is giving you and some of your friends' special advanced defense training. I want in!" He declared in a determined voice.
Seamus had been a strong member of the DA the previous year, but Harry wasn't certain that he was ready to attempt the type of advanced spells that Professor Lupin was teaching, so he suggested that he speak to Lupin directly.
The next morning at breakfast Hannah Abbott and Parvati Patil asked Harry the exact same thing, and received the same response.
At the conclusion of Defense class that day, after Draco and Pansy had left the room, the rest of the class remained behind to speak to Professor Lupin in private.
"I'm afraid that most of you are not yet advanced enough for those types of lessons, but I'll be in the Room of Requirement from six to eight o'clock on Tuesday and Thursday nights to help anyone who wants more exposure to advanced defense training," Lupin said with a smile. Needless to say the room was crowded on those nights as the former members of the DA prepared themselves for the war that was already upon them.
- o -
Two days later Harry and Luna were walking down to the lake after class late one afternoon, hoping to enjoy the sunset together, when they encountered a smirking Draco Malfoy. The boy approached them with a confident attitude in spite of the fact that his two burly bodyguards were nowhere to be seen.
"How does it feel to know that others are dying instead of you, Potter? And there's nothing that you can do about it," Draco spat out with contempt.
Harry's features clouded as his anger rose, but before he could say anything Luna stepped in front of him. She stared up at the young Slytherin with a look of both sadness and pity, and then she spoke the last word that Draco expected to hear.
"Mudblood," she said sadly.
A few seconds later she bent over and picked up the pile of loose robes that lay heaped on the ground, which she then carefully folded and placed on a nearby rock. As she glanced back towards the castle she could just make out the small platinum-colored animal as it scurried up the path. Then she took Harry's arm and they resumed their walk.
They settled under a large willow tree whose draping branches formed a natural curtain around the two. The waters of the lake were cold and grey and a north wind created small whitecaps that raced across its surface; a sure indication that winter was near at hand.
Harry hadn't said a word since their encounter with Draco a few minutes before, and Luna could tell that Malfoy's words had affected Harry deeply.
The young girl took a deep breath and began to speak, choosing each word with great care. "Harry, have I ever told you why you're the type of person that a girl like me would want to spend the rest of her life with?"
It took just a moment for Luna's words to sink in, and then he looked at her in absolute shock.
"Wh…What did you say?" Harry asked, doubting that he could have understood her correctly.
"I said: 'Have I ever told you why you're the type of boy that a girl like me could want to spend the rest of her life with?" She replied with a dreamy voice which barely concealed the fear that she was feeling.
"Ah…ah…no," Harry managed to say with a great deal of difficulty. His brain seemed to have frozen temporarily as he considered the words that Luna had chosen, and it seemed to have affected his ability to speak as well.
"It's because you care about people and you fight for them; even those you barely know. That's a very rare thing, Harry. That's why I like you so much," she replied sincerely.
He stared at her in embarrassment for several long moments, as his brain processed the words that she had chosen. A life partner was something that few sixteen-year-old boys would ever think about, or ever want to think about. She had taken a huge risk being so bold, and Harry realized that his reply at this moment might be the most important words of his entire life. Thoughts of Malfoy, Voldemort and the war were completely forgotten and instead they turned to how wonderful the past few months had been. He realized that it was all because of Luna. She was always there for him, and she always tried to make him feel better. Slowly a smile appeared on his face, and the words that he feared came easily.
"Luna, do you know why you're the kind of girl that I could spend the rest of my life with?" He asked with a very Dumbledore-like twinkle in his eyes.
A sincere smile appeared on her face and she shook her head slightly, causing her long hair to fly about. She feared that even a single word on her part might break the spell of the moment.
"Because no matter how bad things get you always make me feel better. You always make me smile and you always make me laugh, and I can't think of anything better than spending the rest of my life with you," Harry declared with a boldness that matched her own. And as his defenses fell he felt more and more confidence in his words. As he took her in his arms and looked into her clear, silver eyes he realized how truly beautiful she was. No pledges or proposals were exchanged, but the two had reached a much deeper understanding of what they meant to each other. The kisses that they shared that night were different from those that they had exchanged before, and it was after midnight when the two returned to the castle.
From the shadows an old man watched the two teens as they passed, holding hands and wrapped up in their own special magic. In his so long life Dumbledore had occasionally known people who were absolutely destined to be together, and in these teens he realized that he was seeing two of those very rare people. 'Ah, to be young again,' he thought wistfully as he continued his journey down to the kitchen for some of Dobby's excellent hot chocolate.
After that day their friends noticed a change in the two teens; they seemed to have an even greater commitment to each other. If they were lucky it would be a commitment that would last them for the rest of their lives; and Harry and Luna were feeling lucky.
