Here it is! The eighth tape!
For anyone who didn't read the last chapter, here's a recap: When Luna was in her first year, Lockhart raped her. She has been holding this secret to herself for six years.
This is depressing. There are only six tapes left. Damn it!
Oh, by the way, I know the guy on this tape is dead, but this is an AU, where I was forced to make a lot of my favorite characters (Snape, Hermione, Draco...) total jerkfaces to Luna, so, I'm making it a little more AU and bringing him back to life.
I'm not J.K. Rowling. Unfortunately.
Oh, by the way, should I make Harry meet someone else? Or should I just end the story with my special epilogue? (Oooh, suspense.)
Enjoy!
"As you all know, I've had quite a unique cast of characters in my year. Ginny Weasley, Millicent Bullstrode, and, the center of this tape.
"So, how goes it, Collin Creevey?"
Collin Creevey. Harry's stalker in his second year. Everyone had assumed he was killed in the Battle of Hogwarts, but he'd later been found in the Forbidden Forest, injured, but alive.
"Collin Creevey. I never colored him as the type of guy who might end up on these tapes. He was nice, and he was Muggleborn, and he liked cameras. Yes, he obsessively stalked Harry during our first year, but for the most part, I liked him.
"That changed after that night with Lockhart.
"There I was. Crying, limping, blood staining my legs, torn blouse, red face, tangled hair. I tried to stay strong, I really did. But I was eleven, and I'd just been raped.
"As I limped up the stairs, trying to get to the Ravenclaw common room before someone found me, I suddenly lost it and curled up in a ball on the floor. I hugged my knees to my chest, sobbing.
"Suddenly, I heard it.
"A click.
"Growing up in a wizarding house hold, I didn't know what a camera was. Even with Collin's nonstop photography, I didn't know to think of cameras when I first heard the click.
"At first, I thought it was my imagination. But then I heard it one more time. Then two.
"I'm going to narrate the best I can what I think was going through your mind.
"I think that you were creeping the corridors, trying to find something to photograph, when you found me curled up in a ball, disheveled, blood staining my legs, and basically an emotional wreck.
"Any normal student would have come and comforted me. But you're not normal, are you, Collin? You'd do anything for a good picture, even when it's at an extremely inappropriate time. And this time was no exception.
"So you took a few pictures, click, click, click. And nothing came out of it. You didn't show them around, or report them to Professor Dumbledore. You just...kept them.
"That is, until later, when we were in our sixth year.
"A week after The Padma Incident, I came to the Great Hall to find people everywhere huddled together, whispering about something. Being a die-hard Quibbler subscriber, I don't get The Daily Prophet, and therefore thought there was a mass breakout in Azkaban or something of the sort.
"This went on until my fourth class of the day, Transfiguration. I sat in my chair, reached into my bag for my textbook, and opened the book. A photograph fell out.
"Anyone want to guess what photo that was?"
II
Harry hit the pause button violently, feeling nauseous. Collin Creevey had taken a picture of Luna, and, rather than turn it in to a faculty member, chose to expose it at Luna's lowest point.
"It's-it's-" Harry spat.
"I know, mate." Ron said. "When I first heard these tapes, I wanted to punch the wall. I never thought anyone could be that cruel, mate. But I was wrong." He looked at the tape recorder, "We were all wrong."
"I-I can't stand to listen to this anymore." Harry said, standing up.
Ron put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down on his chair. "You have to, mate." He said, "It's awful, and it's horrifying, and you'll probably need years of emotional therapy, but you have to listen to these. For Luna."
And with that, he pressed play.
I
"That's right. There was the photo of me, in first year, pretty much having an emotional breakdown. The blood staining my legs and socks was visible, as was my torn blouse and tangled hair. It was pretty clear what I'd been doing.
"The caption read, "Luna Lovegood has been a slut since first year!" I stared at it and stared at it. I was caught between the desire to have another emotional breakdown and the desire to hunt down Collin Creevey and disembowl him.
"Collin, you're on this list for three reasons. Number one, because you kept that picture for six years. Because, you should have seen me and immediately known that I had been raped, or else that something awful had just happened. You should have given that picture to Professor Dumbledore, who surely would have gotten rid of Lockhart, and let my father know, which would have let him sign me up for the therapy that I no doubt needed after the horrifying experience.
"Number two, because you took the picture in the first place. Collin, honey, some life advice: if you find an eleven year old girl curled up in a ball, crying, don't take a picture. Comfort her.
"And, number three, that you let the picture go public. That, at the lowest point in my life, you took a picture that you knew you should have turned in and let it ruin my reputation even more.
"And there you have it. I hope that picture was worth it, Collin. Next time you take a picture at an extremely inappropriate time, remember these tapes, will you?"
The tape stopped. Harry ripped it out of the player and shoved it back into the box. All of the tears he'd been holding back since Luna's death spilled out. Ron pulled him into a hug.
"I know, mate." Ron said. "I know."
Harry rubbed his eyes. "I'm getting off topic." He said, "We need to listen to the rest of these tapes."
He got up, got out the next tape, this one with an illustration of a gold circle with a red slash through it on it, and put it into the recorder. Then, he pressed play.
OOOOOOOOOOOH! Suspense! Drama!
I don't expect anyone to guess what the next one is. It's kind of a hard one. I'll give you a hint: the gold circle is a galleon.
Peace out.
-Lesmislover88