Now number 2, enjoy


Through the Looking Glass Chapter 2: Magicing Morph

(Characters featured prominently: Harry Potter, Luna Swann (formerly Lovegood), Hermione Bay (formerly Granger), Xenophilius Lovegood, Pandora Celeste McGregor, Filius Flitwick)

(After first DA meeting, before Potions lessons with Snape)


"Well, that is one way of learning it," Professor Flitwick answered, shortly after their first Charms lesson. Flitwick had asked them to stay behind so they could talk with him about how they had mastered their Patroni at such a young age. Knowing he was mostly responsible for it, Harry had done most of the talking.

"Yes, but not recommended for everyone. Not many people share my Dementor Boggart," Harry said knowingly. It wasn't hard to remember that Ron's Boggart these days was Aragog. "But if you need me for it, I won't mind being near another Boggart. I can handle it these days."

"No, no," Flitwick reassured. "Students haven't seen a Boggart here in years. Professor Kettleburn makes a regular sweep of the castle for them once every week, and he tends to throw them out before anyone can use them. Unless Dumbledore or the DADA teacher of the year needs one for a lesson, that is, but few are competent enough to actually use one."

Harry nodded. "Alright. If that's all, Sir, we have Quidditch tryouts in a few hours, and I'd like to practice a bit more."

Flitwick smiled. "Yes, of course. Good luck, Mr. Potter. Given your brother's talent people will expect quite a bit of you on a broom."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said, and he and the others all rose, leaving the class. As soon as they were out, they split. Neville, Ron, and Ginny headed downstairs, heading for the Kitchens for a quick snack, while Luna and Hermione headed for the Library. Hermione had been approached by a seventh year for help in charms during the lunch break, who figured that since Hermione had mastered the Patronus she had to be very good at it. Hermione didn't have the heart to decline, and Luna had invited herself along.

Harry had a brief moment of indecision: he was a bit hungry, but the woman who'd asked for their help had looked quite a bit like Luna, and Harry wanted to keep his promise to her about helping her meet and become friends with her parents.

Luna's laughter down the hall settled the deal for him. With a slight trot, he jogged after them. Hermione looked a bit surprised Harry joined them, but Luna didn't seem to mind. Hermione was stopped from pointing it out, though, when the seventh year girl joined them.

"Hello, Hermione," the girl said. "I'm Pandora. We spoke at dinner, remember?"

So his suspicion had been true: this was Luna's mother. Luna immediately brightened up upon hearing it.

"A pleasure," Hermione answered. "These are Harry and Luna, two of my friends who are also very good at Charms."

"Hello," Harry greeted her, and Luna, whose smile almost split her face in half now, held out her hand for shaking.

"Nice to meet you," Luna greeted her after Pandora shook it, as the foursome walked to the Library, which Harry saw wasn't that far away now. "I've heard quite a bit of you. You're nice, friendly, and smell of Crumple-horned Snorkack babies."

To his surprise, instead of getting a brow of confusion, the seventh-year blushed. "Yes. Xeno says the same thing."

The foursome sat down at the nearest table, each of them getting out their charms books. To save the girl from further awkwardness, Harry asked her a question. "So what part of Charms do you have trouble with?"

The girl took to the distraction with open arms, for she smiled and turned towards him. "It's mostly the theoretical stuff," she answered. "Once I get the spell and the theory behind it, the casting comes as easy as breathing. But the theory just won't come to me."

"I have the same problem," a voice said behind him, and Harry turned to someone who could only be Luna's father Xenophilius. Like his future daughter his hair was long and quite dirty, though from the loving smile Pandora sent him she didn't seem to mind. He wore his Hogwarts uniform, but had enhanced it with cuffs that faded to a new colour every few seconds, and shoes so long a clown might wear them. He also wore the same distant look Luna often did, even though from the way his head was turned it was clear his focus was on the foursome. "Mind if I join you? I'm Xenophilius Lovegood. Call me Xeno."

"A pleasure, Xeno," Harry greeted him. "Meet Luna Swann and Hermione Bay, and I'm Harry Potter."

"I guessed as much," Xeno smiled. "Potters always had a distinctive look of messy hair and glasses. Anyway, might I join you? I'm afraid my Charms theoretical work is as bad as Dora's."

Harry nodded, suppressing his smirk at the nickname for Luna's mother. "Sure. Why not?"

Xeno smiled, and pulled up a fifth chair to sit between Luna and Pandora. Together with Hermione, Harry explained what he knew of Charms, as well as shortcuts on how to apply them. Luna occasionally provided her own piece of advice, but mostly she just worked beside them in silence, or brought up a diagram from the book to help explain something to Pandora and Xenophilius. The two seemed insistent on knowing and understanding the theory for Charms, both of them wanting to get their Charms NEWTs for their prospective jobs, but it didn't hamper any of them in the slightest. For once, Hermione's drive (Harry refused to call it an obsession) to know as much about a subject as she could came in handy, for she had read ahead into the sixth and seventh year books, and had at least a slight understanding of the years.

It was when they were finishing up later in the day, shortly before supper, when they finally spoke of something other than Charms. "I must thank you very much for this," Xeno said. "I think I might actually have a chance of passing the year now."

"I'm sure things will end up alright," Luna said. "And if not, you can always look for Magicing Morphs."

Xeno and Pandora's heads shot around to look at Luna wide-eyed, and Harry had to look away to grimace at how much in that moment from that angle Xeno's long hair resembled the future Lucius Malfoy's. That was not an association he wanted in his head.

"You believe in the existence of Magicing Morph's?!" Xeno asked excitedly.

"Of course!" Luna said, her voice starting to rise to the same enthusiastic level as Xeno's. "Their existence has been proven all around the world. For example, in Macchu Picchu-"

Harry fondly tuned them out for a moment, as they started to discuss the various sightings of the things. Instead, he observed the reactions of the others to their ramblings. As predicted, Hermione rolled her eyes in disbelief, and had already tuned them out as she started to pack. Pandora, on the other hand, looked extremely focused and contemplative at the two Lovegoods, desperately trying to follow the conversation Xeno was having with Luna.

Harry decided to help her out. It would only help the relationship between the two Lovegoods in the long run. "Can you tell me what a Magicing Morph really is? You mentioned them before, but I can't recall you telling me what they actually are."

Pandora shot him a relieved look, as the two Lovegoods turned to the others. "Of course," Luna apologised. "I forget not everyone knows of them sometimes. A Magicing Morph is a creature not everyone can discover. Like a Boggart it has no distinct shape, capable of morphing into anything at will."

"But unlike a Boggart," Xeno picked up where Luna left off, "A Magicing Morph changes into whatever it fancies at any given moment, rather than into whatever a person fears the most. It can change itself into a shoe, a spoon, a medal, a ball, anything really. And the outer skin texture can change as well, to feel the same like the object it changes into. That's why they're so hard to find."

"So they're like Metamorphmaguses, but only more powerful?" Pandora asked, to which the two Lovegoods nodded. "Then how can you be sure they exist?"

"They have a basic shape," Xeno explained. "My father Amadeus has seen them. A soft pink purple ball that seems like slime, about this big," Xeno held out his hands, showing they're half the diameter of a quaffle "They're very shy and benevolent creatures, but very friendly and loyal once you gain their trust... And quite the pranksters, too. Amadeus had an encounter with one that hid his boot and impersonated it, only to literally kick his arse and blow a raspberry at him, laughing as it raced off before he could get it. Of course, he found it hiding as part of his hair three weeks later, hence the modern theory they like to nest in it."

Pandora nodded along, very interested in what she was hearing, while Hermione simply walked on ahead in exasperation.

Harry listened with interest as well, though not as much as the three Lovegoods. It would be fun to encounter such a creature, but with all the stuff happening in his life he didn't plan to actively search for it.

So lost were Harry and the others in their respective activities, that none noticed a pink mass flying down from the ceiling, landing on Harry's hair so softly he didn't feel it, and it changed to appear and feel just like the surrounding messy raven hair.


(After the escape from Riddle Manor and waking up, before being released from the Hospital wing)

Harry sat quietly in his bed in the hospital wing, Luna sitting beside him with a book from Xeno. Later in the afternoon he'd be released by Madam Pomfrey. The curse Voldemort had hit him with had been lifted, and the aftereffects, aside from the voices, had been treated by Dorea and Pomfrey. Still, the latter insisted on keeping him here for most of the day for observation, before he could be released from the wing and attend classes; her argument that this was an unknown curse she had to observe the effects for wasn tell quite persuasive.

The end result, of course, was that he was bored. Neville and Amelia had already been released, and had in fact already attended classes. They, along with everyone else from the Gryffindor fifth years and most of the DA, came to visit as often as Pomfrey allowed, but it still left quite a few gaps in the day where no one was with him and he was bored. True, Hermione kept him up to date on homework assignments, Ron gave him new chocolate frog cards to start a new collection, and the Marauders regaled him by telling him of their pranks in a grandiose style, but it wasn't enough.

So he was pleasantly surprised that Luna, of all people, had stolen his map, invisibility cloak, and some of his books (including the Peverell Tome), and came to visit him in the middle of class while Pomfrey was away. They didn't do much: most of the time they just read together in silence from their respective books. But the fact that she offered him companionship when the others (including himself) didn't yet realise he needed it was greatly appreciated.

"Thanks, Luna," Harry said, taking some more of the soup Madam Pomfrey had delivered an hour earlier, which was almost untouched as Luna had revealed herself mere moments after the mediwitch had left. "For being there."

"You're welcome," Luna replied, not even looking up from her book. Yet her tone and the smile he saw let him know how much she truly meant that. "That's what friends are for, right? Sirius and the others visit Remus whenever he's down like that, too. Besides, you really... Do... Need..."

Luna suddenly trailed off, and looked up above Harry. He turned to look up as well.

And Harry felt something fall from the top of his head as he did, and he startled. Small, finger-sized bits of black hair were falling down, and Harry worried for a moment if he was suffering from premature baldness.

Then the chunks of hair morphed together into a pink slimy mess that floated in the air. A mess complete with wide white eyes with black pupils, a mouth that was slightly agape as it stared at them in fear at being discovered, and two... studs coming from its central mass that could be arms if Harry thought they had them. It hid a bit behind Harry's elbow

Luna gasped in awe. "A Magicing Morph?" she asked herself in disbelief. Harry, predicting the enthusiastic reaction that would follow, immediately cast multiple silencing charms to keep this from Madam Pomfrey.

She didn't disappoint. She shot up from her chair, ran to the middle of the wing, and did a jig of happiness as she danced down its length and back again.

"They're real! They're real! Magicing Morphs are real!" She chanted and laughed, as she danced all over the wing, barely avoiding knocking anything over. Harry considered it lucky no one else occupied the wing at this time.

He felt happy for her. For years she had been ridiculed for her belief in such creatures, something even Ron and Hermione had accidentally done when they'd first met her. It would be a moment of immense relief when such a creature finally proved itself to exist. Like a worldly weight suddenly falling off her shoulders.

The Morph, a bit encouraged by her laughter, slowly floated out of its hiding place, its face changing from fear to curiosity. It's eyes even enlarged themselves a bit, until they took up two-third of the body in order to observe the dancing girl.

The eyes glinted a bit in the candlelight of the wing, which drew the girl's attention back to the Morph. She still breathed excitedly, her chest heaving with it as she did, but she managed to calm herself enough that she approached it slowly.

"It's alright," she coaxed it. "We're not gonna hurt you. We're alright. Harry's alright too. Come on."

Slowly but surely, the creature floated out from its hiding place, until it floated in front of Luna. The girl took on a curious look, and the creature did likewise, mirroring her. This mirroring continued on for quite a while. As Luna tilted her head, so did the Morph. As Luna waved, so did one of the studs of the morph. Then, as curiosity overtook her, Luna drew her wand.

The creature took to observing it instead, its mouth agape as it let out a slight noise of awe (at least, Harry assumed it was awe), until in less than the blink of an eye, the creature change until instead of the pink mass, a wand identical to Luna's floated in mid-air. Well, almost identical. At the middle, two small circles with the creature's miniature eyes were still visible. But as it briefly closed them, they disappeared entirely, and the wand was a flawless copy. Harry briefly grasped it, and was surprised by how... wooden it still felt. True, Xeno had explained they could take on the same texture as the material they mimicked, but to actually feel it...

Curious to see if it could act as an actual copy, he waved his wand and whispered. "Expecto Patronum."

Indeed, a silver Stag emerged from the end of the wand, which pranced around the wing. The morph flew out of his hands, changing back into the pink mass at the same time, and let out noises and squeaks of excitement as it followed the Patronus around, before letting out a sigh of disappointment as it faded away after a few seconds.

Then, it floated towards Luna, landing contently on her shoulder, seemingly sensing that Luna meant no harm to it.

Harry smiled, as he saw Luna and the thing bond instantly. Luna cooed over it and petted it over the head, and it let out sighs of contentment, as if it was being massaged.

"Looks like you have a new pet," he said happily. Luna nodded, her eyes never leaving her new companion.

"Morphie really likes me," she said, the largest smile on her face in a long time. He would bet she hadn't smiled this much since her mother had died in the other time. "I can't wait to show mum and dad."

"Show Hermione as well," Harry encouraged. "If this isn't proof the creatures you believe in exist, I don't know what is."

Luna nodded, before she ran into him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Harry realised she was crying. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you."

"Uuhh..." Harry trailed off eloquently, unsure what he was being thanked for. "You're welcome. But what for, exactly?"

"For believing," she answered, her voice sounding very emotional. "Despite everything others told you... All the names, the ridicule, the stuff so fantastical even magicals believed them to be nonsense... And yet, after only one meeting, you still believed... And managed to hold on to that belief, even after all you suffered through in fifth year..."

Harry managed to piece together what she meant. She was thanking him for being there for her. For being there to listen to her, when she was bullied for believing in Xeno's creatures, when she was singled out, and her stuff got stolen... He hadn't realised it before, but with all that Hogwarts had to have been hell for her, being the only one to believe something no one else did.

And then the end of her third year happened, with Voldemort's return, and she found kindred spirit in Harry. Like her, people didn't believe him when he said Voldemort had returned. And she had listened to him, for no other reason than that he was in the same type of situation as her. And he in turn listened to her, heard out her outlandish theories about supposedly nonexistent creatures. And he started to believe, or at least gave her the benefit of the doubt. After all, if he could be right, why couldn't she?

And now, one of her creatures had reappeared, had actually proven itself to be true and not some figment of her imagination. It was proof to her that she was right all along, that miracles did exist. And that alone made it worth it to her. That, and her friendship with Harry.

Harry smiled, and returned the hug to the girl of whom he was starting to think as a little sister. A weird, absurd, and crazy sister he didn't understand fully. But a sister none the less.

"You're welcome," he said, with a lot more conviction in his voice this time. "But you better let go now. Think what Sirius might think if he caught us like this."

Luna got the hint and immediately let go, a massive blush rising up her cheeks. Her massive smile was still present, though. "It's all thanks to you, Harry. Without you or Ginny I would've broken down long ago."

Harry gave a nod back at her, his own smile still present. "Once again, you're welcome. That's what friends are for, right?"

As if understanding his words, which Harry was suspecting it did, for it looked surprisingly serious, the morph nodded with him, before giving Luna a reassuring chirp and rubbed her cheek. Luna smiled, and cradled the creature.

"Awwww, you're a cute one, ain't yah?" She asked cooingly, like she was cradling a hamster instead of a creature which wasn't even officially documented with the ministry yet. "What shall I name you?"

Harry smirked, a name already on his mind. "Stubby Boardman."

Luna looked up in surprise, not having considered that one. But Harry thought it fit. It was named after someone she clearly had a crush on (if her subtle innuendo's were anything to go by, as was the kiss at the house party), even though he didn't get the reference about the conspiracy of Sirius being the lead singer of the hobgoblins, and the first name clearly applied with those little arms. Clearly, 'Stubby' thought the same thing, for it smiled before doing a slight twirl. Then it eyed his bowl of soup, turned into a straw, and sucked the bowl dry in less than a second. The straw immediately collapsed into the bowl, and when Harry and Luna looked into it Stubby slowly emerged, looking content yet tired as it hung onto the edge of the bowl. It let out a final burp, and Luna laughed.

"Yes," she agreed, picking him up out of the bowl. "Stubby Boardman it is."

"Glad you agree," Harry said, before glancing at the clock that hung on the wall. Luna took the hint about how much of class she was cutting, as she picked up the cloak and map. "See you later, Harry."

"Good day Luna," he said, waving as Luna started to head for the door, before adding as an afterthought, "Good day, Stubby."

Stubby smiled and waved back, before Luna donned the cloak and was out of sight. A second later the door to the wing opened and closed, and he was alone again.

Glad one of his friends was now happier than ever, he resumed hisreadingwith a smile on his face.


Before anyone asks for Inspiration for a Magicing Morph: think Morphie from the Treasure Planet Movie. Enough said.