Just a quick apology for the slow updates the last couple of weeks. Things have been very busy, but have settled back down so hoping to return to updating at least once a week. Enjoy!

Emma

– Chapter Nineteen –

Pestilence

The weeks leading up to the first task seemed to slip by unnoticed. Despite having prepared themselves, practicing every day, as well as studying hard and keeping on the lookout for anything unusual, there was still no sign of any horseman's imminent arrival. Though the flu and cold rates had been steadily climbing the last few weeks, they had peaked the Wednesday before their Hogsmeade Trip, which made Romi very anxious.

They were all looking forward to going to Hogsmeade that coming Saturday. Romi felt it was almost like at least on Saturday they might get a small break from all the stress applied to them lately.

Harry seemed extremely jumpy for most of the week and it didn't help that last Saturday a newspaper article about the Triwizard Tournament had come out. Though it was less about the tournament and more about Harry. The article, continuing on pages two, six and seven, had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.

The article didn't have a good effect on Harry and he had vented to Romi soon after it had come out. Apparently nothing written was actually from his mouth. Romi, of course, had read the article like everyone else.

'I suppose I get my strength from my parents, I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now… yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it… I know nothing will hurt me during the Tournament, because they're watching over me…'

Unfortunately Rita Skeeter had gone even further than what Harry described as a load of 'Ers' into long sickly sentences. Apparently she had interviewed other people as well.

Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl, who like Harry, is one of the top students at the school.

Romi had only breathed a sigh of relief that Colin had chosen to say Hermione than making up the reason why she and Harry hung out. Aside from the absolutely awful idea that people might think she was dating her brother, Draco probably would have beaten Harry up without a wand just for it being mentioned, or at least he would have tried.

From the moment the article appeared, Harry had to endure people, Slytherins mostly, making sneering comments and quoting it at him as he passed them.

"Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"

"Since when have you been in one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"

Hermione had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness, too, but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders in a way that Romi certainly would have done; in fact, Romi was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation.

"Stunningly Pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked, the first time she had come face to face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against – a chipmunk?"

"I thought she was judging against you," Romi said viciously, "cause you wouldn't win a beauty contest next to a garden toad!"

Pansy sneered at her and flounced away, the Slytherin girls following her, giving side-long glances at Romi.

"Romi," Hermione said, when the Slytherin girls had disappeared. "Why did you say that?"

"Because I'm not like you," Romi stated. "I will sink to their level; I pushed Pansy off a broom this summer because she annoyed me."

"And then there was the frog in the salad incident," Neville pointed out.

"And the time you nearly jumped her first year," Harry started.

"I think we get the idea," Romi interrupted. "I'm not a pleasant person to my enemies."

Ron and Harry still weren't speaking to each other, it seemed that the article appearing that day confirmed Ron's suspicion that Harry was enjoying all the attention.

Hermione was furious with them, going back and forth trying to make them talk to each other. Romi hadn't even bothered trying. Harry was adamant that he was not going to talk to Ron until he admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Ron, it did not seem, was going to do that any time soon.

Neville, Ginny, Luna and Romi seemed to be having quite a bit of their own problems lately. Ever since their trip to the Room of Requirement (as Luna called it) they had found little else of worth to help them when the Horsemen arrived. It seemed almost completely unlikely that it was actually happening and no one else in the school seemed to realise anything.

The morning of the Hogsmeade Trip, Romi sat at the Gryffindor Table, the Daily Prophet spread out in front of her. She had one hand on her head as she sipped her tea, reading over the newest article that Phoebe Capello had put out.

It wasn't exactly as though she really enjoyed reading Phoebe Capello's insights on what was to happen in the coming weeks, but there was something mesmerizing about it.

I foresee quite a few financial bonuses for those who are born under the sign of the Rat and the Cancer, but spend it wisely, or quickly you will lose more than you gained. Several witches in the public eye will become pregnant this year, all to deliver healthy, destiny-filled children. Several people in the North Country will fall ill to an unknown disease, only those strong of heart will survive to the end of the year. Love is in the air for Pieces, the fish will find themselves faithful and loving partners as long as they don't come into any confrontations with the Lion.

Romi sighed and flipped the page, she'd read enough of Phoebe Capello's spun tales. Her eyes fell on a little article written in a squished corner on the last page.

Several wizards have fallen ill in Dufftown, having to be hospitalized. The cause is as yet unknown, but official Healers suspect it to be a particularly virile strand of the magical influenza, attacking the ability to use magic, as well as the traditional physical effects.

"Hey, Romi," Neville said, sitting down beside her. "Anything interesting?"

Romi pointed to the little article in the corner. Neville read it with contracting eyebrows.

"You know, when I said that I was hoping for a 'no'," Neville said, after finishing the article, and looking at Romi, just as Luna and Ginny sat down.

"Why a 'no'?" Ginny asked. Romi shifted the paper so that they could read it too. "Oh, I see," Ginny said. "I guess it would be best to bring those wonderful items with us to Hogsmeade. Dufftown isn't too far from here."

"That's what I was thinking," Romi said.

Although it was easy for Romi to take her sword everywhere, and Neville's and Luna's were very easy to hide on one's person, it had taken a great deal of thought until they had come up with a way for Ginny to bring her bow around.

A couple of days ago, Ginny had managed to successfully perform a tricky little spell to make the inside of her bag larger than the outside.

"Right then," Neville said, "can we at least try to enjoy ourselves at Hogsmeade first?"

"Sure," Luna said. "I've heard so much about the Three Broomstick's Butterbeer, I think we should make that our first stop."

"Yes," Ginny said, "I would like to visit the library as well, maybe it has something else that Hogwarts doesn't have."

"I guess that sounds like a plan," Romi said, folding up the Daily Prophet. They finished their breakfast quietly, and then made their way out into the Entrance Hall. Students from third year and up were waiting there, the third years very excited to get out of the castle, and the seventh years looking almost bored with the prospect.

They made it out quickly, with no indications that Filch noticed their extra protection. Walking down into the village there were signs of winter approaching on all sides. Most of the trees had dumped their leaves and were nothing but empty branches sticking into the overcast sky and several patches of the ground still had the early morning frost on it.

The four walked down the hill and made their way across the train tracks into the downtown area of Hogsmeade; following the streaming line of students to The Three Broomsticks.

Ginny and Luna were looking around with wide eyes, delighted with what they were seeing.

Romi just smiled at Neville and they continued towards the Three Broomsticks.

The Three Broomsticks was crowded with people inside. Neville and Luna went to the bar while Romi and Ginny tried to find them a table. After a minute of side-stepping people on their way out, a table opened up near the back and Romi and Ginny hurried over to it.

Neville and Luna joined them with frothy Butterbeers a few minutes later.

"This place is incredible," Luna said happily, as they settled themselves at the table. "I can't imagine why you wanted to stop going last year."

"Last year there was an out of control dragon chasing us," Neville replied, diving into his butterbeer.

"I suppose that would put a damper on things," Luna mused.

Ginny was watching the people coming and going from the front door. Romi followed her gaze and saw Hagrid and Professor Moody speaking with Hermione alone at a table. Ron was across the room with Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. Thankfully Romi couldn't see any of the Slytherins.

Ginny and Luna asked questions for the next ten minutes as they tried to decide where they wanted to visit next. Neville adamantly vetoed the trip to the Shrieking Shack.

After a lengthy discussion they decided to go down to the sweet shop. Neville also refused to go to the market place too, but the idea of chocolate seemed to calm his nerves a bit.

Romi excused herself to go to the washroom before they left. When she returned, it was still just as crowded. Romi could see that Neville, Ginny and Luna were all waiting for her at their table and she made her way back over to them.

It was about ten feet from the table when a girl stepped in front of her. She was about sixteen and was wearing a Slytherin uniform. She had startling grey eyes, square glasses and long strawberry blonde hair. She looked remarkably familiar.

"Oh, good, I found you," she said, with a relieved little smile.

Romi looked at her a little stunned, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Oh," the girl said, looking surprised. She glanced around the room, then back to Romi. "We haven't met yet, I guess…"

"You guess right…?" Romi trailed, looking this girl over. "Who are you?" Romi repeated after a moment.

"I'm–" the girl paused, "a friend."

Romi frowned confused, and opened her mouth to say something when the girl cut her off.

"Look, Romi, I don't have much time," she said. She pulled a small, wooden hinged box out of her pocket and pushed it into Romi's hands. "You're going to need this, and possibly soon… when you do need it… well, it should be fairly self-explanatory."

"Self-explanatory?" Romi repeated.

"Yup," the girl replied, smiling. Romi got the tingling feeling that she'd met this girl before or at least she reminded her greatly of someone.

"What is it?" Romi asked finally, looking down to the box. There was no answer. Romi glanced back up to the girl, only to see that she had disappeared. Romi turned in a full circle, but she didn't see the Slytherin girl anywhere. Frowning, Romi looked back to the box. Why would a Slytherin girl, whom Romi had never met, give her a wooden box?

Carefully she opened it.

Inside, laying in an indentation on the velvet cushion, was a vial of clear liquid, and a hypodermic needle.

Neville, Ginny and Luna appeared at Romi's side moments later.

"What's that?" Neville asked, looking over her shoulder.

"A girl gave it to me," Romi replied, "She said I would need it and that using it would be self-explanatory."

Ginny picked up the bottle of liquid.

"It doesn't have any sort of label or marks," she said, twirling it in her fingers. "There could be anything in this vial."

"Great," Neville said, taking the vial from Ginny and looking at it, "who was this girl?"

"I don't know," Romi replied. "She was in Slytherin–" Neville quickly put the vial down as though it was going to bite him. "–She had strawberry blonde hair, grey eyes, glasses," Romi continued as though Neville hadn't done anything strange. Romi thought for a long moment. "She looked very familiar."

"Well, you've spent time in the Slytherin common room," Ginny said, "maybe you've seen her there?"

"Hmm," Romi answered, not convinced, "maybe."

"Come on," Neville said, "let's not continue with the talking of Slytherin girls giving Romi needles, we've got enough to worry about."

"Maybe she was trying to help?" Luna said, looking at the vial. "She did say that we were going to need this."

"She also said that 'we hadn't met yet'," Romi replied. "But she said it like, we are going to meet for the first time sometime in the future – like we weren't meeting right now."

There was a moment of silence.

"What?" Neville asked, looking very confused. Romi shook her head.

"I don't know, I can't explain it," Romi answered with a sigh. "Come on, let's get out of here. I could do with some chocolate."

"Couldn't agree with you more," Neville said, copying her sigh. Romi tucked the wooden box into her jacket pocket and headed out of the Three Broomsticks. Neville, Ginny and Luna followed her out.

A cold wind was blowing through the street, pushing dead leaves down the road towards the train tracks. There were only four or five people on the street; everyone else had gone inside to escape the cold wind.

Neville shivered beside her. "It's colder than I remembered."

"You're just hot from being inside," Ginny replied.

"You'll be fine," said Romi, "It's not far to – ow!" Romi's hand flew to her neck as a sharp pain pinched her there.

"What is it?" Neville asked concerned.

"I don't–" Romi pulled her hand away to look at her fingers, there was just a tiny spot of blood on them. "It felt like something stung me."

"Something stung you?" Luna asked curiously.

"Yeah," Romi replied. She blinked a couple of times. The pain had subsided but she was starting to feel a little woozey.

"Whoa," Neville said, grabbing onto her arms. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she replied, her knees going weak. Neville grabbed onto her shoulders to stop her from hitting the ground.

"Romi, there is something on your neck," Ginny said, her eyebrows knitted together. Ginny pulled the collar of Romi's jacket away.

Long, black, spider web-like veins criss-crossed over Romi's neck, spreading to her shoulder, arm and cheek.

"That can't be good," Neville said, sounding very worried, he let her sit down on the ground. She seemed like she was going to pass out at any minute.

"OW!" Luna shouted, suddenly, clapping her hand to her arm.

"What was it?" Ginny asked, jumping up, and looking around at her.

"I-I think it was a wasp," Luna replied, lifting her hand and looking at her arm. There was a small puncture wound there, with dark black at the entrance.

"There," Romi whispered, pointing. Neville and Ginny looked at Romi. She was still sitting with Neville, but she was staring at something past his shoulder. Neville glanced to where she was pointing.

"What are you looking at?" Neville asked, quickly, glancing through the streets. He couldn't see anything or anyone but the four of them standing there.

"Can't you see him?" Romi whispered.

"I can," said Luna in a hushed voice. Ginny gasped suddenly, smacking the back of her hand.

"What is it?" Neville demanded. He glanced from Luna and Ginny to Romi. She had passed out, the veins making rapid process over her skin. The black lines were starting to appear on Luna's arm as well, but not as fast as Romi's.

Then a sharp pain pierced the back of his neck.

"Neville, are you okay?" Ginny asked, stumbling towards him.

His vision blurred for a moment, and then cleared.

"I'm alright," Neville answered. He then looked up to Luna. She was staring at the same spot that Romi had pointed to. Neville turned to look.

A man stood there. He was gaunt and thin, with a shock of dirty blonde hair on his head. His skin was covered in small white lumps, everywhere, with green pus crusted around his lips. He was smiling. It was the most unnerving smile that Neville had ever seen, and he gagged just looking at the man, his stomach rolling over.

There were wasps swarming around him too, climbing over the lumps on his skin; scuttling across his eyes while the man stared them down. Ginny had been watching too and she turned away, hand to her mouth, gagging.

"Come now," the man said, smiling. His voice was wet and gurgling, like something slimy had got stuck in his throat. "This was all necessary. I so wanted to see the new heroes. And you needed to be stung to see me."

"And why would we want to see you?" Neville demanded, swallowing to keep his stomach in check.

The man smiled again. "It's more fun that way."

"Who are you?" Luna demanded. She was still standing, holding her arm and looking at the man with apprehension.

The man sucked a quick breath in, as though excited, inhaling one of the wasps that hovered around him in the process.

"I have been called oh so many things," the man replied. "Some of the Latin terms they come up with are quite, illustrious, shall we say? Encephalitis is one of my personal favourites," the man said. "It rolls off the tongue so well, and so appropriately encompassing? Does not every disease affect the brain so completely?"

"You're Pestilence," Ginny managed, glancing back up to him.

"And didn't you have stomach ulcers when you were little, Ginny?" Pestilence asked, glaring at her.

Ginny suddenly fell to her knees, coughing violently. A splatter of blood hit the ground. She clutched her stomach, grimacing in pain.

"Stop it!" Luna said, reaching for her daggers.

"What? Stop my fun?" Pestilence said. "I know my brothers are late – they've been getting distracted, but you three are more than enough for me."

"Three?" Neville said, frowning.

Pestilence looked to him.

"I won't have the Grim interfering," he snapped, waving a hand at the unconscious Romi in Neville's arms. "My wasps' venom will catch up to her heart in less than ten minutes and then we won't have to worry about her anymore."

Ginny looked at Neville worried, clearly trying to ignore the pain in her stomach.

"Now!" Pestilence said, rubbing his hands together. "I think it's time for a little bit of fun, don't you think?"

He waved a hand, and Ginny crumpled to the ground, eyes closed.

"Stop!" Luna demanded, "What are you doing?"

"Oh a little Naegleria fowleri," Pestilence replied. "I mean, the common illnesses are just so dull after a while and I know, viruses and bacteria can be fun, but really, amoebas, they just really have the will to survive, and can burrow through even the best brain tissue and–"

Pestilence reacted quickly to the knife that came flying at him. He swerved away just in time.

"Tsk, tsk, Luna," he said, shaking his head. "I thought you of all people would enjoy a little disease. Oh, well, I guess you wouldn't really call it 'enjoying'. Long years with cancer wasn't it Luna."

Luna suddenly grabbed her chest, falling to one knee.

"I love leukemia," Pestilence continued, taking a step towards her, smiling. His wasps were still buzzing around his face and crawling over his eyes. "Cancer of the blood, best thing. Can attack anywhere, all over the body. Especially yours. Blastic leukemia, is what I think they call it. It's the one that's most, shall we say difficult? To fight."

"Luna!" Neville said, starting to stand up.

"Sit down, Mr Longbottom," Pestilence demanded. Searing pain shot though Neville's legs and he crumpled. "It's been a long time since Luna and I caught up. Almost four years now, isn't it?"

Luna glared at him, and forced herself to stand up.

"Oh, so brave," Pestilence jeered, even clapping his hands in mock appreciation. "Trying so hard to defeat the cancer. If I remember correctly, last time it took you're mother's life to cure you."

Luna whipped another dagger at Pestilence. He side-stepped easily; Luna was too weak to make a faster throw.

Neville glanced between the two of them and then to Romi, she still had her eyes closed, and the black spider webs were covering all of her skin now, and she felt cold. He had to think of something quickly or both Romi and Ginny would be in a lot of trouble. But the pain in his legs was making it hard to think. A shadow fell across Romi.

"You still have it right?" said a voice. Neville looked up quickly. Squatting on Romi's other side was a sixteen year old girl with strawberry blonde hair. She was looking at Romi with concern.

"Have what?" Neville managed through the disorienting pain.

"The box," she replied.

Neville frowned for a moment, and then pulled the box out of Romi's pocket.

"Yeah," he said, "but what am I supposed to do with–" he stopped mid-sentence as he looked up. There was no girl anywhere. He glanced around quickly. There was no one in the street with them. Romi and Ginny were passed out, and Neville could see a small trickle of blood was coming from Ginny's ear. Luna had raised another one of her knives, but she'd gone pale as stone, and it seemed like she didn't have the strength.

Pestilence had crossed his arms, watching the four of them. He seemed to be enjoying the suffering they were all feeling. Neville felt like his legs had been dipped into corrosive acid. Luna took one more glance at Pestilence and then stumbled her way over to Neville, Romi and Ginny.

"I wouldn't bother now, trying to stop me," Pestilence said, laughing slightly. "Your unconscious gingers have only a few minutes left to live, though you two will ultimately have longer, slower deaths. In the end – there isn't a cure for me."

Luna collapsed next to Neville looking defeated. Neville glanced to the box in his hands.

"A cure," he mumbled. Then he pried open the box, his hands shaking and clenching his teeth from the pain.

"What?" Luna asked, softly. She looked more exhausted than Neville had ever seen her.

"This is it," Neville muttered, not sure if the pain from his legs was making him lose his mind, but he didn't have time to think about it. "She gave this to Romi for a reason, she said it would make sense and I guess it kinda does. What do you do to fight disease?" Neville's hand shook a little as he pulled some of the clear liquid into the hypodermic needle. "You immunize it."

"Into us or him?" Luna asked.

"What does your gut tell you?" Neville replied.

"That it wants to throw up," answered Luna with a sigh. "Also that I'd like to jab anything sharp into him."

Neville glanced over his shoulder. Pestilence was still standing there, watching them with his creepy eyes.

"You're going to have to do it," Neville said, looking at Luna, and passing her the needle, keeping it hidden from him. She looked startled.

"I can't," Luna said, looking at the needle in her hand. "I don't have the strength."

"Luna, I can't walk," Neville said, trying to ignore the pain. "I know your tired but–"

"You don't get it," Luna whispered. "I been through this before, I know I can't."

Neville watched her for a long moment; fear lingered through her eyes.

"You had Leukemia as a child?" he asked quietly. "He wasn't lying when he said the last time he'd seen you was four years ago. You had leukemia until four years ago? Your cure had something to do with your mother's death?"

"Neville, I can't do it," Luna said, slumping. "The exhaustion, and the pain, I can't do it again. My mother spent her entire life trying to event a spell that could cure it – eventually she did, but…" Luna trailed off and looked away. "I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Neville said, taking her hands. "You can do it! I know that you can. You're just as strong and determined as your mum. You beat it four years ago; you can beat it again. No matter what it was like before, this time you've got us."

Luna watched him for a long moment, then looked down, her eyebrows still furled, her eyes wet.

"Hey," Neville said, lifting her chin slightly. "You're stronger than you think. I know you can do this – your mum knew you could do this. Romi and Ginny are counting on you."

Luna glanced to them and then back to Neville.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked.

"Positive," answered Neville, trying to sound like he really meant it. Luna was silent for a long time, then she glanced at Pestilence.

"I can't get close to him," she whispered, "I'm not fast enough."

"I'll distract him," Neville said, shifting slightly, clenching his teeth and trying to ignore the pain. "Just don't forget about the necklace."

Luna looked down at the needle her hand, took a deep breath and then nodded. She looked at Ginny and Romi unconscious on the ground.

"Hang in there," she whispered.

Luna moved away from Neville slowly, looking back at Pestilence, keeping the syringe hidden in her hand.

"Why are you just standing there?" Neville demanded to Pestilence. Pestilence slowly put his piercing eyes on Neville.

"Disease is slow. It is patient," Pestilence replied. "I am perfectly content watching you struggle to find some sort of last resort for your friends, to save them last minute."

Neville watched Luna out of the corner of his eye. She made her way slowly around, shuffling over the ground.

"Though I think you're a little late," Pestilence said, glancing at Romi behind Neville. "I would say you've got about thirty seconds before the Grim is taken by her Grims."

"What?" Neville said, looking between Romi and Pestilence genuinely confused.

Pestilence sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You're little Grim there – you know what a Grim is right?" Pestilence said.

"It's – it's a death omen," Neville replied, "Form of a black dog."

Pestilence clucked his tongue. He looked amused as though he'd watched his silly pet cat walk into a wall headfirst and comically bounce off. "You humans and your 'omens'."

Neville stole a glance at Luna, she was getting closer, and he needed to keep Pestilence's attention on him.

"I don't understand," Neville said quickly.

"Well, of course you don't understand!" Pestilence said. "How could you? Humans like yourselves don't seem to ever remember the true magic behind the world. Magic makes the world go round, and there are people like you and your other witches and wizards. But then there are those like me and my brothers and the Grims. They have other names I suppose, but that's what I know them as."

"And what are they?" Neville demanded.

Pestilence nodded to Romi. "She's one."

"She's a witch – a person," answered Neville.

"Well, I suppose she is right now," Pestilence said with a shrug. "A Grim. As in – a Grim Reaper, creatures who take the souls of the dead and shuffle them off into the next world. Those like the Grims, like us, we are more magic than you could ever even imagine. We come from magic, we are guided by it, we do not have such little linear lives that you have."

Neville frowned, and glanced back at Romi, remembering a particular night last year when he learnt how old she really was. Maybe there really was more to her than meets the eye. He didn't know much about Diomeda Odessa and her people, but if Romi was actually something similar, or part of them… well, maybe it would explain some of her more unusual talents.

"But that's not the point right now," Pestilence said, drawing Neville's attention back to him. "Her own Grims will be by to pick her up any minute – the other ginger, not too much long afterwards. No, no, the point right now is–"

Pestilence suddenly turned violently, and grabbed Luna by the arm. She'd managed to get up close behind him, ready to strike.

"You were trying to sneak up on me!" Pestilence hissed, sneering into her face. She coughed violently, her eyes watering. "Did you really think that I was going to not notice you sneaking away? Actually," he said, glancing to the hand that he held tight in his grasp. "Did you really think that a knife was going to kill me?" he reached up and started to pull it out of her fingers.

"No, I didn't," said Luna just loud enough for Neville to hear. She swung her right fist to Pestilence, jabbing the needle into his side, plunging the syringe down and forcing all of the contents into Pestilence. She then released the needle and grabbed for the necklace hanging around his neck.

He gasped and stumbled away, the necklace snapping off as he went. He looked down at the hypodermic needle sticking out of his side.

"Impossible," he gasped, his voice getting even more gargled. "Impossible – you can't this… it can't." He took a breath and his face darkened into a horrible disfigured mess. He took a hoarse breath. "Nia!" he cried, spitting out the name like a curse. "You little interfering, time-travelling witch. You won't get away with it, not this time… not this…"

Pestilence trailed off and doubled over in pain. Then in one horrible, retching-sounding noise, Pestilence disintegrated before their eyes. All that was left was a pile of goo that looked suspiciously like vomit.

Luna stumbled away, and turned, emptying her own stomach. Neville was very tempted to follow suit, but he swallowed hard and turned to Romi and Ginny. The black veins covering Romi were gone. His own legs were feeling sore, but no longer in agony. He shuffled over to where Ginny lay, turning her head. There was no blood, or evidence that there had ever been blood, and a second later, she groaned, opening her eyes.

"Neville, what?" she started, pushing herself to her feet.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Neville said, sighing and then smiling broadly. "It's not permanent."

"What happened?" Ginny asked, putting a hand to her head.

"Luna defeated him," replied Neville, looking back to where Luna was standing. She had her back to them, staring down the main street of Hogsmeade. "Keep an eye on Romi," Neville added to Ginny, "she'll hopefully wake up soon."

Neville got to his feet and walked to where Luna was standing. She had an unreadable expression on her face. Neville put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "It didn't… linger?"

Luna shook her head, her eyes still very far away.

"Good," Neville said, and then suddenly was shocked when Luna turned, and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure how to respond, putting a hand on her shoulder and patted it.

Luna took a deep breath and then stood back.

"Thank you," she said, quietly.

"You're welcome," Neville replied. They were silent for a long moment, Neville took a breath to say something else, when Ginny's call interrupted them.

"I think she's coming around!" Ginny said, calling them back to where Romi was lying.

Luna took another fortifying breath and then walked to Romi and Ginny. Neville followed feeling slightly confused.

Romi was stirring when he got there, slowly opening her eyes.

"Hey," Ginny said, when Romi's eyes were open. "Welcome to the world of the living, population everyone minus a horseman."

"What happened?" Romi asked, pulling herself into a sitting position and putting a hand to her head.

"He gave you an extra dose of wasp venom," Neville said, squatting next to her, "didn't want you interfering or something."

"Don't I feel special," Romi muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Neville asked. "Anything hurt?"

Romi paused for a moment, "I think I bit my tongue."

There was a tense pause and then Ginny started to giggle, and then Neville started laughing as well. Even Luna couldn't help it. It took a long time before they calmed down again, Romi just stared at them while, a smile playing on her lips.

"Are you guys alright?" Romi asked, looking at each of them, concern on her face.

"Yeah, we're alright," said Luna smiling. She held out a long chain for Romi to take. She did and inspected the pendant hanging at the bottom.

"It's a caduceus," Romi murmured, "symbol of medicine. Madam Pomfrey has it hanging in her office."

"How odd," Neville replied.

"Well, I guess it's the thing that defeats disease, is it not?" Ginny asked. "How did you manage that anyways?"

"Oh, it was all, Luna," Neville said, smiling at her. Luna had bent down and was looking at the now empty vial.

"Apparently with a little help from an interfering time-traveller named Nia," Luna murmured. "At least, according to Pestilence."

"Nia?" Romi said quickly.

"Yeah," answered Luna, looking up, "do you recognize that name?"

"Well, yeah," Romi answered. "That's my middle name. But I don't know anyone else called 'Nia'."

"Well," Neville said, "whoever she is, I guess we owe her one."

Luna looked at the vial once more and then smiled at the rest of the group.

"I would very much like to get some chocolate now, how about you?"

Ginny, Neville and Romi smiled. "Best idea I've heard yet," Romi replied.