Trigger warning: domestic abuse, children abuse, violence, cruelty, Cruciatus Curse. Please, be careful.

EDIT: Previously, it used to say "4 years ago", but I've changed it to "5 years ago". It's a necessary change, given that it is important that these events don't take place at the same time as HP and the Cursed Child. The main story hasn't changed, though. I apologise for this mistake.

2. Mr & Mrs Scamander, part I

5 years ago

In the small hours, a very young boy sat alone on the wooden floor of a room filled with bookshelves. He had a book on his lap. He couldn't read it though, for it was pitch-black dark, except for the moonlight coming out of a small window. At least until...

"Lumos," he whispered, and a small light came from the tip of the wand he was holding.

'Wicked! I finally got it right! Can't wait to tell dad!' he thought.

Now that the room was lit, he quickly ran his eyes through some pages of the book, putting it aside shortly after. "Nox," he said, and the light extinguished.

After he had succeeded both at the Wand-Lightning Charm and the Wand-Extinguishing Charm, he shut the book and kept practising these spells, quietly, successively and non-stop. Even when he failed, he persevered, for hours, relentlessly. Until...

"Damned bloody hell!" a male grunt came from afar, followed by many loud noises mashed together; glass cracking, wood breaking, liquid spilling, creatures' cries...

"Dad?" the boy called, reluctant, through an ajar door that seemed to lead to an underground room. "Dad, are you alright?"

Nobody responded. The noise just kept getting louder and louder, and the boy took a glimpse of his father going berserk through the door gap.

"Dad?" he asked louder, daring to get into the room. "Please, calm down, dad..."

"Out, Lorcan!" the outraged man roared, knocking his own son back with a flick of his wand. "Get out, now!"

"No, dad!" Lorcan got up as fast as he could. No longer reluctant, he dashed towards him. "You can't keep doing this! You'll need all these things later, you're destroying all your work! You just have to calm down, please! Come with me!"

"Shut up!" on a rampage, he seized his son's hair and pushed his head harshly into a low cabinet packed with glass vials. The boy squeaked loud as the glass cracked and crashed against his flesh, cutting all over his face.

The man yanked his crying son off the floor, once more by his hair, dragging him out of his workplace. When they were both back on ground level, he violently tossed the boy aside, against a solid wall.

"That's to teach you not to bother me while I am working!" he yelled hoarsely, turning to get back underground.

"Dad, help me!" Lorcan cried. "Strange liquids are burning my face! I don't know what to do!"

"Now what!?" he turned back a second time, seized the boy harshly by his clothes, dropped him on the floor on his back and fiercely swung his wand, "Scourgify!" suddenly, soapsuds were all over his son's face. The man shouted out the incantation again, "Scourgify!" and now it spilt out of his mouth from the inside out as well.

"N... no..." Lorcan fought to speak, coughing up foam soap.

Desperate not to choke, he mindlessly resisted and struggled. His father didn't notice, and the boy had almost completely forgotten as well, but he had been still holding on to the wand with which he had been practising not long before. From it, without any command, red sparks started to fly out roughly.

"Oh, I see." Rolf stopped scouring his son's face and mouth. "You have mommy's wand with you... how dare you wield that against me?! Now I've got to teach you a lesson!"

"No, dad, I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Expelliarmus!" Luna's wand flew away abruptly from Lorcan's grasp. "You had mommy's wand, now you have nothing." Rolf let out an evil laugh, creeping around his terrified son, scrambled on the floor with foam all over his face. Finally, he aimed at him firmly, and snarled, "Crucio!"

In another room, a sharp and pitchy cry of agony reached the ears of a lone woman who slept uneasily in her bed. Immediately, she realized her children were endangered. She jumped out on the alert, her heart pounding like she didn't even know it was possible. 'Where is my wand, where is my wand, where is my wand!?' she recited mentally, in panic, as she groped in the dark for her wand on the furniture, unsuccessfully, until another crushing scream came from outside. This time, before her brain could process anything, she was already in a haste, running wild after the sound.

"Rolf!" skidding to a halt, she yelled. Rolf paused, astonished, to check what had happened. Luna took this chance to dive into the floor, desperately catching Lorcan into her arms. "Stop that, Rolf! Please, leave him alone. Please!"

"Looking for this, love?" mockingly, Rolf drew closer to Luna, brandishing her own wand before her. "I am precisely teaching the kid not to mess with another's wand, Luna. Step aside, you're disavowing me."

"I'm sure he's already learned his lesson, Rolf," she tightened her embrace around the boy, enveloping him entirely. "Please, take me in his stead..." she pleaded, covering him with her own body, tears streaming down her face. "You may do as you please with me, Rolf. I promise. Please, just spare my baby boy..." she mumbled, sobbing, still holding on to him.

"I've still got to teach the kid some respect! If you won't step aside, I will make you! Expulso!"

A harsh explosion knocked Luna against the room's wooden furniture, causing several hard shelves to fall hard onto her, but she never let go of Lorcan, refusing to loosen her grasp on him.

"It's alright, dear," she whispered, as the boy cried silently. "Mommy's with you. No one is going to harm you. I promise."

"You want to do it the hard way, Luna?" Rolf grinned widely, holding his wand as though it was a stabbing knife. "My pleasure, then. Crucio!"

As the red bundle of evil magic hit her sharply in the back, she mustered all her forces to resist screaming. Excruciating pain travelled fast through her entire body, causing all her muscles to twitch involuntarily, but she didn't give in to the pain.

"Everything is fine, Lorcan," she entangled her fingers in between his hair, caressing him gently. She was covered in her own cold sweat and trembled heavily. "It's almost over now."

"Mom!" a children's voice filled the room, but it didn't belong to the boy she had inside her arms. In horror, she eagerly scanned the area, just to confirm soon after her fears to be true. "What are you doing to mom? Let go of her!"

"Lysander!" she growled, her throat burning and aching from producing a sound she believed humans didn't have the capacity to. "Get out, now! Lock yourself! Hide! NOW!"

"Leave my mom alone!" Lysander bellowed, marching resolutely in her direction.

"Lysander, NO!"

"Stupid boy! Expulso!" nonchalantly, without bothering to turn his eyes to him, Rolf pointed his wand in his direction and, mightily, the kid was sent flying back towards the room he had come from, a heavy thud following shortly after.

"This is your chance! Hide!" Luna murmured to Lorcan, who promptly complied.

"Oh, no, you won't!" Rolf barked, raising his wand. However, before he had the chance to do anything, Luna tackled him with all her might, gouging his eyes with two fingers. Meanwhile, Lorcan and Lysander both managed to escape, locking themselves in their room. "OUCH! You hurt me, bitch!" Rolf shouted, covering his own eyes with his right hand and jabbing blindly with the other, striking Luna's temple violently.

She was still stunned and her body had barely hit the floor when he landed a heavy kick on her sides. Before she could process that she might have broken a rib, this kick was followed by another, and another, successively. Ruthlessly, Rolf kept on assaulting her non-magically. She now choked blood on the wooden floor, though at least she could take comfort in the thought that her kids were safe. All she needed to do was to endure it all; she couldn't give in, she couldn't pass out, she couldn't die. She needed to be there and undergo all of that, it was the only way to protect her boys.

"Lorcan!" Lysander rustled in panic, overhearing her mother being spanked through the closed door. "Lorcan, we need to do something! Mom is going to die!"

"We need to get to granddad, Lysander," he answered silently, teary, as he heard his father shout out 'Crucio!' another time.

"But how? We can't reach the fireplace, it's in the living room, we'd have to get through dad!"

"We need to get help, I don't know how! Maybe we can get out... through that window... and go get someone?"

"Nearest from here are the Fawcetts, but it would take ages to get there on feet. Do you know how to work the 'muggle communication device'? We could call aunt Hermione!"

"I have no idea where it is... do you?"

Their chat was sharply interrupted by the most terrifying noise Lysander had ever heard in his entire 7 years on earth; it was throaty, dreadful, tormented and desperate. What came after that was almost worse: a loud, lively laugh of utmost joy. It was the very final straw, he couldn't take it any longer. He didn't know what to do, but he needed to do something.

Panting, he flashed back to that room. Once there, the first thing he thought about was to assault his father with the heaviest object he could find, though there it was, lying on the floor, completely forgotten: his mother's wand. He didn't know any spells, but it was his best shot. He picked it up from the floor, shook it clumsily, without a clue of what he should do, and, most unexpectedly, blue sparks flew out of its tip, striking his dad's back in full.

"Lysander, I told you to hide!" Luna shouted, authoritative and horrified at the same time, slipping on her own sweat and blood as she tried to get up. "Do as I told you! Listen to me, now!"

"So this little brat needs a lesson as well..." said Rolf, rubbing his burning back.

"No, Rolf! NO!" she shrieked. "You promised me! You promised you wouldn't hurt my boys!"

Rolf whipped his neck back, facing the boy, and, amused, chanted, "Expelliarmus!".

Though, before he was through pronouncing the incantation, Lysander had chucked the wand in the air in his mother's direction. She couldn't believe her eyes as she watched it fly towards her. Her broken ribs still hurt too much for her to stand up, she could barely kneel on the floor, reeling on the wall. However, when she outstretched her right arm and opened her hand to catch it, the wand changed its flight course by itself in mid-air, landing elegantly on Luna's right hand, as though she were a world-class seeker just catching the snitch.

When all her fingers clutched firmly around her wand, she sensed power steaming freakily all over her body. She leapt on her feet, despite all the pain, and mouthed, quietly and hatefully, "I'm gonna make you pay, Rolf."

They started to duel fiercely. At first, he fired numerous Unforgivable Curses in her direction, but the ones that landed seemed to cause nothing but mid injuries where they hit. It didn't seem to be able to incapacitate her again.

"Both of you, get to the fireplace and go to your aunt Ginny's, now!" she told the twins.

Realising she had an advantage, she also played it offensively. Rolf felt dizzy for having to block so many Stunning Spells, blazing sparks flying from his hand to his face every time he did so. He felt cornered, knowing he couldn't stop defending and that his attacks were nearly useless. Thus, he'd have to resort to her ultimate colossal weakness.

"Drop the wand or the kid's as good as dead!" he bellowed, snatching Lysander by his silvery hair midway to the fireplace. He pulled the kid towards him, holding him in front of himself as though a human shield.

"You wouldn't..." Luna watched in shock and disbelief.

"Oh, you'll find out I would," Rolf put his wand to the boy's head. "Drop it. And kick it towards me. Now."

"The boy for the wand," she held her wand up. "A fair trade."

"Drop. It. Now!" Rolf repeated, incisively. "The price is too high for you, love. You're not willing to pay, I'm sure."

Luna bent to her knees on the floor once more, her hands lifted in the air in surrender, heavy tears in her eyes. "I'll drop it," she said. "Send me my son and I'll drop it, Rolf."

"I told you, drop the wand! NOW!" he yelled, poking the boy furiously with his wand against his neck, dragging a hoarse moan out of him.

"Alright, alright!" Luna sobbed, letting her wand fall next to her right knee.

"Now roll it over towards me, Luna."

She complied.

"Give me my son now, Rolf," she begged, shivering, diving into a deep reverence, her nose almost bruising against the floor. "I beg you."

"Of course," he mischievously smirked. He loosened his grasp off him and kicked him towards Luna. However, before she could catch him, targeting her, Rolf bellowed, "Expulso!" and she was immediately launched against the pile of broken wood a second time. Following that, when Lysander was trying hard to keep his balance on his feet, Rolf aimed at him and shouted, "Crucio!"

Luna let out a scream of horror as she witnessed the red light leave Rolf's wand, but that was all she's seen. After that, the whole room was filled with a blinding white light, so bright it was impossible to know where exactly it had come from. For a second, she suspected she had died, for the brightness was too quiet; it resembled neither a defensive spell nor a curse. Nonetheless, moments later, it vanished abruptly.

"Mom!" Lysander had pulled her in an embrace. "You're alive!"

She desperately hugged him back, tearing up, kissing the top of his head.

"You did this, mom?" he asked. "You saved me? It was you, wasn't it?"

She didn't respond but instead peeked at Rolf's body, lying unresponsive on the ground.

"Mom!" a heartfelt voice coming out of the fireplace called. "Don't you tell me dad is... dead!?"

It was Lorcan. With Ginny on his heels.

"No," Ginny said, kneeling beside the man to check his pulse. "He is just unconscious." Lorcan threw himself upon his dad, crying his eyes out for him.

"Where's Harry?" Luna asked, urgently.

"He wasn't at home. He had a night shift..."

"Then call him, Ginny. Right now."

"We need to get you to St Mungo's first..."

"No!" Luna interrupted, shaking. "He needs to be arrested in the act, to be caught red-handed!"

"The act is over, Luna!" Ginny answered, exasperated. "It's over now. He's knocked out. He can't be arrested."

Lorcan, still crying for his father, glanced over at them upon hearing that. They couldn't be talking about arresting his dad. Not when he was like this, helpless on the floor. This wasn't right. Luna, for her part, didn't respond. She stood silent, caressing the child she had in her arms.

"Boys," Ginny stood up, casting her horse-like patronus. "Are you injured? If not, head back home. You'll meet James there. I'll take your parents to the hospital." Obediently, they took a handful of Floo powder and vanished from the fireplace.

"I'll take Rolf there first. Then I'll come back to pick you up, alright?" Ginny told Luna after the twins had left.

Luna nodded in agreement. Even though her vision was still quite blurry from all tears she had cried that night, she saw the ginger touch her husband's arm and spin with him in the air, disappearing quickly after that.

"Why isn't she waking up?"

"I've mended all her physical injuries already, Longbottom, but I can't do anything about that magical wound if you don't tell me which spell's caused it!"

"I just told you, I don't know!" Neville pulled his hair out. "I didn't hear the incantation and I've never seen something like that! I... let me think... I'll go get Flitwick right now! Yes, I think he's probably heard..."

"Save the effort, we're here," announced Professor McGonagall, as she ushered into the room with Flitwick and McKinnon on her trail. "Amanda, if you please..."

Professor McKinnon dashed to the patient and immediately started to check on her with a variety of extraordinary instruments which Neville remotely remembered from his time as auror to be dark detectors, while McGonagall and Flitwick stood back.

Upon seeing that, Madam Pomfrey reacted astonished, "What on earth means this, Minerva?! Filius, Longbottom told me you've seen what spell this woman was struck with..."

"No spell did this, Poppy," explained Flitwick, decisively. "The boy didn't even have his wand when he did it. It was a piece of unintentional magic, that's for sure."

"But what is all that for, then?" she asked, indicating Professor McKinnon's instruments.

"We believe it to be a piece of unintentional dark magic, Poppy," continued Professor McGonagall. She faced Professor McKinnon and asked, "So?"

"I fear it is so, professor. I wouldn't believe it if someone had told me... a little kid... without a wand... do this to his own mother! Should have felt very strong hatred to be able to do it..." she said, standing back from the woman, weeping lightly. "And I'm afraid I can't fix it, Minerva! I'm sorry! I am a failure! I... almost didn't pass Counter-Curses exams!" she sobbed. "You should have never hired me, headmistress! I... I quit! This school needs a better Defense teacher..."

"Cut that, McKinnon! Nobody's going to quit!" interrupted Professor McGonagall.

"Counter-curses isn't my area of expertise either, Minerva," added Madam Pomfrey. "May I contact St Mungo's right away?"

"Minerva and I can take care of that, but I reckon it would be good to send them an owl, Poppy," said Flitwick, pulling his wand out.

"It happens..." Neville stepped forward, "I'm very good at it. Accio!" Everybody stood puzzled, not knowing what he had summoned. "For a brief time, I used to be an auror, McKinnon, and I failed Counter-Curses the first time too... but... she helped me... I used to practise on her..." he gazed sorrowfully at the unresponsive woman lying on the bed. "I've pushed myself very hard to master this since my mom is chronically dependent on it. I cast it on her every other day now that she is out of St Mungo's."

A book emerged, flying through the open door, hitting Neville on his stomach. Massaging the place of the impact, he seized the book from the floor, spread it open at a specific page with a flick of his wand and placed it in the hands of Professor McKinnon.

"Hold it for me, Amanda, please," he gently asked, and she nodded, holding the book open towards him, as the others watched with much interest. Neville took a second to concentrate, turning his eyes to the book.

He thus shifted his gaze from the book to her and began tracing diagonal lines upon her body with his wand, muttering several incantations. A white light so bright came out of his wand that it almost caused Professor McKinnon to drop the book. Madam Pomfrey, for her part, covered her mouth with her hands in amazement. He paused for a brief moment, checking the book again. He now traced lines parallel to the line of her shoulders, strong light still coming out of his wand. Finally, he proceeded to draw very complex figures upon her, consulting the book for the incantation before each wand movement. He still had not finished when she began to wake up, seeking to rise from the bed.

"Don't do that, lay back down!" Madam Pomfrey croaked, rushing to help her patient. Spotting that, Neville paused the enchantment. As the white light faded, Luna's eyes met his for a second. She took notice of it, but couldn't return his affectionate gleam, for her eyes quickly shut close due to utmost lack of strength. "Just stay still and accept the energy, ok?" Madam Pomfrey told her. "Ok, Longbottom, go on."

Neville resumed the series of intricate charms and its exotic wand movements, always consulting the book for the proper way to enunciate each of the incantations. As the white light again filled the room, Luna began regaining consciousness once more, although she didn't try to get out of bed this time. Following a particularly difficult wand movement, Neville came to an abrupt stop, panting. He reeled on the wall for balance.

"One more, Longbottom," informed McKinnon, checking the book.

"Let me do it. Longbottom, you've done enough," volunteered Professor McGonagall, joining him at her bedside.

"I feel fine already, Professor McGonagall. Please, don't bother," Luna's dreamy voice filled the room, catching everybody's attention. "May I sit up now?"

"I'll do it," upon hearing her voice, he gathered all his remaining forces and straightened himself up again. Feeling he wouldn't have enough power to keep standing for much longer, he wrapped his left arm around Professor McGonagall's neck, who was surprised at first, but eventually helped him stand. He drew one final complicated form with his wand, muttered one last incantation and, as the usual shining glow faded, he fell onto her bedpost.

Leisurely sitting up on the bed, still dizzy, she tentatively reached out for him, caressing his hair gently. "Thank you very much, Neville. You have really managed to produce outstanding powers of cure. I've never seen anything as powerful. You shouldn't have used your powers until exhaustion, though."

"It was indeed outstanding! I'm thrilled I've got to witness a counter-curse so bright!" cheered Professor McKinnon, with Madam Pomfrey enthusiastically nodding in accordance.

"You're alive!" once more, her voice worked as a restorative elixir, waking Neville up abruptly. He leapt into her arms, holding her tight. She returned his embrace, burying her face in his neck. Longing, he stroked her hair with his trembling hands.

At first, it felt like he had joined one of his dreams. Nevertheless, as he caressed her, he noticed she was in some ways different. Of course, he had been dreaming all these years of the time when she was his; with her teenage or early 20s self. She was now much thinner than back then, and her skin wasn't nearly as soft as it used to be. He could sense multiple rough marks and scars all through her arms. Could have been the creatures she cared for who did it to her? Still, he backed his mind away from these thoughts. She was well, alive, breathing, safe inside his arms, that was all that mattered. He would just enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted.

Meanwhile, Flitwick and McGonagall watched the scene consternated. The aged woman closed and locked the door with a flick of her wand, to which the short man nodded approvingly. Professor McKinnon and Madam Pomfrey were, on the other hand, still talking excitedly about the episode, cluelessly. "In my exam, I could only go halfway through it! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't produce any light after the ninth incantation! I never thought one could produce light as shiny as this, Poppy! I bet that it could even wipe out a dark wound caused by You-Know-Who himself, don't you think?"

Luna broke their embrace after what Neville felt lasted an eternity and nothing at the same time. She seemed now a little uncomfortable after this very public display of affection towards her ex-fiancée. Trying to recover herself from this slip, she pretended to be fixing her hair, an excuse to hide behind her right arm, away from McGonagall's and Flitwick's harsh looks of reproach. Still, when her eyes met his, she couldn't help but smile shyly.

"How you're feeling?" he asked, reciprocating her smile with a wide one.

"Better than when I woke up this morning," she replied. "I even think my chronic back problem feels a little better..."

"Well..." meddled in Madam Pomfrey. "Was it caused by dark arts? If so, it's likely to get better upon receiving strong powers of cure such as this. But is it really untreatable? If it really got better, I think capable healers would have been able to..."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Minerva, it's me, Horace! Is everything ok?"

Professor McGonagall poked Neville with her wand, staring fiercely at him. "Off, Longbottom! You both, apart, now! Where are your manners?!" she angrily whispered. When she thought Luna and Neville were distant enough, she called, "Come in, Horace!"

"Minerva, Poppy!" greeted him as he passed through the door. "Oh, Mrs Scamander, you're back on your feet! That's fantastic news!" he cheered. "Your children couldn't have been more worried about you! May I tell them to come in?"

Luna promptly sought to get up at the mention of her children, but an angry Madam Pomfrey did not allow it. "Did I say you could leave your bed!?" snarled her.

Professor Slughorn left and, shortly thereafter, Lysander rocketed across the door, landing on his mother's bedside, crying out loud as she stroked his hair.

"It's okay, lizard. Mommy is fine," she grinned widely at him.

"I... I..." he sobbed. "I was so afraid!"

"It's over now... mommy is here with you..." she held her son whilst he cried. As time went by, he slowly began to settle down.

Professor Slughorn showed up by the door once more, but this time he wasn't by himself. A little kid stood beside him, weeping quietly, gazing at the floor, too ashamed to look at anyone in the face. He wanted to run straight to his mother as well, but he wouldn't dare. Everybody in the room was surveying the boy curiously, except Luna and Lysander, who were still unaware of his arrival. The professor, then, pushed the boy gently, as to encourage him to enter the room, but he stood still. Moreover, the kid stepped back and hid behind his professor, too embarrassed to bear looks of judgement, too guilty to bear looks of indulgence.

"Lorcan Scamander," announced Professor McGonagall. "Please, come in."

Luna and Lysander broke apart upon hearing that. With her eyes, she scanned the entire room for her second son, but couldn't find him. Professor Slughorn, thus, took a step left, revealing the boy, who had been behind him. Sitting on her bed, she studied her son, his eyes full of tears transfixed on the floor, a sight that drove tears to her own eyes as well. She expected he'd dash towards her like his brother, but he didn't. She beckoned him, but he had his feet firmly planted on the floor.

"Lorcan," her weak voice, like earlier, come out cracking. He finally dared to face his mother. Even though she had been crying, she mustered all her power to force a tender smile and spread her arms, welcoming. "Come."

With that, all the fear that had been keeping his feet glued to the ground vanished and he dashed directly to her, sobbing, just like his brother had done moments before. She embraced him firmly and stroked his hair as he shed tears, but didn't say anything. She waited until he broke the silence.

"I never wanted... I... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean... I shouldn't have said all these things..." he paused, sobbing. "I don't think you're a... I should never have called you that. I'm..." they broke off and he glanced at her shyly.

The professors tried to leave silently and unnoticed to give them more privacy, a plot Neville only went through on behalf of his utmost subservience to Professor McGonagall, since for his sake he'd never take his eyes off Luna again, but Lysander's loud refusal at the request to accompany Professor Flitwick put everything to lose. "I don't want to go, I want to stay with my mom!" objected him.

"It's OK," Luna told Lysander tenderly, as everybody else in the room was getting out. "Stay here with mommy."

"I was so scared, I thought I had killed you... I feel... I'm so..." Lorcan continued, sniffing hard. "You should hate me after... well... everything..."

"Don't be silly," she whispered among tears. "How could I ever hate you? I'm your mother."

"Is that so?"

"There's nothing you can do to me to make me hate you, Lorcan."

"I..."

"Would you please promise you will never do something like this again? When you do these things, you break your mother's heart. I love you very much, Lorcan," her voice was soft and soothing, but one could hear a note of pleading. "Please, promise you'll listen to your professors, you won't use magic unduly, you won't harass your brother again." She paused, squeezing his hand. "If you do this, you're going to make me so happy, I won't ever remember what happened today..."

"I love you too, mom. I promise..."

"You swear, Lorcan?" she stared seriously at him. "Then apologise to your brother."

Lysander friendly turned to his brother, expecting an apology, but Lorcan objected, "Mom...! No! Do I really need to?"

"How do I think I feel when you mistreat my other son?"

Lorcan didn't answer, he just resumed crying, fleeing from her gaze. She frowned.

"Mom doesn't love me more than she loves you, Lorcan," Lysander broke the silence. "This is something that does only exist in your head." Lorcan's eyes met those identical that belonged to his twin. Completely puzzled, Lorcan thus searched for the gaze he had just fled from, that of his mother, as if asking for her confirmation that it was true. "I suspect it has something to do with nargles... I bet it'd stop if you'd just wear the amulet, you know?" he grabbed his own butterbeer cork necklace as he said that.

Luna had opened her mouth, but Lorcan spoke before she could do it. "I'm sorry, Lysander, for always giving you a hard time..."

She once more was about to say something, but this time Lysander was the one to outspeed her, "It's okay, it's not you, the nargles are the ones to blame." He tugged his brother into a quick hug that made the other flinch.

"Hum, er... thanks," Lorcan forced a smile.

"So, Lysander, please go back to your common room. Your brother and I have to get going, or your father might be..." she took a little time to choose her words, "worried..."

"Oh, you won't! No, ma'am! Did you hear me say you were discharged?" a furious Madam Pomfrey suddenly emerged out of the blue.

"But..."

"I'll go tell Minerva to owl your husband, don't worry. It's a little late for first-years to stroll by themselves down the corridors, but I'll have Prefects escort them to their houses..."

"He may not go back," Luna explained, gesturing towards Lorcan. "He was suspended from the school."

"He may leave this school if he wants to. You won't. You're my patient. You'll go when I say so, is that clear?"

"I hear... well... I was outside... if you needed me... I thought I could... come in...?" upon hearing Madam Pomfrey's screams, a very uneasy Neville, who had been anxiously waiting outside, eager for an excuse to come in and catch a glimpse of her again, walked in without being invited. "Come on, kid, I'll escort you to Ravenclaw Tower." He beckoned Lysander, who followed him unwillingly.

He thus faced Lorcan and, with a flick of his wand, he conjured a small chair next to Luna's bedside. 'I can't believe I pulled that out first try!' he thought, marvelled by his unexpected success at Transfiguration. "I'll get Horace and Minerva here pronto," he said, heading out of the room with Lysander. "Get well soon, Luna."

As he was leaving, her dreamy voice reached his ears for the last time. "Thank you very much."