Thanks to anyone who reads it. First of all, I should inform you that I have changed some minor things in the previous chapters (see Mr & Mrs Scamander, part I). Most of them regard the time in which some events take place, in order to make this storyline match canon. Hence, Rolf's attack on Lorcan and Luna has taken place 5 years before the current events instead of 4. However, the main story hasn't changed. Besides, the next chapter is already finished. I'll post it 2 weeks from now.
16. Miss Brown
"So, Parvati... let me check if I get it straight... you tell me you're always here, yet you can't communicate... ?"
"No, Neville," Parvati wheezed. "I can't communicate that well specifically with the Elder Monk, but there are several people here who I can speak with. Anyhow, just smile politely and stage a courtesy when you meet anyone, OK?" She explained exactly when a man passed by them, bowing his head, to which Parvati responded likewise, being imitated by Neville and Lysander.
"Sadhvi Patil," an elder man staged a deep courtesy at her. "Your presence here is an honour. And who might be your friends?"
"Bhikkhu Hahn," she bowed even deeper to him. "The honour is all mine. I came to read the dharma as usual."
"We'll be delighted to hear you chant the dharma for us."
Lysander, for his part, staged a bow at a nearly 90-degree angle. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bhikkhu Hahn. This," he pointed at Neville, who bowed deeply as well, "is Anthony Goldstein, Panju's father." Neville had a hard time trying to conceal how astonished he was to hear that. "And I am his close friend from the school, Hugo Weasley. We came to learn more about the dharma."
"Mr Goldstein, we all are very fond of your son. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm glad to meet you as well, young child. Will young Mr Patil be joining us?"
"He will, Your Sanctity," this time, Neville noticed Parvati concealing her embarrassment as well. "But he had a test he needed to study for. We've come ahead of him."
"Very well. We'll be expecting him. Besides, please, call me 'you', young man," he friendly nodded. "I am no better than anyone. Stay as much as you'd like."
"What was that, Lysander!?" Neville muttered to him. "Am I Anthony now!?"
"Well, Hugo always says he'd like to come to the Buddhist temple with Panju one day, so I thought it'd seem unsuspicious for us to be people who are close to Panju... and I knew aunt Parvati couldn't lie," he added, gesturing at her. "It'd be a sin, so I had to think of something fast and speak ahead of her..."
"That's sweet of you, Lysander," she patted his head. "It's actually a pretty good story," Parvati told them, leading the way. "But unnecessary. Monks don't judge. They would feed and treat the wounds of anyone who'd show up asking for help. It could be, for example, someone as nasty as Bellatrix Lestrange... if you ever feel like not answering one of their questions, they won't bother." Her voice tone changed abruptly, sounding giggly as if it were Lavender. "Also, Parvati doesn't mind lying when she needs to, isn't it right?"
"What exactly did you call him, Parvati?" Neville asked, scratching his head.
"Monk."
"And what did he call you?"
"Monk."
"Huh...? But that were too completely different words...!"
"It's Sanskrit, Neville," out of patience, she explained. "Just call anyone Monk."
"Didn't you say the Elder Monk didn't speak English?" Neville asked. "That was neat English to me."
"Oh, he's not the Elder Monk. The Elder Monk is so old no one knows his age. He might be around 200 years old," Parvati corrected him as they arrived at a room. "He speaks Chinese and some Sanskrit. Monk Hahn is much younger than that, he's not even 100 years old. He's from Vietnam."
"Why do you come to the Buddhist temple if you're not Buddhist?" Neville kept on asking. "Why does Panju do the same?"
"I just told you, to read the dharma. There's an enormous library in Sanskrit here," she chucked orange robes at them. "Change clothes. You're drawing attention to yourselves." She dropped her handbag on the floor. "Neville, the muggle device is useless here, there is too much magic around the place. Please, try to contact Ron by patronus. As for you, Lysander, search in Hannah's things as we've discussed. When I come back, we can resume planning."
Parvati had barely opened the door by an inch when she closed it abruptly, causing a loud thud.
"There's a really strange man coming down the hall!" she said in a whiny voice. "I've never seen him here, but I know his face! Maybe he's our enemy...?"
"How could you see through the door...?" Neville asked.
"I've seen nothing, it was Lavender," Parvati interrupted him, sounding like herself this time. "Strange how...?"
"Well," she responded to herself. Neville thought this time Parvati had completely lost her sanity. "Well, first of all, he's... he's white..."
"Wow, Lavender, that's unusual," she sarcastically remarked. "Counting you, we've got only three white people out of four in our group..."
"But... it's strange white! He is so blonde! His hair is so light it blinds when you look at it!"
"Don't tell me...!? Like Lysander's?"
"He's wearing a fancy suit! With a neck-tie and everything!"
"No way...!? Like Neville?"
"I'm serious, Parvati! I've never seen him here... but... but I know him from somewhere else! It's super strange! There's something shady about him, I can sense it! Also... why are his powers so weak? Is he sick?" They heard someone knock on the door. "Oh, Paracelsus, it's him!"
Parvati gestured for them to remain silent with a finger before her mouth.
"Er... excuse me... I'm looking for Madam Patil, Professor Longbottom and Mr Scamander," he announced. "I bring a message."
"How does he know your names...?" Parvati muttered with a frightened expression.
"No idea, Lavender," she wheezed back to herself. "Since you really think he's suspect... then... do what you have to do..." Parvati pointed her wand at Neville, muttering "Silencio," and pulled Lysander into an embrace, cupping his eyes with both her hands.
To Neville's horror, inches from his face, the translucent broken and ravaged body of a seventeen-year-old girl wearing a ragged Hogwarts uniform became visible. Although he could still recognise some familiar features, most of them were brutally torn by major open wounds and slashes. Neville made as if yelling, but no sound came out of his mouth. Parvati had been telling the truth all along, for he had none other than Lavender Brown in the form of a ghost right before his eyes.
Thus, she crossed the closed door at once, speaking in a potent and unsteady tone that vaguely reminded the live Lavender. It was her attempt at a haunting speech. "Turn around and come back from where you came from! I'm warning you! There's nothing for you here! If you don't listen to this warning, the consequences will be severe!"
They could hear sounds coming from outside the room, but the man didn't react at all. After some moments, he knocked on the door again. "Wow, it's chilly in here. I should have worn warmer clothes."
"Nothing!" Lavender returned to the room, her voice now sounding the way it used to be when she was alive. "It's like he doesn't hear me at all!"
"Madam Brown, is that your voice?" Lysander mumbled confused whilst Parvati still covered his eyes with her hands.
"It's me, sweetie. Don't open your eyes."
"Lavander, perhaps could he be a muggle!?" a short-tempered Parvati asked. "You mentioned his powers seem weak, didn't you?"
"A muggle!? Here!? It's impossible! How could a muggle come here in the first place? Muggles can't even see the temple..."
"Er... I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself..." the man spoke from the other side of the door. "We've known each other before, I'm Lampard, Cho Chang's husband."
Parvati stared witheringly at Lavender, who smirked embarrassedly at the other. If she had colour, she would absolutely be blushing. "Uh... er... now I remember where I know him from... you were right, Parvati, he's a muggle... that's why he doesn't see me. I'm so embarrassed," she giggled nervously. At once, she dived back into Parvati's body, disappearing entirely.
"This is an urgent message to the entire British wizarding community," in the centre of the Atrium, Harry Potter read a parchment loudly with his wand to his throat, having a voice reaching the whole building through magical amplification. There were also personnel from the Wizarding Wireless Network in charge of broadcasting the message. "We have reason to believe we're in the imminence of an attack of werewolves. We've discovered that a way for the werewolves to transform themselves at will, even during the day, has been invented. Therefore, we decree a state of emergency as long as this threat is not removed. As long as it is in force, only the Ministry's core functions will be in operation. Please, pay attention to the brochures with instructions on personal safety that have been issued. Thanks for your attention." He non-verbally cast 'Quietus,' heading in the lifts' direction.
"Harry! Harry!" a female voice called him repeatedly from afar. The sound of her heels swiftly tapping the floor increased progressively as she neared him. "Harry!"
She touched his shoulder as she caught up with him. "Hey, Padma," Harry spun in the direction of the elegantly dressed woman, her impeccable pressed pantsuit contrasting flagrantly with her sister's Trelawnish embroidered shawls over her monk robes. "Your arrival is timely. I assume you've heard the announcement, right? Unspeakables will be dismissed during the stage of emergency, but you may enlist yourself to assist in our defences. We'd be glad to have more capable wands in our forces." Anxiously, Harry spoke the quickest he could. "Gotta go, short on time..."
He made as if taking the lift, but Padma stalled him, seizing his arm. "Harry, what's the source of this information? Is this about my sister's sightings?" she asked, uneasily. "Harry, you can't take her word too seriously, she's..."
"She was absolutely correct," Harry interrupted her. "This is not just about your sister's sightings anymore, Padma, I've seen the wolf myself. The entire Auror Office's seen the wolf, the entire Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has seen the wolf... even Anthony has seen it...! If you won't take my word for it, ask him then..."
"Anthony's seen a werewolf...!?" she shivered. Inasmuch as she managed to conceal the true extent of her preoccupation on the outside, on the inside, she felt her heart skip a beat. "How is he?"
"He's not seen it in person, don't worry," Harry clarified. "I'm sorry, but I'm seriously overwhelmed at the moment..."
"Mr Potter!" from a large distance, a young man coming from the fireplaces yelled at him. "Where are they?"
"Scorpius!" Harry waved at him. Some steps ahead of him, Rose, not bothering to greet her own godfather, stormed through the Atrium, her face wrecked by tears. "At her office!"
"Come on!" in a miserable state, her hair shaggier than the mane of a lion, Rose slammed repeatedly the elevator button as though it had the power to make it arrive quicker. "Come on!"
Scorpius nodded at Harry as he reached them, caressing Rose on her arm. "It's fine... they'll be OK... settle down..."
"Don't tell me to settle down!" she hollered at Scorpius, still jamming on the button relentlessly.
"Ishaan!?" Padma almost lost her balance as she spotted her own child slowly approaching them, a sobbing ginger boy shorter than him reeling on his shoulder. "Panju Ishaan Patil, what on earth are you doing here!?"
"Hello, mom. I'm accompanying Hugo," he replied peacefully as he and Hugo joined the group. Unlike his sister, Hugo wasn't anxious or angry but crushed by sorrow. The little that could be seen of the face that he had buried in the taller boy's shoulder was as red as his hair from sobbing. Amid soothing his colleague, for a small second, Panju's eyes rested on Harry. He surveyed the older thoroughly, as though he could see more than just his face.
"What!? I haven't been notified you'd leaving the school, nor have I signed any..."
"Padma," Harry drove her a few steps from there, distancing themselves from the others, and muttered silently to her. "It has begun already... the werewolves attacks... Ron and Hermione were the victims." Her eyes were plagued by terror and incredulity as she heard his words. "They're severely injured."
As both pairs of students promptly hopped into the lift when it arrived, Padma, eager not to lose her child from her sight, hurried to take the lift as well, dragging Harry with her.
"Mom!" Rose jumped desperately in the arms of Hermione, who, despite lying wearily in a small stretcher, was awake, her injuries averagely fixed. Hermione, for her part, emotionally hugged her daughter back. "Dad!" she ran to the other end of the room, where a heavily bandaged Ron lay unconsciously. Rose threw herself upon her father, crying her eyes out at his bedside. Moments later, Scorpius came in as well, seeking to solace the devastated girl.
"Hey. Feeling better?" Harry asked Hermione, nearing her bedside. "Just delivered the speech."
"Thank you," she told him, her eyes closed due to exhaustion.
"You should seriously consider taking some Dreamless Sleep Potion, Hermione. You're absolutely run out... you need to rest..."
"I can't..." she rustled silently so Rose could not hear it. "What if he dies... while I'm sleeping..." she wept quietly. "I'd never forgive myself... I can't lose him, Harry..."
"It's fine," he fraternally embraced her, caressing her back. "Hey, he's not gonna die, OK? Ron's tough... we've been through much worse..."
"Do I hear Hugo's voice?" Hermione asked, scanning for the source of the sound, gazing at the door forthwith. "Did he come?"
"I don't know why didn't he come in here," Harry headed to the door and opened it.
"Please, come along, Panju..." Harry and Hermione could hear Hugo's weepy voice coming from the outside.
"It'd not be polite. I'm not part of the family, Hugo. But I promise you, I've seen him from the outside..."
"Panju...?" Hermione made an effort to raise her voice. "Please... come in... I need to talk to you..."
Hugo ushered into the room, hugging his mother briefly and hurrying to cry at Ron's bedside like his sister. Panju, for his part, had been just about to walk into the room, but Padma pulled him back. "Why exactly do you need to talk to my child, Hermione?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"I need to know if he's seen anything."
"This doesn't exist, Hermione...!" seeking to hide her face contorting itself with anger, Padma blazed into the room without being invited. "Ishaan is not a Seer! This is Parvati's fault, filling my son's head with rubbish! Hermione, I feel horrible about what happened to you, but this doesn't give you the right to..."
"Hello, Madam Granger," disobeying his mother, Panju timidly walked into the room. "I hope you're feeling better. I was just telling Hugo that I can't see any grim above Mr Weasley's head."
"Does it mean... Ron's not gonna die?" Harry hopefully asked.
"No," Panju answered apologetically. "Not necessarily. Maybe it's there and I can't see it. Besides, even if he really doesn't have it, nothing that the Inner Eye catches is bound to happen. The future may be changed."
"Which means... the whole idea of foreseeing the future makes no sense...!" Padma angrily whispered to her son. "Ishaan, please...! I'm taking you home! Come on, bid Hugo goodbye and let's go..."
"However, I must reveal that there's a death omen hovering over your head, Madam Granger," Panju cut his mother off, being careful not to attract Hugo and Rose's attention.
"How come!?" Harry quietly exclaimed, in shock. "Are you foreseeing Hermione's death!?"
"No, Mr Potter," Panju explained. "Her grim is fading. It seems you've overcome death, Madam Granger. Your fortune was to die today, but, somehow, this prophecy was not fulfilled."
"Please, call me by my first name, dear," with difficulty, Hermione sat up on her stretcher, craking a welcoming smile at the boy. "Do you have any idea why it could have happened?"
"I'm sorry, Madam Granger, I mean... Hermione," the boy seemed utterly embarrassed to call her that. "I don't."
Suddenly, Padma began tearing up. Even though she sought to suppress it, tears welled up in her eyes. "My dear son, please... stop this at once... I'm begging you..." she lovingly caressed his hair. "Telling the future is an obsolete and failed attempt at magic... it's not true knowledge..."
"I used to think the same... but... Panju is a Seer, Padma," Hermione mouthed, wearily. "You have to accept your son the way he is."
"I really don't mean to be rude, especially since you're in a delicate situation, but I'm not asking for advice on how to raise my son," short-tempered, Padma retorted.
"Please, don't bother about it, ma'am," Panju politely addressed Hermione. "Since before I was born, it was written that my karma would be that of an outcast."
Before Padma had the chance to object to her son's remark, a miserable Hugo came close to Panju, weeping quietly. "How do you know it's fading?" He had a distressed expression, for, at some point, even though they had sought to be quiet, he had begun overhearing their conversation. "Are you sure about that?"
Affected by his mate's sorrow, Panju sought to comfort him, caressing his shoulder for a brief moment. "Don't worry," he assured him. Thus, he stared deeply at Hermione, "May I touch you, ma'am?"
"Sure, dear," she nodded.
He placed one hand on Hermione's head and clutched his eyes. He remained like that for some moments, until, at once, he opened them widely, so widely it almost resembled Luna's signature bulging stare. However, this time, his eyes were not dark as they usually were, but plain white, as though he didn't have eyeballs at all. In a hoarse voice, the teen rapidly began speaking unintelligible things, until he fall flat on the floor with a loud thud.
Padma and Hugo both knelt on the floor to assist him at the same time. "Panju...!" he yelled, whereas she shrieked, "Ishaan!"
Suddenly, a heavy and long breath echoed in the room, just before Rose yelled in awe, "Dad! You're awake!"
"Hermione... where... are... you...?" Ron panted with difficulty.
"Mom is fine, dad, don't worry...!" Rose sobbed, not letting go of him. "I'm so glad, dad!"
"I'm OK, Ron," Hermione made an effort to raise her voice. "You saved my life..." as Padma and Hugo helped Panju back on his feet, Hermione asked him, curious and concerned at the same time. "Panju, what did you say?"
"Huh..." the boy was still disoriented. "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything... but..." he examined the woman a bit. "There's no grim over your head anymore. It's gone."
"Gone...?" Hugo's eyes widened. "Gone for good?"
Visibly contradicted, with a cracking voice, to everyone's surprise, it was Padma who spoke, "You said... 'There's no soul for you to take here. This woman rightfully belongs to the land of the living. Stop insisting on an outcome that is not possible anymore.'"
"Was I speaking Hindi?" Panju asked his mother, who nodded in response.
Upon hearing that, Hugo almost tackled Panju to the ground by forcefully hugging him. "You've saved my parents! You saved mom! And dad! Dad's waking because of you...!" As he gleamed at his close mate, his eyes shone as bright as diamonds. "Panju, you're the best...!"
"Erm... I actually didn't do anything," somewhat embarrassed, Panju said. "Apparently, my Inner Eye has ordered the omen to fade, but I didn't change the future at all. The omen had already lapsed." He closed his eyes and bowed his eyes, meditating for a second. "Madam, er, Hermione, did you just mention Mr Weasley saved you...? That may actually be the answer. I've sensed no sign that he'd be seriously injured today. Hence, his participation in today's events may be irregular. His interference may have warded off the future most likely to occur." He bowed humbly his head, intimidated by Hermione's stare as she paid extreme attention to every word he said. "Of course, it's just a hypothesis. As I said before, fortune telling is never exact."
With her mind racing, Hermione strived to stand up from the stretcher, moaning in the process, having Hugo hurry in her direction to assist her. She began pacing around as she thought hard about this hypothesis. "This makes very much sense... Ron shouldn't be with me when it happened... that's what's changed the future..." Hermione talked more to herself than to others. "Panju, did you foresee anything else? Maybe other deaths we can avoid?"
"I haven't seen anything on the werewolves' situation. Nor has aunt Parvati. Her findings are the result of aunt Lavender's investigations on the present..."
"Lavender is gone, Ishaan..." Padma mumbled, nudging her son discreetly and fleeing Hermione's eyes. "You have never met her..."
"Madam Patil, I couldn't feel worse for contradicting you," to Hermione's dismay, her son swayed his body to stare dauntingly at Padma. "But Panju is telling the truth. There is a ghost called Lavender who follows his aunt wherever she goes." Ron moaned as he heard that.
Pretending not to be scandalised, Padma straightened herself. "I'm not going to have this argument. You're a child, I'm an adult..."
"I guarantee you," Hermione stared keenly into Padma's eyes. "I'll have my son apologise to you. In case..." she emphasised, "you look straight into my eyes and confirm to me that Lavender is gone for good." Padma tottered, almost falling from her high heels. "Why are you hiding this, Padma?"
"Because..." she gasped, not daring to face Hermione. "You know better than me... it's a felony to have a ghost haunting your house and not inform the Ministry...! I swear, I've been trying for years to convince her to let me register her, but she refuses vehemently... she is so traumatised... she can't stand the idea of showing herself to people... her figure is hideous... she was completely ravaged by Greyback..."
"Padma, settle down..." Hermione amicably touch the other's shoulder, giving her best effort not to tear up as the images of that monster brutally abusing young Lavender insisted on popping into her mind. "It's a minor felony, no one even bothers to enforce this rule... and I'll make sure you're not fined or back taxed, OK? You should have come to me in the first place, I'd have figured something out to register Lavender as a ghost even though she refuses to show herself... I'd have taken your word for it..."
"So... Lavender's always been there? As a ghost?" with much interest, Harry questioned. "She's the one who's found out that Greyback is alive?"
"According to Parvati, from time to time, she receives flashes from his mind..." Hermione explained.
"A ghost with the power of reading the mind of someone most people believe to be dead?" sceptically, Scorpius asked. "It's widely known that you have to maintain eye contact to practice legilimency..."
"Does it seem strange to you, Harry?" knowing the answer, Hermione asked.
"No, Hermione," he brought a hand to his forehead, or better, to his scar. "Not at all. In fact, to me, it makes much sense that Lavender can see inside his mind."
"It does to me as well," Hermione assented.
Panju coughed discreetly, seeking to call attention to himself. "Huh, er... I was about to tell you that I have indeed foreseen one death. There is only one person who I've seen with the grim lately," Panju announced, fleeing everyone's stares. "Professor Longbottom."
"Neville is... out to... save Luna..." to everyone's surprise, Ron mumbled in a faltering voice.
"Dad, please, you need to rest...!" Rose protested.
"We need... to do... something..." Ron continued. "Need to... save... Luna and Neville... from Rolf... and... the wolves..."
"Dad!" Rose panicked. "Don't force yourself to speak!"
"Listen to Rose, Ron," Hermione drew closer to his bedside, smoothing his hair. "We'll find a way to save them. In the meantime, try to rest. You've done enough for today."
Harry lively walked to the centre of the room, standing behind Hermione's desk, and announced, "We have to think together if we want to figure out what to do. So, does anyone have any ideas on how to save Neville?" He glared at his peers hopefully, but no one responded. "Anyone? No ideas...? Panju, since you're the Seer here, how do we avoid a prediction from coming true?"
He opened his mouth slowly, drawing everyone's close attention to himself, but, to everyone's disappointment, he only said, "Er... no idea. Sorry."
"Really? Huh, OK... how about you, Hermione? Anything? Padma, Hugo, anyone...?" Harry sought to encourage people to talk, but everyone shook their heads. "Rose, Scorpius, please, pay attention here as well. Don't you have any thoughts to share...?" Rose and Scorpius also signalled negatively. "Ron, what about you? Don't make an effort to raise your voice, you can whisper to Rose and she can tell us..."
"He says he doesn't know," Rose told everyone.
"Mr Potter, it is virtually impossible to avoid a person's death if we don't know how this person is going to die," Panju spoke, discouraged.
"That's it!" to the boy's astonishment, Harry almost jumped with joy upon hearing his point. "So, we didn't share with you, but we do have an idea of how Neville might die!"
"Well, it's strange to hear you talking about Professor Longbottom's death that excitedly, Mr Potter," Scorpius commented. "But how do you think he will die, then?"
"The one who attacked Ron and me was a person we knew," Hermione said. "It was Luna's husband, Rolf Scamander. He's become a werewolf and we believe his next target might be Neville."
"Are you telling me Lysander's father is now a murderous werewolf!? Who's tried to kill my parents!?" in awe, Hugo yelled. "Why am I the only one who seems surprised by that!?"
"My grandmother... er... doesn't like him..." Scorpius babbled. "I had an idea... huh..."
"I... kinda... the same..." Rose mumbled. "Actually, I'm surprised you didn't suspect anything, Hugo. Anyone could tell something was wrong with aunt Luna. Did you never hear anything strange from Lysander?"
"I am aware of Luna's situation. It's truly sad," Padma said. "Hermione confided it to me years ago."
"I didn't know anything, but I'm always expecting the unexpected," lastly, Panju explained. "Moreover, I had an idea that this Rolf Scamander man wasn't a nice person. He's my father's distant relative, but he dislikes him because he attempted to force himself upon my mother..."
"Ishaan!" Padma scolded. "This is private!"
Most people gazed at her sorrowfully at the revelation. Harry, for instance, knew that it wasn't usual that people unfairly treated Padma as some sort of scarlet woman. Even though there had been famous female Unspekables in the past, such as Levina Monkstanley and Eloise Mintumble, women were stigmatised to be prone to gossip, reason why most Unspekables were male. Ironically enough, her co-workers, the male Unspeakables, tended to be the first ones to talk ill about her behind her back. It didn't help when she got pregnant before getting married, nor that no one knew who was the father of her child initially. When Anthony came back from his time in France claiming to be the father, many doubted it could be true, and that the kid didn't have his last name only fueled the gossip. Nonetheless, Hermione, of all people, didn't seem shocked at all.
"That's why I told her," Hermione was tactful enough to take her eyes off the woman, even though she couldn't completely hide her condescending expression. "She came to me when it happened... asked me to tell Luna... so I told her about the whole situation. She even agreed to help Luna flee the country..."
"You lot don't need to look at me with that pitiful eyes, OK?" uneasily, she stared at the wall, avoiding people's stares. "With a tiny flick of the wand, he ended up fully passed out." She breathed deeply. "How's Luna, Harry?"
"Luna is... in St Mungo's," a downcast Harry informed, to Hugo's further shock. "He's attacked her. Her mental condition has worsened. Physically, she'll be fine, I guess..." he crossed his arms. "Neville is planning on rescuing her from there, to run with her to some safe place, because he believes Rolf or the werewolves might attack her there."
"We just have to contact him and keep him from going there, then," Scorpius suggested. "And to heavily reinforce St Mungo's security. By that logic, there is where the werewolves are most likely to attack."
"He won't... accept... that..." Ron sat up on his stretcher, assisted by Rose. "He'll... storm into the hospital... no matter what. He'll want to... save Luna... even if he dies..." Rose handed him a cup of water, which he drank before continuing. "He's... expecting... to hear from me... about the interrogation. He's promised me... he wouldn't be hasty... but I'd have to... help him... in case... we found out... that the sightings were true..." He paused to rest. "If... I don't... reach out... he'll find out anyway... by the newspapers..."
"Well, I agree that what Scorpius has suggested would be the most rational thing to do..." Hermione mumbled, lost in thought.
Scorpius cleared his throat and continued. "If the werewolves own new harmful magic and are willing to use it against the wizards, St Mungo's would be the perfect place to attack. Places such as Hogwarts, the Ministry and Gringotes can be fully locked down, but St Mungo's needs to remain open 24/7 to anyone who asks for medical help. Besides, it's packed with weak people, all in the same place, easy targets for them."
"You're right, Scorpius. We have strong reason to prepare for war in St Mungo's," Hermione pondered. "However... we can't keep Neville from taking part in it. I kind of understand why he would prefer dying trying to save Luna than living without helping her. Dying for the ones you love is much preferable to losing them... I think he deserves the chance to save her... and..." she sought to conceal the emotion in her voice. "We have to do something for her as well. Luna is our friend. She needs us."
"That's the Gryffindor way, isn't it?" Padma remarked.
"Absolutely," Harry smiled proudly. "The right way."
"Would you like to suggest a Ravenclaw way?" Hermione asked her. "We can't keep Neville from risking his life, but I'd also like to have some kind of strategy..."
"Well, the regular Ravenclaw way would be the one Scorpius has just suggested," she said. "We'll have to go for an unorthodox Ravenclaw way... the Luna way."
Having said that, she tapped her son's shoulder lightly. "Huh!?" Panju, who had been absorbed in his thoughts, was startled by it. "Oh, I'm the unorthodox Ravenclaw...? Right..." he thought for some more moments. "Since Mr Weasley's interference has saved Madam... huh, Hermione, could another person's interference save Professor Longbottom? I mean, the interference of a person who shouldn't be there."
"That's brilliant!" Hugo cried. "You're a genius, Panju!"
"It's a great idea," Harry said. "But... how can we know that the person shouldn't be there?"
"Dad," Hugo called his father. "What made you want to escort mom today? What were you thinking?"
"I..." Ron muttered with difficulty. "I don't... know..."
"You don't know, dad? Don't you remember what you had in your mind?"
"Not... thinking... at all..." Ron wheezed. "Did... because..." falteringly, he gazed at Hermione, "Love... you... immensely..."
Hearing that, Hermione's cheeks became red instantly and she brought her hands to her eyes to dry up the tears that mindlessly came. Padma, for her part, commented, "Oh, most Charm's theorists agree that few kinds of magic could be more powerful than pure magic infused with love... maybe the answer is to plant somebody there that loves Neville immensely."
"Splendid," Scorpius smiled. "That's an amazing idea."
"Potentially problematic, though," still blushing, Hermione brought her hands to her head. "I don't think there's anyone who loves Neville immensely... at least not with the same intensity Ron loves me. Maybe Luna does, but she is... well... incapacitated..."
"Ginny is Luna and Neville's best friend!" Harry said, excitedly. "She's already there. Everything is solved!"
"Is it? If aunt Ginny is already there, she's someone who's meant to be there. She can't actually create an interference..." Rose pointed out.
"Oh, right..." Harry looked down. "But what if we told Ginny to take Luna and storm out of there with her right away? That way Neville wouldn't need to do anything. I know it's a crime to take a sick person from the hospital, but everyone knows she's related to you and me," he gazed at Hermione, "people would feel intimidated and wouldn't stop her."
"It'd be extremely burdensome for Ginny to do it on her own without any kind of plan. To do it undisguised, under everyone's eyes, she'd instantly become a criminal," Hermione retorted. "Let's not forget we're in a state of emergency. St Mungo's is packed with people authorised to use force at the slightest sign of disturbance. There's no way we can guarantee Ginny won't be attacked." Bringing his hands to his face, Harry sighed. "Also, the legal and institutional cost would be immense. We could lose our posts amid the worst crisis since the..." she glanced at Scorpius, "Delphini crisis," Scorpius blushed. "It's essential that we prepare to fight a war in St Mungo's and save as many lives as we can there. We can't afford to be ousted from our posts. Neville at least has been planning on how to do it stealthily." She picked up her wand and waved it in the air, conjuring her bright otter. "I'm letting Ginny know of the situation. She needs to be updated."
"Then... then I should go... you both are injured, I am the only one available... I... Neville and I share that prophecy about Voldemort... that could have been either about him or me..." Harry rambled out loud. "When Neville died in the alternative future, I died as well... maybe... we're linked? Maybe I'm bound to save him...? Am I not like... the Chosen One...? Also, Ginny is already there, isn't she? She is the one I love... I should join her... Hermione, what do you think?"
"Huh... I guess..."
"You don't sound so sure, mom," Hugo said.
"Well... if you're honestly asking if I believe that you're the answer, Harry, then my answer would be a sound 'no'. You have a thing for saving people, y'know? Not only people you love, but everyone, actually. You even made us save Malfoy back in the Room of Requirement, remember? Huh, no offence, Scorpius," she added, blushing slightly.
"None taken," he politely giggled.
"Neville is not just anyone!" Harry objected. "Besides, what about Ginny being there?"
"It makes sense that everyone stands with the person that one loves immensely," Panju suggested. "In your case, your wife, Mr Potter."
"Precisely!" Harry cheered. "You're very wise, Panju."
"Fine," Hermione sighed, resigned. "As Scorpius cleverly noted, we have more than enough legal reasons to reinforce St Mungo's security even further, so... I'm officially assigning you to the task, Harry. You'll be on the field guarding the hospital, whilst Ginny keeps Luna company in her room. How do you feel about it?"
"Totally for it!" a determined Harry nodded.
"But... it still doesn't seem like the answer..."
"Neville's grandmother...?" Rose suggested. "I know his mother is not a possibility, she's too weak, but his grandmother surely loves him immensely."
"Erm..." Hermione mumbled. "I think this is as good as it gets. Augusta might be the person who loves Neville the most."
"Padma..." Ron called. "You... believe... maybe... your sister... loves... Neville...?"
"You mean, as more than a friend?" she asked, puzzled. "I'd really doubt it. She is fond of the idea of Luna with Neville."
"No chance," Panju added. "Except for the alcohol, aunt Parvati has renounced the passions of this world to pursue the enhancement of her spirit."
"Then... why... is she... tagging... along...?"
Padma stood completely still, paralysed and bewildered, for some moments. "How come?" was all she managed to force herself to say.
"He asked if you know why she's tagging along," Rose repeated, figuring that Padma didn't understand his question due to his struggle with speaking.
"Who is she tagging along with?" Padma stonily asked, her face more translucent than that of the ghost of Lavender Brown.
"Neville..." Ron murmured.
"You. Knew. That. My. Twin. Sister," with every word she spoke, she'd become madder, shaking more and more each second. "The. Only. Person. I. Can. Count. On. For. Everything! The. Person. Who. Has. Helped. Me. Raise. My. Child," she stared daggers at Ron whilst pacing frantically around the room. "Was. With. Someone. Who. Has. The. Grim." She was now so furious that Panju thought it wise to hold her. "And. You. Only. Tell. Me. NOW!?"
"Didn't... tell...?" apologetically, Ron sufferingly said. "Thought... had told... sorry..."
"Mom, don't worry," he caressed her shoulder as she burst into tears. "Aunt Parvati is always in the company of someone she loves immensely, aunt Lavender."
"Also, I thought you didn't believe fortune telling, ma'am," Hugo teased, being promptly pierced by Hermione's and Panju's reproachful eyes.
"Panju," Hermione called him. "Do you possibly know anything about your aunt's future?"
"I avoid seeing my aunt's future, huh, Hermione," he answered. "My Inner Eye is aware that it's too much for me to handle. At times, I close it. I couldn't bare to foresee my aunt's death... nor my parents'..." his eyes rested on Hugo, but he didn't dare to say out loud that he avoided foreseeing his future too. "Some Seers have gone mad for predicting disasters they weren't emotionally ready to know about. Besides, I suspect my aunt has been concealing her fortune for a while."
"Concealing her fortune...?" Harry asked. "How's that?"
"When Seers conceal their fortune, no one can foresee anything related to them. On the other hand, this Seer can't foresee anything about anyone," to everyone's surprise, it was Hermione who explained. "As if this Seer's Inner Eye was constantly closed." Hermione scowled roughly as realisation dawned upon her. Cautiously, gazing condescending at Padma, she decided to share her conclusion. "Parvati must have foreseen her own death. That's why she's concealing her future from Panju. And possibly from Professor Trelawney as well." She sympathetically placed a hand on Padma's shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Padma."
"It makes sense," Hugo rushed to Panju's side to solace him, but he remained calm. "She believes her fate is to free aunt Lavender's soul and help her pass to the other side. She must be accompanying Professor Longbottom under the impression that this way she may finally defeat the wolf who has murdered her friend. She must believe her fate is to die in the process."
Padma sniffed hard. "So, Harry, are you coming or not?"
"Huh...?"
"It's obvious, no? I'm off to save my sister," Padma drew her wand as if getting ready to fight. "I'm heading there right now. I won't accept losing her." She said, resolutely. "Where's she right now? Does anyone know?"
"Did Neville tell you that, Ron?" Harry asked.
"They're at... a monastery..."
"Where?"
"I don't... know."
"There are hundreds of monasteries in Britain, Ron! Didn't you even ask if it's in England?"
"Harry, please, don't yell at Ron," Hermione reprimanded him. "Also, I reckon it must be a Hindu monastery. Which narrows it down."
"Mr Weasley, did he say monastery or temple?" Panju asked.
"Is... there... difference...?"
Hermione glanced reproachingly at him due to his lack of respect for other people's cultures, but couldn't bring herself to call him out due to his delicate situation. Panju, for his part, answered nonchalantly, "There are temples that are also monasteries, but not every monastery is a temple. If Professor Longbottom said monastery, most Hindu temples in Britain and Ireland, which are indeed plentiful, wouldn't qualify."
"That's a start," Hugo said.
"I imagine they may be headed to the Buddhist temple instead, which is also a monastery," Panju continued. "It'd be the perfect place to hide, for it's only accessible to wizards and it's heavily protected. Also, its exact location isn't widely known."
"You might be right, Panju," Padma nodded. "It's quite harsh getting there. Also, there may be the only wizarding place that would fit in the category of a non-christian monastery."
"That's a sure bet," Hugo joyfully agreed. "How did you find it out so quickly? Did you predict that?"
"That's a field of fortune telling I'd call... er... guessing."
"Will you... go there...?" Ron asked, wearily gazing at Padma. "Inform... them... Rolf's... a werewolf... please... and that... Luna... is in danger... and keep... Lysander... safe..."
"If you tell me the exact location, Madam Patil, I'd be glad to head there myself," Scorpius volunteered. "I'm looking forward to helping."
"The only problem... I've never actually been there," Padma answered. "After all, I'm not Buddhist. On top of it, it's a remarkably hard spot to reach. From the point where one can apparate to the temple, one has to climb up for more than an hour."
"I believe I could lead the way there in case someone could take me to that point, but where exactly is that point I wouldn't know," Panju added. "My aunt Parvati always apparated there with me. I'm sorry."
"However..." Padma thought out loud. "I reckon I have a friend who knows how to get there. She'll help us."
"That's one less problem!" Hugo celebrated.
"What about Augusta?" Rose reminded them. "Will anyone reach out to her? I know where she lives, I could pay her a visit..."
"You'd better stay here with your parents," Panju advised. "Our best chance to save lives is to stay with the ones we love immensely."
"Panju is right," Hermione agreed. "Anyone disagrees that our strategy should be to stay with the ones we love?" No one objected. "Then, huh, Scorpius, you said you wanted to help, so why don't you enlist yourself to assist in our defences? Your father has done it. He must be in the Auror Office right now. You should partner up with him." He nodded. "Harry, as we've discussed, please, lead the reinforcement of St Mungo's. I stress you try to partner up people who are fond of each other for that task, such as Dean and Seamus, Scorpius and Draco..."
"Understood."
"Padma, what do intend on doing? Are you heading to the temple to meet them?"
"I'll have my friend contact Parvati and Neville and tell them to meet with me near the hospital's entrance."
"Good, good," she approved. "When we're done here, could you write down the exact meeting location on a piece of paper? I can't promise anything, but I'll try to reach out to Augusta by my fireplace. In case I can talk to her, I'll tell her to meet with you there."
"Sure."
"As for us," she gestured at her own family. "We'll stick together in my office, supporting each other while your father is injured, right? As a family..."
"I kind of expected I could help... why can't I partner up with Scorpius?" Rose asked, reaching out for his hand, as he gleamed at the young woman. "I'm already of age... and I want to enlist myself to fight..."
"We need you here, Rose," Hermione replied. "I've assigned all my guards tasks. You're the only healthy adult in our family who we can trust to defend us, dear."
"Right," she neared her feeble father. "I won't let anything else happen to you, dad."
"Then we're settled," Hermione announced. "I dearly thank you for your assistance. It won't be forgotten. It's an honour to work with all of you." For a moment, she forgot she was talking to her family and friends and spoke in her Minister for Magic solemn voice tone.
"The honour was mine..." before Padma could actually take leave, Panju gave her his arm as if he meant to accompany her. "Dear, I'm so sorry, but I really need to go..." she lovingly kissed his forehead. "I promise I'll be back... and I'll bring your aunt Parvati with me."
"I understand, mom. I'm going as well."
"Definitely not!" she exploded. "You're 15 years old, Ishaan! Why would you think you'd be coming to rescue your aunt from a werewolf attack!?"
"Well... I assumed... we had decided to stick with the people we love immensely, no? For me, it means... you."
"I..." deeply touched, she enveloped him in a warm hug, fighting back her tears. They had so many unspoken words between them, but she didn't want to sound as though she wouldn't be coming back. "Ishaan, you're the best child a mother could have. You've never been an outcast. I have always wanted you, just the way you are." The teen hugged her back. "But... I'm so sorry, this time, I need to leave you. I need to take your aunt back... and I can't take you with me."
"He may stay with us, can he, mom?" Hugo's face lighted up. "I love you immensely, Panju." The taller, suddenly taken over by acute self-consciousness, who had already parted up from his mother, tugged her back into a hug and hid his face in her chest. "You'll be safe here with me."
"Of course," Hermione warmly said. "You're very dear to all of us. We'd love to have you keeping us company."
"Thank you, Hermione, but... where's Anthony...?" Padma asked.
"He should be in his office," Harry informed. "The entire Department of Magical Transportation is working normally. It's a core function. We need him to monitor the floo network."
"Then, Ishaan, please, stay with Anthony. No matter what, don't leave his side, nor let him do anything reckless. Do you understand?"
He respectfully bowed his head to his mother. "If that's your wish, mom, I'll be in his office praying for your ready and safe return."
"So, Mr Cho Chang," Parvati said, but Neville knew it was Lavender. "How exactly did you reach the temple? It's kind of... invisible to muggles, isn't it?"
"With this," he brandished car keys in front of them, to which everyone stared in bewilderment. "Oh, these are car keys, in case you don't recognise it." Lampard specified when he noticed everyone's puzzled faces. "And this," he showcased his phone, "Google Maps. There's a pretty well-tended path that leads to this region, did you know? It's not paved, but it's quite passable. There's no need for an off-roader." He pocketed the items. "The temple is just like Hogwarts. You can't view it from the outside, but, once you're in, it becomes visible to muggles. Since I've been here several times, the monks are already familiar with me. They detected my presence in the area, came out and escorted me in."
"Wow, they must take you in high regard," Parvati or Lavender, possibly the latter, was mildly surprised. "You're probably a very spiritual person."
"Not at all, I'm not that religious, but I come here from time to time. Since my wife is Monk Chang's great-great-great-grandniece, her great-grandfather began bringing her here when she was a little kid..."
"Are you telling me..." Parvati, now sounding like herself, brusquely interrupted the man, "that the Elder Monk is Cho's great-great-great-granduncle!?"
"Well, more or less that... I'm not sure about the exact number of 'greats'," he chuckled. "However, don't tell me you didn't know...? She was sure you knew! Padma surely knows... Cho always tells her how everyone here is fond of her son..."
"Wow, what a coincidence," Neville mocked, sarcastically. "Cho Chang is related to Monk Chang!" Neville emphasised the last name. "What are the odds?"
"As far as I'm concerned, there could be millions of Changs in the world! Not every last name is like Longbottom, of which you're the last man standing..."
"Well, something that I've learned from marrying Cho is that, in the case of wizards, when you have the same last name, you're usually related," Lampard pointed out. "Y'know, there are much fewer of you than of us... but... anyway..." he cleared his throat. "Here is the message." He handed them a tiny piece of paper. However, as Neville outstretched his hand to take it, he pulled it back. "Madam Patil should read it first. This is the chivalrous thing to do." Parvati stared daggers at Neville, an unspoken sign of reproach that he suspected came from Lavender. "Or... do you prefer to be called Monk Patil?"
"Just Parvati," she answered, not really paying attention, for she had her eyes transfixed on the note.
Parvati,
First of all, in no hypothesis let Neville read the note before you do. Find a nice way to tell him about the content of the last paragraph.
Second, everything was true. There is some kind of potion that the person injects into oneself with a syringe and in a few moments transforms into a werewolf. Rolf is a werewolf himself and he almost killed Ron and Hermione earlier this morning. They're injured, but haven't been infected with lycanthropy and will survive.
St Mungo's is likely to be attacked. The Ministry is readying itself to defend it. You both need to save Luna from there. Her physical injuries have recovered enough for her to survive outside the hospital. Harry will be there himself guarding the hospital, alongside a team of guards. He and other trustworthy colleagues are expecting your arrival and will cover you up, as well as Mediwitch Paige and Hannah's friends. Ginny is in Luna's room, its number and its exact location are on the back.
Lastly, as you may have suspected, you both have an omen of death over your heads. Hermione also had it, but, according to Ishaan, she's overcome death and the future most likely to occur was repelled. We've been trying to figure out a way to avoid your deaths as well. Hence, don't come in on your own, meet with reinforcements in the location I also specify on the back. Hurry there. My uncle and the other monks will watch Lysander.
P.S.: Sorry for not coming personally, I'm overwhelmed with work. I'm representing Artemis Scamander, seeking to remove Lorcan from Hogwarts. Furthermore, I'm trying to figure out how to make your felonies seem legal. On top of all that, I have to find a criminal legal assistant for Narcissa Malfoy.
Cho Chang
"Thank you so much," Parvati nodded at him, seeking to ignore the sound of Lavender sobbing and yelling in her mind. "You have no idea how much you've helped us."
"Oh, I believe I can help a little more," he smiled at them, handing her a tiny object. "If you need anything, down the mountain there's a landline. You may contact my wife and me by that number."
It was a tiny refrigerator magnet. "It's so beautiful. It's Themis, the greek goddess of justice." Parvati wondered at it. "Chang and Lampard Legal Firm," she read out loud.
"It's the phone number of our muggle office in London," he detailed. "It's safe to reach for us there." Thus, he began taking various books out of his bag. "And these books were found by the Ministry in Mr Lovegood's house. According to him, a capable American witch well versed in Defence shipped it to Luna all the way from there."
"Could it be my great-grandmother Tina?" Lysander cheerfully asked.
"It might, child," he confirmed. "Porpentina Goldstein is her name."
"Oh..." Parvati stared suspiciously at the books. "So... she's related to... him...?"
"She's an amazing person, aunt Parvati," Lysander assured. "She's nothing like my dad. Nor is my great-granddad Newt. They're the best. She'd never do anything to hurt my mother."
"Huh..." Neville sensed Lysander's puppy eyes on him as if asking for his opinion on the matter. "It's true, Parvati. The Scamanders are mostly nice people. For instance, Lysander here is the best, right, kid?"
"I learned first-hand that the Goldsteins, for their part, are not," Parvati argued, not managing to conceal her resentment completely. "The way Anthony's mother usually treat my sister... as if she were some sort of... as if she had no value at all... she has repeatedly humiliated her..."
"They're important, Parvati," Lampard insisted. "One of them may contain the right counter-curse to cure Luna. She has marked the pages that may be of interest, as well as underlined the enchantments that she believes to be likely to work."
Neville swung her wand in the book's direction, storing them in a short wooden box in the corner of the room. "My most sincere thanks. We'll keep them."
"My wife will be coming to visit you tomorrow," he shook everyone's hands lively. "I wish you the best of luck."
Moments later, Neville stared expectantly at Parvati, eager to read the message. However, she didn't hand it to him immediately. "Neville, would you be up to do what we're about to do even if we ended up dying?"
"No matter what," he answered.
"Are you sure of that?"
"Couldn't be more sure."
"What if I told you I had foreseen our deaths?"
"I'd answer you must have been drinking. Why do you ask?"
"I must know that I haven't. My Inner Eye has been closed for months." Her head almost exploded as Lavender screeched in her mind. "You may now read the note."
Neville and Parvati had already left Lysander and the temple behind. They had been walking for a few minutes, seeking to reach the point where they could finally apparate, but, suddenly, Parvati planted her feet on the ground and frantically burst into tears.
"Parvati...? What is it?" Neville asked. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Lavender!" she corrected him. "Yes, there is something wrong! I'm furious! Furious!"
"Huh, Lavender... er... why don't you speak to us... out here...? I'd like to hear your own voice again."
"Because I'm hideous!" she cried even harder. "I don't want anyone seeing me! Thanks for reminding me of that, Neville! You made me feel even worse!"
"You don't have to show yourself...! You... can make yourself invisible, right? I only want to hear your voice, that's all..."
"This is my voice now! This body is my home!" Parvati's body yelled. "It's as mine as it is Parvati's!"
"Huh... the only problem is that... Parvati needs her body to speak, right? You don't..." Neville sought to be as nice as he could. "Maybe you can hear her thoughts, but I don't... for me, it's sort of confusing..."
Suddenly, Parvati stopped crying at once, turning as calm as if she hadn't been crying, and a moaning voice emerged out of nowhere. "Fine!" Lavender's voice snapped. "I'm not going! You're not going!"
"I'm not...? No, I'm definitely going!" Neville assured.
"Lavender," Parvati calmly said. "Listen to me..."
"I'm done listening!" Lavender shrieked. "You've been concealing your fortune from me!? You've been lying to me all along!?" Sobbing could be heard. "I've changed my mind! I don't want to do this anymore!"
"Lavender..."
"For months I've been trying to ask the future to the crystal ball and... I can't foresee anything! I thought had lost my ability to foresee the future!"
"Lavender, I never intended it to affect your abilities as well... on the contrary," Parvati resumed walking, and Neville hurried followed her. "I expected I could pretend to have foreseen the same omens as you, so Professor Trelawney wouldn't realise anything..."
"To begin with, how could you foresee your own death!?" Lavender screeched. "We never had such power!"
"I didn't... Sybill did, Lavender..." Parvati explained. "She prophesied that and, as usual, she forgot about it moments later. When she came back to her senses, I omitted the true extent of its content to her... I told her she had foreseen we'd successfully defeat the wolf..."
"You made us nourish false hopes!" Lavender snapped. "I... I can't afford to let you die, OK?" Lavender wept. "I just can't... what will be of me without you...?"
"That's precisely why we need to do it," Parvati pleaded. "I'll die eventually, Lavender. I don't want to die and leave you alone. You need to pass to the other side." She sighed. "I'm not afraid of dying, Lavender. It's fine."
"It's not fine! I couldn't bear to watch you die the way I did! It's too painful!"
"I'm ready for it, Lavender. I'm at peace with myself."
"How did you even manage to conceal it from me!? I'm inside your head almost all the time! How can you manage to control which of your thoughts I have access to...?"
"Meditation," simply, she said.
"Ah-ha, so that's the reason why you stopped being a sloppy monk these past months!"
"Huh? Who did you call a sloppy monk?" Parvati asked as if she couldn't believe her ears.
"It's an understatement!" Lavender burst with rage. "You're the worst monk I've ever met! Since when is living a simple and mendicant the same as being supported by your wealthy sister's gold!?"
"I don't carry any gold of my own and live off the people's charity! What difference does it make if it is my sister's charity or someone else's!?"
"A real monk would've cut ties with its family!"
"Oh, really!? A real monk would have also cut ties with you!" Parvati furiously spat, coming to a halt. Lavender was heard weeping. Seeming to have regretted what she said, Parvati resumed walking a second time and softened her tone. "Lavender, if you don't want to go, it's fine. You're your own being and you don't need to accompany me. But you must know that I'm going."
"I'm my own being!? I'm my own being!?" Lavender desperately screeched. "I'm worried sick about you, begging you not to put yourself in danger, crying my heart out for you... and you... you... you dare to..." she sniffed, "blow me off!?"
"I'm not blowing you off, Lavender," Parvati strived not to lose her cool. "Even in case you've given up facing the wolves, I'm saving Luna. Did you forget why you wanted to catch him when you first had that dream? Did you forget that it was to save innocent people from facing the same fate as you? Did you forget you wanted to save Ronald!?" Lavender moaned upon hearing that. "Well, I haven't...! As far as I'm concerned, Luna's had a terrible life and someone has to help her! And whereas your adored Ronald is between life and death, Greyback is on the loose and out to get him!" Her temper began worsening again. "If you won't fight, Neville and I will! Even if we die! Are you a Gryffindor or a chicken!?"
"I'm not a chicken!" Lavender retorted, in a quivering tone. "I never said I don't care about Luna... or Won-won..."
"You need to come along, Lavender. That's what we do. We're Gryffindors," Neville jammed his hand in his bag. "And I forgot to show you both this." From it, he pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor. "Reducto!" He mightily bellowed, pointing the sword at a humungous rock as if it were a wand, and, with a deafening noise, it became dust, causing the ground to shake with all the destructive force.
"Neville! You'll cause an earthquake!" Parvati brought her hands to her head.
"I'm sorry!"
"But..." moments later, when the ground had settled down, Parvati said, "that was pretty strong magic. How did you do it?"
"I did the same as with a wand. The sword absorbs that which makes it stronger. It carries more magical properties than the core of a wand. But... it's also a dangerous artefact. It's packed with dark magic. Even dark magic from You-Know-Who himself."
"Wow... that's..."
"If I really die, don't let them take the sword. It's our secret weapon. Wanna give it a try?"
"Thanks. It'll come in handy," Parvati brandished it whilst carrying her handbag with her other arm. "It'll help me finally quit being a sloppy monk. I'll dispose of all of my worldly goods at once." With all her strength, she chucked the handbag in the air, aimed carefully at it with the sword and sent it flying with a charm. Then, she prepared herself to cast the Reducto Curse, but, as she was halfway through pronouncing the enchantment, her own body bellowed, "No! Parvati, you're out of your mind! Neville, take it back!"
"Accio!" Neville hollered, and the handbag changed its course to land safely in both his hands.
"I'd normally remind you not to use my body without my permission, but never mind," Parvati peacefully said. "Lavender, I've come to terms with the idea that I don't belong to this world anymore. It's time to dispose of material things and cut ties with my beloved ones. As you just reminded me, I should've done it long ago. But it doesn't mean I'm shutting you out. I could never cut ties with you... because you don't belong to this world either." Handing the sword back to Neville, she took a deep breath. "You need to understand it as well. Our place is not here."
"I..." whiny, Lavender mumbled. "No... I don't want that... I'm so sorry... I never meant to make you feel this way... I should have never called you a sloppy monk..."
"Lavender," Neville addressed her, staring randomly as he walked. "I'm sorry I didn't believe in you all these years. You must know we were all deeply saddened by your death." He paused, trying to choose the best words. "But Luna's always believed in you." He pocketed the sword. "We need you to come with us. You're our secret weapon as well. If you're not there, we're even more likely to die." Lavender showed herself, her teary face buried in her hands. "Are you in?" She nodded, diving yet again into Parvati's body.