Chapter 9: Dream big
Walking to the room of requirement tonight, Luna was feeling disheartened. There was suddenly an external pressure on her to find and destroy the Horcrux' before Voldemort got to her. The other more jealous Slytherins were making up all sorts of horrible rumours of why she was out so late at night. They all involved her jumping from bed to bed around the school, but Luna was getting used to brushing off the nastiness she received. Luna thought she could put up with the rumours and hours searching for the diadem though, her Dad had only been willing to give up his life. It was a small price to pay.
The longer Luna was here in this time, the more she realised how much she could change. A selfish part of her wanted to not change anything to get her family back just the way they were. Her family was the way they were because of what had happened to them. She knew her Dad deserved to have a great upbringing though, given all he had given to her and her siblings. So she had started that journey for them today by causing such a scene about Voldemort and Pettigrew. So it was heartbreaking for her knowing she would see her family again but they wouldn't be hers and it wouldn't be the same, especially if she was successful in what she was doing.
Contemplating these things she heard a soft whimpering sound quietly coming from down the corridor. She paused when she saw it was a young boy who couldn't be older than twelve sobbing into his arms. It was the picture of innocence, a small boy hugging his knees with his head rested against them shaking from the deep breaths he was taking in. He looked tiny in comparison to the large arched corridor he was seated in and Luna may not have seen him if he weren't making a noise. Seeing this young boy she was filled with compassion with him being so young and by himself.
Luna knelt down in front of where he was sitting leaning against the wall and said "Hi.."
The boys head snapped up and his eyes flickered down to Lunas tie and his expression instantly changed to anguish. "Take it alright, I don't want it any more," he said sadly with a shake in his voice and thrust his wand out towards Luna.
It took Luna a moment to respond because of shock from what the boy had asked. "No, I just wanted to see if you were ok? Did some one already come and try to take it from you?" Luna asked softly being concerned for the boy.
"Oh, I just assumed you were one of them. Yeah they came and took my books and wanted my wand but I said I didn't have it with me last time," he said dejectedly.
Luna leaned against the same wall and slowly slid down to sit next to the boy and leaned her head backwards to rest on the wall. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Did they hurt you otherwise?" Luna asked gently.
"No, they just shoved me and told me I was a Mudblood who didn't deserve to be here," his voice trembled as he finished suppressing tears.
Luna looked at him sadly and said, "hey it's ok,' while putting her hand on his shoulder to console him.
"You know I think the muggle born head girl would have something different to say about that."
"Is Lily a muggle born?" He asked surprised.
"Yeah and I'll deny it if you tell any one I said this but she's the most talented Witch in the school, which goes to show what they said isn't true. You have every right to be here, your blood status has nothing to do with how far you'll go," Luna said encouragingly but still in a gentle manner as the boy was still crying.
"You really think so?" He asked seriously.
"I know so," Luna said with a slight grin.
"It doesn't matter anyway because I don't have any books to learn from now and my Dad can't really afford to get me any more," he said with his eyes downcast.
Luna sighed and decided to drop her Slytherin facade completely. "Hey, don't let that be a reason to give up. Come on lets go to the Owlery and send for some more. I have some galleons on me to spare."
"What?" He looked surprised. "Aren't you the girl who sold robes during summer? How do you have the money?" He asked in confusion.
Luna smiled, word gets around fast here. "Yeah that's me. You're worth it though, even if I don't have much. A magical education is really important."
"I can't take it from you. Really it's fine," He replied earnestly.
"Nonsense. Come on let's go," Luna said reaching out and grabbing his hand to pull him off the ground not taking no for an answer. "You can get me back one day when you're a hugely successful Wizard from all your hard work," Luna said with a big smile. "Hey I might even start a shelf like Slughorn. You can be the first person on it," Luna said laughing to herself.
"Thanks Luna. I thought I was going to have to go home tomorrow and give it all up. You know, I'll be honest, I kind of thought everyone in Slytherin was nasty until now," he said like the twelve year old he was without meeting her eyes.
"Yes well tell anyone what I did here and I'll deny it. I have a reputation to uphold being the Parsel mouth 'Queen of Slytherin' and all that," Luna said with a mocking tone.
"Why pretend to be something you're not?" He asked with curiosity in his voice.
Luna had to pause at this and think over her reply carefully. "That's a really good question actually. I guess I'm scared of being here too," she said honestly.
"Really!? You're scared? I didn't think being the best looking pureblood girl in Slytherin who is a parsel mouth to boot could get scared," he said with raised eyebrows.
"Ever since I came here everything I know and that is familiar has been stripped away from me and I've been thrown into the middle of a place where people have known each other for years. I'm a complete outsider. If that's not bad enough the place I've been thrown is in the middle of a war, as you saw a glimpse of earlier tonight. People are prepared to judge me without even knowing who I really am. Most of all though I miss my family. I keep waking up thinking this was all just a bad dream but it wasn't." By the end of Lunas confession a single tear slid down her own cheek and she sniffed in to try and disguise her crying. It was futile though. The boy reached over as they were walking and patted her on the back.
"Hey it's ok, you know you don't have to pretend to be strong any more for me. You just saw me cry my guts out too," he said laughing despite his watery eyes.
Luna turned her head and smiled at the boy and said quietly "thanks."
"You know you don't have to be a complete outsider any more. I'll be your friend. Heck when I'm older I could even be your boyfriend," the boy said with excitement and Luna was reminded of how Teddy had probably responded to her at a similar age.
Luna chuckled at the last part and said with a huge grin, "you know I'm really flattered you say that. The age gap is just a bit big though don't you think? Seven years. You are the best offer I've had so far though and almost all the sixth and seventh year Slytherins have asked," she said scrunching up her nose at the last part.
"Really!?" He asked in the same curious young kid voice that he had used before. "Why say no to all of them?" He asked.
"Well as you saw before, a lot of them are bullies. Asides from what impression I've made on people, I don't really believe an ounce of their bigotry and pure blood rubbish. I pretend to agree with it all or I would be even more scared than I am right now living in the dungeons with them. Being an insider gets you certain information as well about Death Eaters that I can use to my advantage hopefully. I really can't believe all the horrible things I heard about them over the summer" Luna explained simply to the boy.
"You know that's really brave of you to be playing a double agent. You should have been a Gryffindor instead," he said firmly.
"I wish. I even threatened to burn the hat if it put me in Slytherin, but it said I needed to be there." Luna explained sadly.
"Anyway enough about me, I don't think I caught your name before," Luna stated.
"I'm Tommy Macmillan, and I'm a halfblooded but really a muggle born, because my Mums not around any more." Tommy said the last part a little too quickly.
"You mean just Tommy, you shouldn't have to mention your blood status when you introduce yourself. I'm so sick of being nagged by everyone the past couple of days being asked about how pure my blood was." Luna said in an irritated voice, her voice then softened as she said, "I'm sorry to hear about your Mum though Tommy, that must have been tough."
"You're right, I'm Tommy and I'm a wizard," Tommy said more proudly, then he carried on saying, "yeah it was, but I know she's in a much better place now. In fact it's so much better, she wouldn't want to come back. Not because she doesn't miss me, but because of how great heaven is.
Luna smiled and said, "and don't you forget it." The two walked in silence contemplating these things up the stairs to their destination.
The Owlery was bustling with activity when the two arrived. The best time to go to the Owlery was always at night, when they were most alert. Owls could be seen picking on one another feathers, chirping and flying around in pairs looking as happy as ever. They all were happily playing together, and clicking their beaks at one another. Not one owl was left to the side or lonely Luna thought to herself with a twinge of hurt thinking about her circumstance but smiled to herself when she saw Tommy stroking one of the school Owls. She handed Tommy some paper and a quill from her bag to write out a list of books he would need, and gave him a bag of galleons for him to count out what he needed. Luna pulled the guitar she had 'accidentally' walked out of Dumbledores office with earlier from her extendable bag and began to play. When she played a song about having to do it all alone, making a living, making a home she thought of Tommy's father and her real Dad. Tommy's father had to raise him all by himself, and her Dad had to make a living and home without coming from a real family. Her sacrifice here would change all of that for her Dad though, and it was this thought that gave her a sense of peace from her wild actions earlier and the crazy day she'd had. Life felt so much more simple when she sang about Butterflies flying away in the moonlight with the owls swooping around happily, and knowing she had done a good deed today. After Tommy had sent one of the school Owls, he sat next to Luna and was keen to just be for a while and listen to the music and watch the Owls. They sat there for a long time enjoying the quiet and darkness away from the castle. Tommy felt quietly determined hearing Luna sing about taking his dreams and making them all come true. He was going to do just that, he wasn't going to give up like he had said earlier, he was going to go all the way through school. After the song had finished, Luna looked over at Tommy and said gently, "You know Tommy, you've done more for me tonight than you'll know, definitely more than what I've done for you."
Tommy gave Luna his innocent smile and said cheerfully, "glad I could help." Little did the two know that the most had been done for the person behind them standing under an invisibility cloak watching the scene.
Sirius stood at a distance, completely mesmerised by Luna's voice. He got completely lost in it like he couldn't earlier with others staring at him in the potions class. It was soft and delicate and she hit every note with perfection. It wasn't just textbook singing though, it was something Sirius couldn't put words to himself, the way she put her soul into the words she was singing with conviction. Sirius just leaned back and let the words wash over him as he watched not wanting the moment to end. Dumbledore was absolutely right when he said it was beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful thing he had heard. He was beginning to think the person who had it wasn't far off either. It had touched Sirius deeply seeing Lily support the young Muggleborn. Sirius had originally followed the two because he feared for the young mans safety, but this notion was quickly quashed. She was so gentle and motherly towards him. Everything his own mother wasn't. She knew just the right thing to say, to comfort the young boy. His mother had never tried to do this. She met him where he was at and encouraged him to live out his dreams. Dreams were something his mother hadn't known existed. Sirius found that he was clinging on to every encouraging word spoken for the young kid as if they were for his, of age, self.
Earlier in the night Sirius couldn't stand being around when James and Remus were talking to Peter, 'the betrayer' about what they had found out. James had grown in his patience this year, having been made head boy and given more responsibility. Sirius thought he was going to explode though so decided the safest thing for him to do was leave the room. He took James' cloak since it was past curfew, and tried to think about anything else to stop his temper from boiling over. It was then that he saw Luna first approaching young Tommy and decided to hang around. After seeing the serene setting in the Owlery, Sirius had made up his mind. He wasn't going to get to know Luna because Dumbledore had asked him to. He genuinely wanted to know who she was. How she could be so full of grace, when she came from something worse than even he had.
