AN: This title is cheeky but I hope you enjoy when you realise who the target is ;D
Chapter 28 - Swirly
Saying goodbye was always hard.
It was slightly more than terrifying when you had lost as many people as Harry had.
Especially when the people he was afraid of losing, he had already lost once.
However, reassurances that his father would be visiting Hogwarts regularly helped as they said goodbye in the courtyard.
Unlike in years past, no one was pretending things were alright. The Hogwarts Express was not used, rather, professors, the Headmaster and the four heads of houses, were picking students up individually and bringing them to the Hogwarts barrier just outside of Hogsmeade. It would be also spaced between different days at random hours.
The thought here was that it would be harder for the Death Eaters to scale a large siege attack. Had Harry speaking about his fears with Sirius and Minerva about this been partly responsible for this idea.
Yes, he had been.
Moody, the real Moody, had been gruffly proud of Harry.
Harry, a person who had survived numerous assassination attempts, seen the rise of Voldemort, been inside the monster's head, started an illegal self-defence club (twice), and time travelled back from the point where Wizarding United Kingdoms realised how screwed they were, didn't feel like his contribution of paranoia was anything special.
When James finally pulled back from their hug, Sirius swept in to squeeze the life out of him.
Laughing, James hugged them both, and Harry was pretty sure that breathing was highly overrated.
He could remain like this forever.
But even with as much social anxiety as they all had, it was time to say goodbye.
If nothing else, Pen needed to eat.
Also, they weren't sure how much the thestrals understood of time, but he and Luna had promised to visit them when they got back.
"Stay safe," James said.
"Cause trouble," Sirius said with a lopsided grin. "And stay safe."
Harry had to swallow around the lump in his throat, "Only if you promise."
James ruffled his hair, "We'll do our best. I have no intentions of leaving you alone again. We love you more than anything."
Harry's heart constricted within his chest, there was something altogether terrible about being offered who you wanted most in the world and to live in fear of losing them.
Not when yeah knew exactly how it would feel to see them die again.
"I love you, dads," Harry managed to say.
They both blinked at him, James smiling first as he pulled them into another threeway hug. When they parted, Sirius was wiping tears from his eyes as James wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders.
Harry kept looking back at them to wave as he, Luna, and Theo walked up the hill together.
Theo shook his head, "You know, I thought I would envy you after seeing how much your family adores you. But I don't, not even a little bit."
"Why?" Luna asked.
"Because this war is coming," Theo answered. "And unlike the both of you, I have nothing to lose."
Luna patted his shoulder, "That's not true. You have us, and you have yourself. And losing yourself is perhaps the worst of all, because you're never quite the same when you find yourself again."
Theo gave Harry a look over Luna's head.
Harry smirked and leaned over to kiss her cheek, earning himself a giggle as she leaned into his side. Wrapping his arm around her, Harry knew how just damn lucky he was to be loved by her.
Rare was the person who saw you, understood you, even the parts of you that you didn't understand, and love you anyway.
For Luna positivity and negativity were both equally as true, because if you believed in a world where all things could happen, everything and anything was possible.
Therefore, the path they walked could be the worst thing they ever chose to do.
But it could also be the best.
oOo
Sirius had missed his cousin more than he realised until he was standing on her doorstep.
He didn't have time to knock before the door was yanked open and he was pulled into a crushing hug.
Andromeda was the tallest of the black sisters, taller than Sirius she dwarfed him as she held him tightly.
When she pulled back she cupped his cheeks, "I'm sorry I left you there."
Sirius blinked back tears, "It's okay, it wasn't like I gave ample evidence of my sanity, Gryffindor or no."
"Siri," Andromeda said, pulling him over the threshold and waving James and Malcolm in. "Your being in Gryffindor was not a mark in favour of your sanity, Dumblesdore's favourite or know."
Sirius shivered as they passed the ward that was likely capable of skinning them alive if they had any ill intent toward the Tonks.
James sniggered, "Nice to see you again, Andromeda."
Andromeda eyed him, "I heard you have been politically scheming."
"Well, the world seems to continue to have degraded and I thought I would use society 's conventions against those still clinging to dregs of the old world."
Andromeda reached out to ruffle his hair as if he was still a kid.
Well, James was still technically twenty-one.
"Someone remembered his mother's good sense," she said as Ted stepped forward to shake Malcolm's hand.
Malcolm had been in an upper classroom when Andromeda and Ted attended.
After the greetings were finished and everyone seated for tea it was Malcolm who broached the topic they were here.
"When the second war starts," Malcolm said conversationally. "What will you do?"
Andromeda exchanged a look with Ted.
"We will not join the Order," Ted said. "Dumbledore is not careful enough."
"I agree," Malcolm said.
"We aren't looking for Order members," Sirius explained.
"Then what are you looking for?" Andromeda asked.
"To take back our society," James answered. "Voldemort was successful because he separated us. He turned everyone against one another. He acted the Ministry with my face and voice. We have to make it more appealing for our world to move forward or risk the old ways being the only stability anyone remembers."
Andromeda tapped her foot, "Who else have you've had this conversation with?"
"This conversation?" James repeated. "No, one. But we have spoken with the Greengrasses, Abbotts, Parkinsons, Zabinis, and Bones in a friendly manner."
"Someone's been busy," she said idly.
"Haven't you heard?" James's tone was as dry as the Sahara. "I'm famous."
Andromeda arched a brow, "And how as that gone?"
"Pretty terrible, given it damn near ruined my son's life," James answered candidly.
"He's seemed to turn out alright," Andromeda mused.
Sirius snorted, "He's incredibly kind for a child soldier."
"He's not a soldier," James snapped.
"He's been fighting our fight since he entered Hogwarts," Sirius said. "Andy we need your help."
"Be specific," she intoned.
"We need to get corruption out of the Senate," Sirius explained. "James has enough of a presence among public opinion that his petition of receiving the Potter seat on the Wizengamot should go through. I will be taking the Black seat."
"And I will be taking the Ross, though it will be renamed McGonagall. My sister's reputation as a witch and the quality of my own work has leant president to it," Malcolm said.
"The Tonks have no seat," Ted said.
"We don't need that," Sirius said.
"What do you need?" Andromeda asked.
Sirius leaned forward, "We need you to reach out to the other purebloods who married muggles or muggleborns and bring them back into high society."
Andromeda cocked her head, "Why?"
"Voldemort nearly won because he divided us. Our people are failing because we are divided," Sirius said. "There are more half-bloods and blood-traitors out number those who have, as our family moto proclaimed 'always pure'. And that's without the muggleborns who have tripped up in our archaic laws. If things are going to change for the better, it can't just be Dumbledore speaking for us."
Andromeda and Ted exchanged a long look.
"Well?" James asked impatiently.
Andromeda's dark eyes pinned James where he sat before smiling. "I can hardly let my daughter pick up the fight without us, can I?"
Sirius relaxed.
Andromeda had been the middle child between her sisters, but she had always been the sanest and bravest. Sirius had looked up to her his entire life, if unable to emulate her grace.
oOo
Luna hated the girl's room.
Settling her skirts she waited for the voices to stop before attempting to leave the stall. She was going to be late meeting Harry but she just didn't want to deal with the other girls.
"Professor Weasley is actually kind of hot," Marietta said.
Cho coughed, the sink turning off.
"Come on, I know you agree, everyone does."
"He's fine, I suppose."
"You suppose," Marietta scoffed. "You're just pining over Potter still. He's a lost cause. Loony bewitched him."
"Don't call her that," Cho said tersely.
"Why? Everyone does."
"Not everyone stole her shoes," Cho retorted.
"You still haven't forgiven me for that?"
"No, Mary, I haven't. It was cruel. You're better than that."
"Ravenclaw is better than her."
"She's one of the top students in her year."
"In practical magic," Marietta said with no small amount of derision.
"Come on," Cho said. "We're going to be late."
"You go ahead, I think I need to change my pad."
"Meet you there then," Cho said, the door shutting behind her followed by an unnatural silence.
Luna glanced up as Myrtle floated above the stall. Luna glared at the ghost who was in the wrong bathroom.
And who had just given away her position.
Marietta kicked in the door like she was in some action drama.
"Loony Lovegood," the girl sneered. "Have you been loving your boyfriend good?"
Luna had her hand on her wand but didn't dare draw it as Marietta already had hers out.
"Why are you like this?" Luna asked calmly. "I've done nothing to you."
"You broke my best friend's heart," Marietta said, voice harsh.
"I didn't do that. Cho and Harry never dated. She said no to him at the Yule ball."
"And it's Potter's fault Cedric is dead," Marietta seethed.
Luna could only think of the dozens of times Harry had woken crying out Cedric's name, of all the hours, all the nights of sleep Harry had missed over his guilt for everyone who had ever died for him.
"Nothing to say, Loony?"
"Nothing can be said to someone who will not listen."
"Excuse me?"
"You've already made up your mind. I cannot change it because you won't let me," Luna explained, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Cho cries all the time and it's your fault."
Myrtle crooned, "Sounds like she needs better friends."
"What—" Marietta asked, looking up.
Luna didn't wait for a better invitation, and despite pulling her wand, it was the elemental magic she grasped on instinct.
She pressed herself to the side of the stall, free hand thrusting the water forward.
Marietta's scream was cut off with a gurgle.
Myrtle chortled spinning above them as Luna kept her wand pointed.
"I'll ruin you!" Marietta shouted, sprawled in a puddle on the floor. She raised her wand without standing.
Luna flicked her own wand, the pale wood of the other girl's wand shooting across the room.
Marietta growled as she lunged forward.
Luna brought her wand down, "Gellatius!"
Marietta slipped, landing on her face as the water turned to slime.
Luna stepped around her as Myrtle cackled as she wafted above the chaos.
Luna's feet carried her faster and faster through the halls.
Hands caught her and she screamed.
"Luna! It's me. It's just me. Luna, it's Harry."
She went from fighting to get away from him to wrapping her arms around him and clinging like a cephalopod.
She felt as if she was drowning.
"Shhh," Harry said, holding her tight, keeping her head above water. "I'm here. I'm here."
He didn't press her about her irrational response. Didn't ask what had happened. He just held her up, steadying her while she regained her thoughts.
She had won today.
But what about tonight?
Or tomorrow?
Would she ever be safe at Hogwarts?
Finally, Harry said, "I think we should go see Professor Flitwick."
She didn't argue.
And when they got to Flitwick's office, Flitwick didn't force her to talk either.
They had tea.
The tea steadied her too, almost as much as Harry's hand in hers.
oOo
LIVE RECORDING: The supremely lovely Sam Gabriel will be reading a chapter of The Delicate Art of Raising Thestrals this Sunday at 12pm ETA (New York Time), the 22nd of October, 2023. (Join the cult: Discord dot gg / BNMEXM9RBB /BNMEXM9RBB)
oOo
AN: Thoughts, discord, red-eyed skinks, or feedback, pretty please?