A/N: Hi, all! Three notes for you today. First, I refuse to apologize for the chapter title. It's terrible, I'm a nerd, and I'm a terrible nerd. Second, I'm thinking about changing the title of this story, as Happy Birthday is starting to seem like a bit of a relic title as the scope of the story expands. Please let me know if you have any strong feelings on that topic. Third, I'm posting this a day early as a meta-joke because it's my birthday today and I haven't changed the title yet, so why not? :)

Luna was thrilled to see reasonably priced used copies of A Children's Anthology of Monsters on sale. She was pretty sure she had enough pocket money at home to repay Sirius for it. He'd insisted on paying for their wands already and she wouldn't want him to think she was taking advantage of his generosity.

"Is that a good book?" Neville asked.

"I've heard it's amazing," Luna said. "I think I can afford to buy it, too."

The clerk finally finished rummaging around below the desk at that point and stood back up. "It's alright, dear," he said. "I can shave a few knuts off the price if that would help." He turned away from them for a moment to look across the shop. "Miss, I found that book on cursebreaking in Mycenaean chamber tombs, if you're still interested. I was right that someone had returned it."

Luna watched him as he spoke, watched the scars flexing around his cheeks and across his hands while he gestured, watched the smile on his face fighting with the bags under his eyes for control of his features. "Oh, my!" she said. "I'm so sorry, sir. Was the night before last difficult for you?"

He froze and stared at her. "I'm just a little ill, my dear. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried," Luna said, "just terribly sad. You must be in so much pain and there's nothing anyone can do to help you."

Neville looked between Luna and the man. "I don't understand. He just looks a bit peaky…and, well, scarred, I guess, though my Gran says that sort of thing isn't polite to say."

Luna looked at him, then back to the clerk, who stood stiffly with fear in his eyes. "Of course you're right, Neville. Just a bit peaky is all."

The clerk nodded quickly. "I'll be right as rain in a day or two, don't you worry. Can I interest either of you in any of the Harry Potter Adventures books?" He gestured rapidly toward the back of the shop. "I've heard they're suddenly hard to find new, but we've a good collection of them used."

Something about the way the clerk waved his hand and his mention of the HPA books reminded Luna of their author, and for a moment she was facing Lockhart down on a dark street and she instinctively flinched.

"Luna?" Neville took one look at her before turning a furious glare on the clerk and balling up his fists. "Stay away from her."

"It's—" was as far as Luna got before Hestia stepped around from behind a bookcase and unleashed a string of silent spells at the clerk. Neville flung his right arm back and pushed Luna further out of the line of fire, but Hestia's aim was true and none of the spells came too close.

The clerk dodged the first spell, a jet of red light, with superhuman speed, only to nearly dodge directly into a jet of white light. He stopped himself just in time to catch a bunch of ropes straight in the chest that bound him neck-to-toe like a mummy.

"What…why?" Neville asked, looking more confused than frightened by the stream of spells that had been flying by him.

"Ask the werewolf behind the counter that threatened Luna," Hestia said calmly, so calmly it was easy to miss the furor bubbling beneath her words. The older witch must have been close enough to overhear her conversation with the man and, unlike Neville, had drawn the correct conclusion.

"Werewolf?" Neville asked.

The clerk sighed. "I am a werewolf, but I give you my word that I meant no harm to anyone. I'm so sorry that I scared you."

"It wasn't his fault," Luna said. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why were you cowering from him?" Neville asked, still glaring at the clerk.

"He mentioned the Harry Potter Adventure books and waved his hand like that, and all I could think about was Mr. Lockhart doing that same motion as he drew his wand to attack me." Luna felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "I was silly and now an innocent man is all tied up because of me."

Hestia ran up and pulled Luna into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Luna. I didn't realise that incident was affecting you like that, but of course it would."

"Wait, what?" the clerk asked. "Gilderoy Lockhart attacked a little girl? And what do the Harry Potter books have to do with it?"

"Everything, because Lockhart wrote those books," Hestia said. "We intentionally buried as much of the incident as we could for Luna and Harry's protection, but I was present and was very nearly cursed, as well. Luna was incredibly brave."

"Harry's protection?" the still-bound clerk asked. "I thought he was still living in that castle, just with Sirius as his guardian now."

Luna and Neville giggled, but Hestia's eyes narrowed. "Why are you trying to keep track of where Harry lives, werewolf?" she asked as she released Luna from her embrace and aimed her wand at the clerk again.

"I'm not…I was just worried about him," the clerk said. "I knew his parents and Sirius at Hogwarts. I can't imagine Sirius would ever want to take that boy anywhere near his parents' house in Islington, so I assumed he moved into Harry's castle."

"Why would you think Harry has a castle?" Luna asked.

"I used to check in with Mary and Reg Cattermole about how Harry was doing, and they said they read about him periodically," the clerk said.

Luna, Neville, and Hestia stared at each other for a moment, then back at the clerk.

"What…why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"They read the books," Hestia said. "The books are all lies."

"What? How could they have been printed?" the clerk asked. "There must be some misunderstanding."

"Harry grew up with his aunt and uncle," Luna said.

The clerk frowned. "That can't be right. James didn't have any siblings, or even living cousins."

"His mother's sister," Luna added.

"No." The clerk paled. "That's not…Dumbledore would never have…"

Hestia nodded. "Harry said her name was Petunia."

"Merlin!" the clerk sagged against his bonds and Luna briefly worried he might have collapsed without them. "Please, let me go. I have to find him. I need to make sure he's alright."

"Right," Hestia said sarcastically, "like I'm going to help a werewolf find Harry Potter."

"He's not a bad person just because he's sick," Luna said. "He may be a bad person because he left Harry alone all those years, but he didn't do that because he's a werewolf."

"I actually did," the clerk said. "Headmaster Dumbledore pointed out that my condition might make it dangerous for Harry to get too close to me, and after Sirius took over Harry's care, I didn't think he'd have any use for me. Sirius had a right to be furious with me for not confirming he had a trial and I thought Harry was surrounded by friends in his own castle. I thought I'd just get in his way."

Neville nodded sympathetically. "That's what I thought about myself, too. But Harry was really excited to be my friend, and I think he could have used more friends years ago."

"Neville, you aren't a Dark Creature," Hestia said. "You shouldn't think you're like him."

Luna shook her head. "Please stop treating that man like he's a monster. He has one bad night each month, that's all."

"Werewolves are literally textbook Dark Creatures," Hestia said.

"Do Dark Creatures help you find books on cursebreaking or offer children a discount on books they get excited about?" Luna replied.

"He frightened you!" Hestia said.

"He couldn't possibly have known," Luna said.

Neville's cheeks blushed bright red. "And I overreacted becauseIwastryingtoimpressLuna." He rushed the last few words out while looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry. I was being silly and I don't want to get someone else in trouble for it."

Luna felt her own cheeks heat up. She didn't think anyone had ever cared enough to try to impress her before. Harry and Hermione impressed her all the time, of course, but that was just them being themselves as opposed to doing it intentionally. "That was a very brave thing to say, Neville. And there's nothing wrong with being silly every now and then."

The clerk chuckled warmly. "Oh, to be young again. Thank you, lad. That's the most honourable thing I've seen since…" he blinked. "Of course! Of course you're Frank Longbottom's Neville. He would be incredibly proud of you right now."

"He…would?" Neville asked. "My Gran is always talking about how disappointing I am compared to him."

The clerk shook his head. "Augusta was always proud of Frank, but never for what he cared about. When he was training as an Auror, he always said it was easier to teach someone how to improve their magic or get better grades than it was to teach them to be brave or honourable like you just proved yourself to be."

Neville's smile at the praise was so joyous that Luna couldn't resist smiling, too.

Hestia's smile was sadder as she silently ended her Incarcerous Spell. "I'm sorry, sir. I see Luna was right about you and I was wrong."

"It's alright," he said. "I respect how you tried to protect the children. By the way, my name is Remus Lupin."

Her eyes widened. "My name is Hestia Jones. I remember my cousin Benjy talking about a mission he did with you during the war."

"I'm so sorry," Remus said. "Benjy was a wonderful man and I remember how proud he was of you after your first year at Hogwarts. He kept bragging about how you were at the top of your class and how he was sure you would end up as Head Girl one day."

"I…did become Head Girl," Hestia whispered. "Benjy always encouraged my dreams, even when my parents didn't. I'd give everything I owned if I'd only had the chance to tell him he was right."

"I understand the desire," Remus said sadly, "but in your case, I promise you that you needn't worry. He never had the slightest doubt you would become Head Girl, so all he would probably say if you told him you had would be, 'I told you all so!' And then he would buy us all a round to celebrate because he never missed an opportunity to do so."

"That sounds just like him," Hestia's voice was holding steady, but a few tears were trickling down her face as she spoke. Luna felt her eyes misting up, too.

"He was a good man." Remus sighed. "I'm sorry I worried you by asking about Harry Potter. Miss…" he turned to Luna. "I don't think I caught your name."

"I'm Luna Lovegood," Luna said. "I don't think I should help someone find where Harry lives without asking him."

"That's fine," Remus said quickly. "You seem like you know about him and how he's doing. If you'll promise me he's well, I won't go looking for him. I just want to make sure he's safe."

Luna considered it for a moment. "No, I won't."

"Oh…um…why?" Remus asked.

"Because you threw away your chance to be there for him when he needed you once." The man flinched as Luna spoke. "I don't think he needs you now, but I didn't know he needed you then, either. Either you care about him enough to want to find him and let him decide for himself whether he wants to see you, or you don't. I'm not going to help you walk away from him again."

Hestia and Remus stood there gaping like fish at her, while Neville gazed at her with an expression more akin to awe. Neville's admiration steeled Luna against the adults' reactions, and she continued, "I know it's easier to hide than risk him reacting to you like Miss Jones did, but 'easy' is also what left him alone with Petunia for all those years."

Remus swallowed hard. "I…deserved that."

"So did I." Hestia was now looking determinedly anywhere but at Remus and Luna.

He took a deep breath. "Fine. I withdraw my offer of a vow and my request of assistance in exchange for it. I won't ask you for anything, but I will find him, make sure he's alright, and let him decide if he wants anything to do with me."

"You don't need to ask me," Luna said. "It's not like he can leave the shop without seeing you, regardless."

"Leave…" was as far as Remus got before Luna shouted, "Harry, could you come here, please?"