Ron is given the all clear by Pomfrey, who lets the four go with nothing more than a "it's better to be safe than sorry, but don't be afraid to trust your magic, Harry. This is a really big step in the right direction."
Now that Harry doesn't have to worry about his friend dying, he can focus on some of the more important revelations from the morning.
"Library?" Harry suggests.
Hermione nods, and Ron shrugs.
"Sure, meet you there? I'm going to grab the others."
Harry gives him a thumbs up, and Ron jogs off.
Soon enough, the seven are gathered at their usual table.
Ron is looking put-out, him and Theo having received notice of their detention taking place that night. Harry decides against pointing out that they flew a car into a tree and really have gotten off rather lightly.
Blaise goes to put up his privacy charm when Hermione stops him.
"Here, I want to try one," she says, waving her wand in a complicated looking pattern. She sits back, looking satisfied, and Daphne narrows her eyes.
Blaise, on the other hand, nods. "Impressive! Will you teach me?" Blaise asks.
Hermione looks like she's about to launch into an impromptu lesson, so Harry hastily cuts in.
"Wait," Harry says, giving Hermione an apologetic look. "We need to talk about your wand," he says, turning to Ron.
Ron's face twists into a scowl. "What about it," he says.
Harry knows he's treading on thin ice here, but some things need to be addressed.
"You need to get a new one," Harry says. "Yours is so broken it literally does not work. It'd probably be more effective to just use a normal stick!"
"Watch it," Ron warns.
"Harry is right," Theo says. Ron shoots him a betrayed look, and he shrugs.
"Sorry, Ron," Blaise says. "But enough is enough. When a wand is backfiring like that, it's more or less a ticking time bomb. You don't really have a choice."
Daphne nods, and Hermione looks at Ron's wand curiously. Neville is suspiciously quiet.
"And how am I supposed to get a new wand?" Ron says. "My mother is mad enough about the whole car thing. She'd think a broken wand is some cosmic justice."
"She'd really make you go a whole year without a wand?" Daphne asks disbelievingly.
Ron's ears go an angry shade of red. "Wands are really bloody expensive, alright? And the car thing is bad enough: my dad was fined 50 galleons because of me!"
Daphne looks away, uncomfortable. Blaise and Hermione share a grimace. Neville won't meet anyone's eyes. Theo, on the other hand, looks as impassive as ever.
Even though Harry privately thinks Theo is more at fault for the whole situation than anyone else, Harry also knows that there's no way in hell Theo regrets his actions in the slightest.
Looks like it's up to Harry, then.
Ron is scowling furiously, daring anyone to meet his gaze. Harry does so unflinchingly, and Ron finally looks away.
"Ron," Harry says. Ron clenches his jaw. "It's my fault."
Ron's head snaps up. "What-"
"No, listen! If I'd just remembered to have Remus send you a Patronus as soon as we couldn't get onto the platform, none of this would have happened!"
And Theo may or may not have died, but Harry tries not to think about that.
"The very least I can do is pay for a new wand for you," Harry continues.
Ron's face twists into a grimace.
"Please, Ron," Harry pleads. "We can say it's an early Christmas present!"
Ron still doesn't look convinced, so Harry reluctantly pulls out all the stops.
"A wand like yours isn't just a danger to you, Ron. It could hurt anyone. Your brothers, your sister, your teachers, your friends…" alarm flashes across Ron's eyes and Harry knows he's won.
"Fine," Ron grits out. "Fucking fine. But no Christmas present."
Harry grins delightedly. "I'll write to Remus, I'll bet he can take us!"
Ron shoots him a narrowed-eyed look, before turning suddenly to Neville. Neville jumps as Ron directs the full force of his glare at him.
"Why are you acting so shifty?" Ron accuses.
Neville looks like he wants to bolt, but slumps into his chair. "W-wands are-are a s-sore sub-subject for me," Neville finally says.
"Why?" Hermione asks. Neville shoots a betrayed look at her and she shrugs. "We just put Ron on the spot. Seems only fair."
Harry isn't sure he agrees with that logic, but he does want to know what's going on with his godbrother.
Neville looks like he wants the floor to swallow him up. "Well. My w-wand. It-it w-was my-my dad's," he says haltingly.
Harry hears a gasp from, surprisingly enough, both Blaise and Daphne. Even Ron and Theo look grim. Hermione and Harry exchange confused looks. Harry knows about Neville's parents, but he doesn't know why the wand thing is such a big deal.
"Neville," Daphne starts. "Forgive me, but your dad is still alive, isn't he?"
Neville nods jerkily.
"And I don't, um," Daphne is uncharacteristically hesitant, but forges on. "Sorry Neville, but I don't suppose he's been able to formally relinquish his wand to you?"
Neville shakes his head again.
"Does that matter?" Hermione asks curiously.
"Does that matter?" Blaise explodes. "Does that matter?"
Blaise actually has to get up and start pacing. Harry is taken aback by the boy's outburst, up until he remembers the passionate spiel Blaise had given about magic theory back in first year.
Blaise rounds the table and puts his hands on Neville's shoulders, before giving him a little shake. Neville looks as though he'd like to be anywhere but where he is.
"Neville! Neville. Tell me you don't still think of yourself as magically inferior."
Neville glances away uncomfortably, and that seems like more than enough of an answer for Blaise who sighs exasperatedly.
"My friend- you have somehow -miraculously- been able to make someone else's wand work for you. For years. That is a magical feat in and of itself. You are a powerful wizard."
Neville stares at him in disbelief.
Blaise smiles. "Get a new wand. If you don't believe me now, you will when you work with a wand that wants to work with you."
Neville's face falls. "I c-can't. My-my Gran w-won't let me. Sh-she'd never agree to-to take m-me to get one."
Blaise's face goes stormy and he starts to mutter in Italian under his breath.
"You're good at Herbology," Harry points out. "Can't you just make one? A new wand, I mean. It's just trees, isn't it? Trees and some extra stuff."
Ron bursts into laughter and even Theo snorts.
On the other hand, Hermione, Blaise, and Daphne immediately launch into a lecture on how impossible of a task that would be and how "wands are really more than just trees and some stuff, Harry".
Harry isn't listening, though. He's looking at Neville, who has a sudden spark of determination in his eyes. Harry shoots Neville a smile, and Neville gives him a fierce grin in return.
That whole debacle being checked off of Harry's list, Harry sets out to write a letter to Remus.
Dear Remus,
My first week of school was great! I really missed my friends.
Ron and Theo stole a flying car to get to Hogwarts; so it was a bit of a rough start for them.
Harry wants to tell Remus about what Theodore Nott Senior did to Theo. He really, really wants to tell Remus everything, and let Remus fix it.
Unfortunately, when Harry had suggested this to his friends; Theo had said that assuming Remus tried to do anything at all (which he would, Harry knows he would), Theodore Nott Senior would make Remus's life a living hell.
Neville, Blaise, and Daphne had gone on to explain that Remus has political power, yes, but he's only Regent and Consort- and a werewolf to boot.
On the other hand, Harry would be a much more difficult target- not only is he Harry Potter (Harry had rolled his eyes at this) but he's also an Heir to three different powerful families- one of which hasn't been in play for hundreds of years.
Harry can risk his own life and safety for Theo, but he can't risk Remus's. He just can't- not after everything Remus has done for him.
That decided, Harry proceeds to detail the rest of his week, spending a good portion of the letter on Healing lessons and how terrible Lockhart is.
Oliver dragged the whole team down for quidditch practice at like four in the morning today, which was awful. Then, Malfoy (who's the new Slytherin seeker) called Hermione that bad word for muggleborns. Everyone went crazy, and Ron tried to shoot a hex at him.
It backfired though, because it turns out Ron's wand broke when they crashed the flying car into the Whomping Willow (by the way they crashed the car into the Whomping Willow) and it's been held together with tape this whole time. Anyways, I convinced Ron to let me buy him a new wand, so do you think you could take us to do that sometime soon (preferably without letting Mrs. Weasley know, because she's probably already mad at me for burning up her howler before it could reach Ron)? If it's too much trouble that's fine too.
Harry taps the end of the quill against his mouth, thinking hard. What if Remus says no? Oh! He puts the quill back to the parchment.
In fact, I'll bet Hermione could break us into the headmaster's office again, and we can floo on our own. But I figured you'd appreciate me asking you first before we do something like that.
Speaking of Malfoy, it turns out his dad donated brand new Nimbus 2001s to the entire Slytherin team! I was thinking maybe (depending on how expensive it is) I could not have my allowance for the next few months and instead buy brooms for the rest of the teams too? So that way, everyone has a new broom! I think I might just stick with my Nimbus 2000, though. I like it best.
Love,
Harry and Merlin
Harry seals the letter up and heads off to the owlery. When he gets there, he lets out a low whistle and Hedwig glides up to him, landing on his shoulder.
"Hey girl," he whispers.
Harry isn't sure, but he thinks he might accidentally slip into parseltongue when he talks to her (it all sounds like English to him, unless he's really focusing on hearing the difference). She seems to understand it just as well as English, though, so he doesn't bother to worry about it.
Hedwig trills and nips at his ears. Harry laughs, pushing her back. She just turns her attention to his fingers instead.
"Okay, okay," Harry says, pulling out a couple owl treats. "Here you go."
Hedwig shakes out her feathers excitedly and plucks the treats from his hand eagerly.
"Can you take this to Remus?" Harry asks, holding the letter up. Hedwig gives him an imperious look. "Right, of course you can. Sorry for doubting you," Harry says as he ties the letter to her leg.
Hedwig gives him another affectionate nip before launching from his shoulder and soaring off. Harry watches her fly with a soft smile on his face until she's nothing more than a speck in the distance.
"Rip…" Harry's head whips around. "Kill…"
"Hello?" Harry asks nervously. "Who's there?" He is suddenly regretting leaving Merlin with Hermione.
"Hello," Harry hears, and he breathes a sigh of relief as he sees the little blonde Ravenclaw girl Ginny had waved at at the sorting poke her head around the corner.
She has wispy hair so blonde it's almost white, and huge blue eyes. The girl also seems to be wearing a pair of acorn earrings, which somehow clash with the standard Hogwarts uniform she's wearing.
"Was that you? Saying that stuff?" Harry asks.
"I haven't said anything but 'hello' today," the girl says matter-of-factly. "To you, just now."
"Er," Harry says, caught off-guard. "Really?"
"Oh, yes," the girl says seriously. She seems to be intently staring at the air directly above Harry's head. Harry notices that she's barefoot, for some reason.
"Is… is everything okay?" Harry hedges.
"That's a really very big question," the girl says after a moment.
"I mean," Harry backtracks. "Are you okay?"
"Oh," the girl says, thinking. "I don't know. The nargles have been a real hassle lately."
"I'm… sorry," Harry says dumbly. "Er. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"Nice to meet you, Harry." The girl says dreamily. "I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood."
Harry thinks she might be gently teasing him about how he introduced himself but would prefer not to risk laughing.
"Nice to meet you, Luna," he says instead.
It's true, too. As off-kilter as this odd little girl has made him, she reminds him of the grass snakes he would run into at the Dursley's occasionally. Not bad, just different. Different and refreshing, in a way. He's content to just sit with the girl for a while, and she doesn't seem to mind either.
"Where are your shoes?" Harry asks, suddenly.
"Nargles," Luna sighs. "Everything is so busy that I'm too distracted to properly watch out for them."
"Hmm," Harry says. "Could someone watch out for them for you?"
"I don't think so," Luna says sadly. "Ginny has offered before, but it never seems to help. I think I have to manage them myself."
"Okay," Harry says.
They sit in silence for another moment, when the girl turns to look Harry in the eye for the first time.
Harry feels an unpleasant shiver, and wonders if Luna is a legilimens. He's probably just being paranoid, but either way her gaze is uncomfortable and Harry decides to avoid eye contact with her as a general rule.
"Harry Potter," Luna says.
"Er," Harry says, trapped under her considering stare.
"I would like to be alone now. You should leave."
"...Right." Harry says, tearing his eyes away from her face. Luna would definitely get along with grass snakes. "Well. See you around, Luna. Er, let me know if you, uh, need anything, alright?"
Luna just hums, and Harry wanders off, feeling curiously light after the whole interaction. It's not until much later, when he's wrapped up under his blanket and falling quickly into sleep, that he remembers the odd voice he'd heard.
"Probably nothing," Harry mutters sleepily.
Merlin hisses in agreement, despite the fact that she definitely has no idea as to what Harry's talking about.