The Phantom of Hogwarts
Phantasma Isle

Chapter Two: Younger than Springtime

Draco grasped the letter in his right hand and the handle of his trunk in his left. He stared at the clock on the wall, which read two minutes past noon. Pressure mounted in his chest as the second hand moved around the face. He had just begun to wonder whether the whole ordeal had been some elaborate prank when the letter glowed a bright blue. The next moment, the room spun before him and vanished.

His shoes sunk into the sand as he let go of his trunk to shade his eyes. Water lapped against the shore behind him, and he turned to behold a cove of crystal-clear water. Beyond that, the vast ocean unfolded in all its majesty. A shuffling caught his attention, and Draco turned back to see a blond-haired woman appear beside a redheaded man, followed by a black-haired man.

"Neville?"

The black-haired man smiled. The redhead huffed, and Draco immediately recognized him as Ron Weasley. Before he could respond, the blond-haired woman hummed and spun in a circle.

"Oh, this is just lovely!"

"Luna Lovegood?"

The young woman focused on him and sighed, "Hello, Draco Malfoy. Are you disappointed to see us?"

Draco tucked the letter inside his pocket and then smiled. "On the contrary. I'm delighted to see familiar faces."

Ron Weasley huffed again. However, before Draco could retort, another voice filled the air.

"Greetings, everyone!"

Draco gasped as he looked toward the edge of the beach. The trees that lined the beach had parted into a path. At the mouth of the path stood a middle-aged man in shorts, sandals, and a short-sleeve button-up shirt. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. A beautiful brown-haired woman accompanied him in a flowing golden sundress.

"I am your humble host, James Leroux." The man swept them a low bow. "And this beautiful angel," he kissed the woman's hand, "is my wife, Jean. Welcome to our island. We are so pleased that you have chosen to join us. Come, we have a lovely lunch prepared for you all." The man started to turn around, then paused. "No need to worry about your luggage. It's already waiting for you inside."

Draco looked down to see that his trunk had vanished. "Impressive, Mr. Leroux."

The man smiled. "Oh, I can assure you, Mr. Malfoy, that you have yet to be impressed."

Draco smirked at his companions, then followed their host and hostess into the forest. Neville and Luna marveled at the foliage and insects within the folds of the trees that lined the path while Ron mumbled something about being tired and hungry. However, the only thing that had Draco's attention was their hosts. A familiarity of sorts that he couldn't shake. As though he knew them from somewhere.

"Ah, here we are."

Draco stumbled as he looked ahead, beholding a beautiful house of glass and gold towering above the tree line. Half the size of Hogwarts castle, the manor home rivaled anything Draco had ever seen. Mr. and Mrs. Leroux guided them through large double doors into a domed sitting room.

"How did we not see this from the beach?"

Mrs. Leroux smiled. "Simple, Mr. Longbottom. Undetectable charms, like those used at your school, protect many things on this isle from the prying eyes of the outside world."

An energetic house elf motioned them over to a table plated for seven. As they were seated, Luna eyed the empty chair.

"Will another be joining us?"

Mr. Leroux shook his head. "Not today, Ms. Lovegood. A chair always remains empty at my table. Not for the unexpected guest, but for someone who is always welcome." He smiled. "Maybe one day you shall meet them."

"Attempting to live up to your mysterious air?" Mrs. Leroux mused.

Mr. Leroux chuckled. "Naturally."

"Forgive me, Mr. Leroux," Ron interjected, "but you said you use undetectable charms to hide your home and other things. Why not simply hide the entire island?"

Mr. Leroux nodded to Ron. "Excellent question, Mr. Weasley." He paused to sip his spoon, and Draco looked at the table to see that bowls of soup and plates of sandwiches had appeared before them. "This isle is part of a marvelous ecological infrastructure. To hide the isle would be to remove it from the surrounding isles and inhabitants."

"Others live here on the island with you?"

"Not exactly, Mr. Longbottom," Mrs. Leroux interjected. "Most of the animals and insects of the isle come and go as they please. However, only invited guests of the human persuasion are allowed to come and go as they please. My husband enjoys his privacy."

"Most of the animals and insects?"

A broad smile curved Mr. Leroux's face. "Yes, Ms. Lovegood. Most are allowed. However, some of this isle's inhabitants cannot leave for their protection. This is why I have invited you here."

Draco cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Mr. Leroux, but as exciting as it is to be invited to your amazing island, of which I hope to see more, I must ask: why have you brought us here? From my observations, we are all strangers to you. What business are you conducting that we can be of assistance?"

"Mr. Malfoy, your observations are partially correct." Mr. Leroux leaned back in his chair. "To risk the presumption of sounding creepy, I have been watching all of you for a while. I have devoted my life to making this world better for all. This requires finding those individuals who can assist me in my pursuit. I believe you four can help me expand the business I am doing here. Once we finish this delicious lunch, I will show you what I have started." He held up a hand. "I can see the questions in your eyes. All I ask is that you wait a moment longer."

Draco couldn't help but smile as he nodded. His mind buzzed with a thousand questions, and he could see the same reflected in Neville and Luna's eyes. However, Ron seemed content just to be there. Once they had concluded their lunch, the four followed their hosts through a grand foyer and up a pair of spiraling marble staircases, which led to an expansive hall and finally out onto a balcony overlooking a vast forest, the likes of which he had never seen before.

Mr. Leroux sighed, "Iunior quam verno tempore."

"Younger than springtime?"

"Correct, Mr. Malfoy. It is my name for this isle. Some of the inhabitants and that which makes up the habitat are quite old. Their generations go back thousands of years."

"It's so beautiful."

"Yes," Mrs. Leroux nodded. "I often come out here to soak in the beauty. Having another female around to enjoy the view with will be a nice change of pace." She winked at Luna. "My husband often fails to appreciate the beauty from above."

"My love, the majesty of this view does not escape me." Mr. Leroux kissed his wife's hand. "However, the beauty underneath the canopy below intrigues me the most." A fire filled his eyes. "Few can truly appreciate the beauty of which I speak. That is what I have brought you all here for. To help me share the gifts of this isle. Each of you has a unique talent that, I believe, can expand my efforts."

Ron cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Mr. Leroux, for asking, but at the risk of losing my post as Keeper of the Cannons, what does this all have to do with me? I understand how Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood, and even Mr. Malfoy can help you in whatever endeavor you're pursuing here. However, how can I be of assistance?"

Mr. Leroux turned to face him. "Rest assured, Mr. Weasley, that your post with the Cannons is safe. However, let me ask you a question. With the Cannons, your position is to prevent the other team from scoring by protecting three hoops simultaneously while riding a broom, correct?"

Ron nodded.

"Are you good at your post?"

Ron smirked, "Well, without sounding boastful, yeah."

"Do you enjoy your post?"

Ron's smirk faltered for a moment. "Yeah, I mean, it's okay. I'm always ready to do more when the team needs me."

"Well, Mr. Weasley, that is why you are here." He patted Ron on the shoulder. "Now, I believe, it is time for us to allow you to settle into your quarters. You will find your rooms at the top of the staircases. My wife and I shall join you in the library at three o'clock. Feel free to roam the house as you please once you have settled in. Should you get lost, simply ask for directions."

"How will we know which room is ours?"

"It will be the one with your name on it, Neville."

Mr. Leroux chuckled. "Correct, Ms. Lovegood. Now, go get settled in."

Draco watched as their hosts walked down one of the staircases. Once again, the feeling of familiarity swept over him. Unable to comprehend where or why, he turned to face the group.

"Ready to see where we all will stay for what looks to be an interesting summer?"

Draco smiled. "While we were rarely in the habit of agreeing with one another while in school, Ron, I concur. This is going to be an interesting summer."

"Oh, yes," Luna hummed, "I can't wait to explore the house and the forests. I'm sure there are hundreds of fascinating creatures throughout."

"The foliage alone looks to hold a treasure of secrets."

Ron smirked. "I'll leave the plants to you, Nev. Right now, I'm curious to see the accommodations the fabulous Mr. Leroux has prepared for us."

The four ascended the stairs together. At the top, they found another landing that unmistakably resembled a Hogwarts common room. The wall curled around the area to form a horseshoe. Four doors lined the wall, each bearing a name. The hair on Draco's arms stood up as his eyes examined the area.

"Okay, now Mr. Leroux is officially cool," Ron breathed. "This is next-level accommodations. Imagine taking this much effort to make us feel comfortable."

Neville approached one of the doors and ran a finger across his name. "A bit extreme, don't you think? I mean, it's one thing to make you feel comfortable, but to this detail?"

"I think it's sweet," Luna sighed. "They seem nice. Oh well. It's time to check out my room. I'll see you boys in a bit."

Without waiting for a response, Luna skipped across the landing to her door, entered, and closed the door behind her. Draco sighed, shrugged his shoulders to Ron, and then approached his lodging for the summer. He paused a moment to run his finger across his name, then entered.

As the door closed behind him, he gasped as he beheld the room. It eerily resembled a mixture of his old Hogwarts dorm room and his room at home. His trunk stood at the end of a four-poster bed. Next to the headboard stood a table, and what sat upon the table nearly made him wet himself.

His legs shook as he approached the table. Upon its marble top sat a tiny toy monkey with a fez hat, silk vest, and cymbals attached to its hands. Draco raised a trembling hand and waved it over top of the toy. Immediately, the toy began to rock back and forth while it clanged the cymbals as a song lofted through the air. A song that he thought he'd never hear again.

~~~Phantasma~~~

Luna twirled again to take in her multicolored room. She had already unpacked, laid on her bed for a spell, changed clothes, and written a letter to her father. She couldn't wait to see more of the house and the island. However, she had to jot down every detail, well, almost every detail, of her morning. She knew he would be dying to hear that she'd arrived okay and her first impressions.

Before she joined her hosts in the library, wherever it might be, she wanted to explore the house. She slipped out of her room and saw Neville sitting in one of the four armchairs on their landing. She hesitated, then nodded as she made up her mind.

"Hello there, Neville."

Neville looked up, then rose from the chair. "Hello, Luna." He smiled. "It's nice to hear someone you know call you by your first name rather than mister or professor."

Luna nodded. "I can see how that could become annoying. However, it's their way of showing you respect, which is nice."

"I've missed you."

"Thank you. That's what happens, I guess. We're friends while in school, then become people we miss once we leave."

Neville bit his lip, then nodded. "Going to explore the house before we meet our hosts in their library?"

"Oh yes. After all, they invited us to do so. Care to join me?"

"Sure." Neville glanced back at the doors. "Should we wait for Ron and Draco?"

Luna shrugged. "We can. However, I believe Ron would find it frustrating, and Draco would believe it is improper to do so."

"Then I say we go exploring without them."

"Good choice, Neville."

Neville and Luna exchanged smiles as they headed down the spiral staircase. When they reached the bottom, they took a moment to look around the expansive hall. There were lots of old suits of armor mixed in among wooden boats, tribal headdresses, oil paintings of Europe, and abstract art pieces. All were ancient and most likely priceless.

"Where do we go from here?"

Luna shrugged. "No idea. We could wander around or just ask for directions like Mr. Leroux said."

"Ask who?"

"The house, silly." Luna cleared her throat. "Excuse me, house, but could you tell me which way is the library?"

Neville opened his mouth to retort, then gaped instead as a suit of armor hopped down from its perch and pointed down a corridor beneath the staircases.

"Thank you."

The suit of armor bowed to Luna, then jumped back up on its perch.

"Come on, Neville."

As they walked down the corridor, tables and all manner of objects pointed them in the right direction. When they reached the library, the doors swung open wide.

Neville cleared his throat. "We're early."

"Yes, well, I wasn't sure what to ask for, and I knew they had a library because they told us to meet them here." Luna pondered for a moment. "I guess we could ask the house to show us something interesting."

"Let's not. Why don't we just walk around for a bit? If we get lost, we'll just ask for directions."

"Okay, Neville. Sounds like fun. You were always a good friend."

Neville chuckled. "Well, next to, um, well¾"

"It's okay, Neville," Luna interjected. "You can say Hermione's name. After all, she's our friend, too."

"Do you ever wonder what happened to her and him?"

Luna tilted her head to one side. "You mean her the Phantom?"

Neville cringed. "Yeah. Him. What do you think happened to them?"

"Something extraordinary, of course."

"Have you heard from Hermione?"

Luna nodded. "I believe so. It's really hard to say for sure. I get messages every now and then. Pictures of amazing things. Packages filled with exotic foods. My father believes they're from Rolf, but they're not."

"Who's Rolf?"

Luna felt the burn in her cheeks. "Oh, he's someone I met while studying creatures. He's a naturalist. His grandfather is the famous Newt Scamander."

"That's awesome, Luna. Sounds like you two have a lot in common."

"We do, but his work keeps him quite busy. Maybe one day, once his studies are finished, we can tour the world together."

"That sounds like a future proposal hangs in the air."

Luna shrugged. "Maybe. Only the future knows. If he does, I hope Hermione will be my matron of honor."

"Do you think we'll ever see Hermione again?"

"Of course, Neville. She's our friend."

Neville smiled. "I sure hope you're right."

"Come on, Neville, let's explore until we get lost, then ask the house for directions."

Neville laughed as he followed Luna out of the library and back down the corridor.

~~~Phantasma~~~

A tear rolled down Jean Leroux's face as she leaned against the door facing her, which led to her balcony beyond. A hand closed around her shoulder. She turned to see the face of her loving husband.

"A tear of joy or sorrow, my love?"

"Both. They're here. She's here. How did five years slip by so fast?"

He brushed the tear from her face. "Because they were good years."

She shook her head. "No, my love, they were great years."

"Yes, they were." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they stepped out onto the balcony. "And if our friends can accept all that we're about to show them, the best is yet to come."

A/N: Welcome back to Phantasma Isle! It's been a while, but we're back on FF and ready to complete some stories! Special thanks to Holmes for being beta. All the mistakes are his! LOL Please review and let us know what you think! AA & JB