Authors Notes: Hi everyone, did you think we were dead?? We're really sorry for taking soooo long to update this story! Because we also read fan fiction and suffer when the authors don't update as often as we'd like, we understand there's not much we can say to excuse ourselves. Just that life got in the middle (University, work, exams, one month trips, engagements, holidays... uff!).
But we hope that this longer chapter will make up for it.
Lots of thanks to Jon for his help, comments and encouragement; and to everyone that is reading and hopefully enjoying this story. We ask you to forgive any mistakes that might have slipped, our Beta can't do miracles with our "spanglish" grammar ^_^;
Angel-Wing and Psy_Girl
Chapter 07 - Coming back
Hogwarts's Hospital Wing had never been more active than that night.
To Madame Pomfrey's disdain, she suddenly found her precious ward full of people. She kept running from here to there, muttering under her breath about noise and disrupting the patients' recovery. But even she couldn't hide her smile to see that everyone had finally come back and with only minor injuries.
"For the tenth time, Mr. Weasley, sit down!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, pushing Fred to a chair while she treated the wound in his arm.
Fred didn't pay much attention to Madam Pomfrey while he kept telling everyone how he and Harry had traveled to the cemetery. Neville and Ginny were listening eagerly, while Remus Lupin and Tonks were sitting on one of the beds with Ron and Hermione, who had already been treated by the school nurse. Luna was lying on another bed, unconscious. Professor McGonagall was beside her, and she looked more relieved than anyone had ever seen her.
"I swear that when Harry jumped in front of the Death Eaters and started running, I thought we were busted," Fred was saying.
Harry was sitting in the corner, looking down. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, Dumbledore's especially. Now that his first feelings-relief and happiness to see his friends alright-had passed, he had been able to ponder about how he had dealt with the whole situation. If it hadn't been for the Order, who had arrived just in time, they probably wouldn't be there now. He had almost killed everyone with his recklessness yet again!
The door swung open and Mrs. Weasley dashed inside, followed by a beaming Mr. Weasley.
"Ron! Ginny! My babies!" Mrs. Weasley yelled, rushing to where they were and enveloping the two in a bone-crushing hug. "I was so worried about you!" she said, her voice cracking a little. "You're safe!!"
"Mum, I can't breathe," Ron complained, but Harry noticed he didn't let his mum go.
"And you," Mrs. Weasley said, turning to Fred and George, "your father and I will have a serious talk with you two, but now come here and give us a hug! Thank Merlin you're all safe!!"
The twins didn't look very frightened at the prospect of a talk with their parents, and smiling they joined the rest of the Weasleys (Fred had to plead with Madam Pomfrey to let him go).
A man that Harry had never seen before entered in the Hospital Wing a few seconds later. He headed to Luna's bed immediately, not looking at anyone else.
"Luna!" he exclaimed, kneeling beside her. "Professor McGonagall, what's wrong with her?" he asked McGonagall, who approached as soon as she saw him.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lovegood," she said soothingly. "She passed out on the way here, but she's going to be fine."
Mr. Lovegood looked extremely relieved and turned to look at his daughter again. Neville got off the bed and went closer to the Headmaster. Harry noticed he looked uneasy.
"Excuse me, Sir?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom?" Dumbledore smiled at him.
"Is my... I mean, where... Is my Gran-"
He didn't have the chance to finish that sentence, because in that moment a loud voice interrupted him.
"Look, Mr. I-am-a-famous-healer-and-a-real-pain in the-!… My GRANDCHILD is in here, and if you want to 'take care of me', then you come with me, because there's no way in the Wizardring World that I'm going to go back to that hospital without seeing him!"
As she finished saying that, Mrs. Longbottom entered in the Hospital Wing and was almost knocked out when Neville jumped into her arms.
"You're alright!" Neville exclaimed. "I was so worried about you!"
Mrs. Longbottom looked surprised, but she returned the embrace. She looked really funny dressed in the Hospital robes and with her usual hat on her head and bag in her arm. Harry saw two men that looked like healers complaining to Madam Pomfrey that she had made them walk all the way from Hogsmeade carrying the stabilizing potions with them.
"We've informed your parents, Hermione," Mr. Weasley told her, "and we've gotten special permission from the Ministry to take them to Hogsmeade so you can meet with them. Unfortunately, they'll have to travel the muggle way and won't be here until tomorrow morning."
Hermione nodded, looking slightly sad. Still, Mrs. Weasley seemed really happy to see that she was alright too and made her join in the family hug.
Harry looked at the scene unfolding in front of him and suddenly felt like an outsider. He wasn't sure why he was feeling that way, although he could feel the all too familiar guiltiness coming back. After all, it was his fault his friends and their families had suffered in the first place. He knew that it was only a matter of minutes until Dumbledore approached to him to question him about his rash actions, and he didn't feel like talking at the moment. So, taking advantage of the commotion, he snuck out of the Hospital Wing, oblivious to the pair of brown eyes following him.
***
Indeed news traveled fast in Hogwarts. Outside there were a bunch of students waiting eagerly to know what was going on inside. They gasped when Harry came out. He was sure that Colin Creevey was among them when the flash of a camera nearly blinded him. He ignored them and walked quickly to the main gates. He needed some fresh air.
Luckily, the students didn't follow him, and soon he found himself sitting by the lake, alone. He took a couple of deep breaths, processing what had happened in the cemetery. He was having a hard time remembering exactly how events had unfolded. He tried focusing on who he had seen there, but aside from Wormtail and Voldemort, he hadn't recognized anyone. There weren't as many Death Eaters as he would've thought.... Was Snape among them?
Damn, if he hadn't been so bloody impulsive, he might've heard or seen something that could help the Order. But then again, that would have meant putting his friends in even more danger. How was he supposed to keep his head cool at times like that? And he was the one supposed to defeat Voldemort? Maybe that prophecy was just a bunch of crap after all.
He felt steps coming closer, and when he turned around, he saw Hermione standing in front of him. By the look in her eyes, he knew she would ask him to go back inside, to share with everyone....
"Look, Hermione," he said, looking at her, "I know what you're going to s-"
He was cut off when she slapped him, hard. He touched his now red cheek and gaped at Hermione with his mouth open. She looked furious.
"How could you do something like that!?" she exclaimed. She didn't let a shocked Harry answer. "That was reckless and stupid! You could've been killed!"
So she was referring to the cemetery issue. Fred had done a good job telling everyone about Harry's wonderful modus operandi.
"I didn't have a choice," Harry said, weakly. His cheek stung. Hermione surely had a heavy hand.
Hermione's eyes were positively shooting fireballs. "How long do you plan to keep doing this? Playing with your life? Do you have a death wish, Harry?"
Harry finally got out of his dumbfounded state and frowned. "You're not being very fair, Hermione."
"What else do you want me to say!?"
"What about thank you!?" Harry yelled back, his temper raising. "Do you think I went there for sightseeing? I was looking for you!"
"You could've told the Order in the first place and not go there by yourself!"
"Right, and maybe mislead them while Voldemort was killing all of you in some hidden dungeon?" Hermione didn't answer. "I couldn't stay here, doing nothing... It's been more than a week since you were kidnapped, Hermione. I had to do something!"
"I know," Hermione said her voice lower, but still looking angry. "I knew that you'd do something rash. We were all worried about you, you know?"
Harry's frown grew deeper. "That's just perfect. I'm flattered. Harry Potter can't take care of himself, so his friends worry about him even when they're trapped by Death Eaters."
"Don't be stupid," Hermione said harshly. "You know very well that what you're saying isn't true."
"So now I'm stupid," Harry said, finding Hermione's attitude hard to believe. After all that had happened, the last thing he expected was having a row with her.
"Yes! Yes, you are!" Hermione exclaimed, waving her finger in front of him. "Do you know what you put me-what you put all of us through this summer?"
Harry sighed. He had the feeling that this was the real reason for Hermione's anger towards him.
"Do you know how it made us feel to know that you were ignoring us?" Hermione continued. "That you didn't answer our calls, or return our letters, or let us help you-"
"I didn't need any help," Harry cut her off.
"You did. You still need help Harry. No one should cope with... with that alone."
"Go on, you can say it. I'm not going to break just because you mention Sirius' death."
Hermione looked at him sadly. "Sirius's death isn't the only thing that's worrying you, I know it. That's not the reason why you're avoiding us, is it? Why don't you tell us what it is, Harry? You can't deal with everything by yourself."
"Do we really have to do this now?" Harry asked tiredly, avoiding Hermione's knowing gaze.
"Does it have something to do with what Voldemort said in the cemetery? That prophecy?"
Harry flinched involuntarily. "This is the first time I'm seeing you in three months. I thought Voldemort was going to kill you. I don't want to talk about it now, okay?"
Hermione sighed, but didn't press the matter any further. She just stared at him, while Harry stroked his red cheek absent-mindly. He returned her gaze. It was dark, so he couldn't see her very well, but he did notice that she looked thinner and had dark circles under her eyes. Harry had never thought of Hermione as a weak person, but the brief glimpse he got of her in that moment made her look... helpless.
"You're bleeding," Hermione said a moment later, wiping a small trace of blood that was coming out of Harry's forehead with her sleeve.
"I hadn't noticed," Harry said, replacing Hermione's sleeve with his.
"You're dirty, you're going to infect the wound," she scolded him. "You should've let Madam Pomfrey take care of that before running away."
"I wasn't-" Harry protested, but Hermione shushed him.
"I'm sorry I slapped you," she apologized. Her expression and voice were softer now.
Harry nodded. "I'm sorry for almost killing us all in the cemetery."
"You were very brave," Hermione said. "I'm sorry for being like this when you saved our lives."
"I didn't save your lives, the Order did."
"You still went there, knowing what was awaiting you..."
"I was the only one who knew where he'd taken you..."
"But you fought, and protected us before yourself..."
"I wasn't thinking clearly..."
"Are you going to apologize for your attitude during summer?"
"No," Harry said, turning his back at her. He wanted to say he had a reason for avoiding them, but he couldn't. Not yet, anyway.
"Fine." A silence followed and when it was almost unbearable, Harry turned around to find Hermione still looking at him. He felt a lump in his throat when he saw she was teary-eyed.
"Hermione... Don't cry," he said. Why did girls insist in doing this to him? "I-I wasn't ignoring you, it's just that-"
"I'm not crying because of that," Hermione said, wiping a tear before it could fall. "It's been a hard week for everyone. I guess I'm a little emotional, that's all."
"Right." Harry suddenly felt uncomfortable. He remembered how much he'd missed Hermione - and Ron... and the rest too - the past few days, and now she was in front of him... Was this the reunion he had expected? What should he tell her? That he'd missed her? Maybe she was expecting him to ask her about what had happened while she was captive... No, that could wait. Then what could he do?
Hermione resolved his hesitation by moving towards him and pulling him into a hug. It was a different kind of hug. Harry was used to Hermione's emotional outbursts when she would jump at him and almost asfixiate him right there.... But this felt different. He didn't know how to explain it. He stayed there, stiffened, while Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh and just held him.
A cough made Hermione pull away hastily and Harry turned to look at whoever was there. He found Professor McGonagall looking at them with an unreadable expression.
"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Professor Dumbledore would like to have a word with all of you. Please, follow me to the Hospital Wing." Her eyes lingered on Harry. "I see that your wounds haven't been treated yet, Potter," she added.
Harry and Hermione followed their professor to the Hospital Wing in silence. Harry felt his face burning, but he shrugged it off.... Hermione sure had dealt him a powerful blow.
"...and they didn't let us out of that cell in all the time until tonight," was saying Ginny as Harry and Hermione entered the Hospital Wing.
Every eye turned to them. Harry noticed that the ward was a lot quieter. Everyone was still there-the children (even Luna, who had finally regained consciousness), the parents, the teachers and the members of the Order-but they'd been probably listening to the story of the ones who had been kidnapped. Harry felt sorry he'd missed part of it, he was interested in knowing what had happened. But then again, he was sure Ron wouldn't mind telling him everything all over again.
Speaking of Ron, Harry gazed at him and saw he was peering at Hermione and him with a questioning expression in his eyes.
"Harry dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, breaking the silence. She went up to him and hugged him. "I still hadn't had the chance to see you well," she said examining him with her eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay! But you have a wound in your head!"
Before Harry could say anything, Madam Pomfrey grabbed him by the arm, gave him a piece of chocolate (Harry would never cease to be amazed of the properties of that wonderful candy) and sat him on a chair beside Fred's while she cleaned his wounds. Hermione went to sit by Ron and Tonks in silence.
"I want to talk to all of you," Dumbledore said, "but first I need to have a private chat with your parents and the rest of the adults. You too, Poppy." The Headmaster opened the door of the Hospital Wing. "We'll be back soon."
Everyone left, except for the twins, who seemed to consider that a chat with their friends was more interesting than hearing Dumbledore explain the whole rescue story to the adults.
"I still can't believe it," George said then, obviously trying to go back to the subject they'd been discussing before Harry and Hermione came back. "But well, at least the ferret was right ... I was sure he was trying to deceive us."
"MALFOY??!!" Ron exclaimed outraged. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"He was the one who told me where you'd be... kinda," Harry said in a low voice.
Ginny and Neville looked surprised by this information. Ron didn't seem impressed, though. "That prat!!" he gruffed. "But now we have proof that he's a Death Eater."
"We don't know that, Ron," Hermione interrupted.
"Of course he is," Ron insisted. "He was there. He knew what they were planning. We were at his bloody house! We're living proof of his acts!" he exclaimed, over-excited.
"We can't do that."
Ron looked at Hermione as if she had grown a second head. "And why not!? We all saw him!"
"I know, but it's thanks to him that we're still alive..." Hermione said, looking at Harry to see his reaction to what she was saying. "We can't betray him."
"Betray him? Are you mad?!" Ron asked. He looked at the rest to find support, but everyone was quiet.
"If they find out he told Harry where we were, he'll be in trouble... He took a great risk-"
"Hello?? We're talking about Draco Malfoy here. The one responsible that Buckbeack almost ended up headless. The one who's been calling you Mudblood all this time. The one who was happy that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and was hoping someone -mainly you- would die. The very same that has made Hogwarts a less nice place and was laughing at us when we were trapped in that cell!" Ron turned to Harry. "Please, say something."
Harry was thoughtful. "I don't know Malfoy's motives to give me that information. It could be a trap... But it could also be something more. I think we should wait and see what he's up to."
"You've all gone nuts!" Ron exclaimed, but dropped the subject for the moment.
"How did you manage to hold all those Death Eaters until the Order arrived?" Neville asked, eager to go back to the main topic of discussion. "There were like thirty of them and just the two of you."
"Actually, it was Harry who did it," Fred said, turning to Harry. "That was some awesome magic, Harry! What spell did you use? And why didn't you teach us that one at the D.A. last year?"
Harry looked at Fred and blinked. Everyone was looking at him and he shifted in his seat, not knowing what to say. Actually, he wasn't really sure of what had happened in there... He didn't remember using any particular spell. Fred was probably wrong. How could he beat all those Death Eaters? It must've been the confusion of the moment.
"What are you talking about Fred?" asked Ginny, confused.
"You were unconscious at the moment," Fred explained. "You see, Harry was at one moment surrounded by Death Eaters. I thought he was a goner. I couldn't see very well what he did, because my back was turned to him and with the wound in my arm I couldn't really move, but suddenly I felt very cold. Not the Demetors' kind of cold, but..." Fred struggled with the words. "It was as if something was draining… something… I'm not sure, as if it was draining me."
"Draining you? What?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.
"I'm not sure how to explain it," Fred said, "but I felt as if someone was calling me...well not me, but my magic." He snapped his fingers. "That's it. It was as if my magic was being drained. Leaving my body. It was wicked!"
"Whoa! I think I need to call Madam Pomfrey. The spells must've hit you pretty bad in the head, Fred," George said, laughing.
"I know it sounds farfetched, but it was exactly as I'm telling you!" Fred insisted. He didn't seem to be joking and obviously everyone noticed, because they turned to Harry again. Harry just remained silent, thinking about what Fred was saying. He didn't remember that feeling. He certainly wasn't the one responsible for that... magic.
"So what did You-Know-Who do to all of you?" Fred asked, noticing that Harry was sinking further in his seat. "It looked like some strong dark magic to me."
"It was Legilimency," Harry said, his eyes slightly closed when he remembered the moment he had seen his friends in front of Voldemort.
"Legilimency? Are you sure about that, Harry?" Luna asked, speaking for the first time.
"Well, it seemed like it."
"But not all were memories..." Neville said vaguely, more to himself than to the rest.
"What're you blabbing about, Neville?" inquired George.
It was Ginny who responded.
"When we got hit by that spell, all these memories came to me.... Memories of bad things that have happened. I lived everything... all over again.... My first year, with Tom Riddle's diary," she explained, her voice quavering. "But it was different. I saw things that didn't happen, or at least I'm sure I've never gone through that.... They were horrible things."
"That's why Mr. Riddle excelled in the Dark Arts, Miss Weasley."
Everyone turned to the door, where Professor Dumbledore was standing. He was alone.
"I'm glad to see you all well," the Headmaster said, smiling slightly. He closed the door behind him, summoned a chair and sat down. "Before you ask, Mr. Weasley," he said before Ron could open his mouth, "I'll explain what you all experienced. It was, in fact, a way of Legilimency. Hearing what you've told your friends, Miss Weasley, it seems to me that he used a great ancient spell that has been mostly forgotten because of its darkness." Dumbledore made a pause. Everyone was looking at him with great interest. "As Mr. Potter here would be able to explain," he continued, "Legilimency can be very hard and painful if a person is trying to block out memories. That's why Voldemort tried to weaken you, by making you relieve your worst memories and experience your greatest fears. In that way, it would be easier for him to read what was not only in your minds, but in your heart."
A silence followed his statement. Harry felt the anger building inside of him. How did Voldemort dare to do that to his friends? He hadn't only taken them away from their home and hurt them on the outside.... He had attacked their very soul, played with their fears, putting them through that awful feeling.... He clenched his fists and bit his lip until he could taste his own blood.
"What did you want to tell us, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione's voice came through.
"Ah yes," Dumbledore said, adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure you're all very tired and I should let you have some rest. It was an exhausting day for everyone," he added, looking at Harry briefly. "The Ministry wants to have all your statements about what happened. They'll want to know details: locations, names, anything. I convinced Cornelius to let you in peace tonight, but they're expecting all of you at the Ministry tomorrow."
"Well, at least it's on a Sunday so I won't miss any more classes," Hermione commented. Ron rolled his eyes.
"I thought you would think like that, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, standing up.
"Do we have to go too?" Fred asked, pointing at Harry first and then at himself.
"I think it's better if we keep the fact that you went there just between us for now," Dumbledore answered in a strangely forward manner. Harry didn't need to ask to know that mentioning his presence at that cementery would mean revealing lots of complicated stuff.... And he could get in trouble, since he had broken Merlin knows how many rules leaving the school in the middle of the night without permission.
"Well, I'll let Poppy take over now, so you can get some rest. Good night," Dumbledore said and walked to the door.
Harry stood up and followed him. "Professor, wait..."
Dumbledore turned around. "I know, Harry," he said. "But we can have our very much needed talk later. Now you should sleep a little and enjoy your friends' company."
"Can our parents come inside for a little while?" Ginny asked.
"I'm sure we can arrange for a little more time," Dumbledore said, winking.
* * *
Madam Pomfrey finally managed to get the parents and the twins to leave the Hospital Wing with the promise they would meet with them in London the next day. Except for Mrs. Longbottom, who had to go back to the hospital. She only left when Neville promised he'd visit her there after he went to the Ministry. Guarded by members of the Order of course, and only those she trusted.
They chatted for a while longer, but the excitement of the day and the lack of sleep that everyone had experienced in all that time got the best of them, and soon they were fast asleep.
Except for Ron.
He kept tossing in his bed, until he finally opened his eyes with a groan. It was the first time in days he got to sleep in a bed and not on the floor, and he was attacked by insomnia. He couldn't believe it! He had always been a heavy sleeper, no matter what. With a frustrated groan, he sat on the bed and turned to look around. He saw Ginny breathing softly and Neville snoring in the next bed. Harry and Hermione were also asleep. There was one empty bed though. He looked up and saw another figure standing by the window.
He got up quietly so he wouldn't disturb the others. Luna was staring out the window. She seemed deep in thought. He didn't want to distress her, so he was ready to go back to trying to sleep counting hippogriffs or something, when he noticed she was rubbing her arms and shivering.
She's cold.
Without stopping to think about it, he grabbed a blanket from one of the beds and walked up to her. He put it on her shoulders, which startled her. She turned around, surprised to see him there.
"Ronald, what are you doing up? It's common knowledge that sleep and food are very important to you," Luna said in her sing song voice, looking up to meet his eyes.
"It is, is it? Well, turns out I can't fall asleep no matter how hard I try."
"Oh, I see," Luna said, and turned to the window once again.
"What about you?" Ron asked. "Again, you can't sleep?" he added, remembering that night they had exchanged that strange conversation in the cell.
"No, actually I'm really tired, but it's been a while since I last saw the rabbit, so I decided to wait a little and see if I could get the chance to look at it tonight."
A rabbit? Ron looked outside the window, and scanned Hogwarts' grounds, looking for the rabbit she was talking about. He couldn't see anything else than grass, and Hagrid's hut in the farther corner. He gave a sideway glance to her, wondering if this rabbit really existed, or it was just another figment of her weird imagination.
"Thank you for the blanket," Luna said.
He turned his attention back to her. "Yeah, no problem, I noticed that you were cold, so..."
"Ronald, may I ask what you saw?" she interrupted.
"Huh? Well, I saw you standing here, and then I saw you rubbing your arms and assumed you were cold, so I went to get the blanket…"
Luna just smiled. "I saw my mother."
Oh, now he understood what she meant. He was talking about what happened in the cemetery.
"I saw flashes of my mother," Luna continued, a smile still on her lips. "How she used to tell me stories of the magical creatures that are around us, some easy to find, others not so much. And then I saw her.... I was very young when it happened, and I'd never had such a vivid memory as the one I had this time. Usually they're just blurry images."
Ron noticed that now she was shaking, and even though she was still looking at him, there was something different in her eyes. They were no longer dreamy, but sad and filled with tears.
If there was something Ron really couldn't stand (well, that and spiders) was seeing someone cry, especially a girl, mostly because he had no idea how to act or what to do. He looked at Luna helplessly, and tried to remember what his dad usually did when Ginny cried.
Very slowly and with a shaking hand, he reached for her shoulder and squeezed it gently. When she felt his hand, she looked up at him and he tried to smile what he hoped was a "it will be okay" smile, although it could have turned out like a "please don't do this to me" grimace. Luna wipped her tears and smiled back, and then she turned to the window once again, to keep looking at her "rabbit."
Look at that, I actually conforted her, Ron thought, feeling pleased with himself. Well, okay, his father would've probably hugged Ginny, but nothing was going to make him hug Loony Lovegood! Sure, they seem to be getting used to having strange late night conversations, but he still wasn't at ease around her. So for the time being, his hand on her shoulder was enough.
"So, what's up with this rabbit?" Ron asked after a while, surprising even himself with his question. But he had to admit he was very curious to know.
Luna turned around again. Her eyes had recovered their dreamy expression and she looked at him with mild surprise.
"It's a fascinating story," she said excited. "It's about Quetzalcoatl."
"Quetziwhat?"
"Quetzalcoatl," Luna repeated patiently. "You know, the feathered snake."
A snake with feathers, and with a very weird and complicated name? Yes, seemed like a Luna Lovegood type of story.
"Quetzalcoatl was wandering the forest in his human disguise, when he stopped because he was very hungry. Some animals gathered around him: a fox, a wolf and a rabbit," Luna explained when she saw that Ron had no idea what she was talking about. Her gaze was intense, but somehow he didn't feel uncomfortable and kept listening to her story with interest.
"The fox and the wolf, being agile, strong and fast, found food for him very quickly. They brought him fruits and some vegetables. But the rabbit came back with nothing. Ashamed for not being helpful, the rabbit was very sad, but since it was a very smart animal, she came up with an idea. She walked up to Quetzalcoatl, and asked him to make a fire. The feathered snake and the other animals found enough wood to make a nice, big fire. When everything was set, the small rabbit jumped into the fire."
Ron was scandalized with this turn of events. "Well, that was a very stupid thing to do!"
Luna smiled at him. "Don't you understand Ronald? The rabbit loved him so much that she sacrificed herself, so he would be able to live."
"Why do you keep referring to the rabbit as a she? How do you know it was a girl?"
"In some cultures the female is symbolized as a rabbit. Would you like me to continue with the story?"
He blushed a little, and nodded.
"Quetzalcoatl was surprised by the actions of the rabbit. He removed her lifeless body from the fire, and said 'You have been very brave, and because of that, the entire world will look up to you and know about your sacrifice'. So he took the rabbit back with him to the sky and drew her image on the moon."
Ron followed her gaze and noticed that she was looking at the full moon. He was surprised to see the shape of a rabbit in it. He'd never noticed that before. But before he could say anything, Luna whispered something.
"I'm afraid, Ronald, that there's a rabbit among us."
He turned quickly to stare at her, awed by her statement. A shiver ran through his back, making him shudder a little. A rabbit among them? Did she mean...a sacrifice? But who...?
He was so lost in thought that he actually jumped when he felt the blanket on his shoulders.
"You seemed to be cold too," Luna said in a small voice, moving closer to him. "We can share, if you don't mind."
Ron was surprised... by the rabbit story, Luna talking about her past, his own vision in the cemetery... But what surprised him the most that night, was that he didn't mind sharing that blanket with her... He didn't mind at all.
* * *
Harry woke up next morning feeling a lot better. Thanks to Madam Pomfrey's potion, he had been able to rest like he hadn't done in a while. Seeing his friends in the other beds certainly lifted a weight from his shoulders. Of course, he still had many things worrying him, but at least no one was in inminent danger.... Yet.
He sat up and put his glasses on. Everyone was still asleep, except for Hermione, whose bed was empty.
"Where's Hermione?" he asked to Madam Pomfrey who had just came inside carrying a tray with breakfast.
"She woke up early. Professor Lupin took her to Hogsmeade to see her parents," Madam Pomfrey replied, going to the other beds to wake up the rest. "You have to hurry, as soon as Professor Lupin and Miss Granger are back, you'll take a Portkey to London," she said.
Ron yawned and strectched. "Oh, food!" he said when he saw the tray.
"I was hoping we could go and have breakfast in the Great Hall. I want to see everyone," Ginny said, rubbing her eyes.
"You'll be able to do that when you come back from the Ministry," Professor McGonagall said, appearing in the door.
"Who's going with us, Professor?" Neville asked.
"Professors Dumbledore, Lupin and Snape."
"Snape?" scowled Ron. "And I who thought we'd actually have some fun there."
McGonagall gave him a stern look. "I suggest you watch your mouth, Weasley. Besides, you're not going there for fun. Ministry's interrogations are not a game. You should take it seriously."
"How are interrogations, Professor?" asked Ginny.
"Well, they'll just ask you questions and you'll have to answer all you know. All your words will be recorded."
"And who will interrogate us?" asked Ron.
"Cornelius Fudge, probably," McGonagall answered, her lips forming a thin line. "And maybe Amelia Bones as well. She's the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement."
Harry was glad that Amelia Bones would be there. At least she seemed smarter and fairer than Fudge.
"Now get ready, you'll be departing soon. You can go back to your Common Room if you want, Potter," McGonagall said, and left to the other side of the room to talk to Madam Pomfrey.
Harry got dressed quickly. The others were busy having breakfast, so he took the chance to sneak away. He had to talk to Dumbledore before they went to the Ministry. He walked quickly to the Headmaster's office. Thankfully, it was Sunday, and he didn't ran into any students in the way.
When he reached the eagle statue, he muttered the password that Dumbledore had given him when they started the Occlumency lessons, praying that he would be at his office. He sighed in relief when he heard Dumbledore's voice telling him to come inside.
"I was expecting you, Harry," the Headmaster said. He was sitting behind his desk, with Fawkes by his side. "Please, take a seat."
Harry sat down. How many times had he been in that office, in front of Albus Dumbledore, discussing some complicated event?
"I wanted to apologize," Harry said, in a small voice. "I know I broke the rules last night, when I left Hogwarts' grounds without permission..."
Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "Harry, you and I both know that you're not sorry for breaking that specific rule last night. And that you would do it all over again, even if I told you that it would mean your expulsion."
Harry didn't say anything, and looked at his hands, knowing that Dumbledore was probably right.
"So let's talk about the real reason of your presence here this morning. You seem eager to talk to me.... That's something I haven't seen in a while."
"Well, I wanted to talk about what happened last night, in the cemetery..."
* * *
That night, when Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville arrived to Gryffindor's Common Room, Harry was waiting for them sitting by the fire.
"How did it go?" he asked immediately, jolting from the couch. Since it was late, everyone had gone to their rooms already, giving them the opportunity to talk freely.
"I'll leave you guys to tell him," Ginny said, yawning. "I'm way too tired, my body still feels sore and tomorrow we start with class again. I can't believe my schedule! Anyways…"
She approached to Harry and before he could guess her intentions, she gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "I didn't get a chance to say thank you yesterday," she said, smiling at his startled expression. After all, it was the first time she had gotten so close to him.
"But I didn't..." he stammered.
Ginny winked and left them before he could finish the sentence.
"I think I'll go to bed too," Neville said hastily. "Harry, it's great to see you again."
Harry watched him disappear in the staircase and turned to Ron and Hermione. "So?" he asked, sitting back on the couch.
"It was tedious," Ron said, sitting heavily beside Harry. "They made us tell them all the details about the night they took us away, and then they asked about the time we spent in that dungeon."
"What about the rescue?"
"Well, we were all unconscious by that time, so they didn't ask much about it. I think Dumbledore must've told them something gullible, because he spent almost two hours in Fudge's office before we got in." Ron suppressed a yawn and then smiled. "You should see Fudge now, Harry. I think he'll soon lick the floor where Dumbledore walks. After treating him like a nutcase, he seems to have realized that he won't be able to do anything against You-Know-Who without his help."
Harry thought it was funny that even when Ron had stood face to face with Voldemort, he still couldn't bring himself to call him by his name. "Who was interrogating?" he asked.
"Fudge and that woman who's the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement..."
"Amelia Bones," Hermione supplied, speaking for the first time. She was sitting in a chair across from them, the one she usually picked to do her homework. She looked rather serious.
"Kinglsey was there too," Ron said. "He was the auror working on our kidnapping. There were a few people we didn't see very well, they stayed in the back and didn't ask questions... Oh, and Percy, too," he added, scowling.
"Are things still bad between him and your family?" Harry asked.
"That git hasn't even apologized yet, you know? Mum of course has already forgiven him, and I'm pretty sure he's been talking to Ginny too. But I can tell dad is still mad at him, Fred and George don't even mention his name without scoffing and I certainly can't blame them."
"Ron, he's your brother, maybe you should give him a chance to..." Hermione started, but Ron cut her off with a glare.
"He treated us like dirt because we were interfering with his ambition, Hermione. And even now, he won't recognize he made a mistake. He'll never change. His bloody position in the Ministry is far more important that his family or this war."
Hermione didn't press the subject.
"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked, trying to get back on the subject.
"Oh, we told them we were pretty sure we were being held in his house," Ron said, "but we couldn't give them any proof besides telling them about Kreacher. We didn't mention about Malfoy's little visit," he added, bitterly.
"Do you think it was the right thing to do, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking slightly concerned. "I'm not sure if hiding that fact is a good idea anymore."
"Yeah, what if Malfoy tries to do something here?" Ron asked.
"He wouldn't dare to do anything under Dumbledore's nose," Harry said. "I don't know if it's right, but we need to know what he's up to."
Hearing his words, Hermione smiled slightly. She recognized the Harry she knew behind those words. The one who always wanted to solve the mystery. She kept this comment to herself, though.
"Ah Harry, we also found out that some Death Eaters broke into Azkaban," Ron said.
"What?! Again?"
"Tonks told us about it today. The Daily Prophet hasn't announced it yet, and the Ministry is trying really hard to cover up everything," Hermione told him. "That's the reason why there weren't that many Death Eaters at the cemetery last night."
"Who got away?"
"Everyone who was in the Department of Mysteries last June. That means Lucius Malfoy, too."
"I can't believe it, wasn't Azkaban supposed to be a really well guarded prison? They can't do anything without the dementors?" asked Harry, angrily.
"Well, according to Tonks, the security in Azkaban was tighter than ever," Ron said. "She said that probably someone helped them from the inside. Not many people knows about the new security system in Azkaban..." Ron yawned and stretched. "I'm knackered. I didn't sleep much last night. Good night," he said, and strolled to his room.
Harry sighed and leaned back. Voldemort was certainly active, lately. He wasn't sure the Ministry was prepared to stop him. They hadn't done much the last time, had they? It wasn't until he had tried to kill him that he'd been defeated.
"Voldemort still isn't as powerful as he was fifteen years ago. I think that we have a chance."
Harry looked up and looked at Hermione. He hadn't notice she was still there.
"Yeah, maybe you're right," he said flatly. His mind wandered to the prophecy again. Did Dumbledore really believe that someone like him was the only one who could defeat someone so powerful?
Hermione stood up from her chair and sat in the spot that Ron had left empty, beside Harry. He waited for her to say something, but she just stayed there, silently watching the fire.
"You saw your parents today, didn't you?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "They were happy to see I was fine. It hasn't been easy for them, being muggles and all.... They don't get much of what's going on."
"They must hate me."
She turned to look at him. "No, they don't." Harry didn't say anything and avoided her eyes. "They don't blame you, Harry. It's not your fault, even if I didn't know you, Voldemort would still be-"
"Yes, but he wouldn't have taken you away like that, would he? I know you'll say to stop blaming myself for everything, but we both know this time it is about me."
The truth was, Harry was amazed Hermione was still in Hogwarts. He had figured her parents would take her away from the Wizardring World after this. She had faced so many dangers there, ones that muggles like them would have a harder time understanding. In the years she had spent in Hogwarts she had been petrified by a basilisk, almost had her soul sucked by a dementor, fought against armed wizards and had been badly injured and now had been kidnapped by a lunatic....
"My parents trust me," Hermione said, as if she had been reading his mind. "They trust my judgment. They aren't too happy about what's happened, I won't lie to you, but they understand I want to stay here and they respect my decision." She looked at her watch. "It's late Harry, you should get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? Good night, Harry."
"Good night, Hermione."
* * *
A couple of days had passed, and things were starting to get back to normal. Ron and Hermione were prefects again, which was a relief for Dean. He told everyone in the common room how he hated to boss around.
"It's no fun to be the punisher instead of the prankster," he said, and won a severe scolding from Hermione. No one cared about it, though, everyone was happy she was back.
Ron, Ginny and Harry, along with Katie Bell, had met to decide what they were going to do with the team, since the Quidditch season would start soon and they still had to find a Chaser and see if they would keep the beaters that had replaced the Wealey Twins last year. Harry was glad he was able to play Quidditch again.
Mrs. Longbottom had been released from the hospital, and Neville told everyone with a smile on his face that he had never seen the Healers so happy to see a patient leaving.
Therefore, it wasn't unusual for anyone to see Hermione sitting in her usual spot in the Library, surrounded by tons of books and scribbling every once in a while in a piece of parchment.
"The information that we seek isn't easy to find, and I'm afraid that this time, books may not be the ones with the answers we need."
Hermione looked up from her work and saw Luna placing her schoolbag and some books on the table, and then sat in front of her.
"What are you talking about? I'm just doing a little research for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione said a little too fast, not meeting her eyes.
Luna grabbed one of the books that was conveniently under a pile of parchment and read out loud: "Prophets and prophecies through out History". Interesting material for someone who claims not to believe in Divination."
Hermione blushed, surprised at Luna's sharpness. Since she had already been caught, there was no point in denying it, "I... it's just that… I need to understand…"
"You and I are more alike than you think, Hermione. I, as well, think the clues that came with our captive event are very interesting, and I'm curious to figure them out; I've always loved to solve a good mystery. And now we have the biggest mystery right under our nose…or should I say flying by us?" She said, pointing to the window as Harry flied by dressed in his Quidditch Robes, obviously looking for the Snitch.
Hermione turned to look at Harry, and then back at Luna. "Two minds work better than one, right?" she said with a sad smile.
Luna stared at her and did something Hermione had rarely seen her do. She grinned.
"Unless you are Trifelerhofler. They have three brains; my dad has been trying to find one to analyze it…"
Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head at the blond girl in front of her. I think you're right Luna; we're more alike than I could've ever imagined.
* * *
Ginny was sitting by herself near the fire in Gryffindor's common room. She had a book with her, but it was lying by her side, long forgotten. She was staring at the flames in front of her, deep in her cavilations, when she heard the portrait opening. She jumped and in a quick motion she grabbed her wand and pointed it towards the person that had just entered without even realizing what she was doing.
"I-I It's just me! Neville!" Neville exclaimed, with his hands up when he saw her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Neville!" Ginny said, putting her wand away. "It's just that lately I've been a little jumpy," she explained softly.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Same here, this morning I almost hexed Dean when he came up to me from behind to ask me something about our Herbology homework," Neville said. He walked up to her and sat on the floor, close to the fire and not too far from her.
She smiled a little, but turned serious in less than a second. "It's been a week since we got back and everything came back to normal... But somehow, it's different now, you know?"
Neville nodded. "I agree. But we're not the only ones who feel like this. The others, too."
"The others? What do you mean? I haven't noticed anything unusual in any of them, but then again, my brother and Luna aren't what you'd call usual, and Hermione, well she's just the same."
"The changes have been very subtle," Neville said, staring at the fire. "Hermione, for example. I see her unfocused.... There's something missing in her eyes when she studies."
"How is that?"
"There used to be this passion in her eyes everytime she found something that interested her. Now she just reads because she needs too. I've noticed her drifting off in classes. And there's something else. She seems sad... or worried about something, I'm not sure." Neville lowered his voice when he felt Ginny's gaze on him.
"You seem to have been observing Hermione a lot," she commented briskly.
Neville blushed slightly. "I've been observing everyone," he said.
"Well, what about my brother? Or Luna?"
"Ron? Well, he stares at the moon a lot."
Ginny blinked. "What? The moon?"
"Yes. I know it's weird, but I've seen him doing it several times. The first time, I was woken up by the silence in the room." Ginny stared at him quizzically. He laughed a little. "Ginny, when you share a room with the boy who has nightmares every single night, a soccer fan, a heavy snorer, and a guy who screams about dancing spiders, believe me, it is odd not having any noise."
Ginny giggled. She could picture all of them, just like Neville had described it. "Okay, continue."
"As I was saying, it was all quiet, too quiet, so I woke up and looked around. Harry wasn't in his bed, which isn't really out of place. I know for a fact that he takes walks at night or just goes and sits in the common room and stare at the fire. He's been doing that since third year, but now he does it a lot more often. Dean and Seamus were sleeping like always, with their usual mumblings of 'Patty, please just one kiss' or 'that was a foul, you blind fool!'. But Ron was up. He was by the window, staring at the moon. I asked him what was wrong, and instead of answering, he asked me this really weird question..."
"What did he ask?" Ginny asked eager to know.
"He asked me if I've ever seen the rabbit of the moon," Neville asked, frowning when he remembered those weird words coming out of Ron's mouth.
"A rabbit? What was he talking about?"
"I don't have a clue. When I asked him what he meant, he just laughed and told me to go back to sleep."
"I think my brother is mental," Ginny said, matter of factly. "What about Luna? I've been around her a lot, and she seems normal."
"That's the point. She's been acting almost like a normal person. Think about it, when was the last time she mentioned one of her weird creatures?" Ginny thought for a second and finally shook her head. "Sure, she still reads The Quibbler, but she, just like Hermione, has this... overwhelmed aura around her... As if they know something we don't." Neville felt silent and sighed.
"You're amazing," Ginny said, her eyes peering at him so intensely that Neville had to lower his face so she wouldn't notice he had turned crinsom.
"What? Why?" he asked shyly.
"Why? Well because you're able to see all that! That's why you, Mr. Longbottom, are a very wonderful and caring person," she said, finishing the sentence with a yawn.
"It's getting late, you should go to bed," Neville said, still not looking at her in the eyes.
"I guess you're right, I have Potions early tomorrow." She giggled when he flinched. "You can fight with Death Eaters, you come back willingly to the hands of You Know Who, but you still panic at the sound of anything related to Professor Snape!" she said, laughing now.
Neville looked flushed, but he had to admit she was right.
"Everyone has their weakness," he said, defensively.
She got up from her chair still smiling, picked up her book and bent down to gave him a small peck on the cheek, which startled him. Ginny walked toward the stairs, but stopped before going up. She turned around, and smiled at him.
"I meant what I said. You really are an amazing person, Neville." And with that, she climbed the stairs up to her room.
It was long before Neville could go to bed. He had a lot of things on his mind, but his heart seemed to be busy with nothing more and nothing less than a red-haired girl.
* * *
References:
The story that Luna told Ron is based on one of the many legends about the Rabbit on the Moon. We are both huge fans of History and Hispanic literature, and this particular myth seemed to fit with something Luna would say. Because its a popular tale in Mexico, Psy_Girl was the one who suggested it, and the only thing she changed are the animals (the fox and the wolf) because in the original story they are some native mexican (pronounced "mechican") animals.
It's also true that many cultures portray the woman as a rabbit. If you have any questions about this particular story, you can PM Psy_Girl and she'll gladly help you.
And you can actually see the siluette of a rabbit on the full moon, you just need a little bit of imagination and you'll find it.
See you on the next chapter!