For the next two weeks, Luna was lonely. The excitement of the game had worn off and had left the fifth years scrambling for some last minute study time. To keep herself from going insane with boredom, Luna tried to help her friends as much as she could, her Ravenclaw-worthy mind serving her well for once. She helped Harry with History of Magic, Ron with Charms and Transfiguration, Hermione with staying calm and remembering to eat and sleep, and Neville with, well, everything. Her poor friend was so frazzled that whenever Luna quizzed him on the simplest of things he blanked out and looked on the verge of tears.
“Gran keeps telling everyone that I’ll never be as good as my parents were,” he admitted one day in middle of a study session for his Potions exam in an hour. Neville’s parents had always been a mystery to Luna. He had never opened up about any of it to her before, but she had a feeling he wasn’t just staying with his gran because his parents were on an extended vacation…
Luna didn’t want to pry, but she was curious. “Now, why would she say that, Neville?” she prompted.
Her friend sighed. “My mum and dad were some of the greatest Aurors who were in the original Order of the Phoenix.”
Luna didn’t like how he kept using the words ‘was’ and ‘were’. But she pressed on, “What’s the Order of the Phoenix? Not a bird watching club, I presume,” she said, trying to lighten the serious mood.
Neville attempted a smile, but couldn’t hold it long. “No, it’s not.” Then, he began in a low voice, leaning closer to Luna, “It’s a secret society that Dumbledore formed dedicated to defeating You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters.” He straightened, a proud look overcoming his face. “My parents were in it.”
Luna dreaded the answer, but she had to know, so she asked with a whisper, “And where are they now?” As soon as she asked the question, she wished she hadn’t for the look on Neville’s face. His eyes fell to the ground and his shoulders slumped. Luna stared at him intently, but he wouldn’t meet her inquisitive blue-grey eyes.
After a long pause, he continued slowly, “I probably shouldn’t be saying this to anyone, really, but I trust you.” Another pause. “When I was a kid, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated in the First Wizarding War by the Order of the Phoenix. But, some of his Death Eaters were angry and loyal to him, and wanted more information. My parents were few in the Order who had managed to avoid death several times before.” Luna urged him to continue with her eyes. “And-and so some of his followers came after my mum and dad, and they were attacked…” His voice caught, but he quickly cleared it, looking up tentatively at me to see if I’d heard his slip. Neville placed his gaze back at the table. “She used the Cruciatus Curse on them, a forbidden spell used to torture people. She drove them insane.”
“Who?” Luna whispered.
“Bellatrix Lestrange.”
Luna’s eyes widened. She was one of the most loyal Death Eaters to You-Know-Who and perhaps one of the most powerful. The fact that Neville’s parents were even still alive was a feat.
“Where are they now?” she wondered aloud.
Neville grimaced. “St. Mungo’s…I don’t really like to talk about it.”
“That makes sense. Mungo’s isn’t the cheeriest of places, I’d know,” Luna said, thinking back to her time in the hospital when she had gotten sick.
“Yeah…”
There was an uncomfortable silence. Luna fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, unable to keep still in the awkwardness of it. Finally, Neville spoke up and said, “So is the Redirecting Spell similar to the Reappearing Spell?”
Luna smiled. “No, not at all.”
---
Through the week, Luna began to notice little subtleties in Neville that she hadn’t before. Whenever the words ‘crazy’ or ‘insane’ were mention, he’d flinch the tiniest bit. Or if conversation of Death Eaters came up, he’d pucker his lips and look to the ground. And worst of all, if someone said something about their parents, he’d turn away slightly and look like he was trying to compose himself. And Luna had no idea what to do about any of it. He had comforted her in her weakness, hadn’t he? So why couldn’t she help him in his? Luna felt weak. Helpless.
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Luna Lovegood
Fanfiction[BOOK ONE] Loony Lovegood--the girl everyone made fun of. The girl with more to her than what meets the eye. She's different, you know (although I presume you already figured that out for yourself). She's special, and she has a story, too. Foll...
