Luna had spent her free period sitting under a tree by the black lake. She basked in the sun's welcoming glow - a force far more magical than anything else at Hogwarts in her humble opinion. She let it's radiance go right through her, filling her with a warmth she rarely got to feel recently. Things had been complicated at home now that her dad was in hiding, but she was proud of him. The Daily Prophet hadn't been brave enough to tell a lick of the truth about the war that waged beyond Hogwarts' enchanted walls, and she would stand by the Quibbler through thick and thin. She picked up this week's issue and began to read the first headline:
Potential Harry Potter Sighting? See page 3 for details.
She read on, excited to discover how her friends had been travelling while they were away.
Reports from an anonymous - yet reliable - source claim that Mr Harry Potter has been sighted in Ireland's west on the Cliffs of Moher. The source claims he was disguised by polyjuice potion as a regular muggle tourist, but he slipped out his wand on one occasion. Given that a man in Mr Potter's predicament would certainly feel obliged to disguise himself as such, it seems quite likely that he has indeed been sighted here in the United Kingdom. We're with you Harry, every step of the way!
She was exhilarated to know her friends were alive and probably well, but she knew Ginny would surely be even more ecstatic. Ginny liked Harry and Luna knew only too well that her heart was set on him, it had been that way since the first year.
"Alright everyone, books out!" Squeaked Professor Flitwick, "Today we will begin studying the Silencing Charm." Ginny and Neville were seated in the back row as usual, but couldn't help noticing Luna was missing.
"Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom, have you any idea where Miss Lovegood might be?" Came Flitwick's mousey pitch.
"I haven't a clue, Professor," Neville responded, clearly concerned. Luna was never late for Charms, always excited to speak with Professor Flitwick about the latest news from the Quibbler. Flitwick had always been sceptical of her father's magazine, but in recent circumstances, he had to be faithful.
"Well we mustn't dwell on her absence, we have much to get through!" Flitwick waddled back up to the front of the room. As he went on about silencing charms, Ginny became more and more anxious about Luna. Five minutes passed; ten minutes passed; fifteen.
"Neville, I'm worried about Luna." She finally whispered.
"Don't worry Ginny. She's probably just wandering or something." He wasn't entirely convinced.
"We have to go and find her," Ginny blurted, "After last night, she could be really hurt!"
"I know you're anxious about her Ginny, but we're already here. How the hell are we going to find her?" He returned warily.
"Now it is very important to be careful whilst casting this spell," Flitwick squeaked louder to regain the pair's drifting attention, "If the spell is cast incorrectly, the subject will swell in size and make a deafening screech. Off we pop then, let's start practising amongst ourselves. Remember the incantation: Silencio."
"That's it!" Ginny whispered.
"What?"
"We screw up the spell to create a disturbance and head out while they can't hear us." She exclaimed, eyebrows raised and jaw open in earnest.
"Won't Flitwick realise we're gone?" Neville murmured. He wasn't nearly as exhilarated as Ginny.
"So what? At least we can get out." Neville's eyes drifted. It was mad, truly mad, but he knew what he had to do.
"Alright then. On three. One, two, three."
"Silencio!" They said in unison, swishing their wands rather than pointing as Flitwick had told them. The previously quiet crows they had been given for practice swelled in size and their beaks opened wide. The sound was unbearable for a moment, but before anyone could block their ears, no one could hear a thing. It was so loud Neville came close to fainting right there; Ginny took the chance and with Neville stumbling behind her, made a break for the door. As planned, no one noticed a thing. They had just gotten out of the door when Flitwick managed to get their crows under control and they ran straight for the lake without stopping.
"Do you see her?" Ginny panted.
"Nowhere," He pushed out, hands on knees, crouched low enough to eat the grass. They took the chance to breathe.
"After last night she may well have fainted," Neville continued, "She had a free period so she could be anywhere." Though she was well collected, Ginny began to panic. She didn't care about detention, she just wanted to find Luna; it had filled her mind and drained all other thought. Luna was all that mattered.
"Let's get going then." She said, helping Neville to his feet. They set off for the courtyard - Luna loved spending time by the oak tree in the corner, even if it was for a moment on her way to class. She wasn't there.
"The library?" Neville suggested.
"As good a guess as any." So they set off for the library, taking extreme care not to draw attention to themselves, for a detention from Madam Pince was far from a fantasy given her friendliness with the Carrows. She didn't support You-Know-Who, but she was all for punishing delinquent children. In mind-numbing silence, they split up and looked long and hard through the library.
"I've double checked and triple checked. Any luck for you?" Neville whispered.
"None," Ginny answered, noticeably downhearted, "Let's head back towards charms, she might have been on her way." So they set off along the corridor, their robes flapping behind them and then to Ginny's delight and dismay, they could hear Luna.
"I don't care what you think of them, Zabini," She was saying, "Just give them back to me." Ginny and Neville immediately pushed themselves up against the wall just around the corner, ready to pounce in a moment.
"Neville, she's caught up with Zabini!" Ginny exclaimed, "What right's he got?"
"Didn't you hear, Ginny? Blaise Zabini's taken Malfoy's place as Slytherin prefect." Ginny had forgotten about prefects; Snape hadn't bothered to fill Ron and Hermione's places.
"I don't like them," Zabini spat, "And the Carrows have said to keep an extra eye on you. What would you need an extra set of goggles for owl-eyes?"
"They're spectrespecs," Luna pressed, "They're for spotting wrackspurts!"
"You're pathetic, Loony. Let me remind you that I'm a prefect and authorised to use the Cruciatus Curse! I'll have you fit for St. Mungo's before I let the Carrows have all the fun." Neville's face boiled red; fuming, he jumped out of the corner and lunged for Zabini.
"No, Neville!" Ginny exclaimed. She knew Neville wouldn't bother with magic, he would get him the old fashioned way, which would get them all a one-way ticket to another detention.
"Petrificus Totalus!" She called, but she wasn't aiming for Zabini. Neville's body went rigid and he hit the deck with an impressive thud.
"Oh dear!" Luna gasped.
"Merlin's be-" But before Zabini could say "10 points from Gryffindor", his legs failed him. At the sight of Ginny, Luna almost fainted. She had come to her aid again and she was so grateful. If she could have anyone to rely on so much, it would be that flaming red-head girl, for the good were fierce and strong.
"That's a fantastic Jelly-Legs Jinx!" She exclaimed.
"That's what he gets for being a right git," Ginny said, "Call her Loony again and I'll have you duelling your own bogies!" He crawled away muttering something about blood-traitor filth.
"Thank you, Ginny," Luna breathed, "It seems I just can't be myself these days."
"Oi! You listen to me, Luna," Ginny grabbed her by both shoulders and looked her sharp in the eye, "Don't you ever stop being yourself. You are the most beautiful... most marvellously wonderful thing in the world. And you're all I care about." Her eyes welled up, but they didn't lose their fire. Luna had no words, she was pleasantly breath taken and her large eyes began to swim as well.
"You've left Neville on the floor, Gin." That was all Luna could manage, though she had never called her 'Gin' before. Ginny seemed to approve for she beamed from ear to ear, brandishing her face full of freckles.
"Finite," She said quietly with a flick of her wand, but she just couldn't tear her eyes from Luna's.
"As if Zabini wasn't enough of a prat as it was," Neville interrupted, "This new prefect is going to cop it from us if it's the only thing we can do this year!"