Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Curious Case of Luna Lovegood
The problem wasn't what was going to happen, but waiting for it to happen. They knew of course what would happen, but it only made the wait worse.
Harry and Luna sat in the Headmistress' office while McGonagall waited impatiently for a certain Charms Professor. Eventually the doors burst open to reveal the small Wizard filling the room with his powerful presence. "Minerva, it has been a privilege working for this institution, but I am afraid I must resign from my post. Now unless you have any other business…"
"As a matter of fact I do Filius. SIT DOWN!" The Headmistress ordered, Filius ran to his seat like a little puppy.
"So I assume I have been fired," Harry said without care.
"Of course you have been fired. You punched the MINISTER OF MAGIC!" McGonagall Exclaimed.
"Not one of my better moments," Harry admitted.
"I respectively disagree," Filius chuckled.
"Nevertheless Filius, these actions have consequences. You three have been banned from Hogwarts property. I will give the three of you until supper to pack…"
"Three of us? You mean Luna too?" Harry interrupted.
"She assaulted Ministry officials…"
"If I didn't those stunners would have killed Harry. Remember what five did to you?" Luna whispered coldly.
"I am an old woman."
"Yes Harry is younger, but twenty stunners would have killed him. What if I get my magic back? Are you expelling me for saving the man I love?"
"YES I AM!" McGonagall shouted, "You don't make the rules Luna. We must accept that there are things we cannot change, and your actions have consequences."
"This is about my work isn't it? Do you simply disagree with it or are you working with the Minister." Luna uttered darkly.
McGonagall sighed, "I am not working with the Minister. He is my friend and I support some of his decisions and disagree with others. Today I disagreed strongly, but what followed was far worse."
"Worse than treachery?" growled Harry.
"YES!"
"Halting her research won't stop her from achieving her goals Minerva." Filius whispered quietly. "I would have thought you of all people, would appreciate her work."
"I appreciate her work greatly Filius. As a Halfblood, bringing Muggles and Wizards together would be a dream come true. My Witch Mother gave up her magic for her family. She never regretted her choice, but I still see the pain in her eyes when I got my Hogwarts letter." Minerva adjusted her glasses. "I'm sorry, I may be the Headmistress, but I must follow the rules."
"I go where Harry goes. Nothing changes for me. I just wanted to know why." Luna whispered before rising to leave with the two wizards.
"The curse lives on then, another defense teacher down," Harry sighed sadly. "Hogwarts has been my home for eight long years."
"Hogwarts will always be your home Harry."
Harry looked up to see the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore hanging from the wall. "Harry, Hogwarts is not just the castle in which we currently reside. It is not just a place of learning, nor is it just a place we prepare for the future. Hogwarts is a place where we find ourselves, and where we find each other. Hogwarts is the friends you make, the friends you keep, the love you win, and the love you lose. Hogwarts is in your heart."
"Hogwarts shall always be with you as long as you hold on to the Memories. The girl beside you is your Hogwarts. Stand together and I promise you both will always have a home."
Harry nodded solemnly while he held Luna's hand in a tight but loving grip. "I will sir. Good bye Albus."
As they were about to leave, Albus called out. "Filius, thank you for all you have done, for this school, for these two, and for both of your races. We all owe you a dept."
Filius bowed "It is you who I owe a debt to. Thank you Albus, for making my retirement more eventful than the rest of my life put together. I shall see you when my wand is laid to rest, goodbye."
And with that, the three left the room, leaving only the Headmistress and Dumbledore's portrait. "Did I do the right thing, Albus?"
Albus sighed. "There is a difference between what is right and what is easy."
"What would happen Albus, if they do succeed?"
The portrait pondered. "I am not certain. As the Muggles say, they are heading into uncharted territory."
"Should we stop them?" Minerva asked nervously
"No, I would rather see how this plays out. For nothing easy is found in uncharted territory. It is in the unknown that discovery's are made."
Luna was sitting by the lake with Harry, neither breaking the serene silence. In a matter of hours, they would be far from here. They memorized the water that did not dribble, the trees of the forbidden forest that did not fall, the Quidditch pitch enjoyed by all, even the castle and its great hall.
They were leaving Hogwarts…maybe forever.
"I remember how happy I was when I first came here. I had recently lost mom, and I was looking for a new home. I was so scared that I wouldn't be accepted, like I had always been as a squib. I was right. I was so lost, so lonely. I hated it here and I begged my father to let me go home. He refused and I was stuck in this glorious prison."
"Then you and your friends accepted me, for me. I made friends, I found love, I fought here, suffered here, I persevered here. Hogwarts is my home! Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with this place. Now I have to leave." Luna sighed
"Hogwarts has always been my home. After everything that happened with the Dursley's, Hogwarts became the only home I've ever known." Harry whispered. "But Dumbledore's right, it's not about where we are, but who we are with. We will get through this together Luna. We will finish this, one way or another."
Luna hummed sadly, "If it weren't for me then you would still be able to teach here. My dream has crushed your dream."
Harry shook his head, "OK First, I'm the one who punched the Minister of Magic. This is my fault and I regret it. I just felt so…violated. I had given him my loyalty and trust, when he broke it….I just lost it."
"Second, I have no regrets about you Luna." Harry stated as he tried to flatten his hair. "It hasn't been the same being back here. So many memories, so many deaths. I thought things would go back to the way things were, but I'm not the same anymore.
"I like the danger, I like the thrill, I love being different. All I ever wanted was to be 'just Harry.' I'm not though, not anymore. I want to do something big, not because of a prophecy but because it's something I want. I want to fight for something worth fighting for."
Harry took Luna's hand and looked into her silver eyes. "You are worth fighting for, and your work is worth fighting for. After the war I lost my life's purpose. I found it again in you Luna."
Luna gently kissed him before they shared a hug. "You still love me don't you?"
"Of course Luna, why would you ask?" Harry replied as she let go of him.
Luna kicked off her shoes and started walking in the lake. In her ethereal peace she looked at her reflection. "I no longer recognize the face in the water. I have changed so much these past few months, I don't know who I am anymore. I'm not the person you befriended anymore. I'm not the person you kissed on top of the Astronomy tower. I'm changing every day, I don't want our feelings to ever change though."
Harry followed her into the shallow water and held her. "I know you're changing Luna, so am I. We all change. I love the things you say, the things you do, the way you look. That's not why I love you Luna. I fell in love with your soul and spirit. That is something that will never change."
Luna smile genuinely. "Who am I Harry?"
Harry grinned, "You're the one I love, and you are Luna Lovegood."
"Yes but who is Luna Lovegood?"
"A riddle I hope I never solve." Harry uttered under his breath as he kissed her with passion.
Luna leaned into Harry as he whispered in her ear "You want to dance."
Luna giggled, "I don't think you'd be very good at my dancing, it's all stuff my dad learned on his travels."
"No I mean slow dance."
Luna's eyes widened. "I don't know how it seems so..." she didn't finish her sentence. The idea was so intimate. She was terrified of the word.
"Do you trust me?"
Luna nodded as Harry slowly led them knee deep into the lake. Luna leaned her head against Harry's chest and put her arms around his neck. While Harry wrapped his hands around Luna's waste and leaned his head against the top of hers.
It was so simple. They barely moved, but this simple action shut off the world. They forgot all about their worries, fears, pain, their past and their future. The madness in Luna's head was gone. In that moment, all she knew was Harry, and her Love for him.
"Never let me go." Luna whispered her voice quivering with emotion.
Harry whispered back. "Never Luna."
"Good." Luna hummed before diving into the water, taking Harry with her. When Harry surfaced, it was to the sound of her melodic laughter.
How many more times did he have to feel like this? To feel the knife pierce his heart. His unbreakable vow was breaking his back. So many secrets that he could not tell. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream. The anger and hatred he had to hide. It made him feel sick.
The half goblin stumbled into his trophy room and beheld the hundreds of wands he had won over the years. His greatest accomplishments, his great victory's, his humbling defeats, his pride, his glory…meant nothing to him now. They had lost their meaning the moment Pandora died. Instead of feeling pride, he felt empty and hollow.
Filius picked up one of the wands and held it between his fingers. 'It was just a piece of wood, so he snapped the twig in two. He snapped another, then another. Filius pulled out his own wand and screamed. He smashed wands against the walls, he set them on fire, he destroyed them all…but one.
Filius dropped to his knees as he picked up the wand from the floor. He cried in agony…It was Pandora's wand.
"Pandora, please help me. Please forgive me, I tried, I swear I tried. I can't let it happen again." He cried out.
"Let what happen again"
Filius jumped as he saw Luna standing in the middle of the room. He then realized too late who was behind her..
"Avada Kedavra"
Filius screamed as Luna fell limp to the ground. The killer seemed to vanish as Filius held Luna's body in his arms. Her unseeing eyes staring into his.
"Merlin Forgive me!" Filius cried out in unimaginable pain.
"NO!"
Filius looked up to see Pandora standing before him. "You failed my daughter. She is dead because of you!"
Filius shook his head as Pandora screamed out "My daughter is dead because of you! I am dead because of you!"
"No Please! Morgana have mercy! I tried, I swear I tried but I could not break the vow."
"LOOK AT ME!"
Filius found himself holding not Luna's but Pandora's body. It was Luna who was crying over her. "Why won't she wake? Wake up Mom! PLEASE WAKE UP!
WAKE UP!"
Filius awoke abruptly and fell out of his tall chair. He saw Pandora's wand was still in his hand.
"Never thought I'd see the great Sir Flitwick having a nightmare." Ragnok's head teased through the fire place.
"What in Merlin's real name do you want?" Filius grumbled.
"I want to know what happened just now with the Minister of…"
Filius tuned Ragnok out as his eyes remained fix upon Pandora's wand. She had left it to him in her will with the condition that he looked after her daughter when she went to Hogwarts. In that moment, he knew what he had to do.
"Sir. Flitwick? FILIUS! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?"
"Shut up Ragnok you waste of Goblin skin, I'm thinking." Filius scolded the insulted Goblin. "I'm going to Gringotts Immediately. I must be back in five minutes so have a time turner there so I can perform my duties."
Ragnok gaped at the half goblin "Time turners are illegal for us Goblins…"
"I don't give a Flying Gragendrook." Filius cursed in Gobbledygook. "I have used them long enough to know you Goblins follow laws like a Cornish Pixie follows Fairies."
Ragnok disappeared from sight as Filius quickly enter his now destroyed trophy room. Filius punched a hole through the drywall and took out his most precious of wands. It was pure gold and had the words "True Goblin" engraved on it. It was the first wand Filius ever owned. He had won it after becoming a champion of dueling, both among Wizards and Goblins. No other Goblin or half Goblin had owned a wand since the failed revolution of 1812. It was more than a wand to Filius, it was his freedom, his equality. His right of conquest that should have been a right of birth.
"I AM A GOBLIN!" Filius snarled as his wand took him to Gringotts.
"Hermione you're crushing me." Harry croaked has she gave him a tearful hug.
Hermione let go as Ron shook his hand, "Hogwarts won't be the same without you."
Harry chuckled "I was the first DADA professor, do not try and kill me."
Ron shook his head. "You punched the Minister in a room full of Aurors Harry. If that's not attempted murder..."
"I guess some things never change." Harry laughed punching Ron in the arm.
"But we will." Hermione's head lowered. "We're drifting apart and not just with you leaving. You're spending more time with Luna, Ron and I are spending more time together, it's…"
"It's not the fabled Golden Trio anymore," Luna whispered as she finished packing her belongings.
Harry felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Was it true, were they drifting apart…
No
"No Hermione, the "Golden Trio" maybe breaking apart," Harry paused to hold back his tears. "But we are more than that. We are a family. We might not see each other as much, but we will never drift apart. I love you both too much to let that happen."
"I love you both too," Hermione cried while Ron slowly nodded his head with a sniff.
"Are you crying Ron?" Luna asked, clearly amused.
"No…" Ron replied hoarsely. "…something in my eye."
"Must be Wrackspurts." Luna hummed causing the trio to start laughing.
"We love you too Luna" Hermione chuckled as she pulled Luna into a group hug.
"Thank you," She replied sincerely. "You're the best friends I could have ever asked for. I will miss you too."
As they separated Luna looked at the clock. "Time to go."
The four flooed for the final time into Harry's now baron office. Harry led the way into his former classroom to be greeted by his seventh year students. They all stood from their desks and raised their wands in the air. "To General Potter, the best teacher we ever had. We salute you."
Harry smiled before he went into general mode. "SOLDEIRS! STAND STRAIGHT!"
The class room obeyed as Harry spoke. "I may not have made it to the end of a single term but I hope I was able to teach you well. You were more than my students. You are my friends, my comrades, my fellow soldiers of Dumbledore's army. Now I must leave, but I hope you continue on with Pandora's army. Make the Ministry pay for ever stepping their oversized feet into our home."
"War may very well be coming." Harry continued over the cheers. "I don't know what the future holds. I am not a seer. I do know this…you have a choice. You can fight for change, fight for tradition, or you can follow your heart. I was forced to fight my war, but you have free will. If things get bad you don't have to help me or Luna. You can live your life safely. It is so easy to lose sight of the things that matter in the thick of battle and blood has been shed. It is better to not fight at all, but sometimes something is too important to not fight for. In the end it comes down to love. Love is the only thing worth fighting for. Fight for hate and you will lose."
"Hogwarts has been my home for eight long years, but it is students who make Hogwarts what it is. I will miss every single one of you. Thank you for making this place feel like home. It...Feels strange leaving home but…" Harry looked to the girl by his side and held her hand. "…I'm not leaving home, not really."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." The self-proclaimed Goblin shouted as he entered the classroom.
"Filius, any final words for the class." Harry asked dramatically.
Filius gave an over the top smirk. "A great Wizard once said 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' I think these are words we can all live by. Any last words, Luna."
"Goodbye." Luna hummed.
"That's it? Filius moaned.
Ha How about this for last words.
You are all mindless, stupid.
Pigs with smelly breath
Your followers are blind
Too much Humdingers on the mind HA!
"Ok that's much better, thank you Nargles." Filius laughed.
"I really hate those Nargles." Luna moaned.
You hate us now but just you wait
Very soon you will decide our fate.
Now choose wisely before it's too late.
We may annoy, but believe us, we're great!
The room was silent from the Nargles message. It was broken by Filius, "Well that was most interesting."
"Yes it was" Harry said before getting a good look at the small Wizard. "Filius, are you ok? You seem tired."
Filius smiled mischievously, "Let's just say it's been a long day."
With nothing left to say, the three led the way. The group following them grew bigger and bigger as the three famous exiles where leaving Hogwarts forever. They memorized every corridor, every twist, every turn, every door, every statue, and every portrait they would never see again.
Too soon the group made it to entrance hall, which held the entire castle population. They were here to witness their final steps in Hogwarts. Hundreds of eyes met Luna's as she felt a sadness come over her.
"I'm going to miss this place," Luna whispered.
"I'm not," Filius countered. "I'm not leaving…without a fight."
The other two stared at Filius stunned. "What do you mean?"
The sadness Luna felt grew stronger as she realized it was not an internal but external feeling. Then she felt it...
Cold
Unnatural, Unholy Cold
She looked to see Harry and Filius already had their wands out. "Harry what's going on?" Luna asked, already knowing the answer.
The great doors burst open as they were greeted by hundreds of Dementors and Aurors. Leading the invaders was the Minister of Magic himself.
"Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, and Filius Flitwick, You are under arrest for assaulting the Minister of Magic and Ministry officials. Come quietly and we will go easy on you."
"Goblins don't go quietly Royal, They go screaming!" Filius growled viciously.
"I assumed as much." Kingsley muttered before turning to Harry and Luna. "You two don't have to fight, you are wanted for questioning, if you corporate you won't even serve time in Azkaban."
"I doubt we will be going to Azkaban anyway, right Kingsley Shacklebolt. This is about Luna isn't it? We go with you to the Ministry and Luna won't leave. WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!" Harry shouted raising his wand to Kingsley.
The Minister just grinned smugly. "No harm will come to the Squib if she comes quietly. You might need to help her though… she seems to be having trouble."
On cue, Luna dropped to the ground and began to shake. Harry immediately was by her side trying to find out what was wrong. Kingsley raised his wand and the Dementors drifted towards her. Harry held onto Luna tightly as her spasms worsened…
Then the screaming began…
Harry and Luna sat in the Headmistress' office while McGonagall waited impatiently for a certain Charms Professor. Eventually the doors burst open to reveal the small Wizard filling the room with his powerful presence. "Minerva, it has been a privilege working for this institution, but I am afraid I must resign from my post. Now unless you have any other business…"
"As a matter of fact I do Filius. SIT DOWN!" The Headmistress ordered, Filius ran to his seat like a little puppy.
"So I assume I have been fired," Harry said without care.
"Of course you have been fired. You punched the MINISTER OF MAGIC!" McGonagall Exclaimed.
"Not one of my better moments," Harry admitted.
"I respectively disagree," Filius chuckled.
"Nevertheless Filius, these actions have consequences. You three have been banned from Hogwarts property. I will give the three of you until supper to pack…"
"Three of us? You mean Luna too?" Harry interrupted.
"She assaulted Ministry officials…"
"If I didn't those stunners would have killed Harry. Remember what five did to you?" Luna whispered coldly.
"I am an old woman."
"Yes Harry is younger, but twenty stunners would have killed him. What if I get my magic back? Are you expelling me for saving the man I love?"
"YES I AM!" McGonagall shouted, "You don't make the rules Luna. We must accept that there are things we cannot change, and your actions have consequences."
"This is about my work isn't it? Do you simply disagree with it or are you working with the Minister." Luna uttered darkly.
McGonagall sighed, "I am not working with the Minister. He is my friend and I support some of his decisions and disagree with others. Today I disagreed strongly, but what followed was far worse."
"Worse than treachery?" growled Harry.
"YES!"
"Halting her research won't stop her from achieving her goals Minerva." Filius whispered quietly. "I would have thought you of all people, would appreciate her work."
"I appreciate her work greatly Filius. As a Halfblood, bringing Muggles and Wizards together would be a dream come true. My Witch Mother gave up her magic for her family. She never regretted her choice, but I still see the pain in her eyes when I got my Hogwarts letter." Minerva adjusted her glasses. "I'm sorry, I may be the Headmistress, but I must follow the rules."
"I go where Harry goes. Nothing changes for me. I just wanted to know why." Luna whispered before rising to leave with the two wizards.
"The curse lives on then, another defense teacher down," Harry sighed sadly. "Hogwarts has been my home for eight long years."
"Hogwarts will always be your home Harry."
Harry looked up to see the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore hanging from the wall. "Harry, Hogwarts is not just the castle in which we currently reside. It is not just a place of learning, nor is it just a place we prepare for the future. Hogwarts is a place where we find ourselves, and where we find each other. Hogwarts is the friends you make, the friends you keep, the love you win, and the love you lose. Hogwarts is in your heart."
"Hogwarts shall always be with you as long as you hold on to the Memories. The girl beside you is your Hogwarts. Stand together and I promise you both will always have a home."
Harry nodded solemnly while he held Luna's hand in a tight but loving grip. "I will sir. Good bye Albus."
As they were about to leave, Albus called out. "Filius, thank you for all you have done, for this school, for these two, and for both of your races. We all owe you a dept."
Filius bowed "It is you who I owe a debt to. Thank you Albus, for making my retirement more eventful than the rest of my life put together. I shall see you when my wand is laid to rest, goodbye."
And with that, the three left the room, leaving only the Headmistress and Dumbledore's portrait. "Did I do the right thing, Albus?"
Albus sighed. "There is a difference between what is right and what is easy."
"What would happen Albus, if they do succeed?"
The portrait pondered. "I am not certain. As the Muggles say, they are heading into uncharted territory."
"Should we stop them?" Minerva asked nervously
"No, I would rather see how this plays out. For nothing easy is found in uncharted territory. It is in the unknown that discovery's are made."
Luna was sitting by the lake with Harry, neither breaking the serene silence. In a matter of hours, they would be far from here. They memorized the water that did not dribble, the trees of the forbidden forest that did not fall, the Quidditch pitch enjoyed by all, even the castle and its great hall.
They were leaving Hogwarts…maybe forever.
"I remember how happy I was when I first came here. I had recently lost mom, and I was looking for a new home. I was so scared that I wouldn't be accepted, like I had always been as a squib. I was right. I was so lost, so lonely. I hated it here and I begged my father to let me go home. He refused and I was stuck in this glorious prison."
"Then you and your friends accepted me, for me. I made friends, I found love, I fought here, suffered here, I persevered here. Hogwarts is my home! Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with this place. Now I have to leave." Luna sighed
"Hogwarts has always been my home. After everything that happened with the Dursley's, Hogwarts became the only home I've ever known." Harry whispered. "But Dumbledore's right, it's not about where we are, but who we are with. We will get through this together Luna. We will finish this, one way or another."
Luna hummed sadly, "If it weren't for me then you would still be able to teach here. My dream has crushed your dream."
Harry shook his head, "OK First, I'm the one who punched the Minister of Magic. This is my fault and I regret it. I just felt so…violated. I had given him my loyalty and trust, when he broke it….I just lost it."
"Second, I have no regrets about you Luna." Harry stated as he tried to flatten his hair. "It hasn't been the same being back here. So many memories, so many deaths. I thought things would go back to the way things were, but I'm not the same anymore.
"I like the danger, I like the thrill, I love being different. All I ever wanted was to be 'just Harry.' I'm not though, not anymore. I want to do something big, not because of a prophecy but because it's something I want. I want to fight for something worth fighting for."
Harry took Luna's hand and looked into her silver eyes. "You are worth fighting for, and your work is worth fighting for. After the war I lost my life's purpose. I found it again in you Luna."
Luna gently kissed him before they shared a hug. "You still love me don't you?"
"Of course Luna, why would you ask?" Harry replied as she let go of him.
Luna kicked off her shoes and started walking in the lake. In her ethereal peace she looked at her reflection. "I no longer recognize the face in the water. I have changed so much these past few months, I don't know who I am anymore. I'm not the person you befriended anymore. I'm not the person you kissed on top of the Astronomy tower. I'm changing every day, I don't want our feelings to ever change though."
Harry followed her into the shallow water and held her. "I know you're changing Luna, so am I. We all change. I love the things you say, the things you do, the way you look. That's not why I love you Luna. I fell in love with your soul and spirit. That is something that will never change."
Luna smile genuinely. "Who am I Harry?"
Harry grinned, "You're the one I love, and you are Luna Lovegood."
"Yes but who is Luna Lovegood?"
"A riddle I hope I never solve." Harry uttered under his breath as he kissed her with passion.
Luna leaned into Harry as he whispered in her ear "You want to dance."
Luna giggled, "I don't think you'd be very good at my dancing, it's all stuff my dad learned on his travels."
"No I mean slow dance."
Luna's eyes widened. "I don't know how it seems so..." she didn't finish her sentence. The idea was so intimate. She was terrified of the word.
"Do you trust me?"
Luna nodded as Harry slowly led them knee deep into the lake. Luna leaned her head against Harry's chest and put her arms around his neck. While Harry wrapped his hands around Luna's waste and leaned his head against the top of hers.
It was so simple. They barely moved, but this simple action shut off the world. They forgot all about their worries, fears, pain, their past and their future. The madness in Luna's head was gone. In that moment, all she knew was Harry, and her Love for him.
"Never let me go." Luna whispered her voice quivering with emotion.
Harry whispered back. "Never Luna."
"Good." Luna hummed before diving into the water, taking Harry with her. When Harry surfaced, it was to the sound of her melodic laughter.
How many more times did he have to feel like this? To feel the knife pierce his heart. His unbreakable vow was breaking his back. So many secrets that he could not tell. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream. The anger and hatred he had to hide. It made him feel sick.
The half goblin stumbled into his trophy room and beheld the hundreds of wands he had won over the years. His greatest accomplishments, his great victory's, his humbling defeats, his pride, his glory…meant nothing to him now. They had lost their meaning the moment Pandora died. Instead of feeling pride, he felt empty and hollow.
Filius picked up one of the wands and held it between his fingers. 'It was just a piece of wood, so he snapped the twig in two. He snapped another, then another. Filius pulled out his own wand and screamed. He smashed wands against the walls, he set them on fire, he destroyed them all…but one.
Filius dropped to his knees as he picked up the wand from the floor. He cried in agony…It was Pandora's wand.
"Pandora, please help me. Please forgive me, I tried, I swear I tried. I can't let it happen again." He cried out.
"Let what happen again"
Filius jumped as he saw Luna standing in the middle of the room. He then realized too late who was behind her..
"Avada Kedavra"
Filius screamed as Luna fell limp to the ground. The killer seemed to vanish as Filius held Luna's body in his arms. Her unseeing eyes staring into his.
"Merlin Forgive me!" Filius cried out in unimaginable pain.
"NO!"
Filius looked up to see Pandora standing before him. "You failed my daughter. She is dead because of you!"
Filius shook his head as Pandora screamed out "My daughter is dead because of you! I am dead because of you!"
"No Please! Morgana have mercy! I tried, I swear I tried but I could not break the vow."
"LOOK AT ME!"
Filius found himself holding not Luna's but Pandora's body. It was Luna who was crying over her. "Why won't she wake? Wake up Mom! PLEASE WAKE UP!
WAKE UP!"
Filius awoke abruptly and fell out of his tall chair. He saw Pandora's wand was still in his hand.
"Never thought I'd see the great Sir Flitwick having a nightmare." Ragnok's head teased through the fire place.
"What in Merlin's real name do you want?" Filius grumbled.
"I want to know what happened just now with the Minister of…"
Filius tuned Ragnok out as his eyes remained fix upon Pandora's wand. She had left it to him in her will with the condition that he looked after her daughter when she went to Hogwarts. In that moment, he knew what he had to do.
"Sir. Flitwick? FILIUS! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?"
"Shut up Ragnok you waste of Goblin skin, I'm thinking." Filius scolded the insulted Goblin. "I'm going to Gringotts Immediately. I must be back in five minutes so have a time turner there so I can perform my duties."
Ragnok gaped at the half goblin "Time turners are illegal for us Goblins…"
"I don't give a Flying Gragendrook." Filius cursed in Gobbledygook. "I have used them long enough to know you Goblins follow laws like a Cornish Pixie follows Fairies."
Ragnok disappeared from sight as Filius quickly enter his now destroyed trophy room. Filius punched a hole through the drywall and took out his most precious of wands. It was pure gold and had the words "True Goblin" engraved on it. It was the first wand Filius ever owned. He had won it after becoming a champion of dueling, both among Wizards and Goblins. No other Goblin or half Goblin had owned a wand since the failed revolution of 1812. It was more than a wand to Filius, it was his freedom, his equality. His right of conquest that should have been a right of birth.
"I AM A GOBLIN!" Filius snarled as his wand took him to Gringotts.
"Hermione you're crushing me." Harry croaked has she gave him a tearful hug.
Hermione let go as Ron shook his hand, "Hogwarts won't be the same without you."
Harry chuckled "I was the first DADA professor, do not try and kill me."
Ron shook his head. "You punched the Minister in a room full of Aurors Harry. If that's not attempted murder..."
"I guess some things never change." Harry laughed punching Ron in the arm.
"But we will." Hermione's head lowered. "We're drifting apart and not just with you leaving. You're spending more time with Luna, Ron and I are spending more time together, it's…"
"It's not the fabled Golden Trio anymore," Luna whispered as she finished packing her belongings.
Harry felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Was it true, were they drifting apart…
No
"No Hermione, the "Golden Trio" maybe breaking apart," Harry paused to hold back his tears. "But we are more than that. We are a family. We might not see each other as much, but we will never drift apart. I love you both too much to let that happen."
"I love you both too," Hermione cried while Ron slowly nodded his head with a sniff.
"Are you crying Ron?" Luna asked, clearly amused.
"No…" Ron replied hoarsely. "…something in my eye."
"Must be Wrackspurts." Luna hummed causing the trio to start laughing.
"We love you too Luna" Hermione chuckled as she pulled Luna into a group hug.
"Thank you," She replied sincerely. "You're the best friends I could have ever asked for. I will miss you too."
As they separated Luna looked at the clock. "Time to go."
The four flooed for the final time into Harry's now baron office. Harry led the way into his former classroom to be greeted by his seventh year students. They all stood from their desks and raised their wands in the air. "To General Potter, the best teacher we ever had. We salute you."
Harry smiled before he went into general mode. "SOLDEIRS! STAND STRAIGHT!"
The class room obeyed as Harry spoke. "I may not have made it to the end of a single term but I hope I was able to teach you well. You were more than my students. You are my friends, my comrades, my fellow soldiers of Dumbledore's army. Now I must leave, but I hope you continue on with Pandora's army. Make the Ministry pay for ever stepping their oversized feet into our home."
"War may very well be coming." Harry continued over the cheers. "I don't know what the future holds. I am not a seer. I do know this…you have a choice. You can fight for change, fight for tradition, or you can follow your heart. I was forced to fight my war, but you have free will. If things get bad you don't have to help me or Luna. You can live your life safely. It is so easy to lose sight of the things that matter in the thick of battle and blood has been shed. It is better to not fight at all, but sometimes something is too important to not fight for. In the end it comes down to love. Love is the only thing worth fighting for. Fight for hate and you will lose."
"Hogwarts has been my home for eight long years, but it is students who make Hogwarts what it is. I will miss every single one of you. Thank you for making this place feel like home. It...Feels strange leaving home but…" Harry looked to the girl by his side and held her hand. "…I'm not leaving home, not really."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." The self-proclaimed Goblin shouted as he entered the classroom.
"Filius, any final words for the class." Harry asked dramatically.
Filius gave an over the top smirk. "A great Wizard once said 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' I think these are words we can all live by. Any last words, Luna."
"Goodbye." Luna hummed.
"That's it? Filius moaned.
Ha How about this for last words.
You are all mindless, stupid.
Pigs with smelly breath
Your followers are blind
Too much Humdingers on the mind HA!
"Ok that's much better, thank you Nargles." Filius laughed.
"I really hate those Nargles." Luna moaned.
You hate us now but just you wait
Very soon you will decide our fate.
Now choose wisely before it's too late.
We may annoy, but believe us, we're great!
The room was silent from the Nargles message. It was broken by Filius, "Well that was most interesting."
"Yes it was" Harry said before getting a good look at the small Wizard. "Filius, are you ok? You seem tired."
Filius smiled mischievously, "Let's just say it's been a long day."
With nothing left to say, the three led the way. The group following them grew bigger and bigger as the three famous exiles where leaving Hogwarts forever. They memorized every corridor, every twist, every turn, every door, every statue, and every portrait they would never see again.
Too soon the group made it to entrance hall, which held the entire castle population. They were here to witness their final steps in Hogwarts. Hundreds of eyes met Luna's as she felt a sadness come over her.
"I'm going to miss this place," Luna whispered.
"I'm not," Filius countered. "I'm not leaving…without a fight."
The other two stared at Filius stunned. "What do you mean?"
The sadness Luna felt grew stronger as she realized it was not an internal but external feeling. Then she felt it...
Cold
Unnatural, Unholy Cold
She looked to see Harry and Filius already had their wands out. "Harry what's going on?" Luna asked, already knowing the answer.
The great doors burst open as they were greeted by hundreds of Dementors and Aurors. Leading the invaders was the Minister of Magic himself.
"Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, and Filius Flitwick, You are under arrest for assaulting the Minister of Magic and Ministry officials. Come quietly and we will go easy on you."
"Goblins don't go quietly Royal, They go screaming!" Filius growled viciously.
"I assumed as much." Kingsley muttered before turning to Harry and Luna. "You two don't have to fight, you are wanted for questioning, if you corporate you won't even serve time in Azkaban."
"I doubt we will be going to Azkaban anyway, right Kingsley Shacklebolt. This is about Luna isn't it? We go with you to the Ministry and Luna won't leave. WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!" Harry shouted raising his wand to Kingsley.
The Minister just grinned smugly. "No harm will come to the Squib if she comes quietly. You might need to help her though… she seems to be having trouble."
On cue, Luna dropped to the ground and began to shake. Harry immediately was by her side trying to find out what was wrong. Kingsley raised his wand and the Dementors drifted towards her. Harry held onto Luna tightly as her spasms worsened…
Then the screaming began…
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