Dumbledore was standing at the front of the Great Hall. On either side of him sat the faculty of Hogwarts, including the newly-reinstated Professors Trelawney and Hagrid. Despite the joy that Trelawney and Hagrid must have felt, their faces were solemn, matching the faces of every other teacher at the table. Oddly, Professor Flitwick was missing.
The students were seated at their house tables, silently waiting for the Leaving Feast to begin. There was a gap at the Gryffindor table where Ron usually sat—he was still in St. Mungo's, being treated for spell damage caused by his encounter with the brains in the Department of Mysteries. Ginny and the twins were both present, though, as the sprained ankle of the former had been repaired by Madam Pomfrey and the expulsions of the latter had been rescinded by Dumbledore.
More conspicuous than Ron's absence was the blank space at the Ravenclaw table where Luna should have been sitting. Harry's experience during his first three years of Hogwarts had taught him that the Leaving Feast was a raucous affair, but for the second year in a row the Great Hall was quiet. Luna might not have been popular, but she was certainly well-known. Her absence was jarring.
The students knew why Luna was not present. Gossip was impossible to stop at Hogwarts, and it did not take long for the students to learn why Luna was no longer sleeping in the dormitory with the other fourth-year Ravenclaw girls. Details were scarce, but one thing was known for certain: Luna Lovegood had followed Harry Potter to the Ministry of Magic, and she had been murdered.
Last year, at least, there had been a sense of terrified camaraderie after the violent conclusion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Last year, the students had regarded Cedric was a martyr, his death as senseless as his life was selfless. The silence had been reverent, a unified gesture of respect. Faced with the news of Voldemort's return, the students at Hogwarts had made the unspoken decision to reject the Dark Lord. That sense of unity hadn't even survived the summer, as Harry knew all too well, but at least it had existed, if only for the briefest of moments.
This year, the silence in the Great Hall was different. There was no feeling of solidarity among the students, no sense of quiet defiance. Those that knew Luna, or were acquainted with her, wore expressions of stunned silence. Luna had been so lighthearted, so carefree, so… harmless. She wasn't the type of person to pick a fight, no matter how badly she was provoked. She wasn't the type to lose her temper, no matter how directly she was insulted. She just quietly went about her business, however odd that business might have been. This year, she had made a new friend: Harry Potter.
And now she was dead. Murdered.
Harry knew what they were all thinking: It could happen to any one of us. It could happen to me. They had finally realized, all of them, what Voldemort's return meant.
Four days ago, Cornelius Fudge had issued a statement to the Prophet about the numerous public officials who had mysteriously disappeared in the last twelve months: all disappearances were attributed to Voldemort, and all missing persons were presumed dead. And if the Ministry couldn't protect its own, then nobody was safe. There was nothing that the students could rely on, not any longer. Certainty had been stripped from the world. Shadows loomed larger. Nobody could be trusted.
How Harry hated them. If they had listened to Dumbledore last year, none of this might have happened. But they ignored his warning, ignored Harry's warning, for their own convenience. They were selfish, struthious fools. Even now, with Luna and Cedric both dead at the hands of Death Eaters, they only cared about themselves. It was written on their faces: What does this mean for me? Only one student, other than those who had joined Harry at the Ministry, seemed to care about Luna: Neville Longbottom. The rest? They didn't care about the dead, not even enough to blame Harry for the loss of their classmate.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to speak. "For the second time in as many years, I stand before you with a heavy heart. Hogwarts has lost one of its own. Luna Lovegood has left us, far, far too soon. Those that knew her knew that she was an eccentric young witch with a buoyant personality. Those that knew her well knew that she was a brilliant student with unsurpassed intuition. Those that knew her best knew that she was a true and loyal friend."
Dumbledore reached up and adjusted his eyeglasses. "Many of you have been curious about the circumstances of Miss Lovegood's death. Six nights ago, Miss Lovegood travelled to the Ministry of Magic with several of her friends. They were on a rescue mission, and they were attacked by Death Eaters. Miss Lovegood and her friends fought bravely. In no small part due to Miss Lovegood's efforts, five of your fellow students escaped with their lives."
Dumbledore paused, and Harry looked down at his hands. He knew he should have done something differently. Fought harder, thought harder… something. If he had done something different, Luna would still be alive.
Harry could hear the students around him shifting in their seats. They were turning to look at him—he could feel it. If the whole school hadn't known about his friendship with Luna before the battle at the Department of Ministries, they certainly knew by now. The rumors that had swept through the halls of Hogwarts didn't have many details, but the few they had were accurate. Everybody knew that Luna had gone to the Ministry with Harry Potter.
"It should come to no surprise that Luna Lovegood understood something that many of us did not," Dumbledore said, and all eyes turned to the front of the room once more. "Miss Lovegood understood-"
Beyond the closed doors of the Great Hall, Harry heard a shout. Harry furrowed his brown and glanced toward the doors—who could be so disrespectful? For that matter, who could it be at all? Practically everybody in Hogwarts was here.
Dumbledore heard the disturbance and for a brief moment tried to speak over the commotion. As more and more students joined Harry in glancing at the door, Dumbledore trailed off into silence. He bent and spoke in a whisper to Professor McGonagall. She nodded, and Dumbledore began to walk out from behind the faculty table.
Before Dumbledore could reach the aisle at the center of the Great Hall, the doors burst open. A blonde man, strangely dressed even by wizarding standards, stormed into the hall. His long, thin hair flew wildly around his face, and Harry saw that he was wearing a triangular pendant of some sort around his neck. The man cast his large, slightly-crossed blue eyes about the room, manically inspecting the assembled students. Behind the man, reaching frantically for the hem of his robes, was Professor Flitwick.
"WHERE ARE THEY?" the man screamed. "WHERE ARE THE LITTLE BEASTS?" His voice was raw with emotion. Tears were streaming down his face, even while he shouted. Some people might have gotten the impression that the man had totally lost control of himself, but Harry thought the opposite—this man was keeping control of himself as best he could.
Flitwick was mumbling something, and Harry finally made out the words as the man stomped down the center aisle and drew even with Harry. "Xenophilius, please," Flitwick said. "You mustn't-"
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE!" the man screamed again. His head was snapping back and forth, looking at the students of Hogwarts without really seeing them. Tears flew off his cheeks, but were quickly replaced. "WHERE ARE THE HORRIBLE LITTLE MONSTERS WHO TOOK MY BABY'S THINGS?"
Dumbledore met Xenophilius in the middle of the aisle with outstretched arms. The man tried to push past Dumbledore, but Dumbledore wrapped him in a powerful embrace. "Xeno, my old friend," Dumbledore said gently. "I am so sorry for your loss." Dumbledore's voice broke when he spoke.
Realization hit Harry like a bolt. The hair, the eyes, the rage… this was Luna's father.
"Filius told me they took her things!" Xenophilius said, speaking more quietly but still loudly. The tears were coming faster, now, and Harry could see Xenophilius was beginning to tremble. "He said that they had been taking Luna's things from her and hiding them! All year long! Those miserable trolls!" He began struggling in Dumbledore's embrace once again.
"Xenophilius, please," Dumbledore said soothingly. He lowered his voice, but not enough to totally conceal his words. "If you continue on like this, Filius will be forced to stun you."
Xenophilius's shoulders slumped suddenly, and Dumbledore staggered under the sudden burden of the man's dead weight. "It's all I have left," Xenophilius whispered, so quietly that Harry could scarcely hear. "It's all I have left of my baby…" He buried his face in Dumbledore's robes and began to sob, his body heaving with the uncontrollable spasms of his lungs.
Dumbledore held the crying man for several moments, allowing Xenophilius's tears to soak the front of his robes. Dumbledore tightened his embrace, holding the grieving man even more closely.
Flitwick waited until the worst of Xenophilius's weeping passed, then drew his wand and tapped the tip to his own throat. When he spoke, his voice boomed through the Great Hall. "Notice: Miss Lovegood's belongings will be returned to my office before 9:00 this evening. Assumption: All persons returning Miss Lovegood's property were inspired to conduct a thorough search of Hogwarts and were fortunate enough to come upon her things. Assurance: no questions will be asked."
As Flitwick spoke, Harry looked around the Great Hall. Several students at the Ravenclaw table were hanging their heads in shame, while other students were turning red in the face. It made sense—stealing Luna's things was a crime of opportunity, and that opportunity would be presented most frequently to her housemates in Ravenclaw. Harry took a long look at Cho Chang, but nothing about the pretty Ravenclaw's demeanor indicated that she had participated in tormenting Luna. Harry was glad for that; Flitwick might be willing to absolve the offending Ravenclaws, but Harry wasn't, and he'd need an ally within the house to help him track the people who had stolen Luna's things. Cho and Harry had a good working relationship—she would almost certainly help him out.
Once Flitwick had finished speaking, Dumbledore turned Xenophilius around. Dumbledore wrapped an arm around the other man's waist and together they walked slowly toward the doors that lead out of the Great Hall. Luna's father was no longer crying; his wet eyes were staring vacantly, looking at the students but not truly seeing them.
Then his gaze passed over Harry. All at once, the manic fire returned to Xenophilius's eyes, the horrible combination of anger and sorrow and grief and rage. "YOU!" he shouted. Xenophilius shook free of Dumbledore's grasp and charged directly toward Harry, ignoring the fact that there was a table of Hufflepuffs between them. The Hufflepuffs dove out of the way as Xenophilius stepped onto the bench, then the table, oblivious to all obstacles in his single-minded attempt to reach Harry. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
"Xeno, please!" Dumbledore reached out, but Luna's father was already out of reach.
Harry rose from his bench and turned to face Luna's father. Tracey and Theo stirred, as well, each reaching for their wand, but Harry shook his head and waved them back. Xenophilius's anger was perfectly understandable—if Harry hadn't gone to the Department of Mysteries, Luna would still be alive. Whatever vitriol was about to come Harry's way, whatever crazed rage, whatever physical assault, Harry was resolved to be a willing target. It was the least he could do. If attacking Harry made Xenophilius feel better, even the smallest bit, it would be worth it.
And perhaps Harry could feel somewhat absolved. He doubted it, but… perhaps.
Xenophilius stepped down from the Hufflepuff table and grabbed Harry by the front of his robes. He was a tall man, and Harry was pulled off-balance. He scrambled around with his feet until the tips of his toes finally found purchase on the stone floor. Xenophilius put himself nose-to-nose with Harry and began to scream.
"SHE LOVED APPLESAUCE!" Xenophilius yelled. "Ever since she was a little girl!"
Whatever Harry had expected, it wasn't that.
"She asked me to make applesauce before she came back to Hogwarts after Christmas!" Xenophilius's voice was growing thick with emotion, and Harry could see that he wasn't far from tears. He began to shake Harry as he spoke. "I was too busy! I told her that we would make applesauce this summer! AND NOW WE NEVER WILL!" Xenophilius shook Harry, hard, and the two of them almost toppled over. "YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!"
"Xeno, please," Dumbledore said gently. "I cannot allow you to harm a student." As he spoke he stepped up on the Hufflepuff bench, and somehow managing to look composed and dignified despite the fact that he was walking over a dinner table. "It was not Harry who killed your daughter."
Luna's father released Harry, but did not step away. "You have destroyed everything that is beautiful about the world," Xenophilius said bitterly. Then Dumbledore was at his side once again, and the blonde man allowed himself to be led out of the Great Hall.
Harry took his seat again, and Theo sent a dirty look at Xenophilius's back. "That was unwarranted," Theo said.
"No, it wasn't," Harry replied flatly.
*!*!*!*!*
Dumbledore never returned to the Leaving Feast, and his speech went unfinished. After following Dumbledore and Xenophilius out of the Great Hall, Flitwick returned alone and announced the commencement of dinner. A decadent selection of foods appeared in front of the students, but the mood in the Great Hall was somber.
For Harry, the last few days of the school year were a strange inversion of everything he had felt over the past nine months. Harry had been whipping himself into a frenzy, trying to oppose Umbridge's oppression and convince his classmates to take action against Voldemort. Now that Voldemort's return had been officially acknowledged by the Ministry, the students of Hogwarts were walking about the grounds full of nervous energy. At the same time, Harry felt completely drained. Nothing seemed to be worth any effort. All that Harry had done, all that he had worked for, all that he had fought for, every victory he had won over Umbridge and Draco… none of it had mattered.
Harry spent a lot of time out on the grounds, as far away from people as he could get. He gravitated toward the lake, where he would sit with his back against a tree, watching the wind blow tiny waves across the water's surface. Even though it was June, the sky was often cloud-covered, and their oppressive grayness was reflected by the lake. Occasionally the giant squid would appear, breaking the surface and lifting one languid tentacle into the air before sinking once more into the depths. And that is where Ginny found Harry, three days before the end of term.
"Alright, Harry?" Ginny asked as she approached.
"No," Harry said, still staring out at the lake.
"Would you like some company?"
Harry said nothing.
"Would you mind some company?" Ginny asked.
Again, Harry said nothing. Ginny took a seat on the right side of the tree and scooted back and forth slightly as she tried to get comfortable. Once she had settled in, she reached out with her left hand. Harry's right hand was resting on the ground, and Ginny placed her hand atop Harry's and gave him a squeeze.
"I'm really sorry," Ginny said quietly.
Harry did not respond, either verbally or physically. After a few seconds, Ginny pulled her hand back and put it in her lap.
"She was my oldest friend," Ginny said, after several minutes of silence. "I always had my brothers, of course, but they were my brothers, not my friends. Luna's house was just over the hill, and we would play together pretty often." Ginny sniffed and wiped her nose. "I always liked going over to Luna's house. It was so quiet compared to mine. We could paint pictures or play with dolls and there was never anybody who would come running by to destroy things. That happened a lot at the Burrow."
Ginny closed her eyes and put her head back against the tree. "Luna's mother was a research wizard. A couple of years before we came to Hogwarts, she died in an accident. I was over at Luna's house the day before, and her mother made us cheese and crackers for a snack. The next afternoon, a Ministry wizard came to our house and talked to our mum. Mum left with the Ministry wizard, and when she came back Luna was with her. She needed someplace to stay while her father and the Ministry… dealt with things."
Ginny opened her eyes and looked down at the ground. "Luna didn't let things upset her, but I've never seen anybody cry as hard as Luna did that day. It changed them, Luna and her father. Before her mum died, the whole family was interested in discovering new things on the cutting edge of magical research. Afterwards, it was all nargles and blibbering humdingers and dabberblimps and exploding snabberwitches." Ginny sighed. "I think… if something doesn't exist, then it can't hurt you. If it doesn't exist, it can't be caught, and then life is one, big, never-ending adventure."
Ginny was quiet for several minutes, as was Harry. "I asked her about her mother," Ginny said, when she spoke again. "After Christmas, this year. After the thing with my dad. I was so scared that I might lose him, and I wanted to know… I wanted to know how Luna was able to get through a day, even a single day, without her mum." Ginny raised her hands and wiped her cheeks and eyes. "She said, 'It's not as though I'll never see mum again, is it?' And then she smiled at me, and she just seemed so confident…" Ginny leaned forward and lowered her head into her hands. "I hope she was right."
Harry placed his hand on Ginny's back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Ginny reached out and pushed Harry's hand away from her back, but only so that she could snatch it out of the air and squeeze it tightly with her own.
This time, Harry squeezed back.
They sat like that a long time, hand in hand, quietly staring out at the lake, until Tracey and Hermione discovered them.
"There you are!" Hermione said loudly. "We've been looking all over for you, Harry!"
Harry glanced over. He saw a dark look pass over Tracey's face, but he did not pull his hand away from Ginny's. "I haven't been hiding," Harry said.
Catching the tone of his voice, Hermione lowered her volume and enthusiasm level. "How are you feeling, Harry?" she asked.
"Like I don't want to talk," Harry said, turning back to the lake.
"We're worried about you," Hermione said.
"Mmm." Harry did not make any effort to respond in more detail.
Tracey took the hint rather well. She walked around the tree and took a seat on Harry's left, facing directly away from Ginny. Hermione, however, sat down squarely in front of Harry, in the middle of his view of the lake. She had either missed Harry's mood or was choosing to ignore it.
"Harry, you shouldn't bottle up your feelings," Hermione said. "You should talk to us. We're you're friends."
"There's nothing to talk about," Harry said.
"If you're going to fully process your emotions-"
"There's nothing to process," Harry said. "I'm fairly clear about what I'm feeling and why. No mysteries here."
"But if you want closure-"
"Drop it, Hermione," Ginny snapped.
Hermione harrumphed and turned toward Ginny. "You aren't setting the best example, either," Hermione said. "You've been moping around-"
"I don't have anywhere to stay this summer," Tracey blurted suddenly. Harry and Hermione both turned slowly to look at their friend. Even Ginny turned and peered around the tree. Tracey began to nervously chew her lower lip. "I… er… I kept hoping that something would work out," Tracey said. "But the Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow and… I don't know where I'm going once we reach London."
"How about home?" Ginny asked, a tinge of sarcasm creeping into her voice.
"I don't have a home," Tracey shot back. "My mother works for and lives with the Greengrass family. Harry Potter's best friend isn't exactly welcome there."
"Your mum wouldn't get her own flat?" Ginny asked incredulously.
"My mum hasn't spoken with or written to me in eight months," Tracey said.
"Theo?" Harry asked.
"Theo barely convinced his mum to take him back," Tracey said. "Me? No way."
"But Theo's dad got arrested at the Department of Mysteries," Harry said. "His mother-"
"-won't risk the wrath of the Death Eaters by taking me in," Tracey said. "With Theo, she can argue that she's trying to bring him back into the fold. With me, she'd be asking to be killed."
Everybody fell silent. Harry considered places where Tracey might stay for the summer. Vernon and Petunia would never allow Tracey to stay with Harry—that option was right out. At Grimmauld Place, perhaps? But now that Sirius was dead, Harry had no idea who was next in line to inherit the Black family's ancestral home. Harry mentally ran down the Black family tree and was horrified to realize that either Bellatrix Lestrange of Narcissa Malfoy was the most likely candidate. Andromeda Tonks was a distant possibility, but being burned off the family tree likely meant that she had been disinherited as well. Not only was Grimmauld Place out of the question for Tracey, but it also seemed that the Order would be looking for a new headquarters.
"Stay with me for the summer," Hermione said. Her voice suggested that even she was surprised with herself.
"Really?" Tracey asked. "You're not just saying that?"
"I really mean it," Hermione said. "My parents are dentists—they're completely off the radar."
"What's radar?" Ginny asked.
"Never mind," Hermione said. "We'll be hard to find, and you won't be putting me in any extra danger. If Death Eaters decide to start killing Harry Potter's friends, I'm probably second on their list already."
"You're absolutely positive?" Tracey asked.
"One hundred percent," Hermione said.
Tracey smiled broadly. "You said it three times—that's a real promise!"
Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny. "What am I, some kind of faerie?"
Tracey ignored her. "Thank you so much, Hermione. If you hadn't invited me to stay with you, my Plan B was going to be an absolute nightmare."
"Wait, you were fishing for an invitation?" Hermione blurted.
"Don't look at me that way," Tracey said indignantly. "You promised!"
Ginny shifted her body so that she was once again had her back against the tree and was facing directly away from Tracey. "Unbelievable," Ginny whispered under her breath, eyes closed. Harry struggled to stifle a grin. He squeezed Ginny's fingers, quietly agreeing with her assessment, and she squeezed back.
"And what, exactly, was Plan B?" Hermione asked, voice cross. "Put me under the Imperius Curse?
"Of course not!" Tracey said. "Plan B was living with the Weasleys."
Ginny's eyes flew open. "WHAT?"
"One: After the fight at the Ministry, your family is already a target, so adding me wouldn't make things any worse." Tracey started ticking off her fingers. "Two: The twins will be moving out, so you'll have plenty of extra space. Three: Your family owes Harry a favor, and Hermione would put pressure on Ron, so your mum and dad would eventually accept."
"But we… I mean, you and me…" Ginny was sputtering.
"We sort of hate one another," Tracey said. "Four: Plenty of dueling practice over the course of the summer."
Ginny paused, then looked at Hermione. "On second thought, if things don't work out with your mum and dad, Tracey can definitely stay with us."
Harry laughed in spite of himself. "I can't believe you two…"
"I might not like her," Ginny said quietly, closing her eyes once again, "but the witch can duel."
"Damn right I can," Tracey said, settling back against the tree, as well.
Hermione looked at Harry. "What just happened?"
"You got yourself a roommate," Harry said.
Hermione huffed and crossed her arms.
"Calm down, Hermione," Tracey said. "Things are going to be great."
"There's another side of this tree, you know," Harry said, closing his eyes. "Take a seat. Relax."
After a moment, Harry heard Hermione stand, walk to the tree, and sit down. The sun was warm on Harry's face, the breeze was gentle, and birds were singing. Harry was surrounded by his closest friends, and Ginny's hand was still clasped in his own.
"It really is a beautiful day," Hermione said softly.
"Mmm," Harry said. He would have agreed, if Luna and Sirius hadn't been dead.
-END-
A/N: That concludes Harry Potter and the Emerald Trance. Book 6 is... underway. Chapter One will be posted between two and four weeks from now, depending upon (1) how fast my beta reads, and (2) how bad my writing is. As always, I'll post a preview chapter at the end of Emerald Trance to let everybody know that Book 6 is underway.
Thank you to all my readers, for sticking with me. Even if I'm unable to respond to reviews any more, you are the best.