THE CURSED LINE & BLESSED HEIR (Patreon)

Chapter 5- Luna Lovegood

"Surely not." He muttered to nobody in particular as he closed the book. He could not believe what he just read. He had had enough of the suspense from both Dumbledore and Ollivander and as soon as he returned home, he picked up the book he had retrieved from the family library and sat down to see what it was all about.

He could not hide his surprise as he finished reading the story that he was being told about. His thoughts instantly went back to the visions he had been seeing. He immediately drew similarities to what he had seen in his dreams. But it continued to seem far-fetched for Harry. There is no chance that something of this magnitude seems hidden from the world. There should be thousands of people hunting for it every day. Possession of the three legendary artefacts guarantees a form of power that should be illegal.

“Surely not.” He muttered once more as he picked up the wand he had placed before him. Were Dumbledore and Ollivander wrong? Or is there something more to this story than meets the eye?

He rummaged in his trunk and picked up the invisibility cloak. Harry held his most-priced possession, watching it closely, a million thoughts racing in his head.

“Are you one of the Deathly Hallows?” Harry whispered, turning his cloak inside out and observing the cloak once again for any signs that told him the same. Nothing. He placed the cloak on top of his table along with his wand. He could do nothing but stare at the items on top of the table curiously. What was he supposed to do? He didn’t even know what he was looking for to begin with.

“Were the three brothers from my dream, the same ones from the book?” He muttered stretching his arms and legs, stiff from being seated for a long time. “Why am I assuming this cloak is the one from this story?”

‘Wait. Why am I even assuming this story is real at all?’ He questioned himself. ‘Just because Dumbledore thought so? Come on Harry, be realistic.’ He dismissed the thought immediately.

‘I don’t think for all his eccentricity, Dumbledore would have me waste my time doing something useless.’

“Where can I find out anything more about you?” He asked as he stared at the cloak and wand. Harry sighed as he leaned forward to pick up the book and accidentally pushed the wand on top of the cloak. He didn’t pay mind to it but instead chose to look into the book.

So lost in the book that he didn’t see the wand and cloak being engulfed in an angry red glow before a bang resonated around the room, taking Harry by surprise. He stared wide-eyed as the wand and cloak hovered in the air, the red glow burning brightly around the artefacts. It took a moment for the young man to let his vision slip around.

His room had been set ablaze by the explosion. Everywhere around him was engulfed in flames. Everything, apart from himself and his immediate vicinity was now burning like a dry log when caught on fire. His bed, wardrobe, and a few books placed in a cupboard next to the main door now burned furiously. Harry checked himself again and was not injured, Not even a single scratch. He could not look away from the hovering objects even though his room was burning.

He heard footsteps outside and his door was thrown open. “What the fuck is going on?” Sirius yelled as he stepped into Harry’s room. “Harry…” He gasped as he witnessed the fire around the place. “Hey? Harry!” He yelled out once again catching the young man’s attention.

“What the hell happened here?” He questioned, his wand out as he tried to douse the flames cursing out loud when the flames increased in intensity. Sirius tried everything he knew to douse the flames only for them to intensify.

“Harry!” Sirius called out, now turning to face the young man and froze when he saw the floating objects engulfed in a crimson glow. “What…” He trailed off as he observed the scene around him properly for the first time. The entire room was burning, but the flames avoided Harry. It seemed to Sirius that the flames were probably allergic to Harry Potter.

“It’s fine Sirius,” Harry spoke after a moment of silence. “The flames won’t touch me. But I cannot say the same for you. Wait outside the door for a moment will you?” The older man obliged, and walked out, running into Narcissa who was watching the entire event unfold with wide eyes.

“What happened?” She questioned her cousin who shrugged nodding at Harry. “I heard a bang and the next thing I know, the entire room was on fire.”

The two watched as Harry swiped his hand casually diffusing the flames in one go. The woman gaped at the casual performance of magic. “What…how…?” Sirius chuckled. “When it comes to him, we should not ask how. I swear to Merlin, he comes up with different ways to shock me every time. Whatever this is…” He waved his hand. “I am guessing is something that would shock us to the core if we came to know what it was. Don’t question it. Just try and get used to it.”

“Come in guys,”  Harry called out, and the two walked into the room. “Sorry about that,” Harry muttered looking around the room. “Honest mistake.” He raised both his hands in surrender, and a wry grin adorned his face.

“What happened?” Harry pointed towards the floating objects. “Them.” The crimson glow had yet to recede from the cloak and wand that was floating mid-air. “They should never be allowed to contact each other. One touch and woosh…” He sweeps his arm around the room.

“Lesson one. Never be too curious for your own good.” He muttered looking around once again.

“That is it?” Narcissa scoffed. “That is all you have to explain? That is all you got to say after you burn down the place to the ground?”

“Narcissa…” Sirius tried to speak, but the woman was not having it. “The entire place could have burned down and with us two in it. We would have been toast, Sirius. All because a boy decided to experiment with his curiosity.”

“Narcissa.” Sirius snapped silencing the woman. “Shut up!” His eyes had hardened considerably. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

“Sirius…” Harry began, but Sirius was not on the stage to listen. “You think you can walk in and lord over everybody in this place? No. Remember that you came begging for a roof after you ran away from your rich husband with nothing. Now that you have a place to live, mind you, because of him, you think that gives you the right to question him in that tone?”

“Sirius…” Harry tried to stop the man once again, but Sirius was in no mood to stop.

“He tried something for what we all know, might be a mistake. Yes, it was not intelligent, but that does not justify your tone with him. Who do you think you are? You came into this house as a guest. Stay that way.”

Narcissa swallowed hard as Sirius finished his words. “Right.” Harry noticed that the woman teared up slightly. “Right. I am a guest.” She nodded. “I am sorry I overstepped my bounds. I will leave.”

“Sirius!” Harry snapped, his magic flaring menacingly catching the two off guard. The Blacks stiffened slightly as the cold magic washed over them. Narcissa and Sirius faced Harry, the woman gasping slightly as she watched his eyes turn pitch black from their usual brilliant green.

“Learn to curb that tongue of yours, Sirius. For Merlin's sake, after all the things you went through, I would think that you would exercise restraint on your impulsiveness.”

“What did she even say wrong, Sirius? She is right. She was right in being angry, she was right in questioning me and she was absolutely right in taking that tone with me. We would have died, Sirius. That fire was under my control and that saved us, but if not, things might have ended up for worse. She was well within her rights to be mad. I am okay with that.”

Narcissa watched as the young man walked up to her, his eyes changing back from creepy black to his usual green. “I apologize on behalf of him. He is brash and impulsive and he needs to work on it. I also apologize for what I pulled. It was dangerous.”

“But this is not something I can explain. The less people that know about it, the better. Maybe one day. Maybe one day when I know that the information is safe for all of us, I might let you know, but I would ask you to exercise patience.” The woman nodded.

“Let me assure you one thing though,” Harry muttered after a bout of silence. “Never assume that I would experiment with lives.” His tone went hard and cold. “I might be many things. You can assume whatever you want about me, but I am not somebody who would endanger somebody for fun. It was an honest mistake. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Contrary to what Sirius believes, you are not a guest. You are the daughter of this house. You are a part of this family and you will always have a place at Grimmauld. You can always remain as you always have, with full freedom. There will be no restrictions for you. Him, he is just in two minds right now. He will see the error of his words very soon. Don’t take his words to heart.”

The woman nodded, wiping her tears, smiling slightly as she left the room. Harry sighed and faced Sirius. “What are you doing?” he questioned in exasperation. “Is that a topic to make an issue out of?” The man didn’t say anything.

“Why are you so offended by her presence, Sirius? What is it that is troubling you?” The man continued to remain silent. “Go,” Harry said. “Go and talk to her.”

“What? No!” Sirius denied, shaking his head vehemently. “You are going, Sirius. I am fed up with this nonsense. She deserves answers and you deserve a chance to explain yourself. Go.” He pushed the man out of the door. “Go on.”

BREAK—-

“Narcissa?” Sirius had reluctantly agreed with Harry’s condition and had walked with heavy steps to the room that his cousin occupied. “May I come in?” Sirius questioned, knocking on the door.

“Yes.” He heard her comply and he pushed her door open. She was seated on a couch towards the window, something clutched in her hand.

“You don’t have to explain anything, Sirius.” She said instantly as he stepped into the room. “Whatever it was, I am sure that you had your issues.”

“No.” Sirius disagreed resolutely. “No, I have to explain. I have pushed it off enough and it would be unfair on your part if I remain silent. I don’t want to remain quiet anymore.” He replied, a tired sigh leaving his lips.

“It was very difficult to stay different in this household.” He explained. “I was different from the rest of you. I didn’t possess the superiority that every other member of my family did. I didn’t possess the ruthlessness that the other Blacks possessed. I didn’t think that every muggle-born or muggle was beneath my feet like the rest of you did.”

“I was proud of it. I was glad that I was different from the rest of you. I was glad that I grew up way off from the usual expectations of a Black. I embraced it. I was placed in Gryffindor and I could not be happier. The things I heard the masses speak of us did not change despite I being the white sheep of the Black family.” Sirius couldn’t help but snort. “The White sheep.” He chuckled. “I still find that funny.”

“It might not seem like it, but people talking four years into Hogwarts, avoiding me like I would blast the very next moment and begin cutting them down into pieces.”

“It seemed to be insignificant. Everything I tried to run away from seemed to be finding me back as I entered my fifth year. Mother and your father were enthusiastic about supporting him and Bella followed. You were packed off to Lucius. That all but finished everything I had created for myself for years. Sirius Black, the son of the most notorious family, standing firmly behind the Dark Lord.”

“I ran. I had enough of my mother for all those years. Not one day did the woman let me live my life in peace. Every day from the time I could think properly, she was downright cruel. I don’t know what I did other than be different, but safe to say, she hated me. So the first chance I got, I ran. She didn’t make that choice very difficult and I was desperate to get away from the house.”

“In hindsight, I was running away from everything that had to do with the name Black. The family, the future, the legacy. And that includes you three.”

“When Andromeda ran away, I guessed that the both of you would have followed her lead, but the next thing I know, Bellatrix was married to Lestrange and you followed with Malfoy.”

“I never knew until I came back to this place after escaping Azkaban that I was still able to make decisions about the family. I assumed that she would have disowned me from the position of the heir as soon as possible.”

“She did,” Narcissa replied. “She tried it in every way possible, but she couldn’t. Grandfather was the one who had the power to make that decision and he was adamant that you would come around. He was sure that you would make the perfect lord for the family. He had a few questionable choices of words for you, every time we spoke, but he was always sure that this family would only be better in your hands.”

“Father was not happy. Uncle Orion never expected to hold the reigns of the family and he never desired it, but the same was not true for your mother. We lost count of the times she attempted to instil Regulus as the next Heir to the family, but Grandfather didn’t budge.”

“He said, ‘I would sooner kill every single one of you and have the entire wealth of my family thrown on the roads of Diagon and Knockturn instead of handing it over to you through that spineless sprog of yours.’”

Sirius burst out laughing as Narcissa finished. That was exactly something he expected his Grandfather to say. He would have loved the look on his mother’s face had he been in the same room, he did not doubt that.

“I don’t know how Grandfather coped after losing Uncle Charlus, Aunt Dorea and Grandmother, all in a span of three days. He was not the same man anymore. The usual spark in his eyes had all but died and he was living just for the sake of it. Everything started to go downhill after that. He had to watch as Regulus joined the Dark Lord at the urging of your mother, his son and Daughter-in-law all but sealed the family’s alliance to a group of thugs rather than standing against them like he wanted him to do. His other son continued to remain silent and the only hope he had towards the end of his life in his wife, sister and friend died right before his eyes.”

“He held on till this madness of the Dark Lord died down at the hands of Potter. That was the news that brought him a lot of joy. He was elated that it was his friend’s Grandson who put an end to a Dark Lord at the age of one. He couldn’t stop but compare the baby to Charlus and what a man he would grow up to be. He was mad. He was completely off his senses by then, but that spark would return every time his friend or sister or wife was mentioned.”

Sirius was stupefied as he listened to Narcissa talk about the one man in the family who he held at the top. He never had an idea what happened to his Grandfather after the death of his Grandmother. Her funeral was the last time he ever met the man. From what Sirius saw of the man, he was fine. He seemed to be holding out pretty well. He approached Sirius and in his usual self of superiority ordered him to return. Sirius declined, not wanting anything to do with the family anymore, but was surprised when the man offered nothing more than a disappointed look and left not saying another word.

“It was an hour of expletives, but at the end, he simply chuckled and pointed to the photo of him along with Uncle Charlus and Aunt Dorea. He promised that Britain would be right as long as Harry Potter would live. ‘Britain will be safe as long as they have one of those Potters, Narcissa. He can have the world against him, but a Potter will always win in the end. Always.’ He said and passed away where he sat.”

“Probably because he fought with Uncle Charlus in the war, but for some reason, he was not even surprised when he heard that a baby killed the Dark Lord. He just grinned knowingly. I knew he was mad by then, but that was not madness.”

“Grandfather was right, Sirius. Only you could have saved our family from getting into this stage it is at now. Maybe things would have been different had you been with us.”

“I…” Sirius sighed. “I don’t know what to say.” He shrugged. “Am I proud of what I did, running away from what was inevitable? No, I am not. Could I have stayed and faced it? Yes, I should have. But that was not what happened. I might directly be responsible for your misery and for that, I apologize. I can do nothing more than that. Apologize.”

The two remained silent for some time, but this time, the silence was comfortable. Sirius chuckled. “Whoo…That feels a lot better.” Sirius muttered.

“Harry was right. Forget everything I blabbed back there, Narcissa. This place is as much yours, as much as it is mine.” The woman nodded, a small smile on her face.

“Thank you,” Narcissa whispered, but enough for Sirius to hear. “Thank you.”

BREAK—--

He would be back in Hogwarts by this time tomorrow. Having been cramped up in Grimmauld for some time now, he was looking forward to being back in the Gryffindor common room. He closed the old book and pushed himself back in his chair. The Black grimoire was excellent. The knowledge that the book possessed was immense. The spells in that book were enough of an explanation as to why the Blacks were feared and rightfully so. These spells would not just end your enemy but terrorise them within an inch of their lives before killing them.

He did not find it hard to believe that powerful people, despite all their abilities, steered clear of the Black family and rightfully so. Some of the curses in the book are enough to push people into trauma.

On the one hand, he was apprehensive to go back to Hogwarts. He had all but lost the only two friends he had. Ron and Hermione had cut all ties with him and he doubted it would change anytime soon. It pained him. But more than that, it told him how little he had branched out of Gryffindor. In truth, he had failed to branch out in Gryffindor as well. He knew the members of his house, but only by names. He had zero friends apart from the Quidditch team and Ron and Hermione. Dean and Seamus were acquaintances at best.

“Maybe it is time to branch out,” Harry muttered. He would try to put in some effort and see if somebody from the other end puts in the same effort.

His thoughts invariably strayed to the events that took place a couple of days back. The reaction to the union of the wand and the cloak was not something he could explain. Should he talk about this to somebody? The only person he could approach was the Headmaster. He might have a theory, but who else?

With the Deathly Hallows, the Peverell brothers who were most probably the ones that held those deathly hallows, Lord Voldemort seemingly gaining power out of nowhere, his men attacked a gathering in some form of hope to catch him for god knows what reasons, it did not take a genius to guess that it would be difficult days going ahead.

“Filthy halfblood…” Harry failed to hide a groan as he found Kreacher creeping around outside his room. Harry was trying hard to remain civil to the elf, but he was making it very difficult with his constant muttering and cursing.

“What do you want, Kreacher?” Harry questioned as he opened the door to the room with a wave of his hand. The elf glared hatefully at Harry before noticing the book on the table. A pained frown adorned the old elf’s face as his ears drooped.

“Filthy halfblood… Filthy half-blood using the sacred Black family Grimoire…Oh, my poor mistress would…”

“You do know that I am a Black too, right?” Harry cut in, his eyes dancing with mirth as the elf sobered up. “I have Black blood running in my body, Kreacher. I can access the family grimoire and the family magic recognizes my worth to use the Grimoire.”

“Kreacher knows…” The elf growled. “Kreacher knows that the Halfblood is Mistress Dorea’s grandson. Kreacher knows everything. But the master is filthy halfblood. Master is besmirching the house of the Blacks. Master is very powerful, but master is a filthy halfblood.”

Harry chuckled. This was one of the worst forms of appreciation he had ever heard in his life. The elf recognized that he was the Heir to the family and that yet, he could not look past the fact that Harry was a half-blood. Sirius and Narcissa had explained the dynamics of a house elf in a wizarding house. They cannot go against their masters. They might be muggle-born for all purposes and they would have no choice but to obey them. They could hurl expletives at him for all their heart’s content, but in the end, they are supposed to be listening to him. They are supposed to do everything their masters order them to do, irrespective of wrong or right.

“Halfblood master destroyed poor master Regulus’s room. Yes. Kreacher can recognize death fire. Halfblood master burnt Master Regulus’s room with death fire. Halfblood master is too powerful.” Harry frowned at the elf. “Death fire?” He questioned. “What is this death fire you speak of, Kreacher?”

“Kreacher does not know. Kreacher only knows that death fire is bad. Halfblood master has Death around him. Kreacher can feel it. Kreacher knows everything.” The elf shuffled away, muttering about Death and fire and elements. ]

“What is the matter with him?” Harry shook his head, as he watched him disappear. What was this Death fire he was talking about? The damn elf keeps muttering to himself all the time and when the one time he actually wanted him to talk, he disappeared in a flash.

The story of the Deathly Hallows is what flashed into his mind immediately. The story revolves around the artefacts acquired by the hands of Death. The real question that he asked himself was the origin of the artefacts. Death, as described by the book seemed too good to be true.

There was one way he could find an answer. He should wait for those visions. The questions he possessed could only be answered by the Peverells. He guessed that there was a reason why he was seeing episodes of the Peverells and just like that, he had also ended up with two hallows of the legends. What those reasons were, he didn’t know.

BREAK—---

“You have everything?” Sirius questioned. “Your cloak, your map…”

“I have everything I could possibly need, Sirius.” Harry placated the man as he tapped his trunk. The man nodded. “So… see you same time next year or will you come home for Christmas?”

“I will see what I can do. If nothing comes up, I guess I can come back for the holidays. No offence, but Hogwarts is more interesting than this place.” Sirius shook his head. “None taken.” He said. “If I had the chance to choose between Hogwarts and this place, I would choose Hogwarts as well.” He admitted.

“Well, I would advise you to not leave this place, but I am pretty sure that you will not listen to me,” Harry replied. “Do keep your eyes open if you venture out of Grimmauld, Sirius. Don’t get caught.”

“Is there anything you would like me to convey to your son, Mrs Malfoy?” Harry enquired the woman who was waiting on the other side of the room. She seemed to say something but hesitated at the last moment.

“No.” She replied at last. “He has no idea where I am staying right now and if he could work out that I am staying with you, he would throw a tantrum and make a mess out of it. I would rather he didn’t know where I am.”

“As you wish,” Harry shrugged. “Take care of him, will you?” He nodded towards Sirius. “He is too casual with how he runs things around and will invariably get in trouble. Smack him on the head if necessary, but keep him out of public view.”

“I will see you guys soon.” He stepped in the floo and waved to the two once more, as Grimmauld Place disappeared from his view.

King’s Cross was buzzing as expected, the rush of parents and their children at the last minute to board the train, waving their goodbyes for the next four months when they would be seeing them again for Christmas.

Harry kept his head down and walked towards the end of the train, making sure he would not draw any attention to himself. He chose the compartment towards the end of the train and got in, sitting down towards the window. He did think about looking for Ron and Hermione, but in the end, decided against it. It did seem petty. He should have put in some effort from his end to mend bridges, but the major part of him was adamant to not do so. The two frowned upon him like he was the next Voldemort when he spoke of revenge. Sure, he didn’t expect the two to be supportive of his idea of revenge and send him out on a killing spree, but he didn’t want to be classified as a psychotic mass murderer and the looks they shared hurt him a lot.

“They will never get it, Potter.” Harry sighed. Ron has never lost anything in his life and it was the same with Hermione. They would never understand what it means to lose something and build a life on top of those deaths. His entire identity in the wizarding world relied on one factor more than the others. Him being the Boy-Who-Lived. People might always think that him killing Voldemort is what happened, but the Dementors told him differently. It was his mother who was responsible for his survival.

Dumbledore was sure that it was Lily Potter’s sacrifice that night when Voldemort came for him and hence why Harry could not be touched by Quirrell despite being possessed by Voldemort. She sacrificed herself so that Harry could live. He never will know if it was intentional, but her taking the killing blow for him was intentional.

The bastard murdered his father and mother in cold blood and Harry would never let that slide. People can think all they want, but that would mean little to him. These were the same people who relied on a baby and the death of thousands to end a war. They had no right in judging him and he should not be heeding to their words either.

He closed his eyes as he leaned back in his seat. It was a long journey to Hogwarts and he was not sure how he would be spending the journey till night.

He was acutely aware of the door to the compartment pushed open and two voices, one of which he was familiar with. Harry opened his eyes and he recognised Ginny and another blonde-haired girl he had never seen in his life.

“Ginny?” Harry smiled at the girl who waved as she waved back. “Harry? How are you?” She questioned still at the door. Harry waved in front of him, asking the girl to take a seat opposite him. Ginny and her friend obliged, taking a seat.

“I am fine,” Harry replied. “How are you, Ginny? How are Mr and Mrs Weasley?” He hoped the two were doing fine. Mrs Weasley and Mr Weasley had been nothing but kind and doting towards him whenever he had seen them. The two had been extremely kind in welcoming him into their home back at the beginning of his second year.

“They are doing fine,” Her smile dimmed slightly. “Mum was disappointed that you couldn’t be making it this summer. Dad and Mum were eager to invite you to the World Cup final, but Ron was adamant that you would not be coming. Mum went berserk when she heard what happened on the train between you, Ron and Hermione.”

“She laid into Ron about how insensitive he can be and how he should think before acting on impulse She had a few choices of words for Hermione as well.” Ginny shook her head. “And Mum was right. Ron is an insensitive prick, but all of us expected Hermione to be rational. She might be a bookworm, but we assumed that she is good at identifying emotions.”

“We understand.” She muttered a few seconds later. “We can never begin to understand what you went through, Harry. We will never get what it feels like to be without parents. Every time I asked for it, my Mum would be there in an instant. My dad would do anything to make sure that I had everything I needed. They would make ends meet to help me. I cannot imagine what my life, what our lives would be if not for Mum and Dad. None of my brothers can survive a day without them. Ron has everything he needs. Yes, we purchase second-hand equipment and books, second-hand trunks, and live in a less than attractive house for a family of long-standing history, but as long as I have Mum and Dad, everything else seems insignificant. We can always rely on each other.”

“Ron takes everything for granted. He is the least sensible of all of us, but he does not value everything we have. I apologize on his behalf. None of the rest of us share the same ignorance as Ron. Ron does not mean bad, but he is just a foolish boy who jumps before thinking.”

Harry was touched. He did not expect this from the shy girl he had gotten to know about the last two years. “It’s fine, Ginny.” Harry waved off. “Thank you for being understanding and not judging.”

“Oh…this is Luna. Luna Lovegood.” She introduced the blonde-haired girl who sat next to her, staring into space. Harry observed the girl for a while. Her dirty blonde hair fell loosely around her shoulders. She wore radish earrings and a weird butterbeer cork necklace around her neck. “She seems lost.”

Ginny chuckled as she shook her head. “Luna is like that.” She said. “She is different. All of us are, but Luna is pretty special. We have been friends for ages. She stays near our house, a fifteen-minute walk at the most. She is the only person who is close to me in the entire school.”

“Hello, Harry Potter.” The girl spoke for the first time. Harry was startled by the girl speaking out of the blue. “Hello, Ms Lovegood.”

“You can call me Luna. or Loony if you prefer.” Harry frowned at that. “Why would I call you that?”

“Everybody calls me Loony. You can call me too. I don’t mind.” Harry noticed Ginny’s jaw tighten slightly at that. “What is it?” he questioned the redhead who hesitated briefly.

“She never tells me otherwise, but her house members bully her. She told me that they would take away her things from her dorm and scatter them around the school. She spends days finding all her things and sometimes, she won’t find them at all.”

Harry observed the young woman as Ginny spoke. She seemed unfazed by what was being talked about. She seemed lost in her world.

“I have told her enough times to go to Professor Flitwick. I am sure he would help her. He would be furious if he came to know that she spends most of her time barefoot on cold nights roaming around Hogwarts trying to gather her footwear.” Ginny finished, her face flushed in anger.

“She is right you know,” Harry spoke gently to the young girl who faced him. The girl stared at Harry and he was sure that people would lose themselves in her eyes if they stared enough.

“You should go to Professor Flitwick and tell him about this. He should know and he would put a stop to it as soon as he can.”

“But it is fine, Harry Potter. It is just the work of Nargles. They would find their way back to me when they had enough. They always turn up. They always disappear, but they always come back.”

“Nargles?” Harry questioned, confusion evident in his voice. “Oh, Nargles. They are small creatures which stay hidden in the mistletoe. Very mischievous and thieving little things.”

“Interesting.” Harry hummed in thought. For the first time since their interaction, Harry observed the girl brighten up. “You think so too? I wonder why the others don’t think the same. They don’t believe me when I talk about it.”

Harry didn’t know what to say. What was he supposed to say about something he had no idea about? He did not know if the girl was making things up, but he hoped not.

“Don’t play her, Harry. She gets enough of it from the rest.” Ginny warned, her eyes narrowing slightly. “No, no.” Harry raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t joking. I find it interesting. I have never heard about something like that.”

“That is because they don’t exist. Luna has an imagination that can be considered…wild.” Ginny explained. “I have been hearing the same from her for at least a decade by now and I still have no clue about what they are or where they are found. None of us do.”

“Oh, they exist.” Luna cut in, her voice still holding the same composure even though Ginny was practically calling her mental. “They are just not visible to everybody. You need to have a clear head to identify Nargles, but they won’t let you. They make your brain fuzzy and escape right under your nose. Cheeky creatures.”

“Okay.” Harry shrugged. “You should show me those creatures sometime. It would be interesting to know what they look like.”

“Oh, Nargles won’t trouble you, Harry Potter.” Luna cut in. “They will steer clear of you.”

Harry looked at Ginny who shrugged. “Why is that?” He questioned the girl.

“Your magic won’t allow them to. Your magic is not very welcoming to Nargles. They hate the elements.” He felt a shudder pass through his body as the girl stared deep into his eyes.

“I know what you are, Harry Potter. You are the elements. You are death.”

Harry stiffened immediately, his eyes narrowing slightly as the girl finished speaking. “Elements? Death?” Luna nodded. “Yes. You hold the ability of the elements. Blessed by the ability from a long line of cursed blood. You will break it. You will break the curse.”

“Curse? What curse?” Harry whispered.

“I don’t know. I have always heard my Father speaking about the curse on the line of the Elements. He always told me that one day would come when the curse would be broken. Broken by one of the bloodline. He thinks you are the one.” The last part she whispered, looking outside the window as she lost herself in her thoughts.

“That was eventful,” Harry whispered as he looked at Ginny. “I told you her imagination was colourful. Way more so than the many others. Don’t worry. You would get used to it.” Ginny gazed at the girl fondly. “Luna is a wonderful girl. She is too sweet for her good. Too forgiving. People like to take advantage of it. She is brilliant, but I don’t know why she does not speak up.”

“I care for Luna a lot. I had hoped she would have ended up in Gryffindor with me, but it was too much to expect. She was there for me at a very difficult time. You know…” Harry nodded, getting where she was going. He was slightly ashamed as he remembered that he had not once talked to the girl about what she went through with the Basilisk and Tom Riddle.

The three chose to remain quiet for a few hours, watching out the window as the scenery changed. They were not disturbed along the way and Harry was happy that was the case. He was not ready for Malfoy and his pals to give him a visit with a snide remark.

He saw that Luna was reading something and to his continued surprise regarding her, upside down. “Uhm…Luna?” The girl looked up from her book. “Why are you reading the book upside down?”

“Oh, no reason.” The girl whispered. “Some things have to be viewed from a different point of view to make sense.”

“What is it?” Harry questioned nodding towards the magazine in her hand.

“This is our magazine. My Dad owns the press. We call it the Quibbler.” She handed the magazine over to Harry for him to see.

The magazine was certainly colourful. But some of the things that he read in that magazine were just not something he expected to be on public media. If this was the work of Luna’s father, he was certainly the source of the weird young girl’s theories.

“It was nice.” Ginny snorted as Harry returned the magazine to the blonde, acutely aware that the train was coming to a stop. They had arrived in Hogsmeade. Harry helped the girls with their trunks as they dismembered the train. Harry could closely observe Ron and Hermione some distance ahead and Hagrid gathering all the first-years for their first ride across the Black Lake.

“Come on.” Harry got up on the carriage after helping the girls and began their journey to the school for their fourth year. It was the first time that he was able to notice the thestrals that Dumbledore talked about when discussing his patronus.

“You see them too, don’t you?” Harry was startled by Luna. “You can see them too?” The girl nodded. “My mother.” She pulled out a small picture and handed it over to Harry.

In the photo were four young women posing right outside the gate of Hogwarts. One, very familiar face smiled back at Harry. It took a moment to comprehend, but his eyes widened in surprise. “That…” He looked up at the girl pointing to the photo.

“Yes. That is your mother.” Luna answered with a smile. “She was very good friends with my mother, from what I have heard.”

“The other two are Marlene Mckinnon and Alice Fortescue. They were very close according to my Dad. Always together. Shame what happened to them.”

“I was nine years old. Mum was a spell crafter. Worked on her own. I was out, playing with Ginny at the Burrow when we heard an explosion. Her workspace had blown up and Mum too. Nobody knew what she was working on, but that damage wiped out everything in her space including herself.”

“I am sorry, Luna.” Harry took hold of the young woman’s hand and squeezed encouragingly.

“Don’t be.” The blonde assured with a smile. “I have come to terms with her passing a long time ago.” She assured. “The dead don’t leave us. They shed their vessel, but their essence is always around us. People won’t recognize it, but I do. You do too.”

“It’s a long-term goodbye… And goodbyes are just assurances of the next meeting, not the end. Some day, someplace, Pandora Lovegood will meet Luna Lovegood the same way James Potter and Lily Potter will meet Harry Potter one day. Trust me on that.”

A genuine smile broke out on Harry’s lips for the first time since their meeting. Of all the conversations with the girl, this was the one that held a lot of meaning. This was something he needed to hear. She worded her thoughts beautifully. For somebody who spends a lot of time thinking and speaking about things that are probably a figment of her imagination, she was very good at speaking. She had a better understanding of life better than many. At that moment, Harry decided that the girl was special. Luna Lovegood was special.

As Hogwarts came into view, Harry could not help but smile. Maybe there was something good on the horizon. Or maybe something bad. But he had a future to look forward to.

TBC—-----