kbinnz - Harry's New Home

He'd managed to slip his rock cakes to Fang when the giant wasn't looking, but three cups of heavily sugared tea were enough to make him sleepy. And if his da found out, he'd be banned from all pudding for at least two days. Still, it was always relaxing to spend time with Hagrid, and Harry felt that his flute playing was coming along quite nicely, though his da and godfathers still tended to cringe when he offered to play something for them.

Hagrid was thrilled that his little gift had sustained Harry's interest for so long, and he was even more pleased to be asked to provide instruction on something. Hagrid might not be bright, but he was smart enough to know that most of the school тАУ students and faculty alike тАУ considered him something of a dolt, so it was both novel and flattering when Harry had asked him for flute lessons. Being told that the whole thing had been Severus Snape's idea had only increased Hagrid's pleasure тАУ imagine! Sev'rus thought he'd make a good teacher! Hagrid's oversized heart quickly established a spot for Snape right next to Dumbledore's pedestal.

From Harry's standpoint, it was nice to spend time with someone who didn't seem half-convinced that his da was a vampire, a tyrant, or likely to use him for hexing target practice. Sometimes the dark imaginings of the other students (or even some professors!) could get a bit tiresome.

Harry turned down one of the castle corridors, heading for the Gryffindor Tower. He had a little time before dinner, and he hadn't even started his Charms homework.

"Harry, there you are!"

He automatically readied his wand at the voice behind him тАУ those dueling lessons were having an effect тАУ but then relaxed as he realized who it was.

"Hi, Luna," he said, greeting the first year pleasantly. Then he blinked. "Erm тАУ do you know you have radishes hanging from your ears?"

"Oh, thank you!" she smiled as if he had just given her a lavish compliment. "They are quite original, aren't they?"

"Uh, yes," he agreed, glad to be able to be honest. "So, erm, how are you enjoying Ravenclaw?"

Luna waved a hand airily. "Oh, it's quite nice, except for all the Nargles, you know." At Harry's blank expression, she peered at him more closely, then said in tones of dawning comprehension, "Oh. I see тАУ they rather avoid you, don't they?"

"Errrrrr, yeah," Harry agreed cautiously, wondering if Draco hadn't had the right idea. "Well, I should really be running alongтАж"

"Oh, not yet, Harry. You need to help us."

Harry looked around the otherwise empty hall. "Us?" he inquired uncertainly.

She nodded emphatically. "Yes. We really need to do this. You know, I never would have chosen Ravenclaw if I'd realized they had all the sad ghosts," she said confidingly, leaning close to Harry's ear. "I mean, Myrtle is quite the moaner, but from what the older girls say there's not much hope of helping her, and so I think it's all the more important to help the Gray Lady, don't you?"

Harry bit his lip and wondered if Luna was supposed to be on some special potions. "I тАУ erm тАУ I guess soтАж" he agreed, figuring that humoring the little witch was the best strategy.

She rewarded him with a dazzling smile. "I knew you'd help!" she exclaimed happily. "After all, this is all for your benefit in the end, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Harry echoed blankly.

"Well, I suppose you're right," Luna agreed, as if Harry had argued with her. "It's really good for all of us, but it helps you more directly, don't you see?"

"Okay," Harry gave up and just followed Luna. He figured if she started to do something obviously dangerous, he could always Stun her.

"She said it was this way," Luna explained, leading Harry through the castle. "And that you would be able to help me recognize it."

"Uh, what?" Harry asked.

"I do feel sorry for her, don't you?" Luna continued, as if Harry hadn't spoken. "I mean, to have all that guilt for so long and then to go ahead and trust just exactly the wrong person? Well, no wonder she's so unhappy. And the poor Baron," she sighed. "I think that wizards are often a bit obsessive, don't you? I mean, 'Romeo and Juliet' might be great literature, but that sort of thing is excessive in real life."

"Uh huh." Harry smiled and nodded, frantically wishing someone else would come along.

"After all, life does go on, doesn't it? Assuming you're not the dead one, I mean," she clarified with a giggle. "Isn't that how you think of it?"

Harry didn't even bother trying to figure her statements out anymore. He just smiled and nodded again.

"That's the way I had to think of it too, after my mother died," Luna agreed, and Harry's attention focused sharply.

"Your mother's dead? I тАУ I mean, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Luna just nodded and kept walking, though her smile didn't falter. "Oh, it wasn't nearly as famous a death as your parents', Harry. I wouldn't have expected you to know about it. It was still very sad, though."

"Erm, I'm sure it was," Harry said awkwardly. "Was it a long time ago?"

"Sometimes it feels like it was, and other times it feels like it was just yesterday. I know I'll see her again someday, but I do often wish I could talk to her. My father's a bit focused on his newspaper, you see." She gave a little sigh. "I'm not nearly as interesting as tracking down a snorkack."

"I think you're very interesting," Harry said stoutly, and with complete sincerity. Insane, yes, but definitely interesting.

She beamed at him. "How sweet of you to say that!"

Harry smiled back.

"Ah, here we are!" But Luna immediately contradicted herself by turning and marching down the same hallway by which they had just come.

Harry stood still, watching her, but when she merely continued to walk up and down, he finally offered, "Ummmm, Luna? Are we lost?"

She blinked at him. "Oh, no, Harry. We're not lost. We're the finders." And she calmly walked through a door that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Harry's jaw dropped, then he bolted after her. "Luna, wait! It might be dangerous!" he called, thinking of how the door to the Chamber had magically appeared and what the Headmaster and Hagrid had discovered within it.

He caught up to her in a large room, filled with all manner of weird items. "Well?" she looked at him expectantly. "Where is it?"

"What?" he demanded blankly, staring around him. "What do you mean? You're the one who brought me."

"Yes," she said patiently, "but you're the one who's the key. She said that тАУ oh! The Nargles!"

Harry jumped and looked around, but the Nargles remained as invisible as ever.

Luna darted forward and, pushing aside several items, held up an old diadem. "Here it is! See how the Nargles are avoiding it?" She held it out to him. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Harry took the crown from her, marveling as he did so at its beauty and odd warmth. He blinked, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy, but then the feeling passed and he felt abruptly wise and powerful. "Of course this is it," he laughed, wondering why he had ever been confused. Confidently, he dropped the diadem on his head, and he immediately felt even more certain of himself.

A feeling of complete assurance swept over him, and he looked condescendingly at the blonde witch by his side. "You won't be needed any longer," he told her. "I'll take care of things from here."

Luna frowned. "I'm not sure that's a very good idea, Harry," she said slowly.

He turned away from her, scanning the other items in the room. There was a good chance that there would be other useful things here, and no one would ever know he had taken themтАж

"Harry!" An insistent tugging on his sleeve annoyed him. "I think it might be best if you took that off and let me hold it."

He shrugged off the irritating girl. "Let you hold it? Why would I do that?" he scoffed. The little fool imagined that he would give up his crown? Not likely!