Harry Potter and the Witch's Vow

Harry Potter and the Witch's Vow

Harry Potter walked around the lake, following the well-worn path, as so many students had done before him. Today, however, he was quite alone, which suited him. Everyone else had gone into Hogsmeade. Harry had stayed behind, to lose himself in his own thoughts. His sixth year at Hogwarts had started off badly. Once he had understood the implications of Sibyll Trelawney's prophecy, he had backed away from everyone.

Destined to be either a murderer or a victim, Harry had cut himself off from his friends as much as possible. He was not just a marked man. He was a doomed one, and what right had he to doom anyone else along with him? Who would want to stand by him to see him commit murder, or to see him die? It wasn't fair to ask that of anyone.

It had been hardest with Ron and Hermione. They had been a trio for so long, but at least now they were free to date without fear of leaving Harry out or hurting his feelings, and Harry was happy for them. They didn't understand why he was turning away from them, and they still cared about him, but they accepted his need to be alone sometimes. They needed time alone together, too.

Harry liked to watch his friends find their way. Ginny and Dean, Cho and Michael, Lavender and Seamus were all enjoying happy, carefree lives. Voldemort still hung over everyone's heads, but the Dark Lord had been silent for a long while, biding his time. The Order of the Phoenix was still active, and Dumbledore was still trying to find a way for Harry to kill Voldemort, but he was no closer to giving Harry an answer than Ron was to inventing a broomstick that would fly to Jupiter. So, Harry muddled along, trying to act like everything was normal, biding his time as well, knowing that eventually either he or the Dark Lord must die at the hand of the other.

One person had continued to get as close to Harry as possible. Luna Lovegood had kept wandering dreamily into his life. Since she did not badger him too much, Harry had not put a lot of effort into trying to drive her away. Many times in the previous weeks, Harry, frustrated, angry and afraid, had walked the halls and grounds of Hogwarts silently with Luna. They had sat side by side in isolated places, without words even needing to be said.

He had finally begun to talk to her, however, and now there was probably nothing the two of them did not know about each other.

She knew about the Dursley family, and how Harry had resorted to hiding under their windows, just to be able to listen to the news. He knew had she had hidden under her mother's desk as a child, just to watch her mother trying out new spells.

She knew how jealous and humiliated he had been when Cho Chang had told him she was going to the Yule ball with Cedric, and he knew how she had spent that night sitting in the window seat in her dorm room, watching everyone else in the garden below.

Luna knew Harry's mother's last words, and he knew hers.

He had complimented her on coming up with the idea to fly to London on the thestrals, and she had told him how much she admired his devotion to his godfather and his friends.

"Luna," Harry admitted one day, "you're the only person who always tries to understand, no matter how mixed-up things get. Always be my friend?"

"Always, Harry. You have my witches vow," Luna had said solemnly, "and there's nothing better than that."

The Hogwarts gossip mill hadn't known what to make of their unlikely friendship, however. Even Ron had ventured to ask what was going on with them.

"Honestly, Harry! You and Loony Lovegood?"

"Don't call her that anymore!" Harry had snapped crossly.

"Not that she's not looking good, mate," Ron had said hastily, "but what do you see in her?"

"She makes me laugh," said Harry.

They were not laughing a few weeks later, however, after Harry and Dumbledore had a major argument. As usual, Harry wanted information, and wasn't getting any answers. When he'd first arrived at Hogwarts, Harry had believed Dumbledore capable of anything, but over the years he had learned that Dumbledore was powerful, but not omnipotent, wise, but not infallible. He had stomped out of Dumbledore's office, and Luna had been there. It was like she was as tuned in to Harry as he had once been to Voldemort.

She was there and she'd asked him what was wrong. He'd grabbed her arm, and dragged her down the corridor, where he'd told her the whole story in heated whispers.

"I ought to run away and find him. I should just go face him. It would be better than sitting around waiting to be attacked," Harry had said sharply.

"Harry, no!" Luna had cried out. "Oh, please, don't!"

"Luna, I can't take it anymore," Harry had begun to shout. "I'm so frustrated!"

"Harry! Please!" Luna had put her hand up on his chest, and looked into his stormy eyes. Her own eyes were so deep, and filled with so much serenity that they filled Harry with a longing for that kind of peace. He had wanted so desperately to connect with someone who cared, that he had pulled Luna into his arms and kissed her...hard. So hard that he had backed her into the wall. She had clung to his shoulders, trying to calm him. Neither of them had heard the footsteps at the end of the hall, or the startled gasp.

Harry was just starting to settle down, when someone had grabbed him by the collar, and he'd spun around to face a furious Professor Snape.

"Potter! Lovegood! My office now!"

As Snape had dragged Harry down the corridor, they'd passed a smiling Pansy Parkinson.

Snape had literally thrown Harry into a chair, and turned to Luna.

"Miss Lovegood, are you all right? You're lucky that Miss Parkinson witnessed your attack. She came for help straight away."

"What attack?" Luna had asked, puzzled.

"Miss Parkinson informed me that Mr. Potter threatened you and attempted to force himself on you."

"That's a lie!" Harry had exclaimed angrily.

"Be quiet, Potter!" Snape had snarled.

"Harry did no such thing," Luna had said, simply.

"Are you telling me he was NOT forcing you to do anything you did not wish to do?" Snape had asked, stunned.

"There's nothing Harry could possibly do to me that I would not wish him to do," Luna had answered sweetly.

Snape's face had contorted with rage. "You are both obviously engaging in immoral behavior unworthy of Hogwarts students! Fifty points from Gryffindor, and fifty points from Ravenclaw! Now get out of my sight!'

"Good grief, Luna!" said Harry, when they had escaped Snape's office. "Why did you say that?"

"Why not?" Luna replied calmly. "It's nobody's business what we do or don't do. Pansy is just angry because Mrs. Malfoy took Draco out of school after Mr. Malfoy went to Azkaban. Everyone knows that, or should."

But none the less, the rumor has quickly swept through the school that Potter and Lovegood had lost a hundred points shagging up against a dungeon wall, and Harry had been totally humiliated. Some of the comments had been dreadful. He'd started to come around a corner the next day and had heard Pansy telling her side of the story to some of the other Slytherin girls. Harry hesitated, listening even though he didn't really want to hear

"Potter sounded REALLY desperate," Pansy had said dramatically.

"Well, he'd have to be desperate...Luna Lovegood, for Salazar's sake!" Millicent Bulstrode replied, sounding disgusted.

"Oh, really! Do you think they actually did it?" asked a girl whose voice Harry couldn't recognize.

Millicent snorted. "I suppose we could always go ask the village idiot herself."

At that Harry turned the corner, scaring all three girls senseless. "Go to hell, Pansy!" Harry was so furious he was shaking, and remained in a tetchy mood for the rest of the day.

He knew Luna was probably hearing the same sort of rubbish, but she seemed to be handling it better. From the moment she had walked out of Snape's office with her head held high, she had acted totally oblivious to the whispering, which began to confuse everyone. The subject faded all the quicker for it and Harry had been impressed, but he had started to avoid her as well from that point on. His life was still a mess, and his future uncertain. He knew he should never have let Luna into it the first place, but he missed her, none the less.

Now, when Harry was walking by the windswept lake, hoping to freeze his emotions as completely as his fingertips, Luna's small, warm hand once more slid into his.

"All right, Harry," Luna said calmly. "It's time to tell."

"Tell what?" Harry had answered sharply, but allowed her hand to remain in his.

"Why have you turned away from everyone? At first," she said conversationally, "I thought it was abandonment issues."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, you have lost a lot of people close to you. Your parents, and Sirius. I was like that when my mum died. I didn't talk to anyone but my dad for six months."

"I wish I had known you then," Harry sighed, but she didn't rise to the bait.

"That's not it, though, is it?" Luna continued in her casual, dreamy way. "It's something more."

Luna looked into Harry's eyes, and startled, he realized that she really was looking good, even though she was wearing one of her typically ridiculous hats. This one was made of fluffy yarn and had huge stripes of various colors going around it, but it didn't hide the fact that she was becoming a tiny bit closer to pretty. Her face and body were filling out, and the peace in her eyes once again calmed him.

"Is it everyone else getting together? Does that bother you?"

"Why should it bother me?"

"I know you were very upset by what Pansy said, more than you should have been. Harry, are you gay?"

Harry spun around, shocked. "What kind of question is that? You sound like my cousin, Dudley!"

"Oh, he's noticed you avoiding girls, too?"

"Just because I've been avoiding them doesn't mean I don't like them!"

"That's good to know," said Luna serenely. "Have you seen Teen Witch Weekly? Your picture's on the cover this month as most eligible wizard! I saw Sally-Anne Perks reading it under the lunch table."

"I wouldn't touch Sally-Anne Perks with a ten-foot broomstick! She'd be enough to turn anyone gay!" Harry exclaimed vehemently.

"That's good to know, too, I guess," Luna said vaguely. "Anyway, I promised to be your friend, but I can't be if you won't let me, now can I?"

Harry grinned in spite of himself. "Luna, you drive me mad. Do you know that? You're amazing! Seriously, though, Voldemort is still out there, and he'll be back. I'm probably going to spend my whole life being attacked, or hunted or possessed. How can I ask anyone else to live like that?"

"Oh, is that all it is?"

Luna pulled on his hand, and they began to walk again.

Yeah, Harry thought to himself sarcastically, it's a very minor problem. Somehow, though, he really did feel better. He looked at Luna, who looked back at him trustingly, and thought, oh, the hell with it.

"Luna," said Harry, "if it's not too late, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Luna had smiled serenely. "I would love to."

The End.