Rowena's Quill

Luna was so dreamy in the days after receiving her letter from Neville, Dad began teasing her relentlessly. He even composed a little song for that purpose:

Once there was a wrackspurt named Neville Longbottom

While he was around all else was forgotten

If he gets too close, I'll seize him by his near drottom

Luna's Neville Longbottom

"Dad, please."

"Ah, look at her blush. My little girl is quite grown up. But I reckon I've raised a lady. I won't have to seize poor Neville by the near drottom."

Luna felt herself go redder.

"It does seem a shame you should have to wait all the way until the party to see him again."

Luna sighed.

"Do you know what I think? Let's invite Neville here. After all, he was kind enough to invite you to his house."

"Oh, Daddy! When?"

"You can Floo him right now if you'd like."

Luna nearly jumped out of her chair, but then she thought of something.

"Before he gets here, could we collect together old issues of The Quibbler - all the ones with articles about his parents? Before the injuries, I mean. The ones that record their Snorkack hunting. Neville doesn't really know much. Until now, all he's read about them was from The Prophet."

The teasing smile left Dad's face. "That's very considerate of you, Luna."

"Do you still have Spectrespecs from that far back?"

"I think I can rustle up a pair. But you do realize, to amass all this will take a day's work at least."

"That's fine."

"Accio!" cried Dad.

The attic door flew open and let out a large box which flew into the living room.

"Those are back issues from the hardest years of the war. I have double copies of most, but some sold so well, I've got only one copy left, and I can't give those away. They'll have to be strictly on loan."

"Of course."

"All right, then. You Floo Neville and ask him to come tomorrow. I'll help you get started, but I do have work to do today."

Luna and Neville spoke very briefly on the Floo. Despite the discomfort of it, Luna wished it could have been longer, but the fact was, the Floo Network was watched even more closely than owls.

Luna worked for hours sorting through old issues. She read many, many articles, not just the ones about Neville's parents. It was a fascinating history lesson, but what really caught her was how much her mother's touch shone through. When she died, Luna's knowledge of code was so unsophisticated, she could not possible appreciate that side of Mummy. Now she was feeling Mummy's presence in an entirely new way.

Luna gave Neville his present as soon as he arrived. Voracious about discovering everything he could about his parents, he spent the first hour of the visit just reading article after article. Luna didn't mind a bit. It gave her pleasure to watch him enjoy his present.

When he finally looked up at her, he said, "How can I ever thank you? What you've done for me is . . . is . . ."

"You're my very best friend. I'd do anything for you."

Her saying so only made Neville more tongue-tied.

"Do you want to sit outside? Our garden isn't as nice as yours, but you might like it."

"Yeah, sure."

But outside as inside, conversation didn't flow as easily as it used to. An almost palpable shyness had grown between them. Even a casual touch had become so charged with emotion, neither dared make a move. Happy as they were in each other's presence, it was still an uncomfortably awkward visit.

Dad commented on it at dinner that night after Neville had gone home. "Not only have I raised a lady, she has chosen herself a gentleman."

"Yes, Daddy."

"We've always been open about everything. I hope we can be open about this, too."

The idea embarrassed Luna even more than being near Neville. She knew Dad meant well, but the most open and honest thing she could say to him was, "I wish Mummy were alive."

It hurt him, Luna knew. But he took the rebuff and said, "I will respect your privacy, but if you change your mind, you know I'm always here." He never teased her again after that.

Between her longing for Neville and her longing for Mummy, Luna launched herself into an intensely contemplative mood that lasted for days. She barely felt the need to eat or sleep. Her perceptions of the beyond had never been stronger. But though she received her mother's familiar reassurance and love, it wasn't the same as a real hug and spoken words of guidance.

"Mummy, I need so much more," she whispered to the night sky on Neville's birthday. She'd sent him an owl, but she hadn't seen him. He'd spent that day with his parents.

If only she could get Mummy back the way Neville got his. She'd just open a box of old papers and discover that the secret lay there all along.

And then it hit her. Grandfather's manuscript. She could see it as clearly as if she were nine years old again, peeking through the window at Mummy's experiment. Putting it away was the last thing she'd done before exploding the quill.

Luna went out to the living room and turned on the light. The box was on top of the book shelves, just as it always had been. Knowing she was forbidden to use magic outside of school, Luna pulled over a chair and stood on it. But even on tiptoe, she could not reach the box. She had to stretch and use her wand to prod it forward. It was slow going, and Luna was exhilarated when she finally had it in her hands. She brought it back to her bedroom.

As though a reward for her effort, the first thing she saw when she opened the box was a page in her mother's handwriting. Even after seven years without her, Luna recognized it. But the odd thing was, Mummy's writing wasn't the only one on the note, and Luna knew perfectly well that she and Mummy had been all alone that day.

The Crumple-Horned Snorkack

LORD VOLDEMORT

Tom Riddle

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

HEIRESS OF RAVENCLAW, THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN HAS VANQUISHED YOU

Who is the Heir of Slytherin?

I, LORD VOLDEMORT

You are not Lord Voldemort. You are Rowena Lovegood's quill.

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT'S HORCRUX.

What is a Horcrux?

A HOME FOR MY SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY.

I don't understand. Please explain.

Heir of Slytherin, the Heiress of Ravenclaw demands to know whom you murdered to create this Horcrux

THE UNSPEAKABLE WIZARD, ROWAN ROCKRIMMON

Luna read the note over and over again, but she could not make sense of it. How could Voldemort have had anything to do with Mummy's death when he had lost his powers years earlier?

"But we know he was not completely gone," thought Luna. Perhaps Voldemort in a ghostly form was somehow able to use Mummy's quill.

The way they addressed each other was also strange. "Heir of Slytherin" and "Heiress of Ravenclaw." Never once had Luna heard Mummy call herself that.

A sudden sense of fear seized Luna. If Voldemort had been after Mummy because she was the Heiress of Ravenclaw, wouldn't that put her, the surviving daughter, in similar danger? And Voldemort was back to full power now. Terrified, she ran to Dad's room and pounded on his door.

"What's the matter!" he cried, rushing out of the room, his wand in hand.

"I found a note!" she cried. "It was the Snorkack!"

Dad lowered his wand. "You had a nightmare about the Snorkack?"

"No, no! I found a note! The Snorkack was after Mummy - look!" She gave him the note.

He put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Accio glasses," he said. "Lumos." They read the note together by his wandlight.

"What does it mean, Daddy? What's a Horcrux?"

"I'm afraid it's dark magic, sweetie."

"But how could Voldemort do dark magic on Mummy if he had no powers? And what about the ending? He said he murdered Grandfather to make the Horcrux."

Dad's eyebrows wrinkled into a frown. He did not explain, but asked instead, "Where did you find this?"

"It was in the box with Grandfather's manuscript. I was thinking of Mummy, and then I just knew - the manuscript was the last thing Mummy was reading before she died." Even in the summer heat, Luna shivered. "Truth came out, just like the quill said it would, but all hasn't been discovered. It doesn't make any sense."

Dad summoned a bottle from the bathroom. "As much as I don't like to rely on potions, I want you to drink this. It's for dreamless sleep. You're a bundle of nerves, and you haven't had a decent night's rest in a week."

"But the note! This is the clue we've been waiting for all these years! I can't sleep now!"

Dad took her by the hand and led her back to her bedroom. He pointed to the clock on her wall. "See that? It's past midnight. It's no longer Neville's birthday, but Harry Potter's. In a few hours, you'll be at his party. So sit down and I'll tell you something his mother said when he was born, which is just about when Mummy and I found out we were having you."

Luna sat on the edge of her bed. Dad sat beside her.

"Lily Potter once said that having babies in the middle of the war was the best possible revenge against Voldemort. Of course, she didn't know just how prophetic her words were, but the point is: you've got to go on celebrating the good things in life, even when bad things are happening all around you. This note may prove that Voldemort was behind Mummy's death, and we needed to know that, but it's not going to bring her back. Neither is sitting up all night worrying about it, or disappointing yourself and Neville tomorrow by making yourself too tired to go to the party. Do you understand?"

Luna nodded.

"Then drink."

Luna obeyed. Dad waited as she fell asleep, just like he used to do when they first lost Mummy. She awoke very late the next morning.

"How are you feeling?" asked Dad when she walked into the kitchen.

"Fine."

She poured herself a bowl of cereal. Dad was halfway through Grandfather's manuscript.

"What did you find out?" she asked.

"Many, many things. Your grandfather was truly an exceptional wizard. It's a shame none of us knew him. You ought to read this after I'm done. I daresay a girl with an 'O' on her Divination O.W.L. is up to the challenge of wading through the writings of an Unspeakable."

"I meant about Mummy."

"I know, sweetie. And I'm sorry to say this, but I can't tell you yet. It's a Snorkack matter, so I have to go through the usual security channels first. I won't get clearance to put it into The Quibbler, but I will make my case for you. You have a right to know everything."

"Who are the security channels now that Professor Dumbledore has gone on?"

"I cannot tell you that, either."

Luna pouted. It was bad enough that she should be made to wait to hear the full truth, but there was a strong possibility she might not be told anything at all. With Professor McGonagall, she might have a chance, but what if the decision was in the hands of a relative stranger, like Alastor Moody? Still, she did not argue. She was a war journalist's daughter, and she understood the rules.

"So, tell me, what are your plans for the party?"

It all seemed like such a triviality now. Luna shrugged and said, "All the guests have to be there before noon so we can surprise Harry. I told Ginny I'd be early to help with the decorations."

"Sounds like fun."

"But I can't stop thinking about the note! How can I possibly have fun?"

"Think about something happy."

"Like what?"

Dad grinned. "Surely you can think of something." And then he began to sing:

Once there was a wrackspurt named Neville Longbottom

While he was around all else was forgotten

If he gets close, then he has my blessing

Luna's Neville Longbottom

Luna grinned, too. Then she got up from the table and threw her arms around Dad's neck.

"Oh, so you like the song now," he said, rumpling her hair.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, squeezing hard. Then, an idea struck her. "Can a gurdyroot go through the Floo?"

"I've never tried it, actually, but I don't think it should be a problem."

"Goody. I'm going to get ready for the party." She gave Daddy a peck on the cheek. "And I know I'm going to have fun."