Will You Ever Return to Me?

Chapter 10.

Neville looked around. "Do you have Floo Powder?"
"Should be some left in the bag next to the fireplace," Harry said. "I don't believe this is still here..."

"What?" Megan asked.

"I'll tell you later," he said, stowing the drink away. He waved his wand, and torches lit up the house. "That's better... I think."

Neville lit a fire in the fireplace. "I'll go see Luna," he said. He tossed in a handful of Floo Powder, yelled "St. Mungo's!" and disappeared.

"You lived here?" Megan asked, staring around.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Fit in with my mood perfectly."

"What was this place before?"

"Headquarters of anti-Voldemort resistance," he said.

"Doesn't look like it. It seems more to the taste of Voldemort himself."

"Maybe. It's the Black family mansion, and they did have a reputation... I told you about Bellatrix Lestrange? Well, she was one of them. Care--"

The warning came too late. Megan disturbed the curtain at the entrance, and screams filled the room. "Dirty half-blood, how did you survive?" She then noticed Megan. "More Mudbloods, the shame! And an African one at that--" Harry shut the curtains, silencing the portrait. "Are you okay?" he asked Megan.

"Yeah."

"That was my godfather's mother. I'm surprised he was what he was... though I suppose he had other role models. Be careful around the house. It has other unfriendly surprises--less than it used to, but..."

"Why didn't you remove it?"

"We tried," Harry said. "Short of removing the entire wall, it couldn't be done. Even Hermione couldn't find a way to reverse the sticking charm. And we were afraid the entire house would fall down if we risked breaking walls."

"Who's Hermione?" Megan asked.

"My best friend--well, one of my two best friends. Her husband Ron's the other. They live in Las Vegas. If you'd like, we can visit them."

Megan was prevented from answering by the whoosh of the fireplace. Neville appeared out of the fire. He quickly extended his hand and helped Luna out. Luna was heavily pregnant. Well, why should I be surprised? Harry thought.

"Hello, Luna," he said. "Congratulations."
"Harry!" Luna shouted. "You escaped!"

"Yes," he said. "But we'll talk about this later. First, some introductions. "Megan, this Luna Lovegood--"

"Longbottom," Luna said, holding Neville's hand. "Or as the press calls me, 'the triple L'."

Harry laughed. "Better than 'The Chosen One'. Luna, this is Megan Shelley."

"Hello," Luna said. "You're an American."

"Uhm... yes, I am?" Megan said, looking at Harry for guidance.

"Did you know any Firewizards?"

"What?"
"Firewizards. America's famous for them. They can turn into fire at will. It's how American's execute criminals--hugs from a Firewizard. They don't come here because the air is so moist, and they'd get extinguished."

"Where did you get this--" Megan started to argue. She also glared at Harry, apparently struggling between her manners and saying what was going on in her head.

"I'll read that issue when it comes out, Luna," Harry said. "I promise." Luna smiled.

"Harry," Neville said, "I think you better explain what happened... and why'd you come now?" Megan nodded.

"All right," he said. "The attacks on your families are probably related... otherwise, we just have an eerie coincidence, which I don't believe."

"I don't either," Neville said. "Maybe it's a good idea for us to live here for awhile, where they wouldn't expect."

"Feel free to stay as long as you like," Harry said. "But judging by the Dark Mark, at least one of the perpetrators was a Death Eater. And the most prominent Death Eater who wasn't killed or captured during the war--"

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said. "They haven't heard from her since the end of the war. They don't even know if she's alive--"

"Oh, she's alive. Or at least, she was at the time of my arrest."

"How do you know?"

"I saw her. Apparently, Malfoy has remained in contact with his dear aunt all that time."

"You spied on Malfoy?" Luna asked.

"Not exactly."

Neville looked thoughtful. "Did Ginny know?"

"I don't think so," Harry said. "Long story short, I got captured at Malfoy Manor, at the hands of Malfoy, Bellatrix, and an American wizard named Alan Hund."

Harry took a breath. "Apparently, sending me to Azkaban was part of some plan they came up with. So, Hund killed Malfoy, and placed a Memory Charm on me. And because everyone knew about me and Ginny, as well as that I hated Malfoy, the case was clear. 'Jealous ex-boyfriend kills woman's new husband.' That I threatened to do just that at their wedding didn't help matters."

Harry finished, and looked at his friends. "You were framed?" Megan asked.

"That's right," he said. "And because of the Memory Charm, I couldn't do anything at my trial. You know, at one point, I believed I did it."

"So what happened then?"

"I escaped by managing to fake death."

"We figured that out," Neville said. "How?"

Harry was afraid of this. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's a very difficult thing for me to remember, and I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone about it. Maybe I never will be. Suffice it to say... I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't desperate, and, yes, it did involve Dark Magic."

Even that admission took a lot out of him. He hoped he wouldn't have to draw his wand and defend himself.

"Did--"

"Did I really kill anyone?" Harry laughed. "No. Or torture, or cause any physical injuries. But it's bad enough."

Neville sighed. "So if you're caught--"

"Dementor's Kiss. No second trial, no arguments. If you're going to turn to me in--"

"We won't," Neville said, and Luna nodded. Megan looked back and fourth, and finally gave a reluctant nod.

"I think the attacks on your families were part of Bellatrix and Hund's plan."

"How?"

"I can't say if I don't know what the plan is. But I'll try to find out. It isn't good, that's for sure."

"I'll help you, Harry. Do you want me to come with you--"

"No," Harry said. "You've got a family... take care of it."

"We'd like to think you are part of our family," Luna said.

Harry sighed. "Well, I didn't let Ron and Hermione ruin the lives they built over me, and I won't let you do it either. If I find out something, I'll tell you. You do the same. Send an owl to Diana Clarence at SWI."

Neville nodded. "You're going back so soon?"

"I'll stay a few days... get the wards on the house to recognize you... but there's little to do here. The attackers are gone, and there's no evidence about them, is there? We may know more than the Ministry--but that depends on our speculation about Bellatrix and Hund being true. Or maybe we're just deluding ourselves. Either way, its' not like I've got a Ministry contact who'll tell me all I need to know."

"I do--but you're right, they have nothing. So you wasted--"

"I didn't waste anything," Harry said. "It was good to see you. Both of you."

Luna yawned. "Tired, dear?" Neville asked. "Can you--"

"As far as I'm concerned, this place is yours as much as mine. A bit creepy, but if you use the rooms that were previously inhabited, you'll be all right. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Harry," Neville and Luna said simultaneously. "Goodnight, Megan."