Luna-ticked in Knockturn Alley

Chapter 4: The Plan Of A Luna-tic

"Merlin!!!!!!!"

Merlin Black awoke from the thoughts of his past and turned to the person who had yelled at him. It was Harry Potter who asked Merlin if he was all right. Merlin replied that he was and looked around the Gryffindor common room. The fire had died out and the temperature of the room now matched Merlin's mood. The room looked much more sinister without the fire. Merlin got up from his overstuffed chair and started to pace the room.

As Merlin paced back and forth across the room, he tried to think of an idea that would enable him to save Luna. "Malfoy did it! I just know it! I have had more confrontations with him than any other Slytherin. When I catch up to that stupid git, I'll...." swore Merlin.

"Merlin, you can't do anything to him without proof. Professor Snape just might have you expelled for that," interrupted Hermione.

"Hmph!" Merlin choked in disgust.

Merlin continued to pace and then thought about how he had gotten butterbeer from the house elves so that he could make Luna's birthday necklace. "I've got it!" shouted Merlin. Everyone else in the room jumped at Merlin's exclamation and waited for him to continue. "Professor McGonagall told me that no one saw Luna being kidnapped. The thing we have to remember is that Luna was kidnapped at night. There are all sorts of creatures running around the castle when we don't. Who takes care of the castle when we go to bed?"

"The house elves!" Hermione gasped.

Merlin finally had a sliver of hope. He began to form a plan based on his new discovery. "Harry, I'll need to borrow your Marauder's Map and invisibility cloak," ordered Merlin. Harry ran up to his bed to fetch the items Merlin had requested.

"Merlin, you're not going out now, are you? Think of all of the trouble you'll get into!" chided Hermione.

"Lay off him, Hermione! He knows what he is doing!" retorted Ron.

"He's too upset to know what he's doing!" Hermione shouted back.

Merlin clapped his hands together startling Ron and Hermione into ending the argument. "Do you think this argument is helping Luna?!" Merlin yelled. Hermione was about to answer when Harry reentered the common room. Since Merlin knew he did not have the reputation of a trouble maker, Merlin asked Harry to turn the map on.

Harry pointed his wand at the map and chanted the spell to activate it. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry handed the map to Merlin and he shrieked.

Merlin had expected the map to display the grounds of Hogwarts and the locations of all its inhabitants. Instead, the map was displaying a message for Merlin. His friends read the message over his shoulders.

Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail would like to express their deepest sympathy to Merlin Black concerning his temporary loss.

We would like to help Merlin Black rescue Luna Lovegood and thrash her kidnappers soundly.

If Merlin Black feels the need to use this map again, he need not ask Harry Potter for help.

Merlin Black may seek out our services directly.

The message disappeared and the map of Hogwarts appeared. Merlin frowned when he realized that Luna's name was not on it. It was true. She had been taken from Hogwarts.

Merlin prepared to leave the common room and embark on his journey. Since there was a specific house elf that Merlin wanted to talk to, he took off one of his socks and put it in his pocket. Merlin knew how dangerous this journey was going to be so he took one last look around the common room and at all of his friends. "Well...It's time for me to go," Merlin sighed.

Neville, who had been quiet for quite some time, finally spoke out , "Let me come with you, Merlin!"

"I appreciate the offer, Neville. However, this is something I must do on my own. Besides, it gets very awkward when more than person use an invisibility cloak at the same time," replied Merlin.

"Good luck, mate!" Ron said clapping Merlin on the shoulder.

Thanking Ron for his good wishes, Merlin turned around to leave the common room. Hermione blocked the entrance standing with her arms folded across her chest.

It was clear to Merlin that Hermione had no intention of letting him leave. "Hermione, get out of my way!" Merlin scolded.

"Merlin, think about what you're doing. You can't help Luna all by yourself. Go to Professor Dumbledore with what you know!" Hermione pleaded.

"Hermione, the last thing I need is a horde of wizards panicking the kidnappers into hurting Luna! Get out of my way, now!" Merlin yelled.

"If you try to do this alone, Merlin, you're liable to get yourself killed or even worse expelled!" chided Hermione.

Merlin had had enough. He yanked his wand from the pocket in his robe and pointed it at Hermione's chest. "Hermione, I'd stop to tell you that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, but I don't have time! I'm very sorry to say this to a friend, but if you don't get out of my way now, I'll petrify you!" Merlin shrieked.

A tear fell out of Hermione's eye as she reluctantly moved away from the common room door. Merlin put on Harry's invisibility cloak as he apologized to Hermione a second time. After checking the Marauder's Map to make sure no one would see him open the door, Merlin left to rescue Luna.

Chapter 5: The Invisible Marauder

Merlin left the Gryffindor common room under the cover of Harry's invisibility cloak. The castle looked eerie and sinister to Merlin since the only light was provided by torches mounted on the wall. The darkness made the suits of armor look like they might attack Merlin at any moment. Every so often, he checked the Marauder's Map to make sure that he did not bump into anyone unexpectedly. When Merlin arrived at an intersection, he saw the last person he had wanted to see. Professor Snape was walking towards him.

Even though Professor Snape was still far away from Merlin, he could still make out Snape's greasy hair and the angry scowl that he always had on his face. Merlin knew that if Snape caught him sneaking through the castle after hours, he would certainly not give Merlin any sympathy. After all, Snape was the head of Slytherin House and Merlin belonged to Gryffindor House. Not wanting Snape to get too close, Merlin used his anger to knock down a suit of armor. Merlin continued on his journey to the kitchen while Snape stopped to examine the armor.

The kitchen was on the lower level of the castle and under the Hufflepuff staircase. Merlin walked to the painting of fruit and tickled the pair. Merlin entered the kitchen and took off the invisibility cloak so that he could talk to the house elves. The house elves offered a plate of food to Merlin. He did not have time to eat so he politely refused the plate. He then asked if he could speak to Dobby.

"Did sir want to speak to Dobby?" Dobby asked.

"Yes Dobby, I came to ask you if you knew anything about the disappearance of Luna Lovegood," Merlin implored hoping Dobby would give him the information he needed so desperately.

"Oh, it was horrible!" squeaked Dobby. "Dobby saw Mistress Lovegood sleepwalking in the hallway. Dobby knows it is dangerous for a witch or wizard to be wandering around the castle at night. Dobby saw Master Malfoy stun Mistress Lovegood with his wand. The Malfoys are bad wizards. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Dobby started banging his head on a nearby table. Merlin stopped him and asked him to continue.

"Dobby followed Master Malfoy, Master Crabbe, and Master Goyle. They carried Mistress Lovegood to the main gate where a man was waiting for him. He was Master Malfoy's father. He was wearing a Death Eater's mask, " Dobby told Merlin.

"Dobby, are you sure?!" gasped Merlin.

"Dobby is sure, sir. Dobby spent many years with the Malfoys until Master Potter freed me. Dobby knows what they look like. Dobby heard Master Malfoy's father say that he was taking Mistress Lovegood to his house in Knockturn Alley," Dobby finished.

Merlin asked Dobby to draw a map showing him how to get to the Malfoy's house. He then showed Dobby his enormous gratitude by giving him one of his socks.

"Oh, thank you sir!" Dobby cried out. "Master Black is just as generous as Master Potter!"

Merlin turned to leave, but one last thought came to him. "Dobby, if you see Luna sleepwalking again, please escort her back to her room," Merlin ordered.

"Dobby will do that, sir," squeaked Dobby.

Merlin put on the invisibility cloak, checked the map to make sure no one was coming, and left the kitchen.

Merlin climbed the staircase to the Great Hall. When Merlin got halfway up the stairs, he stopped. With a frown on his face, Merlin saw that Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was sitting in front of the entrance to the castle. Merlin didn't dare get any closer because Harry had once told him that Mrs. Norris might be able to see through the cloak. He thought about how to get past Mrs. Norris. Merlin knew he was certainly angry enough to fling Mrs. Norris aside with a gesture of his hand, but Mrs. Norris would summon Filch. Merlin looked at the map and discovered that Filch was on a floor above him. When he was about to give up, he heard a loud noise.

"WHHEEEE! HEEEEEEEEEE!" shouted the noise. Merlin looked up and saw Peeves the poltergeist zooming down the hallway. Peeves knocked down a painting at the other end of the hall and Mrs. Norris left the doorway to investigate the noise. Merlin had never been happy to see Peeves before because he had once dumped an entire can of blue paint on Merlin's head. However, this time Merlin thought he could almost kiss Peeves. Merlin checked the map to make sure there was no one outside that would see the door opening and left the castle.

The second after Merlin shut the door to the castle, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore exited Hagrid's cabin and started walking towards the castle. Merlin knew he had almost been caught. He got off the main path so the professors would not bump into him. Merlin didn't even want to breathe. When Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore got closer to Merlin, he realized they were talking about him.

"It broke my heart to give him that letter. He left my office crying!" Professor McGonagall whined in a nasal voice.

"Calm yourself, Minerva. Merlin is a strong individual. I am sure that he will find a positive way to deal with the situation," Dumbledore answered.

Merlin was shocked because he could have sworn that Professor Dumbledore had smiled at him. Merlin decided that it was just his imagination because he was sure that no person could see through an invisibility cloak unless that person was Mad-Eye Moody. Merlin made a mental note to ask Harry about that when he returned to Hogwarts.

Merlin continued towards his destination in the Forbidden Forest. When he walked into the forest, he found a group of animals that looked somewhat like horses except they had wings. Merlin found the thestrals that pull the carriages to the castle at the beginning of each school year. As Merlin mounted one of the thestrals, he remembered the price he had to pay so that he could see them, his grandfather. Merlin kicked the thestral and began his journey to the Malfoy house.