Luna's year

The sight before them was enough to make Harry's jaw drop involuntarily. As he'd surmised a moment before while his eyes were still closed, he was crouched down behind a large, moss-covered oak tree. But it was the scene beyond it which drew his attention.

A small, idyllic forest glade lay before them, not much larger than Hogwarts' main courtyard by his reckoning. A small trickling stream flowed vaguely parallel to the fallen oak they were hiding behind, small stands of cattails dotted along its meandering course. The grass here was a midsummer's shade of green, in apparent defiance of the seasons, sprinkled throughout by an endless variety of colorful flowers, a great many of which were quite inexplicably in full bloom. Harry detected what appeared to be drifting white tufts of dandelion hair, sparkling in the sun's morning rays that trickled through the forest canopy above to the flowers below. Here the forest had renounced its eerie silence, the melodic singing of thrushes, the twittering of sparrows, and various other birds that Harry couldn't recognize, along with the familiar high-pitched chirping of red squirrels filling the air. The temperature here was warm enough that he felt slightly uncomfortable in his winter coat. It all seemed like an impossibly utopian setting, made even more unbelievable considering that winter was at its peak.

And yet, all this was quite trivial in relation to the object of Harry's gaze. He rubbed his eyes, scarcely believing the picture painted before him. Putting his glasses back on, he stared again at the scene before him. He definitely wasn't imagining things, he decided. They were there, and they were real.

"They're...are they really..."

"Yes," Luna whispered back, her voice noticeably mirthful, "They're Asparas..."

"Uh..." murmured Harry, transfixed by the sight before him.

"Moon Fairies," explained Luna in a low voice.

Harry found himself holding his breath, forcing himself to exhale and breathe normally again. No, they were definitely there...certainly no bigger than doxies, it seemed to him, though considerably more beautiful in appearance. All had partly translucent wings, reminiscent of a butterfly's, and they varied in color considerably, the entire gamut of the rainbow represented in spectacular fashion. Though he was aware of the presence of Cornish Pixies in the forest, having seen some in Gilderoy Lockhart's Dark Arts class during his second year, never in his wildest imaginings would he have thought that such beautiful creatures could be inhabiting the depths of the Forbidden Forest as well. This species of forest sprite was the stuff of legend, as they'd supposedly vanished from both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds centuries before. They were hypnotically beautiful, not at all like the ugly, aggressive pixies of Harry's recollection.

They were fluttering about the meadow, some playing what appeared to be a fairy version of tag, others lying lazily about on the leaves of cattails, still others busily chasing a slightly harried starling round the trees.

"Luna," whispered Harry, entranced by the sight before him, "I thought these didn't exist anymore; how can this - "

She turned to look at him, eyes wide with excitement. "You don't have to wonder how, Harry," she whispered. "They are here, that's what really matters...just believe..."

She was smiling at him, and at this close proximity her large, pale silvery eyes were strangely mesmerizing...and for a moment Harry found himself unable to look anywhere else.

Wow...

"They're pretty, aren't they?" she asked.

He was staring, quite transfixed, into her eyes of quicksilver...it took a few seconds for the question to register, his thoughts being rather preoccupied...did she mean...

"Uh...what are?" he finally managed to blurt out.

Luna blinked, the first time she'd done so during his prolonged staring. "The fairies, Harry," she said, turning back to the tiny creatures frolicking before them, the tip of one of her reindeer antlers nearly knocking off Harry's eyeglasses in the process. "They're really quite extraordinary..."

He slowly tore his gaze away from Luna and looked back at the fairies, caught between the wonderment at the scene before him and the strange feeling he'd just experienced while transfixed by Luna's gaze. He found himself adjusting his glasses unconsciously, trying to concentrate on the woodland beings just ahead. Just then the harried starling finally lost patience and turned on his pursuers, who quickly scattered merrily in all directions, leaving the bird with too many options so that it flew indecisively in a circle until finally perching itself in a branch closer to the treetops.

Luna turned back to him. "What did you think I was talking about, anyway?" she asked curiously, her expression a mix of amusement and mystification.

"Er...um...I wasn't sure," said Harry truthfully. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to explain it to Luna, as he was at something of a loss himself to understand what it was he'd just felt...

She looked at him strangely, a slight frown mixing in with a slight smile. Finally she turned her gaze down to the bag she'd brought along.

"Well," she said, "I should go bring these..."

"What are they for, anyway?" asked Harry as Luna pulled opened the drawstring, revealing the bundle of nut-filled woolen socks she'd put together that morning.

She looked up at him. "Well, the fairies are quite partial to butternuts, you know," she said dreamily, "So I bring these every Christmas...the acorns are for the squirrels of course, and then the birds use the wool in the socks for their nests. It's really quite enjoyable making these when you know it all goes to good use."

"You've been doing this for a while," observed Harry as he watched her preparing her little gift socks. He found himself thinking back to his first years at Hogwarts, suddenly regretting that he'd never gotten to know the young Ravenclaw until recently; he wondered how he'd never noticed her before, while trying to imagine how differently his life might have unfolded if he'd had the benefit of her friendship all this time. He silently kicked himself for having missed the Sorting ceremony during his second term, when he and Ron had been busily crashing Mr. Weasley's Flying Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow. The Sorting Hat's reaction to someone so unconventional would have been something to see, he was sure.

"Yes," she said, in answer to his voiced observation, "Since my first year here, actually. I came across this place quite by accident one night on Hallowe'en. You should have seen them, Harry...in the moonlight they take on this mystical glow that really captivates one's imagination. I'll bring you back here to see for yourself one night, if you like. Anyway," she said, shifting back onto her haunches, "Wait here, Harry, it's best not to startle them."

"Uh...okay," said Harry, as she took the bag and stood up smoothly, climbing over the fallen oak and drifting over to the stream. The fairies' reaction upon seeing Luna was immediate - they all quickly flew over to her, spinning round in circles and fluttering excitedly, Luna giggling happily as she sat down gracefully among the flowers.

"I know, I know," she said merrily, "I missed you too."

Harry listened attentively. He hadn't heard the fairies say anything that he could define as speech. The only detectable sounds being a high-pitched, chime-like twittering that seemed unlike any language he'd ever heard, though Luna seemed perfectly able to make sense of it.

She crossed her legs and opened her bag, handing out the little woolen socks to the fairies as they flew wildly around her. "Yes, I know, I'm sorry," she said mirthfully. "I would have been here earlier, but I was spending Christmas with friends, you know - oh, well thank you, Esmy, that's so sweet of you to say!"

Harry saw one fairy in a tug of war with one of its brethren, apparently trying to take one of the little socks for itself.

"You have to share, Galfryd!" Luna called up, Harry seeing the dark blue fairy reluctantly abandon its attempt to snatch the other's sock.

Harry looked at the scene before him in astonishment. The sight of Luna sitting amidst a group of gleefully playful Moon Fairies in a midsummer-like meadow and bathed in the morning's glowing rays, seemed almost surreal...almost like, well, a fairytale, he thought to himself. And yet he had no doubt he was wide awake, and there was too much detail for it to be a hallucination. As he gazed at Luna's playful interaction with the fairies for awhile, he found himself wondering how Ron and Hermione would ever believe him.

Eventually Luna finished distributing the rest of her tiny presents, gazing up serenely at the frolicking fairies for a while. A strikingly violet one had taken to playing with long locks of Luna's hair, weaving it back and forth playfully down her back.

"No knots, Elspeth," warned Luna lightheartedly. "I have Bollywoggles at home for that, thank you."

This interaction continued for some minutes, until Luna looked over at Harry and smiled.

"Everyone," she called out to the fairies, who immediately slowed their frenetic activity to listen, "I'd like you to meet someone I brought with me, he - oh don't worry, Effric, he kept his eyes closed," she said as a bright yellow fairy had quickly flown down to within inches from her face, chiming loudly.

"Yes, I know," she said soothingly, "Don't worry, no one will know..."

The fairy still chimed, though somewhat less heatedly than before. "No, of course he won't," said Luna softly, turning to look at Harry. "You won't tell anyone, will you, Harry?"

Harry hesitated. Was he supposed to reveal himself now? The fact that she'd spoken openly to him seemed to indicate so. He slowly rose from behind the log, the fairies now completely abandoning their previous activities and stared at him, seemingly transfixed at his appearance.

"Er...no," he said hesitatingly, "I won't tell. Ever."

"There, see?" said Luna, addressing the yellow fairy hovering before her, "You can trust him. I promise."

She turned back to look at Harry. "I believe him."

Well that's that, Harry thought, at least I don't have to worry about how to convince Ron and Hermione anymore.

Luna was looking at him expectantly, smiling slightly. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, but standing behind the log no longer seemed necessary, the fairies now being well aware of his presence. He carefully climbed over it.

And was quickly swarmed by a score of the tiny flying creatures, who'd suddenly taken to flying all around him in frenetic fashion.

He froze. Some were flying so close that he could feel the beat of their tiny translucent wings on his face. He didn't think he was under attack, but they kept edging closer and closer to him, effectively immobilizing him; he didn't dare move, lest he accidentally hit one of them.

"Uh..." he called out to Luna, "What should I do?!"

"Run Harry, run!!!" yelled Luna.

"What??!" exclaimed Harry, fumbling for his wand in his robes. This was an attack, then, after all!

He scampered back, his attempt at jumping over the log backwards resulted in his snagging his foot on an old knot, his momentum jerking his boot loose. He tripped over the old oak and fell awkwardly over the other side, resulting in a rather undignified face plant in the damp grass.

He quickly pushed himself up, spitting out bits of flowers as he hopped about one his one still clad foot, becoming distinctly aware of Luna's gleeful laughing behind him as he drew his snagged boot off the tree. Now suddenly free of his pursuers, he turned around to see the Ravenclaw sprawled out on her back, hands held across her midsection in uncontrollable merriment, the fairies twittering about happily. He had the distinct feeling he'd just been a victim of some devious tomfoolery perpetrated by the unlikeliest of accomplices. He pulled his boot from the old branch where it had snagged and drew it back onto his foot.

Despite his embarassment and mouthful of greenery, he didn't feel any animosity towards the co-conspirators as he re-laced his boot and walked over to Luna.

She gazed up at him, her silver eyes swimming in tears of mirth, pausing her laughter just long enough to point a shaking hand up at him.

"You...looked...petrified!" she said breathlessly.

He smiled sheepishly. He supposed that, immobile as he was with his arms held stiffly at his sides, eyes wide with confusion, he might well have looked rather aghast.

He dropped down to the ground beside Luna. The fairies were observing him with curious interest, but at least were no longer buzzing uncomfortably close.

"Yeah, well," he said, chuckling. "It's not every day I get swarmed by a bunch of fairies."

Luna continued to giggle for awhile. Finally Harry just lay down in the grass next to her, staring up at the midmorning sky above. Her laughter was infectious; even though he'd been the victim of a prank, normally something which riled his temper, he found himself laughing quietly along with her.

Luna was still a bit giddy when she turned to look at Harry through the grass. "You should have seen yourself," she said happily.

"I'm kinda glad I didn't," he said. "That was embarrassing, getting chased around by a bunch of fairies. It's a good thing none of the others were here, I'd never live it down."

She turned back to gaze at the sky, a dreamy smile still on her face. "That was funny..." she said, giggling.

"Did that happen to you," asked Harry, "Your first time?"

"Oh yes," said Luna merrily. "They're quite curious about people, you know."

"I'd figure it'd be the other way around," he said, staring up at the astonishing sight of the reveling forest sprites flying to and fro above him. "I mean, people are everywhere, but these..."

"Well, they haven't seen very many people here, I suppose," said Luna thoughtfully.

"I guess that's true," said Harry. "Hey, how come this place is so warm? It's like summer here..."

"Oh, well the fairies do that," said Luna. "They're really quite good with magic, you know. They don't like the cold very much. This - " she waved her hand in the air all around them, " - is where they stay for the winter. It's nice, isn't it?"

Harry now understood why Luna often wandered into the Forbidden Forest after dark...at night, the peaceful meadow must seem even more magical.

"How come you can talk to them?"

"Oh...well..." said Luna, "Mum taught me the basics, years ago. I could get by well enough at first, but I've gotten rather good with practice now...they grasp English perfectly well, so it's just a matter of understanding them, really."

Harry suddenly remembered what Dumbledore had told him, about Luna's mother...

"Luna," he said slowly, "What...was your mother like?"

Several moments of silence passed, until Harry was beginning to wonder if she'd heard him; either that, or perhaps she didn't want to talk about it. Had he somehow hit a nerve? It hardly seemed possible -

He was about to change the subject when he heard Luna stir next to him in the grass.

He looked over. She was sitting up, legs crossed, her reindeer hat on the ground next to her. She was staring down at him, her countenance clear and earnest.

"You would have liked her," she said. "She was really quite gifted, you know. She was rather good with ancient magic especially. She could do things that aren't taught in school or in books, which I supposed helped with her line of work at the Ministry. Daddy often tried to get her to slow down, but she enjoyed her job so much, and she was rather inquisitive by nature...I think I got my curiosity from her, actually," she mused thoughtfully. "She was always showing me old artifacts she'd bring home from work, we'd have so much fun doing the research together. Sometimes she'd write articles for The Quibbler too, especially when it was just starting out and Daddy needed some contributors. Actually, she won an award once for an article she wrote about the significance of the Moon's phases and their properties in ancient magic - "

Harry had rarely seen Luna so lively. Her usual dreaminess had vanished, and she seemed genuinely happy to be able to talk about a subject which he knew must be close to her heart.

"When I was little, she would take me for long walks in the in the forest near our place," she continued. "She'd show me all kinds of things that you'd never really notice were there, it's how I learned there's something worth discovering in even the most run-of-the-mill things. She saw the beauty in everything, Harry. I think that comes from her Gran, actually, though I never met her unfortunately..."

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment. "It...was really hard on Daddy when Mum died," she said softly. "For the first couple of years he just buried himself in his work, really. I felt very sad seeing him like that, but I finally got him back..."

Harry pushed himself up to a sitting position. He'd been of the impression that Luna had been a pillar of strength for her father during those difficult times; her protectiveness of him was always very apparent whenever anyone dared ridicule his magazine.

"Do you still think about her a lot?"

"Oh yes," she said. "I still get very sad when I think about it sometimes. That's when I come here," she waved her hand at the fairies fluttering throughout the meadow.

"Does it get any easier? Through the years, I mean?" he asked.

She stared at him, her silver eyes regarding him sadly. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again, Harry quickly regretting having asked the question. "I'm sorry, Luna," he said, "I didn't mean to - "

"No, it's all right," she said. "I suppose it should get easier, shouldn't it? But really, I still miss her terribly sometimes. I wish I could give you a better answer, Harry..."

Harry blinked. "How do you mean?"

"Well, I know you miss your Godfather," said Luna. "You were hoping to go live with him, weren't you? Hermione told me."

"Uh, yeah," said Harry softly. "There was a time last year when I thought I was going to be expelled from school. I really didn't want to go live with the Dursleys full time."

Luna nodded sagely. "I wish I could say it gets easier, really..."

Harry felt his heart go out to her. Here she was, having been made to recall her mother's death yet still she was trying to help Harry deal with his own loss...

"But you know, when I feel sad, I think of something Mum told me once," she said, " 'Death isn't a period, but a comma in the story of life'. And I really do believe that, Harry," she said, smiling. "I will see her again, someday. Remember the Veil? She was right there, just behind..."

Harry smiled back at her. Her faith in her beliefs seemed unshakable, no matter how outrageous they might seem to the skeptics. And yet, over the last several weeks he'd seen a few of her outlandish theories be proven right, much to his astonishment.

He found himself taking heart in that. If Luna could put her so much blind faith in such things, well then, where was the harm? Perhaps that was how she always managed to deal so well with the many pitfalls in her life.

"Who's Grawp?" asked Luna out of the blue, head tilted in curiosity.

"Huh?" said Harry, taken aback at the sudden change in topic.

"Grawp," she repeated. "Last year, remember? Just after we got away from that Umbridge lady. You said that someone called Grawp chased the centaurs off. Ronald mentioned he was Professor Hagrid's little brother. Is he in school?"

Harry blinked. "Oh!" he said finally, his memory belatedly returning. "Yeah, uh, no, he doesn't go to school. He's um...well, he's kind of a giant."

Luna's eyes widened with excitement. "A giant!"

"You have to keep that to yourself though," he said. "I don't think anyone's supposed to know."

"What kind of giant?" asked Luna eagerly. "I've never seen one before, can we go see?"

Harry thought for a moment. Hagrid hadn't mentioned Grawp at all since beginning of term, now that Harry thought about it.

"Um, I think we'd better check with Hagrid, first," said Harry. "I'm not sure where exactly Grawp is right now. Haven't you run into him in the forest yet?" he asked, "He's sixteen feet tall, it's not like you can miss him!"

"I haven't," said Luna, shaking her head. "But I'd really like to - after you've checked with Professor Hagrid, though.

Harry chuckled. Although Hagrid was indeed the teacher of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, he still found it strange when someone referred to him as 'Professor'. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he'd been on a first-name basis with the Gamekeeper since the moment they'd met.

Luna titled her head slightly as she gazed at him. "Do you remember anything about your parents?"

Harry was startled at how she could so easily switch from one subject to another and then back again in a heartbeat, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Uh...no, not really," said Harry. "I was only a year old, I don't really remember anything."

"No," said Luna pensively. "No, I don't suppose you would."

They sat there for awhile, neither one saying anything, watching the fairies playing and frolicking around them. The terrible weight of responsibility on Harry's shoulders had lessened considerably. Here, there seemed to be no worries. The world outside held no meaning here. So long as he remained, the darkness could not reach him; the tiger had no teeth.

After a while, Luna turned to Harry, giving him an inquisitive look. "How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry blinked. He suddenly remembered what she'd said back in the Great Hall, how it would 'do him good' if he came here; how right she had been; though he didn't know if it was due so much to the place, as to present company.

Harry spent the rest of the morning talking to Luna about his life before Hogwarts, living at the Dursleys, through his first five years at Hogwarts, telling her about his triumphs, his failures, what had made him happy, and what had caused him sadness. He told her everything that took place the day he and Cedric had fallen into Voldemort's trap, after the Triwizard Tournament. About how angry he'd been with Dumbledore when they'd come back from the Department of Mysteries last year...

Through it all, Luna listened quietly, never speaking, her unblinking silver eyes staring empathically back at him...

* * *

"Are you well?" asked Hermione and ogling Ron as they walked down the staircase towards the Great Hall. "You know I'm not very good on a broom, and besides, why do you want to practice at this time of year? Quidditch season doesn't start up again for another two months. We'd freeze!"

"No we wouldn't," countered Ron. "It's not that cold out today."

"No, Ron," said Hermione firmly. "If you're that determined, why don't you just wait till Harry gets back?"

"I don't know when that'll be!" he said, exasperated. "Who knows where Loon- er, Luna took him? He might not be back till this afternoon for all we know."

They stepped out into the main hallway, eyeing the flood of students pouring into the Great Hall for lunch.

"Well, why not ask Ginny then? She's on the team, after all." suggested Hermione.

"I did, right this morning," he said. "She thinks I'm nutters, too."

"Well, I don't think you'll find anyone to go until it gets nicer out, Ron," said Hermione. "Besides, at least it gives you more time to devote to your studies; you should take advantage of that."

"Oh, yeah, right," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "That's what I'll do...become a bookworm all bloody winter long."

Hermione whacked him across the side of the head with a roll of parchment. "Knock it off," she said defensively. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a bookworm, I'll have you know."

"Maybe not for you," said Ron. "But it's not for us normal folk, you know that."

Hermione sighed. Although she did study more than most, she still despaired to think that Ron never really devoted more effort to his studies. He had the ability, rarely the motivation.

They strolled into the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny and Neville. They'd barely put their books under their seats when they saw Malfoy making a beeline for them, looking quite beside himself.

"Oh great," said Ginny. "Git at eleven o'clock, everyone."

"Who - " said Ron, turning around just in time to see Malfoy arrive right next to him. "I - oh, what do you want, Malfoy?"

"Where's Potter?!" demanded the Slytherin angrily, ignoring Ron and addressing Hermione.

Hermione looked up at him calmly. "He's unavailable at the moment," she said. "Perhaps I could pass on a message?"

Malfoy pointed his finger threateningly at her. "Oh, you think you're smart, don't you, mudblood? Well I'll fix that - "

"You watch your mouth, Malfoy!!" said Ron, jumping up from his seat.

"Or you'll what, weasel?" sneered Malfoy.

"How would you like to see the world form a ferret's perspective, git?" Ron threatened, his ears reddening dangerously as he fingered his wand in his robes.

"Like you could, weasel!" mocked Malfoy. "You can't even turn a rat into a goblet!"

"Hey!" Ron huffed, "I got a new wand since that time, I'll have you know!"

"Oh, where?" countered the Slytherin. "At Spell-Mart's Used Wand Emporium??"

"Just try me and see!" Ron shot back.

Malfoy glowered at him. "Don't think for a second I don't know what you did last night," he seethed. "If you got me in trouble with - " he stopped mid sentence, catching himself just in time.

"Yes?" asked Hermione calmly. "You were saying? In trouble with who?"

Malfoy glared at them. "Oh, you'll all get what's coming to you, soon enough!"

"Yeah?" said Ron, "Why don't I just give you what's coming right now, you little - "

Malfoy plunged his hand into his robes. "Good idea!" he said, "You rotten, filthy - "

"Excuse me - "

They all spun around to see Professor McGonagall standing just behind them, looking at them with a very stern expression.

"Much as I hate to interrupt such stimulating conversation," she intoned dryly, "I don't believe that prefects threatening each other with bodily harm quite conveys the best message to the other students, now, does it?"

Malfoy quickly withdrew his hand from his robes, though he continued to glare at Ron.

"Uh, no, Professor," said Ron. "We were just...having a little discussion, that's all."

"Oh, thank you for that information, Mr. Weasley," said McGonagall. "Coming to that conclusion was quite beyond me, especially as I could only guess from the yelling and shouting I heard from the end of the Hall!"

"Er..." said Ron uncertainly, "Well he started it! He came here looking for trouble!"

"I came here looking for Potter!" countered Malfoy. "You just didn't know any better than to keep your mouth shut!"

"Oh yeah?" Ron said, his voice rising again, "Let's see - "

"Silence!!" intoned McGonagall so severely that no one dared utter a word. "You are Hogwarts prefects, for Merlin's sake! You are charged with setting the example of civilized and acceptable behavior for your peers! This bickering will cease at once! Mr. Malfoy, return to the Slytherin table, posthaste!"

Malfoy looked angry enough to spit fire but grudgingly returned to his seat without verbal protest.

McGonagall turned to place herself between Ron and Malfoy's line of sight, so the Slytherin couldn't make out what she was telling him. "Mr. Weasley," she said forcefully, "I needn't remind you of the seriousness of last night's events. Please make at least an effort to avoid compounding the situation!"

"But - " Ron began to protest, but the Transfiguration Professor's unyielding stare sufficed to stifle any argument. "Yes, Professor," he said sheepishly, dropping back heavily onto his seat. McGonagall stared at them all for a moment before making her way back to the High table.

"What happened last night?" asked Ginny, intrigued. "Did you get into a fight with Malfoy?"

"Er...no," said Hermione. "Well, we're not supposed to tell - oh, all right," she said, seeing Ginny and Neville's imploring gaze. She motioned them close, making sure no one around could overhear. "Now you can't tell this to anyone - remember that book Malfoy had with him in the library a few weeks ago?"

Ginny and Neville both nodded.

"Well, last night we found out - "