Faery Heroes

Chapter 21: Loop-de-Loop

Disclaimer: Did Dumbledore deny that Death created the Hallows while he and Harry were standing on the DOORMAT of the AFTERLIFE? If so, I don't own the Harry Potter franchise; it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, Warner Bros., and whoever else she sold the rights to.
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After a bit of groveling to cheer Hermione up, the train ride went smoothly. The brunette walked them through the month she had spent bouncing around Australia, describing each museum, art gallery, historical landmark, and architectural beauty in such detail that Harry was sure he could write a highly accurate travel guide despite never leaving Britain's shores. More important in his eyes was that she had repaired the somewhat strained relationship she had with her parents, even strengthening it due to her increased years and maturity. As dusk settled over the countryside and Hermione ran out of words, Luna jumped in and swept them away to chilly Siberia. Unsurprisingly, the Lovegoods' expedition was less safari and more comedy of errors, and he suspected more than once that Luna wanted to make them pass out from laughter. He also resolved to avoid yaks at all costs; who knew they were such ornery creatures?

Though if Xeno really had tried to force them into burlap diapers, Harry supposed he couldn't blame them too much.

When the whistle blew, indicating five minutes until they arrived at their destination, the trio changed into their school robes, glad for the space the half-full compartment provided them. A basic avoidance charm provided them solitude, not to mention a bit of entertainment as Ron, Ginny, and Malfoy had swept past multiple times. The two boys had most unfortunately not started dueling in the middle of the corridor, or at least not in front of them, but their pursuers' confused expressions prompted increasingly outlandish voice-overs courtesy of Hermione and Luna, which were just as funny in his opinion. They waited until the train car was empty before they departed.

"I am so glad I'm not in charge of this mess again," Hermione sighed as they walked the short distance to a line of thestral-pulled carriages. Taking a moment to pat the highly intelligent beasts of burden, they climbed in. "So, what's the plan for the school year?"

Luna shook her head. "Silly Mione, that one's obvious. We're going to sow utter chaos, break students' and teachers' spirits left and right, skip class, have lots of kinky sex, and generally join Harry as public enemies. It's going to be so much fun!"

"Don't forget stealing several dozen fortunes," said public enemy added. "Since we don't have to be in classes until Monday, I figured we could go ahead and hit Rookwood's place tomorrow. That will be the last of the empty manors, and then we can start on the occupied ones. Speaking of that, did either one of you design the mark we're going to be leaving?"

"Finished it in Siberia," Luna stated. "I'll show it to you later."

They sat in comfortable silence for the few minutes it took the black, winged horses to pull them to the castle's doors. Once stopped, Luna picked up Clyde's crate, Hermione did the same to Crookshank's basket, and Harry smirked, Hedwig's cage sitting empty in Potter Manor. There was a definite benefit to having an owl as a familiar.

After the girls set their carriers in the corner of the Entrance Hall where all the other pets waited to be whisked to the dormitories, Luna drifted to the Ravenclaw table and claimed a seat separated from her housemates. He and Hermione joined a waving Neville and grinning Lavender and Parvati at the middle of the table. The other students were eerily silent as they passed, only to resume the rumor-monging even more intensely. He mentally shrugged; much to his displeasure, he had not stopped being the object of wild tales after Voldemort's second defeat. They had, in fact, gotten worse, leading him to just ignore them and those who spread them. He could find far better things to do than concern himself with brainless babbling.