The Stars That Lie (Druna ☾)

Chapter 9

Two days. She only had two days to figure out what Draco meant when he said the person who would die would be someone integral to the way Hogwarts ran.

If not Harry, then a teacher?

The idea that Dumbledore could be killed was so absurd that she almost didn't see the obvious threat at first. She considered it briefly, but she didn't give it real credence until the second day, when her conscience wouldn't let her ignore it any longer.

Gathering all her courage, she made the trek to Dumbledore's office on weak knees and weaker legs that refused to stop trembling with nervous energy. She never really spoke to the headmaster, never really had a reason to, but tonight—

Tonight she had to. Someone's life depended on it.

She rode the phoenix statue up, leaning heavily against a wing as she collected herself. Over and over, she prepped in her head what she would say, but it never sounded right, no matter how she tweaked the wording.

You're going to die tonight. There was just no right way to say that, was there?

She knocked on his door, bouncing in place to try to expel some of her nerves, but she was bouncing for three minutes. No one answered.

She knocked again, then pounded a little harder, thinking the old man just didn't hear or had fallen asleep at his desk. Still, no one answered.

"Professor?" she called. "Professor, are you in there? It's Luna Lovegood. I've got dire news you need to hear at once!"

Only air and silence answered her. Not a whisper of his presence on the other side of the door.

Luna backed up, confused and scared about what to do next. The other teachers were probably asleep by now.

Except one.

Sinistra.

Luna turned and started running. The imaginary clock was ticking, and for all she knew, Draco's warning had already come to pass.

She sprinted for her life to the astronomy tower, taking steps two at a time to get to Sinistra's office.

Only of course, on the one night Luna needed her teacher most, Sinistra had decided to turn in early. No one answered her knocks there either.

Slumping down with her back against Sinistra's door, Luna thrust her hands into her hair and heaved deep, panicked breaths. She had to think. She had to do something. She had to find someone, or Draco was going to kill someone.

That was when she heard the distinct crack of someone apparating.

She climbed up on unsteady feet, peering up the steps that led further up the tower to the observation deck. Men's voices echoed down the stairs, one of them sounding deep enough to belong to someone older. Someone like a professor.

She reached for the railing, pulling on it to propel herself up the steps. When she reached the top, finding Dumbledore and Harry both alive and well—

"Oh thank goodness," she cried out.

"Luna?" Harry blinked at her, gaping outright.

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, Miss Lovegood. We've interrupted your nightly stargazing, haven't we? I'm sorry, but you ought to turn in early tonight." He tapped his nose, winking at her knowingly.

"But, Professor— Something horrible is going to happen—"

"My dear, everything will be alright."

A door slammed below, and Dumbledore hissed, "Get below. Both of you." He pushed Harry towards Luna, and before she could protest, Harry had dragged her down beneath the stairs to hide. He put a finger to his lips, then turned his gaze upward to see who appeared.