The Curious Case of Luna Lovegood

Chapter 10: Real Love

A SQUIB...

Harry felt his heart sink. He suddenly realized Luna's pain. He had been trying so hard to find the answer, he had never truly prepared himself for the brutal reality.

"Luna?" Harry whispered kneeling down to Luna's side as the girl was now crying on her knees. "Are you saying you're going lose your magic?"

Luna looked up with tears stained eye and nodded. Harry felt a part of himself die. If Luna loved her magic half as much as Harry loved his...

Harry helped Luna up to her feet and hugged her, forgetting or at least, not caring where he was. The two cried in each others arms and soon some of the other students were crying as well.

Luna separated from Harry and turned to speak to the room, her voice remaining shaky. "I'm not ashamed to be a squib. I'm ashamed that my mother died for this. She died to give me magic and I am trying to enjoy her gift, but knowing that any day my magic will be gone...it's hard."

"You see my mother gave me too much magic. It affects me in ways I don't understand. Now it's escaping and the Nargles she took it from have found me. They are taking their magic back. While they do, I am able to achieve magic beyond imagination, but it only means that soon my magic will run out. My wand doesn't even work anymore."

"I will be a squib again and this amazing world will no longer welcome me in it. I...Love this world. I love Hogwarts...I have friends here...I have you," Luna barely whispered the last part to Harry as a loud voice cut through the silence.

"You are worse than a Mudblood." Michael said. returning to his feet, clearly not ready to admit defeat yet. "You are worse than a Muggle, You're just a science experiment cooked up by your mad, lunatic, Mother."

Luna looked up at the boy unfazed "Why do you waste your time trying to antagonize me. I don't get affected the way others are by your insults, and now that my secret is out you have nothing over me. I may soon be a squib but until that time I am free from you, free from everyone, unlike you."

Luna continued "Are you upset that you are an unloved puppet to your failed hopes and dreams. An unloved puppet to your prejudice and quick temper. An unloved puppet to your family. Do you want to take it out on the one person who is more free than you will ever be. Are you too stupid to realize that hurting people doesn't make you feel any better about the fact that you are not the center of the world? You are a sad little boy who can't handle it when someone gets more attention than you, even if he is the very person who saved you from Voldemort. My Mom always said "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." It is a stupid thing to do. Only baby's do because they don't know any better. So are you a baby or do you just share their level of intelligence."

Michael was absolutely livid. "How dare you talk to me like that you bloody lunatic? Who the fuck do you think you are? Everyone knows that if it wasn't for Potter you would be a hopeless, friendless, mental patent. You are not a human being Loony. You're an animal taught to do tricks. Animals do tricks because they think they are equals to their masters and that they are loved and cared for. They don't though, they use you for their entertainment just like Potter uses you."

Harry had finally lost his temper and went to curse the stupid boy but realized he couldn't move. Luna walked up to Michael her face inches from his. Nobody could hear the intense whispers being exchanged by the two enemies.

"What do you know about me and Harry?" Luna could no longer hide the anger in her voice.

Michael hissed in her ear. "I know he doesn't love you. You will always be the weird loony kid to him. You're nothing but a joke for entertainment. Your friends laugh at you behind your back."