Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Seventy-three: The Veil

Chapter 73: The Veil

Together, the group headed forward toward the black door. Hermione, who was at the front of the group, opened it.

"I won't shut it this time," Neville said. He kept a hand on the door to the hallway so he could be sure to keep it open as everyone else continued through.

"I feel it necessary to remind you... I wasn't here with you for that whole business with the Prophecy," Draco said quietly as they entered the room with all the identical dark doors surrounding them.

"Oh right," said Ron, "That was your dad. Easy mistake to make."

"Ron," Hermione said warningly.

"What?" he asked, trying the nearest door. "This is the one that is sealed shut. Flagrate." He painted a red "X" over the door.

Hermione tried a door and it opened. "Oh, the one where the time turners were. Pity... Though, it looks like they're working on making a new one..." She nearly started walking into the room.

"That's not why we're here," Harry said, not unkindly.

"Right. Sorry," Hermione said. She shut the door and everyone stood motionless for a moment, waiting for the room to spin. But with Neville standing guard with the door to the hallway still open, the room didn't move.

Then Luna said, "The brain room." And another red "X" went over a door.

Finally, Draco opened a door. "Is this it?" he asked over his shoulder. Ron stepped forward first as he was closest. But everyone else, even Neville, walked forward after a few seconds too.

"Yes," Ron answered quietly. "This is it."

Everyone stood behind Harry as he laid Ginny down on the stone dias, a few feet away from the Veil. Then, Luna took the bag of herbs from Neville and knelt down next to Harry in front of Ginny.

Wordlessly, Luna began arranging the herbs around Ginny until she looked like she was laying in a bed of green. It smelled quite strong. Meanwhile, Hermione drew protective runes with her wand around the edge of the dias.

"Well, it looks pretty anyway," Hermione said once she'd finished and Luna was finished a few minutes later. Then, Luna took the salt shaker out of her bag, unscrewed the top and then wordlessly, she magically drew a line of salt around Ginny and the herbs.

"Okay, we're ready I think," said Luna. "Everyone gather around her but don't go between her and the Veil."

Harry knelt down at Ginny's head and Draco knelt next to him, at Ginny's shoulder. Then Luna was at Ginny's arm as she hadn't gotten up from her spot where she'd arranged the salt and herbs. Neville knelt on Luna's other side. Hermione knelt down next to him and finally, Ron knelt down at his sister's feet.

Luna opened the book and laid it down between her and Draco. As she read, it was quiet for a moment and Harry could hear the voices whispering then from the other side. The longer they knelt there, the louder that the voices grew.

Harrryyyyy....

"Oh, actually, I think we're supposed to be in a specific order. It says here, lover at the head, family at the foot, and friends in between... well, I suppose we've done that," Luna said looking up and gazing around. "I can hear my Mum, I think." She looked up at the Veil, straight ahead of her.

"Luna, try to stay on task," Harry said gently. "I know it's hard."

"Yes, but she's telling me something... she's saying..."