Not My Loony - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Hogwarts Has Changed

"Please STOP! I beg you!" Cried a most pained voice from the office.

"Quiet girl! This is what students like you who can't keep in line get." Rasped a furious but sadistically delighted voice. "What were you doing out of bed?"

"I told you I was sleep walking." Whimpered a pure and delicate, but sunken voice.

"Crucio!"

The blood-curdling scream was far too much for Ginny to bear, finding it astray not to scream like Luna. It was just as torturous for her to listen to, but she had to hold her position. Neville was concerned, but didn't seem quite as phased by the screaming, having heard such noises on many an occasion; often it was his own screaming.

"Neville we have to do something!" She begged in a whisper.

"We will, Ginny, but we have to wait a few more moments - we can't take both Carrows at once. If Luna doesn't cooperate one will have to fetch Flitwick." He explained.

"But Flitwick won't hurt her, will he?"

"Of course not, but he still has to do it. Snape's orders."

"I guess he's good for some-"

The scream that cut her off was the worst yet. The door rattled. Neville shuddered. Ginny winced and began to cry. She couldn't bear it. Somehow Luna was the most important thing in the world right now. She cared too much. Even Harry had been pushed to the back of her mind, but often nowadays, Luna was the focus of many of Ginny's concerns.

"You'll have to fetch Filius." Said the female.

"What's that filthy half-breed going to do?"

"I know the goblin scum is useless, but it's Severus' orders."

"Fine!" Amycus Carrow flung open the door and stormed down the marble corridor, too irritated to hear Ginny's sobbing masked by a brilliantly performed disillusionment charm. He turned on his heel towards the West Tower and was gone.

"Now's our chance," Neville said, wiping his now watering eyes, "Are you sure we can pull this off?"

"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

"I'll give you one more chance Loony Lovegood. Potter did some sneaky business on the seventh floor, too and I know you were involved." Came the menacing mutter of Alecto Carrow.

"Please. I don't know anything."

"LIAR!" She bellowed, "The Dark Lord cares not of your fate. I am not afraid to kill you."

"I swear I was just sleepwalking."

"You brat I know you're lying. If you were sleepwalking why are you still wearing your shoes? You're a stupid girl, but who could expect more of the offspring of that Xenophilius Lovegood."

"The Quibbler has been receiving much higher approval ratings than the Daily Prophet, you know."

"Enough of this jibber, Loony! Avada Ked-"

"Bombarda Maxima!" Neville shouted.

"Not my Loony!" Ginny cried. The door was left hanging on a single hinge, shrouding the room with dust and woodchips. Amid much coughing and spluttering, Alecto was left battling her own winged bogies. Such a marvellous bat-bogey hex could only have been the work of that blood traitor Weasley girl. Too weak to walk, shivering head to toe was the once vibrant but now sallow Luna Lovegood draped like a curtain around Ginny Weasley's shoulders. The familiar smell of crisp radishes and spilt butterbeer wafted over Ginny and left her breathless for a moment. For a moment - just a moment - she was happy amid the chaos of the gloomiest of her years at Hogwarts. The three didn't stop until they reached the Gryffindor common room, where Ginny and Neville set down the trembling mass of dirty blonde hair and loose worn - now sweaty blue robes.

"Not my Loony! Are you alright?" Ginny urged, her face livid.

"Don't know anything..." Luna muttered, "Sleepwalking... I swear." She drifted, slowly away beyond this realm to another world. To a world where her parents could say goodbye to her on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, her mother still alive and well, her father not forced into hiding for the crime of being honest. And then there was Ginny - just Ginny. They sat by the lake, laughing and smiling like they hadn't smiled in months. She felt something she had not felt in a long time. Free.

"Ginny we need to get her somewhere safe for the night," Neville interrupted, "We can't take her into our common room or hers in this state."

"Where do you expect we take her then, Neville?" Ginny snapped.

"Please calm do-"

"Don't tell me to calm down or so help me, young man!"

"Merlin's beard Ginny you sound like your mother!" The flaming stare he received in return made him cower slightly. Ginny had been very irritable lately, with Ron off with Harry and her family in constant jeopardy for being blood traitors. The only thing keeping her together was Luna.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. We could try the room of requirement but after this it's gutsy." He said amicably.

"We have to try," she said optimistically, "Help me lift her, will you." The flaming, freckled girl and the brown haired, lanky boy heaved the fallen mass of blue and white. Together they carried her all the way to the seventh floor, stopping only to look around corners, although they didn't need to. Either they'd gotten lucky, or not even Filch wanted to see them tortured.