The Other Side of the Moon

[McBeth]

The Other Side of the Moon
By McBeth


Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the genius JK Rowling. The plot, my theories, and any new characters, etc. are mine however (unless a fantastic miracle happens, and my Luna-theories end up to be true!).


Prologue



A young girl sat on the rock by the brook, fingering her new wand in her right hand, and playing absent-mindedly with a long stray lock of hair with her left. Her eyes cast slowly about, taking in all that was around her. Nostalgic autumn had arrived early this year, the brook was not its usual babbling self, but quiet, and the water remaining dawdled and played sleepily among the rocks. The water was moving leisurely downstream as though it knew winter was coming, and would soon be imobilized, and wanted to cherish the moments of free movement as long as possible.

The tall, hardwood trees above the girl had been stained gold, auburn, and brown, the leaves falling in their own, careless fashion, not minding that they had been cast off like an out-grown sweater, not minding that their simply-lead lives were drawing to a close. The grasses were turning a subtle taupe color which complimented the picturesque scene. The sky was a pale, soft blue, full of scatterings and wisps of clouds, and a soft breeze ruffled the foliage near the brook. All life was surely yet reluctantly bundling up and preparing for the annual drop in temperature.

Squirrels the color of chestnuts hurried about, breaking the silence of the scene with their chatter, scratching and scrambling about, trying to find nuts they barely remembered burying. The chirping of various birds cut gracefully through the air, as they swept to and fro from tree to tree. A large dog patched brown and black lay, basking in the soft sunlight, his head sleepily resting on his front paws, his tail swaying back and forth slowly and steadily.

"Oh, I do believe change is the most fascinating thing in the world!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, dropping her wand as she clasped her hands with an excited gasp. "Don't you think so, Velvel?" she asked, turning to the dog, who apparently hadn't minded to listen to her declaration.

Luna smiled and shook her head. Velvel would always be his carefree, accepting, un-questioning self.

"Change in wonderful yet horrible. . . ." Luna said softly. Stop it, she said to herself. That'll rake up too many memories.

Picking up her wand, Luna dusted it carefully off, and examined it.

"Sorry about that," apologized Luna. "I reckon I get too excited at times for my own good, but what's the point of sitting around just simply accepting everything, never questioning it properly to learn more? Anyway, I don't want anything to happen to you. Daddy didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look on his face that you cost quite a shiny galleon."

The finely carved wand in the Luna's hand was made of a highly polished willow, twelve inches long. Luna remembered her visit to Diagon Alley, and to Ollivander's, just two weeks before.

~O~

"Ah, I knew I would be seeing you soon, Ms. Lovegood." Mr. Ollivander had said apon her entering his shop. "Going to Hogwarts, then? And, of course, you need a wand, like all the other young students."

"Yes, sir," said Luna, smiling slightly. The man had very interesting eyes - like a pair of pale moonstones with dark pupils.

"And Delbert! I haven't seen you in ages. How's The Quibbler coming along?"

"Quite well, or as well as to be expected, thank you. Luna's been a great help in writing articles."

"Yes, un-doubtably, I noticed an Aegle-like touch in some of the articles, so I assumed young Luna was helping you." Luna beamed at Mr. Ollivander. She loved to write and read, expecially since she had been dyslexic as a younger girl, but had overcome it completely.

"And I was quite sorry to hear about your wife." said Ollivander, surveying Luna's father gravely. Luna's smile faded slightly. She didn't want to remember that. There were too many painful and dark memories, too many mixed memories. She No - she wouldn't think about it. She had accepted her mother's death, but talking about it still made a lump rise in her throat, making her want to cry.

"She was a very talented witch - I knew so when she selected one of our most powerful wands. And she did fantastic work - deeper than most of the work they do in the Department of Mysteries. She did magic that most people can't even begin to imagine. She had been in the middle of a project in the Department, though, wasn't she, about the time she died?"

"Yes, I am afraid she was never able to finish it." said Delbert quietly. But he suddenly brightened - Luna could tell he was forcing himself, though.

"Well," said Delbert, clapping a firm hand on his daughter's shoulder, "We're here to get you a wand, aren't we?"

"Oh, yes," said Luna, feeling slightly happier.

"Well, then, let's try some wands, eh, Ms. Lovegood?"

Mr. Ollivander turned, and his hand wandered about a wall covered with shelves, stacked full with dusty, long, slender boxes.

"Ah, try this one," said Mr. Ollivander, selecting a box and opening it. "Cedar and Augurey feather, very good for potions."

Ollivander handed the wand to Luna, who took it.

"Give it a wave," instructed Delbert.

Luna made a figure eight in the air with the wand, but nothing happened. Luna tried not to feel dissapointed.

"Not to worry, not to worry, try this one," said Ollivander, selecting another box, removing the wand, and handing it to Luna. "Bloodwood and Nundu hair, very powerful wand, this one."

Luna held the wand above her head to wave it.

"No, no, not that one," said Mr. Ollivander, snatching the wand back, "Try this one. . . . No, not that, I'm afraid, not to worry, try another-"

It went on like that. Wand after wand, Luna couldn't seem send a single spark. The pile of wands on the desk and chairs grew higher and higher as Luna tried more and more wands with failure.

Abruptly, Mr. Ollivander stopped.

"You are innocent, but have faced much darkness. . . few will understand you. . . . yet you will be there when you are needed," He said softly, surveying Luna carefully with his pale eyes. Luna felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle and her heart beat faster.

"Ah, I believe I know the wand for you!" Ollivander exclaimed, turning to stare at Luna with his moonstone eyes, which were glinting excitedly.

"This, child, is a very, very rare wand, and an extremely powerful one. I doubt anyone has ever tried this combination before - I myself created in fifty years ago, and it has been sitting in the shop since it's creation." All the while Ollivander had been talking, he had made torward a shelf on the far wall. Luna noticed that the boxes on that shelf were much dustier than the other ones.

"Made of Willow, core of three Unicorn mane hairs, twined about a single Thestral tail hair. . . . Give it a good wave. . . ." said Ollivander.

Luna took the wand. Looking down at the handle, she was it was, although easy to hold, exquisitely designed. Horses, winged and and horned, danced, flew, and charged around the handle, beautifully carved into in highly polished willow wood. The wand felt warm, and Luna felt a magical charge course through her body. Giving a small gasped, she raised the wand over her head, and cut a smooth arc swiftly through the air.

A beautiful glow of silver light filled the shop. The light illuminated the walls, floor, and ceiling. Mr. Ollivander's eyes were glowing eerily like silver orbs.

It was not the light that made Luna feel so very lost in wonder. It was because she felt more like herself than she had ever felt before. She felt as though she truly belonged somewhere, somehow, for the first time in her life.

Luna hesitantly lowered the wand, and the shop darkened.

"Ms. Lovegood, I believe we can expect great things from you . . . you are surely your mother's child . . . ." said Mr. Ollivander seriously, almost gravely. Delbert beamed. Luna didn't know what to say, or to do.

~O~

Luna stowed the wand in her pocket, gave it a pat, and turned to Velvel, observing the lazing dog. She would have to tell him now - it was the best time. Luna walked over to the dog, and sank to her knees beside him, and stroked his back with her hand.

"I got my Hogwarts letter a month ago, Vel." said Luna gently. "I've got to go to Hogwarts in three days."

Velvel jumped to his four feet, and looked Luna straight in the eye, a desperate glint in his own.

"Please, don't look at me like that," said Luna miserably. Velvel wasn't just a dog to her - he was her friend. And they had never been apart for a long time, expecially since Aegle's death. They needed eachother, and saying goodbye was very hard. "You've still got dad to keep company, and I'll be back for the holidays."

Velvel gave a howl of despair. Luna scratched his ears and sighed.

Velvel had been Luna's mother, Aegle's, dog. When Aegle died, Luna and Velvel sort of adopted one another as companions.

"Look, Vel, I know you miss Mum loads - I miss her too. I'm going to Hogwarts, and I'll be away from dad, you, everything I know and love - " Luna paused, because she felt a sob coming on and had to stifle it.

"But I'm going to be alright, because I'm going to make friends and keep moving on. Don't give up, Vel! Go make some friends of your own kind, keep dad's spirits up, and I'll be back before you know it."

Velvel looked up at her and sighed softly, not looking quite as sad as before.

"See? It'll be alright, I promise. Now, come on, lets go, we've got to get back," said Luna, looking up at the sky, and seeing that it was stained gold and red from the sunset already.

Luna got up, gave the brook where she had played and dreamed by so often as a younger girl a last, long look, and ran off in the direction home. Velvel ran after her - he could be quite fast when he wanted to, after all, he was only five years old in human years.

Luna's dad was the editor of a magazine called The Quibbler. He had once worked for the Ministry, in the Department of Mysteries, to be exact, but they had fired him due to the fact that they thought he was giving the Ministry a bad name because he had many ideas that were supposedly off-the-wall theories. Luna always had faith in him, though, and so had Luna's mother. Aegle would have resigned from working at the Ministry after they fired Delbert, but she had been nearing making a magical break-through, and hadn't wanted to quit just yet. It had been the same important project that Mr. Ollivander had spoken of back in Diagon Alley.

As they neared the house, Velvel quickened his pace and gave a loud bark apon smelling the scent of cooking food, which was wafting from the open kitchen window. Luna hung back, leaned on the garden fence, and looked up to the sky, which was now inked back.

Luna couldn't hold back the memories. They were darker than the night on a new moon, and pained her very heart. She sank to the ground, and buried her face in her arms.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Prologue (Continued)



"Luna! Wake up."

Luna opened her eyes and saw, blurrily, her pearly white ceiling. She rolled over, and stared hard at the tree outside of her window some hundred feet away, trying to force her eyes to wake up. Luna didn't want to be late getting up today. It was the crack of dawn, judging by the soft, gentle haziness of the sky and the sun giving off pale light from its position on the horizon.

"I'm coming, Mum." Luna said. "I'll be down in a minute."

Luna laid on her bed for a moment, then, quick as a flash, jumped up. She had learned it was easiest to get up in the morning by surprises herself.

Luna dressed quickly, pulled her hair away from her face in a ponytail, slipped one her shoes, and hurriedly tied the laces (one of which was orange, the other turquoise).

"Well, Luna, are you looking forward to going to the Department with me today?" asked Aegle with a cheerful smile as Luna entered the kitchen.

"Yes, Mum, very much so," Luna replied, nodding her head excitedly.

"Now, Luna, I want you to remember, the Department isn't a place to run about and experiment - for you, anyway. When I say don't touch something, don't touch it, when I say you'd better pass a door by, pass the door by." said Aegle firmly.

"Mum, of course not!" said Luna, her eyes growing larger. "I'd never go against your wishes."

"I know that, dearie, but you're very curious, and curiousity killed the cat."

"At least the cat was satisfied because he found out what he wanted to know." said Luna matter-of-factly.

Aegle laughed, and open the oven door, taking out a tray of muffins. Then she poured the bacon and eggs from the skillet on the stove onto two plates, placing a steaming muffin one each plate as well.

"Mum, Dad will be able to make The Quibbler a success, won't he?" asked Luna worriedly.

"I hope so, dear. He's got a bit of a complex idea, but I can see why he came up with it, what with the Ministry being so - so - "

"Rat-like?" Luna volunteered serenely.

Aegle smiled, and bit back a chuckle. "Yes, I'd say that's the word for a lot of them, rather."

Luna bit into the muffin, which was made from a raspberry and nut mix, and chewed it thoughtfully.

"I suppose Daddy will need more time to get his magazine off the ground than others, since it's rather different." she said.

"I know Del will do well with his magazine eventually. It'll be fun to go to Switzerland, though, to collect information for articles, won't it, Lu?" asked Aegle, her eyes suddenly sparkling.

"I can't wait. I want to go looking for Blibbering Humdingers!" said Luna excitedly, her eyes widening in her enthusiasm.

"That'll be lots of fun - and possibly profitable, too, for Del's magazine, considering the sightings have been climbing in the past few years. I know some of them are bound to be false, but there are also bound to be honest people who really did see something."

"It'll be so grand," said Luna dreamily.

"Yes, it will. And we'll go just as soon as I finish my project."

"When will that be? You've been working on it for as long as I remember."

"Soon, I hope." said Aegle. "I'm sorry this project takes up so much of my time, but it's hugely important to me. But Luna, it'll never be as important as you." said Aegle with a soothing smile that only mothers can give.

Luna smiled back, and finished her breakfast.

~O~

"We're going to get there by floo powder, so Luna, be careful!" said Aegle warningly as she led her daughter into the kitchen.

"I promise, Mum." Luna replied, tying her long hair in a messy knot at the base of her neck so lose strands wouldn't get caught on objects as she flew past the various fireplaces of the Floo Network.

Luna retreived the little pouch of floo powder from it's usual place on the shelf, removed a pinch of the white substance, and threw it into the flames. They flared up higher, and burned brilliant green. Luna crouched down and stepped into the fireplace, where the flames tickled her in a pleasant way. She tucked her elbows in, and kept her chin down.

"Ministry of Magic, the Department of Mysteries!" Luna said loudly.

With a final flare of the flames, making her robes swirl, she was off. Luna could barely here her mother begin to say, "Keep you're elbows tucked-!" before the words were ripped away, as Luna sped on, past one fireplace, past another, and onward.

Luna landed with a hard smack!, and she fell to the floor of pale marble. She stood up, and looked about her. It was a very large chamber, with numerous fireplaces lined stately about the walls, and lots of round, tall, pearly white pillars rising up to the ceiling. The ceiling was so high, Luna could scarcely make out the wide rafters. Luna stepped forward, the tapping of her shoes echoing about the large chamber. She felt incredibly small and out of place in a room so large, pristine, and proper-looking.

There was an eerily unpleasant feeling about the room that didn't seem to come from it's stateliness and stand-offish look. Luna found herself looking torwards the shadows, as though expecting to see a pair of bright, shifty eyes staring back at her. Luna felt her heart pace quicken slightly. She walking down the hall, her footsteps echoing loudly, and looked about her, feeling nervous and edgy.

She furrowed her eyebrows, making herself look cross, in an attempt to feel braver.

Suddenly she whirled around, and stared hard, looking simply furious all the while, at the other side of the hall, where she had thought she had seen a long, dark snake slither past just a moment before. Luna's heart hammered louder.

"I don't like this. . . ." she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly.

Luna turned to run back to the fireplace to go back home to Aegle, but before she could, a tall, dark, shadowy figure appeared from around one of the pillars. A cold, bony hand clamped over her mouth.

"Mmmphmyphh!" Luna tried to scream and shout, but instead, a strangled sort of noise erupted from her throat.

"Be quiet, I say!" Luna heard something hiss, a voice that seemed to be coming from all about the high rafters in the ceiling. She felt tight cords bind about her body, and Luna fell to the ground beside a pillar, never getting one good look at her captor.

Mum's coming, and everything will be alright, Luna prayed, eyes closed.

"Get out of veiw!" the same eerie, hissing voice said again.

Aegle flew into the room from the fireplace, looking slightly disheveled from using Floo. Her eyes fell on Luna, and widened.

"Luna, what - ?"

"Leave the girl," said a voice a cutting voice that was new to Luna's ears.

"Who are you, and what have you done to my daughter?" said Aegle, her voice shaking, whipping out her oaken wand in a flash.

The cutting voice did not respond.

Luna rolled over, and tried to get a look at the man with the cutting voice. He was thin, and of average height, but wore dark robes and a hood that prevented Luna from seeing his face.

"What is going on here? Answer me!" cried Aegle, glaring at the man and protectively moving closer to Luna.

"You will learn in due time, Leafe." said the hissing voice from the rafters.

Aegle stood rooted to the spot. Her face looked like deftly carved stone, except her eyes were flitting back and forth, not really focusing on anything in particular, looking as though she was trying to contemplate or realize something fully.

Suddenly, Aegle's cheeks burned brightly, and her face was a image of fury. Her eyes, which were usually pale and silver, burned dark and snapped dark fire where ever she looked. She was shaking, and her fists were clenched to her sides - Luna was surprised that her wand didn't snap under the pressure of her fingers.

"YOU!" she yelled, infuriated.

"Yes, it's me again," said the hissing voice almost gleefully.

Luna's heart was pounding rapidly in her throat, her eyes casting about. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.

"What do you want from me this time?!" Aegle cried to the ceiling.

"I regret to say we need your help yet again. Your curse has come in very handy, Leafe."

"I'm not Leafe anymore, I'm Lovegood!" said Aegle, so angry her voice was shaking. "Won't you just leave me and my family alone?"

"It is not in my best intrests to do that, I am afraid, although I'd be happy to never have to set eyes on you again," said the hissing voice scathingly.

Suddenly Aegle was taken unawares by a jet of electric blue light. It hit Aegle squarely in the side, and formed around her body, until she was completely covered by the repulsively-colored light. Aegle seemed to have been imobilized, except her eyes were darting furiously back and forth from the hooded man who had hexed her, to the the ceiling, to Luna, whom she cast worried looks. Her wand dropped to the floor with a clatter. The hooded man darted forward and picked it up, then stowed it away in his pocket. Luna found herself seething with anger that the man dare even touch her mother's wand, in spite of her fright.

"Bring the girl as well," said the hissing voice. "She might be found by someone, and then those meddlesome Aurors will be out, trying to track us."

The hooded man nodded, turned torwards Luna, and waved a wand made of a wood so dark it could only be ebony, and muttered, "Eo ire itum."

Another flash of repulsive blue light was aimed at Luna. She instinctively tried to roll out of its wake, but couldn't in time before it made contact with her. Luna felt her body ripple and writh as the light made its way over her body. Then, quite suddenly, Luna didn't feel as though she could move at all.

The hooded man stooped over beside a pillar. He was just barely in Luna's area of pripheral vision. The coil of a snake - Luna reconized it as the same, triangular-headed snake she had glimpsed earlier - was wrapped around a small, spindly black box. The snake unraveled and slithered to the side, waiting expectantly, allowing the man to pick up the box. He opened the box's lid, and a strong gust of wind that even Luna could feel swept through the chamber, catching up the long, slender form of the snake and pulling it into the box. A dark, tattered-looking shadow seemed to fly from the rafters and into the box as well, but it moved so quickly, Luna wasn't sure what she had seen.

Now the hooded man pulled a small box made of cherry wood from his pocket. "Muti eri oe," he said clearly, tapping his wand to the top of the box thrice. He opened its lid, and Luna felt herself being pulled into the box by a strong gust of strange wind along with Aegle.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Prologue (Continued)



Luna was lost in total darkness. She couldn't feel, hear, or see anything. Even her cucoon of repulsive blue gave off no light.

Luna felt as though an icy hand was gripped around her heart. She wanted more than anything for it to all end.

Suddenly, however, all the pain seemed to have dulled and softened somehow, and the icy hand seemed to have released its painful grip on her heart.

"Luna . . . Luna . . . Luna, can you hear me, darling?"

It was Aegle's voice, sounding soft, comforting, and even more flowing and liquid-like than in real life. It took Luna a moment before she realized her mother was using telepathy.

"Oh, Mum!" Luna thought, a large lump rising in her throat, making her feel as though she would have cried if she could.

"Listen, Luna, sweetheart, I don't know what is going to happen. It is my fault you are feeling bewildered and lost right now - I should have told you everything years ago - and now I don't have time - "Aegle broke off, sounding so very distressed, and Luna felt as though her heart was aching.

But Aegle forced herself to rush on.

"What is going on has happened before, in a sense, but different, and whatever they make me do, please understand that I've got no choice! I know you'll figure it all out someday, because you're such a brilliant person. But that's not half as important as what I need you to do, darling. Promise me, sweetheart, if anything happens to me before I can finish it, you must finish it for me!"

Luna knew she was talking about her project in the Department of Mysteries.

"But - but can't Daddy do it?"

"No, he can't, no matter how hard he tries. You must do it, precious. So much depends on the completion of the project! The project will remain locked and un-touched until you can open it - I took precautions years ago to take care of this. Try to learn everything you can and don't ever give up. I know you can do it!"

"I will, Mum, I promise!" Luna cried out in her thoughts.

"Keep believing and having faith, because you'll see me again someday if you're steadfast in who you are and believe in what you feel in your heart, my treasure . . . . I love you so much, darling, and never forget that, precious . . . ."

Aegle's voice faded away from Luna.

The fear Luna had felt in the Department of Mysteries just moments ago was nothing compared to the fright she felt now. It was not that she now knew her mother expected her to follow through on something huge that she herself had been working on for years, or that she had been told that her mother had experienced trouble with dark wizards and witches unknown in the past, or the fact that Aegle had never told Luna about any of this and left her very uncertain and alone. It was because Luna felt as though her mother was saying goodbye.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Prologue (Continued)



Luna lost all of her bearings in the darkness. She had no idea how much time had past since she had arrived at the Department of Mysteries. Her heart was beating uneasily, and the dark, which was the sort that your eyes never adjusted to to, burned against her eyes.

When Luna felt the strange gust of wind push against her again, she tried to muster up her strength and courage, not knowing what would come next. The gust pushed Luna out of the small wooden box, and she lay, crumpled on the cold floor, still imobilized. The room was very dark - and didn't look like a room. It resembled a cave more than anything, with high stone walls, and stalagmites and stalagtites shooting up from the floor and and dropping down from the ceiling. There was scarcely any light in the cave-like room at all, except for the small dot of light illuminated from the tip of the hooded man's wand.

"Eo ire itum." the hooded man said this twice, the first with his wand pointed to Aegle, the second pointed at Luna. Luna felt the repulsively-colored cucoon of light ease off of her body and dissapear in the dark. Luna scrambled to her feet, her bones and joints aching from being imobile for so long.

Beside her, Aegle was straightening up, dusting off the sleeves of her robes, her mouth set in a grim line, and her gaze fixed on the hooded man, glaring at him.

"Don't dare try any funny business with the curse, because if you do," said the hooded man coldly, "I will not hesitate to kill your daughter."

Aegle's eyes grew darker, flashing furiously.

"Leafe, we are underground the land of which Gringotts is built apon," said the hooded man, his cutting voice slicing through the humid, moist air of the tunnel-like cave.

"And you," the man continued, "are going to take us to vault number 713 without us be detected by the goblins."

"Why don't you have your master do it, if he's so almighty?" Aegle snapped angrily.

"The Dark Lord is almighty, you fool, however, he does not have the powers that you posess." said the hooded man icily.

"And you think you can make me do what you ask?" said Aegle boldly.

"Yes, provided that even if you manage to thwart the curse somehow, which I doubt highly, we have a very useful hostage," said the hooded man wickedly, nodding to Luna. Luna felt a shiver go down her spine.

A cold, high-pitched laugh rang about the tunnel, and Luna clasped her hands to keep them from shaking wildly.

Aegle gave Luna a comforting look, but she still looked worried.

"Nagini!" the hissing voice called from thirty feet above. "Watch the girl, I say!"

The twelve-foot snake slithered from the shadows, and circled Luna's feet stealthily.

"Leafe! Do as I command! Now!" the hissing voice ordered. "And remember, if you make one wrong move . . . ." the snake's circle around Luna feet grew smaller.

The hooded man tossed Aegle her wand, who caught it. Aegle had a grim, resigned look on her face now, as she lifted her wand to do magic. She spoke many words in another language that Luna couldn't understand, but guessed it to be Latin. Aegle's hair, the same color of Luna's, flew wildly about her face in a wind that Luna couldn't feel, and her eyes had a rapt look in them.

"Move," said Aegle with effort, panting, her face pink with exertion.

Luna stepped forward after her mother, and the snake had stopped circling her, now slithering close beside her left foot.

They seemed to walk for hours. The hooded man walked silently behind Aegle, his black wand pointed straight at her. The snake kept lurching before Luna's feet, then slithering back into place, as though daring her to made a false move. Every now and then, Luna thought she heard a soft swooping sound from up in the top of the cave, but every time she looked, she saw nothing.

The tunnel was slowly broadening. The stalagmites and stalagtites grew larger, taller, and more plentiful, making Luna have to dodge them and keep a wary eye on the snake at her heel at the same time. The air grew frigid, and Luna rubbed her arms and blew on her hands. Nagini lurched in front of her when she did this, seemingly thinking Luna was trying to find a wand stowed in her robes or work magic. Luna could hear water slowly trickling down the walls off in the distance, and hollow air wafted through the tunnels that branched off from the main one of which they were walking.

Aegle wasn't fairing well. Her cheeks were now red with her exertion, and her hair was damp from perspiration. She staggered along, looking as though she was using every ounce of her energy for this one spell. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes still had the same rapt look, but there was a shine of desperation in them. Luna could see that her mother was holding up a lot of powerful magical charges alone. Luna feared she would become very sick from over-heated in such frigid air.

The tunnel was very wide now, and Luna could see an archway of darkness ahead.

But as they drew nearer, Luna gasped. The cave floor they have been walking on broke abruptly off to a steep drop, a cliff. When Luna was close enough to cautiously look, she could scarcely see the cavern floor, but she could just make out a river full of black water. Along the other side of the cave, Luna could see some ancient-looking, rickety, willowy railway tracks.

"This way!" Aegle gasped out, her usually clear and melodious voice broken and hoarse.

Aegle was pointing with her free hand to a slender cliff-edge that clung to the wall of the cave and looked rather precarious.

Luna leaned on the side of the cave as they walked on it, pressing her cheek against the cold, wet stone and forcing herself not to look down. The snake had moved between her right foot and the cave wall to prevent the possibility of Luna trying to side-sweep her off the walkway. Luna had to take great care not to step on the snake or come close to doing so, for fear that Nagini's venomous fangs would bite her.

"Near-nearly th-there," said Aegle, panting and coughing shallowly.

The narrow cliff-edge was widening, to which Luna breathed a small sigh of relief, and she moved away a bit from the cave wall. The snake snapped at her heels, and moved sourly to her other side. Luna cast worried looks to her mother, who was looking more ragged and tried by the minute.

Finally, they were approaching a large, bulky wooden door that was nearly sixteen feet tall and eight feet wide that was built into the cave wall. Repulsive, large black chains that glowed were lined around the cracks of the door - Luna felt sure they had been hexed and were very dangerous. There was no keyhole, no door handel.

"Yesss . . . ." the voice from above them hissed.

Aegle slumped against a stalagmite, panting hard and closing her eyes for a moment.

"Don't stop!" the hooded man snapped sharply to Aegle, "You're not finished!"

Aegle's tired eyes flew open. She gave the hooded man a beyond-furious glare. Leaning against the stalagmite for support, she managed to stand up again. She pushed away from the stalagmite, and stood by herself un-steadily. Luna kept waiting for Aegle's knees to give out.

Aegle took a shuddering, ragged breath, and raised her wand. She gasped out words that Luna didn't catch, and doubted she would understand even if she did, and the massive doors slowly yet steadily opened. Aegle fell back to the ground.

But there was nothing within. A small, spindly table with a torn cloth over it stood in the middle of the smaller chamber, but there was nothing on it.

"I don't believe it," the hooded man muttered shortly, walking into the chamber, looking jerkily about. When he returned, Luna noticed his hands were shaking madly.

"M-My Lor-Lord," he stammered, "Th-The Sto-Stone is not he-here, I am afr-aid."

The voice high above gave a high-pitched screamed of anguish, making Luna flinch badly.

"Kill her! Kill her, I say!" the voice screamed, seemingly to barely contain its fury.

The hooded man turned to Luna and raised his wand.

"Not her, you fool!" said the voice furiously. "Put a memory charm on her, we can use her someday, like we used Leafe! Kill Leafe! I command you!"

"My Lord, don't you think you're acting a bit too rashly? Surely you might make a better decision in a moment -" The hooded man began timidly.

"Do as I say, you coward!"

"Obliviate!"

Luna felt an extremely strange sensation - water seemed to be washing through her recent memories, cleansing and smoothing some, passing some by, and carrying some away completely. In moments, Luna's memory was like a puzzle with half the peices lost.

The hooded man had now turned to Aegle, his wand raised.

"Avad-" the man faltered.

"LUNA!" Aegle shouted, and with her last remaining strength, tossed her wand to her daughter, who caught it. "RUN!"

"-A Kedavra!" said the hooded man, managing to finish his lethal spell.

A jet of green light shot from the man's wand, cut through the air, and hit Aegle squarely in the chest.

But instead of becoming motionless, a beautiful glow of golden light surrounded Aegle's body. She stood up gracefully, with her arms held out, all traces of fury, fatigue, and raggedness gone from her face, which was now more beautiful than Luna had ever seen it.

"Luna . . . do not try to find me in this world . . . I am gone forever from this earth . . . ."

With a final, soothing smile, Aegle faded away, along with the golden light. The cavern darkened.

There was a moment of complete silence, except for the subtle dripping of the water on the walls.

"Stop the girl!" screamed the hissing voice suddenly, but it sounded frightened.

The image of Aegle screaming for Luna to run swam before her eyes. Her heart was pounding weakly, and she was in shock, but she didn't cry. Luna turned before the snake could stop her, and jumped the short jump to ledge on the other side of the cave, and ran as fast as she could up the rickety tracks and out of sight.

She could hear the hissing voice screaming for the hooded man to stop her, but she didn't stop and look back.

After running along the seemingly-endless tunnels for what felt like an eternity, Luna's fatigue overwhelmed her, and she fainted.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Prologue (Continued)



Luna moaned, and put her hand on her forhead. Her hand felt remotely cold, while her forehead was burning hot.

"Are you awake, Ms. Lovegood?" a calm voice asked.

Luna's eyes flew open, as though expecting to see a fiendish figure. Instead, she saw, blurrily, that a very old, kind, interesting-looking man was sitting beside her bed.

In spite the fact Luna's eyes hadn't adjusted to the light yet, she was still able to make out the man's facial features. The man wore half-moon spectacles, set before clear blue eyes. He was very tall, even though he was sitting down. He had long, silvery beard and mustache, and a long, crooked nose.

"You're Albus Dumbledore, aren't you?" Luna tried to ask, but her voice came out cracked, hoarse, and incoherant, making her cough. She remembered seeing him on Chocolate frog cards, before - before what? Luna sank back into her pillows and groaned. Her brain was aching with mixed, misplaced, and missing memories.

"I am Albus Dumbledore," the man volunteered for her. "Luckily, Poppy Pomfrey usually sends me a hailstorm of Pepperup Potions whenever I travel, to ensure if I fall ill with fever or cold, Hogwarts will still have a Headmaster."

All the while he was talking, Dumbledore was removing a goblet and vial from his robe pocket, and placed them on Luna's bedside table. He un-corked the vial, and poured seven drops exactly into the goblet. He then held his wand some odd inches above the goblet, and steaming water poured from the tip of it.

"Drink this, and you should feel much better." he said, handing her the steaming goblet.

It smelled spicy and hot, and Luna eyed it distastefully, but gulped it down. It burned her throat severely at first, but the pain dulled considerably after a moment or so.

The room seemed to come into better focus, and Luna sat up, rubbing her forehead. Luna saw that she was back in her room, like she had been the morning of the day Aegle was to take her to the Department, with its pearly white walls and ceiling, pale turquoise carpet, and her favorite articles from The Quibbler and posters of Snorkacks, Humdingers, and Heliopaths tacked onto her walls. Luna knew faint smoke was pouring from her ears, which was the trademark side-effect of the Pepperup Potion. She gave a deep sigh, and looked to Dumbledore again. Her was surveying her gravely.

"Ms. Lovegood, do you know if all of your memory is . . . intact?" he asked her carefully.

"No, Sir, I feel like I've got amnesia half-way," said Luna with a sigh of un-happiness.

"I was afraid of that, but it is a lot better than it could be," said Dumbledore. "Ms. Lovegood, I am aware this is asking a great deal from you, but what do you remember from the incident of two days ago?"

"I've been sleeping for two days?" Luna asked, surprised, her brows shooting up.

"Yes. You bumped your head rather badly to the wall of the cave when you fainted, apparently."

"I'll try to tell you what I remember, Sir," said Luna, sinking back into her pillows, frowning in concentration.

"Mum and I were going to go to the Department of Mysteries . . . . I had been asking for years for her to take me, if I was careful and didn't touch anything, and she finally got permission to take me just about a month ago." Luna began.

"When I got there, I remember feeling very uneasy . . . ." she broke off, and her frown deepened. "I can't remember exactly, but I know they took me hostage somehow. . . ."

"Who took you hostage? Do you know their names, Ms. Lovegood?" Dumbledore asked, seemingly trying to sound simply curious, but there was a definite edge under his voice.

"No, I am afraid I don't, Sir," said Luna, "But I do remember the voices . . . . one had a voice that seemed to slice through the air, it was so sharp and cutting, and the other had a voice that seemed to hiss the words he spoke . . . ."

"Do you remember what they look like, by chance?"

"No, sir, one of which I never saw, he was the one who hissed, and the other wore a dark cloak and hood - I never saw his face."

"Ms. Lovegood, the media knows nothing of your ordeal to ensure your privacy, and so far it is being said that an experiment went wrong in the Department of Mysteries that killed you mother, but that hasn't been given much attention considering the break-in at Gringotts has been massive news. When you are ready, you may tell people aside from your father in which ever fashion you may, or you can keep it to yourself.

"Now I must ask you this, Ms. Lovegood . . . what happened to your mother?" Dumbledore asked gently. "We found you with her wand in your hand, although you had not performed any magic on it, but your mother was nowhere to be seen."

"Mum is gone . . . ." said Luna slowly, not really believing what she was saying, "The hooded man was ordered by the hissing voice to kill her when they did not find some - some rock, I think, I can't remember, but -" Luna paused in confusion. It was a very strange and bad feeling not to be able to remember the happenings, expecially very importants ones, from just two days prior.

"And then he aimed a curse at Mum, Avada Kedavra, it was a jet green light, and if I remember correctly from what I've read, that's the - the Killing Curse," Luna faltered, and drew a shuddering breath. She then rushed on.

"But Mom didn't die - well, she said she did - I think - but not like other people's deaths - she was surrounded by a beautiful golden light - she looked so beautiful - and she stood up, and she said - she said - " Luna broke off again, and close her eyes.

"She said, 'Luna, do not try to find me in this world, I am gone forever from this earth,' and Luna broke off awkwardly, looking down at her hands in her confusion and upset.

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, and pressed the tips of his long fingers together. Luna knew she had given the story in bits and peices, but her memory was so frazzled, there was nothing else for it.

"It seems you have been cursed by a Memory Charm," Dumbledore said finally. "At first, I was very surprised that you have so many of your recent memories left, but then I remembered that you are Aegle's daughter, after all. Strong wizards can break memory charms, and I hope very much that you can break the curse placed apon your recollection of the past events."

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued, "Your mother was an extremely gifted witch. She could work magic that I could scarcely begin to comprehend. There is also something . . . different about her, that I have never been able to pin down."

"And finally," said Dumbledore, suddenly looking very weary, "A dark wizard by name of Lord Voldemort-"

Luna gasped.

"But I thought he was dead!" she said breathlessly, her eyes widening.

"No, he is not dead," said Dumbledore, rubbing his temples with his left hand. "He has reason to try and break into a Vault at Gringotts that once housed a very important item. I have been growing wary of the prospect of this happening for months, and I had the item removed from Gringotts the very morning that Voldemort tried to break into it. I was in time to save the item, but not in time to save your mother. When your arrival at the Department of Mysteries was not seen, a security gaurd flooed to your house, and when he saw you were not there, contacted your father to ask him if anything was wrong. When we couldn't seem to find a trace of you and your mother, I received short message from Aegle by telepathy. She said she they were taking her somewhere to work magic for them. I assumed that Voldemort was trying to use Aegle's abilities to break into the Vault. By the time I was able to arrive with Aurors, Voldemort and his follower had vanished."

"But why did he have to pick my Mum, of all people?" Luna whispered.

"As I said, your mother was a very gifted witch, and there is something very different about her. What I cannot understand is how Voldemort could make her do such a thing. She was always very loyal to our side of the war."

"Mum said there wasn't anything she could do, that she didn't have any choice," Luna said defensively.

"I have never once thought that Aegle did Voldemort's bidding out of her own free will," Dumbledore said tiredly. "I am afraid now we can only guess and theorize about this matter, we may never know for sure what is the truth and what is not. . . ."

~O~

"Luna!" Luna jerked up from her position, raising her head wearily. "It's dinner time!"

It was her father calling her inside. She hastily rubbed at her cheeks, trying to make sure that if there were any tear stains, she would rid her face of them. She stood up and straightened.

Luna had remembered more and more of the incident of her mother's death as the years had passed. And the more she remembered, the harder it had been to bear. And once she had learned that at the very beginning of the summer, Professor Quirinus Quirrel, who had taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, had tried to steal a stone that could make the Elixir of Life and turn any metal into pure gold for his master, Lord Voldemort, she was nearly sure that the hooded man had been Quirrel, and that the bodiless, hissing voice had been what was left of Voldemort. Now, she remembered everything, and cloudless nights like this could bring it all back in a moment.

She had told no one except her father, as she had remembered more and more of the ordeal over the years, of what had happened the day her mother died. It was one of those ordeals that was incredibly hard to put into words. It was very hard for your mother to get sick or something and die, but so much harder when your mother dies in such dire and uncertain circumstances. She didn't know if she would ever tell anyone about her mother's death. Somehow she wanted to keep it, stowed deep away in her soul, but somehow she also wanted to talk to someone about it apart from her dad. Would she ever feel that close to anyone?

The one thing Luna felt sure of is that she would, by all means, learn everything she possibly could and finish her mother's project someday. She had grown more and more determined, and a flame of perseverance burned in her heart.

Luna still did not know how her Mother had been forced to work magic for Voldemort's cause. She didn't know why her mother had died the way she had. And she didn't know why Aegle was so exceptionally talented at magic that even Albus Dumbledore, considered by many the greatest wizard of all time, couldn't understand completely.

Luna was purely positive of one thing: There were some things she would never forget.




Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter One,
The Beginning



That night at dinner, Luna was very quiet. She kept seeing the image of her mother fading away from her in the back of her mind. She leaned on her elbow, her face at an angle at she supported it with her left hand, and played with her food with her fork.

"Lu, is anything wrong, sweetheart? You haven't said hardly a word since you came in," said Delbert, surveying her curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing, Daddy," said Luna, pushing her potatoes around with her fork, frowning.

"And you expect me to look at your face and believe that?" Delbert said jokingly.

Luna looked up at him, not smiling. Delbert's smile faded - his jokes usually made Luna laugh.

He was a broad shouldered man, a bit over average height, with thick brown hair and beard. He had bushy eyebrows, which were furrowed just now, a kind mouth, now a thin line of worry, and brown eyes that sparkled, but were dark with concern tonight.

"You aren't worried about going to Hogwarts, are you?" he asked her. "Because you really shouldn't, you'll fit in fine, and make lots of friends -"

"That's not really it," said Luna, uncomfortably, abandoning her fork and putting her chin on both her hands.

"What is it then?"

"I don't know . . . I just worry a lot. Usually when I'm trying to go to sleep at night." said Luna unhappily.

"What are you worried about?"

"Everything. Whether The Quibbler will make enough money -"

"We'll be fine," Delbert assured her.

"But you've got to admit it's a unique magazine, and so many people won't believe or understand what we're trying to get across," said Luna, her eyes growing larger. "And it's not just that, I'm worried I'll make some terrible mistake with something, or I'll fail all my classes at Hogwarts, or I'll get into Slytherin, I'm scared I won't be able to come through for Mum-"

"You shouldn't be so worried about making mistakes - that's just one of the things that comes with being human, and you can't do anything about it. And I know you won't fail your classes, you're so clever, so please don't worry about that, honey. And you can rest assured you won't get into Slytherin - that house only takes in blood-biased people." said Delbert.

"And don't worry so much about finishing Aegle's project." Delbert added. "I know that it's very important, and that you will complete it someday, but right now, your job is to just be a kid! Worrying about it is exactly what you don't need to do."

Luna dropped her gaze to her plate, feeling tears prickling at her eyes.

"And I'm scared to death of something happening to you," Luna choked. "I don't know what I'd do if you died."

Delbert put his large hand over Luna's small, pale one in a comforting gesture.

"I don't plan on kicking the bucket anytime soon, sweetheart," said Delbert with a gentle smile. "And even if something does happen, which is highly unlikely, Grandpa Morris will take care of you."

"But he lives all the way in Wales."

"Yes, he does, but getting away from Catchpole is probably just what you need if something like that happens. Anyhow, I believe we are looking a bit too far into the future, eh? Don't worry anymore, Luna, because chances are, I'll be here for a lot longer."

"Okay, Daddy," said Luna. She gave him a hug, then finished her meal.

~O~

"Dad, slow down!" Luna puffed. "I can't keep up!"

She was hauling her trolley through Kings Cross, dodging the crowds of people, and Delbert was far ahead. He turned, and jogged back to her. Delbert had been this way all morning, figity and nervous.

"Dad," said Luna, in exasperation, "Please don't worry about filling Mum's place this morning!"

"Okay," said Delbert meekly.

"That's better, then. Now walk slower, don't leave me behind, and don't worry!"

"Sorry, sweetheart," said Delbert, and he helped Luna pull her trolley.

"And I am sorry about not being able to get you an owl," Delbert added, his eyes lingering on the large, empty cage perched on the top of the trolley's contents.

"That's okay, Dad," Luna said brightly, "I've got a cage already, that's the first part of owning an owl."

Delbert smiled. "Hopefully The Quibbler will make enough money soon so we can get you an owl. Frankly, I'd let you have Arkell, but he's getting a bit old, and I need him to get the post for me for The Quibbler articles."

"Arkell's not old, Daddy, he's ancient, and the poor dear doesn't need anymore work than he's already got. Don't give it another thought."

"I should've gotten you a toad or something, though -"

"I'll find lots of toads and frogs at Hogwarts!" said Luna with enthusiasm.

"Going to try to find a prince, then?" said Delbert with a laugh.

"Dad, you're so silly. I'd rather take a frog than a stuck-up prince any day,"

"I'm sure you would, Lulu," said Delbert with a slight smile.

They dodged through the crowd. Luna and Delbert kept getting odd looks at the knobbly packages and oversized bird cage on Luna's trolley.

"Alright, Luna, here we are," said Delbert in a low voice, although he didn't have to keep his voice down, the bustling crowd was very loud.

"Take the trolley, and run through that barrier - the one just between Platform Ten and Platform Nine - and it'll take you straight to Platform 9 3/4. Go at it at in a run, if you're a bit scared."

Luna pushed her trolley so she was facing the barrier, broke into a run, and with a sharp flash of light, she saw a completely different scene. A large, crimson steam engine beside a massive platform full of crowds of people.

Young children were crying, clinging to their mother's hands, elder children were dashing about on the cobblestoned floor of the platform, joking, boasting, and talking about Quidditch, fathers were walking back and forth, seizing another's hand, saying, "Why, old chap, I haven't seen you in ages!"

Delbert then came through the what-looked like solid brick of the barrier.

"I came here for my first time thirty-five years ago," said Delbert, looking around with intrest. "It hasn't changed much, except the kids are saying "cool" and "weird" now, instead of "keen" and "square."

Luna laughed.

"Now Luna, whatever house you get in, remember I'll always be proud of you," said Delbert, looking down at her.

"I'm hoping for Ravenclaw," Luna replied.

"I know you are, and I hope you get in, then. But it wouldn't be too bad to get in your old man's house, would it?"

"It'd be lovely to be in Gryffindor, but you know why I want to be in Ravenclaw, don't you?"

Delbert sighed softly, and his worry wrinkles became more prominent.

"Yes, sweetheart, I do. You're doing a wonderful thing, trying to learn as much as you can because of your mother's wishes." he said quietly.

"It's just what I feel in my heart, dad. I know this is my path."

Delbert's face lit up in a small but genuine smile.

"You are so much like your mother, Lu," he said with emotion.

Just then, a tall boy with curly, auburn hair, spectacles, and a shiny badge bearing the letter P strode through the barrier with a laden trolley, only to be knocked over by a pair of rowdy, red-haired twins as the rushed through the barrier before he could get out of the way. He spectacles were knocked into the air, and landed a few yards away from him, with the tinkling of glass breaking. Delbert darted forward, picked up the glasses, and repaired them.

"Sorry, Perce," said one of the twins.

"Yeah, didn't mean to knock you over like that," said the other, his eyes sparkling.

The elder boy tried to look sourly up at the twins, but he was looking in the wrong direction. The twins didn't bother to contain their laughter. Luna didn't laugh and bit her lip instead to keep from giggling, because it was rather funny, after all.

"Here you are," said Delbert, putting the spectacles in the boy's hand, which had been groping at the floor of the platform, trying to find his glasses.

"Thank you, sir!" said the boy in a business-like way, and hooked his glasses over his ears.

"Hey, look, Percy, your prefect badge has got all scratched!" said one of the twins, who was holding the badge, which apparently had gotten un-pinned and had fallen off of the boy's sweater when he fell.

"It has not!" Percy said irritably. "It's got an Anti-Scratch Charm on it, for your information!"

The boy got up, dusted his sleeves carefully, and flounced away.

"Mental, that one -" started one of the twins.

"Fred! George! You got to get on board!" said a bossy sort of voice. It belonged to a plump, red-haired woman, with a younger with hair of the same color clinging to her hand, whom Luna reconized to be Ginny Weasley, who lived in the sleepy town of Catchpole, the town Luna lived just a few miles away from. A balding, bespectaled man, stood beside them, and Luna remembered him vaguely to be Ginny's father.

"Hello, Arthur, Molly." said Delbert kindly.

"Delbert!" said Mr. Weasley. "How have things been going for you? How's The Quibbler been coming along? Oh - wait, I'll talk to you after the train's left - things are a bit hectic at the moment -"

"Where's Ron and Harry, Mum?" Ginny asked her mother.

"I don't know, dear, they should be coming -"

"Sweetheart, we'd better get your things on board now," said Delbert, pulling her trolley torwards the train. He unloaded it, and carried her large, heavy trunk, full of books, clothes, and school-supplies onto the train. Luna followed him, carrying her bird cage and knapsack. They loaded Luna's possesions into a carrier compartment, and pushed Luna's trunk in among the others.

"Lu, I'm going to have to go now. Write me as soon as you get the chance once you get to Hogwarts, don't worry, and I love you, dear!" he said, stooping to hug Luna, who kissed his cheek.

"I'll miss you, Daddy." said Luna, feeling tears come to her eyes again, but she blinked them back.

"I'll miss you too, honey. Now, I've got to go, and have fun, sweetheart!" With a last hug, Delbert left the train.

Luna found an empty compartment, leaned on the window pane, searching the crowd for her father. He was waving to her, smiling, and for a second, Luna almost thought she had seen Aegle, standing next to him, waving goodbye as well. She blinked, and when she looked back, her father stood alone.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter One (Continued)



A few minutes later the train began moving. Luna was leaning against the window, staring out at fields, some tall with grass and underbrush, others mowed down nicely by cows and sheep. Soon she was passing shadowy, twisted forests, with their spindly streams of dark water. Luna wished she wasn't just whizzing past them in an abrupt, hectic fashion - she wanted to get out and explore these lands.

There'll be plenty of time to explore once you get to Hogwarts, Luna thought.

"Do you want anything of the cart, dearie?" said a kind-looking witch, who had poked her head into the compartment a moment before.

"Yes, please," said Luna, who had been growing a bit hungry.

Delbert had given her a bit of spending money for the ride, and it wasn't much, but it was enough to get a few Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, Pumkin Pasties, and a box of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans if she felt like living dangerously.

Once Luna had payed for the sweets, she dumped them on the seat opposite her, and she slowly unwrapped a Chocolate frog. The card read Elladora Ketteridge, under a picture of a pretty, black-haired woman that seemed to resemble a gypsy a bit, and was carrying a bucket of water with some sort of plant creeping over the rim in her right hand. Luna flipped the card over and read that Ketteridge had discovered the magical properties of Gillyweed after eating it, making her suffocate, and had only recovered after sticking her head in a bucket of water.

"Hello," said a new voice of which Luna could detect a slight french accent. "D'you mind if we sit here?"

Luna looked up from the card to see a girl with coffee-brown hair and pale, plain blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles on the tops of her cheeks poking her head into the compartment. A petite girl with a finely boned face, who had fine hair, and had a slightly exotic look, peered into the compartment around the other girl.

Luna shook her said, and motioned to the empty seats for them to sit down.

"I'm Yvette de Coupe," said the brown-haired girl, "And this is Frauke van Houten - I think that's the way you pronounce it, anyway."

The Yvette smiled in a sort of friendly, careless way. Frauke did not smile, to the contrary, she was staring at the wall of the compartment two feet above Luna's shoulder, appearing lost in thought, judging by her frozen expression.

Yvette then added, in a lower voice, "She's not the easiest person to understand - she's not from England, at least, that's what I understood."

Luna shrugged.

"I was born in England, but my dad is from France, and my mother from Canada." said Yvette.

"I guessed," said Luna with a smile, "Your first and last names are very french."

"Mijn familie," began Frauke in another language which Luna thought to be Dutch, but wasn't entirely sure. "Ach! Mijn verontschuldigingen, nieuwe vrienden. My - family - is - Dutch."

"That's interesting," said Luna, leaning forward curiously.

"Ik ben van Holland," Frauke continued. Luna was able to translate this into 'I am of Holland.' "Mijn moeder gewild me aan ontvang onderwijs bij Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Ik ben hier vandaag om die reden."

Frauke frowned in concentration, then said, "I - ben - afraid - I - spreek - English - poorly," in broken English with Dutch words mixed in.

"I think you're taking to English very well," said Luna, slowly and distinctly so Frauke had time to translate her words, but smiled nevertheless. "I've read all about Holland. It seems like such an interesting place. I've wanted to go there for a visit ever since I read the Muggle book, Hans Brinker, also known as The Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge." she added conversationally.

Yvette jumped into the conversation at this point, seeming relieved that Luna had touched apon a subject that she could contribute to. "I've read that book too! Well, my Mum read it to me when I was eight, because it's such a thick read. I'm a half-blood - my mum's a Muggle, but my dad attended Beauxbatons when he was younger." Yvette seemed to have a rather bubbly personality.

"It must be nice to get the previledges of both Muggle children and Wizarding children, Yvette. My mother was a witch, and my father is a wizard." said Luna. "What house do you think you will be in?"

"I don't know, it seems a rather hard decision, because it'll be your house for the next seven years - that's what dad told me, anyway," Yvette replied, twisted a straight lock of her hair nervously. "Do you know how we get sorted?"

Luna then explained to Yvette what Delbert had told her about The Sorting Hat. Yvette looked relieved. "I thought it would be really hard!" she said with a sigh. "I don't know much about Hogwarts, you see, without having a graduate for a relative."

Frauke had now taken to staring at the wall again, frowning slightly and her brows furrowed. Luna wondered what she was thinking about.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter One (Continued)



The train ride passed at a reasonable stretch of time, although Yvette's constant chatter had begun to grow old as the ride drew to a close, and Frauke's silence intrigued Luna.

She's probably just trying to learn as much English as possible by listening, Luna thought.

A blond, female prefect briefly entered their compartment and told them they had better get changed, for they would be arriving at Hogwarts soon. Luna felt excited shivers run up and down her spine as she pulled her long, dark wizard robes over her sweater and jeans.

The sky outside had grown dark, and a cresent moon hung high in the sky. Dark silhouettes of tall trees flashed past the window. Yvette was flying about nervously, smoothing her hair in the reflection of the compartment window, her voice bubbly as ever.

"Oh, I can't wait, what about you, Luna?" Yvette as Luna as she buckled the front clasp of her robes. Before giving Luna a chance to respond, she said, "But, then again, I can wait!"

"It'll be fine," said Luna calmly as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "Since you can't fight the current of a strong river, it's easier to flow along, because even if it leads you to danger, you have all of your energy left to fight."

Yvette stared at her for a few moments, her expression blank. Then she said, with recognition, "Oh! Was that from a poem or something?"

"No," said Luna, "I'd like to think it's one of Life's guidelines, though."

She searched around her pocket for her wand, pulled it out, and slipped it behind her left ear.

"Er, Luna, why're you doing that?"

Luna looked up to see Yvette's facial expression was a mixture of bewilderment and surprise.

"What?"

"Your wand . . . why are you putting it behind your ear like that?"

"Defense precaution," said Luna simply. "When you need your wand, just reach up and it's there, in your hand."

"Er . . . right, Luna," said Yvette uncertainly, looking at her oddly.

A few minutes later, the train began to slow. Yvette became as bubbly as a soda bottle when shook - fit to overflow any moment. Her chatter started again, and Luna could scarcely keep up with the conversation, because Yvette was jumping from one subject to another, not really taking the time to talk about any one thing.

Frauke had silently pulled her robe on, and was braiding one long strand of hair, looking rather bored.

"Are you nervous, Frauke?" Luna asked her.

Frauke shook her head, a slight smile on her lips.

"I - do - not - know - enough - English - to - lie," said Frauke.

"You're English is better!" said Luna praisingly.

Frauke just smiled mysteriously, and returned to concentrating on her braid.

The train had now slowed to a stop, and the students were now filing out of their compartments, judging by the numerous silhouettes of all sizes Luna could make out through the glass.

"C'mon, we'd better get going," said Yvette, tugging on Luna and Frauke's sleeves, pulling them out into the milling crowd.

Outside the station, the air was rather cold, and Luna pulled her robe closer around her, letting a cloudy breath escape from her lips and rise off, vanishing, into the night.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Ovah 'ere!" Luna heard someone with a booming, gruff voice call from a little ways off.

The shortest members of the crowd turned to see a huge man - he must have been twelve feet tall, and nearly half as wide - waving to them, and holding a dimly glowing lantern in his other hand.

The first years stepped timidly torwards the man. Luna understood why - he really was huge. His feet were like young seals, his hands the size large dinner plates, and he had a long mass of bushy black hair and beard, and shining, glittering black eyes.

"Hello, Hagrid!" Luna called. Delbert had told her all about this giant of a man - Hagrid was the gamekeeper of Hogwarts.

"'Ello, young lady," said Hagrid as she drew nearer, smiling down at her.

"Now, foller me, see," he said, "You'll get your first peek a Hogwarts in jus' a momen'-"

The walked through a dark forest. Luna kept looking around, as though expected to see something creeping torwards her from the shadows, but she shook her head at her silliness. Delbert had once told her Hogwarts was arguably the safest place in the world, from dark wizards and muggles alike, she had no grounds to worry like so.

Suddenly the trees parted sharply, and Luna looked out, across a lake that was smooth and shiny as spun glass, and saw Hogwarts for the first time. It was tall, and dark, just like all the old castles, with many turrets and towers, lit and dark windows scattered all around the walls of the magnificent building. Several of the other first years gasped at the spectacular sight.

"Alrigh', four to a boat, no more-" said Hagrid.

He motioned to many small, row-boat-like water-crafts without rowers, which were sitting on the water next to a long, thin, shadowy dock. The students clambered into the boats.

"D'you mind if I sit with you?" said a quiet but breathless voice from the dock. Luna looked up to see it was Ginny Weasley, her freckled face hopeful.

"Sure, if you like," said Luna, scooting over so Ginny could join them.

"This is Frauke van Houten and Yvette de Coupe," Luna began in a whisper, but Hagrid, who was up front with a whole boat to himself, was calling out, "Ev'ryone ready? Righ'. Forward."

The little boats gracefully began moving, cutting across the glassy water without hardly making a single wake. Luna stared up at the fantastic castle, her mouth parted in wonderment, and she found herself at complete loss for words. Yvette managed to chatter a bit, but even she was taken aback by the beauty of the scene. Ginny and Frauke were very quiet, as though afraid to disturb the tranquility of the night.

They sailed into what looked like an dark, under-water cave, with small torches bound to the walls, giving off soft rays of light that created large shadows that loomed tall on the sides of the cave. They approached a dock, with steps that led up to a large oaken door, and the boats stilled. The students climbed out of the boats, and stood at the edge of the dock, their faces pointed up at the large door, looking timid and expectant.

The door suddenly swung open, revealing a tall, elderly witch, with a tall black hat on her stately-held head. She had rectangular glasses, and stern mouth that Luna could just barely trace that it had indeed smiled before, but long ago, and a severe bun of graying black hair at the base of her neck.

"I'll take them from here, Hagrid," said the woman. Her voice was sharp and with a Scottish accent. "Students, follow me.”

Luna walked up the steps after the other students, looking at the woman. Luna wondered what had ever made her so stern and severe - surely she hadn’t been like that even as a child?

It’s probably been all these years of teaching, Luna thought, but frowned nevertheless. She didn’t think teaching children could turn a soul that austere.

The witch led them up many flights of steps - Yvette had begun to pant before they had come to a stop in front of a large door made of dark cherry wood. The witch turned, and surveyed the students seriously. Luna thought her eyes had lingered on her for a moment longer than the other students, but it was so brief, she wasn’t sure.

“I am Professor McGonagall,” the witch began, “In a moment, you will be sorted into houses. At Hogwarts, your house will be like your family, and we will remove house points for any rule breaking and will award house points for your achievements.”

At this point, the witch turned, and pushed open the pair of doors.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was the most magnificent sight Luna had ever seen. Hundreds of facing peered out at the first years, but Luna didn’t notice. Lit candles of white wax where floating about through the air and large fireplaces were in the corners of the hall, giving the room a warm glow. The ceiling - but it didn’t look like a ceiling at all. To the contrary, the large, intricately carved rafters held up nothing - instead, Luna saw the sky, twinkling softly with a million silver stars. The cresent moon shone brightly over one corner of the hall.

Luna was still looking up in wonder when the first years had halted, and Yvette elbowed her in the side, nodding to the front of the hall, and pulled Luna back down to the earth.

Dumbledore was sitting up in the middle of the high table, his long silver hair glinting in candlelight. He didn’t seem to have aged at all since Luna had last seen him. When he saw Luna looking at him, Dumbledore gave Luna a small smile.

McGonagall was now placing a knobbly, three-legged stool at the front of the hall, a very old and tattered hat atop it. She stepped aside, and stared at the hat expectantly.

Nearly all the first years gasped and jumped when the hat burst into song.

Here I am,
Finding Myself yet Again
Preparing to sort Young new Students,
As I have done Before with your Elder Kin

I'm the Smartest Hat you will Ever Find,
If you Search this World Twice over,
So Trust me When I say,
Be Sure to Look Past Your Shoulder

Now I am to sort you,
As I do Year after Year,
Your house will be your Family,
And, Desire, shall I,
That you may hold those Within it Dear

Should you Belong in Daring Gryffindor,
Where Valiance and Bravery runs Free?
Or Should you find Youself in Witty Ravenclaw,
If Intelligence Courses Through your Family Tree?
Will you Belong in Kind, Dear Hufflepuff,
Where Hard-Workers are Frequently Received?
Or do you Belong in Stealthy Slytherin,
Where Cunning and Sly Purpose is often Acheived?

Come and try Me on,
And you'll Find Where you Belong,
I can sing and shout,
For I'm the Hogwart's Sorting Hat!

The Hat fell limp, and silenced.

McGonagall pulled out a long scroll, unraveled it in a business-like way, and called out, quite sharply,

“Aaron, Carl.”

A dark-haired boy stumbled forward, looking rather pale, picked up the hat, set it on his head, and sat down on the stool.

A half a minute later, the hat shouted, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

The boy sighed with relief, removed the hat, set it back on the stool, and ran off to the Hufflepuff table, which was clapping loudly for him.

Now McGonagall called out, “Abbey, Bridget.”

A girl with thick, wavy mouse-brown hair walked uncertainly up to the stool, and tried on the hat. After a moment’s consideration, the hat shouted, “RAVENCLAW!”

Fiona Davis was then sorted, who went to Hufflepuff, Peregrine Delaney, who went to Slytherin, and then Lorelei Crowe joined Peregrine at the Slytherin table. It was Yvette's turn.

She ran up to the stool, looking as though she could barely able to contain her excitement and nervousness. She sat on the stool for a long time, biting her lip, pulling on her fingers, and twisting strands of her hair. Finally the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

A bit later Frauke's name was called. She walked up to the stool, looking lost in thought, and tried on the hat, frowning and her brows furrowed again. After a moment, the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Yvette clapped for Frauke with the rest of Ravenclaw table, who smiled slightly, and ran off to the Ravenclaw table to sit beside Yvette. She then stared at the far wall, seemingly thinking hard about something, judging by the way her eyes went back and forth without focusing.

The Sorting continued. Luna waited for her turn - she felt rather strangely anxious.

Then, after Adorina Lobo was sorted into Gryffindor, Luna's name was called.

She strode up to the stool, trying to erase all signs of uncertainty or fear from her face and replace them with confidence. She sat down on the spindly little stool, and put the hat on her head.

Hello, young Lovegood, said a little voice in her ear, making Luna jump.

Greetings, Luna managed to think back.

You are here to be sorted, I see . . . .

Yes, sir, Luna thought, and I want to be in Ravenclaw.

Are you sure? asked the hat. You would do well in Gryffindor, I can see that without having to look in very far, dear me! You're very brave, bold, and loyal to those you care about.

I'm positive, sir, Luna thought back firmly, I want to be in Ravenclaw.

Luna thought she heard the hat sigh.

I see your reasons and ambitions, young Lovegood, but you must be very strong, indeed, as strong than the best Gryffindors to ever walk the halls of this castle, to get through seven years as a Ravenclaw without crumbling within yourself, said the hat softly but grimly. Are you sure? He asked her again.

Yes, sir! Put me in Ravenclaw, please! Luna thought desperately.

Very well, young Lovegood, whispered the hat regretfully. You shall be in-

"RAVENCLAW!"

Luna breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and took off the hat, placed it on the stool, and ran to the Ravenclaw table, which was now clapping for her. She sat down in between Yvette and Frauke.

"I was so nervous!" Yvette exclaimed in a gasp as Luna sat down. "I thought the Sorting Hat wouldn't sort me into Ravenclaw when I asked him!"

"You still got in, though," Luna said.

"Yeah," said Yvette. "D'you think the Sorting will be over soon? I'm hungry."

"Nr, - the - sorteren - is - niet - half - finished," said Frauke, now watching Anna Merryweather being sorted into Gryffindor.

Yvette sighed, and looked impatiently as Wilma Nathan was sorted. A moment later, the hat cried out Hufflepuff.

Much later on in the Sorting, fiery-haired Ginny Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor.

Once Jane Yancey was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Johnathan Zilberschlag into Ravenclaw, Dumbledore stood up, smiling down at them all.

"Ah, now that we are all at our respective house tables, let the feast begin!" he said, clapping twice.

Suddenly the tables were full of the most delicious food Luna had ever seen or smelled. Huge roasts, large turkeys, hams, and chickens, steaming casseroles, pots of vegatables of every kind, fruit sauces, goblets of sweet pumkin juice, which where bewitched to refill themselves whenever empty, large loaves of bread, sweetly, saltily, and neutrally flavored, and many other foods of intricate smell and shape Luna had never seen before. She tried to taste a bit of everything, so she would know exactly what she liked best the next time there was a feast.

Luna had noticed that Dumbledore had left the Great Hall for a bit, but he returned in time to clap his hands once, smiling, and the food vanished, only to be replaced by fantastic, sweet-smelling deserts. Luna managed to eat some treacle pudding and fudge, and a bowl of ice-cream that was so smooth and creamy, it seemed to slip effortlessly down her throat, but could only be content nibbling on Lemon Drops, a kind of Muggle sweet that Dumbledore was favoring highly on the High Table, after that due to satiation.

"Ah, now that our hunger is satisfied," said Dumbledore, as he stood up again, "and our thirsts appeased, let me introduce to you the new Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart!"

Dumbledore gestured to a man with wavy blond hair and a large smile, who stood up.

"Thank you, thank you, my new students," said Lockhart, managed to still smile while he spoke, "I can only tell you how pleased I am, students, to know that I will be your benefactor," his smile broadened a bit, if possible, here, "for the next year, and, with luck, many years to come. Thank you."

Lockhart gave a last smile, to which many girls smiled and sighed dreamily, and sat back down.

"Isn't he handsome?" Yvette asked her, giggling a bit.

Luna shrugged indifferently. Yes, his hair was very wavy and blond, and yes, his smile had one Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award for five years running now, but that didn't matter much to Luna. She didn't like his eyes, and eyes were where she got her first impressions of people. Lockhart's were a pale, flawless, clear blue, that didn't seem to show emotion or depth. She didn't find him handsome at all for that reason, but she didn't say so to Yvette.

"Hogwarts caretaker, Mr. Filch, has ask me to inform you that some magical items are against the rules to have on hand during school days. To get a complete list of these items, go to Mr. Filch's office. And, I might add at the moment, Dung Bombs are strictly prohibited." Dumbledore looked straight at the red-haired Weasley twins, his eyes twinkling. The twins smiled mischieviously back.

"For those of you who are second year and above and would like to try out for your house Quidditch team, tryouts will be held in two weeks." Dumbledore added.

"Now, before we part, let us unite in our school song," said Dumbledore, smiling. "Everyone pick their favorite tune-"

With a flick of his wand, a long ribbon of words spun out from the tip of it. Luna picked a random, classical melody, and sang, in a soprano voice that rang out above the others,

Hogwarts Hogwarts
Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
Teach us something please
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff
For now they're bare and full of air
Dead flies and bits of fluff
So teach us things worth knowing
Bring back what we've forgot
Just do your best we'll do the rest
And learn until our brains all rot!

No one finished at the same time, and it ended up to be a very interesting song to hear. Luna laughed when she saw the Weasley twins being the last to finish, singing the song to a slow funeral march.

"Good night, my students!" Dumbledore called out to the hall, waving to all of them merrily.

"Ravenclaw first years!" called out a blond prefect girl with the other boy prefect beside her. "Follow me!"

The first years filed out of the hall, all of them lagging a bit from tiredness. Luna looked about interestedly, however, in spite her fatigue. Nearly all the paintings at Hogwarts moved, and many of the portraits waved and smiled at the first years as they passed.

The also passed the forlorn, sorrowful-looking ghost of a woman in a ancient-looking dress made of many lovely lace flounces, but they seemed to droop with her sadness.

"Who's that?" Luna asked the blond prefect.

"That's the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw House Ghost," said the prefect. "Legend has it that she hasn't spoken to anyone for seven hundred years. I certainly have never heard her speak myself."

Luna's eyes studied the Lady's translucent face with intrest and intrigue. The Lady looked up at her, but then turned away, and floated down the hall. Luna's eyes followed her retreating, smokey figure until she was out of sight.

Many staircases later (of which Yvette got quite a fright on apon discovering that they moved), the first years stood before a beautiful statue of a medieval-looking woman. The woman's dress was made intricate by the chiseled lace and folds, and the woman's eyes seemed to shine with brilliance even in the dullness of the stone.

"Sword of Knowledge." said the blond prefect briskly, who Luna now knew to be Chryseis Irving.

The statue held out her hands, gesturing some strange form of sign language with her arms, then crossed them, and sank into the floor, and stone slab closer over her head, to ensure no student would fall through the gap in the floor. All the while, the wall behind the statue had been folding and opening, revealing a large, circular room.

The armchairs and couches scattered about the room where large, plush, and royal blue, and the intricate blue rugs covered nearly all of the floor. The walls were made of a silvery stone, and the ceiling and rafters looked just like those of a Cathedral's. An archway to the far left of the room lead to what looked like a magnificient library, and, although Luna was very interested, she was too tired to go inventigate further, and decided to save explorer the house library for another day.

"First year girl's dorm, up the stairs, first door to the right," said Chryseis, pointing up a circular staircase of stone.

The beds in the dorm where four-poster, hung with dark blue curtains of velvet, and Luna's trunk was at the end of a bed beside a large, arched window. Luna expected to feel a draft as she approached the window, but, to the contrary, she felt warm as ever, as she peered out of the window at the cresent moon in the dark sky.

"I'm Yvette de Coupe," Luna heard Yvette say to the other first year girls from behind her.

"I'm Melanie Walsh," said one girl with dark hair, turning away from her trunk, which she had been inspecting. "And this is my friend, Yolanda Sempers." She gestured to the girl with reddish hair beside her.

"I am Sorrel Croft," said another girl, who had black hair and glittering dark eyes, and was sitting on the edge of her bed, carefully undoing her shoelaces.

"Are you?" asked Yvette excitedly. "I've heard all about you. Your father is the founder of Witch's Essentials, isn't he?"

Luna didn't have the foggiest idea of what "Witch's Essentials" were, but Sorrel responded coolly, "Yes."

"What's 'Witch's Essentials'?" Luna asked curiously.

Yvette looked at her in disbelief. "I'm just half-magic, and even I know what it is!" she exclaimed in a tone of which Luna wasn't fond, "They're practically the most famous Dress Robe Makers in the world! All the famous witches shop there - Celestina Warbeck, to name one, the popular singing sorceress, I'm sure you've heard of her -"

"Yes, I have," said Luna, surprised when her voice had come out sounding a bit defiant.

But Yvette had already turned back to Sorrel and continued talking to her.

Luna found herself feeling hurt, but she tried to brush the emotions away, thinking, she's probably just excited about meeting someone who's famous.

She turned away from Yvette and Sorrel, looking for Frauke. But Frauke had already changed into her nightgown and gone to sleep.

She looked over at the other girls, Yolanda Semper and Melanie Walsh, and saw she was listening raptly to Yvette and Sorrel's conversation about the new fashions of the year.

She now remembered the other Ravenclaw girl in her year, Bridget Abrams or something, and turned to see the girl with mouse-brown hair reading a book on her bed.

"What's your name?" Luna asked her.

"Bridget Abbey," the girl answered shortly, looking up briefly and smiling kindly, but nevertheless returning to her book after a moment.

Luna sighed inwardly, changed into her nightgown, and slipped under the warm covers of her four-poster bed.

She heard her earlier thoughts of she's probably just excited about meeting someone who's famous echo in her ears once more.

And then, coming from a voice in the very deepest part of her mind of which she could not control, Luna heard, but do you really need someone who gets that excited, just forgetting comepletely about any previous friends, when someone who's popular is around?

Luna felt a very rare feeling of anger run through her body, causing her to slam her fist down noiselessly on her pillow.

This is all my fault, I should have tried harder to make friends, thought Luna bitterly.

No, it is not. You were yourself today, and that is all people should ever want or expect from you, said the voice.

Luna gave a weak, hollow sigh, sank back into her pillow, and escaped into the world of her dreams and fantasies, which slowly but surely lulled her to sleep.





Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two,
New Troubles



The next morning, Frauke was up at the crack of dawn, singing softly. Luna didn't mind so much, as she was a morning person, and liked to get up to see the last of the sunrise. Frauke's voice was pretty, so high and clear, singing her Dutch words. Bridget Abbey woke up, her thick hair messy, smiled and shook her head at Frauke's back as the Dutch girl brushed her hair, and opened her leather-bound book to continue reading.

"Are - you - opgewekt, Luna?" Frauke asked her, the sun glinting off her platinum hair. Luna was able to translate her simple sentence into "Are you aroused, Luna?"

Luna smiled and nodded.

"Are you looking forward to the classes, Frauke?" she asked her.

"Ja!" said Frauke enthusiastically. "I - cannot - wait!"

"What's going on?" asked Melanie Walsh, looking around the dark curtains of her bed.

"I'm talking to Frauke, and Bridget's reading," said Luna, feeling much more hopeful and happier than she had the night before.

"Oh," said Melanie grumpily, pushing her dark, short hair out of her eyes.

"Oooh, Luna," asked Yolanda, who had apparently just awakened, but her eyes were bright, "Can I do your hair? It's so long and lovely, I'd love to put it up or something. Mama says I've got a real knack for hairstyling."

"Yes, if you'd like," said Luna, smiling slightly, trying to be fair-minded and agreeable.

Yolanda grabbed a small box from under her four-poster, and rushed over to Luna's vanity excitedly, saying, as she pulled out an expensive-looking brush, "Your hair is such a nice color, it looks very natural, like you'd just blend right in with nature."

"Thank you," Luna replied, watching the reflection of Yolanda expertly brush the long strands of her hair in the mirror. Frauke turned to watched, and Bridget glanced over the top of her book momentarily to see what the commotion was.

Yolanda pulled out a brown hairband, and pulled Luna's hair into a ponytail at the back of her head. Then she separated Luna's ponytail into two long strands, and twisted them around the hairband in opposite directions.

"This," said Yolanda happily, "makes the bun look more like a rose and fancier, but it's not hard to do at all."

"Yeah, I'll bet," said Luna.

"No, really! Well, Mama is a hair-dresser, after all - that's where I learned all these tricks."

"You must have hair-styling in your blood," said Luna, chuckling.

"Definitely!" said Yolanda, securing the fancy bun by skewering it with Bobbi pins.

Yolanda, putting the finishing touches on her "masterpiece," as she called it, pulled loose, wild tendrils down to frame her face, so Luna looked like she usually did - as Delbert liked to put it, elegantly disheveled.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Yolanda, stepping aside, her eyes growing larger in a questioning expression.

"It's very pretty!" said Luna, smiling at Yolanda, then studying her hair in the mirror. It indeed was very pretty - her hair had been loosely pulled back, and piled into a carefree but fancy bun at the back of her head.

"Het is zeer mooi, zeer!" said Frauke as she braided one strand of her hair, as she had done the night before, except she was weaving pastel green, purple, and blue threads in it deftly.

Luna turned and smiled at Frauke, for she had translated what she had said into "It is very beautiful, very!" Luna thanked her mother and father for teaching her the basics of many languages when she was younger.

"It does look rather nice, I suppose," said a voice from the far side of the room, "You must be quite talented at dressing hair, Yolanda."

Luna turned to see Sorrel sitting up in bed, her dark eyes surveying Luna's hair.

"You'll have to do my hair sometime, Yolanda," said Sorrel, turning her glittering stare to Yolanda, who was sitting on her bed, brushing her own reddish-brown hair.

"Oh, sure," said Yolanda happily, "I'd have to curl it, though. Mum's taught me all the techniques to make hairstyles look natural and carefree, and I find they don't work well with hair as straight as your's."

Sorrel scowled for a moment, but she quickly replaced her sour look with a smile. "Alright, then. We'll have to get some curlers from -"

Yolanda and Sorrel began talking about the different hairstyles they could do, and Bridget marked the page in her book and set it down on her bedside table. She then hurriedly brushed her hair, getting out the worst of the tangles, and quickly pulled it back into a thick, wavy ponytail.

"Have you all been up for long?" asked Yvette, leaning out of her bed, watching them.

"Not too long, just since sunrise," said Luna.

"Sunrise!" Yvette sank back into her pillows. "I shall never stay awake today!"

"Yes you will, everything will be so interesting, you won't want to even blink," said Luna simply.

"Alright, then," she said with a shrug, "By the way, Luna, you're hair looks very pretty."

"Thank you," Luna replied. "Yolanda did it for me."

The girls dressed, and hurried out of the dorm.

Perhaps this day won't be so bad after all, Luna thought as she laughed with the other girls as they walked down the spiral staircase and into the common room.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two (Continued)



Once in the common room, Luna was stopped by a tall girl, who appeared to be in fifth or sixth year, who had been quietly flipping through the pages of an ancient-looking book before seeing Luna. Luna remembered her as the prefect who had directed the first years to Ravenclaw house the night prior.

"Hi, you're Luna Lovegood, aren't you?" Chryseis asked her.

"Yes, I am," said Luna curiously.

"I'm Chryseis Irving," she said friendily. "Strange first name, I know, it's Greek - anyway, you're father's editor of The Quibbler, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Luna replied proudly.

"I thought so," said Chryseis. "I've heard he considers all sorts of articles. And I was wondering - if it isn't too much trouble, and if he rejects it, I'll understand perfectly - but, I've written an article about Wetland Horses, as they are commonly known to people that believe-"

"Have you?" said Luna excitedly, her eyes widening as she looked up at Chryseis.

"Yes," said Chryseis, "And I was wondering, if I showed it to you in the Library, say, on Wednesday, you might consider sending it to your dad for him to look over?"

"Oh, of course! I'd love to hear what your theories of the creatures are - they undoubtably exist - you cannot deny them if you look at the similarity of all the creature sightings from the witnesses - would six be okay to meet?"

"Yes, it'd be fine!" said Chryseis, glowing with pleasure, as she turned to go out of the common room door. "I'll see you on Wednesday!"

"Great," said Luna, as she turned back to the other girls. Sorrel was looking at her with intense dislike. Luna reeled back a step at the sight of her glittering eyes, glinting maliciously.

"What?" asked Luna in pure bewilderment.

"I wondered when Yvette said your name was Lovegood," said Sorrel, her eyes narrowing. "I wondered."

"Wondered what?" Luna asked her, growing impatient.

"I wondered if your dad was the editor of The Quibbler, and so he is. So," said Sorrel darkly. "So."

"So what?" said Bridget Abbey in exasperation. "You're sounding ridiculous, you know. Cut to the chase, why don't you!"

Frauke was looking back and forth at the different girls, looking as though she was trying to read their expressions, for she couldn't understand half their english words.

"You know that magazine's trash, Abbey!" Sorrel snapped.

"Matter of opinion, and yours is rather useless," said Bridget coolly, but her cheeks were pink.

Sorrel flushed darkly.

"Now you've teamed up with that nut, Irving, Lovegood," said Sorrel nastily, rounding on Luna. "My sister Acantha told me all about her - she's apparently unwell in the head!"

"No she's not!" Luna found herself snapping. "How dare you!"

"But you're just like her, aren't you?" Sorrel shot back. "You're both nuts, both insane, both loony -"

Sorrel suddenly let out a cackle of mad laughter, her eyes shining with a crazed sort of glee.

"She's Loony Lovegood!" she gasped, still cackling, and pointing to Luna.

Luna's jaw dropped at the girl's bizarre behavior. She snapped it shut.

"Like that was a hard nickname to come up with, Sour!" she said, glaring at Sorrel.

Sorrel's gleeful expression vanished in an instant.

"What did you call me?" she asked slowly.

"I called you 'Sour.' Don't you know that Sorrel is the name of a sour-tasting plant?"

"I suspect you'd know about all the nasty plants, wouldn't you, you're such a hag!" said Sorrel after a moment, for she had been rendered speechless for a few seconds.

"Oh, this is ludicrous!" Bridget suddenly erupted, her cheeks red and her usually soft brown eyes dark and sharp. "What's it matter whether Luna's dad edits a newspaper of not?"

Bridget glared at Sorrel, who stepped back a step under her fierce gaze. "I had better get out of here before I really blow my top - this is just ludicrous -!"

She stomped from the room and out of the common room door, fuming.

Sorrel stared after her, her mouth parted slightly in shock.

"She was right, you know," said Yolanda suddenly, flushing. "It doesn't matter what Luna's father does to make a living, as long as it's honest work."

"But it's not! They sell all sorts of made-up rubbish - my father thinks it's a real joke -"

"Well, I don't, and some people who buy Daddy's magazine think the same. If you don't like it, don't buy it, but don't you dare put down Daddy!" said Luna, her eyes flashing.

"Fine, fine, Loony, I'll make you see the error of your ways someday," said Sorrel nastily. Luna's jaw dropped in disbelief at her words. "C'mon, Melanie, Yolanda, Yvette -"

Melanie gave Luna a nasty look that could rival Sorrel's, and Yvette moved to follow Sorrel without even giving Luna a single look. Yolanda leaned over and whispered, "I'm sorry - it's just, Melanie's been my friend for practically forever - "

Luna just shrugged at this. She liked Yolanda, but she didn't think she could ever really trust her, ever really count on her.

"Ahh," said Frauke beside her as they watched the girls parade out of the common room - Sorrel's and Melanie's expressions near-identical, Yvette trying to mimmick the two, and Yolanda looking extremely uncomfortable.

"I am - sorry - Luna," said Frauke slowly. Luna could tell Frauke wasn't speaking slowly just because of her difficulty of speaking English - she was a shocked as Luna was at how suddenly the demeanors of the first year girls had fallen apart.

"I - do not - know - precisely - what this is - about," she continued, "But I do - know that - Sorrel - is foul-tempered!"

Frauke then looked slightly pleased at speaking complete English. Luna managed to smile at the girl for a moment.

"Do you know if I did anything to make her turn on me like that?" she then asked Frauke seriously.

Frauke shook her head. "No, not that I am - aware."

Luna sighed.

"I guess she just doesn't like me, then." said Luna. "I'll just have to keep being nice to her, I suppose, and maybe she'll like me someday - "

"Nr! Zij verdient uw welwillendheid niet na zo slecht het behandelen van u!" said Frauke sharply.

"Sorry, I don't understand that much Dutch," said Luna. Frauke's winter white cheeks flushed.

"I said, 'No, she does not - deserve your - benevolence - after this - way badly - treating - you,'" mumbled Frauke.

"Don't get down in the mouth - you were excited, and people always speak in their native language when excited."

"Really?" asked Frauke.

"Yes, usually," said Luna, nodding. "C'mon, let's go down to the Great Hall for breakfast, I suppose."

Luna wasn't looking forward to having to endure Sorrel's nasty looks during breakfast, but she knew she would have to face her again sometime.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two (Continued)



The Great Hall was bright and shining under the clear, azure sky of the ceiling. It seemed so very cheerful, and Luna tried to keep from staring at Sorrel, who was looking like the sole thundercloud in miles.

Bridget was sitting at the opposite end of the Ravenclaw table to Sorrel, her mouth set in a firm frown, her eyes still sharp, flitting back and forth in furious thought.

Luna made a beeline to sit beside the girl, with Frauke following her.

"Thanks for sticking up for me back in the common room," said Luna immediately as she slid onto the bench beside Bridget.

"Oh, it's no trouble," said Bridget, fiercely attacking her eggs with her fork. "I like to get riled every once and a while - it gets my blood pumping."

Frauke smiled slightly, seemingly trying to bite back a laugh.

"Well, thanks, anyway. Maybe I was too hard on Sorrel,"

"Hard?" said Bridget, her brows shooting up in disbelief. "Too hard? Luna, I've dealt with people like her before - don't give 'em a moment of your time!"

"That's what Frauke here told me too," said Luna, feeling uncomfortable. "I just feel like this is all my fault -"

Bridget shook her head at this. "Don't feel that way. There's nothing you can do about people like that - there's a good chance they'll always be that way, on the inside, anyhow. D'you want a scone?"

She held up a triangular pastry dotted with cinnamon. Luna shook her head.

"C'mon, now, last thing you need to do is starve yourself," said Bridget briskly.

"I'm just not that hungry," said Luna.

"Just don't get yourself in a stooper or anything like that," said Bridget. "That's the last thing you want to do."

"Alright, then," said Luna, finally accepting the scone.

"Chryseis seems quite nice, doesn't she?" said Bridget.

"Yes, she does, that's why I got so mad at Sorrel when she said she was insane," said Luna. "Bridget, do you think what I believe in is . . . loony?"

Bridget chewed her egg thoughtfully.

"No, I don't," she said finally. "I mean, look at space, or, as called by the muggle scientists where they study this sort of thing in America's NASA, Black Matter. Even wizards don't know how far it goes. Or what it leads to. As long as there's the possibilty that it keeps going, I don't think you can be sure of anything."

"Where do you learn all this stuff?" Luna asked her.

Bridget shrugged. "I read a lot," she said shortly. "Expecially in the summer."

"Luna, Bridget, what is - our - first - class? -" Frauke asked them in her broken English.

Bridget pulled out a schedule for inspection.

"It's Charms," she said after examining the chart for a moment, "with Professor Flitwick - he's just over there, actually, walking out of the hall."

She pointed over to the far right of the hall, where a tiny, little man with a tall gray hat was walking out of the hall.

"He's our House Head," she added.

"My, he's awfully small, isn't he?" said Luna. The man couldn't be more than four feet tall - he was even smaller than Frauke.

Frauke was staring at him, her eyes bulging slightly. Her mouth was parted, and she looked like she was trying to put together a puzzle in her mind with half the pieces missing.

"Frauke?" Luna asked her. "Frauke, are you okay?"

It was only after Flitwick had left the hall that Frauke paid any attention to Luna's calls.

"Wat?" she finally said bemusedly, looking as though she had come out of a trance, with her eyes slightly unfocused, making her look disoriented.

"Frauke, are you okay?" Luna repeated worriedly.

"I am - fine."

But Bridget was looking worried. Her brown eyes, now soft, surveyed Frauke with concern.

"Have you ever seen Flitwick before, or something?" Luna asked her.

"Nr, nr, I have not," said Frauke. "What is the - matter?"

"It's just you looked like a stone statue when you were staring at Flitwick," said Luna.

"It is - nothing, do not - worry," said Frauke simply, brushing her fine, fair hair behind her ears.

"If something is wrong, though, you should tell us," said Bridget seriously.

"Nr, I am - fine, truly-" said Frauke shortly, and she got up to walk out of the hall.

"Frauke! Wait!" Luna called after her, and made to get up and go after her, but Bridget laid a hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Let her go. Maybe Flitwick reminded her of a family member or friend, or maybe he made her feel homesick for Holland somehow. Let her go - she probably just wants to be alone right now - if there's anything wrong, she'll tell us when she's ready," said Bridget calmly.

"Alright, then," said Luna uncertainly as she sat back down. "I just hope she shows up in time for class."

"She will if she knows what's good for her," Bridget said, "No one wants to get detention on first day."

The girls finished breakfast in silence, both seemingly contemplating Frauke's strange behavior.

"If anything is bothering her," said Luna as they swung their bags over their shoulders to leave the Hall, "I hope she does tell us about it. There's nothing worse than piling problems inside yourself."

"Yeah," said Bridget. "I've had to watch out for Grandad's troubles for years, to make sure he doesn't get himself into a stooper again. That's why I was quick to warn you."

"What do you mean?"

Bridget shrugged.

"Mum and Dad died when I was a baby, and Grandma past away when I was four. I have to look out for Grandad - make sure he doesn't get too sad, I hate it when he's like that. He thinks I'll never grow up to be an accomplished lady without a woman around the house for me to look up to as a role model."

Bridget laughed suddenly.

"I remember when I was eight - this was before I learned how to walk on eggshell around him - he had actually decided that he was going to have to marry again. Got all gloomy like it was his doom."

"Did he get married again?"

"Nah - I'd grown up reading all those muggle fairytales - Grandma was a muggleborn, and she read them to me before I could read myself - that had perfectly dreadful step-mothers. Like Cinderella, The Wild Swans - anyway, I decided if Grandad and were going to be happy, I'd better do something, and fast. So I showed him that I could 'walk and talk like laaady.'" said Bridget grinning.

When Luna didn't get the joke, she supplied, "It's from a muggle movie, My Fair Lady."

"I wish I could have had a muggle relation - I'd have gotten to learn so much more. Anyway, go on." said Luna.

"Well, Grandad decided, with notable relief, I might add -" Bridget grinned wickedly at this, "that he wouldn't have to marry again. I've been trying to be a 'lady' ever since - that's one of the reasons I read so much, although I do truly love books, but it's also a 'gentlewoman's' activity - and to keep his spirits up best I can. The reason he got the idea of marrying again was because he had been very sad about Grandma dying, and she had always taken extra-special intrest in my welfare."

"Bridget?" Luna started, "How did your parents die, anyway? Can I ask?"

Bridget shrugged. "They were killed by a chimaera when on a holiday in Greece. It attacked a crowd of wizard tourists - some of them survived, but not Mum and Dad. I was just two at the time - I don't remember them at all. I hadn't gone with them on the Holiday - I had been staying with Grandma and Grandad."

"I'm so sorry," said Luna with empathy. "My own mum died."

"Did she?" asked Bridget. "How?"

"One of her spells went rather badly wrong one day - she liked to experiment. It happened when I was nine."

That wasn't a lie, at least, Luna thought, one of Mum's spells did go badly wrong, after all - it was used for evil cause.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," said Bridget. "I guess were in the same boat, then, aren't we? I'm living with Grandad, you're living with your dad. Oh well, it's hard, but endurable."

Luna nodded in agreement. "I feel so sorry for kids who don't even have a parent or grandparent to look out for them - I just don't know what I'd do without Dad."

"I don't know what I'd do without Grandad, either, although he is a bit of a hassle at times."

All the while they had been talking, they had wandered out of the Great Hall, and aimlessly down Halls.

"Oh dear," said Luna, pausing as she realized they didn't know where they were going. "D'you know how to get to the Charms classroom?"

"No, I don't," said Bridget, her brows furrowing. "This place is so big . . . ."

"Hello," said a portrait of a young, curly-haired girl to their right. Luna jumped.

"I suspect you're new here, aren't you?" said the girl. "The first years are always skittish."

"Look," said Luna, "Can you tell us where to find the Charms classroom?"

"Of course," said the girl briskly. "Go up the corridor, down the staircase, turn left, follow past three archways, and turn right. Then just follow the corridor."

Bridget repeated what she said under her breath, then said, "Got it. Thanks, madam!"

"No one has ever called me a Madam before," said the girl thoughtfully. "Perhaps first years aren't quite so annoying after all."

And the girl floated out of her picture by passing under the frame and out of sight.

"Let's go - I can't believe we forgot like that - we're going to be late!" said Luna. And the girls ran down the hall, their knapsacks swinging.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two (Continued)



"Why were you late, Ms. Lovegood and Ms. Abbey?" Professor Flitwick squeaked as they entered to Charms classroom. "Class has nearly started!"

"Sorry, sir!" Bridget gasped as she slid into her seat beside Luna, panting. "It won't happen again, I promise."

Luna saw Sorrel, Melanie, and Yvette smirking at them from across the room, while Yolanda hid behind a book.

"By chance would anyone know where Ms. van Houten is?" he asked the class.

"No, sir, but she should be coming," said Luna.


"Where could she be?" Bridget whispered quietly to Luna behind her pile of books. "She shouldn't be late for class like this!"

"I don't know. I hope she turns up soon, though." Luna whispered back, worried. "I hope she hasn't gotten into trouble, or worse."

"She'll be alright -" Bridget began, but stopped short as tiny Flitwick was climbing atop a stack of books so he could see all of the students.

"Class, we begin our lesson with a spell known as Wingardium Leviosa, the Levitating Spell," said he. "It is a fairly simply spell to learn, but difficult to master. Now, if you will all take hold of your wands -" twenty-something hands rustled into their pockets, "-and mimmick this movement."

Flitwick raised his arm, holding his rather short, willowy wand, and began a swift sweeping movement when-

"Mijn verontschuldigingen, Professor!" A petite girl gasped, clutching her chest and panting, who had just entered the classroom in a sprint. It was Frauke, her hair rather mussed from running. "I am very, very - sorry - I am - late - Professor!"

"Ah, Ms. van Houten," said Professor Flitwick in surprise, raising his bushy white eyebrows at the sight of the small, disheveled figure. "Well, glad you could join us. Please take a seat, and try not to be late again. Three points from Ravenclaw."

"Yes sir," said Frauke, flushing pink. "Sorry, sir," she added as she sat down beside Luna.

"It's okay," said Luna softly.

"Yeah, I heard Fred and George Weasley lose fifty points from Gryffindor a week on average," whispered Bridget.

"Quiet, please!" said Professor Flitwick. The girls looked up and saw him look straight at them, his expression that of someone who is slightly annoyed. Sorrel, Yvette, and Melanie tittered.

"Now, where was I?" said Flitwick. "Yes, the Wingardium Leviosa Charm. Now, students, if you will copy this motion -"

He held his wand high for a second time, cut swifty through the air in a short arc, and ended the movement with a small but decided flick!

"Wingardium Leviosa!" squeaked Flitwick clearly.

An inkwell floated off his desk and hovered in a docile sort of way three feet over Flitwick's head.

"Now, students," said Flitwick, as the inkwell dropped lazily back down onto the spot on his desk where it had been sitting before, "You will attempt to do the same spell with a feather."

He flicked he wand, and white, lustrous feathers appeared on the workdesks about the classroom.

"Alright, give it a go, Bridget, then Frauke and I'll try."

"Me?" said Bridget. "Oh, all right, but don't laugh if I can't to it on first try."

She tried to mimmick the arc motion Flitwick had showed them, and immitate the profound little flick! Luna thought the motion looked alright, but she wasn't sure if it would send a feather into flight.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" cried Bridget loudly, and the feather was blasted off the table and across the room, hitting Flitwick's wizards hat and knocking it off his head.

"Sorry, professor!" Bridget gasped, but her eyes were dancing.

"No trouble, Ms. Abbey!" squeaked Flitwick distractedly, chasing after his hat. "You've got the right idea -"

"At least you got it off the table," said Luna.

"Yeah, mighty off the table," said Bridget, catching her ruffled feather in her fist, which had been floating down beside her ear.

Across the room, Sorrel and Yvette couldn't laugh, because they couldn't get their feathers to move an inch. They cast surly looks over at Bridget instead, who smiled cheerily in response. Yolanda and Melanie were having better luck, though. Yolanda had gotten her feather to roll over twice, but without it floating, and Melanie's had managed to float a couple of inches above the table.

"You try, now, Frauke," said Luna, turning to the Dutch girl.

"Ahh, right," said Frauke, who had been staring at Flitwick adjusting his hat like someone would when reading a gripping book. She shook her head, straightened, and tucked a unruly lock of fine hair behind her ear, and raised her wand.

She did the arc right, but the flick came out a bit oddly.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Frauke said softly.

The feather rolled over, then floated up a a few inches.

"Well, Ms. van Houten," said Flitwick, who had been watching, "That wasn't a clean charm, but effective, nevertheless. Five points to Ravenclaw."

"You go now, Luna," said Bridget.

Luna set her brows in concentration, and stared at the feather before her. She began the motion, trying to move it exactly the way Flitwick had shown her. She thought the little flick had come out rather well, but didn't have time to dwell on this, as she shouted a moment later, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather floated upwards gracefully. She sent it up further torwards the ceiling with more flicks of her wand. She found herself grinning at the feather hovered some twelve feet over her head, nearly dusting off the stone rafters.

"Perfectly done, Ms. Lovegood!" squeaked Flitwick praisingly. "Fifteen points to Ravenclaw!

"My feather did practically the same thing," said Bridget lowly to Luna, her brown eyes twinkling. "It just doesn't under stand the vertical concept."

Luna laughed.

"Now, let's see if you can get it down," said Flitwick.

Luna instinctively flicked her wand downwards, and the feather floated down to the table. She beamed at it as it fell softly on the hardwood, then beamed at Flitwick.

"Professor, can I try something that's harder to levitate? Something heavier, perhaps?" she asked him, trying to build up her skills.

"I suppose, Ms. Lovegood, if you're sure, although this is the first lesson, so don't be too put out if you don't succeed in the charm."

"Can I try the inkwell, please?" she asked him hopefully.

"Certainly, just bear in mind that this adds difficulty to the spell," said Flitwick. While he spoke, he levitated the little dark inkwell, full of liquid, and it floated over to the girl's desk, and dropped onto the wood.

Luna pushed a lock of hair that was straying into her line of vision back into her bun, and straightened, setting her feet apart. She raised her wand, all of her muscels in her arm feeling bunched and tight with anticipation and concentration.

Swish and flick! Luna thought firmly as she proceded to do the motion exactly as she had before.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Luna cried in the strongest voice she could muster.

The inkwell shot up off the table three feet over Luna's head in the same docile way it had done for Flitwick earlier. Luna felt her heart rate speed up with short, magical charges that were being sent up and down her arm. She concentrated hard on trying to keep the inkwell from wavering from its position or tipping.

"Superb, Ms. Lovegood!" said Flitwick, beaming at her. "Take another fifteen points for Ravenclaw."

Luna smiled, still staring at the inkwell. She gave her wand a single downward flick, and the inkwell settled back down on the table.

"Very well done. Class dismissed, students, and we will continue levitating more difficulting objects in tomarrow's lesson," squeaked Flitwick.

The students began filing out of the classroom.

"You did very well," Bridget told Luna. "At least I did better than her," she jerked her thumb in Sorrel's direction. "She couldn't get her feather to move a fraction of an inch all lesson!"

Frauke, who was staring over her shoulder at Flitwick with the same, rapt expression of someone thinking very hard, knocked into Sorrel by accident as she walked torwards the door.

"Watch where you're going, van Houten!" Sorrel snarled, who seemed to have already been in a bad temper from not managing the charm.

"My - apologies, - Croft," said Frauke, glancing up at Sorrel for a moment, then casting her gaze back on the cobble-stone floor in disintrest.

"That wasn't very sincere," said Sorrel nastily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Since when have you given a sincere apology, Sour?" said Luna darkly, gazing apon the girl, irritated at the way Sorrel treated Frauke. It was like she was trying to control her.

"I beg your pardon?" sputtered Sorrel.

"Just leave Frauke alone," said Luna coolly. "That's all I need to say to you."

"Why are you being so mean to poor Sorrel?" Yvette exclaimed in what was meant to be an innocent voice. Bridget glared at her.

"Luna didn't start this mess!" She said, her voice raised. "It was Sorrel who insulted her, Luna never did a thing to provoke her!"

"She did too!" Sorrel shouted, her eyes glittering darkly.

"Ms. Abbey, Ms. Croft, calm down!" said Flitwick, becoming aware of the argument. "Now, what's this about?"

"Van Houten pushed me!"

"She did not!" said Yolanda, flushing. "Don't tell lies, Sorrel!"

Yolanda turned to Professor Flitwick, saying, "I saw it all, Professor. Frauke bumped into Sorrel - it was evident it was an accident - and Frauke apologized. When Sorrel accused her of being un-sincere, Luna came over to stick up for Frauke. It resulted in this."

"Thank you, Ms. Sempers." said Flitwick.

"Don't let this happen again, students, or I will deduct house points," he added before returned to his desk.

Sorrel was so angry, she was shaking.

"I can't believe you, Yolanda!" she hissed once they were outside of the classroom.

To Luna's dismay, Yolanda hung her head.

"You'll be lucky if I forgive you," Sorrel told her nastily.

"And you, Loony, will pay for this!" she added furiously. Yvette and Melanie nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to see you try to hex the best witch in charms class!" said Bridget loyally.

Luna stared at the floor uncomfortably.

"C'mon, Bridget, Frauke," she said quietly. She turned and walked down the hall, her hands deep in her pockets, one hand clutched around the handle of her wand to be safe. She felt a lump rising in her throat.

Why did Sorrel Croft decide to hate me for what I am? she wondered. And worse, why did Yolanda end up to be so weakly lead, and Yvette such a fair-weather friend?

So many questions without an answer in sight. . . .

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two (Continued)



"What class do we have next?" Luna asked quickly as Bridget and Frauke joined her.

"Transfiguration, but Luna, are you sure you're okay?" asked Bridget worriedly.

"I'm fine, I suppose," said Luna with a shrug. "I just don't know what I did to make Sorrel hate me so much."

"She's a close-minded idiot that can't stand anything out of the ordinary," said Bridget impatiently with a wave of her hand.

"But four people are already against me, and I haven't been here for a day!" cried Luna. "Even Yolanda still listens to Sorrel, although she stood up for me."

"That's better than her being a creep like the rest of them," said Bridget grimly.

"I suppose," said Luna unhappily.

A few minutes later, they had found the Transfiguration classroom. The stern witch, Professor McGonagall, stood at the front of the classroom behind a desk, her face serious.

"Transfiguration is a very difficult branch of magic," she began. "It takes years to master, and a careful and cautious hand to correctly conjure and contort."

"Today we will try to turn a match into a needle," she continued, "Like so."

McGonagall pointed her wand to a small match on her desk, which instanty turned long, pointed, and silver. Luna was able to make out the little thread hole in the end.

Luna turned her gaze on the match, pointed her wand at it, and concentrated hard on turning it into a needle. But apparently her imagination had gotten in the way, because a moment later, with a loud crack -

The match had gone, and in it's place, sat a porcupine.

Several of the girls screamed, and ran to the sides of the room. Luna wrapped the hem of her robe around the small animal, so it couldn't scamper off her or injure anyone with its long, silvery brown quills.

"Ms. Lovegood, my goodness!" McGonagall said sharply. "You will not begin transfiguring animals until third year! What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," said Luna. "My imagination got in the way, I think."

Luna thought she saw a flicker of a smile on McGonagall's lips, but it was so quick and short, she wasn't sure.

"There," she said, after turning the porcupine back into a match, "Now, turn it into a needle. Nothing alive. Three points to Ravenclaw to exceeding my expectations."

Luna smiled nervously up at McGonagall. Beside her, Bridget suddenly erupted in a cry of victory.

"I did it!" she said triumpantly, holding up a silver needle.

"Good for you, Ms. Abbey," said McGonagall. "Five points to Ravenclaw."

Bridget beamed. "D'you need any help, Frauke?"

Luna turned her attention back on the match. She tried to change it a few times, but she kept having to stop the procedure, because her imagination kept coming into play, and she couldn't manage it. She eventually grew bored, and took to staring at everyone else in the room.

Frauke had succeeded, with Bridget's help, in turning her match small, silver, and pointy, but it was a bit mishapen all the same.

Across the classroom, Sorrel wasn't having any luck with her match, and was obviously getting frustrated. Yvette had made hers go pointy, and Yolanda had turned her silver and pointed, but still had the thickness of the match. Melanie had managed to turn her match into a needle, and was looking slightly smug and superior.

"Ms. Lovegood! You could at least try, don't you think?" said McGonagall in exasperation a moment later.

"Yes, Professor," said Luna quickly, pulling her concentration back to the match.

After trying a few times, all causing Luna's heart-rate to shoot up due to the force of her concentration, Luna managed to turn her match into a needle. The needle was thin and dainty, and Luna had to peer closely to make out the miniscule thread hole.

A few minutes later, class was dismissed.

"I can't believe I got the match to turn into a needle so quickly!" said Bridget disbelievingly out in the corridor. "It took me just three tries!"

Luna smiled encouragingly. "Transfiguration must be your subject, then."

"I turned my match into a needle after two tries," a voice from behind them said smugly.

Luna turned to see Sorrel, looking very disgruntled, and Melanie, wearing a superior smile, standing behind them.

"Do not lie," said Frauke impishly. "I was - watching you, - it took you - five - attempts, Melancholy."

Bridget burst out laughing. "Melancholy!" She gasped. " - Perfect - !"

Melanie glared at them. "Take it back -" she hissed. She wipped out her wand.

"Put that away!" said an older, more mature voice sternly.

Luna looked up to see a tall girl with toffee hair and brown eyes flecked with gold standing a few feet away, her hands on her hips. It was Chryseis.

"It's against school rules to hex other students, Miss Walsh," said Chryseis. "Put your wand away, now."

"What authority do you have to inforce this?" said Melanie, looking surly.

"This," said Chryseis, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a prefect badge for them to see. "So watch it!"

Melanie glared at Chryseis, but turned and walked away, Sorrel, Yvette, and Yolanda following her.

"I should - not - have called - Walsh - names," said Frauke tiredly.

Chryseis sighed. "No, you shouldn't have," she said, "But I reckon we all lose our tempers at times. Even me. Now, you should all get to potions class - Professor Snape dislikes delaying the class for late students, you know."

"Yes, ma'am," said Bridget, looking up at Chryseis with great respect.

Chryseis smiled briefly, and walked off.

Down in the Dungeons, outside the Potions classroom, the first year students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were talking. Luna, Bridget, and Frauke joined them, trying to catch up with the conversation.

"Can you believe it? It's just shocking!" said one Hufflepuff girl.

"I can," said a Ravenclaw boy, "One of them was the Weasley Twin's younger brother - my brother told me all about them. They're capable of anything!"

"What's happened?" asked Bridget.

"Didn't you hear?" the Hufflepuff girl said. "Two boys flew a car to Hogwarts!"

"That's wild," said Bridget, raising her eyebrows. "Are you sure? Did you get this information from a credible source?"

"It's all over school!"

"Then it's bound to hold a kernel of truth, I suppose."

"Like The Quibbler, except better," said one Hufflepuff girl with a giggle.

Luna felt her hands clench and unclench.

"Excuse me," Luna found herself saying coldly, and stepping out from behind Frauke and Bridget. "My father edits The Quibbler."

The girl flushed. "I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"

"Don't be," said Sorrel, stepping up. "It's a ridiculous magazine - my father, Nathanial Croft, says it's a joke, and should be stopped."

Several of the girls gasped. A stream of, "You're Nathanial Croft's daughter?" and "Oh, I've always wanted to meet you!" and "Gosh, can I have your autograph, Miss Croft?"

Sorrel smiled glamorously at them all - Bridget snorted, and threw her hands up in the air in impatience and irritation. Frauke had undone her braid, and had begun re-braiding it again.

The boys rolled their eyes and groaned.

"I really hate Witch's Essentials," said one of the boys in disgust. "My sister's always going on about how she needs more of their clothes - every month when she gets her allowance, it's off to their store in Diagon Alley, and her money's gone."

"Yeah, you told me about her," said another one of the boys. "D'you think the Tornadoes are going to have a better year? I hear they've gotten a new keeper, Rodney Flimsey -"

The talk quickly turned over to Quidditch. Luna leaned against the wall, bored, and tried to ignore Sorrel's smirks. She tuned out of the conversation, and began imagining scenarios.

"Into the classroom now, students," a cold, sharp voice suddenly said moments later, breaking through Luna's thoughts. She jumped, and turned to see a greasy-haired man in dark robes swiftly walking past her. His eyes were sharp and black, seemingly holding secrets elusive to the world. Luna looked at him curiously before obeying his command.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Two (Continued)



Moments later, in the Potions classroom - which Luna noted was very dark and damp - Snape stopped behind a desk at the front of the class, surveying them all with his dark stare.

"Welcome to Potion class," he said silkily. "Although some of you may deceive yourselves into thinking that brewing potions is simply waving a wand over a cauldron of boiling liquid, it is my duty to soon educate you on this matter.

"Potionry should not be taken lightly or carelessly," he continued, "So take care to pay attention in my class, so your potions do not result in explosion, and your expulsion from this school."

Luna raised her eyebrows slightly at this.

"Today, we will attempt to concoct a healing potion, of which will cure most poisons." He gestured to the large blackboard behind him, where a list of ingredients and directions were scrawled. "You may begin."

Luna read that the first ingredient was dried, poisonless Doxy wings, so she retreated to the Potions cupboard and retreived a jar. When she noticed that the Doxy wings varied in two sizes, she raised her hand.

"Sir, the Doxy wings aren't the same size -" she began, but the Potions Master cut her off.

"Surely. Doxy's have two pairs of wings - the lower pair is smaller." Snape frowned, and Luna saw scorn in his eyes. "You should know that, Ms. Lovegood."

"I do," said Luna, fighting exasperation, for she had dealt with infestations of Doxies in the forest near her house before, and has observed the creatures carefully. "The board says to put six Doxy wings into the potion - but I just want to know whether it's six of the larger or smaller wings so I don't make a mistake."

"The larger," said Snape, and he walked off.

"He's a bitter sort," Bridget whispered. Luna nodded with a sigh.

On the other side of the Dungeon, Sorrel was chatting animatedly with some Hufflepuff girls and Yvette.

"Ms. Croft!" Snape snapped. "My classroom is not a place to gossip -"

But Sorrel didn't seem to have heard - she apparently was intent on telling a brown-haired Hufflepuff girl about some latest fashion.

"Croft!" Snape barked angrily. "Return to you potion this instant! All of you!"

A faint, darker tinge appeared on Snape's sallow cheeks, and his eyes were sharp and cold.

Sorrel looked up at him in irritation. "Well!" she said. "I'll have you know my father -"

"I do not care who your father is," said Snape nastily. "To your potion - now!"

Bridget looked like she was fighting a smirk as Sorrel stalked over to her potion, stirred the ingredients roughly a few times, then was stopped by Snape's scornful shouts of, "No, Ms. Croft, stop! Didn't you read the directions?"

By the end of class, Luna felt relatively satisfied with her potion, although the liquid was a couple shades off what it should be. Sorrel hadn't managed to turn her potion blue, and her cheeks were red with frustration and anger. Her dark hair mussed, to her great dismay.

Luna poured a few ounces of her potion into a small vial with a ladel, and brought it up to the front of the class, as the other students were doing, for Snape to mark her work.

"Not the precise color," said Snape, examining the potion. He then uncorked the vial and smelled of it. "But it appears the potion is correct nevertheless. Take a point for Ravenclaw."

Luna went to join Bridget and Frauke, waiting for the class to be over.

When Melanie took her potion up to Snape, who gave it, though somewhat reluctantly, almost full marks. She smirked at Luna when she passed.

"Let's go," said Bridget, looking at Melanie in disgust. "The class is over, anyway."

The three girls left the dungeons, and, as classes were over for the day, went out on the school grounds.

They sat down under a oak tree near the edge of the Forbidden Forest so they would be away from the others. Bridget had opened a book, and Frauke had begun re-braiding her hair again. Luna leaned up against the oak, staring peacefully up at the sky. It was nice just to relax for the first time that day.

A sudden rustling made Luna look at Frauke, however. She had dropped her braid, her eyes of gentle seagreen looking at the forest, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked her.

"Did you - hear - that?" asked Frauke, glancing at Luna before she tore her gaze back to the forest.

Luna and Bridget, who had set down her book, shook their heads in bewilderment, and listened. Luna heard nothing for many minutes.

Then Luna heard a distinct, throbbing cry. She had never heard anything so beautiful, sad, and deep before.

"What's that?" asked Bridget. "Do you think someone's in trouble?"

"No - it sounded like a bird, or something," said Luna slowly, straining to hear more. But the throbbing cry was gone.

Suddenly lightning cracked the sky, followed by a loud roll of thunder. Rain poured down from the heavens, and Bridget stowed her book under her robes to keep it dry.

"We'd better get inside," said Luna, darting out from under the tree, Bridget and Frauke following her, her thoughts still intrigued by that strange, throbbing cry.





Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three,
Ethereal Emotions



Two days later, which were filled with Sorrel and Melanie's taunting, Luna met Chryseis in the library.

"Thanks for coming to consider my article," said Chryseis graciously as Luna sat down.

Luna smiled. Chryseis didn't treat her like an inferior first year - she treated her like a girl her age, and like a friend.

"Alright," Chryseis began as she searched intently into her knapsack. "As you know, the Loch Ness Monster is a Kelpie. But, what intrigues me is that there have been many sightings of this 'monster' on land. Kelpie's have gills, and can't stay out of the water for long. The longest time they have stayed out of the water to try and lure animal or human torwards them recorded is less than five minutes. So, a large majority of these land sightings can't be of Kelpies.

"Now, listen to this. I've been able to find most of the land sightings of 'Nessie.' The first dates 1527, seen by a man called Duncan Campbell. The location is unknown, but the description of the sighting is: 'A terrible beast seen on the Loch shore.'

"This may have been a Kelpie. We don't know, unfortunately, and detailed information is terribly scarce, considering when this sighting took place. I do find it interesting, however, that some of the earliest sightings on Nessie were on land.

"I've documented all the other instances where Nessie was seen on land that support or affect my theories. I've written it all out on a page here," said Chryseis, handing Luna a piece of paper for her to look over.

Name: E.H. Bright
Date: 1880
Location: Drumnadrochit
Description: Monster left wooded area and waddled to water on 4 legs. Long neck, dark grey in colour.

Name: William MacGruer
Date: 1912
Location: Inchnacardoch Bay
Description: Animal with long legs looking like a camel with a long neck moved into loch and vanished. Yellow in colour.

Name: Mrs. Peter Cameron
Date: 1919
Location: Not known
Description: Head like a camel on long neck with 4 limbs. Camel like colour.

Name: Alfred Cruickshank
Date: April 1923
Location: Invermoriston
Description: While driving down road saw a monster with body 3 to 3.6m long with a 3m tail. It had a arched back and 4 webbed, elephant like legs. Khaki green in colour.

Name: Col. L. MCP Fordyce
Date: April 1933
Location: Near Foyers
Description: Like cross between a large horse and camel with hump on its back. Small head on long neck. Grey in colour.

Name: George Spicer
Date: July 1933
Location: Between Dores and Foyers
Description: Large creature crossed road 140m in front of car. Thick body with long neck. Grey 7.5m long. Moved in a jerky movement then slided into loch.

Name: Mrs. Ried
Date: December 1933
Location: Inverfarigaig
Description: Seen resting on shore. Hairy body with thick mane on neck. Size of hippopotamus. Large, round head with short thick legs.

Name: Jean MacDonald and Patricia Harvey
Date: February 1934
Location: Inchnacardoch Bay
Description: Seen crossing a stream in moonlight. Thick, dark body tapering toward tail - lighter underneath. 4 thick, short legs. Body about 3m long.

"There are more," said Chryseis, "But these are the ones that I find support my theories. The last sighting - the one with Jean MacDonald and Patricia Harvey - I think they saw a young Wetland Horse."

"Anyway, one of the reasons why a lot of the muggles dismiss the idea of Nessie is that her color varies widely. But this is good for my claim, because Wetland Horses, like real horses, vary in coat color."

"Exactly what it a Wetland Horse supposed to look like, Chryseis?" asked Luna curiously.

"I've actually drawn pictures of them, based on the sighting's information," said Chryseis, diving into her bag again. "One of what they should look like in water, one of what they should look like out of water."

Chryseis placed both pictures on the table in front of Luna. One was of a rather furry look horse that beared a resemblance to a moorland pony, with it's thick, bushy mane and forelock. It had a long tail, though, rather like a Dolphin's, a bit of a roman nose, and toed hooves. The other picture was of a very sleek creature, with webbed feet and ears, and it's mane look like a fin. The tail was the same, however.

"Wetland Horses are mammals," said Chryseis, "But they're also shape-shifters to a limited extent. Out on land, they are furry animals to keep themselves warm, and their webbed feet shrink to hooves so they can climb about more easily. Wetland Horses are fantastic swimmers - although they can travel about land as easily as a unicorn, their real home is in the water."

"Wow," said Luna, fascinated.

"Isn't it?" said Chryseis, the golden flecks in her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "People don't believe in them because they say there's not enough proof that there is another specie causing these sightings, and dismiss the varying of the sightings as the Kelpie shifting shape. I'm ninety-nine percent sure that Wetland Horses exist, however."

"I think so too, but I never knew so much about them!" said Luna excitedly.

Chryseis smiled. "I'm hoping to educate people a bit more by publishing my article somewhere. And I'm hoping Mum and Dad can take me to Loch Ness to look for Wetland Horses - it seems that they are native to only Scotland. Anyway, Luna, here's a copy of my article. Can you read it, and tell me what you think?"

"Sure," said Luna, taking the pages of paper from her.

"Again, thanks so much, and I'll see you around," said Chryseis, picking up her bag to leave.

Luna gathered up the papers and put them in her bag, which she swung over her shoulder. As she walked out of the Library, she passed a group of students talking about the two boys who had flown to Hogwarts in a Ford Anglia. Luna smiled and shook her head at their gossiping. Apparently the two boys had been Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, but she wasn't sure, so she didn't count on it.

"At least Dad will have some new material to work with," Luna murmered.

"Excuse me!" said a rather impatient voice. "Luna Lovegood! I want a word with you!"

Luna turned to see an older girl who looked to be in about fifth year. She had a lot of curly, reddish hair.

"Yes?" said Luna, pausing.

"I'm Amara Edgecombe - I have heard that you are going to send an article of Irving's to your father, who may consider publishing it?"

"Yes," said Luna slowly, wondering where this was leading.

Amara put her hand on Luna's shoulder in what was intended to be a motherly sort of way, but it didn't come across as that.

"Dear, I have your very best intrests in mind when I say this," said Amara, "But do your father a favor and don't send him the article."

"Why not?" asked Luna, her brows shooting up. Amara gave her almost a pitying look, to which Luna frowned.

"Because, quite simply, my child, Irving isn't -" she cast about for a moment, seemingly searching for suitable words, "- clued in, much of the time. Her theories go against what our Ministry has proven, and your father shouldn't be printing articles that go against the Ministry's word. A few people may think that the Ministry is wrong, and the articles are right, but many will turn a scornful eye to your father and his magazine. I would hate for your father's magazine to get anymore . . . negative publicity than it already has."

"My father doesn't care what the Ministry or Ministry-lovers think of him or his magazine," said Luna coldly. "My father has every right and reason to print Chryseis's article. Good-day."

Luna roughly shook Amara's hand off her arm, stepping away from her.

"You listen to me, Lovegood," said Amara, her what-was-supposed-to-be motherly demeanor vanishing, jabbing a finger at her. "You'll pay for printing up stuff against the Ministry - your not making them look like fools, just you and your father!"

Luna exhaled loudly in anger, and turned and walked away quickly, her shoes slapping the stone floor.

~O~

Author's Note: All of the 'Nessie' sightings in the post actually did take place. I got them off a Nessie website, since I didn't want to spin my theory entirely out of nothingness.



Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three (Continued)



Luna broke into a sprint once outside the castle, trying to outrun her emotions. Some students who were outside laughed at her as she dodged logs and trees, jumping over rocks, but Luna didn't care. She had to keep running.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her hands shaking.

"Why?" Luna gasped out, her words breaking with her footfalls. "Why do - people - hate me? What did - I ever - do?!"

She tripped on a root, and nearly fell, if it hadn't been for a tree branch nearby to break her tumble. She gripped it, and slowly lowered herself to the ground, panting.

Why are people so shallow? Luna wondered, staring up at the blue sky.

The sun hung high in a pale blue sky, and shone brightly, but it didn't seem to give off any comforting warmth. Luna leaned against the tree, and closed her eyes. . . .

Edelweiss...
Edelweiss...
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever...
Edelweiss...
Edelweiss...
Bless my homeland forever...
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever...
Edelweiss...
Edelweiss...
Bless my homeland forever...

She heard the muggle lullabye from long ago. A song Aegle used to sing to put her to sleep when Luna was young, a song Aegle used to sing when Luna was upset or hurt, a song Luna used to sing to Aegle when she was sad.

Luna leaned her head against her arm - there was no longer a shoulder to cry on. She had never felt so very alone in her life.

She felt tears prickle the back of her eyes. A song that once made happy, brought back the happy memories of old, memories that Luna would give anything to remember. She closed her eyes, and felt the warm liquid of her tears cover her eyelids and lashes. Two long, willowy streams of tears crept down the sides of her face, but Luna didn't make a sound. She would not spread the words of her sadness to people who didn't care by uttering dry sobs. She felt as though her very heart was aching.

A rustling of leaves made Luna jump, and look up, scattering her tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She hastily fumbled into her robes, trying to pull out her wand.

She managed, in her scuffle for her wand, to glimpse a dark, shimmery creature of green, and seemed to have a rather long neck and bronze beak, but before she could get a second look, the creature, whatever it was, flew into the Forbidden Forest and out of sight.

"What was that?" Luna breathed.

Subconsciously promising herself to never be caught unawares with her wand deep in her pocket and hard to reach, Luna hooked her wand behind her ear, still staring at the forest.

She took a step torwards the dark folds of the trees, wondering if she should go after the creature. Her curiosity was tugging on her to go and find out what it was, but her memory of Dumbledore telling the students that entry to the Forbidden Forest was prohibited was still rather fresh in her mind.

She sighed, turned, and began walking up to the castle, rubbing the marks of her tears off with the sleeve of her robe, still determined to discover what the creature had been.

A shower of rain fell on her walk back to the castle, soaking Luna's hair and robes, but, in a flash, it felt like drops of Elixir of Knowledge.

"Wait a minute . . . . " said Luna pausing, and looking back to the forest.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three (Continued)



Once back in the Common Room, Luna made a beeline to the Library. Bridget was there, pouring over a book, and Frauke was sitting over on the window pane, staring out at the forest, apparently lost in thought, a thin and very old-looking book sitting forgotten in her lap.

"Luna, how was your meeting with Chryseis?" asked Bridget, looking up from her book, as Luna drew nearer.

"It was really good, and I think Daddy will love her theory," said Luna distractedly as she sat down beside her friend. "Why are people so - so protective about the Ministry?"

Bridget closed the book, marking her page with her finger, and surveyed Luna seriously. "What do you mean?"

Luna ran her fingers through her long, wild hair, and sighed.

"It's just after I left the Library, I was stopped by a fifth year girl - or she might've been in sixth, I'm not sure - anyway, her name was Amara Edgecombe. She said that I'd be doing my dad a favor if I chucked Chryseis article in the trash bin."

"Why?" said Bridget, her brows furrowed.

"She said it would make him look even worse." to which Luna frowned at this. "She said Chryseis's articles go against what the Ministry has proven, and it would give Dad's magazine negative publicity.

"When I told her Dad didn't care what the Ministry thought of him, and that he had every right to print the article, she said that I'd pay for making the Ministry look bad."

Luna put her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Oh, Luna. . . ." said Bridget with a sigh, abandoning her book. "It's not that I think The Quibbler has done anything wrong, but hasn't your dad printed up articles going against the Ministry before?"

"Very much so," said Luna matter-of-factly. "He's done it ever since the Ministry fired him from the Department of Mysteries."

Bridget's eyes shot up. "They did?" she asked.

"Yes. Dad thinks they fired him because he has a lot of different ideas, and considers any theory before writting it off. They fired him because they thought he made the Ministry look bad." Luna sighed. "I do remember people making fun of Daddy when he was working in the Department of Mysteries. They thought he was a 'loony - just like me," Luna said the last sentence bitterly under her breath.

"Now dad prints up articles, trying to alert people who have no idea what the Ministry's really like. Sometimes he'll stick in theories he's heard that didn't ever pan out, sometimes he takes something he's serious about, but sticks a few pieces of what might be veiwed as ludicrous material in the articles so they look harmless to Ministry nuts."

"I never knew that - well, you could say I'm a bit out of touch with a lot of the Wizarding World, since Grandpa and I live out by ourselves in the country."

"Not many people do - but Daddy does get out some information. People don't like Dad's magazine all the same, though, but I had never run into one of the people who are idiots about it until today."

"She's brainless," said Bridget, not missing a beat.

Luna shrugged. "I wish people didn't act like I was the one who's brainless," she said unhappily.

"Cheer up," said Bridget bracingly. "Just find something else to concentrate on -"

"Thanks for reminding me, Bridgie!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, cutting Bridget off, and jumping off the couch, dashing to the long line of book shelves.

"Bridgie?" said Bridget in slight disgust.

"One minute, please!" said Luna, as she ran her hand along a shelf of books, searching.

"There you are!" she exclaimed a moment later, pulling out a rather large book. Flipping through the pages to about a quarter past the first, Luna read:

AUGUREY (also known as Irish Phoenix)
M.O.M. Classification: XX

The Augurey is a native of Britain and Ireland, though sometimes found elsewhere in northern Europe. A thin, mournful looking bird, somewhat like a small and underfed vulture in appearance, the Augurey is greenish black. It is intensely shy, nests in bramble and thorn, eats large insects and faeries, flies only in heavy rain, and otherwise remains hidden in its tear-shaped nest.

The Augurey has a distinctive low and throbbing cry, which was once believed to foretell death. Wizards avoided Augurey nests for fear of hearing that heart-rending sound, and more than one wizard is believed to have suffered a heart attack on passing a thicket and hearing an unseen Augurey wail. Patient research revealed, however, that the Augurey merely sings at the approach of rain. The Augurey has since enjoyed a vogue as a home weather forecaster, though many find it's almost continual moaning during the winter months hard to bear. Augurey feathers are useless as quills, as they repell ink.

"Bridget! Frauke!" Luna called out. Bridget had been watching her read curiously, but Frauke jumped at the sound of her voice. "Remember that wail we heard a few days ago? It was an Augurey calling!"

"That's not so uncommon, Luna," said Bridget, in a gentle way so she wouldn't dampen her friend's spirits to terribly, "Augureys are found all over Britain and Ireland, I've read."

"I know, but still . . . ." said Luna, trailing off, as she stared out a west window at the Forbidden Forest. "It's just . . . he has a very mesmerizing call, you know."

Bridget raised her brows at this, but didn't say anything. Finally, a moment later, Bridget broke the silence, which had been almost eerie.

"C'mon, it's getting late, let's get on down to the Great Hall for dinner."

"Alright," said Luna, but she wasn't able to tear her gaze away from the window until Bridget persisted.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three (Continued)



That night, Luna couldn't sleep. She lay awake for hours, staring up at the dark blue velvet of the canope above her, lost in thought.

Why would people find that cry hard to bear? Luna wondered. I don't think I've ever heard anything more beautiful, anything more deep . . . .

She silently got up, and leaned on the cold stone of the window pane, the room turned silver in the moonlight, and stared out across the lake. The gently rippling water looked as though it was dappled with moonstones, and the trees seemed to be covered in a sterling dew. Everything seemed still, yet full of life, but frozen in silver time.

The wild, curious, rebellious side of Luna overtook her. Reaching into her trunk, trying to not make a sound, she removed her cloak, and wrapped it around her shoulders, tying the silver fastenings under her chin. She had to go out and experience this silver night.

She opened and closed the door to the dormitory, and ran down the spiral staircase, the only sound the light pattering of her bedsock-covered feet. The fireplace in the common room was still glowing from a few, dwindling embers, casting long shadows on the walls. She crept across the room, opened the door that led out to the rest of the castle, and slipped out into the dark corridor.

It was pitch black, and the darkness seemed to press on Luna's eyes as she glanced about, trying to adjust to the lightlessness of the area. She removed her wand after a moment, held it up to her lips, and whispered "Lumos!"

A small glow of golden light grew on the tip of her wand, illuminating the willow wood. The little glow of light seemed to cast of bits of heat, warming Luna's wand hand.

Luna tip-toed down the corridor, trying to look at and safe-proof every shadow. She didn't want to be found out of her house after hours, but she didn't think she could stay in that dormitory all night.

Trying to remember the way out of the castle, Luna crept along, keeping close to the side of the corridor and near doors, so, if she heard anyone coming, she might be able to hide. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt uneasy and almost frightened, but she didn't regret leaving the safety of her house. She was an excited, restless soul.

Suddenly Luna jumped, and leaned against the wall. She had heard footsteps, and a gravelly, grumbly voice. It was Filch.

"Mrs. Norris, what do you smell, my dear?" Filch whispered. "Sniff around, sniff around . . . if we're lucky, we might find a student out after dark . . . ."

The footsteps were growing louder, and, in desperation, Luna saw a door standing ajar a few feet from her, and she slipped noiselessly through it and into the room.

It appeared to be a classroom. The desks were nicely scrubbed, and a few pages of paper were lying about, covered in mathmatical excercises Luna couldn't understand.

The must be the Arithmany classroom, Luna thought.

"Ahh, good, Mrs. Norris, you seem to have found scent of someone!" said Filch from out in the corridor with a gleeful, gravelly giggle.

Luna's heart rate jumped, and Luna looked desperately about, looking for a way out. There was a small window on one side of the room - if she could just get it open in time -

She dashed over to the window, slipping around in her bedsocks, and began tugging at the lock. It was rusty, and old, and didn't seem to have felt a drop of oil in half a century.

Come on, Luna thought urgently. Why - won't - you - MOVE!

The latch came off with her final, desperate tug, and it flew from her grasp, Luna's hands groping at thin air, trying to catch it, and it fell to the floor with a loud, rusty clatter.

Filch cackled, and Luna heard running.

"I've got you now, you nosey little student!" grumbled Filch loudly.

Luna grabbed the window latch from the floor, so not to leave more traces than nessecary, scrambled up on the window pane, and out onto the castle roof, closing the window as quickly and silently as possible. She sidled over to the side of the window, and leaned on the cold stone wall, silently gasping in fear.

Inside the classroom, Luna heard Filch say to his cat, in a tone of disbelief, "It's not here - it must've gotten out through the door when we weren't looking, let's go look, Mrs. Norris, before it gets too far away."

Luna heard the footsteps slowly fade away, and with the sounds growing softer and softer, Luna relaxed, sighing.

I shouldn't have come out here, Luna thought as she got up, turning round.

She reeled back a step, leaning hard against the stone wall, gasping in sudden horror. If she had taken one step forward, she would have slipped off the roof, and fallen to her death. Luna clutched her racing heart, breathing loudly. She sat back down on the stone, and pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her shins, and putting her head on her chest as she pulled the cloak closer around her, shivering. She tried to slow her breathing, trying to calm herself.

It really was a very pretty scene, Luna noticed as she relaxed. Far prettier that staring out from a window, because you could turn your head and get a completely different sight. The lake looked like liquid moonstone, and the trees looked as though they had come directly out of the fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, their leaves were so silver-like and still. The grasses, green and dark chartreuse in the daytime, had been turned pale and argent, making the grounds look as though they had been draped by a silver sheet, the moonlight shining and twinkling off of it. The creamy reflection of the moon was cast on the lake, and when Luna looked up, she felt like she was falling through a sea of white stars, and a single, full moon, that winked merrily at her, that guided her through the journey.

Luna felt almost safe basking in the silver light, with the motherly Moon smiling above her. She gathered courage, stood up, and looked about for a way to get off the ledge.

A few yards away from her there was another ledge she might be able to get on. She carefully took off her bedsocks, so she would minimize the chance of slipping. The cold stone sent prickling chills up the soles of her feet, and Luna winced, but determindly, she inched torwards the ledge, leaning close to the wall, careful not to look down, and keeping her eyes on her goal.

Luna's small hand touched the cold stone of the ledge, and she hoisted herself up onto the wall, carefully and slowly. She stopped, sitting precariously on the edge, and turned around, stepping down on the stone floor.

This part of the roof was larger, and more path-like, and Luna fear dwindle as she felt more confident. Setting her sights on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Luna crept around turrets and paths of the roof, slowly working her way down to the grounds.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three (Continued)



"It won't be so bad if I just take a peek into the forest and see if I can find the bird," Luna murmered as she walked determindly torwards the forest, all of her earlier fear absent.

The dew on the grass soaking through the soles of her bedsocks, but to her surprise, instead of feeling cold and slimey, it felt warm and gentle. The breeze was soft, and caressed her hair as it ran through it and pushed it back, and seemed to be the only motion of the night. The bright moonlight cast bright light, guiding her down to the dark edge of the forest. There didn't seem much about the night that was trying to dampen Luna's free spirits.

The trees of the dark forest were twisted and knobbed, weaving in and out among eachother, thin, snake-like vines spiraling up around the trunks. The forest seemed to be entirely a relm of shadows, with only thin, gauze-like moonlight sifting through the leaves and branches, making it to the cool, damp forest floor. The dark green moss was thick and wild, and Luna feet seemed to sink into as she stepped apon it, looking curiously into the dark depths of the forest.

She took out her wand, and placed it on the palm of her flattened hand. Thinking clearing of the Augurey, she whispered sharply, "Point me!"

The wand spun thrice around her palm precariously, then stopped suddenly, pointing to north-east. Pointing her wand in the direction she was heading, Luna climbed over a root and into the forest.

It was a very queer feeling, walking alone like that, it a forest that was forbidden. Part of Luna's conscious seemed to be screaming at her, yet it was too far away for her to hear. Dry leaves crunched under her feet, and she drew her cloak closer around herself as a hollow wind wound itself through the trees, reaching her.

"Let's see," said Luna softly, "The book said Augurey's like to nest in brambles, thickets -"

Luna paused, crouched down to the ground, and parted the leaves of a tall, prickly bush, ignoring the thorns as the poked at her skin.

It was the Augurey, sitting so majestically on his nest shaped like a dollop of cream, made of grulla twig. His green neck was finely arched, and he seemed to be drifting off into an uneasy sleep. The pale gauze of moonlight shone down on him, his beak glinting brighter gold, and his feathers glowing emerald under the pale, silvery light.

"Gladwyn . . . ." Luna murmered, the name dropping from her lips so subconciously, she was surprised she had spoken.

The Augurey jerked, and looked up, with fear in his eyes. He edged away from her, sinking back further into the crook of his nest.

"No, wait, I won't hurt you," said Luna quickly and thoughtlessly, for the bird was startled, and flew off, into the dark depths of the forest, and disappeared.

Luna's shoulders slumped. I must have frightened him, thought Luna unhappily.

She turned around, feeling failure, because there was something about that bird that felt very important to her. Perhaps it was his mournful call, which sounded as though he was recalling memories of old, which reminded her of herself.

She turned, and began to trek out of the forest, sighing. It seemed she couldn't do anything right, and now she had frightened the bird.

But then Luna stopped, and paused, then turned round, staring back into the darker depths of the forest, and listened carefully. Luna had thought she had heard someone sing.

She walked back, stumbling over roots, as she was solely navigating by listening to the fadings pieces of the song. She stumbled past the now-empty Augurey nest, and ventured further into the forest, trying to catch more of the song.

As she walked deeper into the forest, the singing grew louder. It seemed to carry sorrowful notes, and was opretic. It was beautiful, in a very soulful way.

The singing grew louder, and Luna caught desperate notes, almost as though the singer felt her heart breaking. There appeared to be no words to the song, Luna realized as she paused behind a tree, only the ghostly melody and the haunting, flowing voice.

Luna seemed quite close to whoever was singing the song now. She placed her hands on the tree, and only then did she realize they were shaking. The song had a strange affect on her - it seemed to stir up emotions from long ago, emotions she had forgotten. Her heart thudding dully in her chest, her brows furrowed, Luna peered around the tree. Her eyes widened.

A beautiful, ethereal maiden in a dress of many exquisite folds and tresses was sitting side-saddle astride a magnificent white mare's back, standing still as stone in the middle of a glen. Luna shivered and clapped a trembling hand over her mouth as she saw the moonlight shine through them and cast itself on the ground as though nothing had hindered it at all.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.

[McBeth]

Chapter Three (Continued)



The ghostly maiden's voice faded slowly away. The mare pawed the ground, and snorted an icy breath into the night. Luna saw the ghost maiden's fingered tighten slightly of the reins of lace, but that was the only movement Luna could detect. The maiden's silver hair hung loose and wild about her shoulders. Luna noted that the maiden's feet, even in riding boots, where exquisitely small. Her eyes, rimmed with thick lashes, were large, and the irises were of darker silver translucence. She was tall and slim, her mouth set in determination, her nose defiant, her brows set in thoughtfulness, traces of boldness and perserverance were about her eyes, and her face seemed to be set torwards danger, her heart set on victory.

Suddenly the maiden leaned over, her silver hair tumbling about her shoulders and billowing in a wind that Luna couldn't feel, and stroked the silken ivory of the mare's neck. The mare leaned into the maiden's touch, lowering her eyes and breathing soft, spectral breaths. The maiden looked down at her steed lovingly. "You have always stood by me, sweet Ceridwen," she crooned softly, her voice like the rippling of water and the caressing of wind.

Luna watched the pair unblinkingly, for she was mesmerized, her lips parted slightly, now oblivious to the trembling of her hands and the pounding of her heart.

The ghostly maiden slid off the mare's back, and landed silently on the ground. She pressed her silvery cheek against the mare's pale neck, fingering the mare's mane and crooning soft sounds to her.

Luna blinked as she felt a chill, not from the etherealness of the scene, but because of the dropping in temperature. She tore her eyes away from the maiden and pulled her cloak closer around her. The dew that had once soaked through her bedsocks and had felt gentle and warm now felt icy, and her feet were numb. She shifted slightly, trying to wake up her feet, crunching on a few dead leaves in the process.

The spectral maiden looked up, her dark yet transluscent gaze making Luna flinch. Luna tried to turn and run, but her feet seemed to be rooted to the forest floor.

"Why," said the maiden, narrowing her eyes at her, "have you come to my resting place?"

"So-sorry!" Luna gasped out.

The maiden stepped closer to her, her brows furrowing. She stared at Luna for many moments before speaking.

"Do not fear me," said said finally. "I will do you no harm."

"Th-thank you, ma'am," Luna stammered.

"You are called Luna Lovegood." began the maiden.

"My name," she continued, "Is Liadan."

"Er-" said Luna uncertainly, "That's - pretty. . . . Your mare is beautiful."

The maiden pushed a long lock of silvery, transluscent hair behind her ear, and surveyed Luna.

"Ceridwen is not mine," said Liadan. "She is my friend."

"Of course," said Luna, feeling a fool after she spoke her simple sentence.

"Come with me," said Liadan after a moment. "I will take you back to the castle. This forest is no place for a child."

"Ceridwen," said Liadan, turning to her ivory mare, "I will see you soon."

The magnificent mare backed away into the further depths of the forest, and Luna watched her go until the brightness of her silvery, see-through coat vanished.

"It is not a wise thing to venture off into this forest of all forests, particularly at night," said Liadan. "What ever posessed you to do so?"

"I - I was looking for an Augurey," said Luna, feeling shameful under Liadan's penetrating gaze. "I find their - their call - amazing." Luna finished her sentance in a falter.

Liadan pressed her silver lips together slightly, as though there was something she wanted to say, but thought better of it.

"Come. I will show you the way out of the forest," said Liadan a moment later. She floated away, looking like she was treading on cloud. Luna scrambled after her.

"How do you know my name, anyway?" Luna asked her, panting slightly.

"Beings of spectral existance know many things," said Liadan, "And I have a very insightful eye."

"You mean you're a Seer?" asked Luna.

"No, child," said Liadan. "I am not a Seer, by any means. Insightfulness does not only make you one who can predict petty burns and broken cups."

"I'm - I'm sorry," said Luna.

"No trouble," said Liadan briskly, yet Luna could detect a new weariness and sorrowfulness in her voice.

There was a painful silence.

"Why," said Luna, moments later after gathering courage, "do you dwell in the forest?"

"Please do not ask me anymore questions, child," said Liadan sharply, and Luna heard a slight hoarseness in her voice.

Luna followed Liadan out of the forest. The full moon was gone, and the silverness of the grounds had disappeared. Luna tried not to feel dissapointed, but it was hard. She had wanted something so beautiful as the silver night to last forever.

It seemed to be a few hours until dawn - Luna could barely see a thin rim of golden light lining against the trees on the horizon. The silverness of Liadan's figure seemed to be fading away as the grounds grew lighter. A shower of rain fell, drenching Luna, the rainwater running off the long ropes of her hair.

Luna followed Liadan up to the side of the castle, where a willowly door stood embeded into the stone of the wall, the hinges rusty from little use or maintnance. Liadan floated through it, and Luna opened the door with a sharp tug, and followed her into the darkness of the hallway. Liadan's eerie glow lit up the hallway slightly, the silver light shining off cobwebs.

Luna scarcely knew when they had entered the castle. They appeared down in the Dungeons, yet it wasn't cold enough to be so. Tables, covered in ancient cloth, spiderweb, were adorned with many treasures, still and dusty, looking as though they hadn't been touched in years. A hollow, rattling wind filled the rooms and halls, chilling Luna as she followed Liadan, and she folded her wet arms, shivering.

Liadan didn't look back at Luna the whole time, nor did she speak. Everything was silent, except for the gentle sounds of water dripping from far away.

Suddenly, however, Luna was infront of the Ravenclaw Common room, the statue standing as still as always. When Luna turned to Liadan to thank her for showing her back, she gasped.

It wasn't Liadan. Her eyes, filled with great sorrow, looked as though a million troubles were behind them. Her posture, while regal and straight, was stiff and tired. Her hair seemed to lose it's wildness and perk with sadness.

She smiled sadly, and turned and floated away down the hall and out of sight.

Luna blinked, and her lips parted in surprise and shock.

It was the Grey Lady.

~O~

Feedback for the Other Side of the Moon goes here.