Foal pt2

Umbridge paled, stumbling backwards as she pointed her wand at him in fear, "Parselmouth! Parselmouth you dark…"

A larger answering hiss emerged from the dark, and through the illumination of the fire something giant emerged.

It was larger than the Vipertooth, and it's skull alone was half the size of a hippogriff. It's snout was scaly and long, a dark greenish sheen with a giant maw twice the size of what anything should be.

Umbridge gasped and cursed something incredibly undignified.

The creature, it's eyes were milky as if with cataracts, hissed something with a long flick of its tongue- as long as half of Skylar's body length. It was horrifying, it was beautiful.

Luna inhaled with a small noise, tucking herself even closer to Adrian.

Who...was arguing. His face flushed and furious.

"- what do you mean!" Adrian screamed, breaking out of the hisses with a broken high pitched screech, "You- you useless reptile."

The basilisk recoiled, snapping a tree as thick around as Skylar's neck with the bulk supporting its weight. It exhaled heavily in annoyance, he warm air smelled like mold and rot. The basilisk responded and Adrian's jaw tensed and clicked.

"Don't piss it off." Ron whispered, firmly keeping his eyes shut as he whimpered softly, "Don't piss off the giant man eating snake."

Skylar couldn't afford to think about the ramifications, he couldn't afford to think. He was going to die- or he..he had to find a way to- to get through this.

"I- I don't know." Adrian blinked, looking sheepish suddenly, "I didn't think I'd get this- hey."

The basilisk's tongue lolled out, nearly kissing the flames as it flickered like Lutain's rapid movements.

Umbridge seemed to gather her movements, pointing her wand and screaming a spell that shot out with bright yellow light.

The basilisk flinched but stared at her outright in surprise and almost...amusement? The spell impacted, and deflected off to uselessly burn out on the forest floor. Magic repellent scales.

The basilisk hissed something, and Adrian blinked, swaying disoriently.

Adrian giggled, hysterical as the flames suddenly twisted and sputtered like something ill. Adrian turned, looking at Umbridge with something amused. Had the basilisk said a joke? Did snakes even have humor?

"Okay, kill her."

(Skylar couldn't breathe.)

Umbridge gasped and stiffened; then she collapsed to the forest floor lifelessly.

Skylar very quickly closed his eyes, crumpling to the floor with his hands fumbling over his face just to be safe. He heard the others drop, Skylar could only bare to imagine that they too were talking cover. There was a silence, before the crunch of leaves as someone walked. Uneven breaking of leaves, of cracking twigs. A rustle of cloth, then Adrian was walking again.

"Here Luna," Adrian spoke, almost bouncing as if all logic or rationality had abandoned him, "Here."

Luna was shaking, taking her wand from Adrian's outstretched hand. Adrian was swaying noticeably, large shifting movements as he casually (so casually) reached into Umbridge's rapidly cooling pockets and pulled out the other wands. Lutain dropped to the floor, the spell finally canceling out.

Adrian giggled once more, nodding towards the basilisk, "I know. Luna- you'll...you'll love Nagini, she's so…"

Luna jaw twitched as tears spilled from the corner of her traumatized eyes, "Oh Adrian."

Adrian giggled, "she- she's okay," Adrian misinterpreted, brandishing one arm dramatically behind him towards the basilisk, "She- she won't do anything unless I tell her!"

Skylar opened his eyes, barely able to breathe through the panic. The dirt and dead leaves were an inch from his face, the air was musty.

Hermione was the first one to carefully crawl over and retrieve her wand, whimpering pitifully as she touched the pink coat.

She crawled back over, passing out both Ron and Skylar's wands.

"He'll be so happy!" Adrian was continuing, trapped as if narrating a fantasy, "You- you'll-"

The black snake was in front of them, Lutain. Skylar held his breath, stiffening entirely as the midnight black serpent stared at him.

It was strangely intelligent, they had already known that. But...something else. Something different- almost a strange level of comprehensive understanding was in its gaze.

Supernatural, smart but beyond a normal point.

Help him, it almost seemed to say with its look, Remus. Help him.

Skylar didn't understand, he- what was…

Sick. Dying. The snake's tongue flickered out, kissing Skylar's nose, immortal.

What- what.

Help him! It urged, and Skylar found himself exhaling in a mere whisper "Yes."

The snake moved instantly, shifting to stare at the basilisk and Adrian, opening its mouth to hiss incessantly.

Adrian paused, looking at the snake before hissing back. They were communicating, talking.

The basilisk moved, no, it was moving away.

Skylar could hardly breathe but he could almost feel the moment the oppressive weight of the basilisk's look was off of him. He carefully pushed himself upright, making sure that Luna, Ron, and Hermione were okay before he spared a look at Adrian.

The fire was still burning, throwing strange flickering patterns across Adrian's translucent sickly skin. The scars stood out, darkening like poison in his veins. His eyes were captivated, all attention on the long thin snake he had coiled around his forearm, held close to his face. There was a strange gleam on his face, an obsessive attention he gave the black snake. He reminded Skylar of Moody- the impostor Moody the night in the graveyard.

"Is everyone okay?" Skylar asked carefully, trying his best not to look to his right and see the fallen body.

"I'm okay," Luna answered back quietly, holding her wand tightly in one hand as she used the other to push off of the ground.

"Same here," Ron choked back, shaking but putting on a brave face as he helped Hermione up.

Luna struggled to her feet, staying a careful distance from Adrian who was entirely enraptured by whatever the black snake was saying.

Saying. Talking. The black snake had spoke to Skylar. Obviously not through words, but he couldn't deny that somehow it had communicated with him. It was enchanted, something more than he had thought it was.

"The thestrals," Luna breathed, inching backwards as she exchanged glances with Skylar, "I-I can get one and bring them back. To get away."

"Go." Skylar breathed back, "We'll... distract him."

Luna worried her lower lip, "Stun him, I...he isn't in his right mind."

The idea was chilling, but a hand gently clapped Skylar's shoulder. Ron was there, staring at Luna with a grim expression but full of honesty, "We'll take care of him."

Luna gave a small nod, her eyes lingered on the two. She opened her mouth, as if to say something. Her jaw slowly closed, and for the briefest of seconds Skylar could have sworn that she knew something.

Skylar opened his mouth to protest- suddenly the idea of Luna running off didn't seem good. It was too late; she sprinted instantly and leapt over the flames.

Her body was illuminated for a brief second, glowing in the dark as the flames licked her skin but never burned her.

Then far too soon she vanished into the dark with an unheard whispering echo of something lost. Luna departed in the dark.

"I think that magical things used to love you, Adrian. They always were so fond of you, your heart was wild, like they were."

"That's nonsense."

"That you have a wild heart?"

"No, the love thing. You know I don't believe in love, Luna."

"You don't need to believe it. I know that they loved you, Adrian."

"How?"

Luna sprinted through the woods, knowing that the thestrals were hiding in the alcove not that far away. Her mind raced around the single objective; the thestrals the thestrals.

Something heavy shifted, scraping against bark and crunching leaves without hesitation. She stumbled to a halt, pausing her heavy breathing to try and isolate the single sound.

Perhaps it was a centaur, if she was lucky it may have been one from the group before. She hadn't interacted with the herd often, although she and they had a mutual respect of one another. If she was even more fortunate, it may have been one of the thestrals, attracted to the area from the smell of dead me-

Luna choked and rapidly focused on listening instead of the corpse.

A log snapped, far too large for a misplaced hoof.

Oh.

"Hello," She whispered, drawing her wand close to her chest as the crackling grew nearer. She couldn't run, it was almost certainly faster.

She knew something that large in the woods, she also knew that it was very very dangerous.

Unheard to her, the great creature responded amused, "Hello."

The low hiss confirmed Luna's fears while also lifting the pale hairs on her arms. She stood, tense and alert as she squinted into the impenetrable darkness for the mighty king of serpents. No- queen of serpents; it lacked the large red plume amidst its pointed crest.

Luna licked her lower lip worriedly, "It's...It's a pleasure to meet you. You're very beautiful, I've never seen a creature as mighty."

Adalonda huffed lowly, slowly slithering over a branch and cracking it with her scales; Luna jumped and her head snapped around to peer in the direction of the noise.

"How sweet of you," Adalonda cooed, voice twisting as if made from honey, "How precious."

Luna breathed twice, calming her nerves. Very slowly she started walking, Adalonda in turn shifted her body, keeping pace beside her unseen but plenty heard.

"I've learned about basilisks." Luna blurted, "You must be very upset. They're written about very meanly."

Adalonda's eyes blinked leisurely, tasting the air and the surrounding area. "Oh?"

"The books say horrid untrue things. They say that basilisks are mean creatures, and out of spite to satisfy their nature,they kill flowers or harmless animals."

Adalonda watched her, an invisible eye that sent prickles down Luna's spine. Never had she felt so terrified in the forest. The basilisk didn't hiss back, so Luna took it as a sign to continue her monologue.

"They say that you're very curious, and very intelligent. I know that the books were right about that, but It's sad how they call you so cruel."

"You're wrong, little one." Adalonda spoke amused, almost laughing.

"I think you're very nice." Luna continued with a breathy voice, ignorant of the rising mirth in the serpent. Her panic thrummed under her skin, pulsing with the rapid beating of her heart.

"I am not; not to humans."

"I'd love to talk to you more, I'm sure you know many things about all sorts." Luna helplessly continued, mentally hoping that something anything would emerge from the dark. She knew that roosters were lethal to a basilisk, although conjuring one wouldn't have the same effect and the creature would kill her before she could say the spell. Not to mention that if somehow through sheer dumb luck, the basilisk did die, Adrian would never forgive her.

"I do, I know things lost to history." Adalonda confirmed wistfully, "Do you know why I was locked away by Salazar Slytherin?"

Luna didn't respond, she couldn't have. She carefully climbed over a half rotten log, mindful not to trip.

"I was locked away because you are wrong." Adalonda chided gently, "I am a cruel creature. Do you know, how long I have slept? Imagining what chaos I could wrought?"

"When I awoke, what opportunity I had. Do you know what happened after my movements? I brought a war to your pathetic species, I brought disorder spanning longer than your lifetime. But once I had seemingly been of use, I was set asleep once more. Only a month of your time yet It was enough for the one before." her tongue flickered in the air, tickling against the rough bark of the ancient trees "But I have been awoken once more and as you said, I am so curious."

"I wondered," Adalonda continued slithering closer to the terrified girl, Luna held her breath sharply, hand shaking around the hilt of her wand.

"I wondered, what seeds I could plant if I remained aware for longer, and so I cradled Cerestes like an undignified worm. The one before him was much smarter, he at least knew how dangerous I was. Cerestes, all but a hatchling, was desperate for affection."

"I wondered what havoc would happen when I diseased Cerestes. It was interesting, but I was so curious, so I tore him apart like I tore the one before him."

"I envenomed his mind and left him haunted, and how I wanted to break him further. I've given him hope, told him he is special. He is a basilisk, but not of his own design. I gave him lies, I let him take form of a king because I let my breath taint his magic. How proud he was- I wish to see his face when he learns it is all fake. That he was never something strong, or proud, or powerful. Is that so greedy? So gluttonous? I wanted to press him to the edge of madness and corrupt his heart until he was nothing more than a mere rat before my hunger. Do you know child, that he is so fond of you? Death would not break him again, but the unliving would."

Adalonda's body coiled in hidden delight, "How letting that hatchling starve to death has left him cursed. But you...I never cared for Cerestes. True he is amusing, but for all of the suffering I have struck upon him...I wanted to see what he would do next."

Adalonda's eyes gleamed and her venom pooled in bloodlust, "I am a basilisk. I am intelligent, I am cruel and as you said..."

Adalonda moved her bulk, stopping Luna in her tracks. Luna inhaled sharply as Adalonda brushed near her, the long keratinous crests behind her skull nearly scraped Luna's face as she passed.

"Hello there," Luna spoke, her voice having adopted an uneasy warble. Something cold had sunk into her chest, desperate and longing in a silent scream to get away!

Luna swallowed, hyper aware as adrenaline caused by. Adalonda circled slowly, until she had completed a small circle and Luna realized sharply, that she was trapped.

"I- I" Luna stuttered, squeezing her eyes tightly closed before she opened them, hoping it was just a dream.

Adalonda twisted her head, craning to look down at the feeble creature wrapped in her body, reeking of fear and panic.

"I'm worried about Adrian." Luna blurted, her voice higher in pitch as she desperately jumped on anything she could think of, "He- he seems sick. I'm worried that- that he's...He's dying." Luna stressed, feeling as if something had grabbed her tightly and squeezed her heart out.

"I know. As you yourself said, I am so, so, curious."

"You had an air around you, when you were younger. You were mean, and sour, but something about you drew them in."

"That's not-"

"You could have tamed wyverns, or calmed manticores. They loved you, and you loved them."

"No, I'm unlovable."

"That's not true."

Luna's scream pierced the air and caused Adrian to move before he realized what was happening.

Adrenaline raced through his veins and inexplicably cleared his mind, pushing past the disorderly blur that were his thoughts. They continued, a low whisper of half spoken words and broken sentences jumbled together in a nonsensical blur.

He moved, legs pumping and burning as the reaching limbs from trees and saplings tore on his cloak. It was eerily familiar in a overwrought way; racing through the forbidden forest with bloodlust and enemies nipping at his heels.

He could hear others behind him, crashing through undergrowth and along the same trodden path. Paranoia burned coldly, making his eyes blur as they chased and he ran and ran...

"Cerestes!" Adalonda called in the dark, like a siren leading him to shore. It pierced through, broken desperate thoughts that clung to the idea of her comforting presence. She sounded puzzled, obligingly polite as if he had asked her to do something she didn't understand.

Adalonda Adalonda Adalonda, something crooned, reaching with clawed fingers and broken knuckles.

"Cerestes?"

Adrian stumbled into the area, hearing her close proximity and the deep throbbing bass of her voice. He could hear the shlshhlshl of her scales on the earthen floor, interspersed with the crackling of dead foliage.

"Adalonda!" Adrian screamed, feeling as if his throat would tear from the abuse.

"Why did you strike her?" Adalonda spoke, simultaneously inquiring and lamenting.

Adalonda Adalonda Strike who what Adalonda what I strike what who who who

"What?" Adrian answered, swaying as his words felt underwater, amplified around him as if contained by glass. Adrian could scarcely feel Lutain, coiled roughly around his neck. "I- I strike- Who? Who did I…?"

"I don't know why you did, I thought she was your friend, Cerestes?"

Who who who

Adalonda had ceased moving, instead something else drew Adrian's attention. Shifting wobbly and black- Adrian had dismissed it at first as something nonexistent. Something imaginary with the nonsensical ramblings he didn't hear but heard.

"I suppose, that she was just a rat anyways."

There was something in the clearing, an actual thing. Wobbly legged and shaking where it stood. It was wet, grotesquely so with something clear and slimy clinging to its legs; reflecting off the lighting charm.

It blinked, nearly falling as it shakily took a step towards him.

It was a thestral. A weak, newborn thestral.

No.

Adalonda strike strike you strike Adalonda you strike Luna[2] Luna Luna

"Luna!" He screamed, voice breaking and horrified, "Luna!"

He couldn't think- disjointed words repeating over in a haze of confusion. Adalonda wouldn't lie to him, so evidently something had happened somehow he had struck and he- he didn't remember.

(He didn't understand what was happening.)

I struck struck struck

"You struck her. " Adalonda soothed from the edges of his vision, as if reminding him gently of some great tragedy. "You shifted and sunk your teeth in her until she screamed."

She was lying she had to be- it..it had to be fake it-

(Adalonda hadn't ever lied to him before. Adalonda had always helped him.)

There was someone laying behind the thestral, sprawled on their side with thick black boots sticking out from behind a tree trunk.

Struck struck I struck I struck Luna

Adrian ignored the thestral, walking with a growing sense of dread.

"No." Adrian whispered, winded and pained as something invisible stabbed his heart and twisted, "No...no no…"

"It was quite savage, truly. Your venom is strong."

I struck I struck Luna I struck I struck Luna

There were marks in pale skin, long black tendrils spreading from a single thick puncture in her wrist. Her delicate skin painted in red around the mark.

No. No.

Luna no no I struck Luna Luna

He didn't remember it- but everything was shrouded in an unassuming fog. Adalonda had never led him wrong before. Adalonda had never lied to him before.

He killed her

('Is it wrong, to do terrible things for someone you care about?')

The others crashed into the clearing. The horror clarified like a balm; Skylar, Hermione and Ron were chasing him. They were in the forest, they were in the forest and Luna oh Luna.

"Adrian?"

Someone was talking to him, distorted and deeper and close and Luna oh Luna.

Adrian sunk to his knees, muddied and caked with dead leaves. He reached with one hand, blistered and scarred, towards her pale angelic face. Framed by hair glowing silver in the spell's light. He shakily brushed a strand of hair away from her (cold cold) face.

I struck I struck Luna I struck Luna

"Luna." He moaned, gripping her shoulder firmly, "Lun-Luna wake up."

Something clear and wet was dribbling from her nose and mouth; like the fluid on the thestral's legs. It was clear like water, thick like honey.

"Luna wake up."

He had no memory of it. Merlin, everything in his head was a blurry fog. Shrouded in confusion with gaps larger than castles. Adalonda was firm, she was reassuring. She had helped. She had shattered him.

I struck Luna I struck Luna I struck Luna

(He didn't remember killing her.)

Something rattled in the woods, initially Adrian dismissed it as Adalonda's curious eyes. It took a second for him to distantly recognize that Adalonda had left, giving him privacy. Instead, something clicking and rattling like a box full of bones. Through the trees, many eyes emerged, milky and luminous. Reptilian faces slowly protruded, eyeing the clearing with something like hunger.

"Oh Merlin." Skylar breathed, one hand covering his mouth as Hermione gasped and hid her face in Ron's paling face. They huddled close, flinching at every hoarse agonized scream Adrian let loose. He didn't even seem aware of it.

I struck Luna I struck Luna

The newborn thestral, looking fresh from an absent womb, blinked. It inquisitively peered around and chirped towards the fully mature beasts. They slowly emerged from the woods, weaving between trees silently until exposed to the light.

Adrian glanced over his shoulder, hunkering protectively over Luna as the thestrals granted visit. The largest one he recognized as Mylla, stepped towards the foal. It lowered its ancient skull, brushing scarred muzzle against the wet flank of the baby.

"Basilisk venom." Mylla rattled, a hissing whisper that pierced Adrian's ears as much as he tried to ignore it, "How painful to go."

"Luna wake up!" Adrian screamed, as if he could wake the dead.

"Sky…" Ron spoke, shaking as the other thestrals, the entire herd appeared from between the trees in silent memorial to their newest addition. "Sky what are these things?"

Skylar flinched, realizing suddenly that neither Ron or Hermione had ever seen the monsters before. "Thestrals."

Ron gave a small whine in the back of his throat, swinging his head suddenly towards a equine shape on the side.

"They're hideous," Hermione stuttered, "They're hideous Sky."

The newborn chirped curiously, looking far too intrigued for standing so close to a corpse.

A corpse.

"Oh, oh Skylar." Hermione choked, sounding dearly close to wretching, "It- Luna."

Adrian lifted his head up and screamed.

"G-give him a moment." Skylar could barely speak, feeling dumb with how quickly everything had gone to shite.

The thestrals were clicking their teeth together, peering over at the newborn and slowly introducing themselves to the young one. Adrian sobbed, a loud broken noise before he tilted his head back and screamed.

"Sky…" Ron swallowed, shaking his head and rubbing his hands across his own crying face, "He…"

Skylar sniffled and nodded, pointing his wand carefully at Adrian before whispering, "Stupify."

Adrian stiffened and slumped, falling next to Luna onto the ground. If not for the black poisonous lines across her skin, she looked almost sleeping.

They looked like a pair, the basilisk venom was ironically similar in look to Adrian's scarring across his face. They lay there, matching in misery.

"I- I need to let my dad know." Skylar exhaled, feeling the tears start to fall as he looked away and sent a patronus, struggling more than he ever had in his life.

The thestrals chattered, the newborn stumbled around, its wings see through and as fragile as tissue paper.

"It's kinda fitting." Ron muttered, twitching as he stared at the thestral, "She loved these bloody things."

Hermione stared at him in denial, "She...she isn't- she can't-"

Ron numbly pointed to one thestral on the sides, smaller but larger than the newborn by a significant amount, "I think that's Ginny. I can hear it."

'I let her starve to death!'

Skylar leaned over and vomited all over the floor.

"What do you mean that's not true? Luna, I- I've done bad things. Nothing can love me."

"I know that's not true, Adrian."

"How?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

OWL's and NEWT's were canceled when students returned after Easter holidays.

More alarming was the notification that the entire school year would end prematurely, due to an alarming incident which brought Albus Dumbledore back to Headmaster position instantly.

The Slytherin's were in bewilderment, instantly assuming and throwing around preposterous ideas what happened. Daphne Greengrass was silent, refusing to speak even when Draco tried his best to coax it out of her. It took only a day until everyone realized the black sheep of Slytherin was gone: Adrian Selwyn had vanished.

At first, everyone assumed he had gotten expelled until Daphne's thin lipped smile was far too grim to explain that.

It took Hermione Granger snapping in the library when overhearing a few gossiping students for the truth to settle around the castle with a heavy fog.

Looney Lovegood, Luna Lovegood, was dead.

Skylar Potter was mysteriously gone, and suddenly in the wake of that, Adrian being gone wasn't so odd.

"Merlin," Theo had breathed, looking in Adrian's room with his spare key, "It's all gone."

The entire room had been stripped; everything was blank as if he hadn't existed at all.

Daphne refused to say anything, her younger and unassuming sister was the one to mention anything after a few days of hushed whispers.

"I'd be upset too," Astoria had murmured quietly one day, looking pale and haunted, "If everyone around me kept dying."

That was enough that even Draco was silenced out of sympathy.

Skylar Potter returned after a few days, looking exhausted and well worn. For the first time in Draco's memory, Skylar Potter looked like someone deserving of the 'Golden Boy' title.

He seemed grim, determined, and far far too quiet for how he used to be.

"Does any of this make you worried?" Theo asked with hushed voices, looking between Millicent, Daphne, Draco, and Blaise, "Do you- do you even remember what Adrian Selwyn used to be like? Bloody hell, he used to be our friend."

Daphne was silent, and Draco felt far too much guilt to ever justify speaking.

"All of you," Theo's nostrils flared in his anger, "You kept pushing him," Theo pointed at Blaise accusatory, "and you kept attacking him," he pointed at Millicent, "and you never let him breathe for one bloody moment." he pointed at Draco before he rounded on Daphne with wordless fury. "And..and you wouldn't let him be."

Theo looked somewhere past furious, and just looked tired, "I am so bloody pissed at all of you."

Theo stormed out, and once again, Slytherin was quiet.

"Have I ever laughed at you before, Luna?"

"Well, no. You haven't."

"I promise I won't laugh. Tell me?"

"Once more, we are here to celebrate the end of an eventful year. Although I have been absent for most of it, I was...called in, for sake of unity. It is tradition, to close our last feast with words of enthusiasm and encouragement for the next term, yet in wake of situations I'm certain you all know, I find that it would be disgraceful and unimaginable to simply ignore the events of recent times."

"It has appeared, in the most horrific fashion, somewhat of a new tradition at Hogwarts, to have someone dear to our hearts depart unexpectedly. Ginevra Weasley, passed away from our ranks a mere three years ago. Cedric Diggory passed away from our ranks last year. Days ago, in my unfortunate absence due to the Ministry of Magic's intervention in our humble school, the temporary Headmistress Dolores Umbridge was found murdered in our woods along with our dearly missed Luna Lovegood."

"In wake of these incidents and the growing powers that threaten our security, I have put forth the mandatory steps for an abrupt and indefinite closure of our wonderful school."

"However, the Ministry of Magic has determined that the most recent fatalities were due to poor administration, and have stated that they choose to deny all claims that dark forces have gathered once more."

"I believe that it would be a joke, to blindly follow such propaganda and not inform my students and my friends of such a danger."

"I believe that it would be an inexcusable error to ignore that students have died, and the threat still exists to threaten the safety of you, my students. I cannot excuse placing you all in peril, not as your Headmaster but as person who is concerned not in politics or publicity but as someone concerned in the right thing to do."

"Against my will, the Ministry of Magic has denied my request for the closure of this school based on insufficient information or concern. Despite my efforts, the Ministry will not permit this. They do not want you to know or equally feel my concern, and as such they decide to keep you in the dark and not inform you of the situation. Based on our lack of intervention, our lack of action by our governing body, four students are forever silent except for words carved into their tombstones."

"I am here to inform you all, that I am suggesting you do not return to our school if you fear for your lives. If you believe that your family situation will deny you this request, then I will personally aid you to inform your guardians of this danger. I have closed the registration for new students to join our ranks; either this threat has been dealt with accordingly or in six years our halls will be empty but mentionably, safe."

"Notwithstanding, I know that certain students will take this warning as a challenge, and return with bright eyes and determination next Fall. Those that decide to once more return, I welcome you all with open arms, but do not make a decision hastily."

"In this hall, I wish to give you all a somber goodbye, and to remind you the many names and faces, and voices that are quiet now, and forever will be."

Dumbledore reached down with a wrinkled hand, raising a single goblet in a smooth movement. He held it aloft, glittering like a lighthouse to guide the way.

"To Ginny Weasley," He announced quietly, resonating the word echoed around the hall.

Two students raised goblets- Fred and George Weasley holding goblets aloft to the sky with blank expressions more unsettling than Dumbledore's words. As if a cue, Ron Weasley grabbed his cup, holding it up in a silent toast.

Gryffindor house joined in, select students holding cups with bated breaths.

"To Cedric Diggory," Dumbledore spoke, and this time a black haired student from Ravenclaw thrust her cup upwards with an expression of anger.

Others followed, the house Hufflepuff with select older students from other houses."

"To Suzie Forestar." Dumbledore announced, this time his eyes shifting to the Slytherin table were sure enough, glasses were lifting quietly into the air.

"To Luna Lovegood."

Ravenclaws lifted their glasses, eyes downcast hiding shame. Skylar Potter lifted his goblet, quiet and burning with anger.

"To all of those who we will not let fade to the dark, and who we, along with their memories, will burn bright. Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy, and what is right."

"Well...you see…"

"What is it Luna?"

"You're not unlovable, silly. Because I love you."

End of Part Two