“Would you like me to come with you?” Ron asked as he grabbed my hand, squeezing just the right amount to comfort me.

“I’ll be alright,” I smiled gratefully. “I just need some time alone.”

“Okay.” Ron let go of my hand, which was now imprinted with light pink lines where his shaky fingers had been clutching.

I watched as he walked over to his sister, Ginny, and put his arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and cried. I turned and looked out onto the lake and noticed Harry was out walking with Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, who was probably trying to convince him to come join the Ministry again. I knew that Harry would turn down the offer, and once I caught his eye, all it took was for him to roll them and send me a false smile for me to know I was correct. I kept on walking towards the Tomb. No one else was around; they were all heading back towards the castle. Each step I took brought me closer to the reality of the past and farther away from the dream I’d been living for the past week. Each step was one step closer to what lay ahead. When I was a mere three feet away from the Tomb, I stopped. The glistening white stone reflected against the sun, blinding me. As I shielded my eyes, I reached out and glazed my hand across the surface. I was just about to move closer when voices floated around me. I had a quick, foolish thought it was Professor Dumbledore who was speaking, but when I peered slightly over the marble grave, there was no mistaking the long, dirty blonde hair that belonged to none other than Luna Lovegood.

“My dad already told me he was going to do an article on you in the Quibbler. It’s his way of honoring your memory. Don’t worry; he won’t forget to mention that you were previously a member of the Weird Sisters, unless you don’t want anyone to know.”

Luna hesitated for a second, as if waiting for a response.

“Okay, I’ll tell him not to print that part. It’ll just be between us.”

If the moment hadn’t been so intense, I would have laughed. Luna was sitting here talking to Dumbledore. I hesitated and took a step back. This was wrong, just wrong. I couldn’t eavesdrop on Luna, especially since this was too personal. But she was sitting here on the floor speaking with someone who wasn’t with us anymore, and before I had made up my decision on whether to leave or not, she spoke again.

“My mother really looked up to you, you know. Like almost everyone, she used to speak very highly on your behalf. I was so excited about coming to Hogwarts just to see my mother’s hero. After the accident, she told me in one of my dreams that she greatly appreciated you coming to her funeral. I really miss her, but like you, she isn’t really gone. All I have to do is talk to her and she’s here with me. She will always be with me, just like you will, but there isn’t any need to worry about us you left behind. We’ll all be fine, and don’t worry, we’ll watch out for Harry. Hermione and Ron are really good at that, as you know. They really are two great friends, sticking with Harry all this time. They have been really nice to me, along with Ginny, and Ron is actually kind of cute. They are remarkable people, Mr. Headmaster, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

I let out a small smile. Luna was so sweet, and I have to agree with her about Ron. I felt so horrible about standing here and I made the motion to leave, but it was like gravity pulling me down to the dew stained grass. I couldn’t move.

“I’ll be sure to come visit you, along with my mom, behind the Veil in the Ministry. I won’t forget to come back and talk to you, and I won’t ever forget you. No one will, because even if you’re gone, you haven’t left. That’s what my dad told me when my mom died. She’ll always be with me, as you will; always inside my heart.”

I held my breath and wiped my hand over my tear stained face. Luna’s words made everything seem so final, but strangely okay. I ducked suddenly when her head emerged. She was holding something in her hand and, when I looked harder, I noticed it was a dandelion. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, blowing the white seeds of the flower out into the wind. Some sprinkled her face and got stuck in her hair, while others even went backwards and landed on me. Last, there was a select few that landed on top of Dumbledore’s White Tomb; they were barley visible against the background of the stone.

I wondered what she wished for when she blew the dandelion. Do wizards even make wishes on them like Muggles do? There were endless possibilities with her, it could have been anything or it could have been nothing. I would never know the truth, because at that moment, I ran back. I ran before anyone would know I was there, but I also ran before I could hear Luna calling me to return, the dandelion seeds lost in the wind.