Courage for Christmas

There was a faint “plonk plonk� echoing down the hall.

Probably that girl’s toilet down the hall, the one that’s never worked.

His wand moved quickly and he breathed the spell as quietly as possible, inscribing the words on the stone walls:

We want you! For Dumbledore’s Army
Promotions for any one enlisting
Apply at any recruiting station.

That should do it.

He was pleased with the evenness of lettering; it looked almost official, as if it were real. As his trembling hands slid into pockets slightly sticky with toad mucus, he clutched his good-luck charm, an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper. His mum had given it to him. It reminded him of what he was fighting for.

Light footsteps alerted him and with a deep breath to quiet his nerves, he turned with a smile.

“Ohhh . . . . . Neville, it looks good!� Luna admired in a whisper. She was wearing a dark hood to cover her pale hair, but the effect of the subterfuge was marred by the large red and white striped candy cane earrings.

“Thanks! We better get back though, we’re pushing our luck,� he replied.

The sound of a scuffle froze them in their tracks. Moments passed as they stood, straining their ears, and then, just as they started to relax . . . .

“Mrs. Norris!� Neville grabbed Luna's hand and ran towards the dysfunctional toilet.

Moments later, in a cubical with scorch marks on the walls, still clutching each other’s hands they waited.

Nothing.

Nothing. And yet more nothing.

“That was close, Luna.�

Neville shook his head, swallowing past the lump in his throat. The bruise on his left temple throbbed; it had only been a week or so since he had helped demonstrate the Cruciatus Curse in Amycus’s Dark Arts class – as the victim.

Some Gryffindor I am – my hands are still shaking.

“All right – you know the drill; we need to get back to our dormitories – quickly and quietly. No side excursions, right?� he asked anxiously, for Luna was known to be distracted by the invisible tracks of the extraordinary beasts that she and her father alone believed in.

She turned her slightly protruding, luminous eyes to him and smiled.

“Of course, silly, the Obscuficating Pedanticus that was leaving footprints all over the castle is gone now. It doesn’t like . . . well . . . some of our professors.�

As they cautiously peeked around the door into the empty hallway Neville felt his heart start racing. Grimly he clenched his teeth, swallowing the bile in his throat.

Harry wouldn’t be afraid, and neither would Ron.

Quietly they crept up three flights of stairs, past the Hospital wing on the third floor, occupied by Terry Boot, who was recovering from his own stint at demonstration. Past the library on the next floor up, where Dark Magic books were now required reading. As they approached the foot of a tightly winding spiral staircase on the fifth floor, Luna froze, her eyes staring.

“Oh no!� On the floor lay trail of Droobles wrappers. And at the end of the trail. . . . Filtch.

“Run!� hissed Neville as he grabbed Luna’s hand. They ran.

Where, where, where . . . .

The question kept pace with the panicked sound of their feet as they raced up the stairs, until . . . .

The Room of Requirement, of course! We need a safe place to hide – we need a safe place to hide – we need a safe place to hide . . . .

The door appeared, and they were inside.

Neville wiped his forehead and looked around. It looked nothing like the room where the DA had formed their cadre and practiced their spells. Two comfortable looking chairs sat in front of a small cheery fireplace. Holly graced the mantle and the room smelled of fresh pine – a small Christmas tree stood in the corner. The soft light of the candles decorating it made the small room look secret and safe. Strangely, there was a flute, a viola and a harp in the corner of the room.

“It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since we’ve been here.� Luna’s dreamy voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Yeah, and it’s hard to believe the DA will get anywhere without, well, without Harry.�

“C’mon, have a seat, I have some chocolate.�

Time passed in comfort as they munched the chocolate, curled up in chairs facing each other.

“D’you every wonder, Luna, if we have a chance? Without Harry, I mean. And Ron, and Hermione?�

“Of course we do,� she comforted him, “we have you, don’t we?�

Neville’s laugh was bitter.

“Me? I’m barely a Gryffindor! You know my hands were shaking just writing on the wall! And then, when Mrs. Norris came by . . . .� He shuddered, his eyes closing.

“I’m not brave, Luna, I’m not like Harry.� His face coloured in shame.

Luna got out of her seat and wedged herself in beside him on his chair, which obligingly expanded itself slightly for comfort. She put her arm around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

“More chocolate?� she offered, taking a piece herself.

The warmth of the fire stole over them. Neville watched the flames flickering while Luna’s quiet breathing tickled his neck and her absurd earring dug into his collarbone.

“The Room of Requirement makes some funny choices,� he said as he shifted until the earring poked his throat instead. “What’s the flute for?�

“Well, most people blow into it and music comes out.�

If Neville hadn’t known Luna as well as he did, he would have thought she was joking – but Luna, for all her Ravenclaw brains, had never managed to learn to identify sarcasm, so it seemed unlikely she would be using it.

“Well, yes, I know that. What I meant is why is there a flute in the room?�

“It goes with the viola, of course. So does the harp.�

Neville shifted again, moving his arm up and around Luna’s back and finally extracting the earring from his neck. As usual, her explanations were entertaining, but not enlightening.

“Here, I’ll show you.�

Luna took her wand out from behind her ear and waved it at the trio of instruments.

“Dulcisanus lascivio!�

The harp rocked forward and the strings vibrated as if an invisible hand swept them. The flute trilled.

“I can’t make the viola play with this spell, though. There are two pieces to it. So I have to play it myself.�

Neville watched with his mouth open as Luna gently picked up the viola and tucked it under her chin.

“Ready?� she asked the instruments.

The plaintive notes of "Clair de Lune" softly filled the room. Neville listened, enchanted, as Luna played. When the last note died away, she put the viola down softly, stroking the rich brown wood with her finger.

“That was beautiful.�

“You know, Neville, it doesn’t matter if you don’t think you are brave. You act as if you are brave, and that’s what matters. Anyway, how can you tell Harry and Ron don’t feel exactly like you do? Maybe they are acting too!�

Neville gave her a slightly watery smile.

“Thanks Luna.�

He stood up, walked over and hugged her.

“Mistletoe," said Luna, pointing at a small clump of white berries and black foliage over their heads, “it’s often infested with . . . .�

Her sentence was cut off by Neville’s shy and tentative kiss.

For a moment they stood with their arms around each other, unsure.

“Well I suppose we had better . . . .�

“It must be time for us to . . . .�

They blushed and laughed together.

“Tomorrow is the start of the holidays, so I guess I’ll see you on the train.� Luna’s smile wavered a little. “It will be good to see my Dad – I’m a bit worried about him, you see.�

Neville hugged her again, returning to her some of the courage that she had gifted him with; knowing that just like love, the more you shared, the more you had.

“And next term . . . . Dumbledore’s Army will still be recruiting.�

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