In Silence by deryn_hermione
Summary: During her Sixth Year at Hogwarts, Luna Lovegood is captured by Death Eaters as she rides the Hogwarts Express home for Christmas. What on earth was going through her head during this harrowing experience?
Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 818 Read: 1297 Published: 08/19/12 Updated: 08/21/12
Story Notes:
Written for the Hogwarts Express contest, Prompt #5, The Last Express, on the beta boards, but I was too late to turn it in...oops.

1. In Silence by deryn_hermione

In Silence by deryn_hermione
Today’s Quibbler contains a drawing I created and sent to Daddy. It shows a friend of mine standing next to a creature that I have only imagined, so far. The caption reads, –Harry Potter: as elusive as the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.”

Across the compartment from me, Neville sits in silence, staring at his Mimbulus Mimbletonia. He is glowering at it, as though it is the source of all his problems, although I know that he loves plants, and that his real problem is the Carrows. The cut from the punishment they gave him just two days ago is angry red on his cheek. We all have battle scars like his.

–I want to fight them,” Neville says quietly.

I look up at him. –So do I.”

–We’ve been preparing so hard...I want to do more. I actually want to fight them, not just cause mischief around the school. I feel so helpless.”

–You’re doing everything you can, Neville,” I say.

–But it’s nothing compared to what Harry, Ron, and Hermione are doing,” he groans.

–You know Dumbledore gave them a mission.”

–Yeah, I know. But I still hate just sitting around when I could be making a difference.”

–You’ll get your chance soon.”



The Hogwarts Express used to be a wonderful mode of transportation. There were only a few Wrackspurts flying about, so the corridors would be filled with students. Ginny would be hexing someone, the Quidditch teams would argue about who was going to win the next Cup.

Now the Wrackspurts have arrived in droves, and the halls are dark and silent. Only an occasional footstep echoes along them, and rough voices. Death Eater voices. This year is a dangerous year. Harry Potter is off on a mission. They want to find him. And they want to get rid of all the Muggle-borns. So they take students away, to who knows where.

Dean Thomas had to leave. None of us know where he went. I didn’t know him well, but Ginny told me all about him. He draws, like me. I often wonder what has become of him. Is he drawing wherever he is? Have the Nargles confused his thoughts? Is he even able to draw?

I sigh and stare out the window, counting the trees, watching as an occasional thestral emerges from among them. The thestrals remind me that every day, people are dying—people with families, people who are too young to have really lived.

I shiver. I want to see a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I want to prove to others the existence of Nargles. I want to help Daddy test his replica of Ravenclaw’s diadem. In his last letter, he told me he was adding Wrackspurt siphons to it. I’m sure that is exactly what it needs. The last time I tested it, over summer holidays, my head was full of too many jumbled thoughts for the wisdom enhancing properties of the other elements to take effect. The Wrackspurt siphons should do the trick—

Loud footsteps. Echoing voices. A crash, and Ginny comes bursting into our compartment.

–Luna! Thank goodness I found you! They’re here!” she gasps out.

–Who are here?” I ask.

–Death Eaters. They’re looking for you. Do you have your wand?”

–We were supposed to pack them in our trunks, remember?”

Ginny cursed. –Well, I broke the rule. You can borrow mine. You need to go, Disapparate.”

–Daddy says Disapparition is dangerous; it allows the Zitherflies to—”

–This is no time for your Dad’s crazy theories! You need to go now!”

–Ginny—”

–Go!”

–How do you Disapparate?”

–Argh!” Ginny stomped her foot. –Here’s my wand. Just focus on your destination—”

Loud footsteps. Echoing voices. A crash, and a shout.

–Here she is!”

It is too late. The three Death Eaters burst into the compartment, their wands at the ready.

–You know, shouting like that will attract the nargles,” I tell them.

One of them raises his eyebrow, as though asking, –What’s a nargle?” The other two, however, just snarl. –Quit talking. You’re coming with us.”

–Where are you taking me?”

–Does that matter? What matters, Lovegood, is that your father is printing subversive stuff in the Quibbler. We need him to stop. So you’re coming with us.”

–Not to mention you’re ’elping old Xeno,” the second Death Eater growls. –You send ’im drawings and the like.”

–You read the Quibbler?”

–Quiet!” barks the first man.

They grab me and spin on the spot. I catch one last glimpse of Neville and Ginny. They appear frozen, looks of horror on their faces. The Zitherflies must have attacked, just like Daddy had said they would.

I may never see them again. I may never see Daddy again. I may very well be headed toward death. All is silent.

At least, after you die, the nargles can’t bother you.
End Notes:
Hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought! Any critique or criticism is very welcome.
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