Bab 141: The Spider's Web
Draco stood outside Gryffindor Tower. While he hated having to climb to the top of the castle, knowing how miserable Gryffindor was after their crushing defeat earlier that week had given him the strength to endure the journey.
When Sally-Anne stepped out, she looked different. She often met him with a straight back and confidence. Now, she looked tired. At first he thought it was their crushing defeat at his hands, but then he realized she'd never cared that much about Quidditch.
"Did I wake you? I didn't realize Gryffindors needed their beauty sleep."
She shook her head.
"Not tonight, Draco. Please."
"What? Did we beat you too badly?"
"No, you did splendidly." She shot him a quick smile. "Gryffindor decided it was my fault we lost. They've become… hostile."
He was familiar with the notion. Slytherin wasn't keen on losing either.
"And… never mind, nothing to worry you about."
Draco wondered what it could be, but he had his own problems. His father was still pressuring him to spy on Dumbledore. So far, he'd worked out that the man met with Granger a lot for some reason, but that was it.
They began their rounds in silence. It wasn't uncommon anymore for Sally-Anne to be quiet. Although, he felt an odd sensation. He found himself wanting to see her happy. Ways to make her smile kept popping into his head, but he didn't know why. It didn't matter; none of the ideas were any good.
If it were me, what would she say?
"Is that your 'something's bothering me' look?"
Why had he said that? It sounded ridiculous.
Her lips quivered up a little, as though she were trying to smile but couldn't.
"I suppose it is. I don't want to bore you with my problems."
"Your problems aren't boring!" he snapped.
Stop talking you idiot!
This time she managed a full smile. As angry as he was at himself, somehow her smile made it feel worth it.
It's not. Get it together.
"Gryffindor knows about your trick with the hissing. It won't be long before the other houses know about it too."
"Who told them?" he snapped.
"Ron worked it out."
The thought of a Weasley thinking he was better than Draco irritated him. How dare he! No Weasley was better than him! Even the worst Malfoy was better than the best of the Weasleys. Filthy blood traitors, the lot of them.
A soft sob snapped him out of his brooding. Shame came over him when he realized it was Sally-Anne, but he quickly snuffed it out with anger.
"Why are you crying?"
"I shouted at him. Lavender's going to dump him if he keeps spending so much time with me, so I shouted at him to keep him away."
"So what? He's a Weasley."
"He was the only other person in Hogwarts that didn't hate me. Now he does for sure."
"Who cares? If he's like everyone else, then he's like everyone else. Father says caring about people makes you weak and opens you up to manipulation."
To his surprise, Sally-Anne gave a halfhearted laugh.
"For once, I agree with your father. At least a little."
Sally-Anne looked away. What had he done? Had he made it worse? Why did he care?
"You… you care about me, don't you?" she asked.
"What?"
"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "Forget I said anything"
After Sally-Anne didn't say anything, he turned his thoughts back to his task. How was he supposed to learn anything useful about Dumbledore? The Dark Lord certainly intended to kill the headmaster; he was the biggest threat to his power. No Dumbledore, and he'd take the Ministry without trying. He already had people inside, Draco's father among them. All Draco needed to do was figure out how to kill Dumbledore.
If it were a matter of challenging him to a duel, Draco wouldn't have been involved at all. Orders were orders, but Draco didn't why. Was he looking for some sort of weakness? Watching Dumbledore's moves so they could plan for them?
Maybe Sally-Anne knows.
He spared a glance at Sally-Anne. It wasn't as though he could say anything to her, but he wanted to say something. What for? It wouldn't do him any good.
You care about me, don't you?
The awful part was that he did care about her. Why? She was a Muggle-born. A year ago, he would've dismissed her without a second thought.
Maybe they're not all the same.
He checked is Occlumency shields, and doubled his efforts to keep people out of his head. Something was wrong with him, and Sally-Anne was involved.
Weeks turned into months, not that Losha could tell the difference. Sunrise, forest life, sunset. There were days and moons in the forest.
One December morning, she prepared herself for the day with more care than usual. Goosebumps covered her skin as she scrubbed herself down.
<It's cold.>
<It's December, it usually is.>
She scrubbed her arms, then her legs, then patted herself down to ensure that she'd completely cleaned herself. When she had, she stepped out of the river and shook herself dry. After wringing out her hair, she picked up the fresh, clean clothes she'd woven the day before. A summons from the Patron of the Acromantulas demanded clean clothes that actually resembled clothes. Tutela had verified that they would be presentable.
After checking that the important bits were covered, she took off through the forest. A few leaps put her in the trees, from which she could survey the entire forest. Branches flew by, but Tutela kept pace with her below the treetops. When she felt webs begin to form, she slowed down and descended to the forest floor.
Luna and Tutela walked into the acromantula nest, but waited at the entrance. She knew better than to approach without an invitation.
"Losha," Aragog wheezed. "Please, approach."
Luna curtsied, then walked carefully towards where Aragog lay. She heard troubled whispering from his children as she approached him.
"Salutations, Aragog," Luna said in the tongue of the acromantulas. "I was honored to receive your invitation."
"After what you have done for my family, I was glad to send it." Aragog shifted in his nest. "I am dying."
Luna gasped, but made as little motion as she could otherwise. The troubled voices of his children grew louder.
"Be not afraid for me. It is my time."
He spoke more for his children than for her. At his word, their voices grew quiet.
"What can I do?"
"Please, come closer."
Losha walked closer to Aragog, taking care to keep her guard up. Invitation or no, it was still an acromantula nest.
"It's a trap," Mars whispered, looking at the Acromantulas. "You should've made him come to you."
"She can still run," Mercury said. Her attention remained all around them. "There are plenty of exits."
Tutela stayed where she was, keeping an eye on the rest of the spiders.
Losha cleared her head of her other selves.
"I know who you used to be, Losha," Aragog whispered. "My children bring me news of the castle. They told me of a girl called Lovegood who disappeared not long before you arrived."
Losha frowned. What was her old name? Lovegood? Right! She'd been Luna Lovegood before.
"That was my old name."
"Then you are familiar with their world. You can lead me to Hagrid, so I may see him one last time."
She considered it. It didn't seem like much. She knew the way to Hagrid's Hut, as she knew her way around the entire forest. But Aragog didn't know she was blind, or probably didn't know. As patriarch of the spider clan, Aragog had eyes and ears all over the forest. It was hard to keep secrets from him.
"I will lead you back," she said. "Which of your children will follow?"
Aragog shifted in his nest, walking closer to Losha.
"This will be my death march," he said, loud enough so that his children could hear. "I will not return. Therefore, I walk with my children."
Losha nodded.
"I am honoured."
"There is one last thing." On his command, a clump of silk was lowered by one of his children.
She took it and ran it through her hands.
"Is that acromantula silk?" Venus asked. "I love that stuff! Great for tying people up!"
Losha focused on Aragog to silence her other self.
"This is some of our silk. Our gift to you."
Losha curtsied and coiled the fine material.
"I am honored by this gift."
"Return here at sunrise, Losha. Together, we shall return to the human world."
Losha returned to her nest. Only then did she lower her mental guard and allow her other selves to speak. They appeared around her. As a result of her enhanced intelligence, her mind had begun to act on its own.
"Venus is right," Mars said, her arms folded over her black dress. "Great for tying people up."
Images of people tied up by their wrists, beaten and bloody, filled her head. She gasped and pushed them down.
"You should invite Toad to try it out," Venus said.
She fidgeted with her hair while staring absently forward. Despite being blind, Losha could always see her other selves. It was all she could see anymore.
In Losha's head, she got a few explicit images of staring up at a ceiling, her own body bound. Yet, in the memories, she was smiling.
She shook her head again, pushing both sets of memories back into the filing cabinet in her head.
Jupiter cleared her throat. Unlike the others, she stood up straight, although they all thought it was so she could look down on them.
"You could use it to replace those rags you've got," she said in her "sophisticated" (condescending) tone of voice. "I can show you a spell to weave it."
The memories from Jupiter were far more tame than the others' memories. Sitting with a few other women, weaving clothing, wishing a man would arrive to whisk them away.
Sounding too much like Butterhead aside, Losha liked Jupiter's idea best.
<Jupiter thinks I should weave it to make clothes,> Losha told Tutela.
<I think that's a good idea. Perhaps a dress like your sister's.>
Losha nodded. She began the walk through her memories. Stepping lightly, carefully, she made her way into Jupiter's. Like all the others', her world was so bright and colourful. Losha was careful not to stay long, to remind herself that it wasn't real. She drifted through Jupiter's memories until she found the one she wanted.
She pieced together the runes she needed for the spell, assembled them on her hands, and got to work weaving the silk into a dress.
News quickly spread through the castle the next day of a giant spider emerging from the Forbidden Forest. Hermione and her friends knew it was Aragog, but they might've been the only ones. Everyone else found it more interesting than anything else they'd ever heard.
Hagrid invited them all to a ceremony in Aragog's honor, which Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had to decline.
Hermione guessed Ginny's problem was simply with people. She'd been moody throughout the past month, with the worst of it during Quidditch practice.
Ron chose not to go because it involved a giant spider. Ginny was the only one who gave him grief about it.
Hermione herself had an impromptu meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Normally, they would've met on Sunday, but Hermione would be preparing for the Winter Holiday. When Dumbledore asked her if she'd rather meet during that week, she happily accepted.
Thus, Hermione found herself sitting on her old bed and watching Sally-Anne brush another Hermione's hair. She scowled at the future traitor, but kept her thoughts focused on the other Hermione and Rose.
They'd spent the past month walking through Professor Dumbledore's memories of Rose. They'd mostly involved conversations they'd had in his office. They'd visited the memory of third year during the earthquake, when Rose had clearly communicated with Sylvia to learn the location of Melody's cat. Apart from that, there was little of interest.
"My conversation with Professor Ozerl was through the telepathic network," she said to Professor Dumbledore, who sat on her bed next to her. "How's that going to work here?"
"We'll hear it in our heads, just like how we can only see and hear what you saw or heard."
"It would look better if you'd let me add your hair clip," Sally-Anne said.
"No. I'm not putting it back in until Rose apologizes for nearly getting Ron killed."
"And you really think that will work?"
"Eventually."
"It didn't work," Hermione said to Dumbledore.
Hermione kept running commentary on memories as her way of fending off boredom. As much as she'd enjoyed seeing Rose again, sitting and watching people talk was dull.
"She's still my friend, I just want her to know I'm annoyed."
"She's been hiding from us all week." Sally-Anne walked to her bed and picked up her necklace. "I should think she knows by now."
Hermione sunk a little in her seat. If she'd known how little time she had left with Rose, she would've forgiven her sooner. Maybe if she had, she wouldn't have turned to Sylvia.
<Professor Ozerl. Can you hear me? Eom.>
Hermione jumped when she heard her own voice speaking in her head.
<Ms. Granger, I believe you've got a ball to attend.>
Hermione stifled a laugh when the other Hermione blushed. She'd been thankful at the time that no one was around to see her.
<I just had a quick—>
<You'd like to know about how to deal with Rose, I presume?>
"I never told him that," Hermione said. "Ever. He just worked it out."
Dumbledore nodded his approval, a faint smirk barely visible behind his beard.
<Yes, Professor.>
<Reflectesalon is taking care of it. I expect she'll apologize to you by the end of the night. Now, don't keep Mr. Weasley waiting.>
<Does Rose tell you all this, or do you just know things?>
<Ms. Granger, if I told you, it'd take all the mystery out of it. Have a good night.>
<Good night.>
"Interesting," Dumbledore said. "He does seem to have an intimate knowledge of your day for someone you've never met. Although I do approve of his enigmatic personality."
Of course you do.
They followed the other Hermione down to the common room where she met Ron.
Hermione herself felt shame wash over her. She hated the idea that she'd been so awful to Ron after he'd done so much for her.
She and Dumbledore walked down with the other Hermione and Ron. She tried to distance herself from how much of a fool the other Hermione seemed. Had she always been so awkward around boys?
They got downstairs, saw Alex, then finally followed them into the Great Hall. The champions were announced, and everyone began eating.
"Is it alright if we join you?"
Like the other Hermione, Hermione turned to see Rose. Her ruby red dress sparkled in the faint light of the Great Hall, and she wore a glowing rose in her hair and Reflectesalon on her waist. Unlike the other Hermione, Hermione smiled at Rose.
"I wish I'd told her how beautiful she looks," Hermione said. "Instead of being bitter about it. I hadn't even noticed Ref or the rose in her hair."
"Everyone, this is Sylvia Tilshnery."
"Where'd she come up with that name?" Dumbledore asked. "Do you know?"
Hermione held up a finger, watching Sylvia closely as she explained where she'd met Rose. She hadn't noticed it at the time, but Sylvia's face was too perfect. As if someone had made a mask for her, but not added the details needed to make it look real.
"Where'd Rose find you?" the other Hermione asked.
"Diagon Alley," Sylvia replied.
"She was shopping with her parents, and I was there with Moon and her dad," Rose said. "We started talking when I found her hiding in the place with all the books. The one where we met Goldilocks."
"Flourish and Blotts?" Ron asked.
"That one."
"Why were you hiding?" the other Hermione asked.
"My parents only want me reading the books they preapprove," Sylvia replied. "Unapproved books include most fiction novels, anything teaching advanced magic—"
"Hold on," Hermione said, "probably should've opened with this, but you're obviously not a Muggle-born."
"Pureblood," Sylvia said. "My parents home-school me."
"If you stretch the definition of 'school'," Rose added.
"More of preparation to please the man I'm to marry," Sylvia said. "Using magic to cook, clean, sew, tend a house, that sort of thing."
"And yet, they let you come here," the other Hermione said. "With Rose, who is arguably a girl."
Rose stuck her tongue out at the other Hermione, while Hermione herself laughed at Rose.
"Rose said she took care of it."
The other Hermione narrowed her eyes at Rose.
"How?"
"That's for me to know, and the DMLE never to find out!"
Hermione smiled at Rose, although found herself feeling jealous of Sylvia. She chocked it up to the original jealousy she'd felt at seeing someone closer to Rose than she'd been. Even then, Sylvia likely knew what Rose was really doing, and Hermione didn't.
She watched the other Hermione glare and scoff at Rose. It all made Hermione feel worse about it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Why Diagon Alley?" Dumbledore asked.
"It had to be somewhere none of us could contradict," Hermione replied. "Luna never went to the ball, so she couldn't disagree, and Sylvia enchanted herself so no one could remember what she looked like, or really her at all. I never asked the others, but Neville had a crush on Rose at the time, and he never said anything about her going to the ball with another girl."
"And you never thought to ask about the rest of her story? About her name, her parents, her status as a pureblood, or how she was raised?"
Hermione frowned, then shook her head.
"In my defence, it wasn't a great year for me."
"I'm not blaming you, Ms. Granger. Only raising the question now."
Hermione thought about the word "Tilshnery". What was that?
Her mind churned to life and started dissecting the word. She had the answer before the Weird Sisters walked onto the stage.
"It's an anagram for Slytherin," she said. "That thing was arrogant enough to give us a name that was so close to its real one."
"Which could mean the rest of her story resembles its real life," Dumbledore said.
"I already know it's based on the memories of the real Salazar Slytherin," Hermione said. "But I don't know what it's planning to do with Rose."
They walked through the rest of Hermione's night. She didn't speak during her fight with Ron. They followed the other Hermione out of the castle and into the night. They waited until Ron came out and talked to her.
There wasn't much to see after that that concerned Rose. A few minutes later, they were back in Dumbledore's office.
"I see there's a lot you still haven't told me," he said.
Hermione nodded.
"I'll… we'll have to look over the memory eventually," she said. "We'll look over it next time."
Dumbledore shook his head.
"No. We need to secure the school. Now that you've worked out how Rose's magic works—"
"Which was complete luck!"
"So you've mentioned. We need to put that spell around the school."
"Dimension lock. Eighth-level spell that prevents dimensional travel in and out of the location. Even blink won't work, so she'll be easier to hit. If I can get a sample of her teleportation ability, I should be able to create a ward against it."
Dumbledore nodded his understanding.
"Something for you to work on over the holiday."
Neville and Harry walked out to Hagrid's Hut that evening. Aragog's body sat near the hut, next to a large, freshly dug hole in the ground.
It was a little humbling for Neville to see Aragog like that. Acromantulas had nearly killed him on multiple occasions, but now their leader was dead. He wasn't exactly friends with anything in the forest, but he respected Aragog. It was hard not to. He was like a mob boss.
"You didn't have to be here," Harry said.
"I'm here to pay my respects to Aragog," Neville replied. "He grows on you after his children nearly kill you four or five times."
Harry didn't say anything after that, so they walked in silence the last minute of their walk. When they arrived, they found Hagrid had a helping hand.
Neville sensed Harry's fury at seeing Sally-Anne there, but Neville himself didn't mind. Of course, he hadn't been there for the last few months of the previous year, so he didn't hold the same hostility towards Sally-Anne that the rest of his house did. To him, she was still a friendly face, although she didn't realize it.
Sally-Anne tended to Hagrid's dog Fang while Hagrid himself finished digging Aragog's grave. Fang had situated himself on his back in Sally-Anne's lap. His tongue lolled to the side while she rubbed his belly.
"Such a sweety," she said as they walked up. "You're…"
She looked up at them, and her voice trailed off. The smile faded from her face, and Fang jumped up.
Fang's body shook with excitement as he ran over to greet Harry and Neville. He tackled Harry, then leapt at Neville. Neville kept himself balanced and distracted Fang while Harry climbed to his feet.
<What's she doing here?> Harry growled in their heads.
<Probably the same thing as us,> Neville replied. <She's allowed to be here.>
<She got Hagrid sacked last year. And put McGonagall in the Hospital Wing! And I heard Hagrid was just as bad!>
Despite not knowing what they were saying, Sally-Anne got the idea of it and shrunk back inside the hut.
"Harry! Neville! Good ta see you both!" Hagrid exclaimed.
He shoved the shovel in the ground and took a breather. He walked over to them, his footsteps shaking the earth just a little.
He's sad, Neville noted. It came as no surprise, but Hagrid usually took better care to not let his entire weight be known in his footfalls.
"Wouldn't miss it," Harry said. "What's Perks doing here?"
Fang ran around to all three of them, then spotted Aragog's body still sitting there. He started to bound after it, but Hagrid caught him before he got far.
"Up until now, she's been keeping Fang busy so he doesn't go messing with Aragog." He turned back to the hut. He cupped his hands to his mouth and hollered. "Whatcha doing in there?"
Neville wasn't expecting Sally-Anne to walk out of the hut, not with Harry there. But she surprised him and came out anyway.
"Sorry," she said, "just taking a moment to collect myself. I figured with people here, we'd be starting soon."
She'd composed herself, but she was still in a state that Neville could tell that she'd been holding back tears. He felt a little bad for her. Especially because he knew if he could see she'd been crying, so could Harry.
��Once I'm done digging, I'll just say a few words and… and that will be that!"
Hagrid started blubbering. He took out a large handkerchief and blew his nose in it.
"Is it alright if I say something too?" Neville asked. "I've spent a lot of time in the forest, and… and I'd like to say a few words."
Hagrid thumped him on the back, and he nearly lost his balance.
"That'd be great of ya."
After composing himself, Hagrid returned to digging the grave. After a few minutes, Neville offered to take over and give him a break. Neither of them minded. Hagrid was grateful for the break, and Neville was grateful for something to do.
When he'd finished, he tossed the sword up and used the rope to pull himself out. He climbed out just in time to see a few additional guests arriving.
Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Lupin arrived, looking somber and curious.
"Before anyone asks," Neville said, "I volunteered to dig."
Professor Sprout smiled at him with a hint of pride. No matter how many times she did that, Neville always felt warm inside to see someone proud of him.
Fang ran over to greet their new guests. He sniffed Professors Sprout and Lupin, then happily bounded towards Professor McGonagall.
"Hagrid," Sprout said, "we're all so sorry to hear about Aragog."
She clasped his hand in hers as best she could. Hagrid blubbered for a moment before reaching for his handkerchief.
"Thank ya all for coming!" he said between blowing his nose. "It really means the world."
"Think nothing of it," McGonagall said with a wave of her hand. "We're all family at Hogwarts. Albus sends his regards, but unfortunately he had a matter that demanded his attention. You know he'd be here if he could."
Hagrid turned back to Aragog.
"Well, I won't keep you! I'm just going to say something, then Neville wanted to say something, and then—"
Rustling from the trees drew their attention. One moment, they were all standing there, and the next, Harry, Lupin, McGonagall, and Sprout had their wands drawn. Neville had the Sword of Gryffindor in hand.
The first sign that it wasn't Death Eaters was Fang. He barked and ran towards the woods. His back half swayed, and he jumped with excitement.
Neville returned the sword to his glove when Tutela walked out. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Luna walked out behind Tutela. She wore her mask, and a sleeveless, pearly white dress not that different from Rose's.
Neville's arms dropped to his sides.
"Moon."
Losha looked out at the rest of the people gathered. She'd smelled Toad before they got out of the forest. With his scent, the memories of Hogwarts flooded back to her. Memories of Toad, of laughing with her friends, of studying ancient runes. Memories of Rose.
Princess and Skyeyes were there too. She caught Professors McGonagall and Sprout, and another scent it took her a second to place as Professor Lupin.
"Ms. Lovegood?" McGonagall said.
"Glad you could make it," Mr. Hagrid said. "Thanks again for bringing Aragog here."
The scent of confusion entered the air.
"Hagrid," McGonagall said, "are you saying you've had contact with her?"
"Erm… I s'pose I did. She lead Aragog out here, y'see. He said he wanted to see me one last… last time!"
Hagrid blew his nose.
"Aragog asked me to bring him to the outside world," Losha said. "I could hardly deny a request from the Patriarch of the Spider Clan."
"Moon," Toad managed.
The urge to wrap herself in his scent hit her again. She pushed it down.
"Why?" Venus asked. "Life's too short to deny yourself pleasures. I bet he'd take you in the forest right now. I can smell the pheromones on him."
Losha pushed her back in her box where she belonged.
"What's the point?" Pluto asked. "He's probably mad at you. There's anger in him too."
"You can still run," Mercury said. "You've got plenty of openings to get away. They'll never catch you inside the forest. You don't need to be here."
Losha focused on the present to keep her other selves quiet.
"Toad." She smiled at him. "How've you been?"
"While I'm sure we're all happy to see Ms. Lovegood," McGonagall said, "perhaps we should start the ceremony."
Toad had more to say; she could smell it on him. Anger, confusion, lust, and love were all mixed together with the scent of pine. A cocktail of emotion that Losha had to fight to keep away from her.
Hagrid stood up and tried to say something. He stopped and started several times, before he turned into a blubbering mess. Sprout was quick to join him, her worry clear as day to Losha.
"Thank you!" Hagrid sobbed. "You're all so wonderful fer coming out!"
Toad stepped up and joined him.
"Aragog, you were a formidable opponent. You've got my respect."
When she didn't sense anyone else eager to say anything, Losha walked up next.
"Aragog ruled the spiders with kindness, and a strong leg. He was fair and loved every one of his children. He knew all their names. It was always difficult to send them into the castle, knowing they might not return, but they assured him it would be alright. They were his strength, and he their guidance."
She turned to the corpse of her friend.
"Aragog, you did me a great honour by trusting me to lead you here. I'm proud to call you my friend. Your children all send their love."
After a moment of hesitation, she, Toad, and Hagrid pushed Aragog into the grave. As they did, Losha shifted the runes on her body. With a sweeping of her arms, she pushed the loose earth into the grave, filling it.
They all stood there for a time, having a moment of silence. Aragog had started the spider clan. Losha knew they'd find a way to carry on. The forest always did.
"Moon, how… how've you been?" Toad whispered.
"Sad today. Aragog's gone."
Hagrid started crying again. Skyeyes and the professors tended to him. Princess stayed off to the side.
"I… You've still got your eyes."
Losha paused. He didn't know she was blind. Her mask was still on, and she'd learned to see by asking the forest. He didn't know.
I can't lie to him.
"I—"
"I'm glad. Lestrange already took my parents from me. I can't stand to think if she took something from you."
She smelled the anger on him.
"That's so much more than anger," Mars said. "That's blood lust. And… a hint of concern. Aw, he's still worried about you."
"Well the… the centaurs fixed the curse," Losha lied.
She could feel Tutela's gaze on her and smell the disdain of the homunculus.
"And… those are new clothes."
"Silk from Aragog. I wove it myself. It was hard to get it thick enough. Where's Brain?"
"Don't know. She's been meeting with Professor Dumbledore this year."
He smelled of regret, sadness, and a hint of anger.
Losha frowned, not that anyone could see.
"Has anyone told you about Rose?" he asked.
"No."
It was true that no one had said anything to her about Rose, but she was getting new dreams of a woman called Lux. She was too old to be a Luna, so it had to be someone else. There was only one person she could be, especially considering the name Aurora Lux was familiar to her.
"She's alive. I think Hermione and Professor Dumbledore are trying to find her."
Losha knew it was pointless to try finding her sister. If Rose didn't want to be found, no one could find her.
"What about you?" Toad asked. "What have you been doing?"
"Avoiding you, of course," Mars said.
"Protecting the forest."
"From what?"
"The humans have sent four search parties in the past six moons. At first, they were hunting for centaurs, but now I think they're trying to capture me. The last one had an old photo of me with them."
Concern came from Toad, and Losha realized she'd made a mistake.
"Nothing to worry about," she said quickly.
"Why don't you just come back? You'll be safe there."
Thoughts of the thing that had entered her mind came back. It would take her memories if she went back. She seized up with fear, but calmed herself down before Toad noticed.
"I… I like it in the forest."
"But why can't you come back?"
"I don't… I…"
She couldn't tell him anything. Rose had been terrified to tell anyone about Slytherin. If Toad knew, she'd be putting him in danger.
"Can you at least let Brain put the rune on you?"
Losha was relieved to get a question she could answer.
<I already did.>
Toad raised his voice.
"What? When? Has she seen you? Why didn't she tell me!"
"No! I did it myself!"
"How long have you had it?"
"I don't know."
She was saved by Professor Sprout clearing her throat.
"It's almost supper. You're welcome to join us, Ms. Lovegood."
Tears threatened to burst out. She couldn't let Toad see her weak and helpless.
"No thank you. I… I need to get back."
"Moon—"
"I need to go!"
She ran back to the safety of the forest before anyone else could speak. She never wanted to leave again. The forest welcomed her, kept her safe. In return, she dedicated her life to keeping it safe.
"You're not keeping it safe!" Jupiter scoffed. "You're hiding."
"Not like you could keep it safe," Mars added.
"Being alone isn't so bad," Pluto said.
"But there's a man out there that wants to be with you," Venus said. "In every way."
"Leave me alone," Losha sobbed.
"It's easier to run away," Mercury said.
Losha fell to her knees and held herself in her arms. Tears spilled out, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Make it stop," she whispered. "I want them to stop."
Tutela nestled against her, and she squeezed the homunculus.
There they stayed, the scared little girl, all alone in the forest.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone