The Great Division

Chapter 1: Confidants

AN: I'm writing this because I was inspired by a Youtube short that I saw by Sierrasly, you should check her out on YouTube and TikTok! I'm not sure if she has Instagram, but she might, so please follow her if you like my story! (You might even be able to find my comment where I mentioned making this fanfic)

Laughter. Sweet, sweet laughter, filled with joy and carelessness. It was a sound Luna hadn't heard in a while, but it was almost sickening. How could anyone laugh anymore?

It was like a silver bell, its chime echoing through the halls of Hogwarts. Others found it refreshing and hopeful, like a phoenix being reborn from the ashes of Voldemort's rule. Luna found it disgusting, foul, and wanted nothing more than to crush the source of the noise. 

She couldn't quite tell if it was her who wanted that or the voices in her mind but either way the  joy had to stop. The blood of innocents has been spilled at Voldemort's cruel hands and lives continue to be ruined even after he has gone. 

Lives such as Luna's. Her father was not a perfect man, she had always known that but he was the only family she had left. He raised her, cared for her, loved her, and now he's trapped behind thick metal bars in Azkaban as his soul is devoured. 

After his little stunt trying to trade Harry for Luna, he was taken by Death Eaters. You would think he had suffered enough but The Boy Who Lived certainly didn't see it that way. When the war was finally over all of those who had been captured by The Dark Lord's minions were released, including Xenophilius. Apparently he had committed 'treason' and was therefore sentenced to 4 years in Azkaban. If he made it out. If he didn't he would die a miserable and lonely death in a cell. 

"I'm sorry Luna, I hope you can understand. He almost had us killed." Harry said on that fateful day. The day he was sent away. 

Harry's voice was filled with sympathy and regret, even his eyes held sorrow. She could sense that he truly was sorry so she only nodded and pretended that everything was fine. In reality, she wanted nothing more than to crucio The Chosen One right then and there. She longed to listen to his screams pierce the misty air, to see his body flailing helplessly on the gravel. Alas it never happened. She forced herself to walk away before she could hurt him. Ending up like her father wouldn't help her. 

A few days after the encounter, the voices came. They had always been there, lurking in the shadows of her mind, occasionally whispering their secrets to her. But now they're out of control. The voices she had once found comforting had begun to torment her. 

They ripped her apart with their sharp words, digging their knives into her heart and pulling as hard as they could. On the one hand, she was glad for the laughter and joy, it meant that the fallen warriors hadn't died in  vain. On the other hand she didn't know how anyone could bear to be happy again. 

She had tried confiding in Hermione about this, she even told her about the whispers. It didn't help. Hermione looked at her with judgemental brown eyes, her lips twisting into a frown. "Luna, hearing voices isn't good, especially not in the magical world." She had said. "So you think I'm crazy?" Luna asked. "No of course not! I just think that you should speak to a professional and until then lay low and take care of yourself."
"Lay low? Don't get involved in anyone's lives?"
"Precisely." Hermione said, seeming glad that she understood. It was all Luna could do to thank her and quickly retreat to the Ravenclaw dorms. The sting of Hermione's words haunted her all night, ringing in her ears until she couldn't take it anymore. 

She knew Hermione hadn't intended to hurt her but she had. The voices had many things to say about this: 'She doesn't care, none of them do. They just don't want your pitiful emotions getting in the way of their perfect lives. Us voices are your only friends. You are weak and no one loves you.'