𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

xiv

𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 from Luna during that afternoon's study hall. School was about to let out for the holiday break, and she'd just received a letter in the mail that morning from her mum inviting Luna to spend the holidays with them.

Luna looked up from her Divination notes and smiled at her friend. "Hi, Thea."

"Wotcher, Luna." Dorothea's voice was hushed. She took her textbook out of her bag and opened it up to a random page. She had to at least look like she was studying so that Professor Snape, who was supervising the 4th year's study hall, wouldn't scold her for not being productive. "I know it's kind of short notice, but my mum wants to invite you to spend the holidays with us. I think she thinks I'm making you up or something."

"Why would she think that?" Luna asked curiously.

"This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but...until this year, I didn't have any friends," Dorothea admitted, nervously glancing around to make sure none of their classmates were listening.

"I know," Luna said, flipping to the next page of her notes. "That's me, as well. Everyone thinks I'm a bit...odd."

"That's better than them thinking you're a psycho killer," Dorothea mumbled, lowering her voice even more. She stared down at the pages of her Potions textbook, rubbing the worry stone in her hand.

Luna didn't need to ask what she was talking about. She remembered what happened when the Chamber of Secrets was opened during their first year.

Dorothea had found a strange diary that she didn't remember purchasing with her school supplies. She had written in it after her first week of classes; told it about how she felt like she didn't fit in with her classmates. To her surprise, the diary wrote back, and she'd begun to have conversations with an unknown boy named Tom Riddle, who she later learned was the Dark Lord's teenage self.

His spirit had possessed her, and she unknowingly opened the Chamber and unleashed a deadly monster on the Muggle-born students of the school, including Colin Creevy, Hermione Granger, and her fellow Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley.

There were periods of time when everything was blank and she couldn't remember what she had been doing. When she was taken into the Chamber, it was Harry Potter that had come to rescue her. She was so frightened by what she had done that she told him everything, which she found out was a huge mistake since the whole school then knew that she was the one behind the attacks.

Everyone avoided her after that. She'd adjusted to the stares she would receive in the corridors, but not a day went by that she wished she'd never opened that horrid diary.

"So, um," Dorothea cleared her throat, "Christmas. I-I understand if you already have plans with your dad—"

"No, I'd love to come!" Luna grinned.

"Quiet," Snape hissed, sending a glare in their direction. There were snickers from the other kids.

"Sorry, Professor." Luna lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'd love to come."

"Awesome." Dorothea smiled. "I'll write back to my mum and let her know."

When the hour and a half study hall was over, Dorothea walked the path back to her common room. She paused, however, when she heard a thump coming from one of the corridors. Curious, she slowly walked over and poked her head around the corner, unable to stop from gasping.

"I knew it!"

Pansy and Draco pulled apart from each other, both of them turning their heads to see Dorothea walking up to them.

"You two are dating!" She grinned. "I knew it! I totally knew it!"

"Get out of here, mutt!" Pansy yelled, shoving her away from them.

"Wait, no, I'm just curious. How did this happen?"

"That's none of your business!" Draco snapped. "Scram!"

"No, but, like—"

"No one likes annoying little brats that can't take a hint," Pansy said, glaring at the petite brunette. "Get lost. And don't tell anyone what you saw."

Dorothea nodded and slowly backed away, crossing her fingers behind her back. "Yeah, yeah...I won't tell a soul."

She turned and ran as quickly as she could down the corridor. "Luna! Luna, Luna, Luna! I gotta tell you a secret!"

Dorothea tripped and fell face-first onto the floor. Luna and Neville rushed over to help her up.

"Are you alright, Thea?" Neville asked, concerned.

"Yeah, it happens all the time. I'm really clumsy." Dorothea waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, you're not gonna believe what I just saw!"

"What?" Luna asked.

"I was on my way back to the common room, and I found Draco and Pansy in a corridor, snogging! ...But don't tell them I told you, cause Pansy told me not to tell anyone."

"It really was just a matter of time," Neville said, chuckling as he shook his head, a flash of lightning illuminating his face from the window.

Dorothea gasped, her head whipping in the direction of the window as another lightning flash struck. "Electrical storm!"

"I'll go ask Harry for the cloak!" Neville told her before running off down the corridor.

10 minutes later, Dorothea, Neville, and Luna were sneaking out of the castle, hidden by Harry's invisibility cloak. When they reached the Whomping Willow, Dorothea crawled across the ground to press the knot to freeze it. The three ran down the secret passageway and into the Shrieking Shack.

Dorothea found the loose floorboard where she and Luna had previously hidden the phial. She took a shaky breath before lifting it up, relief washing over her when she saw that the contents of the phial had turned a blood-red colour.

She smiled and took it out. "It worked...I-I can't believe I actually got it...This is really advanced magic."

"Looks like Hermione might have some competition." Luna grinned.

"Okay...Moment of truth." Dorothea took a deep breath. She drank the contents of the potion, held her wand over her heart, and said the incantation one final time. "Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus."

She felt something shift inside of her; like she had a second heartbeat. She closed her eyes, allowing whatever was happening to happen. She felt her form shift, and she opened her eyes.

She was small. Very small. Even smaller than she was before.

Her nose twitched, and she looked up at Luna when she knelt down in front of her. The blonde reached her hand out and gently stroked her chocolate fur.

"You're the cutest little lapine," Luna whispered.

Dorothea gasped, but it came out more like a squeak. She jumped up and ran in a circle around the shack.

I'm a bunny! I'm a bunny! she thought excitedly.

"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen." Neville breathed out in awe.

Luna took a carrot stick out of her bag and held it out to the bunny that was Dorothea Tonks. She stood up on her hind legs and used her front paws to hold the carrot in her mouth as she nibbled on it.

They went back down the secret passage and exited through the Whomping Willow. Dorothea shifted back to her human form, and the trio headed inside for dinner as the sun set behind them.