The Curious Case of Luna Lovegood

Chapter 53: Imaginatio Potestatem

It was a Hard rain that fell on the city of London as a flash of lightning lit the night sky, revealing to Hermione the carnage that filled the streets of London. Goblins battled among themselves, jumping on to cars and terrifying the Muggle population, who were struggling to flee the city. Hermione's LLR also battled with Totalitar, deflecting the curses the Totalitar aimed at the Muggle cars. Meanwhile the sound of gunfire filled the air, as Muggle soldiers struggled to to contain the rampant Mutants that the Totalitar had unleashed in the city.

Hermione ducked behind a car as an explosion shook the city. Ragnok rolled beside her and launched a spear over the car, a poison tipped spears with tracking runes. Hermione heard someone cry out and Ragnok laughed savagely. "I love the smell of human in the morning...it smells like a victory feast."

Hermione ignored the Goblin as Ron ducked undercover beside her. "It's a Bloody Shit show Hermione!"

Hermione shook her head. "I know but we have to help these Muggles."

"The Muggles?! We don't know how long we have before..."

Suddenly jet airplanes flew above them followed by large missiles that could only spell trouble. Ragnok croaked morbidly. "It's over...the final war has begun."

Hermione felt very cold, so this what it is then...not going back. "Get everyone underground, try to save as many Muggles as possible."

Ragnok nodded before spotting something. Then the Goblin roared. "DROLOGCK!"

"RAGNOK!" Hermione shouted after the Goblin king before he ran into the darkness.

Hermione looked around and saw bodies littering the streets. She saw children without parents, and parents without children. Hermione looked to Ron and whispered. "I'm done Ron, I'm done fighting. Everyone should head underground, and remove our involvement from the war. This isn't helping anyone. It's just pointless suffering, it's self destruction. It's all just suicide."

Ron nodded slowly as he uttered. "War's like Wizard's chess, it's destructive and full of sacrifices, but when it's over, you just reset the board and play again. Nothing changes...it's hopeless...it's impossible."

Ragnok let out a loud cheer as he held Drologck's severed head above his own only to realize everyone had suddenly gone quiet. Everyone was looking up at the bright lights in the sky, the brightest looked as if it was moving straight at them. Hermione shouted. "Everyone underground now. Bring as many as you can."

Some of the Wizards started moving, but the Goblins remained still. To everyone's surprise it was Ragnok who spoke first as he dropped the Goblin head and did the last thing anybody expected the Goblin king to do... he began to sing.

Or he attempted to, as the Goblin croaked out with a tuneless voice. "I will not go down under the ground, 'cause somebody tells me that death's coming around.

Suddenly other voices joined in with conviction and sang "And I will not carry myself down to die. When I go to my grave my head will be high! Let me die in my footsteps, before I go down under the ground!"

As Hermione listen to the the singing she felt something she had not felt in a long time, she felt like herself. Suddenly she wasn't being torn to pieces anymore. She heard Ron start to sing as well though he didn't know the words, surprisingly outside of a few Muggles, only the Goblins seemed to know the song, which Hermione vaguely found odd. But as she listened to the words she understood why it would appeal to them, and in that moment, they appealed to her as well.

Hermione linked arms with Ron and started singing with them. Those who knew the words sang them too.

There's been rumors of wars, and wars that have been.