Barnaby Lee x Reader - Year 5

Penny's Potion

Lana found Penny in the Grand Staircase, staring at the painting Beatrice was in.

"Penny, hun. Are you ok?" Lana asked worriedly.

"I don't think Beatrice can hear me anymore. She can only see me some of the time. She's so afraid..." Penny mumbled, "I should've never let her out of my sight. She should've never come to Hogwarts...we should've never messed with the Cursed Vaults..." Penny sighed.

"We're going to save her, Penny." Lana said confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" Penny asked.

"Because we won't stop trying until she's safe."

"I was so worried about doing well on my Potions O.W.L's, but now I don't even care..." she continued sadly, "How can I care about anything but my sister? I don't know what I'll do if I lose her, Lana..."

Penny kept looking back up at Beatrice stuck in the painting. Lana's heart sank at the sight of her best friend so sad, and she couldn't bare it.

"You won't lose her, Pen."

"It feels like she's already gone." Penny said, close to tears.

"Let's just talk, Penny. It'll make you feel better to get it all out, and we'll work out how to save Beatrice..." Lana told her kindly.

They talked for a while, Penny letting out a few tears here and there, and they tried so hard to figure out what to do.

"Thank you for being here for me, Lana." she said eventually.

"Don't worry about it, Pen. Do you feel any better?" Lana asked.

"Yes, but I don't think I'll ever really feel right until Beatrice is safe..." Penny sighed again.

"I hate seeing you like this, Penny. There has to be something I can do to help..." Lana pleaded.

"I suppose there is something you can do. Meet me in the forest grove..." Penny said, then left.

A couple of hours later, Lana met the Hufflepuff in the forest grove, just as she'd requested.

"Thanks for coming, Lana. I appreciate you trying to make me feel better." Penny said.

"What are we doing in the forest?" Lana wondered.

"Searching for a unicorn horn."

"What? Why?"

"I only know of one way to make myself feel better while we work out how to save Beatrice. I just need the proper ingredients..." Penny explained.

"People hunt unicorns in the Forbidden Forest?" Lana asked.

"I don't think anyone would be evil enough to kill a unicorn...but they die of natural causes, and I'm sure they're sometimes eaten by beasts like trolls and acromantulas. Then again, it's probably hopeless..."

"Nothing is ever hopeless." Lana smiled reassuringly, "We just need more light to have a proper look...

Lama cast Lumos and continued searching for the unicorn horn.

"I found a unicorn horn!" Lana exclaimed.

"Well done, Lana. Meet me in the Transfiguration classroom to get the next ingredient..."

********************************************************************

While walking to the Transfiguration classroom, Lana bumped into Barnaby.