"Harry Gerald Benedict Lovegood! What in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Luna Lovegood asked, hands on hips. She was glaring through a tangle of muddy blond hair at her twin brother. "You'll scare the Burblesnaggets. Besides, we leave for the train in an hour and you haven't even packed."

Harry grinned from under his unruly mane of dark hair, glasses glinting in the bright sunlight that washed through the open field around them. In one hand the boy held a pair of Dirigible Plums and in the other he had two small metal earring posts. He had both hands hidden behind his back.

"I'm making you something for school. It's important, but you can't have it until we get on the train."

Luna started forward, her gray eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Nope." Harry shook his head furiously. "You don't get to see what it is until later. Now, why don't you go help dad with something so I can finish or else you wont have them at all."

Biting her lip, the girl finally nodded and started back to the house, glancing over her shoulder every few steps as she went. Harry waiting until his sister was inside their rook shaped house before he went back to wrestling the plants into a pair of earrings. Dirigible Plums helped people to "see the extraordinary around them that so many often missed", at least, that's what their dad always said. It wasn't like Luna needed help to see the wondrous creatures lurking in every nook and cranny of the world, but Harry knew that the Plums would be like a piece of home for when she got lonely. Ever since their mom died Luna got lonely a lot.

Harry wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid about what might change once they got to Hogwarts. He was also terribly excited and hadn't slept a wink the night before. Luna didn't know that he had spent the early dawn hours carefully choosing what to take with him to school. His favorite copies of their dad's paper, The Quibbler, were on top of everything else that had been piled unceremoniously into his dinged up orange trunk.

"Ah, perfect," the boy said as he admired the finished jewelry in his hands. To the untrained eye, the Dirigible Plums looked almost exactly like radishes. They were beautiful. Satisfied with the gift, Harry shoved them into his jean pocket and ran back to house.

-

Xenophilious Lovegood studied his two children with a mix of pride and consternation. The bustle of the train station surrounded them, but the Lovegoods ignored everyone else. The two eleven year olds looked up at their father and he put a hand on each of their shoulders, drawing them to him in an embrace. They fiercely hugged him back. Harry even saw a damp shine around the edges of Luna's eyes when they drew back.

"Now you two be good. Don't cause any trouble and be kind to the elves," Xenophilious instructed gently. He smiled and patted Harry's hair down in a futile attempt to tame it. Luna smirked, her own pale hair having magically transformed into a less messy cascade of blond. "Take care of each other. I love you," their father said.

"I love you too," they replied in unison.

With one last pat, their father gave them a light push toward the Hogwarts Express where a half-dozen other wizarding families were giving tearful goodbyes to their own young children. Harry took Luna's hand in his own and together they boarded the train, waving over their shoulders at Xenophilious. He waved back with a wide smile and then was overtaken by the crowd. It was the last time either of them would see him alive.

-

"Anything from the cart, dears?" An older woman asked cheerfully from the hall.

Harry glanced greedily over the many enticing treats stocking her cart, his hands rubbing together in anticipation.

"No, thank you. We've got lunches," Luna answered for them both. She held up a brown paper bag.

"Very well. I'll be down a few cars if you change your mind," the woman said with another smile. She then moved on to the next train compartment.

Harry shot his sister a dirty frown. "What did you do that for? Dad gave us our allowance, we could have gotten something."

Luna returned her bagged lunch to the bulky satchel at her side. "Don't you want to save that until the Hogsmead trip, later? I'm sure they'll be loads of stuff you want to buy then."

Not wanting to admit that she had a point, Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his nose in the air. "Still." His expression turned longing. "They had chocolate frogs and I'm only two wizards away from a full deck."

Feeling a bit guilty at that admission, Luna shifted in her seat and then changed the subject. "You said you had a gift for me. What is it?"

"Maybe I don't want to give it to you anymore," Harry said petulantly.

"Haarry," she wheedled, "you said if I helped dad you would give it to me."

Deflating, the boy shoved a hand into his pocket and took out the earrings. "Here." He plopped them into her outstretched hands.

Her silver eyes widened in delight as her fingers traced the plants. "They're beautiful." She giggled happily as she popped them into her ears. She turned her head first right and then left, they swung against the side of her pale neck. "How do they look?"

"Maybe they look good, maybe you should have let me have a chocolate frog," Harry replied sulkily.

She snorted and then pulled a hand mirror out of her satchel so that she could admire them herself. "They're perfect, Harry. Thank you. I'm going to wear them everywhere."

The boy found himself smiling, caught up in her excitement. "Really?" he asked, somewhat flattered.

"Of course."

She replaced the mirror in her bag and then tapped her chin thoughtfully. After a moment her eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet. "I'm going to go use the loo."

"Oka-ay."

She left, carefully sliding the glass door closed. Harry was staring out the window at the scenery flashing past when the door slid open again. He looked over to see a young boy with unfortunate buck teeth and foppish dark hair enter the compartment. The strange boy leaned over and looked under the benches.

"Have you seen a toad. I've lost mine," the boy explained as he continued looking around.

"Nope," Harry said. "I could help you look for it though."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Really? That would be wonderful. I'm Neville, by the way. Neville Longbottom."

Harry stretched out his hand. "Harry, Harry Lovegood."

They shook hands. Neville described the toad, Trevor, and they split up to look in the rest of the compartments in the car. It didn't take them long to find Trevor eating bugs off the window in an empty compartment. Neville followed Harry back to his seat. Luna shot her brother a glare when he walked through the door.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"This is Neville. I've been helping him find his toad," Harry introduced the boy at his side.

Mollified, the girl motioned to the bench across from her. "You can sit with us, Neville," she invited.

He shook his head shyly, clutching the croaking familiar to his chest. "I need to get back to my things. We're almost there and I've got to change into my robes. See you at the feast?" he asked hopefully.

Luna and Harry both grinned. "Of course."

Neville hurried away then and Harry slid the door closed.

"We should probably get into our own robes then," he said.

"First. I have something for you," Luna said. She reached into a pocket and pulled out two chocolate frogs. "I hope they have the cards you need."

Harry took the packages and ripped them open, studying the cards carefully. "Yes!" he whooped. "I finally have Herpo the Foul...no Circe though, but this is great. Thank's."

Luna shrugged, but looked pleased.

"Do you want one?" Harry asked, holding out a struggling chocolate frog.

She took it and they ate their treats in silence. Afterward they put on their robes and waited in tense expectation for the train to reach their destination.

-

"All first years, follow me," a huge man, holding aloft a lantern, bellowed loud enough to be heard above the excited chatter of children.

Harry and Luna joined Neville at the back of the crowd of first years.

"That's Hagrid," Neville pointed at the large man leading them. "I read he is a half-giant."

"Hm." Luna made the noncommittal sound that Harry recognized as meaning she had noticed something odd, but not unpleasant, about Hagrid. Something Harry couldn't see. He still tried, squinting in the growing twilight.

Soon they were herded down to the Black Lake and onto boats. Neville held onto Trevor, looking a bit green around the gills as they passed the middle of the lake.

"Don't you like boats?" Harry asked.

"Sure. I just can't swim...and the lake is....really deep. I mean, there's a squid in there somewhere. That means it's really deep," Neville's voice shook as he spoke.

Luna gave him a comforting smile. The one that always made Harry feel better. "Don't worry. If you fell in, the mermaids would probably eat you even if you could swim."

"Uh," Harry watched Neville swallow hard, no doubt fighting back the urge to vomit. "That wasn't really helpful, Luna."

"Oh?" She murmerd dreamily, her gray eyes taking on an almost golden shine in the torchlight.

"Yeah."

The trio fell silent so that the only sound around them was the slap of oars against water. The castle lights drew closer with every second that passed and Harry's stomach started to do flips. He glanced over at his sister, but her dreamy look was still firmly in place. He knew what it meant. She had gone somewhere else and was now seeing parts of the world that others couldn't begin to comprehend. It was something their mother used to do too...before her death.

Not wanting to think about that, Harry looked over the side of the boat into the inky waters and imagined he saw a huge shadow under the waves, tentacled arms racing behind it. Before he knew it they reached the far shore and Hagrid instructed the first years to follow him up the steep hill to the castle entrance.

-

One after another, the first years were being called up to the front of the great hall to sit on a three-legged wooden stool and get sorted by a grubby looking hat. Harry did not look forward to wearing it and grimaced in sympathy when a bushy haired girl named Hermione Granger was called forward.

"Gryffindor!" the hat roared almost immediately.

It wasn't long before Harry's own name was called. He ignored the many eyes on him and sat gingerly, ducking under the hat so that it sat nearly on his upraised shoulders.

"Hm. What have we here?" a strange voice spoke into his head. "There's plenty of courage, but intelligence and cunning as well. Oh, oh, my, that will be a surprise!"

Harry's nose scrunched up at the nonsensical rambling. "Can't I just go in the same house as my sister," Harry wondered.

"Well, that will certainly depend on what is in her mind, little one," the voice responded. "For now, you've got equal measures in all the houses so I guess it comes down to what you want."

"My dad was a Hufflepuff so that's probably a good house."

The hat chuckled, the movement unsettling. "Was he now?" It did not elaborate.

"But mom was a Ravenclaw," Harry added with a mental sigh. "Can't you just pick something good. That's your job, right?" he asked.

The hat snorted. "I like you, Harry Lovegood." It stressed the last name strangely. "I'll have to go with Gryffindor!"

A table populated with an inordinate amount of redheads gave out a shout and started clapping. Harry went to the table and sat at an empty seat next to Hermione Granger and across from a red headed boy who had been called Ronald Weasley. Harry exchanged nods and smiles with the rest of the table before turning back to the watch his sister climb the stone stair leading to the sorting chair.

Luna sat demurely and accepted the hat with a mental greeting. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well met," the hat replied heartily. "You certainly have a lot of your mother in you. I remember her mind - sharp, sharp as a snargaluff tree - and you better be Ravenclaw!"

Saddened that she wouldn't be joining her brother, Luna was still excited to see what the year would bring and she joined her clapping table with an easy smile. The Ravenclaw's wore blue and bonze ties, some of which had become infested with infant Glumbumble. She'd have to remember to offer some nettle to those students if they didn't want the useful creatures to die. An older Ravenclaw with sharp features and carefully groomed black hair studied Luna for a second before lighting on her new bottle cap necklace and smirking. He never gave her another moment's attention, but she didn't notice. She was too busy listening to a couple of third years discussing the next day's schedule.

Harry gave her a thumbs up from his table and they exchanged grins before spending the rest of the feast getting to know their new housemates. After the dinner they said goodbye to each other in the front hall and followed their respective prefects to different dorm rooms. Their first night in the castle was about to end.

-

Harry stared up at the ceiling of his bed and turned over onto his side. He heaved a sigh. It was hard to sleep without the familiar buzzing of their father's' prized nest of Billywigs to calm his racing thoughts. He wondered if his sister was getting along with her dorm mates and if she missed their father as much as he did. Squeezing his eyes closed, the boy willed himself to sleep.

-

In the girls dorm of Ravenclaw, Luna was struggling not to cry. Her prized bottle cap necklace that she had worn to the feast was missing. Her mother had given it to her when she was a young child and it was imbued with a calming charm. Trying to sleep without its lulling embrace was impossible.

Luna's chin trembled as she finally let the hot tears seep into her pillow. Her heaving sobs were silent; she didn't want to wake the others.  

 Their first class together the next day was Potions. Harry waved at Luna when he saw her trailing behind her peers. Word had gotten around that because there were so few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years, they would be taking certain classes with Slytherin and Gryffindor. It made for tightly packed classes, but Harry liked seeing all the house colors flashing into view. The only house that hadn't seemed very welcoming was Slytherin and that was hardly surprising. Harry knew as well as anyone that an inordinate amount of dark wizards and witches started out as little snakes.

Once everyone had been seated - Luna having raced to the chair by Harry's side so that she could join him - an expectant hush fell. The Slytherins were sharing smirks.

Then the classroom door burst open and a black cloud of fabric and greasy hair entered the room accompanied by a not-unpleasant scent of spices and herbs. Harry and Luna both straightened their parchment, quills at the ready to take down whatever instructions were given.

Snape turned on his heel and looked down his hooked nose at the large crowd of students. "Hm. Like sardines in a can," the man noted aloud.

A few of the students shared confused whispers, but most kept their attention fixed on the man's stern, face. Harry felt a prickle of something run down his back and his teeth chattered. The teacher was certainly imposing in his silky robes and towering height and, Harry thought, Snape liked it that way. At his side, Luna's silver gaze had turned dreamy as she watched the sparks of white magic whirl around the professor, counterbalancing his severe expression. Harry caught her staring and understood that she was now seeing something that no one else could. He would have to ask her about it later.

"I will be teaching you pudding-headed ingrates how to brew potions. You will address me as sir or professor at all times." Snape began to pace, his hands locked behind his back in a tight embrace. "There will be no sabatoging of ingredients or pranks in this classroom. Should you be caught attempting either-" His obsidian eyes flashed dangerously in the low dungeon light. "-I will be forced to take swift and unpleasant action. Understood?"

There were a few murmurs of ascent and everyone nodded.

"Good," Snape said. He tapped his wand against the blackboard and it filled with neat script. "You will be brewing a Hiccough Cure today. There are six steps and three counter movements. I have laid out each step carefully and in exacting detail. I will not accept sub-par work. This a simple potion and I expect all of you to master it within the time frame you are given." The potion's master gave one last penetrating look across the room and then clapped his hands. "Begin!"

Students rushed to get their cauldron's ready, pushing and tripping each other to reach the ingredient stores first.

"Single file! Stop biting Mr. Weasley, Mr. Knott, you might catch something," Snape spoke loud enough to be heard over the chatter of students. "And be quiet about it. I will not hesitate to cast Silencio on the lot of you."

They all fell silent at this threat, a reluctant line forming between the desks and the stores cupboard at the back of the room. Luna volunteered to grab their ingredients so Harry prepared the cauldron and lit the burner. The potion instructions gave the exact temperature that the metal had to be at before adding anything so Harry set a monitoring charm which floated in the air above his desk, revealing the temperature. Their mother had loved potions and had taught the twins a lot before she died.

Luna returned quickly with her arms full of gross and mysterious looking objects. "Here, I got double, just in case," she said.

"Good thinking." Harry nodded in approval.

They prepared the ingredients in silence, carefully measuring and slicing to the specification on the board. It wasn't long before their potion was a simmering shade of pink. It looked like the picture in their textbook.

A dark shadow fell across their desk. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Harry and Luna looked up at Snape, stunned.

"But, why?" Harry blurted out. He looked down as if to see if the potion had suddenly turned purple or grown legs. No, it was still a healthy shade of pink. An icy glare settled over him and Snape's mouth pulled back in a sneer.

"Because you have wasted my stock."

Harry paled and looked over at the pile of backup ingredients.

"That was in case we needed to start again," the boy defended.

"Mr. Lovegood, you were not instructed to prepare for two potions and in this class you will follow instructions, is that clear?" Snape was leaning slightly over the desk, forcing Harry to look up at him.

Harry gulped. "Yes," he said.

"Yes, what?"

"Um," Harry cast around for help and Luna mouthed 'sir' with a meaningful glare. "Yes, sir."

Snape spun around, the edges of his cloak twirling on the stone floor. "Good," he barked out. "Ten minutes. I suggest you all stop wasting time and finish your potions."

The other students, who had been watching the exchange with bated breath, went back to tending their own simmering potions. Harry felt a red blush of shame and anger burn the skin on his cheeks. He had a good potion and the whole point of having stocks was so they could be used by students so it wasn't wasting anything. Clenching his teeth, the Gryffindor completed the last few steps of the potion.

"Sorry," Luna whispered at his side. She was studying her shoes.

"For what?" Harry asked, stirring the potion counterclockwise three times.

"The ingredients were my fault. The points should have been taken from Ravenclaw," she said, crestfallen.

Harry shot his sister a cheeky grin. "Maybe I have a revenge plan in mind," he whispered.

Her eyes grew impossibly wide. "You wouldn't. Not to professor Snape. They say he's," she looked over at the teacher to make sure he was too far away to hear, but still she leaned into Harry's side as she said, "a Death Eater."

"Yeah, and I'm a bloody Gytrash," Harry joked lightly. He didn't like to see his sister upset. "'Sides, I won't do anything too bad. Promise."

Her shoulder's relaxed. "Okay, I guess, just be careful."

"Time!" Snape called from the head of the classroom. "Bottle your potions and clean up your work spaces."

Luna spelled their Hiccough Cure into a bottle while Harry returned the unused stores to the back closet. They were the first to slip out into the corridor while the others bustled around their tables, chattering quietly.

"How was your first night?" Harry asked as they walked toward their next class together. "Mine was bloody awful. I missed dad," he admitted.

Luna nodded. "Me too." She hesitated a moment before adding, "Have you seen my necklace? I seem to have lost it."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. His sister loved her necklace and wore it everywhere. It had been a gift from their mother and he knew how much it meant to Luna. "No, but I'll keep my eyes open. Maybe you dropped it down by the lake when we got out of the boats."

She smiled. "Of course, that's probably it. I'll go down before curfew and check."

"I'll come with you," Harry offered.

She shook her head. "You've already gotten points off for Gryffindor and it wouldn't be good to tempt fate."

"You're right. Well, I hope you find it," Harry said.

At this point they had reached their next class, History of Magic, where they were separated into house groups. To no ones surprise, Professor Bins proved to be a complete bore and Harry was fast asleep, his chin resting on his hands, before fifteen minutes were up. The rest of the day passed in a blur.

-

Albus Dumbledore strode out of his floo, sending whirls of dust in every direction. A flick of his wand brought a glowing, translucent patronus to life and the headmaster sent it off with a message. Rubbing his tired eyes, the old man tugged at his beard and tried to focus his thoughts. Ten years. The Order of the Phoenix had been underground for ten years - ever since the deaths of James and Lilly Potter - but a growing darkness was drawing Order members out of hiding.

Another life had been lost to the cause.

Several minutes later a knock at the door drew Albus out of his morose thoughts. "Come."

Severus Snape entered and walked directly over to the headmaster's large desk, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Who?" Snape asked simply.

The headmaster groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut as if he could turn off the world for a moment. "Xenophilious Lovegood."

Snape nodded. "How?"

"Killing Curse. He'd been tortured, Severus," Albus said softly.

A hiss escaped between the Slytherin's teeth. "A Death Eater?"

"Perhaps, we don't know. Aurors are looking into it as we speak and I shall have a full report from them by morning."

"That means Harry is no longer safe," Snape said.

"Yes. Neither is young Ms. Lovegood. We'll need to make arrangements for them to attend the funeral," Albus said.

Another funeral. Hadn't there been enough of them already, the headmaster wondered.

"Yes. I will inform McGonagall and Flitwick," Snape said.

"Thank you. And, Severus-" The headmaster caught the potion master's gaze. "-keep an eye on the boy. I must discover if this attack is indicative of a darker truth and my time will be precious. I trust him to your care."

An automatic snarl wrinkled Snape's nose, but he forced himself calm before speaking. "I'd rather not spend too much time in the presence of James Potters' spawn."

"Too bad," Albus said, "You are one of only three people who knew of his true inheritance and one of them is now dead. Xenophilious did an excellent job at raising and protecting Harry, but it is up to us now to keep the boy out of harm's way."

Snape made a grunt that could have meant "Fine, okay, I'll do it" or it could have meant "Leave the boy with me and he wont last the day". Folding his arms over his chest, the head of Slytherin house studied the far wall, ignoring Dumbledore's tired expression.

"I trust you, Severus," Albus said. "I know you'll do the right thing."

"Harrumph!" The raven haired professor stood to his feet, arms falling to his side. "Don't say I didn't warn you. When that spoiled, ingrate gets himself captured or worse I won't be held responsible."

Blue eyes twinkled behind bifocal glasses. "Ah, Severus." Albus understood the irascible man's olive branch for what it was. "Thank you, my boy."

With the conversation ended, Severus gave the headmaster one last nod and walked out of the office. Tumbledown watched him go with a sense of dread and pride. He knew that, despite the man's misgivings, Snape would do his best to protect the boy. Harry was Lily's son too, after all.

-

Muttered oaths echoed through the stairwells as Severus Snape made his way quickly toward the Transfiguration classroom. He knew that McGonagall would still be grading papers and it was better to catch her before she had left for dinner.

"Severus?" the woman said, surprised when he burst into her office without so much as a knock. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Xenophilious is dead," Snape didn't mince words.

The woman gasped and a hand went to her throat. "No! How? Who? When?"

"Not long ago. It looks to be Death Eater activity though nothing is certain yet," he said.

Pale and shaking, McGonagall absently shuffled the papers on her desk. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. Severus felt for the woman. He knew that she had a very kind heart - even accepting a greasy old bat like himself - and members of the Order were special. They had history together fighting the war against Voldemort.

"Harry will need to be told. I will be taking the children to the funeral once a time is set," Snape said gently.

Minerva wiped her eyes and sniffed once before a somber mask fell over her face. "Of course, thank you. I will talk to him immediately. Should I include Luna as well?"

"I was going to assign the matter to Flitwick, but perhaps it would be best if they were together when the news is given," Snape said with a thoughtful nod. "Yes, if you could see to Luna as well, I would be grateful The headmaster has decided I will be their temporary guardian."

"Certainly, Severus. I'll see to it right away," McGonagall said.

He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but Severus didn't know how. Instead, he smiled grimly and together they left the room, parting ways in the hall. While McGonagall headed toward the great hall where the students would be starting to trickle in for dinner, Snape retreated to his dungeon quarters. If the Death Eaters were involved then it stood to reason that his presence would be required sooner rather than later. The rest of the teachers would need to be informed.

-

Quirenus Quirrell skittered down the hallways of the lower levels, making sure to stay in the shadows. He had missed the welcome feast the night before, but it had been worth it to procure a troll. Now all he needed to do was loose the blasted thing on the school. A voice in the back of his head whispered dark approval. If, by some miracle, Harry Potter was still alive then he would be a first year. The troll would be a nice little test to see if the boy could be drawn out into the open.

-

Harry frowned down into his soup. He had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something terrible had happened - was happening? - would happen? He had no idea which was true, only that he was beginning to feel vaguely nauseous.

"Mr. Lovegood," a familiar voice called above the sound of talking students and clanking silverware.

He looked up and saw his head of house walking in his direction, her face a stern mask. She made a 'get up, follow me' motion with her hand and he stood, leaving his soup to grow cold. Hermione and Ron gave him odd looks as he walked away. Harry followed as McGonagall approached the Ravenclaw table.

"Ms. Lovegood," the teacher called.

Luna's bright silver eyes shot up and over at Harry, concern evident on her face. She came over to his side and whispered. "Is everything okay?"

He shrugged, having no answers.

"Alright," McGongall said with a heavy sigh, "follow me."

The trio were silent as they followed their teacher out of the great hall, through a series of corridors, and into a small side room that appeared to be an abandoned office. A flick of McGonagall's wand got rid of the layer of dust on everything. Three plush maroon and gold chairs appeared facing each other around a tiny table which was now holding a tray of steaming tea, sugar, and cups.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Take a seat."

They did.

Luna reached out and took a sugar cube, popping it into her mouth. "Is this about my necklace?" she asked curiously.

McGonagall gave the girl a confused look, but shook her head. She placed her folded hands over her lap. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your father...Your father was killed this evening."

"Killed?" the word fell out of Harry's mouth. He felt numb.

Luna had gone unnaturally still, every muscle frozen in place.

"I am sorry, dears, and I wish that I could give you more information, but, at the moment, that is all we know. He was a brave man, your father," she said, voice cracking.

"This has to be some kind of mistake," Harry said reasonably. "He can't be dead. Dad can't die. It doesn't work that way."

Pain flashed across McGonagall's face before she buried it. "I'm truly sorry, Harry. Whatever I can do to help you two - don't hesitate to ask. You are not going to go through this alone," she promised.

"He's with mom now," Luna said finally, her body unfreezing. "They must be happy."

Harry studied his sister's face and was scared at the blank acceptance and unfocused gaze he saw. Luna had nearly lost it when their mother died and it had taken years for her to finally break out of her shell of grief. He couldn't go through that again. Not alone. Harry got out of his chair and nudged Luna over, squeezing into her chair. The twins shared a look, but only Harry seemed fully present. He took her hands in his own and held them tight. Nothing was going to take his sister from him, she was all he had left. A lump formed in his throat.

"What now? Do we have to leave school?" Harry asked.

"Goddess, no! Of course not!" McGonagall replied, clearly horrified at the idea. "You will be given a temporary guardian for the rest of your school year and then something more permanent will be worked out." She hesitated a moment. "I'm sorry to bring it up so soon after you've learned of your father's death, but we will need to plan for you to attend the funeral. It is entirely possible the people who killed him will be looking for the two of you."

Harry had stopped listening at the word 'funeral'. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him and he shivered, huddling closer to his sister's side. She didn't seem to notice.

"I know how hard this must be. You are excused from classes for the next few days and there will be a temporary allowance for you to visit each others houses. We don't want either of you alone during this time," their teacher said gently.

"And the guardian?" Harry asked quietly. "Will it be you?"

McGonagall shook her head. "No, Harry. The headmaster has appointed Severus Snape to be your guardian for the time being."

Harry's mouth fell open in shock and even Luna appeared vaguely uncomfortable at the news. The greasy git of the dungeons was going to be their guardian? Their father was going to be furious that someone as emotionally rancid as Severus Snape would be looking after the twins. Would, Harry realized suddenly. Their father would have been furious.

Tears burned Harry's eyes and he ducked his head, chin against his chest, to hide them. At his side Luna started humming the tune for a nursery rhyme their mother used to sing to them every night. Grief hung heavy in the room.  

 Luna was asleep, curled up against Harry's side. He rested his chin on her scraggly blond hair. The world seemed suddenly very empty and vast without Xenophilious as an anchor to keep things in place. The Gryffindor wondered where they would live. Surely, they wouldn't be allowed to stay at home by themselves. And what of their father's many projects. There were dozens of magical plants and animals that made their home with the Lovegoods. Harry would need to be sure to ask Snape. The Billywigs would need fed and the Dirgibal Plums flowered in the fall.

A tear tracked down the eleven year old's face and he sniffed, wiping it away with the sleeve of his school robe. Now he was an orphan. His breath hitched in his chest and he hugged Luna tighter. As long as he had his sister things would be okay. They had to be.

-

"What happened?"

"Is everything okay, Harry?"

Hermione and Ron asked, crowd the boy when he walked through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Harry didn't feel like talking. He wanted to just go up to his bed and sleep for a year. He and Luna had been given orders to pack up their trunks and go to Snape's quarters where they would be staying for a while - though they were still welcome to visit their houses during the day. The temporary measure would be lifted the moment their father's killer was found.

"What happened?" Hermione asked again, her voice low.

Harry wiped at his eyes, glad that no one else was in the common room to see him cry. "My dad is d-dead."

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered, his eyes widening.

Hermione surged forward and wrapped her arms around Harry in a tight hug. "I am so sorry, Harry. We're here for you no matter what. If you need anything just ask," the girl's voice wobbled toward the end and when she pulled back tears were tracking down her face. She blushed and wiped them away with the back of her hand, giving Harry a soppy smile. He tried to return the gesture, but the muscles around his mouth refused to cooperate. She gave him a knowing look and took his arm in her own.

"I'm suppose to pack up...me and Luna are going to be staying with Snape for a while," Harry said glumly.

"Bloody hell!" Ron's mouth fell open as he tried to work through the news. "That greasy git? Why not McGonagall. She's old, but at least she washes her hair," the redhead said with an exaggerated shudder.

"I guess because of what happened to m-my dad," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked uncertainly.

"It's just...someone killed him."

Hermione gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, Harry," she murmured gently.

"Would you guys help me pack?" Harry asked after a moment. He didn't think he could do it alone, there were too many things around his bed and trunk that reminded him of his father. Hermione and Ron nodded while simultaneously saying, "Of course!"

The trio trudge up the stairs into the boy's dorm.

-

Luna stared down at the inside of her trunk. It was half-full with the other half of her belongings mysteriously missing from where she had last put them. A dark haired boy had snickered at her when she'd entered the common room earlier and she knew that he was responsible, but there was still a bit of doubt. Maybe she had just misplaced...two dozen things. With a sigh, the blond girl closed her trunk and sat on top of it. She bit her lip, staring down at the toes of her socks. Her shoes had gone missing that morning. A fat tear tipped off the edge of her eyelash and plunged down onto her robes followed by another and another. Before long Luna was sobbing into her hands, hunched over the trunk that her father had given her for her ninth birthday.

He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. Luna knew that her mother was in on the other side, but her father wouldn't leave the twins all alone. Luna's chin trembled as she finally got control of her crying. A few other girls in the dorm were giving her sideways glances, but none said anything or moved to help the girl. Deciding that there was no point in staying in her dorm room and being gawked at, Luna grabbed one handle of her luggage and walked out, the trunk sliding along the stones behind her socked feet.

"Where are you going?" the dark haired boy from earlier asked. He had a sneer and a prefect badge.

Luna sniffed and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm going to stay with Severus Snape. Now, please, get out of my way."

There must have been something in her eyes or the tone of her voice, because the boy paled and took a few stumbling steps back. Satisfied, Luna stalked out of the common room and into the hall. Her house had never been friendly to her and she was almost glad to be moving in with Snape. At least he would be safe and wouldn't steal her undergarments. Remembering the glow of white magic that had whirled around Snape during potion's class left her feeling even more hopeful. He was a teacher at Hogwarts and she trusted him.

-

Snape growled under his breath and cursed the damn bloody idiot who had decided he would make a good guardian. Two children of dubious character would be arriving any moment and he still hadn't figured out where to put the lengthening charm which would add another room to his quarters. Harry and Luna were twins so surely they shared a room even if they were different genders. Snape hesitated. Or would being it be taboo? After all, the house dorms were segregated. Now uncertain, the potion's master tapped his wand against the outer thigh of his robes.

A knock sounded at the front door.

"Merlin's saggy shorts," he grumbled with vehemence, "I'm not ready yet."

Schooling his features, the professor walked over to the door and opened it. He found himself looking down into the impossibly wide, silver eyes of one Luna Lovegood. She had dried tear tracks on her cheeks and her hair was sticking up in odd directions. He gave what he hoped was a smile and motioned for her to come inside. She did, pulling a silver and blue trunk over the threshold.

"Where do I put it?" the girl asked after a moment of looking around the large living and dining room area.

Snape pointed vaguely to the left. "Uh, over there."

"Where's Harry?" Luna asked after depositing her trunk next to the black leather couch by the fireplace.

Obsidian eyes narrowed. "He's not with you?" The man glanced back out the open door into the hall as if to confirm that Harry Lovegood wasn't loitering out there like a muggle.

"No." Luna shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, getting the fingers caught in some tangles. "You do know that we're in different houses, right? He had to go to Gryffindor."

An involuntary sneer broke through the professor's cool facade. "Gryffindor," he said the word as if it were poison.

Luna's eyebrows shot up at this, but she simply nodded. "Yes."

She plopped down on the couch and drew her feet up off the cold floor. Snape was just about to make a harsh comment about not putting shoes on the furniture when he noticed that she was not actually wearing any.

"Why are you walking the castle barefoot?" he asked, nonplussed. Luna's face fell and her eyes grew damp. Horrified at the thought of dealing with a crying girl, Snape waved his hands in a motion of dismissal. "Never mind. I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason."

"Luna, are you okay?"

They both turned to see Harry standing in the doorway, hand raised as if to knock on the open door, a trunk sitting at his feet. He was watching his sister, concerning wrinkling his brow. Harry shot a suspicious look at Snape and entered, closing the door behind him.

"He hasn't done anything to you has he?" Harry asked.

Luna blushed. "No! Don't be stupid, Harry."

"He's right here," Snape added droly.

The boy walked inside without being invited and let his trunk slide over next to Luna's. Sitting down on the couch next to her, Harry settled on watching the potion's master with squinted eyes.

"What now?" Harry asked.

Luna looked over at Snape. "Where do we sleep? Should we unpack? How long will we be here?"

Snape raised a hand to stop the flow of questions. "I am currently making arrangments, you can unpack when I'm finished, and I'm not entirely sure how long you will be staying with me."

Harry worried his lip between his teeth. The last thing the boy wanted was to spend a lot of time with Severus Snape - he still hadn't gotten his revenge for what had happened class, after all - but Luna had actually looked relieved to be staying with the professor. Harry knew that she was very sensitive so there must be something about Snape that she found comforting. A pang of jealousy on their father's behalf lanced through the boy's chest. She shouldn't be looking for support from anyone else when their father hadn't even been buried yet. His throat hurt and he swallowed against a growing lump. He refused to cry in front of Snape, so Harry contented himself with focusing on the professor's every move. If he could find some way to convince McGonagall that Snape just wasn't a suitable guardian then things might be okay.

Luna watched with a dreamy gaze as Snape rolled up the sleeves of his robes and got to work muttering and waving spells, directing them at a blank stone wall. It wasn't long before a doorway had popped into existence and a room beyond. Snape disappeared inside of it followed the sound of wood cracking, metal squealing, and Snape's dulcet tones. Eventually, the teacher came back out. He was wiping beads of sweat off his forehead.

"There. You will both stay in there," Snape said, sounding a bit pleased with his workmanship.

Luna frowned, her . "You don't mean we're rooming together? Eeew." She shook her head, shuddering. "We haven't shared a room since we were four, right, Harry?"

Harry didn't want admit that he kind of wanted her to be nearby. At night was when he missed their dad the most and he was afraid of facing that great silent darkness alone. He made a noncommittal sound deep in his throat and looked into the fireplace. Snape glanced between the two children, utterly confused. The girl seemed adamant, but the boy didn't care. Growling, Snape pointed his wand behind his shoulder and muttered a spell.

"The room is now divided. You will share the space, but have your privacy. Is that sufficient, Ms. Lovegood?" Snape asked.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, her gaze once again falling back into a placid calm.

Both children stood and Harry took a trunk handle in each hand and pulled them both into the bedroom without being told. Snape watched with satisfaction and then retired to his bedroom for a much needed drink.

-

Harry's stomach growled. He rubbed it. "I'm hungry."

Luna was laying on his bed, reading a herbology textbook. "I'm sure he hasn't forgotten about us," she reassured him.

Snape had disappeared nearly four hours before and with them having missed the last meal, Harry was ready to sneak out and go hunting for the kitchens. Luna seemed content to wait, certain that the professor would return soon enough.

-

Snape emptied his latest glass of fire whiskey and hissed at the warm burn traveling down his throat. He didn't know what being a guardian entailed exactly, but he felt proud of his accomplishments so far. He had made them a room to their specifications, had invited them into his house without threatening even once to dismember them or turn them into potion ingredients.

That was when he realized his mistake. Eyes widening, Snape twisted his neck around so that he could see the wall clock. He hissed again, but this time out of disgust. It had been nearly four hours and the little brats hadn't eaten yet. Of course he would forget something as mundane as feeding the children.

His drunk brain floating a bit left of center, Snape stumbled out of his room while attempting to scrounge up a last ounce of dignity. He had planned to fall straight into a firewhiskey coma, but now he had to provide for the children. That thought made him giggle while also stoking the self-anger that always seemed to be simmering below the surface.