Family Rights (that aren't always right)

(Six years after Hallows Eve)

Pandora and Xenophilius Lovegood led a happy but unconventional life throughout the rest of the war, flying low under the radar of many wizarding families because… who had ever heard of the Lovegood family? How did they come? Where did they come from? They ended up with a daughter, “Luna Rose” was what they named her, after both the moon and the flower of love.

Pandora continued experimenting with magic and science and kept getting increasingly frustrated as she could feel herself getting closer to the answer, but still missing that “something” that would give her the results she was looking for. Her binder grew steadily larger and her experiments grew risker and risker as she became reckless. She was in her office, working on yet another experimental idea that, if you take into consideration the concept of science into charms, the charms themself would seem to defy these laws in a way that's still mathematically possible. Pandora rolls up her sleeves as she delves into more complicated mathematics and alchemy, trying to find the perfect solution that the magic would accept as plausible, merging several unstable runes in her recklessness.

She stares at the flash of magic, her face slowly brightening… this is it, this is the answer. She reaches for her Binder and starts to write down the symbols she had drawn onto the parchment, nearly missing the next few flashes as the magic becomes steadily more and more volatile. Pandora panics, spelling her binder into a safe place as she tries to undo the rapidly approaching consequence, shaking her head rapidly

“No… no, no no please…I was so close, so close”

Tears spilled down her face, evaporating before they could fall from the rising heat from the magic that had gathered there, waiting. She looks at the ball of magic, realising what it was waiting for. She could either go peacefully with it, or it would drag her along, kicking and screaming the entire way.

“It isn’t time…yet.”

She mutters to herself, watching the magic slowly grow and knowing she had only minutes. She raises her wand, putting all of her remaining magic into this charm, so that all her hard work wouldn't be forgotten, but would NEVER, ever fall into the wrong hands. With this spell, she locks her safe place, under a fidelius charm that wouldn't die with her, that would live on until her bloodline ran out, live on… in Luna. And with that charm set, she feels the remainder of her magic drain out into the growing ball, as she reaches out one hand…

“I was out picking water lilies for mummy with daddy today. It's her favourite flower and always makes her cry. I don't know why because she always says they’re happy tears but they’re not. Daddy was telling me another story of Uncle Luci, then we heard a loud boom coming from our house. There was smoke coming out of the top, the wall had a hole and some of the roof had fallen down. I don't know what happened, but daddy started running towards the house, stepping on all the flowers. When I got to the house I saw mummy lying on the floor, all dirty from the dirt and asleep, daddy was crying beside her. I asked daddy why he was crying. He just pulled me into a very tight hug. I liked hugs but this one felt sad and tight.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Morning Mother, Father” said Evan Rosier greeting his parents as he walked into the dining hall

“Evan” said Emeric Rosier in greeting, not looking up from his copy of the Morning Prophet “did you have a restful night?”

“It was fine…” Evan replied neutrally. He had kept his distance from his parents ever since they had taken his sister away. Well, they didn't actually take her away, but they were the ones who made her want to disown herself, so in his eyes, the fault still lies with them

“Take a seat Evan” Cordelia told her son looking up from buttering her toast. “Any news on The Prophet today Darling?”

“Hmmm? Nothing interesting of the sort…”

Evan picks up his copy of The Morning Prophet and flipped through the pages, not looking for anything in particular. Until he found something that caught his eye. There was a woman who looked strangely like himself. He quickly glanced at the heading and his heart dropped to his stomach... In bold it said

“Pandora Lovegood, dead in a tragic magical accident, left family devastated”

He felt the blood rushing to his ears, he felt his heart quickening, he felt the shortness of his breath. It couldn’t be. Could it? No she couldn’t. No no no no no no no no….NO! She is NOT gone she can’t be. He would….he wouldn’t know. She disowned herself. He wouldn’t have felt it. She changed her name. She she-

“EVAN”

He looked up at his parents looking at him with confusion, he felt the rush of anger. How dare they. If SHE… if MOTHER hadn’t pushed her away SHE wouldn’t have been gone. She would be here. She would- she would- she wouldn’t be gone…dead. He refused to believe it. He refused. She cannot be gone. No he’s going to find her house and see her alive and well, maybe still hunched over her binder, scribbling notes in them. Yes, yes that - that would happen. Evan looked down back at the paper and in his heart, something broke inside him. She… his other half… his twin was gone…

“If you do not tell us what this ridiculous fuss is about, I am going to-”

“You killed her.”

His parents looked at him in confusion. Like he was mental. He wasn’t mental. She killed her. Mother killed her. “Do not talk to your mother like that Evan,” Father said. Oh if only he knew. Evan threw The Prophet down on his mothers plate. Looking her in the eye.

“If you hadn’t driven her away then this would never have happened.” He looked as his mother picked up the paper, as she went pale as her mouth dropped slightly open. She looked up at him then back at the paper. Her eyes staring at the picture of Pandora, smiling happily on her wedding day. The day that they were never invited to… well, Evan was. He was the only one in this family that Pandora ever tried to keep in contact with. Never again though, not after… Evan pushes himself to his feet, away from the table, appetite suddenly lost.

“Evan, where are you going?”

Both of his parents look worried, good. Let them worry that their “precious heir” is going to leave them too, leave them heir-less and old. He shakes his head, answering after a moment. “I need some time to myself, Father. If you need me, I will be at the Crouch’s” And with that, trying… and failing to contain his anger as he stormed out of the house, wand clenched in his fist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Malfoy Manor, the young seven-year-old had gotten his pale hands on the Daily Prophet.

“Father, who is this man in the paper? He looks like you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Draco, there is no other man that looks like your father besides your grandfather and you.” Narcissa smoothly cuts in, tilting her head at Draco. Lie, thought Lucius, he knew someone else who looked like him. Someone forbidden from being mentioned. He looked down at his son and saw that he had The Prophet in his hands. It was open to a page of a man staring solemnly at the camera, and his young daughter - couldn't be much younger than Draco - ducking behind her father, just to peek back out every few seconds. The daughter looked like a mix between….a Rosier and a… Malfoy? He looked at the man properly and saw that he was indeed his younger brother. He stares over his son’s shoulder at The Prophet, looking at the title, then scanning through the text:

“Pandora Lovegood, dead in a tragic magical accident, left family devastated”

Draco starts reading the paper out loud, practising his reading: “Pandora Lovegood died from an alchemy explosion of mixing different types of magic, though exactly what types are still unknown. Left her small family heartbroken, the husband refused to comment, though further digging has found no other family members connecting to the “Lovegoods”... though there have been some rumours that the husband, Xenophil-”

“Draco, you’re excused, run along to your lessons now. I’m sure Madame Madaline has arrived.” Lucius interrupted before his son could finish that sentence, not wanting to even hear his name after all these years. Narcissa looked at him, worried, but he kept his cool gaze on his son. Draco looked curiously at his father, slightly confused. “Yes, Father,” he replied. Leaving his parents just as his grandparents walked in.

“Lucius…”

“Father, have you seen The Prophet today?” Lucius drawled on, staring his father in the eyes. Abraxas raised his eyebrows, confused as to why he would ask him this question as soon as he just entered. “No I have not, is there something interesting happening?”

“Yes, I - well Draco, found something and I think it would…spark your interest.”

Abraxas sat down and Lucius handed him The Prophet, watching his reaction carefully. Abraxas went from worry to understanding in a second. He sharply looked at his son then to his wife and then finally at his daughter-in-law. His wife wore a confused expression while his son and daughter-in-law had solemn looks on their faces. He handed The Prophet over to his wife and carefully watched her reaction - slowly going from confusion to thoughtfulness.

“Poor Xeno, he was always so smitten with her I wonder how he’s holding up…”

“Mother, how was that your first thought? He has a child now. She is now without a mother, but now thinking of it… we COULD try to get Xeno to come back…” Lucius said with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“No,” The eldest of the Malfoys suddenly boomed down the table, causing everyone to flinch a bit “he has been disowned and has embarrassed us by directly disobeying my orders and changing his name to… “Lovegood”. What kind of atrocious name is that?”

“A name that would obviously define you and what you stood for, regardless of what others thought,” Narcissa said boldly, with a cool tilt to her voice, meeting her Father-in-law’s gaze directly. The room fell silent, everyone looking at Narcissa, waiting for her to continue.

“Careful, Cissa. I am still in charge here” Abraxas warns, raising his chin slightly.

“You lost control of me when you gave Lucius your Lordship, Malfoy. I think you may have forgotten that I am a Black, first and foremost, and I don't let my voice be unheard.” There was an awkward silence, until Belovina broke it.

“Well, I still think we should show Xenophilius some support as he just became a widower.” Abraxas just looked at his wife “Did you not-” “I did, and I still said we SHOULD… he is still my son, disowned or not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~[Time Skip five years]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A man with usually sparkling blue eyes looked up at the oddly shaped house. He wonders if this will be the right decision, if it will be right.

“Is this the house?” asked Alastor, looking at the house with distaste. He obviously didn’t approve of this uniquely shaped house. But Albus liked to think it had an interesting background. “Yes, it is, dear friend.” He said, sounding joyful even though the mood shouldn’t be joyful at all. They were about to give the news to a newly 11-year-old girl that she was…

“Right then friend, should we go on up? It does look very cosy and I'd love to see the interior of it. Knowing Xenophilius and Pandora, it would be very unique.”

“Albus,” said Shackleblot gravely, “She’s 11. I do not think it would be appropriate to marvel at her home's interior design when she learns of what's happened…”

“Quite right Kingsley, quite right…” The three of them silently walked up the hill, coming close to the oddly shaped house. Albus raised his hand and knocked three times on the door, waiting for just a few seconds before it opened slightly. A small figure with shimmering white blond hair wearing a blue dress and white petticoat opened the door. Just a crack. She looked at them cautiously asking

“Who are you? Daddy said not to open the doors to strangers…”

“Hello young Luna, I’m Albus Dumbledore. A friend of your father's and I’m here with my friends… we have important news for you.” He replied kindly, looking at her with twinkling eyes. Luna looked cautiously at all of them before opening the door wider. She sensed that they weren’t particularly bad…

The headmaster and aurors walked into the house. It was cluttered with books and drawings of mythical creatures. It had so much colour and life. What a shame it wouldn't be lived in again, not for a while at least. The young girl settles back onto the armchair that she had clearly just vacated to open the door, holding her book to her chest.

“Do you want some tea? Daddy always says to offer tea to guests”

Alastor shakes his head, But Albus and Kingsley nod, the headmaster shifting a couple of drawings to sit on the armchair opposite her. Luna nods, but surprisingly, doesn't get up immediately, carefully bookmarking her book with a dried and pressed waterlily, before walking over to the small kitchen on the one side of the room, carefully nestled into the circular space, filling up the kettle and reaching up for the cups. Being far too small to reach them, Luna frowns, glancing at her feet then back to the cupboard, her little form floating slightly off the ground so she can reach the shelf. The two aurors start slightly, though Albus just watches on thoughtfully.

Children are known to exhibit forms of wandless magic before the age of 11, but there is something… different about this, almost as if the young girl currently being lowered back to the ground with the cups wasn't the one doing the magic. Luna’s feet touch the ground again, and she glances at the stove, clearly not quite sure how to turn on the fire, waving her hand over the stove as a fire starts under her hand. Now THAT was her own magic, Albus thought, watching her balance the kettle over the stove. Albeit an independent young girl, her control of magic seems to be intentional enough for it not to be a huge worry for her growing up.

“Are you here to talk to Daddy? He’s out at the moment but I'm sure he’ll be back soon.”

The young girl pipes up a few moments later, having turned around from the stove to look at them. The two aurors look at Dumbledore for guidance, but he merely folds his hands into his lap. His eyes caught on a drawing, it was a drawing of a selkie that strangely almost reminded him of Pandora a bit. The sketch looked a bit undone, like he was going to come back to it later. Then he found other drawings of sirens, fairies and of an Indrik. All looking like they were going through the stages of being finished. So many more drawings of creatures littered the room. He recalled Xenophilius having a fascination with mythical creatures as a young boy; he seemed to have carried this into his adulthood and passed it down to his daughter.

“This is a beautiful drawing of a Selkie. You know they say selkies are deemed attractive but your father seems to have drawn it like your mother.” Luna glances at the drawing, then nods “Daddy’s idea of the perfect woman… it was always Mummy” Alastor glares at Albus, “This is beside the point Albus and you know it. Can we just get this over and done with, Merlin’s-”

“ALASTOR!” Kingsley shouts at him, motioning to Luna “There is a CHILD here!” Alastor waves away Kingley’s concern, glaring pointedly at Albus until the headmaster sighs “You’re right, you're right. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, we are here… unfortunately… to inform you that your father has sadly passed away.”

“Oh…”

A couple minutes passed by, the girls bright eyes dimming momentarily until she broke the stifling silence

“Is that why I can’t feel him around the house anymore?”

Alastor and Kingsley look confused, but the headmaster just tilts his head slightly, his (stupid) twinkling eyes fixed on Luna “And what do you mean by that Miss Lovegood?”

“You know, the lingering… colours… that people leave behind after using their wands,”

Albus smiles warmly, leaning forward slightly as the other aurors notice the understanding dawning on his face for a split second before he tilts his head again. “That is a very interesting idea, Miss Lovegood. However, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Luna frowns at him, clearly not believing him for a moment. Kingsley interrupts what was clearly about to be another thick, heavy silence.

“Anyway, what we were supposed to be telling you was that, because you are now without a guardian and there are no traces of any other relatives listed in the ministry, you’ll be staying at Hogwarts until the term starts, as it is only a couple months away now and there is no point in trying to find you an alternate place to stay as you are still young” She looks at them and tilts her head, almost like she is trying to figure out whether it would be easier for her to go with them.

“Okay”, was all she said, tilting her head slightly. As she walks up the spiral staircase to pack her things from her room, Albus’s gaze gets pulled back to the kettle still warming up water for the tea, now forgotten. He contemplates getting up and turning off the stove but then notices that as Luna’s form disappears up the stairs, the fire flickers, and goes out by itself. Interesting…

Alastor looks at Albus, curiosity present on his face as the headmaster falls deep into thought, contemplating something, while Kingsley follows Luna up the stairs. They stop at a landing and turn right into a big round room. Kingsley stands at the doorway watching the young girl start to pack her things away staying there. The room is a lovely lilac colour with moonflowers, stars and water lilies painted on the walls. He sees drawings of creatures, most likely made by Xenophilius and a family portrait. There were only three of them present, and the portrait wasn't moving, most likely made by a muggle artist.

Luna crosses the room to her slightly lopsided vanity, carefully packing away most of her jewellery into a beautiful jewellery box that looks like it is made out of goblin silver. He thought he noticed the Rosier family crest embedded in rose gold on the box, but that wouldn’t make sense…would it? (Hes oblivious okay) Kingsley turns his attention back to the trunk lying in a corner of the room, raising his wand and in a sweeping motion all of her clothes fly out of the wardrobe and fall neatly and folded into her trunk, along with some essential school supplies such as parchment and quills. Luna picks up a leather pouch with flowers embroidered on it, carefully packing her jewellery inside along with a handful of drawings and notes scattered around the room. Kingsley looks over to her.

“All done?” She nods, and the two of them head back down the spiral staircase to the living room, the trunk floating along behind them, though Kingsley does shoot a curious look at her pouch, the strap crossing her body as it hangs at her hip. Albus gets pulled out of his thoughts as they enter his peripheral vision again, getting up and brushing down his robes, his twinkly (twinkle little star) gaze also landing on the leather pouch, though he doesn't comment on it, instead looking at the two Aurors.

“Right… to Hogwarts then.”

This is what we imagined Luna's bag to look like:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1000643610951816456/