A Wonder

Harry and Hermione had gone further to look for her mother so they waited. Ginny took off her coat and laid it overtop of Ryleighs body. 

“We’ll have Hermione do a warming charm when she gets back.” Ron said. 

“I can do it now-“ Luna started but Ginny stopped her.  

“We’re off campus Luna, don’t.” 

A few minutes later Harry and Hermione emerged from the building empty handed. 

“She’s not here.” Harry said. 

“Focillo.” Hermione cast toward the girl waving her wand in a circular motion.

“She can fly back with me.” Luna said, “hand her up to me when I get up.” She said and then climbed up onto her thestral. Ron handed the girl up to her and Luna wrapped her own large coat around both of them, handing Ginny back her coat. 

“Let’s get back.” Ginny said and let Harry lead her to another thestral, helping her up onto the invisible creature. Then he lead Hermione and Ron then climbed onto his own. 

They flew back as quickly as they could but it was breaking dawn as they saw the castle. 

They landed carefully right outside the doors.

The air outside was frigid and the snow was high on the ground, Luna handed the girl off to Ron who picked her up again and they made their way toward the large front doors.

Just as Ginny was about to push the doors open they opened on their own. McGonagall and Snape were both standing on the other side. 

“Oh dear lord…” the woman whispered.

“Follow me.” Snape shouted and led Ron to the hospital wing. The boy set her down as carefully as he could in the bed. Ginny and Hermione ran off to find pomfrey, Luna placed herself right next to the bed, taking Ryleighs hand in her own. Snape waved a wand over the girls body but said nothing.

As Pomfrey arrived she widened her eyes. 

“I have this girl in here nearly as much as you potter.” She stated as she pushed Ron away and made to stand next to the girl. 

“Multiple Cruciatus, improperly healed fractures and a freshly broken femur at least.” Snape said to the Mediwitch who nodded gravely. 

“Alright, everyone out.” McGonagall lead the student out of the room. 

“Ms Lovegood, come with me.” Snape said but the girl just shook her head. 

“It’s alright Severus. Leave her be.” Poppy said gently. 

Snape looked at the girl once more before making his own exit.

Luna listened and assisted where poppy told her.

She set the bone in her femur with a spell then set a potion down her throat with a motion of her wand. 

When the woman was finished Ryleigh looked better, if better was ‘not on the brink of death’. She was still covered with scrapes and bruises and looked entirely too thin but for the first time Luna believed she would be okay.

Xx

McGonagall and Snape returned sometime later in the day with Ro and Quinn. 

“Is she okay?” Ro asked quietly.

“She will be. Do you want to sit with her?” Luna offered and the boy took the empty seat next to the bed while Quinn crawled into Lunas lap.

“When she’s released from here she’ll stay with you I presume?” Snape asked quietly, looking at Ryleigh but directed at McGonagall. 

“If we haven’t located the mother by then.” McGonagall responded. Snape looked at her, he said nothing but she understood well enough. 

“They will all stay with me. I won’t have them getting sent off to some muggle orphanage to be separated.” She said firmly. 

Snape nodded, “very well.” Then he left. 

Xx

Weeks past and Ryleigh slept, or rather ‘was unconscious’ was probably more accurate. They all visited, usually in groups. Harry and Hermione, Ron usually with Harry as well but not much of all three of them. Ginny and Luna would bring the kids and Luna spent nearly all her free time at her bedside.

Her 16th birthday came and went while she slept, and when she finally woke it was days later. Her eyes opened to find Professor Snape at the foot of her bed. She gasped loudly at the sight. 

“W-what…” she whispered then looked around. She was at Hogwarts. 

“It’s all right.” He said calmly. “Your siblings are in the great hall with your friends. They’re safe and fine.” He said. 

“You—“ she started but stopped. “Thank you.” She said instead. 

“I haven’t a clue what you’re referring to.” He said. “Might I ask the status of your mother?” He asked. 

“She’s dead.” She said firmly with nothing more than a sniff. “Bellatrix killed her.” She said and looked up at him. 

“She thought that Narcissa let the kids go and killed her to cover for her sister.”

“I’m-“ he cleared his throat. “That is very regrettable. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Just another dead parent at her hand.” She said, and shrugged but the wobble of her voice gave her away. 

“Ms Walsh I regret to have to ask you this but whatever you think you are aware of regarding me, needs to stay within the order.”

Xx

Luna was walking down the hall with her hand in Quinn’s. Ginny and Ro were next to them as they gave the kids a tour of the castle.

“And this is the great hall. We have all our parties in here and eat all our meals. When it’s exam time we take the big tests in here too.” Ginny explained. 

“Do you want to race to the podium?” She challenged the boy who smirked and nodded. 

Luna and Quinn laughed. 

“Oh your mark, get set, go!” She called and the boy took of running with Ginny hot on his tail. 

Ro touched the podium just before Ginny and from the side of the room Dumbledore emerged. “Seems we have a winner.” He said kindly and produced a small golden trophy, handing it to the boy with a smile. 

“Thanks!” Ro smiled.

“Sorry Professor, they just get restless in McGonagalls chambers all day.” Ginny said. 

“No apologies Ms Weasley, looks as though you’ve got a future quidditch player on your hands.” Dumbledore responded. 

“He’d make a good keeper, maybe a seeker.” She said back. 

“I thought you ought to know that Ms Walsh is awake.” He said. 

The girls looked at him. “Thank you sir,” then the four of them took off down the hall.

Xx

They burst into the room rather loudly and were met with Snape immediately.

“Quietly.” Was all he said before moving out of the way. 

“Ry?” Quinn asked as she walked up to her sisters bed. 

“Hey Quinny.” The girls horse voice said back. 

McGonagall was standing with her on the other side of the bed. 

“Are you okay ry?” Quinn asked.

“I’m.. getting better.” She said. 

Luna walked up and sat right beside her. 

“I’m glad you’re okay..” she whispered. 

“I missed you.” Ryleigh whispered back. 

“You have no idea how much I missed you. I’m sorry we didn’t find you earlier, I… I thought maybe you were upset about Sirius and didn’t want to talk so I was trying to give you space…” 

“It’s okay Luna.” Ryleigh said, “but I need to talk to Quinn and Ro.” 

Luna nodded and stepped back, pushing Ro and Quinn closer to the bed. 

“Listen guys.” She said, then tried to sit up, McGonagall helped her from behind, placing some extra pillows behind her. 

“We’re going to be… staying with Professor McGonagall for a while I think… she’s… she’s been so kind to take care of you while I was gone—“

“Oh!” Ro interrupted. “Ginny! I forgot my present, do you have it?” The boy asked. 

“Ro I think Ryleigh is trying to talk to you first…”

“I know but she missed her birthday!” He said. 

Ryleigh looked at her and nodded that it was okay. Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny golden bracelet, it was a potion vial. She handed it to Ro who careful gave it to his sister. 

“Cause you love potions and your birthday was the other day. I was hoping you’d be awake by then but you slept for a long long time.” Ro explained. 

She took it and looked at it closely. Clearly Ro had not been the one to craft it as it was beautifully intricate and inside the tiny vial was a shimmering substance.

“It’s your ‘find me potion’.” He explained. “Cause that’s how they found you.”

“I.. love it Ro, thank you.” She said. 

“are you gonna find mammy now?” Quinn asked and they all looked at her. 

“That’s um.. what I wanted to talk with you about…” she swallowed, “mam is… well she’s n-not…” 

“Your mother was killed.” McGonagall supplied as softly as she could. 

Ro and Quinn looked at her. 

“But she was… he said… that she would stay with Ry…” Ro said. 

“And she tried to stay with me Bud but… the mean lady she… she… she’s um, with grandad now, and grandma…” they had started crying now and Ryleigh wanted to go to them. 

“Come here.” She said and held open her arms, they both ran to her, falling heavily into her embrace she she winced but held them tightly. 

Xx

The next day she was sitting up in the bed while Pomfrey checked her over. 

“Good, another deep breath.” She said as she listened to her chest. 

“Alright, you can lay back now. Still have a bit of fluid build up but it’s mostly cleared while you were unconscious. I’d like to keep you for another few days and then I’ll let you rest in Minerva’s chambers. No dorms. No classes.”

Ryleigh nodded, she didn’t much want to see anyone anyway.

Luna cracked the door open and peaked in.

“Come in.” Pomfrey said to the girl. 

Luna made her way to Ryleighs side.

“How are you feeling today?” She asked and Ryleigh forced a smile. 

“I’m fine, good. Better.” She said.

Madam pomfrey excused herself leaving the girls alone. 

“Where are the kids?” She asked. 

“They’re with Ginny. She wanted me to ask if you wanted them to go to the burrow for Christmas.” 

“Oh, whats the date?” Ryleigh asked. 

“It’s the 15th.” Luna said.

“Oh wow.. I didn’t even realize…” she bit her lip. “When are they headed?” She asked.

“Friday morning, Harry’s going with them.” Luna said. 

“Um, yeah I mean, sure. They’d probably like that.” She said. 

They sat quietly for a few minutes. “I could stay with you.” Luna said.

“No, I mean. You should be with your dad.” Ryleigh said. “Come here.” And she patted the bed next to her, “come cuddle with me.”

Luna sighed happily and crawled carefully into the bed with the girl.

Xx

Harry came the next day alone. He shifted awkwardly on his feet. 

“So.. after Sirius died… he left some stuff for us, but no one told me about it until after you.. we’re gone…”

She swallowed hard. “Okay…” 

“Um. He left us the house… I was going to say no because I really just… didn’t want it but then they said that Bellatrix would get it… so I took it, well, we did I suppose, I told Dumbledore that the order could keep using it as the safe house. Is that.. okay with you?” He asked. 

“Of course…” she said quietly. 

“The house also came with kreacher.”

“The elf?” She asked and he nodded. 

“Miserable bastard.” Harry said. “He’s been requesting to see you, says your a black and I’m not so he’s yours.” Harry made a face. “You can have him, I’ve told him to work the Hogwarts kitchens so he doesn’t go running off to the Malfoy’s.”

“Um… o-okay.” She said.

“So do you?” Harry asked, “want him?” 

“Oh- I mean. Hogwarts is probably a good place for him right? I don’t exactly have.. a home to send him too.”

Harry swallowed hard, “right.. sorry…” 

“It’s fine…” 

“He’d still like to see you. Kreacher I mean.”

“Okay…” 

“And um, Sirius also left you his motorbike.” 

“Right.. thanks…” she said. 

“I’ll just… get kreacher then… Ryleigh, I’m really sorry about your mum.”

“Thanks Harry.” 

Then the boy left and a second later Kreacher entered the room.

“Mistress, Kreacher is to serve the most noble and ancient house of black. You are the heir to the house rightfully, Kreacher will serve you however you so please.”

“Hello Kreacher. We’ve met before.” She said. 

“Indeed madam.”

“I should think you’ll stay at Hogwarts then.” She said. “At least for now, I live here I suppose.” She said and the elf bowed his head. “The only thing I really expect of you is kindness to my brother and sister.”

He grumbled but agreed and took his leave. 

She laid back against the bed frame and sighed. Exhausted she closed her eyes.

Xx

The kids spent most of their days with her while McGonagall was teaching and Ginny and Luna had classes. They were doing pretty well all things considered, better than her at least. On the 20th Luna came to spend the evening with her. She smuggled her some potions books and had curled herself into Ryleighs side as she read them. Perfectly comfortable, that is until Harry walked in. 

“Hi- um, Luna. If you’re free tonight I was wondering if you’d want to come to a Christmas party with me?” He asked. She looked up from her comfy place. 

“No thanks Harry.” She said sweetly. 

“No, you should go babe. It’ll be fun. I’m just gonna sit here reading anyway.” Ryleigh said.

“Are you sure?” Luna asked. 

“Positive, the kids will come and keep me company after dinner.” She said. 

Luna nodded. “Alright Harry.” Luna said.