Christmas in the Dungeon

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The dungeon is cold and damp. There's a smell in the air that Luna can't recognize, but it's fun to try. She's been a prisoner for several days already, and, overall, it's extremely boring. They didn't even give her a book, so she has to find her entertainment where she can. Currently, it's a game of Name That Smell. Once she tires of that, she'll check on Mr. Ollivander and see if he feels strong enough to talk. He's very clever and has a story for any word she tells him, though she's already decided that she'll never try to actually stump him because that would be rude.

As she sits on the lumpy mattress that is now her bed, she wonders what Daddy is doing. She knows that she was taken because he was being so very brave and standing up to He Who Must Not Be Named, so she worries that he'll lose his courage when he finds out she's been taken. She concentrates and wrinkles her nose as she sends him as many love thoughts as she can, so he can stay strong and not worry about her.

The dungeon isn't so bad, and they don't bother her, not like they do Mr. Ollivander when he's returned barely able to stand. They're after a wand. A special wand, like in the storybooks Mum used to read her. They think she doesn't listen or maybe they just think she's stupid. People often make that mistake about her for some silly reason. She sees things that they don't sometimes, but she wouldn't wear blue and bronze if she was witless. So, she hums to herself as they stand near the cage and listens while picking at a frayed string in her blanket, hoping she'll hear something useful for when she escapes.

She isn't sure how she'll escape, especially now that poor Mr. Ollivander has to go with her. She won't leave him behind, of course. It'll be fun to plot ways out of this dungeon, just like being back in DA with all her friends around her. If she focuses hard enough, she can see them all with her now, and it makes her feel warm and safe. She knows that they're not really in the dungeon, but what's the use in having an active imagination if she can't use it to make herself feel better?

So, she lets them stay with her while Mr. Ollivander is asleep, and she talks to them in her head. Ginny tells her about Christmas at the Burrow, and how all her family is there to eat roast and potatoes and worry about Ronald. Neville tells her about his gran and proudly shows off the latest bruises from the Carrows, sharing stories of his bravery that make her smile. Ronald is alone, which confuses her, and he tells her about hunting and trying to find those he lost, about faith and hope and he's so strong that she knows he'll find them. And Harry and Hermione are tired, weary from a search they can't tell her about, and she worries when she talks to them because they need Ron, need his faith, or they might never win.

After her visit with her friends, she sighs and looks at Mr. Ollivander. He's still sleeping, snoring now and holding his arm against him. The smell isn't so strong now or maybe she's just used to it. Either way, the game isn't fun anymore. Not when she has to play by itself. It's nearly Christmas, and she wants to see Daddy and hunt for nargles in the mistletoe. She doesn't want to be here in a cold, damp, smelly place without any decorations.

Well, if they won't decorate, she'll just do it on her own. She stands up and smiles as she reaches for the tattered green blanket they tossed at her after she arrived. It's too thin to protect from the cold, so she doesn't mind ripping a strip from the bottom. It's perfect. She takes it to the bars of their cage and wraps it around two times before tying it into a large fluffy bow. Stepping back, she looks at it critically before she nods and does another and another. When a rat suddenly scurries into the cage with a red ribbon in his mouth, she claps in delight and takes it from him. He just looks up at her before dashing away again.

It isn't home, but it's Christmas time, so she'll just make do with what she's got.

End