The last DA meeting of the term was spent practicing stunning spells and shielding spells before Dobby and Winky popped in more snacks, and the end of the club dissolved into a low-key party. Harry's dementor senses itched every time they met in the Come and Go Room. During the party, when he was less busy than normal teaching, he could concentrate on the feeling more. He was certain there was something somewhere in the room that was like what his locket used to be. Another non-human soul container, a soul that he could, maybe ethically, take and eat.
The DA members finally started leaving in groups of two or three to not be noticed by Umbridge hopefully. Harry decided to hang back, it was his last chance of the term to find out what it was that was calling to him. Giving Luna a meaningful look, he leaned against one of the practice dummies and waited for the room to clear.
Cho Chang seemed to be hanging back too for some strange reason or another, but after an intense glare from Luna that even Snape didn't seem to be immune to, the older Ravenclaw slunk out of the room with the last group. "What do you think she wanted?" Harry asked the fairy.
Luna gave him a vague smile and walked over to where he was standing. "You sense something. I've seen you look like there was something important around every time we've met in here. I feel something too…but I don't know what it is."
Harry pulled his locket out from his shirt. "There was a piece of soul in this when I first found it. There's something that feels like it did here in the room somewhere. Is that something common in the magical community? Is it bad that I ate the piece of soul in here? It didn't feel recent, you know…" Harry trailed off, wondering what he was actually asking.
Luna studied the locket. "I've never heard of that before, but it would have to be very dark magic with ill intent to split a pure thing like a soul, even dementors don't split souls. It would not be a good or virtuous thing for someone to do."
Harry grinned at her, getting the answer he'd been hoping for. "So…it's not bad if I eat it then…right?"
She shrugged with a chuckle. "I'm not your conscience. I wouldn't judge you though. How do you propose to find it in here?"
The dementor had put a lot of thought into that throughout the party. "I don't think it's actually in this room. I think I could ask for it and it might appear though. I think that's how the magic works in here anyway."
"Well…give it a go then," Luna motioned to the middle of the room with an excited look in her eyes.
Harry thought hard about what he wanted and the magic that surrounded it. He opened his eyes when he heard a gasp beside him. A jewel encrusted crown-like-thing sat before them in the middle of the room. The soul was sending delicious vibes out into the room.
"Harry…that looks like a diadem…maybe like Ravenclaw's lost diadem," Luna gasped, taking a cautious step forward before her face twisted in disgust. "Ew, the magic surrounding it feels terrible, the darkest I've ever felt…it's just gross."
"Feels delicious to me," the dementor grinned back. "This necklace might be Slytherin's lost locket, so maybe they're connected in some way. The soul kind-of feels the same, but it's not like I have a lot of experience eating souls."
"Can you get rid of it safely?" Luna asked, looking at the diadem in repulsion.
Harry rolled his eyes in answer, but then he paused and looked to the door. "Erm, Luna, I'm going to have to leave Jamie to do this. Maybe you want to…" he motioned towards the door.
Luna put her hands on her hips and sent her patented glare at him. "Harry James Potter, what makes you think I'd think any less of you if I saw you in your true form?!"
"And saw me eat a soul?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"You saw me eat crickets two days ago," she shrugged. "I don't see an issue here. Why do you?"
Harry smiled brilliantly at his friend. I'm going to marry this girl, came unbidden as a thought that flew through his mind. He shook his head, not knowing where that came from, but knowing he'd have to actually analyze it at some point. Based on what Sirius had told him of his dad and mum and how they got together, he thought it might be some sort of genetic thing.
"Ok, look out for Jamie then," he said as he lay on the floor since there weren't any chairs around except for the beanbags that probably wouldn't hold up the body without him in it.
Harry rose out of the body and floated over towards the maybe-diadem. By the time he turned back to look at Luna, she had already sat on the floor and had Jamie's head in her lap. He smiled at her, even though she couldn't see under his hood. "You look gorgeous, dear," she grinned up at him playfully.
Harry chuckled his hauntingly echoing chuckle and turned to the soul. He held out for a moment, savoring the feeling, then he picked up the soul container and happily absorbed the soul. It was the same spicy, chocolatey taste of the one in the locket. It warmed his insides like the best hot chocolate he'd ever had. "Ah, that's much better!" Luna exclaimed from where she was combing Jamie's hair with her fingers. "All that nastiness is gone. It was giving me a headache."
He hovered back over to his body and sat the diadem on the floor before picking up the body again. "Hey…it taste good?" Luna smiled as the eyes in the body lit up again.
"So good," Harry smiled up at her, loving the feeling of her fingers in his hair. "You sure you aren't freaked out?"
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