A Little Research

"Luna, I'm afraid that I have some bad news."

Luna stared for several long minutes before blinking slowly at her visitor. "Good morning, Harry."

Harry's eyebrows shot upwards. "It's morning?"

"Oh, only just," she assured him distantly. "It's almost three. I was having a most entertaining dream about you, Ronald and a llama." She moved over to the porch swing and took a seat, gesturing for him to join her.

He sat down with a sigh. "…sorry for waking you – I think. I honestly had no idea it was so late," he added sheepishly. "Or early. Whatever."

"That's quite all right, Harry," she told him, fiddling with the lace on the end of her sleeve. "Now, I believe you said something about newts?"

Harry eyed her for a moment, but chose to ignore it. "I've been doing a little research."

Luna began looking vaguely worried. "Well, that never ends well."

"Research about zombies, actually –"

Now she was looking genuinely alarmed.

"– And I don't want you to worry, but I think there may be something…different, about Velma."

Luna relaxed. "Oh, is that all? And what makes you say such a thing?"

Harry decided that it would be safest not to ask her what had been distressing her. "Well…I've always had this sneaking suspicion, but the books all agree…I don't think that zombies are supposed to grow, Luna."

"Grow?" Luna seemed absolutely astonished. "Harry, Velma is the same size she has always been!"

Harry remembered quite clearly that the creepily-adorable miniature Tyrannosaurus Rex had been the size of a small dog the day he accidentally summoned her. He glanced across to where Velma was curled up asleep at the other end of the porch, using a giant stuffed rabbit as a pillow - and currently the size of a small bus. He then raised an eyebrow at Luna.

Luna pouted at him. "Well, perhaps she's grown a little."

"I have no idea when, or even if, she'll stop growing. What if she even outgrows her own species?"

"You worry too much, Harry. Obviously if that happens we stop letting her into the house."

"Luna…"

She gave him an impish smile.

"There's no reasoning with you, is there?"

"Why whatever do you mean, Harry?"

Harry sighed in a mix of exasperation and affection. "Oh, fine. I'll leave her be. But if she grows impossibly huge and accidentally steps on the house while you're in it, thus rendering you squished, don't think I'll be resurrecting you."

"Of course not, Harry."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Not in the least."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You know me rather well, Harry. It would explain your lack of surprise and also the twitch that your left eye has developed."

Harry's eye, predictably, twitched. "Do you have an answer to everything?"

"Just about," Luna told him lightly.

He buried his head in his hands with a groan.

Luna patted him on the head sympathetically and left to find them both some ridiculously early breakfast. Velma trailed after her through the magically enlarged doorway, resembling nothing more than an overgrown reptilian puppy.

Harry found himself rather disturbed by how utterly cute they were.

Well now, that was...unexpected. Somewhat. Sort of happened exactly the same way The Little Necromancer Who...Sucked did - I wrote about half of it on paper, left it for ages, finally typed it up, and then finished and fixed it.

So hopefully this is okay. I'm not entirely sure about it, myself - at least the ending. Meh.

In case you were wondering, Velma has not stopped growing. Yet.

Also, it amused me to see so many people connecting Velma to the Dresden Files in the previous fic. I must admit, when I started Inquisition, Velma was sort of inspired by Sue. Subconsciously. I realised all of a sudden 'wow, zombie dinosaur summoned by a Harry. This seems familiar'.

Anyway, let me know what you think.

Love Wolfie