A Rule27NeverKnowinglyBeSerious fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure I am not JK Rowling or Marvel, so…

Chapter 1: Escaping

Date: 1 September 2008

Location: … Somewhere in the North Sea

Target: Lower levels of Azkaban prison, High-Security cells

Objectives: Relinquish "Death's Gifts" to Cellmate Number: 246785; destroy the rune marks (this must happen in order for the mission to succeed)

Postscript: Come home safe, Luna

Neville

Luna clutched the small bit of parchment to her narrow chest. She sucked a breath through her nose quickly and exhaled. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. It continued this way for several long moments as she crossed the threshold into Azkaban. Her breath suddenly became visible as the Dementors crept close to her.

Remembering her D.A. lessons from years ago, she brought out her wand and thought of her loving husband. She took a breath and spoke the words like her best friend taught her to. She cried out, "Expecto Patronum!"

Her small white rabbit Patronus burst from her wand and drove the Dementors back further into the stone walls of the prison. The oily guard that was escorting her spoke, "You shouln' 'ave done tha'." He flashed a black smile at her and she curled her lips in disgust.

The war hadn't turned her cold; it was what happened after that made her disgusted with humanity. She still remembers the pale face of her friend as she defeated Voldemort. The light finally returning to her eyes only to be snuffed out as her gaze fell upon her "friends" and "family".

The auburn warrior was quickly subdued by her "best friends" and "lover". The low-life ginger brothers and bushy bitch of a brunette. Luna wipes her nose as she saw the warrior, the hero, the girl she considered her best friend dragged away, broken and betrayed. And Luna just stood there, looking in horror. Hoping someone, anyone would help her. But no one did. They just stood there with varying faces of guilt, astonishment, relief, and victory.

Luna followed the guard through the stone corridor, past the cells: some empty, some not. Until they reached a big, heavy, wooden door.

Luna sucked in a shaky breath. It had taken her and Neville several years to come up with this plan and execute it. They played with the Ministry and others for ten years. Earning favors, collecting others. All to get to here. Ten minutes with the prisoner.

Luna prayed to every deity she knew that the handoff would go smoothly. She could only hope after the life her best friend lived that she had perfected the art of survival. If anyone could survive in here for that long, it was definitely her.

The two descended the dark spiral staircase to the lower levels, where the high-security prisoners were held. Luna flashes back to how the warrior ended up here. The Wizengamot used everything to declare her guilty: bribes, blackmail, etc. Her face as her "friends" and "family" abandoned her, spouting nonsense of how she had always been dark, how only a "dark witch" could survive dying twice, how she would rise up and take Voldemort's place as the next Dark Lady.

Luna had tears running down her face as the Dementors swooped in to Kiss her. Her screams as the beasts clamped their hands on her jaw and wrenched her head. The sadistic looks from the Weasley brood and Granger. Even the faint smiles ghosted on the werewolf and Metamorphmagus.

Luna turned her head away into Neville's chest, whose face was pale and terrified. Unbeknownst to anyone, an explosion rang throughout the court. A great light flared and dissipated.

When they could finally see, the sight was shocking. There was the auburn warrior in the center of the stone floor, pale, a bit clammy, but alive. The Dementors were nothing but ashes scattered around her. She stared at her hands, the ashes and the rest of the court, horrified and confused. Apparently that was all the evidence the Wizengamot needed. Someone Stupefied her and then through her into this hellish pit and left her to rot.

If that wasn't enough of a punishment, they marked her in runes. Trapping her magic, keeping her young to be able to handle the torture. It didn't make any sense to Luna, but the Minister of Magic thought it quite the clever plan. Weak, unable to use her magic, she would spill and tell them everything.

The warrior had been tortured for years, little to anyone's knowledge. She had grown up abused, bullied and neglected. How she was still pure and kind, after that, was beyond anyone's mind. And then saving their school year after year, helping and caring for others before herself. Then the darker years, when she was mocked and scorned but carried on nevertheless. Most people would have fallen by now, but not the warrior. She was more than a warrior.

She was a survivor.

The guard and Luna came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and turned down a dark corridor. There was a single wooden door at the end. Narrow slits were evenly space on the left stone wall, they poured in small amounts of gray light. Their shoes clicked as headed down the hall.

Luna peered at the slit in the wall and saw nothing but rough, gray water. It was low tide right now, but what happened when it was high tide? Surely the entire sub-level would flood. So she asked the guard this as he fumbled with his keys, searching for the right one.

He snickered, "We just leave her here. The runes prevent her from dying. But it's always fun to hear her drowning. Apparently salt water doesn't mix with whip slashes."

Luna steeled her face and crushed the note from Neville in her grip. She clutched her satchel and bit her tongue as he inserted the correct key and pushed open the door. Luna carefully stepped into the room and bit her tongue harder to keep her from making a noise. The scene before was one of a nightmare.

The cell was quite large, at least 14x14 feet in volume. The walls were the same dismal gray stone as was the floor. The left wall had the narrow slits, like the corridor outside, it illuminated a great, dark cage. Chains hung from the ceiling, lowering into the cage. And in the center, on her knees, arms raised, wrists and ankles shackled, was the survivor.

Luna's lips trembled as she gazed upon her best friend. The guard sounded from behind her, "Okay you got ten minutes, then it's my turn." Luna felt a shudder of disgust roll through her and the door slammed shut.

The sound jostled the chains with an eerie click. Luna surged forward and fell towards the bars. She managed to reign in her sobs but not her tears. Her breath became quick as she rattled the bars.

Her focus became clearer as a moan escaped the survivor's chapped lips, "You do realize you have access to a wand? You don't just have to rattle the bars." Luna wheezed and raised her wand to the lock on the cage door. She whispered the words frantically and rushed into her best friend's prison.

She fell on her knees and wrapped her arms around her friend. She pulled back as she winced and groaned, "Oh, I'm sorry did I hurt you? Are you hurt?" She carefully examined her friend, taking in the state of her appearance. The survivor was wearing nothing but a thin, dirty, tank top and equally dirty panties. Her skin was covered in grim and scars. She was far too skinny; her ribs could be seen clearly through her thin tank top. Her long auburn hair was dirty, grimy and lank, in need of a good wash. Her face was no better. The once gay and joyful hazel-green eyes were now dead and helpless. There was a long scar that ran from the inside of her left eyebrow, across her eyelid, down her cheekbone and end at her jawline.

In short, she had been here for far too long. She was wasting away and the Wizarding community was far too cruel to let her die.

She licked her chapped lips and in a hoarse whisper, "What are you doing here, Luna?" Her sullen eyes searched silver-gray ones. Luna swallowed, "I'm here to rescue you… or well… help you to rescue yourself."

The depressed eyes flashed gold, "What makes you think I was to be rescued?" Luna's jaw quivered, "Because Neville and I are the only ones left who care. We have worked too damn long to just leave you here. I refuse to leave behind my best friend, again."

Her sigh was more of a death rattle and it disturbed Luna greatly. She licked her lips again, "What's the plan? You don't have a lot of time."

Luna's hand dove into her satchel and immediately set to work. She dug out the three Gifts and a small package wrapped in velvet. She tapped her wand to the chains and her thin wrist fell as did the rest of her body. Luna caught her and felt the welts and bruises on her back. She set her carefully on her knees and grabbed the first Gift.

The dark cloth settled around her thin shoulders and seemed to almost melt into her skin. "But this is…"

"Shh," Luna interrupted her and grabbed the second gift. An ugly gold ring with a black diamond shaped stone at the center and grabbed the frail girl's wrist and forced it onto her middle finger. "And this…"

"Uh-uh, quiet. Now here." Luna said shoving the final Gift, a long thin wand with a knobby design running up and down it, into her skeletal hands. Luna forced the hood of the first Gift over her grimy hair and she helped her to her feet. Unsurprisingly, she didn't disappear as most people would think. The survivor licked her lips, "Luna I can't use these. My magic is block from these." She flicked her wrists up to the blonde.

Ancient Celtic runes seared in her flesh shown up at Luna. She gently fingered them. Ones for Binding and Eternity, were the biggest, surrounded by others for Youth and Torment. She grabbed the velvet-wrapped package and unbound it. nestled in it was a glass dagger. On the handle, it sported other ancient runes, but ones for Release and Freedom.

The blonde looked up expectantly to the auburn, "Do you…?"

"Just make it quick."

Luna grasped her wrist and brought the dagger to meet skin; she glanced at her friend again and slashed. The survivor gasped quietly at blood pooled at her wrist and ran down her arm and into her palm. Luna quickly slash her other wrist and the auburn disappeared.

Luna chuckled quietly and glanced at the door. She murmured a quick incantation and a twin auburn was in the chains of the cage. "Okay that's a little weird." Her friend's voice tickled in her ear. The auburn lowered the hood, allowing herself to be visible. She held her bloody wrists up to Luna and Luna tapped them each and whispered another spell.

The blood disappeared and the skin knitted back together. The runes were still there but marred so their powers ceased. The two quickly left the cage and stood in front. Luna locked the door and the auburn put up her hood and disappeared. Not even a second later did the guard walk in and see Luna fingering the cage. He smirked, "She won't be getting out of there any time soon, so don't worry."

"Oh I wasn't worrying. Least not about her. I was more interested in the Nargles flying around. I was hoping to see some Darstead Hinkle Bugglers. Oh well, it was still a good visit."

The guard regarded her as though she was insane, "Yeah, alright, well your time's up. Time for you to leave." He slipped in and held the door and waited for Luna to step through. She seemed to be staring into space and a few seconds later she skipped through.

Their walk back was devoid of conversation. As Luna headed for the exit, the Dementors seemed to crowd her. But they stopped suddenly and seemed to bow their heads toward the small lady. The human guards thought it a bit odd, but never said anything.

They didn't seem to notice that the lady's hand was slightly raised and cupped, as though she was holding someone's hand. As soon as she was to the Apparition point she flew her hand and seemed to grip her imaginary friend's hand tighter. With a crack she was gone and the phantasm in place of Number 246785 was gone as well.

Author Notes: So... what'd ya think? I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this but it is going to run into the Avengers. Anyway, I'm thinking of making Jace appear more broken. Any thoughts, just shoot me a comment or a kudos. Your thoughts are appreciated.