Hermione Granger's lungs burned. Her eyes stung as she ran, Harry beside her. "Where are we going?" he panted.

"Away from here!" Hermione cried back.

"Obviously!" Harry glanced over his shoulder, barely missing a spell as it whizzed past his ear.

"Who would have something weird and not in an every day house?" Hermione cried as she dodged a tree, and then leaped over another.

"Do you even have to ask who has weird stuff?"

Hermione glanced at him for confirmation, and he held out his arm. As soon as they touched, a twisting sensation tore at their navel and they were gone.

They landed in a field, a tall, crooked home towering over them, plums that seemed to defy gravity in the bushes out front. Hermione took a breather, her lungs still aching.

"How did the Snatchers find us?" Harry demanded. "We did nothing!"

"Maybe they sensed the wards?" Hermione tried. "We don't have much time. They can trace us here with the right spells."

After catching their breath, they approached the dreary home, nervous about what they'd find, and what they could possibly say.

Harry knocked tentatively and there was silence as they waited. The door opened in a flourish and a long blonde haired man was staring at them, his shirt loose, the buttons half buttoned. His hair was finely groomed, but haphazardly tied back. A silver necklace was dangling down, a triangle with a line and a circle inside. Hermione's eyes caught it briefly before she gave the man a smile.

"Why, hello! Visitors!"

"Yes, is Luna home?" Hermione asked, biting her lip. "We're friends of hers from school... We were hoping to catch her before she left for Hogwarts-"

"My sweet little Lune? Oh, yes, of course. She's upstairs with a friend. Come in, I'll fetch her," the man insisted in the same dreamy voice his daughter possessed. "I didn't catch your names?"

"Penelope Clearwater," Hermione said, glancing at Harry. "This is -"

"You need not lie to me, Miss Granger," Luna's father smiled sadly. "These times are tough, but you should not feel the need to be secretive around me."

"I'm sorry," Hermione winced. "We just don't know who to trust anymore."

"Hardly anyone does," he admitted, moving towards stairs that spiraled up into the ceiling. "I am Xenophilius Lovegood. Luna's father."

"It's great to meet you, sir," Harry said politely. "Luna's said great things about you."

"My lovely Lune is the pride of my existence," he said dreamily. "I'll fetch her for you."

He disappeared up the steps only to return a minute later, a tea pot in his hands. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thanks," Harry said quietly. "We just need to talk to Luna. It's important."

"He's just being polite," a feminine voice drifted through the room. A pretty blonde descended the stairs in a mustard yellow dress, her hair falling behind her in ringlets. "Hello, Hermione, Harry."

"Hello, Luna," Hermione smiled to the young girl. Neville was quick behind her, surprised to see them both.

"Blimey! I thought you two were dead! Everyone thinks you're dead," Neville cried.

"I have a quick question, Luna."

"Of course you do. There are proxies all around you," Luna smiled brightly.

Hermione didn't try to make sense of that. "We're looking for basilisk venom... Anything that would contain it. If you have anything-"

"Oh, well there's some venomous worms in the garden-"

"No, we need basilisk venom. Do you have any?" Hermione repeated, not putting up with her made-up creatures.

"I don't think so," Luna admitted. "That's dark stuff. We don't keep dark stuff in the house. Right, Daddy?"

Xenophilius seemed to be concentrating on making the tea. "Hmmm, Luna?"

"Harry and Hermione are looking for basilisk venom. Do we have any?" Luna asked brightly, tugging Neville's hand so he was sitting beside her. Hermione briefly wondered why they were home, until she realized it was Christmas break. There was hardly any snow on the ground.

"I don't believe so," Xenophilius stated. "But I can check the store room for you."

"That would be lovely," Harry admitted.

As he disappeared, Neville took them both in. "You look like hell."

"Been a rough few months," Harry sighed. "How are you lot doing? How's Hogwarts?"

"I haven't gone back," Luna said dreamily. "Daddy says it's not safe. Neville has though..."

"The DA is great," Neville grinned. "You should have seen me last week. Nasty black eye and bruised jaw. The Carrows are in charge of punishment, Snape's Headmaster. It's a mess there. We mostly sleep in the Room of Requirement, with a lot of refugees. It's not safe in the Common Rooms anymore."

"Refugees?"

"The safest place to be is right under their nose," Neville smiled. "Brilliant, isn't it?"

Hermione seemed amazed to see the boy so confident and bright. She couldn't remember ever seeing him this way. Not since the Battle of the Ministry.

"Yes, brilliant," she said faintly. "Is Ron there?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't go to classes. He's a refugee in the Room of Requirement. Ginny goes to classes though."

The two wanted teens swallowed hard. "We're about to ask a lot of you-"

"Of course we'll help you," Luna interrupted. "I need to get out of the house. Daddy's suffocating me with all the tea."

"What do you need?" Neville continued.

"Actually," Hermione winced at their eager expressions. "We need to get the Sword of Gryffindor."

"It was put in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. There was a big uproar about it. Snape himself put it there."

There was silence with Neville's statement. "Any ideas on how to break into Gringotts?"

Xenophilius returned, a small jar in his hands. "This is all we have. Take it."

There couldn't have been more than three drops inside, and it was hardly enough to destroy a horcrux, but it was something, at least.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said quietly, clutching it tightly in her hand. She sat back down, swallowing. "This is very kind of you."

"I just hope you'll do your best to bring him down?"

"Of course," Harry answered. "That's what we do."

"When are you leaving?" Luna asked suddenly. "I'd like to show you something upstairs."

"As soon as we can," Hermione answered. "What is it, Luna?"

"Come, I'll show you," the girl answered. They all climbed the stairs, Xenophilius remaining behind to finish making his tea.

The ceiling of Luna's bedroom contained the faces of Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Seamus. Dean was beginning being painted between Neville and Seamus and Hermione couldn't help but be surprised. The poor girl was given so much hate in the school for the way she acted... She was truly a kind girl.

"Luna, this is amazing," Hermione admitted. Neville sat down on Luna's ruffled bed, and he folded his hands in his lap.

"So, this whole fighting evil thing. When do we leave?" Neville asked.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, but their response was interrupted by the sound of apparation cracks.

"Why, hello, gentlemen!" Xenophilius's voice cried from downstairs. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Potter?"

"Potter? Harry Potter, you mean? I haven't seen him-"

"We leave now," Harry answered quickly.

Luna calmly stood and grabbed her wand, waving it around a single sock in her drawer. The bright orange fabric glowed a bright blue, and they all grabbed on quickly, Neville eyeing the door hesitantly. "Luna, when is this going off?"

"A minute," she answered simply.

"Uh, Luna," Hermione hissed. "We're going to need to move faster than that."

Clamboring steps sounded up the winding stairs. Hermione was amazingly grateful that Luna's room was on the very top floor, but the Death Eaters seemed to be moving fast.

"What about Mr. Lovegood?"

"Daddy can take care of himself," Luna answered. "He's a good dueler. He went to Durmstrang, you know."

Hermione winced as she heard doors being blasted open underneath their feet. The ground shook and the house seemed to tilt, like it was falling over. "Uh, guys-" Harry started.

"Ten seconds," Luna remarked.

Footsteps seemed to get closer. Stomp, stomp, stomp, and then the bedroom door to Luna's room was thrust open, just as they disappeared.