“er said. “otions?” After a half a minute of sileer asked again, louder.
“Rapio Animam,” Longbottom finally mao say, followed by a muh quieter, “Metempsyhim pello.”
Drao’s heart saed the Latin in his head. “Drao?” ame Paio all he ould do otter’s eyes as he whispered, “It seizes the soul. It—the seond one is a fusion of A Greek and Latiransmigration of the soul.”
Pree popped out of his head. “No,” his features rumbled into a grimae. “There is no way…”
“Harry,” Longbottom started to say, but Potter was still staring at Drao.
“Yht,” he finally said. And Drao looked away at the admissio, he would have relished in Potter’s ak in his suspiiorie’s soul had beehe kneazle Guinevere’s. While it meant they had ahe details provided by Longbottom had no hope for a viable solution.
The room sank into silene. Drao was thankful no oo be able to reover from the revetio as if he was suddenly drowning in his own fear, as his uandiion shifted from fually dire to potentially atastrophi. Firie had beey, the only thought in his mind. But the threads of this ase had pulled him ihing dark, with every step f inexpliable developme Drao desperate for somethihing that made sehe urse urged him th, to follow the threads as they oed eve uand their oions.
& ainst it he part that reoghe are on Longbottom’s fae. Drao reeled himself bak to the moment at hand, learing his mind. He asked, “e sort of reverse potioed? Perhaps with Full Moon Fluxweed? Or—”
“It would be near impossible,” Longbottom shook his head ao Drao. “This is a dark, unnatural magi. It rips the self from the body and puts it somewhere it iso be. The only reversal would be usiion again.” His gaze shifted to Potter’s and he asked, “Are you—is this happening? Have you ome aross it in your ase?”
After a few moments, Drao turer didn’t answer. He’d goill as a stone, his eyes losed and his pid. Without a momeion, Drao rossed the room and put a hand on Potter’s shoulder. “Harry.”
& sure if he was somewhere else. Aher time, a view of himself in fshes of unmoving pani and terror as he fell deep into the well of helpless ening agaiold himself.
“Harry.”
&h of a hand on his shoulder stopped him fr. The voie pulled him bak. He turoward the sound and opened his eyes.
Malfoy ression, his eyes searhing Harry’s in aio of moments Harry found it strange and somehow that he ould read Malfoy so well. Or maybe it was the other man’s skill at Olumeny. Harry shrugged out of Malfoy’s grip ao Neville.
& have khe pnt or potied to say. “But we have reason to believe someohey’ve—uh—used it.”
Neville’s eyes went wide.
“Why,” Pansy broke her silene, “would the kidhink Zivantus would have aess to a?”
Harry rolled his eyes as she divulged too muh information by askiion.
“Zivantus?” Neville gulped. “Bertrie Zivantus?”
Harry put a hand up. That ped forward like he had something to say, but Harry whipped around and shot him a look to stay quiet. Trying to gather his thoughts, Harry said, “Uus did have aess to the pnt.” Malfoy raised a brow iion. Harry repeated the ransom note in his head and ontinued, “…when it was. Do you thihey say ‘timepiee’ they meaurner?”
Malfoy’s eyes bulged. Harry ouldhrow him a slight smile. Who had the razier theory now? He oked his head as he felt a rush of something beiweehem, something harged, a ouldn’t look away.
A knok from the door ehh the offie. Harry snapped his head to see who it was. A mess of long blonde urls ph the opening door, “I had to wait for the mad louds to pass outside Hagrid’s, but—”
“Luna?” Harry breathed. Stepping ih a basket in her arms, Luna Lovegood smiled as she took ihers.
“Hellreeted. “Neville. Drao. Pansy. I did tea today, but I think I have enough Bk Bean Hoof Brittle to go around.” Lu her basket on the desk, a a food box. “It’s said to help stop Tis from ing in your armpits.”
Neville shook his head, ughing. “I thought y to try this reipe until the hols?”
Luhermos. “I told you ihe house all year rouo Harry and Drao and said, “For some reasois are espeially bad right ransfiguring enough ups for everyone, Luea and distributed it. “So what are we onsulting on today?”
his tea. “What makes you think—”
“Harry’s an auror. Pansy works with rare, harmed objets, and Drao—” Luna turive gaze on the blond and sized him up in her inoffensive and impartial way. “Drao doesil the problem has been fixed.”
Luhe food box ahem eah a slie of the brittle. Harry wasually qualified as brittle if it oozed out of its spongy yers.
Pansy took a l