happy birthday rupert grint!

• Harry: Does it hurt?
• Sirius: Dying? No. Quicker and easier than falling asleep.
• --Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

• Minerva Mcgonagall: How in the name of heaven did Harry survive?
• Albus Dumbledore: We can only guess; We may never know.
• --Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

• Neville: "My grandmother thinks Charms is a soft option,"
• Professor McGonagall: "Take Charms,and I shall drop Augusta a line reminding her that just because she failed her Charms O.W.L., the subject is not necessarily worthless."
• --Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Chapter 8: A Circle has no beginning

Harry, Hermione and Ron were escorted by Neville back to the Room of Requirement. They passed through Ariana’s portrait.

“Neville, are you sure this is right?” Harry asked, “I mean, why did you have to go through with the whole DA thing? You know it’s dangerous…”

“Harry, we did this together,” Neville said, “We’ll always keep fighting, you know?” He went on and realized they were in the Room of Requirement. “Oh we’re here.”

The Room of Requirement was bigger than how Harry remembered it. He was also surprised to find a large number of people—Order members, Original DA members—Fred, George, Ginny, Seamus, Cho, Colin, Lee, Dean, Ernie, Hannah, Parvati, Padma, even Zacharias Smith was there! And then new ones too, whome Neville and the rest of them probably recruited the past coupld of months. Even Bill and Fleur were inside the room, as well. And then he saw Luna. His sweet, beautiful Luna. Luna, whose heart he broke.

“Luna,” Harry muttered and everyone turned to look at him.

“‘Arry, we’re really sorry, we ‘old ‘er she’z not allowed ‘oo fight, zee’s too young but—” Fluer’s words were interrupted by Luna.

“I am a part of Dumbledore’s Army,” She said, “WE’re here to fight.”

“What you don’t understand,” Bill said, “is that this isn’t a game. People get hurt. People—”

“Die,” Fred said, “That we know, bro.”

“But our dungbombs are so ready.” George added.

“And we all could use some Canary creams…”

“This isn’t a joke,” Bill said, looking angry and worried at the same time, “I don’t want anyone risking their lives, getting bit by werewolves, attacked by death eaters—”

“We know the risks, Bill.” Ginny said.

“Ginny—” Ron said.

“Okay, okay, llet’s not get into all these arguments, Harry’s back, and he needs our help.” Neville said, “Harry?”

Harry took a deep breath, “So, uhm…Dumbledore, he, uhm, asked us to look for stuff…this will…help..destroy Vol—”

“Don’t say his name!” Ron said.

“You know who,” Harry continued, “Does anyone know anything Rowena Ravenclaw owned?”

“The lost diadem,” Luna said in her dreamlike voice. NO one said anything. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. “The lost diadem of Ravenclaw.” Luna repeated, “Anyone heard of that? It’s famous.”

“Yes Luna,” Cho said, “But it is lost.”

“Excuse me…” Harry said, “Lost? How?”

“And what exactly is a diadem?” Ron added.

“Iz like a tiara,” Fleur said, “Like the one Muriel lent me on my wedding…”

“Oh.,”

“Cho? Go on,” Hermione said.

“The lost diadem once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, but it’s, well, lost. NO one has seen it for centuries now.”

“But it’s real?” Harry asked.

“Of course,” Luna said, “It can’t be lost if it didn’t exist.”

No one spoke.

“What?” Luna said, “Harry Potter, don’t tell me you won’t believe me now?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Thens top wasting your time and come with me.”

“Go, Harry,” Hermione said, “Ron and I have a plan.”

“Okay, ” Harry said, taking a deep breath, “Luna, let’s go.”

XXXXXXX

Harry was holding Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem as he saw Luna waiting for him outside Ravenclaw tower. She was right, he thought, the diadem is real.

He didn’t know what to say to Luna though. He, after all, broke her heart. And yet, she was still there, waiting, ready to lend a helping hand.

“Oh you’re back!” She exclaimed as she saw Harry, “And you have the diadem!”

“You were right, Luna, you were right.”

She smiled kindly.

Their eyes met and they ran to each other and in a matter of seconds, they kissed.

“I’m so sorry,” Harry said, “I broke your heart, I didn’t meant to..I love you—”

She smiled, “A circle has no beginning,” She said.

He smiled back. Who knows? It may be over soon. They may never see each other again. He didn’t want to think about it, but he knew there was a possibility. But he loves her, and at that moment, that was all that mattered.”

“We have to go back,” He said.

“I know,” She said, “It will be fine.”

He smiled lightly and looked her in the eye.

“WE’re all ready for battle,” She said, “But it doesn’t matter that everything has to end.”

He kissed her on the forehead, “Let’s go,” He said, and then they made their way back to the castle, where a war was already in full blast.

The Dark times

“Where is ‘Arry?” Fleur asked as she flicked her wand, allowing the plates, glasses and utensils to set themselves on the table. It’s been a few days since Dobby died, and Harry, Luna, Ron, Hermione, Deam, Mr. Ollivander and Griphook were staying at Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur’s humble abode.

Anonymous said: STOP POSTING SPOILERS.

Unfollow if you don’t want any.  :) 

Ollivander (via Jo Rowling): Most wands will be in the range of between nine and fourteen inches. While I have sold extremely short wands (eight inches and under) and very long wands (over fifteen inches), these are exceptionally rare. In the latter case, a physical peculiarity demanded the excessive wand length. However, abnormally short wands usually select those in whose character something is lacking, rather than because they are physically undersized (many small witches and wizards are chosen by longer wands).

Elder wood - Harry Potter; Albus Dumbledore; Gellert Grindelwald; Draco Malfoy (with Thestral hair)

Ollivander: The rarest wand wood of all, and reputed to be deeply unlucky, the elder wand is trickier to master than any other. It contains powerful magic, but scorns to remain with any owner who is not the superior of his or her company; it takes a remarkable wizard to keep the elder wand for any length of time.

The truth is that only a highly unusual person will find their perfect match in elder, and on the rare occasion when such a pairing occurs, I take it as certain that the witch or wizard in question is marked out for a special destiny.

Holly wood - Harry Potter (with Phoenix feather)

Ollivander: Holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood’s volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix’s detachment. In the unusual event of such a pairing finding its ideal match, however, nothing and nobody should stand in their way.

Ash wood - Ron Weasley; Cedric Diggory (with Unicorn hair - two separate wands)

Ollivander: The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn.

Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant.

Cherry wood - Neville Longbottom (with Unicorn hair)

Ollivander: [The] cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core, but if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind.

Hawthorn wood - Draco Malfoy; Harry Potter (with Unicorn hair)

Ollivander: Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.

Vine wood - Hermione Granger (with dragon heartstring)

Ollivander: Vine wands are among the less common types, and I have been intrigued to notice that their owners are nearly always those witches or wizards who seek a greater purpose, who have a vision beyond the ordinary and who frequently astound those who think they know them best. 

Vine wands seem strongly attracted by personalities with hidden depths, and I have found them more sensitive than any other when it comes to instantly detecting a prospective match.

Yew wand - Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle (with Phoenix feather)

Ollivander: Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. 

However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner.

The full list of wand woods, found on Pottermore, include: Acacia, Alder, Apple, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Blackthorn, Black Walnut, Cedar, Cherry, Chestnut, Cypress, Dogwood, Ebony, Elder, Elm, English Oak, Fir, Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly, Hornbeam, Larch, Laurel, Maple, Pear, Pine, Poplar, Red Oak, Redwood, Rowan, Silver lime, Spruce, Sycamore, Vine, Walnut, Willow, and Yew. 

—source: http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/pottermore-reveals-harry-potter-characters-wand-wood-cores-significance-84230/

Quidditch through the ages

The Wedding

Months passed since Dumbledore died. So many things have happened: George’s ear was hit by a curse, Hermione had obliviated her parents’ memories, Hedwig’s dead, Mad-eye’s dead…And yet, through it all, they still decided to go through with Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Everybody needs a breather.