Daphne didn’t fully know why Luna wanted her to the oo break into the Headmaster’s office, Harry would’ve beeer at it. Then there was, whatever in the hell this perfect distra is that Luna was itted to, but apparently, the old goat had several magical devices trag Harry, an if they wao go to Japan this summer they had to be destroyed.

  As Daphne had made it up the stairs and through the unlocked door into the office the Headmaster’s phoenix squawked at her, seeming rather annoyed.

  “Ah hello, Luna had told me your name was Fawkes… She sent me up here to stop the headmaster from spying on our mate and something else about a dead stick if i find it? you assist?” Daphne asks

  Fawkes tilted his head, his keen, intelligent eyes regarding Daphh a mix of curiosity and mild exasperation. The phoenix let out a soft trill, ruffling his feathers before hopping down from his perch. A sed ter the bird ening a drawer which had ed a moment before and in said drawer behind different wards was a stick of yew wood.

  Daphne raised an eyebrow as the previously ent drawer slid open. “ve,” she muttered, stepping closer to examihe wards that glimmered faintly around the yew stick. The artifact radiated a deathly energy that sent a shiver down her spine, even from a distance.

  Fawkes trilled softly, his fiery feathers glowing faintly in the dim light of the office. He hopped to the edge of the drawer and stared at Daphne expetly as if urgio get on with it.

  “Right, let’s see what we’re dealing with here,” Daphne murmured as she stuck her hand forward the Crocell family magic circle f.

  The wards were intricate, yered with protes that would take hours to dismantle ventionally. She frowned. “Of course, Dumbledore couldn’t make this easy. Luna really owes me for this.”

  Fawkes gave a single chirp and fpped his wings, sending a burst of golden light over the wards. The shimmering protes flickered and unraveled…

  “Right Thank’s Fawkes!” Daphells the phoenix with a smile. The moment her fingers closed around it, a cold, dark pulse shot up her arm, making her gasp. She gritted her teeth, f herself to hold steady. “Yeah, this thing is definitely cursed,” she muttered, gring at the wand. “Figures Luna would call it a ‘dead stick.’ It feels like death in my hand.”

  Fawkes let out a low, almost mournful trill, his gaze fixed on the wand.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not pnning to use it,” Daphne reassured the phoenix, setting the wand down on Dumbledore’s desk. “Now, where are those trackers?”

  Fawkes hopped to a shelf filled with small, glowing devices, each pulsing with faint magical signatures. He nudged oh his beak, and Daphne sighed.

  “This is going to take forever,” she muttered, rolling up her sleeves. “Alright, let’s get to work.”============Harry was starting to get worried the breakfast was several minutes in now and Daphne and Luna had still not shown.

  Harry was starting to get worried. Breakfast had been underway for several minutes, and there was still no sign of Daphne or Luna. He pushed a piece of toast around on his pte, his thoughts wandering.

  Where are they? he wondered. Daphne’s usually punctual, and Luna... well, she’s uable, but she’d still show up for breakfast.

  He goward the entrance again, sighing quietly. Just as he was beginning to sider going to look for them, a ripple of murmurs spread through the Great Hall.

  Harry turned, and there she was—Luna, striding in with her usual smile, her silver-blonde hair glowing faintly in the m light. She moved as if she was slightly winded… Almost like she for some unknown reason decided to do a few ps of the castle before ing to breakfast.

  “Good m, Harry,” Luna greeted him cheerfully as she reached the table, settling into her seat as though she hadn’t bee all.

  Harry bli her, torween relief and mild exasperation. “Where have you been?” he asked.

  Luna smiled serenely, helping herself to a piece of fruit. “Oh, just taking care of a few things. Did you miss me?”

  “Where is Daphne?” Harry whispers.

  Luna paused, her expression serene as she popped a grape into her mouth. “She’s handling a task I entrusted to her. She’ll be along soon enough,” she replied cryptically, as though her answer should have been obvious.

  Great Hall doors opened again with a bang, and in strode Daphher hurriedly, her cheeks slightly flushed and her breath ing in shasps. Her hair, usually immacute, was just a touch disheveled. She carried something long and thin, ed in a dark cloth, clutched tightly in her hands.

  “Finally,” Daphtered as she reached their table, her voice tinged with both irritation and relief. She thrust the ed object toward Luna without a preamble. “Here. The bsted ‘dead stick’ you sent me for.”

  Luna took it with a calm smile, as though receiving a gift, and carefully uned the cloth to reveal a wand of a yew wood. She ied it briefly, then nodded in satisfa.

  “Thank you, Daphne,” Luna said serenely. “You’ve done wonderfully. Are we all set for the summer trip to Japan?”

  “Yes, all of those tris are destroyed,” Daphne answers bndly

  “Perfect! A Harry Husband Dear, here is your wand.” Luna states handing the Death Stick over to Harry who takes it slightly fused befnizing that he is holdihs Wand again.

  Harry’s jaw dropped. “You broke into Dumbledore’s office?”

  “You’re Wele!” Luna replies chirpily with a smile.