Luna, Harry, and Daphood in front of the entrao Dumbledore’s office. The stone gargoyle loomed above them, and they could hear muffled voices from within—undoubtedly Magall and Snape were deep in discussion with the headmaster, likely about the very ret tremors caused by Luna’s exuberant fight with the basilisk.

  Luna tilted her head thoughtfully before turning to Harry and Daphh a mischievous grin. "Right, so—abandoning this whole 'report to the headmaster' thing and sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest for some expl, anyone?"

  Harry shrugged, clearly tempted. "Could be fun."

  Daphne raised an eyebrow, her voice skeptical. "And have the headmaster on our backs fn his orders? You lot are mad."

  Luna rolled her eyes, her expression pyful as she turo her fellow blonde. "Daphne, dear, he’s just an old man with a ridiculously long name and even more titles than anyone should need. Actually... do we even know if that's his real name? Probably not." Luna’s eyes gzed over momentarily, staring off into the distance as her mind wandered doeculiar line of thought.

  “Hmm… I see it now. Nichos would’ve been around during the time of the Fae, so of course he'd make up a bunch of o protect himself from them. Makes perfect sense," Luna decred with absolute certainty.

  Daphne and Harry shared a look, halfway between fused and amused, when a familiar voice sounded from behind them.

  “Very observant of you, Miss Lovegood,” Dumbledore said, stepping out of the office with his usual calm demeanor, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-mooacles.

  Luna turned on her heel to face him, her smile as bright as ever. “Hello, Dumbles!” she greeted him cheerily, pletely unfazed.

  Daphne's eyes widened as she immediately reached out, giving Luna a light sma the hand, coughing awkwardly in an attempt to smooth over her friend's brash greeting. “Luna,” she hissed under her breath.

  Dumbledore chuckled softly, the warmth in his eyes never fading. "It’s quite all right, Miss Greengrass. I’ve been called far worse.”

  Before Daphne could respond, Magall and Snape emerged from the office behind him. Magall’s sharp eyes fell on Luna, though there was a glimmer of exasperated fondness in her expression. “Miss Lovegood, would you care to expin why the castle nearly fell apart moments ago?”

  “Oh, the snake’s dead,” Luna replied matter-of-factly. "I got a little carried away, but it was fun!"

  Snape pihe bridge of his nose, clearly not as amused as Magall. "Fun," he muttered darkly. "You fought a basilisk, and you call it fun."

  Dumbledore smiled. "It would appear, Severus, that some find adventure in the most ued pces."

  Snape's cold voice cut through the air as he folded his arms, gring at Daphh a mix of disappoi and irritation. "Don’t go defending stupidity, Headmaster… I 't believe one of my Snakes joihese two rabble-rousers."

  Daphiffened slightly but quickly recovered, lifting her defiantly. “I didn’t join them, Professor. I merely… observed." She shot Harry and Luna a side gnce, as if to say, and ged along for the ride.

  Luna, oblivious or perhaps just choosing not to care, turo Sh an exaggerated pout. "Professor, you wound me! Calling us rabble-rousers when we’re doing Hogwarts a favor by getting rid of old, dangerous pets.”

  Harry stifled a ugh, but Snape’s eyes darkened, his voice l into a venomous hiss. "Do not test my patience, Lovegood. Hogwarts may have dangerous elements, but it is not yround. We could still see you expelled.”

  Luna grinned widely at Shreat, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Nuh uh,” she replied, her tone light and pyful, as if they were discussing something trivial instead of her potential expulsion.

  Snape’s nostrils fred, his cold expression hardening. “Excuse me?” His voice was dangerously low, the room growing tense.

  Harry couldn’t help but smile, already sensing where Luna was going with this. Dumbledore, oher hand, seemed to watch with quiet amusement, though he remained silent.

  Luna, uerred, folded her arms and tilted her head, giving Snape a pyful wink. “You ’t expel me, Professor. I own a quarter of the castle. An my dearest owns half.”

  Dumbledore nearly stumbles before catg himself.

  Harry finally let out a small chuckle, stepping closer to Luna. "Yeah, Snape, you might want to be careful who you’re threatening to expel. Kind of hard to expel someone who holds part of the deed."

  Snape’s expression was a mixture of fury and disbelief. His dark gaze shifted to Dumbledore for firmation, but the headmaster only gave a slight, apologetiod.

  Daphanding off to the side, was wide-eyed, her lips twitg as if she couldn’t decide whether to ugh or stay silent. “You really own part of the castle?” she whispered to Harry.

  “So, the goblins got the news quickly to ya huh?” Luna asks looking at the headmaster.

  “I have my sources.” Dumbledore responds.

  “I don’t know if the ministry will let you get away with this seeing as you are not fully human.” Snape snips trying to get the final word in.

  “Professor, my Dad owns the only other neer outside of the daily prophet on the Isles. An I am a true seer with really good skills at Far seeing and Sg. I know alot of things Heir Prince. A lot of unfortable truths will e out very quickly.” Luna responds with a smile.

  Dumbledore cleared his throat, stepping forward to diffuse the situation. "Now, now," he said, his tone light but firm, "there’s o escate matters. We are all allies here, and Hogwarts stands above such divisions."

  Luna didn’t miss a beat, her voice still sweet but ced with a razor’s edge. “Of course, Headmaster. But it would be a shame if people started questioniain alliances and histories, wouldn’t it?” Her eyes flicked briefly to Snape before returning to Dumbledore, whose expression softened into something close to .

  Snape’s nostrils fred again, but he stayed silent, clearly calg his move. Luna had made her point. Harry, sensing the tension reag its peak, decided to intervene before things spiraled further.

  "We’re not here to stir up trouble, Professor," Harry said smoothly, pg a hand on Luna's shoulder. "Just doing what’s best fwarts." He gave Dumbledore a nod, adding, “And for the people in it.”

  Daphne finally let out a small snicker, uo tain it any longer. "Well, this has been... enlightening, I am gd that slytherin’s beast is dead. It makes us all safer.”

  “Good Good, I say its time that you three get to bed then.” Dumbledore states looking towards the head of house Gryffindor just wanting the two headaches out of his sight so he could try a ahead of whatever in the hell it was Luna knows.