Ginny felt a bit reluctant initially when Ron pulled her aside to talk about Luna and a supposed problem, but it "just so happened" that the twins overheard them, and, well, it was rare to see Fred and George with serious expressions.
She observed Luna for a couple of days but couldn't see the problem, so she decided to try it. She told Ron, so he could inform Barnaby that she was going to do it, and found Luna one afternoon, after classes had ended.
"Are there rumors that Wrackspurts have been seen near the Black Lake?" Luna tilted her head, intrigued. "Great! Dad will be very interested in learning more about their habitat."
"The problem is we have to go at night," Ginny whispered softly.
"Oh, I know," Luna nodded naturally. "They're shy creatures and like to come out at night."
After planning their "secret meeting," they met at a statue on the first floor at night before slipping out of the castle without being caught. Ginny led the way while Luna skipped on the grass.
A beautiful full moon shone that night.
When they reached a secluded area far from the castle, at the other end of the Black Lake, they came across a curious circle of mushrooms growing in the middle of the path. Strangely, while Ginny crossed it without any issue, Luna seemed to hit a barrier when she tried to leave the circle.
Luna was bewildered for a second before her gaze turned sharp as steel, but the mushrooms seemed to have sensed their prey and released spores, causing the blonde to fall unconscious despite trying to resist and collapsing on the ground before she could react.
"Phew, I thought she was going to avoid the mushroom circle," Barnaby emerged from the bushes accompanied by the twins. "Looks like my efforts to make a dozen more along the path were in vain."
"Don't say that!" Fred shook his head.
"Now you can make mushroom soup!" George continued.
"What are you going to do to her?" Ginny asked, ignoring her brothers' antics and approaching Barnaby with a worried expression.
Barnaby made sure Luna was completely unconscious before responding to the youngest Weasley.
"I'm going to remove a parasite lodged in her soul."
Ginny was a bit stunned by the statement, but the twins frowned. They had already studied a bit about the soul at this point in class, but things related to it were quite delicate.
"Is that why Madam Pomfrey didn't find anything?" Ginny murmured.
Naturally, she had taken her friend to the infirmary when she knew something was wrong!
But Madam Pomfrey said she was as healthy as she could be.
"When could it have happened?" George asked softly, trying to recall any event that could have caused this to Luna.
"The parasite has been there since Luna was nine years old," Barnaby said as he took his staff and began carving runes into the ground. Each completed rune started to emit a faint purple light that intensified as more were finished, adding an aura of mysticism under the full moonlight.
"At nine years old?" Fred's mind had a bold idea, and he opened his eyes wide as he and George exchanged glances, realizing they were thinking the same thing. "You mean…?!"
Three circles of runes surrounded the protective mushrooms, and Barnaby took out a piece of chalk that glowed silver upon contact with the moonlight before starting to float on its own and drawing lines in the air to create more runes suspended in the air.
"Yes," Barnaby didn't stop his actions as he pulled out lavender candles and lit them with cyan fire to spread the aroma. "It's exactly what you're thinking."
Once everything was ready, Barnaby held his staff horizontally with both hands and began to chant softly and solemnly, causing the jewels on the staff to gain power:
Per animarum vetustam vim,
Divinitatis lumen voco ad me.
Mente et corde pura,
Nex inter Lunam et mater solvatur.
Lux et umbra, corpus et anima,
Separentur nunc in pace vera.
The candle smoke froze before rushing towards Luna's nose. As the smoke entered, the blonde witch's body began to convulse slightly while a blue light began to lower the surrounding temperature.
Ginny was held by the arms by the twins, just to ensure she wouldn't try to interrupt the ritual Barnaby had explained to them.
It was crucial that she didn't, or Luna's condition would worsen!
Anima matris, te liberamus,
Ex hac corpore nunc te dimittimus.
Ad pacem aeternam te ducimus,
Ut Lunam nostram remittas.
Barnaby made a cutting gesture that left a trail of light in the air, which didn't fade but slowly floated towards Luna.
The Weasleys' eyes widened as a pale hand emerged from Luna's chest, followed by an arm and slowly, a complete figure until it was suspended in the air.
Although it was a bit different from how she looked in life, they recognized who it was!
Pandora Lovegood!
Luna's condition seemed to worsen greatly when the specter left her body, but Barnaby was already prepared for this.
Anima Lunae, resarciatur,
Omnis fractura et vulnus sanetur.
Cor et mens in unitate,
Sit Luna nostra in integritate.
A strong vitality sprang from the ground around them, covering the surroundings with flowers as if spring had abruptly arrived, while streams of green energy flowed like serpents towards Luna, improving her condition until she was completely restored.
Ensuring the young blonde witch was safe, Barnaby turned his attention to Luna's mother.
Sadness, guilt, regret, gratitude…
"You didn't mean to harm your daughter, did you?" Barnaby said as he looked at her. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The specter lowered her head as tears fell from her hollow eyes.
Barnaby could only pity her and finish things. It was likely that Luna's mother had been experimenting with some kind of soul-related magic, but something went wrong, and as a result, she ended up "forcefully embedded" in her daughter's soul after her death.
A parasite against her will, harming her loved ones.
Too weak to fix what she had done, but conscious enough to see how her presence subtly damaged her daughter's soul and mind. The frustration she experienced over these years and the helplessness she felt were terrible, but the worst was the feeling of guilt.
"Your daughter will be fine," Barnaby assured as he placed his staff vertically. "She still has her father and her friends; she'll find her way."
Spiritus mater, nunc te dimitto,
Ad lucem aeternam, ad tranquillitatem.
In pace perpetua requiescas,
Nihil hic te retineat.
The light from the runes converged on Pandora Lovegood, and she began to fade as a feeling of relief washed over her soul. Interestingly, her fading made her appear increasingly more like she did in life, and just before disappearing and taking her journey to the beyond, she made a deep bow to Barnaby and the Weasleys.
Her message was clear: I entrust you with my greatest treasure.
The place fell silent as the runes faded and the mushrooms lost their magical glow, basking in the caress of the full moonlight.
Luna was breathing softly on the ground, surrounded by beautiful white flowers like a bed, with an expression of relief and peace.
Ginny had her hands on her face, crying, with drops of water falling onto the flower petals, turning into a salty morning dew.
The twins were hugging their sister, their fists clenched tightly as they looked at Barnaby.
This favor, the Weasley family would remember.
Barnaby continued to gaze at the spot where Pandora's specter had vanished, with an unfamiliar look reflecting the stars in the night sky.
Ah, a mother's love is something wonderful, isn't it?
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(Well, opinions? I wanted to make a chapter a little more emotional, I felt like it.)