Crimson Moon

Harry sat down across from Luna at the table in the Great Hall, a playful grin on his face. “Hey Luna, how was Potions?”

“It was boring,” Luna replied, her tone light as she poked at her food. “Luckily, it was just a lecture on safety. I’m surprised the safety standards were that good. I remember Snape being an entirely different person.”

“Yeah, I’m fairly certain that’s my fault,” Harry admitted, his grin widening into a maniacal smirk. “I did a lot of stuff in my first year, including destroying the bones of Tom Riddle Senior and replacing them with the bones of a squirrel. 

Luna raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “That explains a lot,” she mused, her voice soft but amused. “You do have a knack for turning things upside down, Harry.”

Harry chuckled, his tone turning more serious as he leaned closer. “Say, Luna, I met with Daphne earlier. She has the only book on Equestria in the entire library and demanded that we meet her instead of going to dinner in the Great Hall.” 

Luna looked at Harry, slightly confused. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “Remember the first words you said to me? Oh right—the butterfly effect is certainly interesting.”

Luna considered his words, then sighed. “Fine, but we’re still going to Japan this summer.”

Harry’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Is it Kuoh? I mean, the devil heiresses haven’t even started there yet—they should still be young kids.”

Luna blinked, surprised by his knowledge. “What? You know about them? I was referring to something else, but it is in the Gunma Prefecture, like Kuoh is.”

Harry smiled, leaning back in his seat. “Just a lucky guess, I suppose. But it looks like we’ll have plenty to do this summer.” 

Luna nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Seems like it. But first, let’s see what Daphne wants from us tonight.”

“Right so I have herbology next, interested?” Harry asks 

“I have it on very good authority that I can handle plants like an earth pony.” Luna replies with s a smile. 

=================

The afternoon sun cast a warm, golden light through the windows of the greenhouse as Harry and Luna entered for their Herbology lesson. The air was thick with humidity, the smell of earth and growing things more pronounced in the heat of the day. Harry noticed that today’s lesson was different—there was a palpable tension among the students as they eyed the large pots placed at each workstation.

Professor Sprout, always energetic despite the heat, greeted the class with a wide smile. “Good afternoon, everyone! Today, we’ll be working with one of the more… lively plants in our collection: the Chinese Chomping Cabbage.”

The students exchanged wary glances. The Chinese Chomping Cabbage was infamous for its aggressive nature. Its large, green leaves concealed sharp teeth that would snap at anything—or anyone—that came too close. The cabbage, roughly the size of a Quaffle, trembled slightly in its pot, aka it was a very angry venus flytrap. 

“Now, don’t be alarmed,” Professor Sprout continued, noticing the nervous looks. “The key to handling a Chinese Chomping Cabbage is confidence and care. They’re a bit feisty, yes, but with the right approach, you’ll find they can be quite manageable.”

She moved to one of the plants, demonstrating the technique. “First, you must approach it calmly. Let it know you’re not a threat. Then, use your dragon-hide gloves to gently hold the leaves back while you feed it some dragon dung fertilizer. They’re quite fond of it, and it keeps them happy and less likely to bite.”

Harry watched as Professor Sprout deftly handled the cabbage, her movements confident and precise. The plant snapped its jaws a few times, but she held it firmly and fed it the fertilizer, causing it to settle down almost immediately.

“See? Simple as that,” Professor Sprout said with a satisfied smile. “Now, it’s your turn.”

Harry put on his dragon-hide gloves, beside him, Luna was already approaching her cabbage, her usual calm demeanor undisturbed by the challenge. Not even bothering to wear the gloves 

“Luna, you’re not using the gloves?” Harry asked, a note of concern in his voice as he watched her reach out to the cabbage bare-handed.

Luna shook her head, her expression serene. “No need,” she replied softly. “These cabbages aren’t as mean as they seem. You just have to understand them, connect with them.”

With a gentle touch, Luna ran her fingers over the cabbage’s leaves, whispering something too quiet for Harry to hear. The plant, which had been snapping at the air moments before, seemed to relax under her touch. Its leaves stopped quivering, and it allowed her to carefully pull them back, revealing its roots as she began to tend to it without the slightest hint of fear.

Even Professor Sprout watched the entire scene with her jaw dropped, unable to hide her astonishment.

“Remarkable,” Professor Sprout finally murmured, still watching in disbelief. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Harry reached out again, this time determined to approach the cabbage more carefully. But as soon as his fingers touched one of its leaves, the Chinese Chomping Cabbage reacted with startling speed. It lunged forward and sank its sharp teeth into his hand. 

“Ah! Bloody—!” Harry yelped in pain, instinctively jerking his hand away. The sudden motion sent the cabbage flying out of its pot, soaring through the air in an arc towards Luna.

Without missing a beat, Luna calmly reached out and caught the cabbage mid-flight, her hands still bare. The plant, which had been ferociously snapping just moments ago, immediately stilled in her grasp.

“Dear, please do be gentle with the plants,” Luna said with a smirk, her voice carrying a light, teasing tone. “They dislike taking flight.”

For a moment, the greenhouse was silent as everyone processed what had just happened. Then, one of the students, clearly stunned by Luna’s effortless handling of the cabbage, started clapping. The sound echoed in the quiet greenhouse, and soon enough, the rest of the class followed suit, clapping in admiration.

Even Professor Sprout couldn’t help but join in, though her expression was one of amazement rather than surprise. “Well done, Miss Lovegood,” she said warmly. “Fifty points to Gryffindor for your impressive display and skillful handling of the situation.” 

“Well students I shall leave you with this finish taking care of your plants and then you are free to leave for study, miss Lovegood please feel free to come by and see me if you ever wish to help out around the greenhouse,” Sprout says announcing the end of the lesson.