Crimson Moon

As Harry and Luna made their way up the main staircase toward the third-floor meeting location, the atmosphere was tinged with curiosity and tension. Harry, ever the pragmatist, decided to break the silence.

“So, how’s school so far, Luna?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

Luna tilted her head, as though considering the question deeply. “Pretty boring, honestly,” she mused, then added, “We’re losing reader retention and desperately need a time skip or some violent action… maybe a fight scene?”

Harry stopped mid-step, blinking in sheer confusion. “What?”

“Yeah, apparently you’re too evil or something,” Luna replied casually, as though discussing the weather. “The author’s trying to steer you toward morally gray with a dark past, but… meh.” Her tone was as nonchalant as ever, though there was a spark of confusion in her eyes, like she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d just said.

“Luna?” Harry said, his voice a mix of concern and bewilderment.

“Yes, dear?” she responded, a confused look on her face.

“What was that?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of her strange comment.

Luna paused, looking genuinely puzzled. “... What was what?”

Harry stared at her for a moment, his mind whirling. He could tell she wasn’t messing with him—something else was going on. He shook his head, trying to brush it off. "Never mind," he muttered, his voice unsure.

They reached the third-floor corridor when Harry, still trying to process everything, suddenly voiced something that had been nagging at him. "Do people really think I'm evil?"

Luna turned toward him, giving him a thoughtful look. “Well, I wouldn’t say evil... I’d use the term 'gray.' It’s much more neutral. Besides,  your heart’s in the right place.”

Before Harry could respond, the door to the corridor swung open, revealing Daphne Greengrass standing there, looking smug as ever.

“That is an apt description, Lovegood,” Daphne said, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Luna, ever attuned to the energy around her, immediately stiffened. She sniffed the air as though sensing something off. “What are you?” she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and caution.

Daphne’s smirk widened. “I could ask you the same, but I think I already have a good guess.”

Harry squinted at Daphne. "Why are you… not human? In every oth—" He stopped short when Luna elbowed him.

Daphne’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, you’re both seers. How charming. Let’s avoid prophecies if we can, shall we?”

Luna took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. “Why would one of your kind be here?” she asked, her voice sharp.

Harry turned to Luna, completely baffled. “Do you feel like sharing with the class, Luna?”

Luna gave a half-shrug. “Depends. Daphne, care to explain? I’m surprised the wards let you in.”

Daphne chuckled, clearly entertained. “Even without all your memories, you’re still as sharp as ever, Princess Luna.”

Luna’s eyes flashed in recognition. “What do you want, Procell?”

“Procell? Like the devil house from Solomon’s Grimoire?” Harry asked, trying to catch up.

“It’s Crocell, actually,” Daphne corrected, her tone smooth. “And yes. As for what I want, I’m here to make a deal.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed again. “What kind of deal?”

Harry, feeling increasingly lost, chimed in, “Uh, are we sure we should be hearing her out? Selling our souls and all that?”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Harry, that’s kind of racist. Devils stopped doing that long before I was sealed in the moon.”

“Wait… what?” Harry stammered, thoroughly confused.

Luna shrugged, as if the entire situation was mundane. “Couldn’t tell you. I don’t exactly remember everything right now.”

Daphne waved off the confusion and got to the point. “Here’s the deal: I’ll get engaged to Harry, thus fulfilling his duties as a Lord, and Black since you already have a lady Ptter,” she turned to Luna, “then you both won’t have to worry about any inconvenient marriage contracts. Simple, right?”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “And what about me?”

Daphne gave her a teasing smile. “You’d get me too, of course. I can’t imagine you’d object to that.”

Harry, growing more skeptical by the second, asked, “And what exactly do you want in return?”

Daphne’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I want you to take me to magical ponyland!”

Harry blinked, completely caught off guard. “I… uh… what?”

Luna, more composed, nodded thoughtfully. “I’m not opposed to it, but we should probably court first. Don’t want to get bound by mind magic accidentally.”

Daphne stepped closer to Luna, her hand brushing against her cheek. “Even without your memories, you still have that herd mentality, don’t you, Princess?”

Luna pulled back, clearing her throat and regaining her composure. “Courting first, then. If we find a way back to my home, you’ll have to swear a magical vow.”

Daphne grinned, thrilled. “Deal! Harry, you’ll have to plan our dates. As for you Luna, I will take care of everything.” she says patting the top of the blonde's head.

With that, a magic circle appeared at Daphne’s feet, and she slowly descended, teleporting away.

Harry stared at the spot where Daphne had disappeared, utterly bewildered. “What the hell just happened? Daphne wasn’t supposed to be a devil in any timeline.”

Luna shrugged. “And I’m probably not supposed to be a moon goddess. You’re hopping alternate universes now, Harry.”

“What?” Harry asks 

“You’ve been alive for over 500 years, and you haven’t heard of the multiverse theory?” Luna states confused

Harry sighed, rubbing his temples. “Wait, aren’t devils supposed to be evil?”

Luna smirked. “That was the old Satan faction. Most of them are long dead. The new devils are… more civil.”

Harry looked even more confused. “So devils are friendly now? Does that mean angels are… bad?”

Luna grinned. “Well, one person I know calls them ‘dicks with wings,’ but no, they’re not that bad.”

Harry just shook his head, “What the fuck?”