“A couple of people? A couple of people?” Harry hissed to Hermione as Luna flounced in behind a mix of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff 6th years. She stared dreamily around at the dirty little place she preferred to call quaint but one could also call The Hog’s Head. There was an odd sort of people in a joint like this. A witch with a black scarf covering everything but her beady black eyes peeking out glared at our rowdy group with a disapproving look and then glided over to the bar.
Luna didn’t seem to mind the unsettling setting that was slightly disturbing some of the others at the gathering. She looked perfectly out of place with her clean coat and blond hair that seemed to stand out quite brilliantly in the dim lighting. Luna politely greeted the white-bearded bar tender and handed him a sickle in exchange for a dusty butterbeer bottle. Settling herself into a rickety chair as near to the where Ron, Hermione, and Harry were seated, she drank her calming drink in piece as she gazed around the room in wonderment. Soon, though, Neville Longbottom pulled up a chair next to her.
“Why, hello, Neville!” Luna exclaimed a bit over-exuberantly. “How are you today?”
“Oh, just fine, just fine,” he replied. “So, you excited to hear what their new plan is? They always have a plan. Usually gets them into trouble, but usually a good plan, a very good plan.”
“Well, I don’t exactly know what this is about,” Luna said. And then, lowering her voice to a whisper, “You see, I wasn’t exactly invited.”
“Why, that’s quite alright, Luna! If anybody asks, I brought you, okay?” He smiled pleasantly at her.
“Okay,” Luna said, grinning back.
“They just wanted to make sure they could trust everyone they invited, see? Didn’t want any Slytherins or any of Umbridge’s lot to come and rat us out, right? But you, Luna, you are beyond trustworthy. Hermione just must have forgotten to tell you. I bet you were on her list and she just forgot…”
Luna smiled at Neville, gratefully. But she knew he was just sugar-coating it for her. She was never on Hermione’s list. She had been standing right there, while Hermione had whispered her message to Hannah Abbott. They didn’t want any crazies in their “special elite” little group. She was just Loony Lovegood.
Taking the last sip of her butterbeer, tipping her head back to get the last drop of that sweet, liquid goodness, Luna forced back the tears that she didn’t want to come. As she walked over to the bar to hand her now empty bottle to the bar tender, she quickly composed herself and walked back to Neville with the usual dreamy look in her eyes and warm, subtle smile on her lips.
“Couldn’t they start already?” Neville groaned. Luna smiled at this; her own impatience expressed through his words. Finally, the last few stragglers walked through the creaking doors and Hermione did a quick head count.
Hermione cleared her throat with an uneasy glance at Harry who nodded, prodding her to continue. “Yes, well, um, very well. Er-hi.
“Well,” she started again. “It looks like we have a few extra people today,” she said with a quick glance at Luna. “But that’s alright. The more the merrier.” She added with haste.
“Um, yeah, so, I mean, Harry came up with the idea to-,”Harry grimaced behind her. “I mean, I came up with the idea to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts. I mean actual Defense Against the Dark Arts; not the rubbish Umbridge is teaching us.” Luna actually pitied Hermione. She looked so incredibly nervous up there in front of everyone. Perhaps she was afraid of the prospect of breaking the rules. Or perhaps she had had a change of heart and was trembling with the excitement and rush of adrenaline that it brought. Luna did not think the latter was possible. But then again, she thought, the idea itself was Hermione’s. Maybe she is feeling both.
Hermione continued, this time a bit more confidant, adding on to what she had said before, “Because no one can call that Defense Against the Dark Arts.” There were nods all around and shouts of agreement. Luna just smiled dreamily up at the trio. “I thought maybe, that we could, um, take matters into our own hands.
“We need to learn how to defend ourselves properly, not just with books and such, but the real spells-” But a Hufflepuff in the back interrupted her:
“And you want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWLs as well, I presume.”
OWLs were a sort of standard test that 5th years and up had to take. They were fairly vigorous: long written exams and performing spells. Luna was not looking forward to next year.
“Well of course I want to pass my OWLs,” Hermione replied. “But I also want more than that, to be properly trained, because…because…” She took a deep breath and said, “Because Lord Voldemort is back.”
Luna sat stock still, in shock. Hermione had just uttered to most cursed name in Wizard history. Cho Chang shrieked, a butterbeer bottle crashed to the floor. Next to Luna, Neville yelped but then managed to change it into a sort of mangled cough. And then the room went silent and every eye turned back to a distraught looking Harry Potter.
“Well, at least that’s the plan anyways,” Hermione said quickly. “If you want to join us then all we need-”
“But where’s the proof?” a rude Hufflepuff interrupted. “How do you know that You-Know-Who is back?”
“Dumbledore said-”
“You mean Dumbledore believes him,” he interrupted yet again, nodding towards Harry.
“And who are you?” Ron asked inquisitively.
“Zacharias Smith, and I believe we deserve the right to know why he seems to think You-Know-Who is back.”
“That’s not really why we’re here…” Hermione started.
But some people were, and Harry seemed to notice.
“It’s alright Hermione.”
And then Harry told his story to the shocked room. Luna knew some of them would refuse the believe him, but Luna did. She always had. Ever since she had heard the news, she believed him.
YOU ARE READING
Luna Lovegood
Fanfiction[BOOK ONE] Loony Lovegood--the girl everyone made fun of. The girl with more to her than what meets the eye. She's different, you know (although I presume you already figured that out for yourself). She's special, and she has a story, too. Foll...
