Luna Lovegood

Humiliation

Hello, Luna Lovegood fans! I am very sorry to say that this chapter is fairly short, but I feel it is an important one for me to write, you to read, and Luna to experience.  Here you will see how she copes with a certain situation and it shows a bit about her you may not have exactly expected: vulnerability.  Please enjoy, and more will be coming your way soon.  I promise. :D

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            Luna’s ears perked in the direction of which the giggles were coming from.  It was no surprise they were from behind her back and from the lips of Cho Chang and her friends.  Luna tilted her chin up just a bit, triumphantly.  Then she turned back to Neville.

            “Alright, Neville,” she stated calmly.  “You can do this; I know you can.”

            Neville took a visible deep breath, calming his evident nerves.  He raised his wand at the ready, and in response from across the room, Luna did as well.

            The giggling from behind her appeared yet again, and just as Neville cast his spell, catching Luna off guard.  Neville’s cry of “Expelliarmus!” sent her flying backwards, her wand shooting out of her hand, and her orange plum earrings turned into a sort of “plum popcorn”.

            Sitting there, stunned for a moment, out right laughter was heard throughout the room.

            “I did it!  I finally did it!”  Neville cried joyfully.  But then realizing that Luna was lying on the ground, he rushed over to her and helped her up.  “Oh, Luna! Sorry ‘bout that.  Didn’t realize that had happened.”

            “It’s quite alright, Neville.  Well done,” she said quietly and with assurance, as if speaking to a young child.

            Cho walked up to them, holding Luna’s wand which she had retrieved from the other side of the Room of Requirement.  “I think you, um, dropped this,” Cho giggled, unable to keep the hysterics out of her voice.

            “Thank you,” Luna responded tartly.

            Swiftly grabbing her beloved cherry wood wand from the older witch, Luna pivoted and attempted to make a hasty yet dignified exit.  But all did not end well when she tripped on a stunning-practice pillow and found herself, once again, on her bum.

            More cries of laughter and mockery rang out through the room.  From her spot on the floor, Luna looked around frantically to see if anyone would come and save her from this humiliation.  Harry was talking animatedly to Hermione, probably about some new Defense Against the Dark Arts jinx he wished to share with the club.  They were completely unaware of the situation.  Ron was in the hospital wing recovering from a harsh stunning spell on Hermione’s part, and Ginny had accompanied him and had not yet returned.  So neither of them were there to be of any assistance.  Luna was lost.

            But then, her eyes wide and filling with tears swept the crowd and they rested on Neville.  Laughter continued, but Luna couldn’t seem to hear anything but her own heart beating.  Her eyes pleaded with Neville, begging him to come and save her from her embarrassment.  He was her only hope of walking out of this place with at least a smidge of pride left.

            Neville’s eyes darted back and forth, nervously, as if he was unsure of what to do.  Luna thought it was obvious: he was supposed to save her; he was supposed to be her hero!  But his eyes continued to shift uneasily back and forth.  Then finally his shoulders sagged in surrender, his sad, cow-like brown eyes crinkled apologetically, and Neville backed away and was lost in the crowd.

            At that moment, something broke inside of Luna.  Her heart had finally been crushed by the one person she trusted the most.  Out of all of them, she had chosen him, and he had betrayed her!

Unable to block out the laughter any longer, Luna slowly rose to her feet, back to the crowd, and wand in hand, gripping it tightly, like a life line.  Because it was her lifeline, the only thing that made her in the least bit normal in this magical world.  She turned slowly towards the group of sneering, teenage onlookers.  Something in her defeated blue-gray eyes, or on her face must have caught their attention and soon the room was silent.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry and Hermione turn around, confused as to what was going on.

Turning back to her quiet and now wary audience, Luna just stared at them in silence.  A few scrunched up uncomfortably under her steady gaze, but she never eased.  Her mouth turned into a hard, flat line, Luna shook her head slightly, her long blond hair waving just the tiniest bit.  Then slowly, silently, turning on her heels, Luna walked toward the exit and out the door.