The Hogwarts Lonely Hearts Club

Penny For Your Thoughts

"Oh, well, my things aren't really lost," Luna explained. "People take them, you see. They think I'm a bit odd, you know, and so they take my things. I don't mind sharing, but as it's the last night I really do need them back so I can pack."

"People take your things?" Harry hissed, anger roiling in his belly and competing with a wave of pity for the girl.

"Yes. Like I said, they think I'm odd."

"That's no excuse to take your stuff," Harry fumed. "Do you want a hand getting them all back?"

"Oh no, thank you," Luna beamed. "They'll turn up eventually. They did last year. I'd really like to find my bracelet, though. It was the last birthday present my Mum got for me before she died."

Harry felt a part of his heart break at the admission. "Your Mum died? I'm sorry. I never knew."

"That's alright. I never told you, so how would you? If you do find it, though ... my bracelet ... I'd be very grateful if you could get it back to me. It's very important to me."

Harry rolled his jaw angrily. "Wait here."

Then Harry marched over to Cho and Marietta, rage pounding in his temples.

"So, what's Loony lost this year?" Cho skittered.

"Watch your mouth, Chang!" Harry spat. "And if you call her that one more time I'm going to hex the word 'Loony' across your stupid face in the biggest, most pus-filled permanent pimples I can conjure! That goes for the lot of you."

"Cool it, Harry, we didn't know she was your girlfriend," Marietta chuckled.

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously at her. "And you can just shut your mouth, and all! Luna is not my girlfriend, and anyone else who says that is going to have a nasty run-in with the end of my wand. But you, you nasty hag, can just march right upstairs and bring me that bracelet you were just bragging about storing in your bedside cabinet.

"You'll do it right now, tonight, in the next five minutes. If you aren't back by that time, I'm going straight to Flitwick and telling him what a dirty, stinking thief you are. I really don't think you want him sending you home to your parents with a Howler like that in your pockets, do you?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Are you testing me? Four minutes thirty and counting."

Marietta squeaked and jumped up, before practically flying to the girls' dormitory. She was back less than a minute later, when she bitterly thrust the pretty charm bracelet into Harry's hand.

"There! Take it," Marietta sniped. "Just don't go to Flitwick. My parents would kill me. I'm sorry."

"It isn't me you need to apologise to," Harry scythed. "But I'll leave it up to Luna to decide if she accepts it or not."

And then Harry presented the bracelet back to a beaming Luna, before skulking back to his usual corner to fume in silence. He later learned that all of Luna's missing things miraculously turned up on her bed within the hour, though he never did find out if Marietta had apologised to her or not.

But after that Luna was never shy of talking to Harry, and he never told her to go away when she tried, which was something of an anomaly where Harry Potter was concerned. They weren't friends as such, but common acquaintances was as likely as anyone could hope to get with Harry.

Until all this Penpal Club business hit the horizon, of course.

Harry spent a lot of time over the first few days of the next week mulling it all over in his mind. He was sat in Charms on Monday afternoon, where he was partnered with Sally-Anne Perks from Hufflepuff and was trying not to use the Banishing Charm they were practising to push her stool a bit further away from his, as her perfume was bothering his nostrils. After getting the hang of the Charm quickly, Harry found his mind drifting to the complexity of the Penny Black spell that Hermione Granger had told him she had invented, and he couldn't help but be impressed.