Disclaimer: anything you recognize is not mine!

Word Count: 782

For the My Boggart...My Patronus Competition – Luna Lovegood

Note: this is not beta'd, so if you see anything wrong, please let me now (:

The Room of Requirement was full of people who varied of age, gender and House. They were united by a common cause, which was the ultimate destruction of the pink toad– erm, well, actually to defend themselves and to protect the school.

Ah, semantics.

Anyway, all together under one roof and under one very ridiculous teenager, or so Luna thought, they were learning charms and jinxes and complicated spells so they could achieve their ends.

As a Ravenclaw, Luna practically twitched with enthusiasm at the idea of learning, but as a person, she knew they would get in trouble. It was obvious.

Many people underestimated Luna.

"–Today we'll be learning an advanced spell." said Harry, which made Luna pay attention to him. She liked advanced spells! "However, many will not get it on your first try. I didn't, so don't get mad or sad if you don't get it right,"

A chorus of mumbles started around the room. Hermione nudged Harry on the ribs and his eyes widened.

"Oh, of course, I forgot," he blushed a little, "It's the Patronus Charm. Many of you must have heard of it before,"

Chatter broke out, mainly from the Ravenclaws present and a handful of Gryffindors. A Seventh-Year Hufflepuff smiled as if he reminisced something from far, far away.

Luna just giggled, attracting the attention of those around her.

"What's so funny, Loony?" Cho Chang asked.

Luna just smiled at her. "Well, Cho, I just find this really weird," she said while shrugging. Marietta Edgecombe, who was on Cho's left side, laughed out loud.

"You," she said while taking a breath. "You, Loony Lovegood, think this is weird? Wow,"

Ginny Weasley, backed by Harry Potter, stoop up and went towards them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny said with a raise brow.

Harry stood right behind her, and immediately backed her up "Yes, Cho, Marietta, what were you doing? Insulting one of our friends? Attacking a fellow D.A. member? You don't want to be thrown out of the D.A., am I right?" he said with a tone so low and cold, it might just belong to a Slytherin.

Marietta and Cho shook their head quickly and Harry clasped his hands.

"Well," he said cheerily. "Let's start,"

Harry had been right on something, Luna thought. One would not always get the Patronus on the first try, or the second, or the fifth, but it was all on perseverance and you had to belief in yourself.

All things Luna believed she had.

The leader of the D.A. was right behind her when she attempted the charm once again. Thinking about her happiest memory, it being just her mother smiling, or her friends defending her, she repeated the incantation.

"Expecto Patronus!" she said in that quirky voice of hers. Immediately a wisp of smoke burst out of the wand. Luna felt a warm enveloping her, filling her with happiness and such a thing she had not felt before in her life. Her soul hopped with happiness, and she knew, she just knew, what form her Patronus was.

From behind her, Harry called out, "That was perfect, Luna! Now try a little bit more so you can have a corporeal form," and he walked away to help out others.

(Especially Neville, who seemed to have a bit of a problem with his wand movement.)

However, Luna couldn't quite get the form right away.

On another day, when the D.A. met again, Harry encouraged them to try their Patronus again. Many sighed, especially those who didn't get it the week before, but many smiled, remembering their Patronus, or wisp of smoke.

Luna went over to her normal place and started thinking about her happiest memory. Her mother and friends were all together in a bright purple room, all with big smiles on their faces and happy eyes. Luna closed her eyes and smiled when she said the incantation.

"Expecto Patronus!" she exclaimed, and when she opened her eyes she could see a hare for a single moment before it disappeared.

Ginny, who was besides her, saw her Patronus and went over to hug her.

"You did it, Luna!" she said happily.

Luna looked at her and giggled. "You did too, don't think I didn't see it,"

Ginny scoffed. "See it? How can you not? It's a huge horse!"

"But it's a cute horse," Luna said smiling.

"I guess," Ginny said and then went back to her space and kept practicing.

Luna one again stood alone and thought of her happiest memory, which maybe it didn't really exist at all, but if Luna believed in it, it was as true as the Nargles and the Wrackspruts.

FIN