"Here you are, ma'am." Tom the bartender placed a platter of steaming fish and chips in front of Luna.
"Thank you, Tom. It looks delightful," she said. He gave a little bow and his toothless grin and then retreated to the drinks counter.
The Leaky Cauldron was especially busy for a Thursday night, Luna thought idly. Perhaps there was some sort of sale in Diagon Alley. Exotic animals were too much to hope for, but she resolved to go in for a bit after supper and see if there was anything interesting going on. After all, there wasn't much that she had in mind for this evening. These days, Luna spent most of her time out of the office, looking for interesting stories – which meant that she ended up going in all directions and doing anything that caught her fancy.
The door to the pub opened, causing the dingy bell to jangle, and Luna looked up in time to catch a glimpse of a small sliver of the outside world – the sky was remarkably clear for an October night – before it was blocked by a rather tall, unkempt man in a wool traveling cloak and a bright red jumper.
She studied him with interest as he crossed the room, looking for an empty seat. No, not a man, she decided. He's still a boy, though he must be at least a year my senior. He had a rather pleasant face, with warm brown eyes and no sharp lines about him. He had to be traveling, from his cloak and the scruff beginning to creep up his chin. She also noticed that he seemed a bit uneasy. Or perhaps just tired.
As she continued to watch him, he approached her table hesitantly; it seemed that all the other tables were taken, filled with witches and wizards and even a few hags. She smiled at him and he seemed to relax a bit. He stopped a polite distance away. "Do you mind? Everything else is taken."
"Of course not, I'd like the company anyway." She reached over and moved her briefcase from the other chair, and he nodded in thanks and sat down.
"Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood. You're traveling somewhere. Or is it from somewhere?"
"Oh, um – " He looked a little startled at this remark, which was the usual response Luna got when meeting new people. Perhaps I don't do it quite right, she considered, then focused her attention back on the stranger.
"I'm Rolf Scamander, nice to meet you. And both, actually. I'm from Wimbourne, but I'm, well, I'm on a sort of adventure right now. Tomorrow I plan to head west, and then I suppose I'll see where I end up."
"Really?" Luna gazed at him in fascination. "Rolf Scamander…You aren't related to Newt Scamander, are you?"
Rolf ducked his head. "Yes, actually. He's my grandfather. I take it you know of his books?"
"Oh yes," she said emphatically, "they're quite good. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Creatures of the Deep Forest, Mythical Beings of Scotland – some of the best books I've seen on magical creatures. Of course, they are rather lacking – there's no mention of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks or Wrackspurts – but still quite good."
Rolf now regarded her with interest. "You believe in Wrackspurts?"
"Of course. There's insurmountable proof."
He chuckled. "You're the only other person I know of who does. Not even my grandfather did – he always poked fun at my 'silly notions' – but, as you say, there is so much proof."
Luna smiled. "Is that what your adventure is about, finding these magical creatures? It sounds delightful. Have you had any luck so far?"
"In general it's been fairly good. I haven't seen many out-of-the-ordinary beasts, but I did find a few kelpies near Limerick, and there was a dreadful chimaera in northern Greece."
"Oh, do tell me about it!"
"Well, it began in the spring when I decided…"
The crowded pub seemed to disappear as the night went on, with Rolf telling stories of fantastic ventures and remarkable creatures and close encounters. Luna was drawn in by these tales – he was quite a good storyteller, she thought – and she felt that familiar yearning again, the desire she'd had since she was young, to go out and see the world and discover things and learn of new types of magic. It had dulled over the past few years as she had settled down – mostly, not ever entirely – and began to confine herself to the world of London and nearby villages. But this stranger had sparked it again, and the desire burned inside her, threatening to engulf her entirely, and she wanted to do things. Not just write about them. Actually experience the things that people had told her about, and everything they hadn't. And…He doesn't feel like a stranger anymore, Luna thought to herself. It's like being with a friend, like I have known him for years. Strange – it seems like he's always been here, even when I know I haven't set eyes on him before. And maybe he was just the embodiment of her dreams, a symbol of her childhood wishes and her ever-present curiosity, but maybe somehow she had known him all along.
Staring off into space, thinking, pondering, it took her a few minutes to realize that Rolf had stopped talking and was looking at her expectantly. She brought her piercing gaze back to his face. "I'm sorry, what?"
His eyes were laughing somehow. "I was just wondering where you're going to go to find your creatures." He added something silently that was audible only in his expression: You're going to look for them, aren't you? Isn't that the only thing to do? Don't you want to prove yourself to everyone who doubts? And with a rush of fierce excitement she realized that they were the same person in many ways, and that this meeting could not be coincidence. He was right. It was time to leave London.
"Your adventure sounds delightful. Perhaps I could join you?"