It had always been said that Luna Lovegood was a bit off; perhaps a little strange in the head. She found joy in chatting animatedly to the air, bore outlandish garments that more fashionable people would never be caught dead wearing, and always floated about, giving off an aura of distinct, unintentional dottiness. Among her favorite accessories were a butterbeer cork necklace, given to her by her late mother, and a pair of dirigible plum earrings, which she wore to public functions with pride, ignoring the scorn and ridicule of onlookers. In all, Luna was a fascinating, intriguing person with many eccentric qualities, thus making her a target for sharp words of insult. However, no matter how rude or offensive things were said to her, she ignored them, feeling that a calm, systematic approach to undesirable situations was the best plan of action.
From the second Luna had opened her eyes, she saw the world in a beautiful, ethereal light, and accepted not only all things possible, but also all things impossible. Therefore, the impossible embraced her with open arms, letting her in on the juicy secrets of the unseen world and enveloping her in a bubble of life's endless miracles and mysteries. Luna never doubted the power of the word "if," and scoffed at the phrase "seeing is believing," because she knew that you don't have to see a thing to prove its existence. Sometimes, she would take lengthy walks through the nearby woods and converse with the mystical creatures that lived there. They revealed themselves only to her, knowing that they could trust this gentle, pure spirit who was so different from the others.
And it was true that Luna was different; she accepted the fact herself. But instead of hating her differences, she cherished them. They set her apart from everyone else, and Luna considered this to be quite an accomplishment, one to be exceptionally proud of.
However, on this very morning, Luna didn't feel even the slightest bit different from the numerous other young witches and wizards that were packing their things for the journey to Hogwarts. She was practically bursting with excitement, an emotion that was so foreign and unfamiliar to her serious life. Her bewitching, silvery grey eyes shone with uncontained delight as she gathered the last few items into her trunk. She closed it, and a satisfying click echoed throughout the room. Luna felt that this click symbolized a new beginning; a new adventure that she would embark upon with a set heart. For so long, she had waited for this day. Now that it was here, she was ready to go forth and throw away any misgivings or doubts she had about entering the magical world.
She dreamily grabbed the handle of her trunk and began hauling it down the stairs, taking them one at a time, so as to be careful. Many accidents had happened on these steps, quite obviously a result of her frequent daydreams and fickle fantasies.
Luna set her trunk down when she had reached the bottom of the stairs and heaved a dainty sigh. My, that thing was heavy. If only she knew magic right now, she could have performed a simple Levitation Charm and saved herself the work.
Getting a vague idea, Luna removed her wand from its perch behind her left ear. She had seen her dad cast this charm many a time, so she figured she knew just about what to do. She raised her wand, murmured, "Wingerdiium Leviosay," and waved it around rather foolishly. Her spell happened to land on an unfortunate windowsill plant, and it exploded, showering the room with dirt and debris from the clay pot. Luna winced. That probably woke her dad up. Maybe she should go outside and say goodbye to her forest friends.
Casting a glance over her shoulder at the havoc-wrecked room, she turned to open the front door, but it was too late. Xenophilius Lovegood emerged from his bedroom, yawning sleepily. He was clothed in a nightgown of blinding orange, said to repel vicious Blibbering Humdingers, and a tasseled nightcap dangled in front of his long, slightly crooked nose. When he saw the mess his daughter had made of the family room, he chose to ignore it, and crossed the room to her side. "Good morning, sweetheart," he said, wrapping her in a tight hug. "It looks as if the nargles have brought chaos upon our house once again."
"Oh, Daddy," Luna said plaintively, distressed that her father should have to see the mess she had caused. "The nargles didn't do it this time! It was me. I was trying to see if I could do magic yet, so I tried to cast the levitation spell and it kind of– "
And with this, Xenophilius placed a tender finger against his daughter's lips. "You'll have plenty of time for spell casting once you get to Hogwarts," he said gently. "You don't just wake up and have magical powers all of a sudden."
"I know," Luna said dejectedly, sighing. "I do suppose I let the excitement take hold of me. I'm so sorry for acting rashly, Daddy, but I just can't wait until I get to school!"
"I know, darling, I know. Now why don't you go outside and say goodbye to your friends, hm?"
Luna seemed highly cheered by this idea, and raced out of the front door without further ado, leaving her father to watch her retreating form with a wistful, perceptive eye. She had grown up so fast. It seemed like just yesterday she had been tugging at the bottom of his robes, begging for a story. Just yesterday when she had pleaded to go on a hunt for the Crumple Horned Snorkack. Just yesterday when she had fallen asleep on his lap after a long day of fishing for Plimpies. Xenophilius barely managed to suppress tears when he realized that Luna was actually leaving him, for the first time ever. He wiped away the suspicious wetness gathering at the corners of his eyes and bustled into the kitchen, glad for anything to distract him, even if it did happen to involve cooking.
Meanwhile, Luna was wandering about in the garden in front of her house, having been distracted by a cheerfully buzzing bee that flitted in an out of an Arnica flower. "Hello there, little bee," Luna said pleasantly, greeting the creature as if she had known it all of her life. "I do hope you enjoy the flower. Sometimes I wish I were a bee; then I could fly about and live in the flowers." Luna sighed rapturously. "That would be a lovely life. Oh, I suppose I should leave now. I'm sure you're quite busy." And, humming distractedly, she walked away, trotting down the familiar path whose curves she had memorized by heart. The path led down the steep hill where the Lovegood's house was perched and continued across Barrow's Bridge into the woods, the place Luna considered as her second home. She had spent many a day there, listening to the sounds of the forest and reveling in the beauty of the world that surrounded her. There was something so entrancing about the rustling oaks and the lovely wildflowers; Luna felt truly happy in this place. It was her escape from the world. She would miss it so much when she had to leave for Hogwarts, but she reasoned that it would work out all right. Her father had told her many stories about Hogwarts' own woods, the Forbidden Forest, and though the name sounded rather intimidating, Luna was not frightened. There had been rumors flitting about that the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, was raising a herd of thestrals there.
Luna had always loved thestrals, especially after her mother died and she could see them. They were such fascinating creatures, and even though they were often looked upon as ugly, unlucky signs of death, Luna thought they were wonderful. They helped her through the heartbreak of her mother's death in ways that no one could have ever imagined.
After a while, Luna came to Barrow's Bridge, home of the plump little Plimpies. She stuck her hand in the cool, sparkling water and giggled as the Plimpies gathered around her hand curiously. Finally deciding she was not a threat, they began to tentatively nibble on her fingers, until her whole hand was covered with their squirmy little bodies. "Goodbye, Plimpies," Luna said sadly. "I'm very sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you all for a while. You see, I have to go to this school. It's very far away from here, so I won't be able to see you often. I promise though, I'll be coming back over winter vacation, and it won't be long before summer comes again. So...goodbye. You've been very good friends to me." Luna removed her hand from the water and blew them a little kiss, then crossed the bridge unhappily. The unintelligent little creatures probably wouldn't even notice her absence; but Luna knew she would miss them dearly.
By this time, Luna had reached the woods. Sunlight filtered down from the top branches of the sturdy, majestic oaks, and the ground beheld a literal eruption of blooming purple violets that blanketed the floor like a natural carpet; Luna almost didn't want to step forward for fear of crushing the delicate flora. Finding an alternative, she hopped gracefully onto the roots of a particularly large oak and inched her way around the violet bed. Feet quick as a deer, she ran to her most beloved spot, a serene clearing in the center of the woods. To Luna, it was a truly sacred place, not only because of its desolate sort of beauty, but also because of the significance it held in her life. It was the place where her mother had died and been buried.
Elena Lovegood had shared her daughter's love of the woods, and while she had been alive, she had often joined Luna in delightful walks through them, incessantly chattering about how lovely the world was, and what a gorgeous shade of periwinkle blue the sky looked on certain days, what a bleak grey it looked on others. She often commented on how pristinely the flowers were sprinkled along the path, as if they had been preordained to bring a slight thrill of joy to the observer, and she, being an avid nature-lover, never let a single moment of the joy escape without her notice. Elena, as well as her daughter, had the unique gift of portraying the world in a beautiful, unusual light, and she chose to devote her life to helping others by being a Spell-Tester for the Ministry of Magic. It was a job she embraced with passion; she took each day as a new opportunity to make the world a better place.
One day started off just about as normally as any day could – Elena and Luna went off to the forest; Elena to experiment with spells, and Luna to play with her invisible friends, the thestrals. Xenophilius reasoned that he would stay home; perhaps he would mend the leaking porch roof. So Elena and Luna took off, hearts set upon the prospect of a promising day. As soon as they had crossed the bridge, Luna raced off to play with the thestrals, and Elena made her way to the clearing in the center of the forest. She always practiced her spells in the heart of the woods, so if anything went wrong, no one else would be near enough to be hurt or injured.
She stared down at the wrinkled, grubby piece of paper in her hand, and frowning, raised her wand. "Fernaso," she muttered under her breath.
Almost instantly, huge flames of fiery orange splendor burst up around the clearing, flickering fervently around Elena.
"Oh shoot," she gasped, coughing. Heavy smoke was already beginning to fill the air, and the heat was starting to become intense. "Aguamenti!" she choked out. But the small stream of water that spurted from her wand was a feeble aid in fighting the inferno. Soon, she found the flames nearly upon her, their tongues licking out eagerly, hoping for something to burn, something to kill.
The screaming started.
Luna, who had been busy picking daisies in another part of the forest, heard the screams. They froze her body; chilled her right to the core. It was her mother. Why was she screaming like that? Luna had never heard anyone scream with so much pain. In fact, she had never heard anyone scream at all. It was a terrifying eye-opener, Luna's first exposure to a world of sorrow and fear. All her life had been magical; a perfect fantasy of sorts. And now, her fantasy was being shattered, broken into millions of pieces.
Luna felt that she couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't see. Her beautiful, perfect mother was screaming with such agony and pain; how could this be happening? Why was it happening? Luna was frozen. She couldn't think, she didn't know what to do, and then –
"OH, GOD – PLEASE – LUNA – PLEASE – HELP!"
Luna snapped out of her trance and began blindly running towards the sound of her mother's voice. She didn't know how she could help, she only knew that it was pivotal she reach her mother in time. Maybe, just maybe, she could do something. Maybe she could stop the screaming.
Fast as a deer, Luna's feet danced over the obstacles in her path. She sprung over tree stumps and ducked under the limbs of various trees with practiced ease. She knew these woods by heart, every twist and turn.
The screams kept echoing inside her head, making it pound with the realization that maybe she would be too late. She ran faster, pushing her little body to its limits.
Meanwhile, Elena Lovegood was writhing in agony. The flames had finally caught up to her; they were busy enveloping her in a circle of pure torture, lapping at her with quick, enthusiastic strokes. Every one of her nerves tingled; every lick of flame sent another spasm of pain through her twitching body. She wanted to die. She wanted it to be over. But most of all, she wanted the fire to go away, to stop making her feel like this...
"MOMMY!" Luna yelled as she burst through the trees, eyes widening when she saw the fire.
"LUNA – OH GOD, LUNA – DON'T COME ANY CLOSER – DON'T!" Elena screamed.
But Luna, not knowing the danger of the fire, had run forward.
She let out a piteous little yelp as the flames lashed at her legs, burning her body. Luna had never felt anything like this before. It was her first taste of pain, and she found herself hating it, hating it with all the strength she had. It was pain that was hurting her mother. It was pain that was causing this horrible sensation that raced up and down her legs. Pain was the center of it all, and Luna knew she had to stop it.
She charged on, ignoring the weak protests of her mother. The smoke filled her lungs; she could barely breathe, but she somehow managed to keep her legs moving until she reached her mother's side.
"Oh, Luna," her mother breathed. "Why? Why did you come in here? Now we're both going to die."
Luna shook her head fiercely, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'd much rather die with you than live without you," she cried, wrapping her arms around her mother's body. "I'm not going to let you leave me – I – I just won't!"
"Luna, I'm not going to let you die with me," Elena said shakily, reaching out to take Luna's hand. "You have a whole life ahead of you. You're so young, and you have so much left to live for. There's only one way to fix this." Unsteadily, she raised her wand to her chest. "I'm so sorry, darling," she whispered.
And then, she cast the spell.
Almost immediately, the fire stopped, shrinking back into the ground where it had been born from, leaving only charred remains, a limp body, and a broken heart.
Elena Lovegood was dead.
When a wizard dies, any spells they have cast become ineffective; they cease to continue. And Elena had known this. Thus, she had sacrificed herself for her daughter.
Luna stared at her mother worriedly. "Mommy?" she said, a note of panic creeping into her voice. "Mommy, the fire's gone. You're safe now."
But Elena didn't respond.
"Mommy, please wake up!" Luna cried, shaking her mother's limp form. "The fire's gone! Everything's going to be okay, so wake up! Please, Mommy, wake up!" Tears had begun streaming down her face; it had just crossed her mind that maybe her mother might never wake up. "Please?" Luna whimpered, voice barely audible. "I need you so much."
But Elena didn't wake.
And now, almost two years later, Luna Lovegood stood in the same clearing where she had watched her mother die. It still bore the scars from the fire – the grass grew in dry, sporadic patches, and some trees were small and stunted, having been burnt beyond repair when the flames raged. The place gave off an aura of sadness, but it was an almost pleasant type of sadness; a sadness that made Luna's heart swell with all the lovely memories she had of her mother.
Sighing, Luna walked over to the center of the clearing. She raised her fingers to her lips and let forth an unearthly, screeching noise – the thestral's call.
Within a few moments, one appeared, nearing towards Luna at a friendly trot. She smiled: This was Kronos, leader of the herd and, by far, her favorite.
"Hello there, Kronos," she greeted him fondly. "How are you today?"
Kronos nudged her hand hopefully, and Luna laughed. "No treats today," she informed the disappointed thestral. "My visit will be a short one."
Kronos looked at her sadly, and Luna, not for the first time, was intrigued by how intelligent these creatures were. It was almost like they understood what you were saying, but just couldn't talk back; they would simply stare at you with those big eyes and try to communicate their answer nonverbally.
"I know," Luna murmured, wrapping her arms around Kronos' neck. "I'll miss you, too, Kronos."
The rest of the herd – Hera, Aeolus, Cynthia, and Apollo soon joined Luna. She patted and hugged them all in turn, then with teary eyes, turned to leave. However, Kronos wouldn't allow it. He stopped her with his nose and stared into her eyes.
"Oh, Kronos!" Luna said sorrowfully. "You want one last ride, don't you?"
She gave him a watery smile, then mounted his back with the ease of a practiced professional. "To my house, please," she whispered into his ear. With a toss of his head and a stretch of his wings, he took off into the sky.
Luna closed her eyes blissfully, momentarily forgetting her sadness. Exhilaration coursed through her body as they flew higher and higher. She loved the feel of flying; twisting and soaring through the air with not a care in the world. It was wonderful. She let out an uncharacteristic little whoop as they gained even more height. Kronos looked back at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "What're you looking at? Luna asked him innocently. Kronos just shook his head in amusement.
Within a few short minutes, the two had arrived at the Lovegood residence. A sudden realization washed over her, and the tears that had been brimming in her eyes for so long finally spilled over. Kronos nudged her sympathetically; Luna dismounted and planted a kiss on the end of his nose. "Good-bye, Kronos," she said, wiping at her eye. "I'll miss you."
Kronos snorted sadly, indicating that he would miss her as well.
With a quick bound, he took off into the air once again.
With a despairing sigh, Luna trudged back into the house. The second she crossed the threshold, she was greeted by the unpleasant aroma of something that smelled like a cross between burning rubber and stinky shoes.
Her father must be in the kitchen.
Though Luna nearly worshipped her father, she had to admit that cooking was one of his few flaws. Over the past couple of years, she had been forced to choke down uncountable "creations" and pretend that they tasted lovely, for sake of keeping his pride intact.
"Sorry about the smell, Luna, darling," Xenophilius said apologetically as he emerged from the kitchen. A tail of billowing black smoke followed him, and his right eyebrow was decidedly singed. He laughed good-naturedly. "I felt like making you something special before you left, but I suppose I kept the stove on for too long."
Luna smiled, immediately pushing away her sad mood. Her father's gesture had indeed been noble; however, she preferred her food fresh and whole, rather than burnt to a crisp.
"I'm actually not very hungry this morning, Daddy," she said lightly. "I believe a piece of toast would suffice."
Xenophilius' expression crumpled. "Not hungry? Just toast? You don't want eggs, or bacon, or anything like that? I've got all the ingredients on hand." He gestured at the counter where the ingredients lay sprawled, a hopeful gleam shining in his eye.
"Oh, no, Daddy, I'm really not hungry, no need to bother," Luna insisted. "Toast will be just fine."
Xenophilius reluctantly consented to his daughter's wish and busied himself in the elaborate process of toast-making, rigidly determined to produce the absolute finest piece of lightly crisped bread in the universe. It was for his darling Luna, after all.
All too soon, toast had been made, breakfast was over, and it was time to depart for King's Cross Station.
"Come here, darling," Xenophilius said, holding out his arm for Luna. "Slide Along Apparation. Make sure to keep one hand on me at all times and one hand on your trunk, don't want to lose it, do you? Alright now…3…2…1…"
And with a flash of colors, the two were gone.
Luna's journey had begun.
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