AN: This is my first attempt at fanfiction, hope you likey. I do not own any Harry Potter characters although if possible I would like to buy Fred and George Weasley :D

"Watcha doing Mom?"

"Making a potion sweaty."

"Can I help?"

"Not today baby, but you can watch."

"Yay! Thanks Mom."

"Let's see Eye of Newt, Salamander Scale, and... Damnitt! No, no, no. Loon get out of here."

"But mom..."

"Luna run!"

"Don't worry Loon, it'll be okay Luna."

"She'll always be with us in our hearts darling."

"I bet she's watching us right now."

"I know you miss her, she misses you too."

"But why'd she leave us?"

"She's gone, I'm never going to see her again."

"I need her, so why isn't she here for me?"

"I want my mom back!"

"Ravenclaw!" The hat slid off her head as she rushed too the cheering table. A third year scooted over to make room and she slid in, avoiding eye contact. At least it's not Slytherin she thought, but Luna knew her dad would be disappointed, he'd so wanted her to be in Hufflepuff "like your mother" as he'd put it. Luna kept her eyes averted from the curious stares of other students. She hated being watched, so why was everyone always watching her?

"As the ghostly representative of Ravenclaw house..." a very unenthusiastic voice began. "I am obliged to welcome all incoming first years..."

"You have sad eyes," Luna whispered to the the transparent woman. The Grey Lady stopped talking.

"What did you say?" Luna looked at her a moment.

"I think you heard what I said," her voice wasn't at all harsh, more just stating the obvious. The ghost gave Luna an odd look, then swished away through the table to welcome "Torres, Derrick."

Luna sighed sadly, the woman had seemed different, why did she have to scare all the interesting people away? "Your a very special girl Luna," she repeated those words over and over in her head. Special, that was all. Special was good. Her dad didn't quite understand, it was true, didn't quite get it.

The line for sorting was getting shorter and shorter until only a handful of kids were waiting there turn. "Weasley, Ginnevra," then shortly after, "Zilmer, Mariah." The last girl ran quickly over to the Ravenclaw table. She merged in with the other first years quickly, almost immediately sparking a friendship. Luna watched them enviously. She knew she could try to talk to them, but she would never get very far.

The prefects stood and they began to walk, Luna shuffling along, a straggler. "When you reach your dormitories..." Luna stopped listening to the stuffy prefect, watching her feet instead. A few girls shrieked up ahead as their feet sank into fake stares. Luna rolled her eyes, that;s what they get for not paying attention.

Luna groaned, why did she have to be so judge-mental, the girls made a mistake, it wasn't their fault. "Come on Lovegood," the Grey lady mumbled as she swept past Luna. Quickening her stride Luna caught up with the less stragley stragglers, wishing the Grey Lady hadn't said anything and she could have just been left to wander Hogwarts lost and alone, like she always was.

Luna had no great desire to be at Hogwarts. There had been a time when that was all she wanted, to go to the great school of witchcraft and wizardry. She didn't really want much of anything anymore.

It wasn't Luna's fault that she hadn't laughed, smiled, or even cried for the last four years. It wasn't her fault her dad put on a fake smile everyday for her, trying to make it all go away, like she never existed. It wasn't her fault, none of it was Luna's fault, but Luna was having a hard time believing it.

She had been there watching, she had seen it happened, watched her burn. Why hadn't she turned away her eyes? Why had she had to stare at her face as she writhed in pain. It was simple if Luna really thought about it, she had to hold on as long as possible, maybe, by watching it happen it would somehow make it not real. It had been real, and Luna still shuddered at the memory of watching her mother die.

"These dorms are awful," Mariah complained as she stared around the much to simple room. It was true, the sharp right turns, perfect bedding. It was just like a hospital. Luna had spent too much time in hospitals. After a while it had just been the therapist for "mentally scarred" Luna. She felt contempt welling up inside her. The stupid lady in the turtle neck sweater. The way she said it, like Luna was stupid. "Mentally Scarred" who wouldn't be mentally scarred after what she'd seen? What she'd felt and experienced.

There were five of them, the Ravenclaw girls. Luna didn't pay any attention to their names. She didn't have any desire to make a friend. Instead she pulled out a clean piece of parchment and began to write a letter.

Dear Dad,

Hogwarts is amazing. I just love it here! I've made oh so many good friends. This may be the turning point for me! I haven't felt so happy in a very long time. I'm in Ravenclaw, I know not Hufflepuff, but still pretty cool.

Our ghost is really nice. Can you believe I've met the real Helena Ravenclaw? Well of course you have too, but I'm still super excited. I do miss you though Dad. I love you and being away is a bit hard. Classes are fun. I love Transfiguration. Hmm probably shouldn't mention potions. Of course they hadn't actually had any classes yet. Luna hated lying to her father, but sometimes that it was necessary.

Please write soon Dad. Once again, I love you!

Love Luna Lovegood.

Luna looked at her writing for a second or two. She came to the decision that it would pass for honesty. Luna pulled an Olive colored hair ribbon from her letter box and tied it around the rolled up parchment.

It was getting late, and Luna needed to drop this off at the owlry. She stood up and snuck past the practically bouncing girls.

The corridor was nearly deserted as Luna made her way upward. An occasional prefect or scurrying first year ran by, but Luna liked the silence. Being alone like this let her think. It made since that Luna was very surprised to encounter a certain ghost in a room full of owls.