A/N: I don't really think that many people have read this, but to those of you who have I've changed the story to add in a love interest. So I went back and changed a bit in all the chapters. Not much though. I hope you like the new twist...

The First Hello

Luna Lovegood had never been one for long goodbyes. In fact, she really wasn't one for hellos either. Perhaps that's why the compartment of first years had greeted her so poorly upon her arrival.

"You know—there seem to be a lot of nargles hanging about your head," Luna had said as she slid the door shut behind her.

The feeble looking boy in question appeared rather alarmed at this declaration. He paled as Luna hummed and sat down across from him. To her right a drab girl with messy looking brown plaits and dull brown eyes hid a small sneer behind her hand. The boy across from her had the same sneer upon his face, although his was far more public in nature.

"N-na nargles?" The small boy across from her with wispy looking hair finally manage to stutter.

"Yes, Nargles, you have an infestation of them."

The boy sitting next to the window now openly scoffed at Luna.

"Nargles? I've never heard of Nargles. And my father works at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so I should know."

With this he gave a short snort that matched his pig-like appearance and he turned away from Luna to occupy the other girl with information his esteemed father had told him about Hogwarts.

"I'm Tobias Bu Burke by the way, what's a Nargle?" The wispy boy finally managed to whisper out.

"Hmm?" Luna asked, as she had been absentmindedly staring out the window, her silvery eyes absorbing the passing pearly white clouds.

"Oh yes," she finally thought out loud, "It's a small creature, they can often be found in mistletoe you know. They have a tendency for stealing socks and the like."

"Oh. Ri—Right."

"Nargles are known to interrupt thought paths; they could possibly be causing your stutter."

Tobias stared at Luna like she had just strung his pants out the compartment door for all the Hogwarts students to see. Had this crazy girl just insulted him?

"So Burke, how does it feel to be insulted by this nutter we only just met? The boy near the windows voice drawled across the compartment.

"I wasn't ins…"

Luna's soft dissent was interrupted by the boy as he continued to loudly proclaim Luna's insanity, insisting on calling her everything from batty to a bimbo.

Perchance she shouldn't have mentioned the Nargles that now drifted throughout the chamber, Luna mused, still staring absently out the window. It's not her fault the other students lacked the open-minded capacity to see them.

"Really now," he said, "I don't see why we have to sit in the presence of this nutter." Can she even hear us? Hello? Helloooo? Well as I was saying, there are four houses that we get sorted into. My family has been in Slytherin for ages. And my brother played on the Slytherin quidditch team when he went to school here.

"My name is Luna Lovegood, not the git-in-the-corner." Her voce lilted across the compartment, compelling it into complete silence.

Luna sighed inwardly at her first botched attempt to make friends. She had only been trying to inform them of the potential problem caused by Nargles. She was in the midst of trying to decide whether to explain this to Burke or not when a whistle resounded throughout the train, signaling their eminent arrival at Hogwarts.

Luna had already conveniently dressed for the occasion by donning her school robes that very morning. Perhaps that was why she had caused so many double takes and been on the receiving end of many a blatant stare as she traveled to Platform 9 ¾ with her father. Or perhaps it was her father blazing green and orange bangled robes. Whatever the case, the Lovegood's had seemed oblivious to the Muggle's stares. Just as Luna now seemed oblivious to the muttering that followed her as she left the compartment and entered the train's hallway.

Exhausted with the unexpected disdain she had received from the other first years, Luna resisted the urge to slump against the wall right there. Instead she began walking, searching for a place to sit down for the few remaining minutes of this trip. The students in the other compartments all seemed so content and at home with each other. She couldn't gather the courage to interrupt their companionship. Reaching the end of another car Luna opened the door, only to find herself being pushed against the wall as another figure pushed past. The other girl stopped as she stumbled, turning back to offer a short apology.

"Oh- I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to run into you like that!"

She straightened herself up from her stumble, running her fingers through her fiery red hair.

"Are you running from nargles? You can't get rid of them by puling at your hair like that. They'll just get more attached."

The other girl laughed, it was a free and open chuckle that seemed contagious. At least she didn't seem like she was laughing at Luna, it seemed sincere.

"Well I guess you could call the two of them nargles, although I'm not really sure what a nargle is."

"A nargle..." Luna began to reply, but soon found herself interrupted as the door banged open. She found herself colliding yet again with two blazing masses that were topped with red hair.

"There you are Ginny-my-dear," said one.

"We've been looking all over for you!" The other twin smiled and glanced over at Luna.

"Yeah, we thought you might be trying to hide from us or something."

"Well I was trying to," Ginny interrupted, "Can't you just let me sit with my friends without causing any trouble?"

The two boys glanced at one another, smiling cryptically.

"Soooo, our little Ginny's already got friends," one of the twins teased.

"Oh shut it Fred." Ginny was beet red now, almost the same colour as her hair. "Yes, I do have friends, and I would prefer that they at least get to know me before they get scared off by my annoying twin brothers."

The two boys smiled innocently.

"We were just giving you a warm welcome." The one who was not Fred replied with a wink.

Ginny rolled her eyes; she spun around, grabbing Luna's hand as she did so, dramatically making her way down the hall and away from her brothers.

"Sorry about that," she said a few steps later as she let go of Luna's hand. "I'm Ginny Weasley, by the way," the red headed girl said whilst sticking out her hand.

"Weasley?" Luna intoned, "Do you live by Ottery St. Catchpole perchance?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, well I actually live rather near you; my father's talked of your family a few times. I'm Luna Lovegood if you'd like to know." With this Luna smiled broadly at the other girl, and vehemently shook her hand.

Ginny seemed to recognize her name from some place and happily shook back, glad that her brothers hadn't pranked this new friend as well.

"So do you know any place where we could sit down for a bit?"

Luna shook her head, her smile dropping off a degree.

Ginny seemed oblivious to this though and instead took Luna's hand again and lead her down the hall. It seemed that the two girls were destined to never find a seat though for as soon as they began walking a shrill whistle resounded throughout the train, marking their eminent arrival. Both girls were jolted as the train came to a grounding halting. A steady stream of students were now pouring from the compartments, their luggage being pulled behind them. Noticing this, Luna suddenly realised that her own luggage lay forgotten in her last compartment. It seemed that Ginny was having the same realisation.

Ginny pulled Luna into a quick hug, "I've got to grab my stuff, I'll see you soon!"

Luna merely nodded before heading in the opposite direction to find her belongings.

Although her first attempt at making friends had not gone as most would hope, Luna still smiled softly at the looming castle. She had Ginny as a friend now. Luna and the other first years followed the booming voice of the gigantic Gameskeeper to the string of boats sitting in the water. Luna embarked on one, hiding her thoughts behind a façade of obliviousness. She was rocked back and forth with the boat that carried her and her classmates across the dark lake. They too smiled at the nearing castle, although nervous looks and panicked faces were spread among the mix.

Luna's eyes piqued in interest as she gazed out across the lake. She intently watched as an object that looked alarmingly like a tentacle reached out of the water to brush against the sides of some of the boats further back. Luna decided not to bother these boats inhabitants with this likely terrifying news and instead heartened at the prospect of later meeting the rest of the creature the tentacle belonged to. Her boat was now nearing the shore closest to the school and Luna and the other two students in it made to disembark and join the Gameskeeper. Lost in her own thoughts Luna could only smile as she heard a distinct yelp and splash behind her.

(Year One)