Loopy.
Lunatic.
Loony Lovegood.
She had heard them all at this point in her time at Hogwarts. The name calling didn't really bother her that much anymore, now that she had friends by her side. Ginny had always been her friend, but now that she had helped at the Department of Mysteries, she also had Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Harry Potter to call friends.
But this year, she was back to being by herself. It was the school year after the Battle of Hogwarts, her 7th year, and her friends would most likely not be back. Harry had been asked to go straight into Auror training with the Ministry, and Ron and Neville had gone along too. Hermione no doubt would start a Ministry job as well, since she was already smart beyond her years. Ginny might be back, but Luna wasn't sure.
Luna had decided that she didn't want her father to accompany her to Kings Cross Station, that she would instead apparate, since she had passed her exam and was rather good at it. Luna grabbed her school trunk and turned on the spot, and was transported right onto Platform 9 3/4. The platform was nowhere as crowded as it used to be. She figured that parents were still apprehensive about sending their children to a school where, just 4 months before, had been a site of a large, deadly battle.
She looked around, trying to spot any kind of familiar face, but gave up and boarded the train. It was easy to find an empty compartment. She loaded her trunk into the luggage compartment, and sat down by a window. Luna absentmindedly fiddled with the badge that she had pinned to her blouse. It had come as a surprise when she opened up her Hogwarts letter and a Head Girl badge fell out. McGonagall, the new Headmistress, had included a note saying that Luna had earned the title, what with the bravery she had shown during the Battle. She also stated that, unlike previous years, there would be 3 Head Girls and 3 Head Boys. Luna wondered who would be joining her in the compartment designated for Prefects and Heads.
The door opened and in walked a tall boy with dark skin. A smile broke across his face as he noticed Luna.
"I had hoped I'd be seeing you," Dean Thomas said, giving Luna a quick hug. The two had spent many months together at Shell Cottage, after having escaped from Malfoy Manor, and had grown rather close. Luna made a mental note to add his name to her list of friends. Dean sat across from Luna, and the pair began catching up about what they'd done in the 4 months since the Battle. Two more boys had entered the compartment, but Luna wasn't familiar with them. The train whistled and then began to leave.
Fifteen minutes had gone by when suddenly the train lurched to a stop. The compartment doors flew open and the occupants inside froze, unsure of what was going on. For a whole minute, no one entered, but then two girls came in. Luna glanced up and her heart leaped; It was Hermione and Ginny.
"Sorry for the delay, Harry and Ron wouldn't let us out of their sight without a ton of safety precautions." Ginny rolled her eyes, and Hermione shrugged. As the train began moving again, both girls hurried to store their luggage. Luna stood and, shocking both girls, flung at them and pulled them into a hug.
"I am so glad you guys are here," Luna said, fighting back tears. She had been more or less alone her first three years at Hogwarts, and was so relieved that she would never be alone again.