Warnings: Grief, mourning, discussion of funeral and loss of a parent. Also discussions of ostracization.
Chapter One - Scarlet Bird
Luna Lovegood was not nervous as she stood under the scrutiny of hundreds of magical children. The Great Hall did not shrink like the cave her mother had died in. She did not breathe hard nor feel her knees quake. Luna Lovegood was resigned.
Ravenclaw was a safe place for her. There were people who despised differences in every house, with Slytherin only the most observed. In Ravenclaw, so long as she succeeded academically and creatively, she would drift. In Slytherin, she would be compared to her mother. In Hufflepuff she would be the apple in her father's eye, come again to tell of truths unseen. Gryffindor was not even a thought. Not really. She was not brave, only different.
When Luna Lovegood heard her name pronounced, she drifted over to the ratty, ancient hat without delay, ignoring the nargles in her stomach -they were so easy to ingest- and obeyed the rules. She'd rather just go where she was wanted.
That was nowhere, that was nothing.
Professor McGonagall, solemn and stern, an orange cat with streaks of grey, regarded her the see as any other. She really was a cat in human form. It was beautiful to watch her move.
Then Luna could only see the inside of the hat, small for her age and uninterested in the place outside of it. She sat quietly. She hadn't even paid attention to the song, too busy listening to the whispers from the floating candles, the Bloodstains murmurs of the sanctuary castle. And something else, something… breathing.
Curious little thing aren't you? Just like a Ravenclaw, you.
Luna didn't jump, though she considered it. It would make her look like a rabbit hopping up and down on a seat. You are the Sorting Hat?
Indeed I am. Pardon my intrusion.
Oh… no, not at all.
There was silence for what felt like an hour. Then the hat spoke again. I apologize for your loss. Pandora was clever and wise and lived up to her name.
That is quite all right. It taught me well to keep a mind on my work and be careful.
The apology is quite necessary, for you are grieving. Grief leads to loneliness and isolation. Grief leads to separation. It would not do for you to remain in sorrow for so long that by the time you come up for air, you are too peculiar to continue.
Then what would you have me do?
Luna was curious, again. The hat was awfully blunt. Perhaps it was because it was old. The elderly were often honest even at their mind's weakest moments. Her grandparents were so and they had meant every word. Even the words that were quite rude to say and mean.
Luna continued to wait, regarding all the eyes on her beneath the oversized brim. It wouldn't be the first time. She had buried the pieces of her mother, while her father waxed poetic to hide the circles under his eyes, had shielded her small frame from all those gawking onlookers as she worked on her own, as she was reminded the value of the earth and of wisdom and cynicism.
I will ask you to be clever. I would ask you to learn from your fellows, from the foolishness that has become rampant. You will learn temptation and blindness and weakness. But you must learn bravery and honesty is more than telling the truth. It is more than holding your beliefs strong and stepping in the way of danger. It is to change, to confront, to subvert. And while Ravenclaw would give you the information to do so, while Slytherin would give you the incentive to do so, while Hufflepuff will give you the hands and shield, only GRYFFINDOR will give you the sword.
When the red and gold table burst into scattered, baffled applause, led by the Weasley twins, Luna Lovegood understood that her time was done. She lifted the hat from her head and handed it back to the Deputy Headmistress. Then, with great care, she walked to the brightest table. Her stomach twisted into knots.
Gryffindor. She was in Gryffindor.
Honesty, it shouldn't matter. Her father would be proud of her no matter what house she went into. And her mother would only complain if she was a ghost and she had not been so far.
Perhaps it was the Wrackspurts in the air. Perhaps it was the way everything there felt cloying and thick, how loud the room seemed all of a sudden. She had nerves and fear.
Luna had never felt such an acute homesickness like this before. She rather hated it.
At least when she sat between the Weasley twins, there was not a single prank or tease. They only proceeded to ruffle her hair and whisper of all the chaos they would bring.
Ginny Weasley was bored, standing in the middle of a faceless small class, watching the hat sing and watching everyone else ahead of her go and be sorted. She itched to get moving, itched to be involved. She'd already been doing casual, accidental magic. But now she could focus it and use it. You know, eventually. Whenever this ended.
Hermione sitting alone was a bit more fascinating than anything else. But then, it was coupled with the disappointment Ginny felt at the significant lack of Harry Potter and her older brother on the train. But she imagined it had to be worse for Hermione, who had been friends with them for a whole year (she wasn't jealous, totally not because Hermione could be in the same room as him without squeaking like some awkward definition of a mouse). And finally she got to see them for a whole nine months and now they were gone.
Still, she sat obediently straight as the Sorting continued, listening and clapping along accordingly.
Ginny barely even heard her own housemates get sorted. She knew where she was going to go. SHe was more interested in where Harry was… and in someone else.
Quiet, dazed Luna Lovegood sat admiring the plates. Anyone else would be accused of admiring their reflection. Ginny knew it better. SHe was looking at the Great Hall through the sparkling shine of the plate. She was admiring the genuine, goblin-wrought silver of the plates, full of magic. She, like Ginny, had probably never seen silver in her life before now.
The children of Ottery St. Catchpole were not rich unless they were the Diggory's and even they were only middle class. The grandeur of Hogwarts was hypnotizing and rich, and being in it only made the Malfoys a thousand times worse.
Their neighbor was in Gryffindor. Something in her wondered why this was important. The rest of her was positively terrified for her. She had been to the funeral, she had watch Luna throw clumps of dirt until her hands trembled and she couldn't walk. She'd interrupted the grand speech to help and that had been a kindness to Luna, though the girl had never said so in so many words.
Gryffindor was not a gentle house to the different. Everyone said that was Slytherin but letters from Percy told her that just wasn't true. They had never valued Percy's type of courage to keep his head and follow the rules no matter how foolish they seemed to be. They tolerated Hermione because she did not bow down and take their snide jabs, their jealousy, and lie down with it. Luna would be eaten.
Well, Ginny decided mutinously, she wouldn't let them. Luna would be her friend if no one else's.
She marched up to the Hat when her name was called and jammed it on her head. She felt no doubt in her heart on where she belonged, where she needed to be. She needed to be with her family and friends.
Oh my, she heard in her head as it rested on her ears. No difficulty with you, as sadly expected. What a strong will. But if that is the case, I offer to you a warning, instead.
A warning?
Something you have found solace in will bring you harm, young one. You must not only support another's steps but be supported. You will be strong but only if you let yourself be weak. Now go young GRYFFINDOR and meet your challenges with fervor.
Ginny rose and ran to sit between her brothers, comfortably wedging herself between them and Luna.
"Our darling sister-" began one twin, likely Fred, through his slow, mocking applause.
"Has become-" continued the second, probably George.
"A true Weasley!" they finished together, bowing mockingly on the bench.
Ginny gave them both a look and each a punch on the arm. Then she greeted Luna, who offered her a dreamy smile.
Soon the food piled high. At the sight of it, Ginny forgot everything: the lack of Harry, the fear for Luna, the wonder of being at Hogwarts.
She even forgot about the diary sitting innocuously in her trunk.
But it did not forget about her.
A/N: Still writing for the Artemis series! But for now, have this unrelated fic!
Challenges: Diversity WritingCoMK5, Three Sided Box, New Years Long Haul 2018, Epic Masterclass (HP) 8., Christmas Advent 2017 day 18.