Harry drank in the image of the angelic girl before him, pursing his lips as he perused his mind for something matter-of-factly to say as his hand felt the reptile-like skin of the strange creature beside him.
"You're not crazy. I can see them too." The girl announced in a sing-song voice, just barely raising her wide, shiny eyes above her issue of The Quibbler.
He noticed Hermione shoot Ron a knowing glance behind him, and instantly became annoyed. Hermione clearly already had a negative impression of this unique, albeit strange girl, and it made sense. By the looks of things, they couldn't have been any more opposite.
"This is Loony…" Hermione broke off, startled at her own idiocy. "Luna Lovegood." She muttered ashamedly. Ron snickered audibly to Harry's left, obviously pleased that Hermione had called her this accidentally.
"Nice to meet you, Luna" Harry found himself greeting. The phrase sounded odd and formal trailing from his lips, but he couldn't think of anything better to say in that moment. He didn't exactly have a wonderful track record with girls, unless you counted Ginny Weasley's infatuation with him a few years back.
Harry watched amazedly as the girl, Luna, lowered her upside down copy of The Quibbler. Ron shifted nervously next to him as they climbed the carriage, shooting Harry a look that read what do we do now? Harry ignored him, fixing his gaze on the wonderful Luna. Her platinum blonde hair was almost white, and it reminded him vaguely of the shimmering tail of a unicorn. It trailed in tangled, messy curls down to her waist, and Harry found himself staring at it, transfixed. She was like nothing he'd ever seen before.
He felt a sharp pain in his right side, and turned to look at Hermione irritably. She'd clearly noticed his intense staring at Luna and shoved him in the side violently.
"Harry Potter." Luna announced suddenly. Ron snickered again to his left, not even attempting to hide his evident humour at this strange creature. This annoyed Harry; he knew how it felt to be different, to be stared at as if you were in a zoo. Luna clearly received the same treatment here at Hogwarts.
"Yes, that's me." Harry murmured cautiously. She was random. He watched her for any signs of a continuing conversation, but she simply raised her magazine once more and became enthralled by its pages. Harry felt something odd inside him stir. It must have been those Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from the train journey. He'd definitely eaten some unusual flavours, and as his stomach flipped once more, he felt that he'd better steer clear of them from now on.
The four fifth year students continued their journey to Hogwarts mostly in silence, only occasionally Ron muttering about being starving and looking forward to the feast. Hermione shook her head helplessly every time he opened his mouth. Harry ignored the pair of them, and fixed his stare on the growing Hogwarts castle. He was back home; at last.
5 days later
Harry had become sick of his friends' constant bickering. Something odd was happening to him, it was as though there was a snake inside him feeding him its venomous thoughts. Harry shivered involuntarily and shook the disturbing image from his mind. Now wasn't the time to think about snakes, for he only associated them with Voldemort. Harry was feeling oddly irritable. He'd always been slightly annoyed by Ron and Hermione's seemingly pointless quarrels, but now was different, somehow. He couldn't laugh it off anymore, as he used to. He thought back to their last conversation, conflicted between feeling that it served them right and feeling guilty.
"Ron, do you always have to insist on copying my homework?" Hermione yelled breathlessly, her voice echoing in the unusually deserted Gryffindor common room. Harry was sat in the comfy, red chair by the warm, open fire opposite his friends. He tapped his finger against the chair to calm himself down. He was sick of feeling like he was about to snap at any second.
"Relax, Hermione. It's only the introduction, I promise." Ron murmured in his laidback manner, making a grab for Hermione's parchment once more. He was inches away when it snapped up back into Hermione's fingers. He looked at her shocked, mouth hanging open.
"Hermione, don't be selfish." Ron muttered thoughtlessly.
"Selfish!" Hermione cried "I've let you copy my work thousands of times, Ron, and I've had enough!" She yelled, stalking over to sit in the chair besides Harry.
"Blimey, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Ron asked under his breath, almost inaudibly.
Hermione had clearly heard him; her face reddened and her breathing quickened. Harry was sensing another one of their outbursts. He didn't want to have to play the messenger anymore; he had just about had enough of it.
"Oh just give it a rest, both of you!" Harry yelled suddenly, rising from his chair. The snake inside him whispered its instructions to him, egging his anger on even further. The parchment that had balanced in his lap moments before fell soundlessly to the carpet. "I'm sick of the pair of you bickering." And with that, Harry had stolen from the common room and ventured outside to Hagrid's. It had been a day since, and Harry still hadn't spoken to either of them. He could tell that they were trying to get along, for his sake, and so they should. He shouldn't have to put up with being in the middle all of the time.
Anger at the memory bubbling in Harry once more, he marched into the outskirts of the forbidden forest, making sure to stay within the bounds that they used for Care of Magical Creatures. It was there that he found her once more. He realised that somehow he'd known she was there, as though her presence was like a beacon to him, pulling him in.
"Hello Harry Potter." Luna murmured, she was barefoot and seemed entirely comfortable with being so. He realised that he'd stopped and was standing rigidly at the sight of her. As she turned, he forced himself to walk forwards across the greying stones of the forest floor.
"Hi, Luna" He whispered huskily, clearing his throat. She was holding an apple, and only now did he fully take in his surroundings. The clearing the pair of them stood in was filled with the same strange creatures that he had observed pulling the carriages a week earlier.
"What are these things?" He asked, genuinely curious. The sight of them had bothered him endlessly for the past week. He'd thought he was going crazy.
Luna looked at him expressionlessly, as he'd noticed that she always did. She looked like she was constantly in dreaming of something else. She threw the apple to the ground before answering Harry. He watched the horse-like creature bend down to sniff the apple hopefully. It turned its nose up at its meal and looked at Luna expectantly. She tutted and reached into her pocket to retrieve what looked like raw meat, almost as though she could sense what the creature was thinking. Harry found himself marvelling over the girl before him, not the strange, four-legged animal.
"They're called Thestrals" Luna replied, shaking Harry from his reverie. "They're really quite friendly, but people tend to avoid them." She finished and turned back to toss the creature another helping of meat, as though that was explanation enough.
"Why couldn't Ron and Hermione see them?" Harry asked, and Luna's eyes widened, as though the reason was obvious enough.
"Oh. They're only able to be seen by people who have seen death." She muttered dreamily, her long, loose hair flowing slightly in the cool breeze.
"So you've seen someone die, then?" Harry asked tactlessly. He longed to keep the conversation going. He realised that he was intrigued by Luna. She was different, like Harry himself.
"My mother" Luna whispered morosely, her eyes glazing over into a state of nostalgia. She was remembering her mother, Harry realised with a pang.
"I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have asked." Harry stammered quickly. He was so stupid, to ask a question like that. He hated it when people asked him about his business, as if they could know how it felt. But he realised, with a shock that shook him like wildfire; that this girl did know how it felt. Luna had lost a parent, too. Harry felt his connection with the girl before him deepen.
"That's okay. It was a long time ago, and I still have dad." She smiled suddenly, and Harry could see the pure, undeniable love that she obviously felt for her father radiate from her. Harry found himself smiling back automatically. Luna really was something else entirely.
"Aren't your feet cold?" He asked suddenly, surprising himself with his brazenness.
Luna looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes to get the feeling back. "Yes." She stated "but I can't find my shoes." She looked at Harry suddenly, her features arranging themselves into a picture of realisation. "It must be the nargles!" She exclaimed.
Harry suspected that it was other students who had taken her shoes, he knew what they called her around school, but he didn't ask about the 'nargles'. He thought Luna was magnificent. She obviously didn't care what other students thought about her, so much so that the idea they would take her shoes as a form of bullying didn't even occur to her.
"Probably" Harry murmured, smiling to himself slightly. He realised that the moment he had saw Luna standing carelessly in the clearing, his anger had evaporated entirely. It would be back, he knew it would, but for now he felt very cheerful.
All too suddenly, Luna was standing only inches away from him. She was far, far too close. Harry's heart began beating embarrassingly loudly in his chest as he looked into her pools of blue eyes. She took his hand in hers, and Harry hoped to god that she couldn't feel the clammy sweat that had broken out on his palms. She pulled him close to her, and just for a tiny second, Harry thought she might kiss him, but he found himself enveloped by her sincere, warm hug. He couldn't remember anybody hugging him so closely before. All too aware of her body so close to his, he attempted to pull away. Instead, Harry found himself buried into her mass of pale hair, its fruity smell propelling him into a blissful stupor.
"I like you, Harry Potter" Luna whispered in his ear, her warm breath causing the hairs on his neck to stand rigidly. "We should be friends."
Harry felt Luna pull away from him, and he let her do so. His arms were held limply at his sides, unmoving. After he'd calmed down some, he opened his eyes and rearranged his glasses. Except for the Thestrals, he was standing alone in the clearing, breathing deeply.