Luna Lovegood
Luna Lovegood had always been different; she'd just never fully realized it.
Her whole family was notorious for pushing out into the world's curious, strange and slightly insane people. Her uncle Herbert had been a duck impersonator. She really had no idea how he actually got money for quacking all day but she assumed it was something to do with pity and people complaining about the lack or money being put into the mental health unit of St Mungo's. That wasn't all either, one of her cousins, Clarence if she remembered correctly, enjoyed milking cows the Muggle way and owned a heard of then a little out of town. So really, growing up around these people left Luna next to no chance for growing up as what society dubbed as normal. Within her family though she was normal. Luna's family always encouraged her, and thus growing up her mornings were spent searching for mysterious animals with her father and the afternoons sifting through spell books with her mother in search of long forgotten spells made by people of old.
When she was nine her mother died. Luna saw her breath leave her body before her very wide eyes. At first, she was sad. Then nothing. She missed her, yes, but soon enough everywhere she looked she saw something that reminded her of that woman. At first it was actually her things, items, clothing. Then it progressed to a certain mannerism a person had. Her father, her friends, when she started to pick it up on herself though, Luna felt oddly content. It was proving the theory her mother had been working on a while ago, no ones spirit truly left the earth. Everyone became some form of ghost, some just stronger than others.
Luna liked this theory. Her father liked it too.
Life went on at the Lovegoods, the Quibbler ran strong and her relatives stayed just how they were. And yet, every time she met with people her own age they gave her funny glances. Still, Luna didn't mind. She was happy; she knew the truth even if others didn't believe it.
When she was 11 her Hogwarts letter came. Brought by the majestic school owl Luna was quick to deliberate to her father that she believed it carrying the krokloobal virus recently published in the Quibbler. Before they could properly examine it however the owl retreated. She still had the letter though, and thus she was accepted into Hogwarts.
When Luna entered the Hogwarts train she soon found a compartment, a few people came and sat with her too. They conversed for a while and Luna gave her shared her views revolving around government conspiracies. The train ride ended and they left her be. Eventually it was time for the sorting; her and the hat conversed for a while as well. Luna found it to be very pleasant all in all, the hat understood her thoughts. After a while however, it ended, and the hat called out RAVENCLAW.
Her first night in the tower was strange. Everybody was pleasant enough but something was, off. It was the way they looked at her. Or rather, the way they avoided eye contact with her. She tried to speak with those she'd met on the train but they ignored her. For the first term she was simple ignored by her housemates. The days flew by in a blurred mass of repetition. In the morning she just didn't want to get up, her stomach twirled and clenched and she felt sick. That however faded, it didn't disappear, rather retreated into her body and diluted. Days turned into months and soon the end of her first year was encroaching, exams were coming up but Luna didn't really care. It didn't matter to her, if she were to be honest with herself – Which she was- Luna didn't really care about anything.
She simple observed. Exams came and she did them, not really caring that much. She didn't find them an accurate representation of life. She knew that nothing was ever like it was told in books. In History Binns never told the whole story, he told of the bloody rebellions but not of the teamwork shared between them in the rebuilding process which to portraits did. McGonagall stated that transfiguration was just that, and nothing else. But Luna didn't believe that, nothing was ever just one thing, everything was made up of combination of zillions of things. Flitwick, Flitwick was somewhat the same as well as different. He seemed to regard her with a strange air, he encouraged her opinions but asked her to prove them. Luna couldn't understand this. They couldn't be proved, they just were. Or, when she did prove them he said the evidence was too, unreliable. And so the exams passed, her grades average. The holidays came and went as holiday's usual do. Unlike her house mates no owls bearing greetings came.
One day around the middle of summer, the blonde girl entered her mother's work place. She hadn't been her since she was nine and the explosion took place, a thin layer of dust coated the surface of everything. To most it would seem lifeless, to Luna it was alive. Every breath she took danced inside her, her over large eyes swam with happiness. Her mother was alive here; she looked around the room once more. There was no way that she could have so much spirit left here and not be alive in some way shape or form. It back up her previous theory, so much so that she believed it without questioning.
And so the summer holidays ended and her second year started.
The infamous Sirius Black had broken out of prison, Luna was untroubled by this however. It was obviously a ministry ploy of some sorts, the Quibbler was on the case already. Classes started and she met a girl called Ginny. She was nice if a little weird. She seemed to be somewhat shy at times and outrageously bubbly at other times. Luna supposed that was normal though, considering last year she'd been taken by the ministry to their hideout and used as a human test for their products. Of course, the only story that had been realized to the school was that she'd been taken by the Heir Of Slytherin, Luna knew the truth however. Days turned to night and summer to winter, and so the Ravenclaw's second year passed much the same as her first.
It was only when she reached the last week or so that something different became apparent. Her things were missing. It wasn't much, a few of her quills and a scarf. She had no idea where they were though; the Ravenclaw knew in herself that she hadn't just lost them. So, the next day she pinned and announcement on the common room notice board. On the last day, the majority of her items were returned.
The summer holidays began once more, it was during the first week of these that she visited her mothers study once more. The dust had gathered once more -her father never entered here-, the smell and feel still remained. For a single moment, Luna felt content, nothing troubled her – not that much did anyway – but there was still a quaint reassurance which emanated from this room. As she stood there in the center of the room her eyes flew to a draw. Slightly ajar she wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. Shrugging it off she opened it. There, a necklace lay. A necklace of Butterbeer corks. Absently rubbing the fine layer of grime of one of the corks her pale fingers felt the smooth underlying metal. Without a moment of hesitation she promptly put it on. Breathing deeply the cool metal gradually simmered down to a lukewarm. Smiling Luna wandered of to show her father.
When Luna arrived at the castle for her third year it seemed abuzz. The snippets of conversation she heard enlightened her to the fact that something unusual was going on at Hogwarts that year. This was later supported by the fact the Triwizard Tournament was occurring at Hogwarts. Honestly, Luna had no care for this. Others on the other hand seemed to be eagerly awaiting it.
Later that week students from Beubaxtons and Durmstrung arrived. They treated her much the same as the rest of her peers. With a mild indifference. Leaving then be the 13 year old continued on with life. Butterbeer Cork necklace and all. Ginny Weasley was in a few of her classes this year as well, she talked to her a bit. She was nice.
It was also this year which Cedric died. When Harry returned with his body in tow the Hogwarts world fell into a chaos. Luna still merely watched on. A spectator.
That summer the ministry made Harry Potter out to be delusional. Luna's father didn't believe that, neither did Luna. They both knew it was only the ministry trying to cover their tracks, it was just a pity nobody else realized it. That was why she loved what her father did, he sent the truth outwards, he attempted to make people less ignorant. Luna liked that.
As her fourth year at Hogwarts encroached, she visited her mothers study once more. Dusting as she did, it wasn't right that her place be filled with dust. Her mother was never one to let anything become dusty for long. Not because she was a neat-freak, rather because she was always doing something with it. She was a very spontaneous person her mother was.
On the train once more Luna sat nestled in a compartment. She had gotten there reasonably early for fear of being caught up by a rogue Wartspurk. Who knew when the extra few minutes could come in handy. Musing over this as she sat down the blonde retrieved from her pocket the latest issue of the Quibbler. Placing her wand behind her ear – it was always good to have these things easily accessible – she continued to read.
"Hi, Luna, is it OK if we take these seats?"
Lifting her head upwards her eyes traveled through the motley crew before reaching, one, Harry Potter.
"Had a good Summer Luna?" Ginny's voice floated over to her, cheerful as ever. Luna's mind fluttered over what she did for the last few weeks. Reading, helping her father, sitting in her mothers study.
"Yes." She said, her thoughts still dwelling on the vast expanse of days now behind her. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know You're Harry Potter" she added on still looking at him.
"I know I am" said Harry. Nodding to herself her eyes traveled to the next person "And I don't know who you are"
"I'm nobody" the male replied, he seemed a little self-conscious to Luna. "No you're not," Ginny cut in "Neville Longbottom – Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year but in Ravenclaw"
"Wit beyond measure is mans greatest treasure" she sung, mostly to herself.
Settling back down to read her magazine Luna Lovegood could have sworn she heard her mother's voice whisper words of reassurance in her ear. Who knew what this year had to hold.
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