I do not own Harry Potter, I wish I did, because Jo has done an incredible job.
Luna Lovegood skipped out her lesson with student Herbology teacher, Neville Longbottom on a gloomy Friday afternoon.
"Luna!" Neville said loudly in her ear.
Luna snapped out of her daze and turned to Neville who had an amused look on his face.
"What? Why are you smiling?" Luna asked knitting her barely visible eyebrows together.
"Nothing, let's just get to our next lesson. Come on, Harry's going to be there." Neville said and dragged her by the hand towards the Potions corridor and into what used to be Professor Snape's classroom.
After the war Harry told his close friends only about Snape and his mother's relationship. He told them he was in love with her and wanted to keep Harry safe through his Hogwarts years until he came of age because he was the closest thing to Lily that Snape had. Luna was quite shocked because like everyone else she thought for some reason Snape just very much disliked every student who wasn't in Slytherin at Hogwarts.
When Luna and Neville entered Potions class, they realized it was being taken by an unknown teacher, they immediately saw the three best friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron's arm was slung around Hermione's shoulders as they listened to the instructions the teacher was saying as Harry stood next to them, also listening.
"Hermione's a good influence on Ron, don't you think?" Neville asked Luna as they slowly made their way into the crowd of students as the teacher turned away, so they wouldn't get noticed being late.
"Very, I don't think I've ever seen him listen in class before." Luna answered as she peeked over someone's shoulder, checking if the teacher had noticed them walk in, which she hadn't.
"I wonder where Ginny is." Neville said in confusion, glancing around the room hoping to see a glance of ginger, all except Ron. "Haven't seen her have you?"
"Not since yesterday. You're very keen." Luna raised her eyebrows in doubt of him.
"I need to ask her something." Neville bit his bottom lip and sighed.
"Ask Ronald were she is." She suggested.
"Well, alright." Neville said abandoning her and walked over to the familiar red-head.
Just as Luna was standing around, jumping lightly on her tip-toes, humming to an old wizard love song, Harry Potter approached her.
"Come on Lovegood, we've got some sleeping draught to brew." He grinned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the desk where a cauldron and ingredients lay.
"So, how are you feeling Harry?" Luna asked as she started adding a crumpled horn-snack to the bubbling veetle blood boiling in the cauldron.
"Actually Luna, I can't have felt any better. Ever since Voldemort has gone, it seems like a brighter day." Harry admitted. A few students popped out and congratulated Harry on his great, wonderful, amazing success.
"What you did Harry..." Luna trailed off, looking at him in awe.
"Well, someone had to do it, and that someone had to be me." Harry shrugged, adding some tumble weed to the sleeping draught-in-making.
Luna smiled to herself and checked her textbook to see what they had to do next.
"What about your scar? Does it not hurt any more?" Luna asked curiously.
"Never since. It's just a scar now." He said lightly running his fingers across his forehead, feeling the dried blood from the only blemish on his face.
"You're quite the hero Harry, your parents would be proud." Luna smiled at him.
He smiled back, thinking back to slaying Voldemort.
"How's Neville?" Harry asked after a moment of brewing some of the draught. Luna looked at him with a confused expression.
"Neville?" Luna questioned.
"I saw him looking at you." Harry smirked, cutting the tumble weed since it didn't dissolve properly.
"Well, yes. He was looking at me. I'm looking at you and to be perfectly honest Harry I don't have any more feelings towards you." Luna raised her eyebrows and smiled, amused at his sudden accusation.
"I meant, he couldn't take his eyes off you." Harry teased nudging her in the ribs.
"Neville has no interest in me Harry." Luna giggled lightly and sniffed her nose.
She smelt nargles. "Nargles. I do hope they don't steal my clothes this year." Luna frowned, reminiscing back to the memory of broken glass punctured in her feet, having muddy feet and blisters.
"Tell me if people do steal your shoes again, Luna. I want to help." Harry's eyebrows curved upwards in concern.
"Don't worry about me, Harry. Shoes aren't my first worry." Luna muttered.
"No, seriously Luna. Tell me. I'll get your shoes back." Harry gave her a reassuring nod.
Luna smiled and turned to the draught, stirring it slowly.
"You're a good friend Harry Potter." Luna said.
"No-one's ever said that, but thanks Luna. You're a good friend also." Harry smiled, amused by Luna's words, like he always has been.
Lunch that day, Luna decided to sit at Griffindoor's table, were her real friends were. She did enjoy being in Ravenclaw, and she did have some friends like Cho, but she seemed to get along better with people in Griffindoor, who were only Harry, Neville, Ginny and Hermione. Ron was a little rude towards Luna, but she had no interest in him anyway. Luna knew not to take petty comments seriously. She knew what it was like for everyone to whisper about you and talk behind your back, but she didn't let that get to her. Luna was the type of person who would sing and dance the day the world ends. It might sound a little crazy, but that's how everyone saw Luna. And that's how she got her nickname. Loony Lovegood. Luna admits she doesn't mind being called that. Only the Slytherins, stuck-up Ravenclaws and Ron called her Loony, but she was fine with it. She even agreed with it. She wanted to stand out like she always had, she wasn't ashamed.
She took a seat next to Ginny, opposite a Griffindoor in her year called Louise.
"Hi Luna." Ginny, Neville and Harry murmured through their food.
"Hello everyone." Luna replied happily as she helped herself to some sandwiches.
"Hey, Nev, why aren't you up sitting at the teachers table?" Ron smirked at Neville.
"It makes me feel old. And it's Professor Longbottom." Neville frowned at his and bit into his food. Luna scowled at Ron, but he didn't see. She thinks he's really immature, not to argue.
"Sorry Professor, but you are old." Ron laughed.
"I'm the same age as you Ron, yet you're here repeating a year that you never took?" Neville grinned.
"Oh shut up. How is it anyway? Teaching Herbology?" Ron asked, suddenly very interested in that subject.
"It's great. Professor Sprout always said how good I was at Herbology, now she's gone, I can take her place. It's quite frustrating though, with all those kids messing around." Neville sighed.
"I'm sure your great Neville." Luna assured him smiling across the table he returned the smile, but much sadder. Luna can say clearly that she had no idea how it felt. It must be frustrating to be around teenage wizards in a class about plants.
"You going to match on Friday Luna?" Harry asked a seat away from her, sitting next to Ginny.
"Probably, who against?" Luna asked pouring a glass of pumpkin juice for herself.
"Slytherin, without Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy, Griffindoor are bound to win. Sad we aren't allowed to play, eh Harry?" Ron smirked through his mouth full of sausage meat. Hermione scoffed and hit him in the chest with the book she was cautiously reading.
"What'?" Ron breathed holding his arms up in surrender.
"You could swallow before you talk." Hermione said with a grin slowly forming on her lips.
Luna was confused. Hermione would tell him off for talking with his mouth full but not for being so shallow about the death of two and the imprisonment of the other. Maybe Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were awfully bad people but Ron shouldn't be so immature about it. Luna thought of it that they were forced, they're parents were Death Eaters and it was only natural that they were also. She could see in Draco Malfoy's eyes that he didn't want to follow Voldemort, he didn't want to be so bad. But that's what it was like. Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin. Unlike a Huffelpuff, they can be who they want. Helga Huffelpuff took everyone else who weren't brave, sly or clever, but that means they can be whatever. For a Griffindoor, they are brave, knowledge doesn't matter, but that's who they are. They aren't afraid. For a Ravenclaw, being smart isn't always the concept. For Hermione Granger, she got sorted into Griffindoor, and she's the best in the year. Knowledge always comes first in Ravenclaw and maybe Hermione chose something else.
"Oi Loony!" Ron yelled from across Ginny, Hermione and Neville.
Luna blinked hard and turned her gaze to Ron.
"Daydreaming again?" Ron smirked. Hermione once again hit him on the arm with her Ancient Runes text book.
"Ron, don't be so rude." Luna heard her mutter in his ear.
"It's alright, look, it seems Professor McGonnagal is going to make a speech." Luna said pointing towards the new headmistress as she cleared her throat, suddenly drawing attention of the whole student body.
"Good afternoon students. Welcome back to Hogwarts. Before you start the feast, I would like to thank everyone who attended the memorial over the holiday. And as always, the forbidden forest is off limits and each student without permission found on the grounds will be getting a letter sent home. I also would like to invite an old student of ours to replace Professor Snape as potions teacher."
Murmuring and whispers erupted around the hall, but McGonnagal shushed them. Luna on the other hand was intensely listening to the headmistress.
"We all know he's done badly in the past, but he's changed. He shall be forgiven, if I see any-one misbehaving towards him, you shall be punished. If I can forgive for what he's done, so can everyone else in this hall. I shall not tolerate bullying or dark magic of any kind towards him." The headmistress said sternly, her hawk-like eyes scanning the hall.
She turned away and brought a boy through the door where all teachers sat.
He had dirty white-blonde hair, sharp grey eyes and pale skin.
Draco Malfoy.
Hullo! My story was originally posted on ...but I never really liked that site, and I am suspended...second time now.
But anyway, I hope you enjoy it, I think my story will be much happier on this website (: