Written for the following challenges:
Crayola Colour Challenge=Burnt orange
Choose Your Wand Challenge=Interhouse friendship
The Magic of Friendship
The castle was beautiful. It made the wild boat ride completely worth it.
Students everywhere….shouting and singing and, as she realized with more than a little humour, her twin brothers casting Dancing Spells on random passers-by.
But she was nervous. Her mother would have called it first-day nerves. Her brothers would have teased her, saying she must have swallowed real frogs instead of chocolate ones. However, she did feel like there were frogs in her stomach, enchanted with a Bouncing Spell.
As she sat down and prepared for the Sorting, she took in her surroundings. All of the other first-years were either chatting with their newly-made friends or trying not to pass out from nerves. Except the girl sitting on her left, who was calmly humming to herself and looking around with interest.
Ginny took a closer look. The girl was thin, with long blonde hair. Her earrings looked like huge orange berries.
Just then the girl turned. Then smiled.
"Hi, I'm Ginny."
"I'm Luna," the girl said softly.
"Your hair's a beautiful colour."
Ginny was taken aback. "Really?"
Luna nodded solemnly. "Are you hot-tempered?"
"Yes," Ginny admitted shyly. Usually, she did not spill her secrets to complete strangers. But Luna… there was something about her. Something that told Ginny she was a good person to trust.
Luna hadn't expected to make a friend so soon. Xenophilius Lovegood, the author of the most criticized newspaper in the Wizarding World, was always mocked. Wherever, whenever, however he went.
"I'm sorry, Luna," he'd said, back at home. "I know this won't be easy for you; I wish I could make it better. But, my little girl, I can give you one piece of advice. Just one, which has never failed me through all my life."
"What, Daddy?"
"Luna, love, always be just who you are. People will say things-cruel things. They will tease and hurt and hate. But if we hide, we are only showing them that they have won. As long as you trust yourself, you will never regret your choices."
She'd gotten to her feet and hugged him. "Daddy, will you write?"
"Of course. And I will always be in here." He lightly touched the left side of her chest.
"Come on, my little spark. The train leaves in ten minutes."
And now she sat on the stool, the hat on her head. "RAVENCLAW!"
Ginny was Sorted into Gryffindor. It suited her, Luna thought, with her fiery hair and freckles-and the courage it must have taken her to speak first.
Finally, she was a part of Hogwarts.