Author's Notes: I do not and never will own Harry Potter.
She's used to being alone. At home, her father often goes out on missions for the Quibbler, leaving her in her room with admonishments to remember to eat and to think positive thoughts so the Wrackspurts don't make her brain fuzzy. At home, she likes being alone, to paint gold flowers on her walls and go barefoot because the carpet is soft under her toes. She can have sweets for every meal if she wants (although she rarely does- the notion that she can is enough to sustain her), and the neighbours never come over to bother her.
It's different at Hogwarts because if you're alone, it means that you're vulnerable. She discovers this trying to walk back to the tower the first week, when older students decide to trip her down the nearest staircase and hex off her shoes. It takes her three hours to find them slung over the rafters, and their laughter still burns in her ears. She doesn't tell anyone. Her Head of House would never believe her anyway. Older Ravenclaws are supposed to protect the first years.
The second time, she's out on the grounds and they chase her into the Forbidden Forest, laughing and calling her Loony.
"Loony Lovegood, come out, Loony," they chant, and her cheeks flame. Despite the monsters that roam the Forest, she feels infinitely safer. At least most of the monsters in here that will kill her won't do it out of malice.
During class, she can't concentrate and for the first time, she can't seem to keep the Wrackspurts out. She tries to tell Madam Pomfrey, but the woman just laughs at her and pats her head, murmuring something about Xenophilius under her breath. Luna's steps drag as she exits the Hospital Wing and she resolves never to go back.
The third time, she runs into the Forest before they can properly chase her, especially since at least one of them is on a broom. She runs and runs, the wind blowing her hair back, nearly tripping over her untied shoe laces.
She runs until she runs right into something, and when she falls back to the ground, her hands bleeding and her chest heaving for breath, she realises that she's run straight into one of the creatures that pulls the school carriages, the ones nobody around her could see. Up close, it has leathery bat-like wings and glittering, white eyes with no pupils.
She knows she should be terrified probably, but instead she's fascinated.
"What are you, lovely creature?" she asks, as it snuffles at her bloody hands. She can see long, sharp fangs, but a rough tongue laps at her skin instead. It noses her and then turns, leading her into a massive clearing that's full of other creatures just like them.
And one human- the groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid.
"Oh," Luna murmurs, blushing scarlet and preparing for a scolding. Students aren't supposed to be in the Forbidden Forest, much less first years. But when he looks up and sees her, he just grins.
"Lovegood, aren' yeh?" he asks, and she nods.
"Teasing yeh?" he asks, and she looks at the ground instead, focusing on the fallen autumn leaves.
"Kids are cruel," Hagrid says, heaving a sigh. "Here...yeh can see them, can't yeh?"
"Yes," Luna replies eagerly. The one who guided her to the rest of the herd nuzzles her shoulder. "What are they?"
"Thestrals," Hagrid informs her. "Pretty things. Dead clever."
"But why can't anyone else see them?" Luna asks, her brows creasing. "Are they like Nargles?"
"Eh?" Hagrid asks in confusion. "Dunno 'bout those. But thestrals can only be seen by those who've seen death. Seen it an' understand it."
"My mother," Luna breathes. "What do they eat?"
"Meat," Hagrid says, offering a tidbit of raw meat to the nearest thestral, who snaps it up with clear enjoyment. "Here, yeh can-but yer hands-"
"Oh yeah," Luna mumbles, staring down at her scraped palms.
"Best not then," Hagrid advises. "Yeh should get those cleaned up, don't wan' one of the thestrals thinking' yeh're lunch."
"No," Luna says, but her voice is thick with disappointment. She stuffs her traitorous hands into her robe pockets, shivering a bit when the breeze picks up.
"They call me Loony," she blurts out without knowing that she's going to say it. Hagrid pauses as one of the thestrals nudges him hard enough to make him stagger a bit.
"They're wrong," he finally says. "They just don't understand bein' different. That's on them, not yeh."
"I suppose," Luna mumbles, but there's still a vague dissatisfaction gnawing at her middle.
"See here," Hagrid tells her, giving up the last few scraps to the threstrals crowding him. "Yeh couldn' help now, but nothin' says yeh can' come back tomorrow. Would yeh like that?"
"Oh yes," Luna says, eyes shining. The thestral that she's privately come to think of as "hers" bumps against her back in a friendly motion.
"Gentle creatures," Hagrid murmurs in appreciation. "Just got summat of a bad reputation because o' the death thing. Bad omen an' all that. But we know better. I'll walk yeh to the castle if yeh like. Gettin' a bit nippy out here."
"Thanks," Luna replies, and it's for more than the offer to help him feed the thestrals, or to walk her out of the Forest, where her tormentors no doubt still waited. Beside her, Hagrid smiles.
The Wrackspurts don't visit her for weeks.