Hi! I'm new to this so please review, but no flames. I've had this idea in my head for a while, so I hope you enjoy the antics of Luna and her little friends! This is set sometime near the epilogue, but before Luna meets Rolf. All the kids are between first and second year and there's fifteen of them. I'm going to try to have at least one P.O.V. for each of them, plus Luna. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Own Luna, I do not.
Cassie gaped at the letter in her hand. Her owl, Ginger, casually slid a piece of bacon into her greedy claws while her owner was distracted.
"Is it bad? Cassie, speak to me," Georgina, Cassie's friend said, nervously waiting for the verdict.
Cassie could only splutter bits of nonsense, but enough for Georgina to see that it was bad. Really bad.
Finally Cassie yelled," SUMMER SCHOOL?" The whole Grand Hall turned to her, worsening this travesty. A small first year with long dark hair and a crooked nose grinned warmly. "Hey, me too!"
This only made things worse.
Everybody snickered and returned to their breakfast. Ginger stole another slice of bacon.
"I didn't even know they had summer school at Hogwarts," Cassie moaned. "So I failed ONE subject! Its not like a single F is going to keep me from getting into a good college, right?"
"Weeeeeeellllllllll," Georgina began.
"Uh-uh, Georgie. You are not allowed to side with my parents on this one! I mean, it's so unfair. Potions isn't even a very good subject to begin with and- Wait, look at this!"
Georgina peered over Cassie's shoulder at the bottom of the letter. 'I'm sorry, Cassandra, but I'm sure over the summer your talent for Potions will blossom. To fill any extra time you may have, your father and I have signed you for an afterschool program called Luna's Lovely Creations. It's a crafting class! We will send you weekly letters (and this time, let's not make one of them a Howler, okay?) and updates. Miss Luna will be in Herbology shed four right after your last class. Love, Mum.'
Georgina made a face. "Your parents call you Cassandra?"
Cassie scowled. "Not that part! They signed me up for a crafting class."
"And?"
"Did I ever tell you about The Great Glue Accident of 2012?"
"Um, no?" Georgina said wondering where Cassie was going with this.
"Long story, but the point is, I have a bad history with arts and crafts. Once, my grandma left me alone with a closet of art supplies. When she came back, I was wearing a pink and orange bodysuit of construction paper over my clothes, the scissors were wedged into the wall and I was taped to the ceiling."
Georgina frowned. "Is that even possible?"
Cassie buried her head in her hands and shooed Ginger away as she tried to steal a third piece of bacon. "It shouldn't be."
"Well, hey, that was a long time ago. You are totally going to rock this class! It makes me wish I had to take summer school too, "Georgina soothed.
Cassie lifted her face. "Really?"
"No, that sounds like a horrible way to spend my summer."
"That's what I thought."
The Great Hall started to clear, and the two girls stood up for their for their first class.
One more day of school! Georgina thought.
Lucky Georgina, Cassie thought.
~O0O~
Ben flipped a page in his book, not really reading any of it.
The library was where he often spent his free periods, finishing up loose homework and chatting with Madam Pince. No one else seemed to pay much attention to her, aside from the occasional glare whenever she shushed them. But she truly was an interesting woman. Madam Pince had picked up a lot of gossip from students who came through her library and was happy to share it with Ben. He was after all, the only one who ever listened to her.
Instead of reading his book, Ben was thinking about the letter he'd received this morning. His family's large white owl had majestically crash-landed into a bowl of cereal. Ben had apologized after wiping Socrates off and removing the soggy letter. Socrates had then flown away with what little dignity he still had, splattering some first years with drops of milk.
Ben had quickly read the letter, stashing it in his robes afterward.
He should have seen this coming. Charms just wasn't his forte and now he would have to pay for all those bad grades he'd received. But at least his parents had foreseen how miserable he would be and signed him up for a crafting class. Those were supposed to be fun, weren't they?
Ben sighed, shutting his book. "Madam Pince?"
"Yes, Ben?"
She appeared from behind a shelf, dragging behind her a heavy cart. Ben got up to help her while they talked.
"Would you happen to be staying here over the summer holidays?
Madam Pince frowned. "Oh, no. Sorry, Ben. Did you get summer school?"
Ben nodded, hanging his head. "It's Charms. I never could get that feather to float, no matter how hard I tried."
The librarian tutted. "Well, we can't have that, now can we? Here, you can keep a few of these textbooks over the summer." Her face hardened a bit. "But if you damage them you will have to buy replacements."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ben crowed.
Madam Pince smiled. "Go on, Ben. One more class until school's out. Have fun."
Ben raced out of the library, grabbing his bookbag along the way. "Bye, Madam Pince!"
"Bye, Ben!"
~o0o~
Tate tossed and turned in her bed. Summer school? In her very first year?
It just wasn't right. Herbology was an awful subject, even if Professor Longbottom was the nicest teacher at Hogwarts. Her failing grade probably had to do with the fact that she and Alice Longbottom were... well, they weren't the best of friends.
More tossing. More turning.
The other girls in Tate's dormitory were fast asleep, except for Ivy. She was the girl who had called "Hey, me too!" across the hall that morning. She was odd. Ivy was holed up beneath the covers, whispering to herself.
Tate could feel her cat, Nelly, on top of her feet, all curled up, the way cats do. A thought struck her. Would her parents send for Nelly? Would her punishment for bad grades be no cat all summer? The thought was too much to bear, and Tate felt her spirit sinking lower and lower.
She wasn't supposed to be in summer school. She was a good kid. At least, she thought so.
Tate scrunched herself into a tiny ball, knocking Nelly into the wooden bed had to be a mistake. Maybe someone else's letter had been owled to her by mistake. After all, the family's large gray owl had very common coloring. Yes, that must be it.
Quietly, so as not to disturb Ivy's ramblings, Tate crept past her indignant cat over to her trunk. Beneath a pile of dirty robes was the crumpled letter. Tate had spent the morning twisting it nervously until it was horribly wrinkled. One glance at the inside confirmed, it was her mother's handwriting. Tate sighed. She was out of luck.
Might as well go back to bed. Tate pulled Nelly into a tight hug, but couldn't seem to lay back down.
"Oh, Nelly," she murmured. "What am I going to do?"
Nelly meowed hotly in response, nipping at Tate's hand. Tate read the letter over one more time. Past all the How are you? and the We have some bad news there was something Tate hadn't noticed before. It was tiny and cramped, clearly her father's work.
p.s. Go to herbology shed 4 after your last class for a surprise!
Tate huffed and her cat took the opportunity to leap away. Herbology shed four probably held some extra credit assignment or a private meeting with Professor Longbottom to "discuss how to bring up her grade." As if it weren't already bad enough.
~o0o~
