Meeting Luna "Loony" Lovegood

Neville POV

I saw Harry and Ginny looking for an open carriage and quickly met them.

"There are hardly any seats open. We should find a place soon," I said.

"What are you taking about, Neville? That compartment is almost completely empty," said Ginny, pointing towards the compartment that housed Luna Lovegood.

"Ginny, that compartment has Loony Lovegood in it. We can't go in," said Harry.

"Oh my you two! I have many classes with her and she is quite nice," said Ginny as she grabbed our hands and dragged us to the carriage. I studied the gorgeous light blonde haired girl holding her magazine upside down. Her eyes were almost silver and as wide as saucers. She looked up to study us and her eyes lingered on Harry. I would have given anything to have those lovely silver orbs stay on me.

"Hello Luna! Did you have nice summer holiday?" asked Ginny. The beautiful girl smiled at Ginny widely. This girl couldn't be Loony Lovegood, I thought to myself.

"Yes, yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," said Luna her eyes never straying from Harry.

"I know I am," said Harry. I chuckled at Luna's blunt comment. Luna gazed toward me.

"And I do not know who you are," she said curiously. My palms began to sweat slightly. The only females my age I had spoken to were Ginny and Hermione so I was terrible at flirting.

"I'm nobody," I spat out quickly. Ginny rolled her eyes angrily at me.

"No you're not," said Ginny, "Neville Longbottom – Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but a Ravenclaw." She smiled at me and extended her tiny hand. I grabbed it and shook. I hope she hadn't noticed the sweat.

"Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure," Luna sung in an amazing high pitched voice. I didn't know what it meant but I smiled none the less. She covered her face with her upside down Quibbler. The train speed forward as I stared out the window. Then I remembered my birthday gift from Great Uncle Algie.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" I asked Harry.

"I don't know, another Remembralll?" he said. I shook my head. I was hoping what I did have would impress Luna.

"No, I could do with one though," I said. I dug the hand that wasn't holding Trevor into my school bag and pulled out a small Mimbulus mimbletonia.

"It's a really, really rare plant called Mimbulus mimbletonia," I said proudly glancing at Luna who hadn't even noticed the plant. My face fell slightly but I continued to talk to Harry.

"I can't wait to show this to Professor Sprout. My great uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed it," I said.

"Does it-err-do anything?" Harry questioned. I became frustrated at the statement.

"Does it do anything? It does loads of stuff!" I shouted, "It has an amazing defensive mechanism- hold Trevor," I said, dropping my toad in his lap. I noticed Luna looking over her magazine to look at me and I beamed. I poked the plant with my quill and watched it. Liquid squirted basically everywhere. Luna's Quibbler was completely covered but luckily she wasn't wet at all. I was completely covered and totally embarrassed. The stuff was green and just smelled horrible. I shook my head and most of the slime fell off.

"S-sorry," I stuttered out, "I haven't tried that before… didn't realize it would be quite so… don't worry though, it isn't poisonous." I watched Harry spit out more Stinksap on the floor.

I saw Cho Chang standing in the doorway looking at Harry.

"Oh…hello, Harry," she said nervously, "Um…bad time?" I didn't know much about Cho except for the fact that her boyfriend died during the tri-wizard tournament and she was the Ravenclaw seeker.

"Oh…hi," said Harry.

"Um…" said Cho, "Well… just thought I'd say hello… 'bye then." She quickly left the compartment. Harry slumped down into his seat and looked away.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly as she pulled out her wand, "Scourgify!" I watched all of the Stinksap disappear.

"Sorry," I whispered again. About an hour later Ron and Hermione walked in with Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks.

"I starving," said Ron as he placed his owl next to Hedwig and grabbed a Chocolate Frog.

"Well there are two 5th year prefects from each house," said Hermione looking disgruntled, "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron angrily.

"Malfoy," spat out Harry. Ron nodded and finished of the Frog. I tuned out until I heard Luna's gentle voice.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," she said dreamily.

"Yeah, I know," said Ron rudely.

"She didn't enjoy it, though," Luna said matter-of-factly, "She doesn't think you treated her well enough because you wouldn't dance with her. I wouldn't have minded," she added sweetly, "I don't like dancing." I couldn't hold back giggles and let myself laugh hardily. I swore I saw Luna smile at this before lifting The Quibbler. We sat and talked for a little bit and Ron made a joke about Goyle.

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it will kill him, hates to write," said Ron energetically. He made his voice sound like Goyle's, screwed up his face, and said "I . . . must . . . not . . . look . . . like . . . a . . . baboon's . . . backside . . ." We all laughed but none of us as much as Luna. Her laugh was beautiful, fun, and light, like what a cloud's voice would sound like. I grinned at her as she continued to laugh. She let out kind of a scream that startled Hedwig and Crookshanks. I noticed her magazine had fallen I went to grab it but Harry got to it first.

"That was funny," Luna said before returning to her laughing.

"Are you taking the mickey?" asked Ron, frowning. I wanted to slug him for trying to stop her laughter.

"Baboon's . . . backside!" she managed to choke out. I saw Harry studying The Quibbler he had picked up from the floor.

"Can I have a look at this?" Harry asked Luna expectantly. Luna nodded happily. Harry read for quite a bit.

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron. Hermione stared at him.

"Of course not," she said before Harry could talk, "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that." Luna looked quite upset at this statement.

"Excuse me," Luna said with the happiness leaving her voice, "My father is the editor." Hermione tensed and looked embarrassed.

"I- oh," she said, "Well . . . it's got some interesting . . . I mean it's quite . . ."

"I'll have it back, thank you," said Luna sharply as she grabbed her magazine from Harry's hands and angrily turned it upside down. The rest on the train ride, I didn't pay attention to my friends unless Luna talked, occasionally looking up to glance at the blonde. I noticed the lamps in the compartment turning on. It was time to leave. Luna rolled her magazine up and gently placed it in her bag. The train slowed and we all hurried to grab our luggage and pets. Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks were left in our care because Ron and Hermione had to do prefect things.

"I'll carry the owl, if you like," said Luna to Harry, reaching towards Pigwidgeon.

"Oh- err- thanks," said Harry giving her the owl. We walked out of the compartment and into the cold night air. I quickly walked into a carriage when I got off the train. About ten minutes later Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Ron stepped in. Luna sat next to me and smiled. I felt my hands begin to sweat again and quickly wiped them on my pants. I didn't know it yet but I was completely in love with Luna Lovegood.