A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
This is for the Quidditch League
Season 8
Round One
Position: Seeker
Prompt: The Innocent- Goal: happiness OR Fear: punishment
Word Count: 1122
Luna climbed onto the train, her eyes wide at the sheer amount of people surrounding her. She wished her mum could have been there to see her off. She hoped she was watching down from the Great Beyond.
"Have you got everything, Luna?" Xenophilius asked, looking at his daughter.
"I do. I've got everything in my trunk other than the latest copy of the Quibbler to read on the train."
"Luna, promise me you'll try to make friends."
"I will, Father, you don't need to worry about me," Luna said, giving her father a tight hug before joining the rest of the students. She paused on the steps, looked back at her father and gave him another huge reassuring smile. He waved and she stepped inside the train.
Luna looked around, everything was so new to her. The idea of leaving home, meeting new people, and Hogwarts made her a little nervous. This was the first time she'd ever been away from home, the first time she'd ever left her father alone. She hoped he would be alright. That he wouldn't be lonely without her.
"This one's empty," a voice called. Luna turned, nearly hitting another person with her messenger bag. She had wanted to make sure she had something to read on the train. She'd also packed her sketch book and a new set of pencils, just in case she happened to catch sight of an interesting creature out the window. She knew realistically the train would probably be moving too fast to see much, but she still liked the idea. She found she always wanted to be prepared for things.
Luna stepped into the compartment that had been empty a moment ago. The curtains had been pulled open to give a good view out the window. There was only one person sitting in the compartment, a girl with red hair sitting next to the window. She was wearing a jumper with the letter 'G' knitted into it with bright yellow yarn. The jumper itself was a maroon color.
"Hello, I'm Ginny Weasley. What's your name?"
"Luna Lovegood," Luna answered. "Is it alright if I sit?" she asked, nodding to the mostly empty compartment.
"Sure, that's why I called out to you in the first place. I think I've seen you around, you live near Ottery St. Catpole?"
"Near, yes. My father and I like in the house on the hill, The Rookery."
"The tall one? I can see it from my window," Ginny exclaimed. "My family lives a bit away, we call our house The Burrow," Ginny explained.
"It's really a small world, isn't it?" Luna asked. Could Ginny be her first real friend at Hogwarts? The idea of being friends with someone who lived close would be lovely. They could visit during holidays!
"I guess so. Do you play Quidditch?" Ginny asked.
"No, I'm afraid I don't. Do you like magical creatures?"
"Some of them? I mean, I like unicorns."
Luna felt her heart plummet. Other than living close to each other, she and Ginny didn't seem to have much in common.
"Um, I have a lot of brothers. Do you have any siblings?"
"No, it's just me and my father," Luna answered.
"Oh, what do you do for fun?" Ginny finally asked.
"I like to sketch, look for interesting creatures, and read the Quibbler. My father is the editor. My main passion is the creatures though. There are so many creatures most people don't even realize exist. Have you ever heard of a Crumbled Horn Snorkack?" Luna asked, her blue eyes wide with excitement.
"I can't say I have," Ginny admitted, shaking her head. "What do they look like?"
"I have a sketch, well, I haven't seen a real one yet, but this is what they are supposed to look like," Luna said, pulling out her sketch book and flipping to a bookmarked page. Ginny leaned over, looking at the page.
"Wow, how could something so strange looking stay hidden?" she asked.
"People have seen them, Muggles mostly, but they think it's something else. Most of them don't believe in magical creatures like this, and therefore don't know what they're really seeing. Snorkacks are also really shy creatures and will run away when approached. That's another reason most people don't believe they exist," Luna explained, her face lighting up as she talked about her favorite creature. Ginny nodded, tracing her fingers over the sketch.
"Think you'll ever see one?" she asked.
"I hope so, it's my dream to be a magizoologist and investigate all sorts of magical creatures. What about you?"
"I want to play Quidditch, only I haven't really played much."
"I'm sure you'll be amazing at it," Luna stated. Ginny smiled, laughing slightly.
"You really think so?" she asked, as if unable to believe a girl she'd just met had any idea of what was to come.
"I do," Luna answered confidentially.
"And I think you're going to be the one to find the Snorkack," Ginny replied. Luna nodded, smiling brightly. She had hoped she might find a friend at Hogwarts, she had hoped she would find someone who would share her passion. Ginny might not share her passion for magical creatures, and she didn't share Ginny's passion for Quidditch, but there was no reason the two of them couldn't become friends.
As the train pulled into Hogwarts Station, Ginny and Luna exchanged a glance. Both were nervous about starting school, meeting new people, but they were happy they had found each other.
"Think we'll be in the same house?" Luna asked, as they lined up to be Sorted.
"I don't know. My whole family has been in Gryffindor. What about yours?"
"Ravenclaw," Luna answered. "It doesn't always follow family lines though," she added after a moment. Ginny nodded.
Soon, Luna's name was called.
"Ravenclaw!" the hat announced. Ginny clapped loudly for her friend. Luna flashed Ginny a huge smile before sitting down at the Ravenclaw table. Luna watched hopefully as Ginny's name was called.
"Gryffindor," the hat called after a moment. Ginny's eyes met Luna's. Luna smiled. They could still be friends, it didn't matter if they were in different houses. She knew Ginny would understand.
Soon dinner was served and Luna ate her fill. This really had been the best day of her life. She'd made a new friend, hopefully found her home away from home for the next seven years, and there had been more dessert choices than she could have ever imagined.
As she followed her housemates to the Ravenclaw tower, Luna couldn't wait to write her father and tell him how amazing the train ride, the Sorting, and dinner had been and how happy she was to be going to Hogwarts.