"Sally!" Sally Mac Darwin turned around to see who had called her, and smiled as she walked towards Lily. "Lily, you look great. I love the long hair on you!" "Oh, thank you. You look good yourself," said Lily, holding Sally at arms length and studying her, a true smile on her face. "How are you?" "Fine considering what that brat did to me on the train. Who does she think she is anyway, Queen Elizabeth? Sirius wanted to move her away from you at dinner, but I didn't let him. She'll need her rest for tomorrow." Lily grinned nastily, and it was so out of character for Lily that Sally started. "Why? They're not going to pull anything on her, are they?" "Well, what they did at dinner wasn't enough, now was it. She needs to be taught that she can't own every room she walks into. Probably spoiled rotten." All color drained from Sally's face. "She wasn't. Lily, what did they do to her at dinner?" Lily laughed. "Oh, not much. They put the Repelilous Curse on her meal." Sally stopped in the middle of the corridor and gulped. Lily looked at Sally with concern. She misread Sally's concern for Luna as concern for James, Remus and Sirius. "Don't worry. You and I, the brat and the boys are the only ones who know." Sally nodded, then smacked her head. "Lily, I-I left something in the Great Hall. I'll meet you in the dormitories, okay?" Lily felt her forehead. "Sure you're okay?" Sally nodded at Lily, and smiled. Lily nodded and headed to Gryffindor Tower, though she didn't look too convinced. Sally waited until Lily was out of sight, and then walked around the school, searching for Luna. A half hour later, she sighed in defeat and ran back to the tower, hoping in vain that she wouldn't get caught. As she collapsed onto the couch, she heard someone come in behind her, and swung around to face a very tired looking Luna. "Luna Grace Corrona, where in the world have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" "Sorry," said Luna. She looked out of it, plopping down next to Sally on the couch. "I asked that boy, James, was it? His hair stuck up, he had glasses and he was the one sitting next to Lily at dinner." Sally nodded. "Anyway, I asked him where the tower was, because I went to send my mom and 'Ace a letter, and I got lost, so I asked him, and he gave me directions, and I ended up at the Slytherin Tower, got insulted by Peeves, managed to run into this Slytherin slime ball who seriously needed to wash his hair and got lost all over again." Sally frowned. "You need sleep. Come on, let's go to bed." Luna nodded and followed her upstairs. Sally knocked before going in and opening the door. "Oh, Sally, look what followed you in," said Lily, glaring at Luna. Another girl with raven black hair smiled nastily at her. "Be nice, it just got lost," the girl said, sneering. "The boys dormitories are over there." They went on like this for about a minute, Sally trying to quiet them, when Luna yelled, "HELLO! I'm in the freaking room! I really don't care what you guys think of me, because I don't need any of you! Just PLEASE wait until I close the door, because I will go insane if something else crappy happens to me and I will kill myself and stalk you as a ghost for the rest of your lives! Some country this is turning out to be!" All of the girls looked taken aback, and Luna glared at them all before slamming the door shut behind her, muttering under her breath. Sally looked at all of them. "Let me ask you something. Let's play make believe, okay? Let's pretend that you didn't believe that witches and wizards really existed until you were 12. Let's say you find out that not only were you a witch, but your entire family was, and they lied to you about it for 12 years. Now let's pretend that just as you and your father were just beginning to make peace when he DIES because he's a wizard, but you have absolutely no idea what killed him, who or why. Pretend that two months later, two months AFTER your father dies, you have to leave your home, where you've been for 15 years, and move to another country, where you don't know anyone. Let's pretend that you can't even spend it with your family, because you have to go to a school that teaches you how to become what killed your father, and face a bunch of snotty people who bewitch your food, so that you can't eat, get you LOST so that you can't find where it is your going to sleep, and then, when you finally find your bed, get kicked out of it!" "We didn't kick her out," the raven girl began. "No, but you made her cry and embarrassed her in front of the only friend she has." Lily looked at Sally. "And who is her friend, Sally?" "ME! And it's a good thing, because if I had to face this alone, I'd find a way to die and then come back and haunt you myself! Good night, and good riddance!" Sally flung the door open, slammed it behind her and stormed downstairs to find Luna. Luna looked close to tears for the fifth time that day, because she was sitting on a couch, and the back of it was facing a table where James, Remus and Sirius where sitting. They were unaware of Luna's presence, and they were trading degrading comments about the girl. Sally just watched them for a few minutes. "What is wrong with the three of you?" "Other than my wicked good looks?" "No, Sirius Black, you idiot! How would you like it if Lily and I were horribly mean to you, and we didn't even have the decency to wait until you'd left the room?" "Well," said James, "I would be ready to kill myself, but the spoiled little brat's not in here!" Sally raised one eyebrow. She grabbed Remus by the hand and brought him to the front of the couch, where he was startled at the sight of Luna in tears. "It's okay," she said, turning away from them. "I deserve it." "I-look, really." Remus, and the other two teens, looked at a loss for words. Sally smiled sardonically at the three of them. "I hope you guys are happy. Come on Luna. They can't kick you out, or I'll go to Dumbledore. Goodnight, you three. I'm glad that you've made our guest feel welcome. She's certain to want to come back to England now." Sally helped Luna upstairs.