This is a Luna-centric so if you don't like Luna then please turn away now. The rating of this story may go up if I choose to take it to a more serious level. The first four chapters of this story will be taken up by the text that J.K. Rowling had already plotted but from Luna's perspective. the story will come out of her POV in the fifth chapter, more about this at the end.
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"Have a good first year darling," my father says to me, hugs me close and kisses my long hair as he always does.
I hug him back and call, "Goodbye," before I turn and climb onto the awaiting train, my trunk is on board and I am sat alone starring out of the window. I see my father wave and pass through the barrier, I will not see him for a while; I amuse myself by looking around at all the other students. There is a boy with silver blonde hair whose I eyes I cannot see, he bids goodbye to whom I can only assume to be his mother before joining a pair of big, muscled boys that may, or may not, be older than him.
He boards the train and his mother turns away, I don't have a mother, I did, but she's dead now, it's just me and my father.
A large woman with a beaming face strolls through the barrier, then a tall boy with flaming red hair, freckles and blue eyes, he wears a prefect badge, then a pair of boys, twins most likely, both with untidy red hair and blue eyes and freckles, then another, a girl, about my age and a tall man with red hair, blue eyes and freckles. It is obvious they are related.
There is a lot of hugging and a lot of kissing and waving and finally they all get on the train, I yawn, this is hardly enjoyable. I pull out a magazine and look at the front cover absently, I will never be known for my interest in anything except perhaps, my father's magazine, the Quibbler.
I slump back in my chair and wait idly, looking nonchalantly out of the window every few seconds until final the train begins to move. I smile as the station passes, with its waving parents, its too-young-for-Hogwarts siblings, graduates and other relations. The country comes into view, the lush greens of the grass, hedges and trees gradually becoming a husky brown in a show that Autumn is coming, the Fall as some call it, though I never quite understand why.
I am about to resume my futile reading of 'The Quibbler' when a girl's face, bedecked with freckles and shining blue eyes pokes around the door, "Oh, I'm sorry," she blushes and makes to move away, "I didn't know it was occupied."
"Sit if you want, it doesn't bother me," I say wistfully, it would be nice to have the comforting presence that company provides; then something reminds me, this is the girl from the platform. She is still hesitantly hovering about the door, some loose strands of her vivid red hair falling gently across her eyes. "Why do you wait?" I ask, my voice light and wispy, like my brain some would say.
"Well, I was actually looking for my brother and Harry, have you seen them?" she asked.
"Which brother and who's Harry?" I ask tilting my head to one side as my eyes drooped lazily. Her eye twitched I saw it, she was probably like all the rest, thought I was stark-raving-bonkers, pitiful how alike we all are.
"Ron Weasley and Harry," she paused a moment looking very shifty, "Potter," she finished.
I shook my head, so these were the Weasley's I had heard about, I knew the elder Weasley worked in the Ministry, one was running around for Gringotts, one chasing dragons and the rest at school. And Harry Potter the celebrity of out era, defeater of you-know-who, a.k.a Voldemort and all around Mr Popular. He was also very much publicised, I do believe his favourite toothpaste it Mint Mayhem but I cannot be sure.
"Well, okay then, if you see then tell them Ginny's looking okay?" I nodded dumbly as she left, I looked to my book again and did not jump when her head came around the door again, "By the way, what's your name?"
"Luna," I said, "Luna Lovegood."
The rest of the ride had been un-eventful and consequently boring, I had seen no more of Ginny (I presumed) Weasley but I had heard whispers all over the train about how Harry Potter was missing and it was rumoured that he was flying to school on an owl, his broom, a rug and in one instance, a flying car.
I stepped out of the train and shielded my eyes against the harsh glow of lanterns that hung from high poles, illuminating the area. "First years, over here, come on first years!" that means me, because you see it's my first year here at Hogwarts. I tug gently at my large hoop earrings as I step up beside the bellowing giant.
I see some older students point, shout, jeer and wave, some in greeting and some in mockery (those wearing Slytherin robes mostly). "Who are you?" I asked rather bluntly yet still in my calm, deceiving tone which I had sued with Ginny.
"Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper here at Hogwarts," he replied and I thought I could see a small through his mass of black beard and the shadow that engulfed most of his torso.
I climbed into a boat that rocked slight form side to side and looked around; there was a boy that looked about ready to wet himself clutching a camera tightly to his chest. What did he expected to see? A pink tailed Kelpie? Not in Britain I tell you, they live in Sri Lanka and that's a long way from let me tell you. They was a girl with raven black hair and bright green eyes, she was gazing into the water, her face pressed really close, I had to fight the urge to just shove her in.
The final of our soon-to-be party of four clambered in, the boat rocked and the black haired girls face splashed as it hit the water, I snorted quietly but pretended not to notice. It was another girl, with red hair, blue eyes and freckles, "Hi Ginny," I said absently while looking outwards towards the lake and back at Hogsmeade as the boats began to drift across the lake.
"Oh," she looked at me, "Hi," she paused, probably trying to remember my name, "Luna," she said it quietly as though she was unsure. I fingered a loose lock of my dirty blonde hair and almost scowled as the castle came into view and that annoyed boy with the camera started furiously taking shots of what I could only assume (though it could be nothing else) Hogwarts.
"Oh my God," I heard Ginny breathe out but I did not look at her, why would I want to do that?
"It's so pretty," the black haired girl exclaimed and started to frantically jump up and the down, the boat jerked from side to side, Ginny felt to the floor of the boat and it shook, the boy grabbed the edge of the boat looking surprisingly like a madman, like me…
"Oi you, sit down," I heard Hagrid call and I was thankful when the very annoying, very hyper girl calmed enough to sit still and let the boat settle to it's calm state.
Finally we reached what might be called a mooring post, although there were no posts or roped to tie the boats up with. I sighed and climbed out of the boat, which swayed again, but that didn't matter.
"Come with me," a voice trilled, I looked up to see a woman wearing deep emerald robes with wispy grey hair, a sharp nose, glasses and cat shaped eyes.
We, well, me and the rest of the first years, followed this teacher, who later introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, into a small room with paintings strung up the high walls. Several ghosts passed through the walls, this was no surprise to me, I am a pureblood, but some of them, probably muggle borns or un-informed idiots, were jumping up and down, screaming and holding onto each other and pointing. Ginny was doing none of these things; Ginny just stood there, mouth agape, staring at the ghosts.
I sighed, how boring can this get?
A few minutes later McGonagall returned and lead us all, at a brisk walk, into the entrance hall and through a huge pair of double doors and into what I can only assume (I do a lot of assuming don't I?) was the Great Hall.
We passed by down the middle isle Ravenclaw on my right, Gryffindor on my left, I knew that's what they were because of all the Hogwarts banners, and crests, I'd seen and I knew the names of houses and their respective colours by reputation.
We were led up to the front were there was a three legged stool on which sat an old, raggedy, moving hat? The seam lines cracked open and it began to sing,
'I am nothing like your hats
Not sleek, not black, not tall,
But I am here to place you
So you cannot fall.
From four houses I must pick
The one that suits you best,
Collect house points and win the cup
That's how you beet the rest.
But into which would you belong,
One, two, three or four
Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin?
Or maybe Gryffindor?
If you belong in Ravenclaw
Then you must have a mind,
Or maybe you're a Hufflepuff,
Where they are loyal and kind.
Gryffindor have got the heart
Courageous to the end,
If you belong in Slytherin
Alone then you must fend.
Whichever one you are
You have let to learn,
So put me, don't be afraid
And then let me discern!'
There were loud applause and I clapped along with them, it was funny watching an old battered hat talk through a split seem at the rim. 'Appleton, Andrea' I shook my head as the girls name was called, she was trembling and she actually fainted and collapsed on her way to the stool, it was so funny. I bed she wished she'd been born 'Zeroni, Zima', I laughed to myself and a few of the people around me gave me odd looks, oh the fun I have.
The names seemed to fly by 'A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L…' Wait, L?
"Luna Lovegood," McGonagall cried for, what I was eventually told, the third time, her tone was annoyed and she looked cross. I simply smiled dreamily at her and walked past to some sniggers, probably at my hoop earrings, they were large. I maybe a bit dreamy but I am not ignorant.
'Hello hat,' I thought nonchalantly.
'Oh, hello, you're not hard to place you know,' the hat told me and I smiled inwardly.
'Is that a bad or a good thing?' thought I.
'Good thing, do not worry,' he made a mumbling noise.
'Are you done yet?' I ask.
'Yes, enjoy yourself while you stay in…'
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat cried allowed so the whole hall heard.
'Bye hat,' I though and I think it replied but I was up and gone before I could make sure, couldn't keep Zima Zeroni waiting you know.
"What's that Ginny?" I ask leaning over her shoulder to look at the small book in her hands.
"Oh, nothing," she said hastily and shoved it in her bag, but it was too late, I had already seen and at the time I didn't know how much it would change my life forever.
"Oh by the way Ginny," I started.
She turned to me, "Yes?" it was high pitched and sudden as though she was frightened of something.
"Where did you find a car with wings?" everyone knew her brother and the oh-so-wonderful Harry Potter had arrived in a flying car, and how can something that isn't related to Quidditch fly without wings.
She shook her head and sniffed, "Grow up Luna," was all she had said, pity, I think daddy would have liked that story.
I pulled my cloak tighter around me as I strode through the grounds, it was late and I could not find sleep however much I tried. I sighed as I looked at the still lake and the image of the bright moon that was reflected upon it. I could just see the great white orb dropping down from the sky and falling into the water.
Suddenly the water seemed to dip within the confines of the reflection and then there was a splash like something had landed in the lake. No, it couldn't have been, it must have been the giant squid. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and turned away.
An odd sound echoed through the still night, high and rough, I'd heard that sound before, a farm animal, a rooster! But why was I hearing rooster sounds, I though a moment of course, Hagrid's cabin! I thought.
I moved towards it, edging round the side of the house, more like hut whose lights were out and the usual sounds of a rather large dog barking were absent. I came to where the back of the cottage met the fence that surrounded the yard at the back, the fence had broken and there was an area where I could see what was happening inside.
That's when I saw it, a cloaked figure, two pale hands wrapped tightly around the neck of a now dead rooster; she flung it aside and dived for the next one. It cried and I wondered why Hagrid did not wake up, maybe a silencing charm had been placed on the door?
The arms connected to the hands waved wildly as whoever it was murdered the innocent rooster. After a particularly violent wave the hood of the cloak fell to reveal locks of bright red hair and glazed blue eyes that had an eerie red tint. I knew who this was…Ginny Weasley!
"Expelliarmus," Snape had shouted and Lockhart went head over heals backwards, I laughed, it's no more than what he disserved.
Anyway, moving forward to the interesting bit where Harry Potter was duelling Draco Malfoy, Snape had leaned forward and whispered something in Malfoy's ear. Malfoy had smirked and a giant snake leapt from his wand straight at Harry, then it happened, the attacking, the terror wave, the hissing, the stunned silence and then outside.
Harry was running up the stairs, his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in hot pursuit. I stood calmly at the bottom and listened as his words drifted down to me, he was hearing voices in the wall? That's when it began to make sense.
It wasn't long after my discovery of Ginny the rooster murderer, or so I had dubbed her, and after the start of the Duelling club, that the attacks began. Student after student was found frozen, petrified, the first being Mrs Norris. Funny, something didn't add up, everyone said that Harry Potter had been attacking these people and try he was a Parselmouth but he was no 'Heir of Slytherin' and as evil as he seems, Draco Malfoy wasn't either.
The next thing everyone new there was writing on the walls 'Enemies of the heir beware' You'll be next Mudbloods had been said by none other than Draco Malfoy as an after thought. And then 'The Camber of secrets has been opened.'
I had to role my eyes by this point; we were being ushered around in groups to prevent us being attacked and Lockhart was on a constant high. Teachers were rushing about trying to figure out what to do and to me it just seemed so obvious. Ginny and the diary, her sudden withdrawal, her rooster strangling, the spiders running about all over the place and the voice that Harry heard, the voice in the wall.
There was nothing in these walls but pipes and what could Harry do that others couldn't? Parseltongue, it was a serpent. Digging around and interrogations of the teachers led to an interesting discovery, a girl had died fifty years ago, she found in a bathroom, there were attacks then too of a similar nature, a boy (Hagrid) was expelled for 'opening the chamber' and everything stopped.
But why would Hagrid endanger the school, yeh everyone knew he'd lost his marbles but he wasn't stupid.
Ginny was reading at the head of the class, she didn't notice how I had grabbed the diary, looked at the front and then the date, 50 years ago, I opened it and wrote, 'I know'.
'Who are you?' it scrawled back and then I shut the book and put it back.
Spiders fled, roosters' dead, serpent talk, it was a Basilisk and it was being opened by the same person who did it the first time, not Hagrid, someone else. The same someone Ginny had been talking to all year. It all made sense, it all fitted and then Hermione Granger was attack a few weeks later, with a mirror in her hand and that proved my point.
As for the girl who died, Myrtle, in the bathroom, with the faulty sink with a tap shaped like a snake, that was the entrance, but who would believe batty old me? You're right, no one.
It had taken weeks for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to get the clues that had been left for them, I saw them returning from the forest one night and I knew that they would soon find the answer.
I was passing by the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom and hear and argument going on inside. I peeked through the crack in the door and saw Ron Weasley, his face slightly red, an angry looked Harry Potter and Lockhart spilling his guts out about how he had faked every one of his famous exploits by exploiting other witches and wizards.
As interesting as that was, what would later occur in the out of order bathroom would be much more interesting so I hurried to it.
I watched them go in, I watched Faux the Phoenix carrying the Sorting Hat, descend into the hole, I saw them all come out, even Ginny. I was hiding in a toilet cubicle and Harry looked around and I swear he saw me before I ducked away. I then hurried to the great hall and that, is how I first became involved, in the life of Harry Potter.
*****
What's to come...
[Chapter 2] How Luna sees Sirius Black, looks at Lupin and still manages to figure everything out before Hermione. She still remains in the background but if you want I will actually get her dad to write a report for The Quibbler? So vote for, or not, that.
[Chapter 3] The tournament through Luna's eyes, who she wants to win, what she sees in all the new characters and how she sees Crouch making Polyjuice potion and once again doesn't tell Dumbledore.
[Chapter 4] Umbridge, the Ministry in general, Fudge, her father, the DA, a new look at Harry and a new perception of Cho.
[Chapter 5] Well, you'll have to wait and see won't you?
Starting pairings... (These will kick off in Chapter 5!)
Harry x Cho
Ron x Hermione
Seamus x Ginny
Draco x Pansy