"Hello, Colin." Luna said, sitting down next to the boy who was eagerly clutching his camera, taking pictures of the stands with loud clicks.

The weather wet and dreary that day, yet with a feeling of anticipation in the air, or perhaps just the thunder that seemed would be coming at any moment. Drizzling rain water splashed off the goalposts towering 50 feet above the ground. There was a slight wind, blowing north across the quidditch pitch, spraying the rain across the eager onlookers who filled the stands.

It was the first quidditch game of the season, and Colin, who had been watching every Gryffindor practice, was certain that they would beat Slytherin. Luna had opted to sit with the Gryffindors instead of with her house, and was sitting in a row with Colin Creevy and Ginny Weasley. She saw Hagrid and waved as he made his way to sit beside Harry Potter's friends. The three of them cheered as the Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws also hoped to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins boos and hisses could still be heard along with the cheering and clapping.

"He's there! It's Harry!" Colin told the two girls loudly over the din the crowds were making. He took several pictures of the black haired boy standing with his broomstick.

As far as Luna could tell, Colin had memorized the second-year's schedule and made it a point to greet him whenever possible. Despite these frequent meetings, Colin's enthusiasm had no less diminished upon seeing the boy, if anything, he had grown more excitable.

Madam Hooch, the quidditch teacher who had taught flying lessons to the first years, released the snitch and threw the quaffle into the air, starting the game.

Colin watched the match eagerly, pointing out various things to the two girls, neither of whom were particularly impressed by his commentary.

As the game progressed, Luna noticed something. "Ginny," she said quietly, "does that bludger seem… odd to you?"

"How do you mean?" asked the red-head curiously.

"It looks as if it's following Harry Potter." Luna told her.
"I'm not sure, Luna. I mean, they're meant to follow people, aren't they?" Ginny told her, shrugging it off.

"Colin?" Luna asked, but he was too focused on the game.

Eventually losing interest in the match, Luna opened up the bag she always had with her and unfurled the latest edition of The Quibbler that her father had sent her. She had just started on an article about recent sightings of crumple-horned snorkacks when she heard gasps and screams. Hastily rolling up the magazine and shoving it in her bag, she stood up in her seat to get a better look of what was happening: Harry Potter was on the ground with Professor kneeling over him, a sheepish look on the Professor's face as he bent back Harry Potter's arm completely.

As the teachers escorted the dark-haired boy back towards the castle, the boy with dreadlocks who announced the game shouted out to the crowds Gryffindor's victory, earning cheers from the red and gold clad supporters along with many from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

.o0O0o.

Even from the opposite end of the hall, Luna could spot the fiery red hair making its way down the crowded corridor, head bent down, clutching a black book.

"Hi, Luna. Um… I don't know if you've heard, but um… Colin's been petrified." she looked around nervously. "I've only just heard, but I thought you might want to know."

Luna looked thoughtfully into her green eyes, darting around the hall, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw two more red-heads walking towards the two girls. "Hey Ginny!" said George Weasley, appearing from behind his younger sister.

"Did you hear about the boy in your year?" said Fred.

Ginny nodded mutely as George began talking again. "You reckon it's the monster?" he asked her, grinning mischievously with an air of an older sibling trying to scare a younger one.

"What monster?" Luna asked interestedly, interrupting their conversation.

"Oh, hi, Luna." Fred piped up from besides his twin.

"The monster that lives in the Chamber of Secrets, of course." George explained.

"It only goes after muggleborns," George said.

"And cats, I suppose." Fred added, nodding in the direction of the wall where Mrs. Norris had been found, dangling from the wall.

"Well anyway, we've got things to do,-"

"People to see. Bye Ginny, Luna." and with that, the twins were off, their red hair and black robes becoming lost in the sea of students crowded in the hall. Luna turned back to Ginny.

"Do you really think there's a monster?" Luna asked Ginny.

An unreadable expression slipped over her face as she quickly responded "I don't know. But I have class, I've got to go." and she, like her brothers, walked away, clutching her black book to her chest and slipping between people to make it to wherever she was going.

.o0O0o.

The bushy-haired girl from the train, Hermione, was walking quickly down the hall, followed by Harry Potter and Ginny's older brother, Ronald. The three could be seen rushing eagerly towards the girls' bathroom. But Luna knew people rarely went in there, because of the ghost haunting it. Especially not boys. Gathering up her things, she watched the door they'd slipped through. It was five minutes before the three came back out, whispering to each other. Luna swiftly swung her bag over her shoulder and went into the bathroom. It was a fairly ordinary bathroom, with the exception of what was in the corner. A girl was there. A ghostly, transparent, sobbing girl. It took her a few seconds to notice Luna, but when she did, she let out a ghastly wail, which echoed across the bathroom tiles.

"And I suppose you're here to make fun of me, too! Stupid, ugly Myrtle!" She cried, dramatically covering her face with her hands.

Luna tilted her head slightly to the side, trying to get a better look at the ghost-girl's face. "I won't make fun of you."

This only seemed to worsen her despair. "Of course you won't! It's not like everyone does it! I'm sure you won't!" Myrtle's voice shrieked, heavy with sarcasm.

The blonde girl waited a moment before responding, and when she did, she spoke softly. "Who's been making fun of you, Myrtle?"

"That idiotic, red-haired buffoon! Coming in here with his little friends, doing God knows what over there!" at this, she gestured vaguely in the direction of the bathroom stalls. "He seems to think it's funny to make fun of poor me!" the ghost ended this with a moan and dove into a toilet.

Walking slowly across the now empty room, Luna opened each of the stall doors, eventually coming to a peculiar one. Inside of it, was a cauldron, steaming slightly, and emitting a somewhat odorous smell. The potion's (for that was what it clearly was, Luna reasoned) mud like surface bubbled sisterly.

She left the bathroom, walking quickly back to Ravenclaw Tower, pondering what she had found.

She'd recently heard of more petrifications: one of the ghosts along with a second-year Hufflepuff had both been brought to the Hospital Wing, where Colin Creevey remained, lying motionless, all three of them presumably waiting for some sort of cure which the Headmaster had promised.