Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, J.K. Rowing does. I just create the plot.
Chapter One: The Sorting
Waiting in line of the Sorting Hat In the Great Hall, Luna silently hoped that she and Ginny would be placed in the same house. Luna was a scrawny, short eleven-year-old girl with scraggily blonde hair and almost translucent pale blue eyes that were wide with questioning. Ginny, on the other hand, was a short, fiery redhead with honey brown eyes. Luna was more soft-spoken and inquisitive, whereas Ginny was more rowdy and fun. They have been friends for as long as Luna could remember. The days after her mother had died, Mrs. Weasley offered to have her stay with them for as long as her father needed to grieve. After the funeral, she began going over to the Weasley's household daily while her father worked editing the Quibbler.
She was spaced out when she heard Professor McGonagall shout to everyone in the Great Hall her name.
This was it; she was going to find out what house she was going to be in after waiting all these years. Excitement rushed through her body, pushing her to walk toward the rickety stool that had the sorting hat placed neatly on top. On her way down the walkway, she glanced at Ginny, who was toward the end of the line, who mouthed a silent 'good luck'.
Once Luna reached the stool, she quickly sat atop while Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It was a curious sensation, having that hat sift through her memories and thoughts. Immediately, she began questioning the hat on its magical abilities and how it was able to know her deepest desires and fears.. When it was finally agitated with all her inquisition, it screamed "RAVENCLAW!"
Taking the hat off, Luna bounced toward the Ravenclaw table to meet her fellow housemates. Being sorted into Ravenclaw was an honor of hers; it was where her mother was placed 16 years ago. Despite her excitement, she was still worried her and Ginny might be separated. Although she never met any of Ginny's brothers, all of them were housed in Gryffindor. The odds of her and Ginny being housemates were slim to none.
While waiting for Ginny's name to be called, she gazed about to the enchantments of the room. The sky was tinkling with stars that matched the outside. The tables always seemed to have room for more students, regardless of how packed it already was. But the one thing that stood out to Luna was the absence of Harry Potter.
Everyone in the Wizarding World knew of his story. How he survived you-know-who that night made Luna question her own mother's death. If he could have survived the killing curse, how come her mother couldn't survive…
The sound of Ginny's name being called snapped Luna back to the present. Luna held her breath, hoping for a miracle. As soon as the hat touched the redhead's fiery hair, it screamed "GRYFFINDOR!"
Before Ginny sat with her (presumably) twin brothers, she noticed a small smile form on her lips, meant only for Luna to comprehend. This was the house Harry Potter was in, and Luna heard how Ginny spoke of the second year boy to deduct her crush on the Boy Who Lived.
Hours later, the feast came and went, and Luna was tired. But no matter how hard she tried to sleep, she couldn't. It's not that her four-poster bed was uncomfortable, or her roommates were inconsiderate. Only, her mind was racing a hundred miles a minute. It was going to be one of these nights.