It was a Wednesday in January. Amanda McDonald and Natalie Lane were sitting in Potions class, listening to Snape drown on about something that was no doubt boring and useless. Amanda tapped her quill against her desk rhythmically, waiting for it to be over. She looked around the classroom at the bored faces of her classmates. Luna Lovegood was reading The Quibbler under her desk. Amanda chuckled. That girl was hilarious. The class ended an eternity later, and the two got out of their seats, and resumed their favorite pastime: picking on Luna

"Hey, Luna! That's a GREAT necklace you have there," said Amanda, giggling, as they walked over to Luna's seat, where she was putting books into her bag as the class around them left, except for a few other Gryffindors who gathered around to watch.

"I know you're making fun of me." said Luna very softly, which caused both girls to shriek with laughter.

"No!" said a giggly Natalie Lane. "It's SO cool, Luna. What are those, Butterbeer corks? Where did you get it?" She reached out and grabbed the necklace.

"I made it," she said, jerking her necklace out of her hand "and it's mine." Amanda and Natalie began to laugh hysterically.

"You're so funny, Luna. I was reading your Dad's magazine the other day. Brilliant man." Amanda smirked.

"Don't talk about my Dad." Luna was on the verge of tears, and Amanda and Natalie began again to laugh loudly.

"Oh my God, Luna, you are just to mu-"

"Leave her alone."

The crowd was silenced. All heads turned to a short, skinny, freckle-faced redhead standing in the middle of the crowd. Her name was Ginny Weasley, although she was more commonly referred to as "the girl who caused all that trouble last year" or simply "creepy ginger".

Last year, she was possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and petrified several students while under his control. Eventually, You-Know-Who tried to kill her to, and Harry Potter had to rescue her. Now, this girl had a look on her face like she meant business, and the small crowd began to part to give her room.

"...What?"

"You heard me. You're always teasing her about something. Why do you even care? She's always perfectly nice to you, I've never heard her say anything unkind to you or anyone else. Just because you have nothing better to do with your time than harass innocent people who you think are easy targets doesn't give you the right to."

"Um, excuse me, you..." Amanda's face got very red. She didn't know at all how to react to this girl. Since when did anyone care whether or not she made fun of Luna? Well, Luna probably cares, she admitted to herself.

Ginny was not done. "Oh, excuse yourself! I don't even know how you made it into Gryffindor anyway, you've got to be one hell of a coward to go around picking on people you know won't fight back! You're cowards, and you don't belong in Gryffindor!"

"That's funny," Amanda retorted, smirking, as she regained some composure "coming from the Heir of Slytherin."

The confident grimace on Ginny's face disappeared as a look of pure shock and hurt washed over her. She trembled a bit, and tried to respond, when Snape walked over, menacingly.

"What's this, what's this? Class is over," he snarled. He looked at Amanda, Natalie, Ginny and Luna, who seemed to be the cause of the disruption. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for this little production."

"But Luna didn't even DO anything!"

"And," Snape continued, "the four of you can see me in detention. Miss Weasley, I recommend you watch your step. You really wouldn't want any more trouble, after what happened last year."

Ginny looked at him, stunned. Even Natalie and Amanda looked surprised that a teacher would say something so cruel. "Now, all of you. Get to class."

They walked out of the classroom. Once they got into the corridor, the group ran into a class of third-year Gryffindors, heading into poitions. Natalie walked up to and hugged her boyfriend, Dean Thomas, looking like no one had ever suffered so much, and scowled at Ginny. The redhead grabbed Luna by the arm, stuck her tongue out at Amanda and Natalie, turned the corner, and marched off, happily.

"Wow." Neville Longbottom raised his eyebrows, very impressed. "I've never even heard her talk."

"Thank you so much, Ginny" Luna began, as they walked down the corridor together. "That was really the nicest thing anyone here's done for me, honestly. Thank you. I'm so sorry you got in trouble."

"No problem." Ginny smiled. "Listen, this is going to sound stupid, but... let's be friends."

Luna's eyes widened, and she smiled widely and let out a squeal "Yes! I would love to be friends! I... need a friend," she admitted.

"Yeah." Ginny looked at Luna. "Yeah, me too."