Chapter 11
DISCLAIMER - None of these delightful characters are mine, all belong to JK Rowling.
Luna's last night at Spinner's End began with a hurried supper though which she ate little and talked less. The meal was barely over when she withdrew to her room to concentrate on packing. In fact, this task consisted of emptying the meagre contents of her carpet bag into the new trunk the Professor had bought for her, with its gleaming brass fittings and sturdy wood that was polished to a luminous shine.
Seeing as that took all of eight minutes, she decided to take her things out, refold the clothes, rearrange her few possessions into neat little piles in the bottom of the container. This she did slowly, this time stretching the job over twelve minutes. Still, the sky outside was light with the tapering of a summer's evening.
Luna contemplated another go at the packing, accepted that there were only so many ways to pile a small collection of belongings onto a seemingly cavernous space. As a time wasting device, packing held little potential, she concluded.
She looked out the window, saw by now familiar sights. There were the neat gardens of the neighbouring houses, the pavement sloping away to the town at the bottom of the hill, lidded dustbins, flowers drooping as evening drew in, the oak tree at the bottom of the garden that looked like a whiskery colossus and reminded her a little of Hagrid. Perfectly ordinary, just the same as they had looked every day since she had got here. Suddenly, they were not the mundane detritus of residential life, they were incredibly dear to her. She felt a swell of affection for each of them, even for the loose brick on the pathway that always startled Galahad when it wobbled beneath his paws.
Luna wished she could freeze frame this sunny evening, just hold onto it, stay still in it and yet, she could hardly wait for it to pass away, for the next day to be here, to be off on her Hogwarts adventure.
She was lying on her bed, on her side, knees drawn up so she could wrap her arms around them, holding herself in a little ball when a single knock sounded on her door.
"Come in," she called but did not rise.
She heard the door open, heard the whispery fall of light footsteps approach the bed, saw the instantly recognisable shadow of her guardian fall over her.
"Luna. Are you ill?"
"No. Not at all. I am… Severus, I don't know what I am. I think going to Hogwarts will be wonderful but then I think it would be quite nice to stay here, for the holidays to last a little longer," she rolled a golden strand of hair around her finger.
"It is strange to want something and not want it at the same time. This is what it must be like to be a hafflot. They have two minds, neither will ever agree with the other. They live in The Black Forest in Germany, my dad says. I am feeling just like that," she said.
"Nervous. That is what you are feeling and it is completely normal," he responded.
She roused, sat up, swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her hands tucked under them, fingers clutching the duvet.
"For a blissfully successful career as a student at Hogwarts, there is only one thing you need to remember," he said, looking down at the hunched form.
"To always address the Potions Master with respect and reverence," she said and lifted her head to look him in the eye.
His lips twitched, his eyebrow arched.
"If you are able to be insolent, you will certainly live. I need not have worried," the sardonic tone was layered with amusement.
"I was going to say, little Miss Lovegood, that you need to remember only that Hogwarts is the finest school of witchcraft in the world and if you have been accepted there, everything else will follow if you work at it. Mind you, you are entirely correct about the Potions Master," the shadowy eyes glinted at her.
He eased himself onto the edge of the mattress, finding a place beside her, resting his hands on his knees.
"I won't be staying in your quarters anymore, will I?" she trained her eyes on the rug.
"No. You will be sorted into your house and then, you will have a dorm with your classmates. You will soon find friends among them," he said.
Then he slanted a look at her. He reached out a hand, lifting her chin between his thumb and forefinger, so that she was facing him. He lowered his head and found her eyes with his.
"This does not mean that I will stop being your guardian. And it does not mean that my home will stop being yours also. My quarters are open to you always," he spoke quietly but his words were imbued with steel.
"If I wished to stay some nights in my old room, would that be alright?" the question carried a little doubt, a little hope, a little need. And he heard all of it.
"Yes. And if you would care to join me for a private supper on an evening during the week, that would be very welcome, Luna," his eyes stayed trained on hers.
Her face cleared considerably. It was a gallant, elegant offer and she gave a consenting nod.
"I think I would like that very much," she said with a stately grace of her own.
"You may find that your contemporaries wouldn't necessarily agree that a summons to my company is much of a bonus," the corner of his lips quirked.
"It's the shuttlers. They are rather bothersome for some but they don't frighten me," Luna nodded decisively.
He quashed a smile and brought his hands together in his lap. Then his face grew serious.
"Luna, I must ask that the details that emerged this summer stay between you and I and Professor Dumbledore. Most importantly, that you speak of the prophesy your father mentioned to no-one," he said.
"Oh, of course. Dad would not be pleased if I were to leak his Quibbler business, that is for sure. And I would like to forget everything else, never mind wave them about school," she remembered the sadness of the Crouch household, the foul atmosphere that pervaded the upstairs bedroom. A shudder passed through her and her colour paled a little.
Then her eyes shot to his face.
"But I would not like to forget that I met you, Severus. Or that you have been my good friend," she looked at him intently, wanting to be certain he did not misunderstand her earlier expression.
Then she gave a crooked little smile of her own.
"But you don't want me to make mention of that either," she said, rewarded with his nod of approval.
"It is no secret that you are my ward. But you are quite correct, that is enough for anyone to know about it. You are a sharp minded girl, you will be absolutely fine at Hogwarts," his tone was warm.
"Which is weight off my mind. I see I am to be spared having to deliver to you my standard, patented warning for wards of mine starting school," he nodded at her.
"Do you have one? A warning, that is" she asked, incredulous.
"No but if I were to devise one, I cannot see how I could go wrong demanding best behaviour, hard work and that you be a good student for your teachers, showing the proper respect and obedience. It's failsafe."
"And falling short would mean what, then?" she watched his face.
"I'm sure I could think of something. Sending you to bed without supper or cutting off your pocket money, something like that. Let's hope I don't have to resort to such drastic measures," there was a twinkle in his eyes.
"But meals are served in The Great Hall. And you haven't given me pocket money," she gave him a smile and he was glad to see the cares she had been nursing evaporate, so that her face was clear, her eyes bright.
"I shall have to consult those shuttlers for advice," he chuckled.
He murmured the accio command and suddenly, a small parcel materialised in his hand. It was wrapped in plain brown paper, tied with twine. Luna looked at it with interest.
"Starting at Hogwarts is a special time in the life of a witch or wizard. I thought that you should have something to mark it. So this," he held the unglamorous parcel toward her.
Taken aback, Luna reached out automatically and took it from him.
"A gift? But you have given me so much already, Severus," she blinked, surprised.
"It is my prerogative as your guardian to give you what I feel you need or deserve," he said, haughty.
Luna looked down at the rectangular package sitting on her lap. She studied it for several seconds before she clasped a finger and thumb on the loose end of the string that bound it and pulled, slowly.
The wrapping fell away and a little pile of books sat within, topped with three shining spools of sylvan thread and a curving, snow white feather, tipped with silver, one of the most beautiful quills Luna had ever seen.
Her eyes widened, she drew in a quick gasp. Even as the fine sophistication of the quill enchanted her, the titles of the books caused her heart to kick up several beats. They were written by some of her favourite authors and she let her fingers glide over them, barely able to contemplate that they were hers.
"Severus. I don't know what to say," she whispered.
"Well that's a blessing. I was afraid you were likely to launch into one of your odes of gratitude. I was half tempted to slip you a sleeping draught just to avoid it," he said dryly.
"Would you mind terribly if I were to keep some of the books in your quarters? That way, I'll have something to read when I visit" she looked up at him.
"That would be acceptable," he rose to his feet.
As the bedroom door closed behind him with a soft thunk, Luna set the pile of beloved books, the thread and the lovely quill carefully among her other possessions, glad to have additional belongings to pack in her trunk. She was ready, Hogwarts waited, she was on her way to being a witch and she didn't have to worry because she had someone to turn to if things were difficult or scary. It wasn't everything she wished for but it was a very good place to start.
The following evening, in the soft descent of a velvet night, Severus delivered her to the platform of the tiny railway station at Hogsmeade.
Dressed in robes so new, they rustled crisply when she moved, Luna watched for the arrival of the most famous train in the magical world, The Hogwarts Express.
"Luna, it is here that I leave you. Hagrid is on his way and when he gets here I will make my way to the castle. Once the train gets in, Hagrid will take you all to the school," the Professor's voice was as mellow as the evening.
"The boat trip, is it true that is how First Years make the journey?" she looked up at him.
"It is," he remembered his own, the sense of voyaging into the unknown, sailing towards a destiny he could only sense.
Luna glanced sideways at him but it was as though he was melting into the night, the black robes indistinct from the shadows growing from a dying day.
"Would you be very cross if I were to say just one thank you for everything you have done for me this summer?" she looked straight ahead at the empty tracks that lay beyond the end of platform.
"It's safe to say you seem to have risked it one way or the other," he retorted but without aggravation.
"Well hello there! Nuthin' like arriving early, ahead of the posse so ter speak!" Hagrid's greeting was cheery as he walked into sight. Cloaked in a tent like moleskin overcoat and stomping in boat sized boots, he seemed to dwarf the little station.
"Hello Hagrid," Luna smiled at him.
"Evenin' Luna. Professor."
But Hagrid's eyes, at far too much of a height for Luna to see, were on Snape, who returned the gaze intent.
Hagrid did not need any Legilimens skill to read the unspoken message. He gave a nod of his great, shaggy head.
"You'll be safe as houses with me, Luna. Get you right to the castle, I will," he said but his words were not for the girl's benefit and he and Snape both knew it.
The unsmiling expression did not change but the Potions Master looked down at his young charge.
"Enjoy the feast, Luna," he said quietly and then, as the first merry hoot of a steam whistle sounded in the star spangled distance, he was gone.
Within a heartbeat, the rattling sounds of an approaching train became a trundling roar. Then, with a hissing groan, the Hogwarts Express juddered to a halt. Wide-eyed, Luna watched as the carriage doors opened and what followed was like an explosion of sound and movement.
Laughing, talking, groups of students leaped and bounded from the train, robes fluttering in the early evening breeze. It was easy to tell which were the First Years as they were not only smaller in size than their older counterparts but they exited the train with noticeably greater apprehension.
Into this melee, Hagrid's calls for First Years to follow him drew small clusters of bemused students, wearing expressions of confusion, nervousness and excitement. Luna drifted with them towards the hulking form of the groundskeeper, partially obscured by the snowy clouds of steam that huffed from the train.
They followed their guide until they arrived at the whispering shore of a darkened lake. The reflection of the stars freckled the midnight blue surface.
Someone jostled against Luna and she looked up into the round face and worried eyes of a tall boy who was fluttering about in a fidgety, anxious way.
"Oh sorry. I've lost my toad. I'm afraid he'll have gone off into the water by himself. He's a bit old for swimming," the boy was apologising while still casting about, peering at the ground.
Luna looked too but all she could see were the hundreds of shoes trodding along or shuffling as their owners waited for further instruction from Hagrid.
"Toads are excellent swimmers and the mer people are very good about directing lost water beings to the castle," Luna said.
The boy looked back at her, hope rising in his eyes despite his distraction.
"Really? Well, that's a relief. Still I'd like to find Trevor. Hi, I'm Neville, by the way," he extended a pudgy hand and Luna shook it, introducing herself as she did so.
"Lovegood? As in Loony Lovegood? Didn't your crazy dad go off his rocker this summer? Have they found him yet? Or are they still asking around all his imaginary friends?"
A pale, thin faced boy with white blond hair was eyeing Luna, the glint in his eyes as scathing as his mocking words. A sneer lifted the corner of his narrow lips and several people around him tittered.
"Best you ask Professor Snape, Luna's guardian about that, Mr Malfoy. See what 'e's got ter say 'bout it," the mountainous form of Hagrid spoke from behind them, startling the pale boy into a grudging silence. Still, he glared at Luna and Hagrid also for that matter as if he was afraid of catching something nasty.
"Now, let's get into the boats, I'll take the first one," Hagrid stepped into a bow shaped craft that looked as though it would surely sink beneath his weight, much less take anyone else.
It stayed afloat and Hagrid encouragingly beckoned to a knot of students dallying on the shore and a curly haired girl, a red haired boy and another, shorter, dark haired boy were among those who inched uncertainly forward. The dark haired lad was wearing glasses and was drawing the fascinated interest of the crowd on the shore. Whispers raced around, people were nudging each other and pointing.
"Harry Potter! It's him. There was a rumour he was on the train! So it's true, he's come to Hogwarts!"
But Luna was more interested in the way the boat began to glide across the water, no rowing involved. Hagrid's lantern was a little airborne golden globe holding back the night.
"Come on, everyone. Get into the boats now or we'll all be late for the feast!" Hagrid shouted and his own came to a graceful halt while he waited and watched to make sure all of the First Years were boarded and ready to sail.
It was a night Luna would remember forever, she was sure. It was as though she had never seen the castle before, watching it drift into sight in the inky distance, the lights in the windows like the flight of a million starflies.
There was a new energy she had never felt before, anticipation buzzed like the sparks of a dynamic enchantment, it was being more alive than she had ever known.
Waiting to be brought to the Great Hall, feeling butterflies tumble at the prospect of unknown things that lay behind the huge oak doors, Luna had the completely new sensation of feeling in union with others. They like her were excited, a little afraid, unknowing of what lay ahead.
As she filed into the Great Hall, waiting to be sorted into her house, along with everyone else, Luna was intensely aware of being the focus of thousands of eyes as the other students looked on and she could barely contain her trepidation. She glanced a few times at the teachers' table, where her guardian sat, still as a statue, his black eyes fixed on a point in the middle distance. He gave no indication that he had seen her come in, his expression was remote and slightly bored. Yet Luna felt the worst of the nerves ease just knowing he was there.
"A Ravenclaw? Not quite Slytherin but I wouldn't have guessed," Professor Dumbledore caught Snape's eye as Luna emerged beaming from beneath the ragged Sorting Hat.
"Luna will be immensely pleased. Her mother was Ravenclaw. She didn't like to say it outright for fear of offending me but she had her hopes set," Severus replied.
He cast a pensive look at the girl who was settling herself at the Ravenclaw table, flushing as her housemates clapped in welcome. The selection didn't surprise him in the least, though Professor McGonagall was looking at the Sorting Hat as though it has malfunctioned and her eyes flickered, puzzled, to the Hufflepuff table.
Snape half smiled, Minerva wouldn't be the first to underestimate the clever mind that lurked behind the crazy attire and eccentric beliefs. Luna didn't conform to the traditional view of an intellectual but he remembered how she had gotten out of his house before the break in, how she had tapped into the malice of Mrs Crouch that afternoon, the way she could read a situation before most people would have picked up on the first marker. Yes, she would be at home in Ravenclaw.
He let his eyes drift across the youthful sea of students before him. Most were known to him, the new ones he would come to know soon enough. His eyes lit on the bespectacled boy that was laughing at something his red headed companion had said. The red head had to the youngest Weasley boy and the other, with those emerald eyes, it was Harry Potter. Snape didn't need sight of the lightening bolt scar to recognise him. The boy looked up, the laugh on his face faded as he met Severus' eyes of flint. The boy looked away quickly. Not a muscle on Snape's face moved but he felt a comic tickle as he wondered if he should blame the shuttlers.
Luna tucked into the resplendent meal that welcomed her and the other students to the start of the new term. She had noted a thousand things she twitched to tell her guardian as the wondrous evening unfolded. Such as the way the boat had sailed as though on air, not water, how it felt to have the sorting hat placed on your head and hear its voice and know she was the only one who could. Then there was the food at the feast and how different Professor Dumbledore sounded when he gave his address than he did when talking to them in his office. Luna wanted to ask him if he'd noticed how Mrs Norris seemed to intimidate some students when Luna knew that she loved being sung to, or how every student believed he wanted to be the Darks Arts teacher.
She felt a little stab of emptiness at knowing that she would not be retiring to his library tonight, to his company and all of the information and new experiences she had come by even in the last few hours would be hers alone for now.
As the meal ended and Professor Dumbledore concluded with a warning about the Forbidden Forest, Luna, along with the Ravenclaws stood to make her way to the common room and dorms. Tiny little Professor Flitwick had come to their table to welcome the First Years and had charged the prefects with leading the newcomers to the dorms.
A tall girl whose name Luna did not know but who was sporting a badge that announced her as a prefect began marshalling the First Years and as they filed from the Great Hall, she came to walk beside Luna.
"You're Luna Lovegood?" she asked and as Luna nodded, she extended a hand and pressed a small square of folded parchment into Luna's palm.
Curious, Luna glanced downwards but as she made to open the note the other girl shook her head.
"You're not to read it until you are in your dorm. Come on, this way. And welcome to Ravenclaw! I read your Dad's article on spidergants a while back. I really enjoyed it," the girl smiled.
The Raveclaw common room was decorated in beautiful shades of silver and blue and though not particularly tired, Luna lingered in the dorm after she had found her bed. While the others returned the common room, with its cheery fire and comfortable, overstuffed armchairs, Luna held back, sat on the edge of the soft bed and carefully unfolded the crisp parchment.
Instantly, she recognised the meticulous hand.
"Luna. Congratulations on being sorted into Ravenclaw, I have no doubt you will be very happy there. I am free for supper later this week and I look forward to hearing all about your first days as a Hogwarts student. S.S."
Feeling immensely less alone and quite excited at the prospect of the week ahead, Luna stood and went to meet her new friends.