A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I don't think that this chapter turned out very well though. Seriously, I worked hard to edit it and things like that, but I just couldn't get it right. *sigh* Oh well, I hope it's pretty presentable. Please tell me any criticisms as usual, and compliments would be good too. Hope you are pleased!
Chapter Two
Luna opened her eyes the next morning and smiled into her pillow. She slipped of her bed quickly and headed into her bathroom where she was going to take a shower and brush her teeth. She slowly turned to look into her large mirror over her sink. Luna was seeing what she saw every day, a girl with pale skin, very large round eyes, wavy hair that always looked stringy, and an expression on her face that made her look like she was looking at Christmas presents under the tree. She sighed and turned on the water faucet while still staring into the mirror.
Once she was done in the bathroom and her hair was still damp, she unlocked her trunk and made sure that she had all of her things. Everything was packed, she had her grandmother's necklace and her bracelet on, and it was almost time to go to Kings Cross. Luna looked around her room to make sure she hadn't left anything. If she'd forgotten anything then her dad would owl it to her the second day of school. She walked over to her closet, pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and put on her shoes. Once she was fully dressed, she headed towards the mirror in her bathroom once more so that she could attempt to make her hair look presentable. After a few rough attempts, she managed to get the hair to shine slightly, and she pulled half of it up with a clip on the crown of her head. She shrugged and headed downstairs. Her father was fixing breakfast it smelled like, so she hurried into the kitchen to get a plate.
"Morning Daddy," she said. Her father smiled at her and gave her a plate full of eggs, bacon, biscuits, and jam. She set it down on the table then pulled up a chair to sit down.
"Have everything packed?" asked her father. She nodded her head and watched him go up the stairs to get her trunk, wand in hand. Luna took a large bite of her eggs, which were delicious, and stuffed a few pieces of bacon into her buttered biscuit. She could hear her father coming down the stairs, his wand gliding her trunk. She ate her bacon-stuffed biscuit quickly, and finished off her breakfast while her father pulled on his shoes. She ran upstairs hastily and reached her room. She had to go back and get her butter-beer cap necklace, which was her good luck charm when she was at Hogwarts. Luna checked her pocket for her wand, and felt it at once.
"See you in ten months," she said quietly as she closed her door to her room. She saw her father go outside and get the car when she reached the foot of the stairs, so she grabbed her jumper and headed outside. Her father had always preferred driving to King's Cross, instead of using Floo Powder or a Portkey. He said that they were going to Apparate there when she was in seventh year, and she couldn't wait. She saw the old Bentley coming out of the garage and waited for it to stop so she could get inside.
"Did you close the door on your way out?" asked her father, rolling down the window.
"Yep," said Luna. Her father nodded, unlocked the door and Luna climbed into the car. He backed out of the driveway slowly, put the car into gear, and headed down the street towards London.
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When Luna and her father reached King's Cross, he helped her with her trunk and they ran into the station towards Platforms Nine and Ten. They were running a little late because of a car accident on the highway, but Luna knew she wouldn't miss the Hogwarts Express. Finally after running through the crowds and finding the Platform, Luna stopped to catch her breath. After she had partially regained her ability to breathe, her father grabbed her hand and they both leaned casually against the stone wall separating Platforms 9 and 10. In no time at all, she saw the steaming freight train blowing steam right before her eyes, and saw loads of students boarding the train. Luna turned around to her father, who was still grasping her hand. He pulled her into a big hug then quickly let go.
"I'll miss you Luna, have a great year," he called to her as she walked quickly towards the train. She breathed slowly again when she got on the train. There were compartment doors opening and closing, and students chattering away. She could hear the laughs of girls talking about their summer relationships, boys talking about the new Quidditch Teams… All she needed was a place to sit, where no one else would bother her. She finally found a place in the middle of the train, perfectly empty, but not out of the commotion. She stowed her luggage away, closed the door, and sat down. She could still hear the voices of everyone. She pulled out a newspaper clipping from her pocket and started reading over it. It mentioned someone owning two Crumple-Horned-Snorkaks in another part of Europe. They were supposedly named Snap and Snicker, which Luna thought were very strange names for animals… At least she could prove to Hermione that they really did exist now, even though the newspaper clipping was from The Quibbler. At least it had a picture of the tiny, scary looking animals with their sharp teeth and short legs.
She was resting her head in her hand and staring indifferently at the piece of paper when she heard a knock on the compartment door. She looked up to see Ginny Weasley standing there.
"Hi Luna," she said happily, walking into the compartment. "Can I sit here? It's only me; Harry's sitting with Neville, Dean, and Seamus."
"Yes," said Luna in her usual dreamy tone of voice. Ginny plopped down on a seat across from Luna, and they both smiled at each other.
"So how was your summer?" asked Ginny.
"It was fine; we really didn't do anything special. I got a really pretty piece of jewelry though," said Luna, taking off her necklace to show Ginny. Ginny stared at the beautiful necklace in awe.
"That's gorgeous! Who gave it to you?" she asked.
"My Grandmother, she said that it was a family heirloom," said Luna. Ginny dropped her jaw even more as she examined the necklace.
"Merlin knows how much that's worth," said Ginny almost to herself. Luna nodded her head as she put the necklace around her neck again.
"Did you hear who made prefect this year?" asked Ginny. "I didn't make it that's for sure, it was Colin Creevy and some other girl…I forgot her name… Who made it for Ravenclaw?"
"I don't know, probably Michael Corner…I don't who else."
"Yeah…" There was more silence. Michael was Ginny's ex-boyfriend.
"So how was your summer?" Luna finally asked Ginny.
"Well, it's been anything but normal I can tell you that. I was with my brothers until Hermione came, which a blessing… Well, to me it was a blessing." Ginny stopped to look out the window. "Go on," Luna urged a little impatiently. Ginny locked the door to the compartment and started speaking in a low voice.
"Ron tried to stay away from Hermione as much as possible for some reason, after the first night she arrived. I mean, I know that they get into a lot of fights before, but he's never downright ignored her completely for an extended amount of time. I don't know what happened; when she arrived he was really happy and excited, then the next day he wouldn't talk to anybody. We thought that he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but he hasn't been the same since. He even snapped at me when I asked him what was wrong." Ginny's face suddenly turned into a smile. "Now you can stare at him all the time and he won't even-" Ginny was caught mid sentence by the glare she got from Luna.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"I do not stare at him all the time," said Luna in a deathly tone. Ginny just shook her head and looked out the window. Luna thought for a moment. Did she really stare at Ronald that much? Oh well, she thought. At least I don't have a crush on him or anything.
"So how is Harry doing?" asked Luna out of the blue.
"Oh, he's the same as always you know…but he just won't talk to anybody. I hope he feels better now that he's out of that house, that's where Sirius lived. You know, Sirius Black, his godfather?"
"Yes, you told me that at the end of last year. However it is a shame that he pushes everyone away," said Luna while shaking her head.
"Yeah, it really is…he needs to trust someone." Luna nodded her head solemnly. Harry Potter really did need to trust someone…
"But I wonder what has been bothering Ronald?" she asked.
"I don't know…but I have a feeling it's something to do with the `relationship' between him and Hermione," said Ginny. Luna nodded her head as she turned to look out the window, watching the rolling hills go by.
Luna and Ginny talked about other things the rest of the way to Hogwarts, like who the new Minister of Magic was going to be after Fudge stepped down. Luna was thinking someone new would come up, someone who she's never heard of. Ginny thought this was reasonable, so she agreed. The food trolley came and went; Ginny and Luna got a good assortment of treats to hold them. Luna got a jam tart, and Ginny got a biscuit. It wasn't long before it was dark outside, and Luna could hear students anticipating their arrival at Hogsmeade station, and then riding the Threstral-drawn carriages up to Hogwarts.
"You think we're almost there?" asked Ginny. Luna nodded her head while still gazing out of the window into the darkness. She could see the mountains around the castle, and she knew they were pulling up into Hogsmeade station. After a few minutes, the train pulled to a halt and Ginny and Luna stood up to open the compartment door. Luna got her trunk, pulled it into the corridor, and then set off down the train behind Ginny. Finally she got outside, and could hear the voices of students again. She could also hear Hagrid calling out the first years, and could see the Threstrals coming up with the carriages. Luna and Ginny waited patiently for Harry, Ronald, and Hermione. They waited for a couple of minutes, and then Luna saw a tall, red-haired boy step out onto the pavement. She felt her jaw drop when she realized it who it was. It was Ronald. He was more handsome now, he was taller, had more freckles, and his hair was a still the same length but now it was more of an auburn color. She felt butterflies in her stomach all of a sudden. Why was he giving her butterflies? Luna tried to shrug it off, but it was impossible. She was feeling something for Ginny's brother…feeling something for Ronald Weasley.
"Hey Ginny, Luna," he said flatly without even looking at the two girls, but at the ground instead. He had also gotten a much deeper voice since last year, and it had evened out somewhat. Harry muttered a greeting and Hermione nodded her head as they strode past Luna and Ginny. They all headed towards a carriage, Luna and Ginny walking behind Harry, Ronald, and Hermione. Luna had stopped gaping at Ronald, but the lingering butterflies were making her feel slightly light-headed. She shook her head in an attempt to bring her back to her normal self once she got into the carriage, and couldn't help sneaking a glance in Ronald's direction. There was something else different about him…not just his looks. He didn't seem the lively self that he used to be. The twinkle in his eyes was gone, and his face was paler than she'd ever seen it. Maybe it was because of the thing Ginny was talking about earlier on the train, about Hermione.
Once everyone got out of the carriages and started filing into the Great Hall, Luna waved to Ginny and set off towards the Ravenclaw table. Luna ventured to the end of the table as usual, and sat down. The Hall was decorated as usual, and the candles were still floating in midair like always. After watching everyone enter the Great Hall, she turned her head towards the staff table. She didn't see anyone new… Wait a moment, she did see someone new. A tall woman with spiraling black hair was sitting the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts… Luna had no idea who she was, but wanted to find out. She looked as if she would be a good teacher, but her face suggested that she didn't want to be there at all. Once everyone was quiet and the first years came in with Hagrid, Luna put her head on her hand and looked around the hall with some interest. Professor McGonagall was coming out of a side door with the new first year students and the Sorting Hat and stool in her hands. She placed the Hat on the stool, and Luna watched as he opened his mouth to sing. Luna listened intently to what the hat was saying in his song this year like she always did, and didn't find anything new. He still warned the school, and hinted house unity even more, but nothing else. Everyone clapped at the end, and the first student stepped onto the stool.
"SLYTHERIN!" yelled the hat almost immediately. The black-haired boy smirked and headed to sit down at the roaring Slytherin table. She shook her head and turned to look at the next student walking between the tables and sitting down with the Gryffindors. After about 10 first years getting sorted, three of them being in Ravenclaw, Luna laid her head down on her arms and watched dully her eyes until the sorting was over. One of the new students tripped on his own robes, and the other was squealing out of pure fear. After about twenty more minutes of listening to the hall clapping and cheering, Luna lifted her head up and watched Professor Dumbledore stand.
"Welcome everyone, to another year here at Hogwarts! I will not burden you will all of the new rules until after you have a full stomach, so enjoy your meals, students new and old alike." Luna clapped along with all of the other students, and smiled at Dumbledore. He sat back down, and started conversing with Professor McGonagall. She didn't really like McGonagall that much, even though Luna was great at Transfiguration. She was head of Gryffindor house, and sometimes showed house favoritism. Food appeared on her plate almost instantly, and then she looked over to the Gryffindor table to take a look at Ronald. He was barely eating anything, which was extremely strange, seeing as he was a total pig usually. He always had to eat something; but that wasn't the case today. Once he noticed her looking at him, she turned around quickly and started eating her food, somewhat distractedly.
Finally when everyone was done with their meal, and Luna had barely eaten anything, Dumbledore stood up from the staff table. Luna watched interestedly, and listened to her headmaster.
"Now that everyone is satisfied with the feast, I will inform all of you about the new additions to the staff this year. One is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lilia Dutton." The whole Great Hall clapped as Professor Dutton stood up to her full height, which was at least 6 feet. The clapping died down as the woman took her seat, and started roaming the Great Hall with her eyes.
"Now, I must impose the rules to the new students, as I do every year. The Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds to all, unless directed by a teacher. The new list of prohibited objects and products will be found in the House Dormitory Bulletin Boards, and on Mr. Filch's office door." Dumbledore sighed and clapped his hands together. "I suggest that you all get a good night's sleep for lessons tomorrow. You are dismissed." At that, all of the students started getting up from their tables and the prefects took the first years up to the Common Rooms. Luna walked quickly out of the Great Hall, and made her way towards Ravenclaw Tower.
"I'll see you tomorrow," said Ginny as she passed Luna, with Harry, Ronald, and Hermione walking in front of her. Luna caught Ronald's gaze for a moment, then looked away. She walked behind her fellow Ravenclaws up to the Tower, and could hear them conversing in low tones about something. She decided not to pay attention to them, and stayed where she wasn't noticed. Once they reached the Tower, Luna was so far behind that the portrait hole closed in her face. She had to say the password again, and the portrait was reluctant to open. That portrait didn't like her anyway, so making him mad made everything worse. The portrait was one of a Warlock brewing potions. He was always immersed in books or concocting a potion Luna sighed as she made her way up to her dormitory. Mostly everyone was in the Common Room, but she usually didn't like to stay in there for too long. She could still hear Michael Corner's voice telling the first years where the boy's dormitories where when she reached the top of the stairs. When she entered the room, she saw her bed with her clothes already next to it. She started unpacking her clothes quietly, while glancing out the window at the moon every now and then. Luna could see the Threstrals flying above the trees, and she sighed. She had neatly unpacked all of her clothing, and by the time she was done a few girls had come stumbling into the dormitory.
"Hi Luna!" came a diminutive, high pitched voice. Luna turned around to see Maxine Windelson smiling at her. Maxine was one of the very few girls in her house who talked to Luna. The only problem was, she hang around with a group of girls who thought Luna was a lunatic. Maxine wasn't like that though, and Luna knew that. But Luna always went with this saying: "Birds of a feather flock together." So, she rarely ever spoke with Maxine. But when she did, it was always a pleasant conversation. Luna also saw a threesome of girls who always conversed in low whispers about her when she was around and always had to crack jokes whenever she was nearby. Luna just tried to ignore those girls, and went about her life like they were never a part of it.
Luna pulled on her gown and got into bed. She shivered as she felt the cold covers against her legs, and pulled the drape to a close. Humming quietly to herself, she closed her eyes. She could hear whispers around her, and put her head into her pillow as she took some of them in.
"I can't wait until tomorrow…"
"Do you think Trelawney was rehired?"
"Have you seen Luna Lovegood today?" Luna slowly fell to sleep, the words still replaying in her head.
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