Chapter Thirty Four – Luna

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. Me, I'm just a PR professional. I don't profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world. However, its her sandbox and she's left the gate unlatched so we can go in and play a bit. Which, I've done.

Chapter Thirty Four – Luna

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-==(oIo)==-

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They were about an hour into the journey when Harry excused himself to go to the toilet. As he was returning he ran across a young blonde haired girl with almost silver eyes who was dragging her trunk behind her. He noticed she was wearing small radishes as earrings. Her wand was tucked behind her right ear.

"Hello," he said. "Didn't like the people you were sitting with?"

"No. They demanded I leave," she said in a soft dreamy voice. "I have no idea why."

"Hmmm..." said Harry. "Well, we have one spare seat in our compartment. You can come and sit with us, I guess."

"Thank you. That would be nice," she said.

Harry got her turned around and led her back to their compartment.

Sticking his head in the door, he asked, "Do we have room for what looks like a lost Firstie for the rest of the trip?"

The others all looked at each other and Daphne said, "Sure. Why not."

Harry had Luna step in and take the spare seat while he levitated her trunk up into the racks.

Once he had it secured, he closed the door properly and locked it; then took his seat back next to Daphne and recast the Door Sealing Charm on the door.

Daphne handled the introductions while Harry was getting himself comfortable again.

When she reached Hermione, the girl asked in that same dreamy voice, "Hermione. That's a character out of a Shakespearian play, isn't it?"

A little surprised, Hermione said, "Yes. Yes it is. From 'The Winter's Tale'. Very few people ever know that."

The introductions continued around to Harry. He was expecting a bit of a shock from the girl. Instead he got nothing. That surprised him. He thought her to be magical raised based on her odd muggle clothing choices.

"I like to dress this way, Harry. I like to be different," she suddenly said, as if knowing what he was thinking. "And where are my manners? I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood."

There were a few hellos from the group while Luna smiled. She then reached around to her back pocket and drew out a magazine. At least, it looked like a magazine until she opened it out and they could see it was a small newspaper.

Harry could see she was holding it upside down and was reading it.

Frowning a little, Harry asked, "Luna? Are you aware you're holding your newsmagazine upside down?"

"Oh, yes; thank you, Harry," she replied. "I became used to reading it this way when I was younger and watched my father putting issues together on our kitchen table. I would sit opposite and read it while he was working."

"That - kinda makes sense," he said, a little confused.

It wasn't too long before the rest of the group acted as if she wasn't there and began talking about anything and everything; as they were doing before she arrived. However, by unspoken agreement, they did not specifically discuss the Come and Go Room in front of her.

Hermione complained about how she had to leave her favourite book, 'Hogwarts: A History', behind because the Lockhart books took up too much room.

Harry said, "It's okay, Hermione; you can borrow mine once we get to Hogwarts. I'll bring it with me to breakfast."

"Thank you, Harry," she said, gratefully. "I'll return it when I can."

Harry shrugged and said, "Nah. Hold on to it."

She nodded.

After a couple of hours, Harry decided to try to get the new girl involved. He asked her, "What house are you hoping to get sorted into, Luna?"

"I will be in Ravenclaw, Harry," she calmly replied.

"Don't you mean you hope to be in Ravenclaw?" he gently asked.

"No," she replied with a shaking of her head. "I will be in Ravenclaw. The Hat will not disappoint me on this."

"Why do you want to be in Ravenclaw?" asked Daphne.

"Because I have the traits of the Lady Ravenclaw. Those traits she most sought for her House," the girl said.

"Well, I suppose even the Hat cannot argue with that logic," said Harry. "Are you sure you have them, though?"

"Very sure, Harry," she calmly replied with a smile.

"Then apparently I'll be welcoming you into Ravenclaw at the Sorting Feast," said Harry with a smile. "I'll sit on the end of the Second Years and save a place for you."

"I look forward to it," she replied. "Though, I am surprised."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because you should have been sorted into Slytherin," she said. "I'm surprised you managed to trick the Hat. He must be very cross with you."

"I'm sure he'll survive," laughed Harry. "Very few people know that."

"May I ask why you didn't want to be sorted into Slytherin?" she asked.

"I didn't want to be part of the poisoned relationship between Slytherin and Gryffindor," replied Harry with a shrug.

"I understand," she simply said.

"Harry, you're not supposed to trick the Hat," said Hermione. "Its job is to sort you, fairly!"

"Hermione, think what traits are supposed be present in a Slytherin. Do you think Crabbe and Goyle should be there, knowing that, instead of in Hufflepuff?" asked Harry.

"Now, Malfoy; he goes charging in. Look at his foolishness in challenging me to a duel in front of everyone in the Great Hall. The boy's a Gryffindor.

"And what about Ron Weasley in Gryffindor, where they pride themselves on bravery and derring-do. Doesn't he behave more like a Slytherin?"

"I - guess so," she said.

"If you want it bad enough, the Hat will place you in the House you want," said Harry. "And, clearly, Luna wants and is determined to be in Ravenclaw."

Talk turned to other matters and their door had been attempted to be opened only twice, and no one knocked.

When they were about an hour out of Hogsmeade the guys got down the trunks for the girls and stepped outside, closing the door behind them.

When the girls were finished, the boys allowed them out before sending the trunks back up, except for Harry's which again had Daphne's school robes in it. Then they got Neville's down.

The boys quickly changed and sent the trunks back up before letting the girls back in.

As soon as they were comfortable again, talk returned to what they were discussing immediately before Hermione, who was wearing a wind up wristwatch , suggested they change.

On arrival at Hogsmeade, Harry told Luna to leave her trunk on board and why. Then he escorted her off the train and sent her on her way to Hagrid, who was doing his "Firs' Years! Firs' Years!" call.

The Seven turned towards the carriages and boarded them as soon as they managed to snag one for themselves.

The ride was almost in silence except for Hermione saying, "I wonder if Professor Snape will be waiting for Harry, again, this time."

Harry shook his head and said, "Dumbledore won't miss the sorting. I believe he genuinely enjoys it."

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-==(oIo)==-

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As it was the Sorting Feast, the Seven split and went to their own House tables. This time Harry was quick to be as close as he could to the end on the side facing where the Hat would be placed. He made sure he left the five spaces for a possible ten new housemates to be sorted into their House.

Talk around the table while they waiting for the new First Years to arrive was, of course, what everyone did over summer; and Gilderoy Lockhart sitting in purple robes at the head table with a wide grin on his face. Harry told his year mates about visiting different friends and family around the island.

When one of the girls asked him something about Lockhart, Harry said, "I'll have to congratulate him."

"Oh?" she asked. "What ever for?"

"For being the only person I've seen, so far, who apparently likes to wear robes even uglier than Dumbledore's."

The girl wasn't happy hearing that and wouldn't talk to him again for the rest of the night.

When the First Years came in everyone first saw a big flash of light and a puff of purple smoke. At first, Harry thought the Weasley twins had decided to get their pranking in early this year. However, the flash and puff proved to be a blonde-haired boy with a camera. As soon as he entered the Hall he took the photograph.

However, behind the snap-happy boy, he was happy to see Luna looking around in awe, just like everyone else in her incoming year cohort.

The sorting song was along the same lines as the previous year and everyone appropriately applauded. Then the sorting actually commenced. Ravenclaw picked up the first sorted, a boy named Steven Bradley. The next was the budding photographer, Colin Creevey, who went to Gryffindor.

The sorting continued with Ravenclaw picking up a few more. Harry had to ask one lass, a girl named Shirley Fawcett, to leave a space for a friend. Before long Luna's name was called. As predicted she ended up in Ravenclaw, and Harry applauded as much as everyone else in his House. She immediately took the seat between him and Miss Fawcett.

Last to be called was Ginny Weasley. Harry felt like a bit of a heel because he hadn't thought about her for the whole train ride.

As the Hat was being placed on her head he could see her concentrate really hard. It took a few moments longer than usual but the Hat eventually sorted her into Gryffindor, along with the rest of the Weasleys.

Harry did notice she looked over to him a little sadly. He wondered why and hoped it wasn't because she was one of those fangirls.

"Ginny looked unhappy with her sort," said Luna.

"You know her?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes," replied Luna. "Our homes aren't that far apart. We often played as small children together." Looking a little askance at Harry she said, "We even played at being the lucky girl who would marry Harry Potter."

Dumbledore stood and gave his brief little speech he always does, then the feast was served. Harry returned to the conversation while he was loading his plate from the wide selection before him.

"Then you both must have been disappointed to learn I was actually betrothed," said Harry, not a little worried.

"No, I wasn't," said Luna. "To me, it was always a game. But I think Ginny actually believed she would marry you, one day. She was crushed when that article came out in the Daily Prophet. She came running to my home carrying that issue of the Prophet and crying."

"She brought a copy with her?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes. Daddy won't have it in our house. He thinks it's nothing but a - 'Lying scandal sheet that wouldn't know the truth if it was written as a statement of fact and signed in blood.' He really does not like them."

"Then it sounds like I need to organise a subscription to - The Quibbler, then," said Harry.

Luna beamed at him and said, "I shall organise it for you, Harry. It will only cost a little over a galleon for the whole year. And I have subscription forms available in my trunk."

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-==(oIo)==-

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At the end of the Feast, the First Years were led out by two Prefects and Harry hung back a bit to give Daphne a good night kiss before they each headed for their own common rooms.

Like a true feast, the Sorting and other feasts held throughout the year were always many multiple courses. They had salad, light soup, entree, mains, and desserts. Thinly sliced cheese was always available on the table to cleanse the palate between courses.

The number of courses was also the main reason they headed straight from the Great Hall to their common rooms. The feast went on for hours.

The next morning, Harry was a little late to rise and found everyone but Neville and Hermione at the Hufflepuff table.

"God!" said Harry. "I feel like I've only just eaten and we're already sitting down for breakfast."

"You'll burn it off quick enough in the Come and Go Room," said Tracey. "I couldn't believe how fast over summer I started to lose that lovely toning we'd all developed last year training with those training dummies."

Nodding, Susan said, "Yes, we should have been doing something by way of exercise during the break."

"Something to consider organising for next summer," said Daphne. "I doubt the Christmas break is long enough to trouble us too much."

"How about we head for the Room straight after class and before lunch?" asked Tracey. "I have this irrational fear it's no longer there."

The group agreed, and each would head directly to the Room straight from class.

As they were talking, their class schedules were handed out.

Harry took one look at it and said, "It's the same as last year. Nothing's different."

As they were discussing classes they were approached by young Malfoy and both goons. He was carrying an old copy of the Daily Prophet and dumped it on the table in front of Harry with the front page uppermost. On it was a picture of Harry just after he'd kicked Lockhart in the ankle.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said Malfoy, wearing his usual sneer. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Actually, I more love the expression on the face of the woodpecker, Lockhart," he laughed, before showing the others. "The silly git grabbed me inappropriately."

Looking up at Malfoy, he said, "Thanks for bringing that all the way from home on the Express for me, Malfoy. It gives me a chance to show the others the true side of Gilderoy Lockhart; idiot extraordinaire."

"I wonder if he still has the bruise," said Daphne.

Malfoy had clearly hoped to embarrass Harry in front of his friends. Instead, he had unwantedly earn the thanks of the boy and aided him in providing humour for his friends.

Malfoy stormed off, upset his plan didn't work out as he expected, just as Harry heard someone in a boyish excited voice call his name in greeting. Harry looked up just in time to get half blinded by a camera flash with the *poomph!* sound of a camera flash going off close by.

He was about to yell at the particular idiot when Susan, thinking quickly, snatched the camera out of the boy's fingers and dropped it onto the table between them.

Harry glared at the boy and, in a quiet snarl, said, "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."

The boy paled and, stammering, replied, "S - Sorry, Harry. I - I just wanted a picture. You know? To send my parents."

"And you, in any way, did not think before you acted, did you?" asked Harry.

The boy just shook his head, still quite afraid.

"Then I shall tell you what you did wrong, Mister Creevey," said Harry. "Your first mistake was not asking for my permission, and receiving it, before you took my photo. Your second, was that you acted overly-familiar with me by calling me by my first name; instead of calling me Mister Potter. That was an insult."

Harry reached out and lifted the camera off the table, turning it in his hands.

Turning to look at the boy again, he said, "You lack common etiquette, Mister Creevey. My betrothed, Miss Greengrass," indicating Daphne beside him, "and I, run an etiquette club every other Sunday, here in the castle. Next Sunday - not this one - you are to report yourself to the clubroom on the third floor by 4.30pm. There, you will be taught what you need to know to make your way in wizarding society. Am I clear?"

The boy nodded.

"Good lad," said Harry, handing him back his camera. "Do not take photos of people without their permission, in advance, again. Run along." And made a shooing motion.

The boy shot away as if he had a dragon looking to take a bite out of his behind.

"Was that completely necessary, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Better a verbal slap down now, than someone making it a physical one later," replied Harry.

"And, I believe Neville, Hermione, Susan and Hannah need to make a move if they do not wish to be late to their first class of the new year," said Daphne, defusing the situation.

"And we're free until after lunch," said Harry.

Just as the Snakes and Puffs were about to leave, Luna walked over and handed Harry a small parchment. "The subscription form you requested, Harry," she airily said, before starting to walk away again.

"Thank you, Luna," he said. While bidding the others a good morning of study, even if it was History of Magic, he pulled out ink and a quill and began to fill the subscription form out.

"What have you got there, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"A subscription form for The Quibbler," he said.

"The newsmagazine Luna's dad produces?" she asked.

"That's the one," replied Harry.

"Errrr... Harry?" asked Neville a little hesitantly. "Are you aware Luna's dad, Xenophilius, is considered a little odd? The Quibbler tends to report a lot of fanciful stuff and makes it seem like it's real."

"In other words," said Harry, looking up. "Not that much different from the Daily Prophet, then. At least with The Quibbler it appears people have learned not to take what it reports too seriously, as they do with the Prophet."

Neville thought about that for a couple moments and then snorted in amusement. "You've got a point, there."

"So, what shall we do until lunch, then?" asked Harry.

"We could study," said Hermione.

"We could go up to the Room early," said Neville. "We can train and Hermione can study there."

"Two birds with one stone," said Harry. "Does that suit you, Hermione?"

"Yes," she replied. "I figured out I can get just about any book the library offers in there."

"And, speaking of books," said Harry. "I've got my copy of 'Hogwarts: A History' in my bag for you, as promised. I'll even carry it for you up to the Room."

Hermione grinned. Clearly, he was forgiven for his remarks to young Mister Creevey.

After Harry finished filling out the form he noticed Luna had already left. So he blew on it to make sure it was dried before dropping it into his bookbag, along with the ink and his quill.

The three then left and headed down into the dungeons to use the hidden passageway up to the seventh floor.

Reaching the needed corridor, Harry walked the three times while thinking of 'their' room and, as soon as the door appeared, he led the other two inside.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

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As lunch came around, after a good workout with the training dummies, Harry and the others left to head for the Great Hall.

On entering, they sat at the Ravenclaw table. Young Luna was already there seeming to build some sort of castle with her food before promptly attacking it. He watched, amused, for a while.

Once she seemed to be able to handle talking to him, Harry pulled out his subscription to The Quibbler, together with the subscription fee of 1₲ 5Š and handed the subscription and coins over to the girl.

Luna calmly took them and dropped them into her bookbag before she breezily said, "Thank you, Harry. I shall see to the sending off of your subscription to Daddy after classes, this afternoon. I will even include a note informing him you paid the fee directly to me."

"Thank you, Luna," said Harry, with a nod. "That would be appreciated."

Returning to his friends, Harry told Daphne and the others how he quickly felt when he began training with the dummies, again. Neville and Hermione said the same.

"I felt - slow," he explained. "Either that or - no, I definitely felt slow. I've definitely lost a little off the edge in speed in accuracy. That's something I'm going to have to overcome before I can advance any further."

After lunch Harry, Daphne and Tracey had Defence Against the Dark Arts; so headed upstairs to that particular classroom.

When they entered they were confronted with quite the number of photographs of the dim-witted woodpecker smiling at them over and over from the various images.

As usual the sitting arrangements divided over House lines. However, Harry went and sat between Daphne and Tracey. It earned him quite a few scowls from Slytherins and Ravenclaws alike.

They had all just found their seats and were pulling out parchment quills and ink when the turquoise-robed prat entered.

He gave some silly monologue about how great he was and then moved to his desk. Harry hadn't noticed it before; but, sitting on the desk, appeared to a be a box shape with a black cloth covering it.

"We shall first be taking a little test. This is so I have an idea of how well you all know me," the prat declared. And they were all treated to another dazzling smile.

Lockhart called up one of the girls to come and collect a great stack of parchment to be handed around. And, soon, each student had three sheets of parchment before them.

"Have you noticed how the idiot continually poses for photographs ever though there's no camera around?" muttered Harry.

Both girls lightly giggled behind their hands.

Looking around the classroom Harry could see that almost all the girls were looking at the fop with dreamy smiles. At least, those whose faces he could see.

Finally, looking down at what was before him, Harry could see it was a test with about eighteen questions on each page.

"I want you all to answer the questions," posed, yet again, the fop. "But, have no fear, I shall make sure you're all aware of the proper answers to the questions next lesson before we move on to a practical side of Defence Against the Dark Arts for the day. "For now, you may take up your quills and begin."

Looking at the top sheet, Harry began to read and answer the questions

Defence Against the Dark Arts - Second Year Essential Knowledge Test

1. What is Gilderoy's favourite colour? Flash purple, the colour of the smoke emitted by a wizarding camera when it takes a photograph.

2. What is Gilderoy's Lockhart's secret ambition? To prove that you actually can fool all of the people, all of the time.

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? Fooling most of the people, all of the time.

4. How many times has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award? Never. He bribed the editor into awarding it to him each time he claims he has won it.

5. In his book Break with a Banshee, how did Gilderoy Lockhart bravely banish the Bandon Banshee? It doesn't say. The method he claims in the aforementioned fictional work, he is incapable of achieving.

6. Which is Gilderoy Lockhart's best side for photographs? His backside.

7. Has Gilderoy Lockhart ever won the Dunstable Duelling Championship for wizards or just been pipped at the post? I don't think Lockhart even knows when and where it's held.

8. Which product does Gilderoy Lockhart use to clean his teeth with to achieve his famous dazzling white smile? Hippogriff shite. He spews so much of it he has plenty to spare. And he uses a simple cantrip to make his teeth sparkle.

On and on the questions went until Harry finally reached the final question.

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday and what would his ideal gift be? To spend decades within Azkaban for defrauding the public by claiming his works of fiction to be fact. Oh, that would be what I think would be his 'ideal gift'.

Finally setting his quill aside, Harry saw he was nearly the last to finish.

Both Daphne and Tracey were reading his answers as he wrote them once he was about halfway through and were trying hard not to burst out into loud laughter. Daphne had tears in her eyes and was making liberal use of a handkerchief, while Tracey was not far off being the same.

Once he was done, he sat there trying to calm the girls down until the fop called for the tests to be handed forward. Once they were all back to him, the idiot practically strutted around to the other side of the desk.

"Today, we learn how to deal with pixies!" beamed the idiot, while whisking the cover off the cage with a flourish. "Now, as you can plainly see, these are Cornish pixies. Devilishly tricky little blighters, they can be!"

The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Don't worry," the fop said, a bit condescendingly, "If any of you have trouble with them, I will be here to bail you out."

"Now this can prove interesting," muttered Harry to the two girls. "I wouldn't have thought we'd move to Stunning Spells this early. The book calls for that spell to be taught during our third year."

Having already drawn his own wand, the fop gave them a quick demonstration of a wand movement and said the incantation, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

Harry just snorted.

Harry made sure the two girls had the proper wand movements and incantation for the Stunning Spell down while he had half an eye on the idiot.

"Now, children!" said the twit. "Let's have a go at them, shall we?" And he opened the cage wide.

It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized one poor boy by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the rubbish basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and the boy was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

The only calm spot was in the back where Tracey was shielding Harry and Daphne, while those two were having a ball shooting underpowered Stunning Charms at the little blue beasties knocking them out of the air one-by-one.

"Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by the boy, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.

The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Harry, Daphne and Tracey, who were having loads of fun, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.

"Can you believe him?" said Tracey as one of the remaining pixies attempted to get around her shield.

"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Daphne, between casts while trying to take aim on a pixie that was attempting to hide behind one of the photographs.

"Hands on?" asked Harry, who was trying to take out a particularly annoying pixie that was trying to carry the now empty rubbish bin over and dump it on them. "Daphne, he didn't have a clue what he was doing."

Daphne was giggling between shots. "You've read his books. Look at all those amazing things he's done."

"Ha!" replied Harry.

"If he's this dangerous in other classes, especially with the Firsties, and I find out about it, I'm going to get him kicked out of this school one way or the other," said Harry firmly. "Kids could get hurt."

Once they were sure they'd managed to stun all the little buggers, the three of them went around and collected up all their little bodies and stuffed them back inside the cage.

"Any more?" asked Daphne.

Harry and Tracey both shooks their heads while checking underneath things, just in case they were wrong.

Daphne closed and locked the cage and then hit it with the Enervate Charm, Renervate, waking them all up again.

Then the three used wide-area Repair Charms, Reparo, to set most of the classroom back to rights. Once done, they left, with Harry muttering something about useless peacocks.

"Come on," said Tracey. "The others are expecting us in our Room. They want to know how our first class with Lockhart went as they have him tomorrow afternoon."

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-==(oIo)==-

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