Emerald Moon

Chapter 3 - Thestrals

Luna's heart always made an excited flutter whenever the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Hogwarts was her home away from home. She felt truly in her element there. Feeling the magic and all the possibilities to tap into made her feel as close to her mother as she believed possible. Her mother, Pandora, had adored magic. Of course any wizard or witch appreciated their own abilities but to her mother, and Luna herself, it felt like an entirely new realm that you could explore at will. It fuelled her. Being home with father, with the underage restrictions in place, seemed to dull something inside her. She couldn't wait until she turned 17 and could truly be magically free.

But the downside to Hogwarts was of course the separation with her father, whom she loved dearly. In an ideal world, Xenophilius Lovegood would be here with her. Perhaps as a professor. She knew he would be a wonderful teacher. But his heart lay with The Quibbler and she couldn't be prouder of him.

She let the throng of students guide her towards the carriages, where some of her favourite magical creatures stood waiting. Majestic in their shining black fur and long manes, the herd of Thestrals had always been a comfort to her. Especially at times when she had felt lonely. It was odd to think back to her first years at Hogwarts and realise how much she had depended on them.

She had always been aware that she went through life on a tune rather different then her classmates. While she thrived on her creative soul and unpredictability, it quickly became apparent that there were few who found satisfaction in that too. Only Professor Trelawny had sensed early on what went on in her mind and had taken her under her wing, even before she started Divination. She had even helped her retrieve her belongings at the end of her first year, when the Nargles had hidden everything. That had been the only time Luna had truly been upset about the situation. But thankfully as the years went on, less of her stuff disappeared and even her dorm mates had stopped helping the Nargles as often.

Last year had changed her, she sensed it deeply. Learning so much new magic and meeting new friends in the DA was something she had never predicted. She would always be grateful to Ginny Weasley for being such a kind friend and introducing her. And despite her initial expectation that her new friends would all go their own separate ways, Harry Potter had surprised her by unequivocally stating she was his friend and even inviting her to a party. She had loved it! Meeting so many interesting people and sharing knowledge was something she loved to do best. Even the reserved yet polite boy Blaise had seemed interested in her story. She hoped he enjoyed the Quibbler edition she'd sent. Although there had been no reply, he had taken very good care of her owl Diana, and that told Luna everything she needed to know. You could always tell whether people were good or not by how they treated animals.

There was no chance this time to give the Thestrals some extra attention and so she decided to slip out this afternoon, before dinner, to give them some treats. It had been Christmas after all. To her glee, both her missing boots now stood by her bedside when she arrived in her dormitory. Two of the other dormitories girls had arrived by train too, excitedly catching up. The other two would arrive via Floo powder in Professor Flitwicks office. Many more students had chosen that way of travel for safety. Neither she or her father believed it would make any difference. The Ministry, who had organised the unconventional travel method, couldn't be trusted anyway.

Luna quickly exchanged pleasantries before slipping into some clean warm clothes. Gleefully she pulled up her newly knitted stockings, covered with little silver stars and slipped on her boots. She twisted the top part of her hair into a messy bun, securing it with her wand before skipping down towards the kitchens. The Head House Elf, in charge of the kitchens called Pitts, always let her take some scraps to feed a variety of creatures. The corridors were still sparsely populated as students were trickling back into Hogwarts. Apart from two Hufflepuff and Slytherin first-years, she met no one through the dungeons hallway, as she walked towards the fruit portrait. She grinned as she tickled the pear fruit softly and entered the kitchens.