Light in the Darkness

Chapter 21: The Problem With Distance

Luna Lovegood was already sitting in the compartment when Neville arrived. The Hogwarts Express was crowded that day, the hallway covered by girls trying to see Harry Potter. Luna's eyes were trained on a copy of The Quibbler. He wondered for a moment if the girl knew the magazine was upside down.

"Hello, Luna," Neville greeted, taking the seat across from her.

"Hi, Neville. Have a good summer?" Her eyes were still trained on the magazine in her hands.

"It was alright," he told her honestly. "How was your summer?"

"Daddy and I spent it in Sweden looking for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack." Neville wasn't sure what that was and was saved from asking by Harry Potter entering their compartment.

Harry's numerous fans kept looking over at them and staring. Neville had never been given this much attention before. Him and Luna weren't famous like Harry. He was only used to people staring at him when they were laughing at him for messing up again. "They're even staring at us!" he exclaimed to Harry. "Because we're with you!"

"They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry, too," Harry told him. "Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must've seen it."

"Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity," Neville stated. "But she was really pleased. Says I'm starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!" He pulled out his new wand to show Harry. "Cherry and unicorn hair. We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished next day."

Neville was sad to hear about Ollivander missing. He was a nice man. The train was moving now.

"Are we still doing D.A. meetings this year, Harry?" Luna asked, glancing up from her magazine.

"No point now we've got rid of Umbridge, is there?" Harry answered. Neville hadn't realized that they didn't need the D.A. anymore. He loved the D.A. Harry was a good teacher and Neville didn't feel so foolish in the lessons.

"I liked the D.A.!" Neville told Harry. "I learned loads with you!"

"I enjoyed the meetings too," Luna commented. "It was like having friends."

Neville opened his mouth to refute that. Didn't she know by now that they were friends? But before Neville had the chance to say anything, Harry's admirers appeared at their compartment. "Hi, Harry, I'm Romilda Vane," one said. Neville tried to think if he had seen her around Hogwarts before. He couldn't remember. "Why don't you join us in our compartment?" she continued to Harry in a loud whisper. "You don't have to sit with them." She looked pointedly at Luna and Neville.

"They're friends of mine," Harry stated coldly.

"Oh," Romilda Vane said, "okay." She and her friends left after that.

"People expect you to have cooler friends than us," said Luna. Neville just nodded, agreeing with her.

"You are cool," Harry said simply. "None of them were at the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."

"That's a very nice thing to say," Luna beamed at Harry before glancing back down at her magazine.

Neville studied Luna for a moment. He didn't know anyone else in the whole world like her. She never shied away from stating the truth. She never let anyone embarrass her. She was completely her own person.

The sun was cascading down on her through the window, making her look like she was glowing. She was beautiful, he suddenly realized. She was strange, but she was beautiful.