Luna Lovegood
Half_Baked_cat
Not too sore, are you?
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Luna Lovegood
It was a lovely Tuesday. The sun streamed into Luna's room bright and early as Luna put the last of the items she would need for school into her trunk. She dragged it to the landing of the floor her room was on before going downstairs and pulled out the pot. She placed the pot on the stove and set it to begin heating next to a kettle of water.
Luna began to hum to herself. She was excited for school. So many people to meet, books to read, and things to learn. She was a bit sad that she would have to wait for Care of Magical Creatures, but she was patient. She could wait.
Luna added a bit of oil into the bottom of the pot, waiting till it shimmered before adding in oats. She liked it when the oats were toasty. She gently stirred the oats so they wouldn't burn till some of them were starting to turn brown. She had toasted them too far before and found that unpleasant, so she tended to under toast them so they would be still good, even if not as good. Once they were getting close to where she liked them, she poured in the hot water from the kettle and added a bit of salt.
Salt was a rock that made food taste good. What an interesting thing that was. No life harmed at all to make other things better. Luna would have preferred to be more like a plant and not need to eat anything living to survive, but that was not how humans worked. At the very least, she could choose what was hurt for her own continued life.
Luna took a few red stalks of rhubarb and chopped them into bite sized pieces. The pieces of rhubarb were added to the pot of oats gently bubbling on the stove.
Luna wondered if she would be in Ravenclaw like her parents had been. Her dad would not tell her how the sorting worked, but seemed sure that she would do well no matter where she went. Her dad had difficulty showing his love, but Luna knew he loved her.
Luna's mom was dead.
Luna missed her mom. Luna knew her dad missed her mom. No matter how long it had been, it still hurt to think about it. About how Luna's mom died.
Luna tried not to think about her mom too much, but hoped her mom would be proud of her.
Luna set the table for two. Spoons at the ready, a little basket filled with fresh blackberries and currants, a little honey jar, and a teapot that she filled with freshly boiled water from the kettle. Table set, she made her way upstairs to her dad's room and knocked.
"Daddy! Breakfast is ready," she called out. She heard a grunt in response. She entered his room and saw him sprawled out on his bed. She began pushing him to get him up. "Daddy, time to get up."
Xenophilius groaned as he opened an eye. "What time is it, Pumpkin?" He asked.
"I'm not a pumpkin," Luna said. "But it should be a quarter till seven."
Xenophilius groaned. "What are doing up so early?"
"I go to school today."
Xenophilius snapped his eyes open, rolled over, and sat up straight. "That's today?"
Luna nodded with a large smile. "Yes, but that is after breakfast."
Luna turned and headed down to serve herself a bowl of porridge, topping it with the fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. She liked the currants and blackberries fresh in her porridge and the rhubarb cooked. The flavor was much better in her opinion than the other way around.
Her dad came down as she was pouring herself a cup of tea dressed for the day in his red and yellow pinstripe pants and the wide collared shirt with large red and yellow paisleys.
Luna thought it looked good on him as the bright, warm colors brought out his warm personality.
"Do you have all your things packed?" Xenophilius asked as he ate his porridge.
"Yes. Everything is in my trunk. I even have the new edition on top for the ride."
Xenophilius frowned. "You already have the new edition?"
Luna nodded. "You left one on the printer last night."
Xenophilius smiled. "At least you have the copy I saved just for you."
The two ate their breakfast, enjoying the last meal they would be having together for months.
Xenophilius set the dishes into the sink after breakfast and joined his daughter on the landing to her room, taking her hand in his and her trunk with the other. With a loud crack, the two apparated to the station. Luna felt when the magic surrounding the station caught them and nudged them to a specific landing area. It was a subtle shift, but with her dad bringing both her and her trunk along, it made the bump more noticeable during the brief moment of not being in either place.
Luna and her dad were not the first ones to arrive at the platform. Other families were milling around the platform. The large scarlet engine was quietly sitting there as there was still time before it began to warm up its engine. Xenophilius helped Luna get her trunk onto the train and gave her a hug, saying his goodbyes softly into her ear.
With that, Luna began dragging her trunk behind her to find a good compartment to enjoy the ride in. The train was so empty that it was not difficult to find an empty compartment. With that done, Luna pulled out her copy of the Quibbler, setting it on one of the seats, and got set to lifting her luggage lifted up into the luggage rack above the seats.
This turned out to be more difficult than she initially expected. The trunk had lightening charms on it, making it light enough for Luna to lift it up. She was just too short and her trunk too awkwardly shaped to get it up by herself.
"Go find Lavender and Parvati. I'll get caught up with them later," a voice as serious as a graveyard said outside the compartment's door.
"You sure?" a voice as vibrant as a flowered meadow asked.
"Yes. I got your dad's book to keep me company and we've spent all break together."
"Ok! I'll see you at the feast?"
"Of course."
Quick footsteps left followed by the door opening, revealing a girl that was a little taller and maybe a year older than Luna. And eyes that saw things not of this world, piercing through the veil most people chose to keep over themselves.
"Sorry. I did not realize anyone had begun boarding yet," the girl said.
Luna gave her a smile. "It is perfectly alright. I do not mind the company."
"Alright," the girl said, stepping into the compartment. "Let me help."
With the girl's help, the two girls got their trunks into the racks and sat across from each other near the windows.
"I am Tanya Degurechaff, by the way," the girl said, holding out a hand that Luna shook.
Tanya's hand was firm and rough. "I am Luna Lovegood. It is nice to meet you, Tanya Degurechaff."
"This will be your first year, right?"
Luna nodded her head. "Yes. Are you a second year?"
Tanya nodded swiftly. "Yes. If you need any help, feel free to find me."
"Thank you."
The two of them slipped into companionable silence as they pulled out their reading material and took some time to quietly read. There was a fascinating article on the gulping plimpy in the Quibbler for this month. They were mostly just an annoyance and not particularly dangerous creatures. Bigger than normal plimpies and easily repelled by the Gurdyroot.
The train whistled an announcement that the train was starting to get ready to leave the station and a lot of commotion as students began to board the train in earnest. Many people checked in on Luna and Tanya's cabin with Tanya being greeted by many of the students by name. It was interesting watching the reactions people had to Tanya as even the older students seemed to know her. Some were respectful, plenty were friendly, and more than a few seemed cautious, almost fearful.
What an interesting person Tanya must be to be so popular after only a single year. Luna was not overly concerned about being popular, but she hoped she would make some friends and meet some like minded individuals.
Four girls in particular took a bit longer in saying their hellos. Two of them looked so much alike that Luna thought that one might be a doppelganger. Luna was introduced to them and it became clear that the doppelganger or the not doppelganger, whichever was first Luna supposed, was in Ravenclaw and all the other girls were Gryffindors like Tanya.
Another whistle rang out, alerting everyone it was getting close to the departure time. Another girl with bushy hair came by and joined Luna and Tanya in the compartment. Luna thought the new girl seemed wound up tightly like a coil in a clock.
Hermione was the new girl in the cabin, a friend of Tanya's. She was very curious about Luna's edition of the Quibbler, so Luna explained what it was. That it was the magazine her dad published and had articles about all sorts of fascinating topics.
Hermione seemed rather skeptical about the articles until Tanya stepped in to defend it as not everything was known yet. There are new discoveries being made all the time and that while it was fine to be skeptical, it was important to keep an open mind to new information. It was only a year prior that Hermione learned magic was even a real thing after all.
Luna decided that she rather liked Tanya. The older girl was more willing to be open than a lot of people that her dad talked to about his ideas.
It was just minutes before the train was about to depart that the compartment door opened up again with two heavy breathing boys came in.
"Tanya! Hermione!" The boy with black hair said with a grin. Luna saw the scar in his forehead and knew he had to be Harry Potter, but it would be rude to use names before being introduced. He might prefer going by another name like Moseley instead. Moseley was a nice sounding name. "Oh. I'm Harry."
Luna shook Harry's hand. "Hello Harry. I'm Luna Lovegood, but you can call me Luna if you want."
The cute boy next to Harry said, "Don't you live down the road in The Rook?"
That's right, Luna had seen the cute boy before. He was the youngest Weasley boy. "Yes. Along with my dad."
"Right, I'm Ron." Luna shook Ron's hand. Ron was likely short for Ronald. What a lovely name Ronald was.
Luna was happy when Ron decided to sit next to her. His body was radiantly warm as the five of them began talking, mostly the four second years talking about all the things Luna would be able to do at Hogwarts. The drama club sounded like fun, but Ron made the Dueling Club sound simply delightful.
A lady pushing a trolley stopped by around noon with a bunch of sweets. Everyone got some pumpkin pasties which Luna could tell from the smell were baked earlier that very day, the scent so delightfully fresh. It was sweet with big chunks of pumpkin in a sweet, spiced sauce. The crystals of sugar on the surface of the hand pie gave it a delightful crunch.
There was going to be a feast that evening after the sorting, so Luna didn't want to fill up too much to best enjoy the evening of eating, though she did get two extra pasties for later. Just in case.
Luna noticed that Hermione and Ron were the ones that talked the most with Harry occasionally popping in with some observation, but Tanya seemed to mostly just observe quietly, almost falling into the background, only speaking up to either answer a question or to correct something one of the others did. Luna tried to think of why someone would be that way. There were a few creatures her dad had told her about, but most of them focused their attention on teachers or the elderly.
How unusual.
Luna liked them. Maybe they could be friends. Hermione seemed to like knowledge, but didn't really seem open to new ideas that new knowledge can provide. Harry seemed to have a bit of a nervous air about him that he kept at bay behind a mask, yet he wore his emotions on his sleeves readily and saw little details more easily than most. Tanya seemed detached, as though she was not even fully in her own body. Luna had heard stories of ghosts possessing a body from some muggle kids, but she hadn't thought that a ghost could possess their own still living body. Was it her body? It was of no concern of Luna's if Tanya was possessing a body as long as she did not try to possess Luna's. Luna was rather attached to her body, thank you very much. Ron was cute.
"We should change," Tanya said, staring out of the window. It was starting to get close to the mid afternoon and the countryside was lovely and full of hills. Tanya looked at the boys who quickly got out of the compartment.
The three of them changed quickly before switching with the boys. Luna did not really like the school uniform. It was so plain, grey, and boring. Luna preferred brighter colors, especially warm pastel colors like yellow and orange. Though after joining the boys back in the compartment, Luna thought Ron made the uniform look good. She still didn't like the way it looked on her.
The conversations started up again with Tanya discussing their study group and how they would continue meeting regularly to go over the schoolwork.
"Would anyone be able to join?" Luna asked, staring at Tanya, who seemed to be the one who organized everything.
"This study group would be second years only as the lessons should be year appropriate, but I would be willing to help you organize something for your yearmates."
"That sounds nice," Luna said, giving Tanya a smile.
The rest of the train ride was rather enjoyable to Luna. She was excited to meet more of her year and housemates soon.
Luna watched the sun set as they got close to Hogsmeade Station. Streaks of clouds hanging in an orange sky that slowly turned to purples and then mostly void, partially stars. It was shortly after the stars began to shine as a sliver of moon drifted up into the sky that the train pulled into the station.
A voice had told everyone to leave their luggage on the train. Luna put her magazine on top of her trunk seeing as she would likely not be reading much during the feast. She followed the older students until a booming voice caught her attention.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" A large man holding up a lantern at one end of the station called out.
"We'll see you at the feast," Harry said with a smile.
"I suppose you will," Luna said as she headed towards the large man along with her other yearmates. They were soon led down a dark path and shuffled onto some bobbing boats to be pulled along by an unseen force. In the distance was a grand castle of many towers and windows twinkling to a backdrop of stars. The moon was perched neatly over the highest tower.
If Luna had her paints, she would be tempted to try recreating the scene. Instead, she would have to store the site in her memories.
'Chunk.' A flash went off in one of the other boats, drawing Luna's attention to a boy putting down his camera.
They traveled smoothly across the surface of the lake surrounding the castle before slipping into an alcove under the castle where they were helped out of the boats and led to a large set of doors where they were handed off to a serious looking older woman that was introduced as Professor McGonagall. She led them to a hall and told them to straighten up while she headed on ahead and would be back for them shortly.
Speculation broke out about what the sorting could be. How would they sort all the students? So many of her fellow students were nervous about the coming sorting. Luna was not overly concerned. There was little she could do now about the sorting and being nervous never helped anyone. It only encouraged wrackspurts to infest the mind.
Positive thoughts could banish wrackspurts so Luna thought about Ron being her friend.
Ghosts entered the hall through the walls startling everyone. This was the first time Luna had seen a real ghost without a body. She looked at the ghosts carefully, comparing them to Tanya. They were not the same. The ghosts played at not noticing those around them, but they were not as detached from those around them. They were far more lively than Tanya seemed to be on the train.
Curious. Perhaps Tanya was some sort of new magical creature.
Professor McGonagall came back and shooed away the ghosts before bringing the first years into a large dining hall with a ceiling that matched the skies outside. They were lined up in front of the upper year students on display. Luna ended up between a nervous looking boy that had a scrape on his cheek and a dusky skinned girl.
Professor Mcgonagall set a stool down with an old hat in a rather prominent place in front of the school. Luna tilted her head as she looked at the hat, finding it rather interesting when a rip opened up near it's brim and it began to sing.
"Oh, gather 'round, both big and small,
The Sorting Hat is here to call.
For every soul, both near and far,
A house awaits beneath the star.
This old cap is ancient true,
But reliable as yew.
Place me on your bonnet,
And listen well to my sonnet.
Gryffindor, where courage gleams,
In lions' hearts, it's more than dreams.
For those who face their fears head-on,
Gryffindor is where you belong.
Hufflepuff, with loyalty strong,
In friendship's bonds, you'll all belong.
For those who value others' worth,
Hufflepuff will claim your berth.
Ravenclaw, where wisdom's song,
In minds so keen, you'll all belong.
Wit beyond measure,
A Ravenclaw's greatest treasure.
Slytherin, with ambition's fire,
In cunning hearts, your dreams aspire.
For those who dare to reach their goal,
Slytherin will make you whole.
So listen closely, one and all,
The Sorting Hat's about to call.
For in your heart, the truth lies true,
Hogwarts welcomes you, through and through!"
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor Mcgonagall said after the cheering that erupted died down. "Baldwin, Erika!"
A taller, widely built girl was the first to go up and be sorted, the hat taking only a moment on her head before yelling out, "Hufflepuff!"
"Beaumont, Leahn!"
A rather pasty skinned girl was next, quickly being sorted into "Slytherin!" before she strode over to the applauding table, head held high.
"Buttonwood, Leilani!"
A good number of the girls were getting sorted early, Luna noted as Leilani was sorted into "Gryffindor!"
"Candlenut, Artie!"
The boy with the scrape on his cheek next to Luna was the next to be sorted into "Hufflepuff!"
"Creevy, Colin!"
The boy with the camera nearly tripped over himself rushing to the stool with the sorting hat on it. The hat took a moment to sort him into "Gryffindor!"
"Brooks, Dime!"
A shorter girl rushed up to the stool. Luna almost thought she saw the hat chuckle before yelling out, "Hufflepuff!"
"Feather, Aqua!"
Luna looked out at the crowd as Ms. Feather was getting sorted into "Slytherin!" Spotting a group of red hair at the Gryffindor table, Luna was able to spot Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Tanya.
"Flynn, Claire!"
Tanya noticed Luna was looking at them and waved at her.
"Slytherin!"
"Gnats, Carson!"
Luna waved back before turning back to see a smaller boy in glasses taking his turn.
"Ravenclaw!"
It was nice that things seemed to be moving quickly. Luna was getting a bit hungry. Maybe she shouldn't have had such a light lunch.
"Gulls, Ira!"
Luna frowned as Ms. Gulls took a while under the hat. The hat seemed to be having difficulty with her.
"Slytherin!"
"Harlan, Diane!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Harper, Ephriam!"
"Slytherin!"
"Hawks, Sterling!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Hearth, Dusty!"
"Slytherin!"
"Horn, Newton!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Ibrahim, Susan!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Inkwell, Ryland!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Karikiya, Kiki!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Lovegood, Luna!"
Oh, it was Luna's turn now. She went over to the stool and had the hat placed on her head. It was large and fell over her eyes, putting her into the dark.
"Hmm, very interesting mind here," The hat muttered into Luna's ear. "Only one place a mind like this belongs. Ravenclaw!"
With the shout, the hat was pulled off her head and Luna headed towards the empty space set aside for the first years at the Ravenclaw table. Luna gave the other Ravenclaws a smile before turning to pay attention to the rest of the sorting. She watched the sorting occur, tracking faces to names to house.
"Mallard, Cecil!!" "Hufflepuff!"
"McDaniels, Rex!" "Slytherin!"
"Mulberry, Haven!" "Hufflepuff!"
"Palmer, Steve!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Patt, Harley!" "Slytherin!"
"Quartz, Joshua!" "Gryffindor!"
"Rivers, Stella!" "Gryffindor!"
"Smallflower, Elizabeth!" "Ravenclaw!"
The tables were filling up, there was getting to be little space left at each table for the remaining first years.
"Smith, Hiram!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Sweets, Neil!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Weasley, Ginny!"
Luna recognized Ginny. They had occasionally played together as neighbors over the years. It did not take long at all before the hat yelled, "Gryffindor!"
"Winchell, Maurine!" "Gryffindor!"
Only one boy was left, already moving towards the stool as Professor McGongall called out, "Yowie, Bob!"
He took a moment sitting under the hat before the hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"
With everyone sorted, Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll of names and took away the hat and its stool. As she did that, Albus Dumbledore, a face nearly everyone in the Wizarding World would recognize, stood up and clapped his hands together.
"Welcome! Welcome everyone to another year full of learning here at Hogwarts!" His voice carried easily through the hall. "Now, I'm sure everyone is rather hungry for the banquet, so I will not Dally! Tinker! Plod! And Trifle!"
With that, he sat back down and food appeared on the table. Luna frowned at the spread presented. There was an awful lot of different meats. The smell of the roasted flesh did awful things to Luna's stomach. Still, it would not be good to skip eating entirely and there were a few veggies on offer. Some peas, carrots, potatoes prepared a couple different ways, and a yorkshire pudding or two were put onto Luna's plate.
Those around her quickly noticed Luna was avoiding any of the meats and the conversation arose around that. Luna doing her best to explain she didn't like the thought of anything getting hurt for her sustenance. A couple of the older students, including one that had a badge with a large P pinned to her chest, began to debate the benefits of vegetarianism. It was a rather nice conversation, Luna thought, that lasted until dinner was finished, plates cleared, and everything was replaced with a load of desserts. Tarts, ice creams, and a whole manner of other sweet treats.
Luna got herself a nice slice of Manchester Tart and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Luna was feeling comfortably full and getting a bit sleepy as the tables cleared again and Dumbledore stood up again.
"Well, that was a rather lovely start of the year feast, I'm sure you all will agree. Now to the unfortunately boring part of the start of term announcements. To wit, first years, as well as a few older students, should note that the forest around the school is named the Forbidden Forest. For the reason that entering it is forbidden.
"Next, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, would like me to remind students magic in the halls is expressly not allowed outside of class time and that a list of forbidden objects can be found attached to his door.
"Finally, as many of the older students already know, we have a dragon on campus. A reminder to all students that approaching the enclosure that Rebecca is being kept in is highly dangerous and should only be done while accompanied by either Rubeus Hagrid, the Groundskeeper, or Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures professor. And that any student that does not follow their instructions while visiting Rebecca will be severely punished after they are healed in the hospital wing."
There was a dragon at the school? Luna leaned forwards a bit at learning that. They were very dangerous creatures and not one that Luna was particularly interested in compared to many of the ones mentioned in the Quibbler, but getting to see one up close was still an exciting prospect.
"And now, before I send you all off to bed, let us all sing the school's song."
Luna liked to sing, so she was happy to join in the cacophony of students singing in a host of different tunes, beats, and rhythms. It was rather a lot of fun being a voice lost in a sea of other voices.
With the song done, Dumbledore sent the students off to bed, the Prefect sitting with the first years gathering up all the first years and showing them the way to the Ravenclaw common room. It was a bit of a trek, going up several flights of stairs in a tower, reaching a door with no visible lock, knob, or handle. Only a brass knocker in the shape of an eagle.
"This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. The way in requires answering a riddle to keep your mind constantly sharp."
The knocker chose that moment to speak up, "Glittering points that downward thrust, sparkling spears that never rust. What are they?"
"Well, do any of you have an answer?" the Prefect asked the gathered first years.
Several of the first years spoke up at once.
"Icicles!" "Lightning!"
Among a few others. Whatever the answer was, it was said as the door opened and the group filed into the Common Room. It was a large, airy and circular space filled with blues on the tapestries and detailing on the furnishings. Bookshelves were plentiful and there were large, arched windows looking out onto the darkened grounds. It was a very cozy space that Luna could see whiling away hours in with a good book or article from her dad's magazine.
The Prefect stood in front of a statue of a woman, likely Rowena Ravenclaw, that had a door on either side. "Boys are to the right, girls to the left. Do try to get to sleep quickly as classes start in the morning."
Luna and Elizabeth Smallflower went to the left. The only two first year girls in Ravenclaw. They were sharing a room with four poster beds with blue linens, their trunks at the foot of the beds, Luna's easily identified by her copy of the Quibbler sitting on top.
"So, just the two of us," Elizabeth said, a cheeky grin as she quickly changed for bed.
"Yes. It would seem so," Luna agreed, taking her time changing.
"I hope we get along well." Elizabeth took out a small black journal from her trunk and sat down at her desk in the room to write in.
Luna hoped so as well, pulling out an old journal of her own. Her dad told her it was always good to make good notes about both what she did during the day and anything she learned. You never knew when you needed to check your notes later.
—
AN: Don't do this too often, but this is useful for me. The following is a list of all the first years, their house, and relevant information as it comes up.
Student List:
Erika Baldwin - Hufflepuff - Girl - Tall (among the first years) and widely built.
Leahn Beaumont - Slytherin - Girl - Pasty skinned. French style aloofness.
Leilani Buttonwood - Gryffindor - Girl
Artie Candlenut - Hufflepuff - Boy - Had a scrape on cheek during sorting
Colin Creevy - Gryffindor - Boy - Has a camera
Brooks Dime - Hufflepuff - Girl - Short (among the first years)
Aqua Feather - Slytherin - Girl
Claire Flynn - Slytherin - Girl
Carson Gnats - Ravenclaw - Boy - Smaller and wears glasses
Ira Gulls - Slytherin - Girl - Hat stall.
Diane Harlan - Gryffindor - Girl
Ephriam Harper - Slytherin - Boy
Sterling Hawks - Ravenclaw - Boy
Dusty Hearth - Slytherin - Boy
Newton Horn - Gryffindor - Boy
Susan Ibrahim - Hufflepuff - Girl - Dusky skinned
Ryland Inkwell - Ravenclaw - Boy
Kiki Karikiya - Hufflepuff - Girl
Luna Lovegood - Ravenclaw - Girl - Got a chapter from POV. Father owns and prints a magazine. Has a crush on Ron Weasley. Owns a journal/diary.
Cecil Mallard - Hufflepuff - Boy
Rex McDaniels - Slytherin - Boy
Haven Mulberry - Hufflepuff - Girl
Steve Palmer - Ravenclaw - Boy
Harley Patt - Slytherin - Boy
Joshua Quartz - Gryffindor - Boy
Stella Rivers - Gryffindor - Girl
Elizabeth Smallflower - Ravenclaw - Girl - Luna's Roommate. Owns a black journal/diary.
Hiram Smith - Ravenclaw - Boy
Neil Sweets - Ravenclaw - Boy
Ginny Weasley - Gryffindor - Girl - Youngest of the Weasleys. Crush on Harry Potter.
Maurine Winchell - Gryffindor - Girl
Bob Yowie - Hufflepuff - Boy
One more thing. For total transparency the Sorting Hat song was devised with heavy AI assistance. I am not happy I had to go down to that level, but I did not want to take 6 months trying to craft a song or just brush over it entirely. There are a lot of moral questions around the use of AI. Here I used it as a tool to help with a 160ish words section in a chapter with several thousand words. The biggest reason I even did this has to do with Luna's canon introduction where she is introduced as a Ravenclaw and mentions "wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." And that just sounds like something ripped straight out of a Sorting Hat song. So I worked it into this one.
AN2 (SB and QQ exclusive AN):
There is poll going on on my Patreon. It is dead tied between this story and my Jedi story. Even $1 can get your voice heard on the poll and break that tie.
It was a lovely Tuesday. The sun streamed into Luna's room bright and early as Luna put the last of the items she would need for school into her trunk. She dragged it to the landing of the floor her room was on before going downstairs and pulled out the pot. She placed the pot on the stove and set it to begin heating next to a kettle of water.
Luna began to hum to herself. She was excited for school. So many people to meet, books to read, and things to learn. She was a bit sad that she would have to wait for Care of Magical Creatures, but she was patient. She could wait.
Luna added a bit of oil into the bottom of the pot, waiting till it shimmered before adding in oats. She liked it when the oats were toasty. She gently stirred the oats so they wouldn't burn till some of them were starting to turn brown. She had toasted them too far before and found that unpleasant, so she tended to under toast them so they would be still good, even if not as good. Once they were getting close to where she liked them, she poured in the hot water from the kettle and added a bit of salt.
Salt was a rock that made food taste good. What an interesting thing that was. No life harmed at all to make other things better. Luna would have preferred to be more like a plant and not need to eat anything living to survive, but that was not how humans worked. At the very least, she could choose what was hurt for her own continued life.
Luna took a few red stalks of rhubarb and chopped them into bite sized pieces. The pieces of rhubarb were added to the pot of oats gently bubbling on the stove.
Luna wondered if she would be in Ravenclaw like her parents had been. Her dad would not tell her how the sorting worked, but seemed sure that she would do well no matter where she went. Her dad had difficulty showing his love, but Luna knew he loved her.
Luna's mom was dead.
Luna missed her mom. Luna knew her dad missed her mom. No matter how long it had been, it still hurt to think about it. About how Luna's mom died.
Luna tried not to think about her mom too much, but hoped her mom would be proud of her.
Luna set the table for two. Spoons at the ready, a little basket filled with fresh blackberries and currants, a little honey jar, and a teapot that she filled with freshly boiled water from the kettle. Table set, she made her way upstairs to her dad's room and knocked.
"Daddy! Breakfast is ready," she called out. She heard a grunt in response. She entered his room and saw him sprawled out on his bed. She began pushing him to get him up. "Daddy, time to get up."
Xenophilius groaned as he opened an eye. "What time is it, Pumpkin?" He asked.
"I'm not a pumpkin," Luna said. "But it should be a quarter till seven."
Xenophilius groaned. "What are doing up so early?"
"I go to school today."
Xenophilius snapped his eyes open, rolled over, and sat up straight. "That's today?"
Luna nodded with a large smile. "Yes, but that is after breakfast."
Luna turned and headed down to serve herself a bowl of porridge, topping it with the fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. She liked the currants and blackberries fresh in her porridge and the rhubarb cooked. The flavor was much better in her opinion than the other way around.
Her dad came down as she was pouring herself a cup of tea dressed for the day in his red and yellow pinstripe pants and the wide collared shirt with large red and yellow paisleys.
Luna thought it looked good on him as the bright, warm colors brought out his warm personality.
"Do you have all your things packed?" Xenophilius asked as he ate his porridge.
"Yes. Everything is in my trunk. I even have the new edition on top for the ride."
Xenophilius frowned. "You already have the new edition?"
Luna nodded. "You left one on the printer last night."
Xenophilius smiled. "At least you have the copy I saved just for you."
The two ate their breakfast, enjoying the last meal they would be having together for months.
Xenophilius set the dishes into the sink after breakfast and joined his daughter on the landing to her room, taking her hand in his and her trunk with the other. With a loud crack, the two apparated to the station. Luna felt when the magic surrounding the station caught them and nudged them to a specific landing area. It was a subtle shift, but with her dad bringing both her and her trunk along, it made the bump more noticeable during the brief moment of not being in either place.
Luna and her dad were not the first ones to arrive at the platform. Other families were milling around the platform. The large scarlet engine was quietly sitting there as there was still time before it began to warm up its engine. Xenophilius helped Luna get her trunk onto the train and gave her a hug, saying his goodbyes softly into her ear.
With that, Luna began dragging her trunk behind her to find a good compartment to enjoy the ride in. The train was so empty that it was not difficult to find an empty compartment. With that done, Luna pulled out her copy of the Quibbler, setting it on one of the seats, and got set to lifting her luggage lifted up into the luggage rack above the seats.
This turned out to be more difficult than she initially expected. The trunk had lightening charms on it, making it light enough for Luna to lift it up. She was just too short and her trunk too awkwardly shaped to get it up by herself.
"Go find Lavender and Parvati. I'll get caught up with them later," a voice as serious as a graveyard said outside the compartment's door.
"You sure?" a voice as vibrant as a flowered meadow asked.
"Yes. I got your dad's book to keep me company and we've spent all break together."
"Ok! I'll see you at the feast?"
"Of course."
Quick footsteps left followed by the door opening, revealing a girl that was a little taller and maybe a year older than Luna. And eyes that saw things not of this world, piercing through the veil most people chose to keep over themselves.
"Sorry. I did not realize anyone had begun boarding yet," the girl said.
Luna gave her a smile. "It is perfectly alright. I do not mind the company."
"Alright," the girl said, stepping into the compartment. "Let me help."
With the girl's help, the two girls got their trunks into the racks and sat across from each other near the windows.
"I am Tanya Degurechaff, by the way," the girl said, holding out a hand that Luna shook.
Tanya's hand was firm and rough. "I am Luna Lovegood. It is nice to meet you, Tanya Degurechaff."
"This will be your first year, right?"
Luna nodded her head. "Yes. Are you a second year?"
Tanya nodded swiftly. "Yes. If you need any help, feel free to find me."
"Thank you."
The two of them slipped into companionable silence as they pulled out their reading material and took some time to quietly read. There was a fascinating article on the gulping plimpy in the Quibbler for this month. They were mostly just an annoyance and not particularly dangerous creatures. Bigger than normal plimpies and easily repelled by the Gurdyroot.
The train whistled an announcement that the train was starting to get ready to leave the station and a lot of commotion as students began to board the train in earnest. Many people checked in on Luna and Tanya's cabin with Tanya being greeted by many of the students by name. It was interesting watching the reactions people had to Tanya as even the older students seemed to know her. Some were respectful, plenty were friendly, and more than a few seemed cautious, almost fearful.
What an interesting person Tanya must be to be so popular after only a single year. Luna was not overly concerned about being popular, but she hoped she would make some friends and meet some like minded individuals.
Four girls in particular took a bit longer in saying their hellos. Two of them looked so much alike that Luna thought that one might be a doppelganger. Luna was introduced to them and it became clear that the doppelganger or the not doppelganger, whichever was first Luna supposed, was in Ravenclaw and all the other girls were Gryffindors like Tanya.
Another whistle rang out, alerting everyone it was getting close to the departure time. Another girl with bushy hair came by and joined Luna and Tanya in the compartment. Luna thought the new girl seemed wound up tightly like a coil in a clock.
Hermione was the new girl in the cabin, a friend of Tanya's. She was very curious about Luna's edition of the Quibbler, so Luna explained what it was. That it was the magazine her dad published and had articles about all sorts of fascinating topics.
Hermione seemed rather skeptical about the articles until Tanya stepped in to defend it as not everything was known yet. There are new discoveries being made all the time and that while it was fine to be skeptical, it was important to keep an open mind to new information. It was only a year prior that Hermione learned magic was even a real thing after all.
Luna decided that she rather liked Tanya. The older girl was more willing to be open than a lot of people that her dad talked to about his ideas.
It was just minutes before the train was about to depart that the compartment door opened up again with two heavy breathing boys came in.
"Tanya! Hermione!" The boy with black hair said with a grin. Luna saw the scar in his forehead and knew he had to be Harry Potter, but it would be rude to use names before being introduced. He might prefer going by another name like Moseley instead. Moseley was a nice sounding name. "Oh. I'm Harry."
Luna shook Harry's hand. "Hello Harry. I'm Luna Lovegood, but you can call me Luna if you want."
The cute boy next to Harry said, "Don't you live down the road in The Rook?"
That's right, Luna had seen the cute boy before. He was the youngest Weasley boy. "Yes. Along with my dad."
"Right, I'm Ron." Luna shook Ron's hand. Ron was likely short for Ronald. What a lovely name Ronald was.
Luna was happy when Ron decided to sit next to her. His body was radiantly warm as the five of them began talking, mostly the four second years talking about all the things Luna would be able to do at Hogwarts. The drama club sounded like fun, but Ron made the Dueling Club sound simply delightful.
A lady pushing a trolley stopped by around noon with a bunch of sweets. Everyone got some pumpkin pasties which Luna could tell from the smell were baked earlier that very day, the scent so delightfully fresh. It was sweet with big chunks of pumpkin in a sweet, spiced sauce. The crystals of sugar on the surface of the hand pie gave it a delightful crunch.
There was going to be a feast that evening after the sorting, so Luna didn't want to fill up too much to best enjoy the evening of eating, though she did get two extra pasties for later. Just in case.
Luna noticed that Hermione and Ron were the ones that talked the most with Harry occasionally popping in with some observation, but Tanya seemed to mostly just observe quietly, almost falling into the background, only speaking up to either answer a question or to correct something one of the others did. Luna tried to think of why someone would be that way. There were a few creatures her dad had told her about, but most of them focused their attention on teachers or the elderly.
How unusual.
Luna liked them. Maybe they could be friends. Hermione seemed to like knowledge, but didn't really seem open to new ideas that new knowledge can provide. Harry seemed to have a bit of a nervous air about him that he kept at bay behind a mask, yet he wore his emotions on his sleeves readily and saw little details more easily than most. Tanya seemed detached, as though she was not even fully in her own body. Luna had heard stories of ghosts possessing a body from some muggle kids, but she hadn't thought that a ghost could possess their own still living body. Was it her body? It was of no concern of Luna's if Tanya was possessing a body as long as she did not try to possess Luna's. Luna was rather attached to her body, thank you very much. Ron was cute.
"We should change," Tanya said, staring out of the window. It was starting to get close to the mid afternoon and the countryside was lovely and full of hills. Tanya looked at the boys who quickly got out of the compartment.
The three of them changed quickly before switching with the boys. Luna did not really like the school uniform. It was so plain, grey, and boring. Luna preferred brighter colors, especially warm pastel colors like yellow and orange. Though after joining the boys back in the compartment, Luna thought Ron made the uniform look good. She still didn't like the way it looked on her.
The conversations started up again with Tanya discussing their study group and how they would continue meeting regularly to go over the schoolwork.
"Would anyone be able to join?" Luna asked, staring at Tanya, who seemed to be the one who organized everything.
"This study group would be second years only as the lessons should be year appropriate, but I would be willing to help you organize something for your yearmates."
"That sounds nice," Luna said, giving Tanya a smile.
The rest of the train ride was rather enjoyable to Luna. She was excited to meet more of her year and housemates soon.
Luna watched the sun set as they got close to Hogsmeade Station. Streaks of clouds hanging in an orange sky that slowly turned to purples and then mostly void, partially stars. It was shortly after the stars began to shine as a sliver of moon drifted up into the sky that the train pulled into the station.
A voice had told everyone to leave their luggage on the train. Luna put her magazine on top of her trunk seeing as she would likely not be reading much during the feast. She followed the older students until a booming voice caught her attention.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" A large man holding up a lantern at one end of the station called out.
"We'll see you at the feast," Harry said with a smile.
"I suppose you will," Luna said as she headed towards the large man along with her other yearmates. They were soon led down a dark path and shuffled onto some bobbing boats to be pulled along by an unseen force. In the distance was a grand castle of many towers and windows twinkling to a backdrop of stars. The moon was perched neatly over the highest tower.
If Luna had her paints, she would be tempted to try recreating the scene. Instead, she would have to store the site in her memories.
'Chunk.' A flash went off in one of the other boats, drawing Luna's attention to a boy putting down his camera.
They traveled smoothly across the surface of the lake surrounding the castle before slipping into an alcove under the castle where they were helped out of the boats and led to a large set of doors where they were handed off to a serious looking older woman that was introduced as Professor McGonagall. She led them to a hall and told them to straighten up while she headed on ahead and would be back for them shortly.
Speculation broke out about what the sorting could be. How would they sort all the students? So many of her fellow students were nervous about the coming sorting. Luna was not overly concerned. There was little she could do now about the sorting and being nervous never helped anyone. It only encouraged wrackspurts to infest the mind.
Positive thoughts could banish wrackspurts so Luna thought about Ron being her friend.
Ghosts entered the hall through the walls startling everyone. This was the first time Luna had seen a real ghost without a body. She looked at the ghosts carefully, comparing them to Tanya. They were not the same. The ghosts played at not noticing those around them, but they were not as detached from those around them. They were far more lively than Tanya seemed to be on the train.
Curious. Perhaps Tanya was some sort of new magical creature.
Professor McGonagall came back and shooed away the ghosts before bringing the first years into a large dining hall with a ceiling that matched the skies outside. They were lined up in front of the upper year students on display. Luna ended up between a nervous looking boy that had a scrape on his cheek and a dusky skinned girl.
Professor Mcgonagall set a stool down with an old hat in a rather prominent place in front of the school. Luna tilted her head as she looked at the hat, finding it rather interesting when a rip opened up near it's brim and it began to sing.
"Oh, gather 'round, both big and small,
The Sorting Hat is here to call.
For every soul, both near and far,
A house awaits beneath the star.
This old cap is ancient true,
But reliable as yew.
Place me on your bonnet,
And listen well to my sonnet.
Gryffindor, where courage gleams,
In lions' hearts, it's more than dreams.
For those who face their fears head-on,
Gryffindor is where you belong.
Hufflepuff, with loyalty strong,
In friendship's bonds, you'll all belong.
For those who value others' worth,
Hufflepuff will claim your berth.
Ravenclaw, where wisdom's song,
In minds so keen, you'll all belong.
Wit beyond measure,
A Ravenclaw's greatest treasure.
Slytherin, with ambition's fire,
In cunning hearts, your dreams aspire.
For those who dare to reach their goal,
Slytherin will make you whole.
So listen closely, one and all,
The Sorting Hat's about to call.
For in your heart, the truth lies true,
Hogwarts welcomes you, through and through!"
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor Mcgonagall said after the cheering that erupted died down. "Baldwin, Erika!"
A taller, widely built girl was the first to go up and be sorted, the hat taking only a moment on her head before yelling out, "Hufflepuff!"
"Beaumont, Leahn!"
A rather pasty skinned girl was next, quickly being sorted into "Slytherin!" before she strode over to the applauding table, head held high.
"Buttonwood, Leilani!"
A good number of the girls were getting sorted early, Luna noted as Leilani was sorted into "Gryffindor!"
"Candlenut, Artie!"
The boy with the scrape on his cheek next to Luna was the next to be sorted into "Hufflepuff!"
"Creevy, Colin!"
The boy with the camera nearly tripped over himself rushing to the stool with the sorting hat on it. The hat took a moment to sort him into "Gryffindor!"
"Brooks, Dime!"
A shorter girl rushed up to the stool. Luna almost thought she saw the hat chuckle before yelling out, "Hufflepuff!"
"Feather, Aqua!"
Luna looked out at the crowd as Ms. Feather was getting sorted into "Slytherin!" Spotting a group of red hair at the Gryffindor table, Luna was able to spot Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Tanya.
"Flynn, Claire!"
Tanya noticed Luna was looking at them and waved at her.
"Slytherin!"
"Gnats, Carson!"
Luna waved back before turning back to see a smaller boy in glasses taking his turn.
"Ravenclaw!"
It was nice that things seemed to be moving quickly. Luna was getting a bit hungry. Maybe she shouldn't have had such a light lunch.
"Gulls, Ira!"
Luna frowned as Ms. Gulls took a while under the hat. The hat seemed to be having difficulty with her.
"Slytherin!"
"Harlan, Diane!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Harper, Ephriam!"
"Slytherin!"
"Hawks, Sterling!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Hearth, Dusty!"
"Slytherin!"
"Horn, Newton!"
"Gryffindor!"
"Ibrahim, Susan!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Inkwell, Ryland!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Karikiya, Kiki!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Lovegood, Luna!"
Oh, it was Luna's turn now. She went over to the stool and had the hat placed on her head. It was large and fell over her eyes, putting her into the dark.
"Hmm, very interesting mind here," The hat muttered into Luna's ear. "Only one place a mind like this belongs. Ravenclaw!"
With the shout, the hat was pulled off her head and Luna headed towards the empty space set aside for the first years at the Ravenclaw table. Luna gave the other Ravenclaws a smile before turning to pay attention to the rest of the sorting. She watched the sorting occur, tracking faces to names to house.
"Mallard, Cecil!!" "Hufflepuff!"
"McDaniels, Rex!" "Slytherin!"
"Mulberry, Haven!" "Hufflepuff!"
"Palmer, Steve!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Patt, Harley!" "Slytherin!"
"Quartz, Joshua!" "Gryffindor!"
"Rivers, Stella!" "Gryffindor!"
"Smallflower, Elizabeth!" "Ravenclaw!"
The tables were filling up, there was getting to be little space left at each table for the remaining first years.
"Smith, Hiram!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Sweets, Neil!" "Ravenclaw!"
"Weasley, Ginny!"
Luna recognized Ginny. They had occasionally played together as neighbors over the years. It did not take long at all before the hat yelled, "Gryffindor!"
"Winchell, Maurine!" "Gryffindor!"
Only one boy was left, already moving towards the stool as Professor McGongall called out, "Yowie, Bob!"
He took a moment sitting under the hat before the hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"
With everyone sorted, Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll of names and took away the hat and its stool. As she did that, Albus Dumbledore, a face nearly everyone in the Wizarding World would recognize, stood up and clapped his hands together.
"Welcome! Welcome everyone to another year full of learning here at Hogwarts!" His voice carried easily through the hall. "Now, I'm sure everyone is rather hungry for the banquet, so I will not Dally! Tinker! Plod! And Trifle!"
With that, he sat back down and food appeared on the table. Luna frowned at the spread presented. There was an awful lot of different meats. The smell of the roasted flesh did awful things to Luna's stomach. Still, it would not be good to skip eating entirely and there were a few veggies on offer. Some peas, carrots, potatoes prepared a couple different ways, and a yorkshire pudding or two were put onto Luna's plate.
Those around her quickly noticed Luna was avoiding any of the meats and the conversation arose around that. Luna doing her best to explain she didn't like the thought of anything getting hurt for her sustenance. A couple of the older students, including one that had a badge with a large P pinned to her chest, began to debate the benefits of vegetarianism. It was a rather nice conversation, Luna thought, that lasted until dinner was finished, plates cleared, and everything was replaced with a load of desserts. Tarts, ice creams, and a whole manner of other sweet treats.
Luna got herself a nice slice of Manchester Tart and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Luna was feeling comfortably full and getting a bit sleepy as the tables cleared again and Dumbledore stood up again.
"Well, that was a rather lovely start of the year feast, I'm sure you all will agree. Now to the unfortunately boring part of the start of term announcements. To wit, first years, as well as a few older students, should note that the forest around the school is named the Forbidden Forest. For the reason that entering it is forbidden.
"Next, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, would like me to remind students magic in the halls is expressly not allowed outside of class time and that a list of forbidden objects can be found attached to his door.
"Finally, as many of the older students already know, we have a dragon on campus. A reminder to all students that approaching the enclosure that Rebecca is being kept in is highly dangerous and should only be done while accompanied by either Rubeus Hagrid, the Groundskeeper, or Silvanus Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures professor. And that any student that does not follow their instructions while visiting Rebecca will be severely punished after they are healed in the hospital wing."
There was a dragon at the school? Luna leaned forwards a bit at learning that. They were very dangerous creatures and not one that Luna was particularly interested in compared to many of the ones mentioned in the Quibbler, but getting to see one up close was still an exciting prospect.
"And now, before I send you all off to bed, let us all sing the school's song."
Luna liked to sing, so she was happy to join in the cacophony of students singing in a host of different tunes, beats, and rhythms. It was rather a lot of fun being a voice lost in a sea of other voices.
With the song done, Dumbledore sent the students off to bed, the Prefect sitting with the first years gathering up all the first years and showing them the way to the Ravenclaw common room. It was a bit of a trek, going up several flights of stairs in a tower, reaching a door with no visible lock, knob, or handle. Only a brass knocker in the shape of an eagle.
"This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. The way in requires answering a riddle to keep your mind constantly sharp."
The knocker chose that moment to speak up, "Glittering points that downward thrust, sparkling spears that never rust. What are they?"
"Well, do any of you have an answer?" the Prefect asked the gathered first years.
Several of the first years spoke up at once.
"Icicles!" "Lightning!"
Among a few others. Whatever the answer was, it was said as the door opened and the group filed into the Common Room. It was a large, airy and circular space filled with blues on the tapestries and detailing on the furnishings. Bookshelves were plentiful and there were large, arched windows looking out onto the darkened grounds. It was a very cozy space that Luna could see whiling away hours in with a good book or article from her dad's magazine.
The Prefect stood in front of a statue of a woman, likely Rowena Ravenclaw, that had a door on either side. "Boys are to the right, girls to the left. Do try to get to sleep quickly as classes start in the morning."
Luna and Elizabeth Smallflower went to the left. The only two first year girls in Ravenclaw. They were sharing a room with four poster beds with blue linens, their trunks at the foot of the beds, Luna's easily identified by her copy of the Quibbler sitting on top.
"So, just the two of us," Elizabeth said, a cheeky grin as she quickly changed for bed.
"Yes. It would seem so," Luna agreed, taking her time changing.
"I hope we get along well." Elizabeth took out a small black journal from her trunk and sat down at her desk in the room to write in.
Luna hoped so as well, pulling out an old journal of her own. Her dad told her it was always good to make good notes about both what she did during the day and anything she learned. You never knew when you needed to check your notes later.
—
AN: Don't do this too often, but this is useful for me. The following is a list of all the first years, their house, and relevant information as it comes up.
Student List:
Erika Baldwin - Hufflepuff - Girl - Tall (among the first years) and widely built.
Leahn Beaumont - Slytherin - Girl - Pasty skinned. French style aloofness.
Leilani Buttonwood - Gryffindor - Girl
Artie Candlenut - Hufflepuff - Boy - Had a scrape on cheek during sorting
Colin Creevy - Gryffindor - Boy - Has a camera
Brooks Dime - Hufflepuff - Girl - Short (among the first years)
Aqua Feather - Slytherin - Girl
Claire Flynn - Slytherin - Girl
Carson Gnats - Ravenclaw - Boy - Smaller and wears glasses
Ira Gulls - Slytherin - Girl - Hat stall.
Diane Harlan - Gryffindor - Girl
Ephriam Harper - Slytherin - Boy
Sterling Hawks - Ravenclaw - Boy
Dusty Hearth - Slytherin - Boy
Newton Horn - Gryffindor - Boy
Susan Ibrahim - Hufflepuff - Girl - Dusky skinned
Ryland Inkwell - Ravenclaw - Boy
Kiki Karikiya - Hufflepuff - Girl
Luna Lovegood - Ravenclaw - Girl - Got a chapter from POV. Father owns and prints a magazine. Has a crush on Ron Weasley. Owns a journal/diary.
Cecil Mallard - Hufflepuff - Boy
Rex McDaniels - Slytherin - Boy
Haven Mulberry - Hufflepuff - Girl
Steve Palmer - Ravenclaw - Boy
Harley Patt - Slytherin - Boy
Joshua Quartz - Gryffindor - Boy
Stella Rivers - Gryffindor - Girl
Elizabeth Smallflower - Ravenclaw - Girl - Luna's Roommate. Owns a black journal/diary.
Hiram Smith - Ravenclaw - Boy
Neil Sweets - Ravenclaw - Boy
Ginny Weasley - Gryffindor - Girl - Youngest of the Weasleys. Crush on Harry Potter.
Maurine Winchell - Gryffindor - Girl
Bob Yowie - Hufflepuff - Boy
One more thing. For total transparency the Sorting Hat song was devised with heavy AI assistance. I am not happy I had to go down to that level, but I did not want to take 6 months trying to craft a song or just brush over it entirely. There are a lot of moral questions around the use of AI. Here I used it as a tool to help with a 160ish words section in a chapter with several thousand words. The biggest reason I even did this has to do with Luna's canon introduction where she is introduced as a Ravenclaw and mentions "wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." And that just sounds like something ripped straight out of a Sorting Hat song. So I worked it into this one.
AN2 (SB and QQ exclusive AN):
There is poll going on on my Patreon. It is dead tied between this story and my Jedi story. Even $1 can get your voice heard on the poll and break that tie.
