Harry Potter The Surprise

That was too much for Luna, bullying she was learning to handle but kindness started the tears. Hermione was advising Harry to hug the young girl, something he was happy to do. Their communication over the bond the rings gave them was improving all the time, and both were having to hide their anger at what the bullies had done to this vulnerable young girl. Hermione took Luna from Harry and hugged her too.

"I always want a sister, as Harry's godsister you're the closest I can manage - if that's okay with you?"

Luna's wide smile answered that question. Luna was smiling a whole week earlier than she thought she would be as the three of them made their way to the great hall for lunch. Hermione once more was holding Harry's hand at the little blonde chatted away at great speed, probably because Luna hadn't had anyone else to talk to all year.

"I remember my mum telling me about my godmother, and how she died just after I was born. She used to talk about her friends Lily and Alice, I never put it together that my godmother was actually Lily Potter. I suppose she wold have told me in time, we just never got the time. Daddy says the Blibbering Humdingers took mummy away but I was there, I know what happened. I think daddy does too, it's just easier for him to say that. He started to say a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense after mummy went away…"

Hating to ask but needing to know, Hermione took Luna's hand as she made her enquiry. "What age were you when your mummy left?"

Luna was back to answering in a whisper. "I was seven. The photo of my mother I brought to Hogwarts back in September went missing too…"

Harry's anger didn't explode all over the corridor for one simple reason, he felt a photo frame being pressed into the hand Hermione wasn't holding. A whispered 'Dobby, you're the best' was followed by him handing the picture to a delighted Luna.

She hugged the picture to her chest and squeezed Hermione's hand in thanks. "We've just met and already this is my best day in years. Thank you both so much - and you too Dobby."

Squeezing her hand right back, a smiling Hermione was struggling to hold in the tears as she thought about some of the 'Loony Lovegood' stories she had heard. She then heard Harry in her head, saying that his dad's comments about Luna and Neville now made perfect sense. Hermione wholeheartedly agreed, leading to her making their offer to the girl. "We're not going anywhere, Luna, at least not without taking you with us. That is, if you wanted to come too?"

Luna was at heart a trusting soul, that her tormentors had used that trait against her probably hurt the most. If she couldn't trust these two though, and they were currently playing the cruelest of pranks on her, then Luna didn't know what she would do. She simply had to trust them.

Holding her precious picture close to her chest, Luna managed a fair impression of Dobby as her head nodded madly - just so there could be no misunderstanding - that she would be willing to go anywhere with the first people to show her genuine kindness after spending two years in this castle - she was hardly likely to miss Hogwarts.

"You may have noticed Hogwarts hasn't been the safest place for Hermione and me to go to school, but at the moment we're only looking at what our alternatives could be. We're also keeping that quiet, Luna."

"Harry, you may not have noticed but nobody speaks to me - and they wouldn't believe anything I said anyway. I'm just happy to know you would even think of taking me with you if you do leave. There's nothing about Hogwarts I would miss. You are the only friends I've made in two years."

Clutching her precious photograph in one hand, the other was still being held by Hermione, Luna was smiling as they entered the great hall for lunch. The shit-storm they walked into may have put a dent in her smile but not her determination to stick with her new friends. Given any sort of choice, Luna would take their offered friendship over the dreadful loneliness that her life had become. What was listening to an enraged professor scream at them when compared to the awful alternative - nothing she couldn't handle.

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