Author: Lyta Padfoot
Category: General
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling. Characters and situations are used without permission, no infringement is intended.
Summary: Luna discovers what is like to be proven right about something.
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Luna lay on her bed with the curtains closed, staring at the canopy overhead. It was deep blue velvet and Luna imagined she could see patterns similar to the forms that appeared in the clouds. She'd read once about a Muggle who had people stare at pictures of ink blots to see what forms their minds made of them. The ink blots that seemed to perpetually adorn her schoolwork received new scrutiny after that; but it was far more comfortable to employ the play of light and shadow upon her canopy.
The fabric around her rippled; then parted, to reveal the blond head of her roommate Regina Wiggins.
"Is it true?" Regina demanded. She had the flushed face and breathless voice of someone who has run quite a long way. Luna knew Regina well enough to observe that Regina was inclined to be somewhat lazy and had probably just run up the stairs from the common room. If she knew how far fire spirits would run she might be more concerned about being winded after only a few flights of stairs.
"Is what true?" Luna asked as she raised herself up on one elbow. Really, Regina ought to know by now to be more specific with her questions. "The Crumple-horned¡¦"
"No, no," Regina interrupted her, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. "About what happened at the Ministry."
"Oh, that," Luna sighed, a little disappointed. She loved secrets, enjoyed learning all she could about things others mocked as superstition or the product of minds clouded by too-much alcohol or hallucinogenic substances. The events at the Department of Mysteries were now embraced as truth by authorities and were therefore of less interest to Luna than the secrets of the world.
"I heard McGonagall awarded you fifty points," Regina continued, a note of disbelief in her voice.
"Yes, she did. That was very kind of her." Luna had seen the change in the Ravenclaw hourglass herself. She usually paid little heed to house points, but it felt surprisingly good to earn so many at one time.
"So is it true¡¦You-Know-Who has returned?" This last was delivered in a frightened whisper, almost a squeak.
Luna studied Regina calmly. This was old news. "He's been back since last June."
"So Cho says," Regina sighed, clearly uncertain as to whether or not to believe the combined voices of the school lunatic and the popular Seeker.
"So say many people," Luna said with confidence. It was rare and a bit exhilarating to be sure of support from someone others believed. Not that she minded speaking unpopular truths. Still, Luna wished she could be proven right more often.