Chapter 154. The Trio and Luna
Hermione joined Ron and Harry's group, and the three of them headed towards the Great Hall together.
"By the way," Hermione suddenly realised something and asked the two of them, "why are you up so early today? Is there some special activity?"
It seemed Hermione had only heard the rude things Ron said and missed the rest of the conversation.
Harry repeated to Hermione what he had just told Ron.
"This is a major discovery," Hermione nodded. "You should tell Professor Wesson or Dumbledore about it. Perhaps the voice you heard belongs to the culprit who petrified Rai."
"That's exactly what I was thinking—was just about to find a professor," said Harry with a wry smile. "But what I can't figure out is, why am I the only one who can hear that voice? Ron, you really didn't hear it?"
Ron shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Just then, a steady, rhythmic footfall sounded ahead—like someone hopping down the corridor.
They looked over to see a girl with dark golden-brown hair skipping lightly towards them.
She wore a pair of radish-shaped earrings and had her wand tucked behind her ear.
Harry remembered this girl; he had crossed paths with her at Hogwarts a few times.
Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw girl.
As Luna passed Harry, he gave her a polite smile as a greeting.
At that moment, Luna suddenly turned around and said, "Good morning, Harry Potter."
"Er… good morning," Harry said, not expecting Luna to speak to him, and rubbed the back of his head. "Do you know me?"
He felt he'd just said something pointless.
Everyone at Hogwarts knew him; after all, he was Harry Potter.
Luna nodded and bobbed her head. "Of course I know you. You're Harry Potter."
She tilted her head, her slightly prominent silver eyes fixed on Harry. "You look a bit troubled. There are already a lot of Wrackspurts above your head."
"Wrackspurts?" Harry looked puzzled.
"Yes," Luna explained. "Little things that gather above or around you when you're bothered."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance; he saw the same confusion in Hermione's eyes.
Luna, however, didn't seem inclined to explain further. She smiled faintly. "Being troubled isn't good; it will attract more and more Wrackspurts, and in the end they might crawl into your ears."
"Sounds like a load of nonsense…" Hermione muttered under her breath.
Luna paid no mind to Hermione's aside. She waved to them and turned to go.
As she turned, the wand tucked behind her ear slipped and fell.
"Ah—"
Luna gave a little cry and reached to catch the falling wand.
But it slid past her fingertips.
Just then, a green tendril extended from the back of her left hand and wound itself neatly around the wand.
"Thank you."
Luna smiled and retrieved her wand from the vine.
Lately, this little fellow seemed to be more and more in tune with her.
She liked that.
Next, still walking away, Luna had the Devil's Snare tendril tie itself into a bow.
The three of them were stunned by the sight.
They were very familiar with that vine on Luna.
Wasn't that Professor Wesson's Devil's Snare?!
At once, Harry called out to the departing Luna. "Wait, Luna!" he shouted hurriedly.
Luna stopped and turned back, a dreamy expression on her face. "What is it? If you want to ask me about Wrackspurts—you can check The Quibbler."
"No, not that," Harry said quickly, taking a few steps forward and pointing at the tendril on her hand, asking carefully, "that is…?"
Ron leaned in as well. "Looks a lot like Professor Wesson's."
Luna glanced at her Devil's Snare vine and looked suddenly enlightened. "Ah, do you mean Mimi Gugu?"
"Mimi Gugu?" The three of them looked at one another.
"Its name," Luna said with perfect seriousness, nodding. "It suits, doesn't it?"
To be honest, Harry thought it was the strangest name he'd ever heard.
He looked at Ron and Hermione; plainly, they thought the same.
"How did you get him… I mean, Mimi Gugu?" he couldn't help asking.
Luna thought for a moment, then blinked and said airily, "Oh, Professor Wesson gave him to me."
"What?" Harry blurted, startled.
Professor Wesson had actually given Devil's Snare to Luna—now that was odd.
Luna didn't seem surprised by his reaction; she merely nodded lightly. "I helped Professor Wesson with a little something, and then I received this."
"Could we have a look?" Harry said, unable to resist.
"Of course," Luna nodded. "But you'd better be gentle; he's a little shy."
Like a snake, the tendril slid out from the back of Luna's hand and drifted to and fro before them.
Seeing this, Harry nodded, thoughtful.
This Devil's Snare tendril was only a little over a metre long—not remotely on the same level as the one by Professor Wesson's side.
He had seen Professor Wesson's Devil's Snare in its full form; its sky-blotting vines could even shut out the sunlight.
Even so, this tendril was precious enough.
For some reason, Harry felt a little sour about it.
"I keep feeling Professor Wesson's plants don't follow the rules," Hermione said as the tendril slid back into Luna's hand. "No book ever says Devil's Snare can do that."
"You should trust your eyes, not those books," Ron shrugged. "What's in books isn't necessarily right. Take Lockhart's, for example—compare what's in them with the real Lockhart…"
Hermione shot Ron a withering look; she said nothing, but her face clearly showed displeasure.
Ron went on, "Remember at the start of term, how you circled Lockhart's name on your timetable with a heart?"
Hermione's face went a bit red at once. She glared hard at Ron and pressed her lips together.
Plainly, she did not want that embarrassing episode brought up.
"Don't mention it again," Hermione said, annoyed.
Ron put on an innocent look, but shut his mouth anyway.
Luna glanced between Ron and Hermione and smiled softly. "Goodbye, I should be going now. Mind the Wrackspurts around you. Also—I just saw a big crowd gathered by the noticeboard."
With that, she hurried off.
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