Eira tried not to let a smile escape. The content was absurd—but Luna's earnest expression made it impossible to treat it lightly. She closed the magazine respectfully, setting it on her lap.
Luna leaned back and spoke softly, almost conspiratorially. "Well… my father also wrote about you in previous editions."
Eira's eyebrows shot up. "About me?"
"Yes," Luna said, nodding solemnly. "He said you are the most powerful wizard, the beginning of a new era, even more powerful than Dumbledore—but that you choose to hide it, waiting for your enemies."
Eira's lips twitched in barely suppressed amusement. "He really said all that?" she asked, struggling not to laugh.
"He did," Luna said earnestly, as if reading from scripture. "And he also mentioned that you were born of a fairy—the same kind that kidnapped Merlin. That's why your hair is different from the rest of your family. Your real mother, or… perhaps grandmother, gave you to the White family, and that's why you are unique."
Eira stared at her, suppressing a chuckle. This was bizarre, to say the least. 'Born of a fairy? Really?` she thought. Yet Luna delivered it with such reverent seriousness that she could not mock her.
"And there's more," Luna continued, tilting her head slightly. "My father and I also wrote that you like girls, and that you have already had a couple of girlfriends."
Eira's eyes widened slightly, a flash of inner panic crossing her features. 'Well, that's… accurate… but I've hardly had any girlfriends. If Fleur found out—She would kill me,` she thought, her mind racing. "I see," she murmured, trying to maintain her serious demeanor.
After a pause, Eira decided to turn the conversation back toward the present. "What about you?" she asked, leaning forward. "Now that you've seen me, what do you think? What kind of person am I?"
Luna tilted her head, as if listening to some distant echo only she could hear. "I don't know… I've only known you for a few minutes. But I believe what my father wrote. He has never been wrong."
Eira nodded thoughtfully, the corner of her lips twitching despite herself. She decided to redirect. "So… what grade are you in at Hogwarts?"
"Well," Luna said dreamily, "I'll be starting my third year this year. So… third grade."
"And which house are you in?" Eira asked, trying to ground the conversation in normalcy after the fantastical claims.
"I'm in Ravenclaw," Luna said with a soft smile. "I like the towers and the quiet. And… the moonlight shines best on the library windows."
Eira blinked, briefly taken aback. 'Only Luna could make something like that sound completely normal.`
Luna leaned closer and whispered, as if sharing a secret with the compartment itself, "And sometimes, if you're quiet enough, you can hear the Wrackspurts flying in the rafters."
Eira's composure faltered slightly. Wrackspurts? Flying through the train? She pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh, and gave Luna a small nod. "I see… fascinating."
Minutes passed, filled with the gentle clatter of the train and the rhythmic drumming of rain. Luna began pointing out various illustrations in the magazine, describing creatures Eira had never heard of—Diricawls, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and Fanged Flyers. Each time, Eira's inner amusement grew, but she remained carefully serious, nodding and occasionally asking clarifying questions, her curiosity piqued despite the absurdity.
The door to the compartment suddenly clicked. A cheerful trolley saleswoman peeked in, balancing a tray of drinks and snacks. "Would anyone like to purchase anything? Pumpkin juice, chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's—"
Eira's eyes lit up. "Is there mango juice?" she asked quickly.
The woman shook her head. "I'm afraid not, miss. But we do have mango-flavored candies, sweets, and preserves."
Eira smiled. "I'll take everything mango-flavored you have—and two bottles of pumpkin juice, one for me and one for my friend." She gestured to Luna, who smiled quietly in appreciation.
The saleswoman nodded and bustled off, the cart rattling softly down the aisle. Eira watched the rain streaking the windows, feeling the warmth of the compartment contrast with the chill outside. She glanced at Luna, who was already nibbling on a mango candy with serene delight.
"Do you like it?" Eira asked, genuinely curious.
Luna smiled dreamily. "I do. Mango is… soft and sunny. Like the first light of summer."
Eira could not help it—her lips twitched again, almost betraying her amusement. She quickly returned her gaze to the window, pretending to be serious. "I see," she murmured, but inside, she was thoroughly entertained.
Outside, the rain continued its steady drizzle, blurring the countryside into a watercolor of greens and greys. The Hogwarts Express began to move, its wheels clattering along the tracks as steam hissed from the engine. Inside, the two girls settled into an easy silence, punctuated by Luna's occasional observations of unseen creatures and Eira's polite, serious nods.
And though Eira would never admit it aloud, she was quietly charmed by Luna's eccentricities. Perhaps studying at Hogwarts would be far more… interesting than she had expected.