The little elf went from anxiety to ecstasy in a matter
of moments, only Hermione asking through the privacy screens if Harry was ready yet that saw Dobby relinquish his hold on his new master. Dobby watched through a gap between the screens as Harry and Hermione cast charms on their rings, Harry's glasses had their lenses transfigured to clear glass too, before the couple left the infirmary hand in hand. 'Just one more week to go' This was Luna's mantra that she kept repeating to herself. One more week and she could go home, leaving the bullying behind again until September. That mantra certainly gave her something to look forward to but did nothing to relieve the pain of having to wear odd shoes - and both of them being for her left foot.
Her tormentors obviously knew there was only one week left of term too, and seemed determined to get as many 'pranks' in before their time ran out. Her heart sank when she heard a girl's voice behind her, experience from her two years in Hogwarts had taught Luna things like this did not end well. She then found herself confronted by the last two people she expected to see.
After Hermione pointed out the young girl in the corridor, Harry wasted no time in approaching the little blonde.
"Hello Luna. I'm Harry Potter, and this is my girlfriend - Hermione Granger."
Waiting on the hammer to drop, Luna said nothing - just stared at the last two people she would have expected to join in with her tormentors.
Sensing something was wrong here, Harry tried his best to put the rather oddly dressed young girl at ease. "I don't know what you've heard about me - there are all these strange stories going around - but I'm not a bad guy. I just found out you are my godsister and wanted to introduce myself. Listen Luna, if you need anything - anything at all - you come see me."
Luna was almost in tears at the first bit of kindness she'd received since entering Hogwarts. Harry looked ready to walk away and give Luna her space but Hermione wasn't having that. Something was badly wrong here and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
"Luna, why are you wearing two left shoes?"
Luna's answer was barely above a whisper. "I can only wear what's left in my trunk. Things keep going missing. I hope they turn up before I go home - they did last year…"
The young blonde then got to see another side of Harry, though Hermione's arm slipping around her shoulders reassured Luna that his anger wasn't directed at her.
Having so recently witnessed Hermione's memories of her younger self being bullied may have affected Harry's response to hearing that, but he wasn't sure. He would like to think the fear and vulnerability displayed in Luna's oh so expressive eyes would have gotten a similar reaction out of anyone. Both he and Hermione hated bullies, and were no longer prepared to stand back and let it happen if they could possibly help. "People are taking your stuff? What are the prefects doing about it? Surely Flitwick is dealing with them?" Hermione was trying to comfort Luna and keep Harry calm at the same time. "Harry, what has McGonagall ever done for us? You don't see our prefects stoping Fred and George pulling pranks, they just don't want to be pranked themselves."
Nodding in agreement, Harry reached a decision. "Dobby." The little elf was there in an instant, and Harry knew exactly what he wanted to do. "Dobby, this is Luna Lovegood. She is my godsister, and a member of our family. People have been taking her things, leaving her standing here in two odd shoes. Could you find Luna's stuff for her?"
Dobby stared at the girl, studying Luna intently before nodding and popping away. Luna was about to protest that Harry didn't have to do this when Dobby popped back with a right shoe for her. The relief at having the proper footwear, and being able to remove the painful shoe that was never meant to be worn on that foot, saw Luna hug Dobby - and make a friend for life.
"We were just about to head down to lunch, would you like to join us?"
Hermione's offer had Luna's jaw hanging open, though Harry misread her reaction as reluctance. "I'll understand if you don't, things tend to be a bit crazy around us."
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.