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With the advent of Dolores Umbridge, Hogwarts became a completely different place than Harry remembered it. It's amazing how much can be changed by just one unkind woman who is invested with considerable power. He used to call the old castle his home, which he never could and will never be able to say about the house of his uncle and aunt. During his four years of study, Harry had experienced and felt a lot in this place, but he had never felt so lonely here. Even in his second year, when almost everyone considered him the heir of Slytherin.
Of course, Ron and Hermione were always with him, and he appreciated their friendship and support. Hermione was the only one who noticed the scars on his arm after the "extra classes" with Umbridge. Even Professor McGonagall, their dean, ignored it. But his friends had become prefects now, and they had responsibilities that took up most of the time they were used to spending with the three of them. So it turned out that Harry was often left to his own devices, and his free time was just walking where his feet were leading him and thinking.
He poured out his worries in a letter to Sirius, a friend of his parents and his godfather, but he was very far away, and Hedwig was unlikely to bring an answer soon. Everything was wrong. No one believed that Voldemort had been reborn and killed Cedric Diggory. Except Dumbledore, of course. Who Harry couldn't go to for a cup of tea to have a heart-to-heart chat with, after all, the headmaster is an important and busy man. And he also let Umbridge into Hogwarts, who in just a few weeks managed to become hated by almost all the inhabitants of the castle. What was he thinking?
Passing by Hagrid's hut, Harry noticed a girl in the distance. By the loose blond hair, the absence of not only a warm robe, but also any clothes, he realized who it was. Luna Lovegood, whom he met in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express and has never spoken to her since. Except for greeting during meetings in the Great Hall or corridors. Harry was awkward that this had happened. The reason wasn't at all that he was embarrassed to acquaintance with the "naked freak" as many called her, even Ginny, who had known Luna for a long time. Harry wasn't used to talking to girls and didn't know where to start a conversation with someone like her.
Luna noticed him and waved her hand as if to an old friend. Harry waved back and stopped when he realized she was heading towards him. She's as dreamy, naked, and barefoot. With her invariable radish earrings and a knitted bag dangling casually from her shoulder. White-skinned, short, she seemed to him fragile and defenseless, like a porcelain figurine. He wanted to give her his robe to keep her warm, even though he knew Luna would probably refuse.
Harry shivered, feeling a little chilly. After all, it's late autumn, first frosts, winter is almost here, and it won't be long before the first snow. In the west of Scotland, this was felt especially clearly. But this strange girl didn't feel any discomfort, she quickly approached him, stepping barefoot on the withered grass and fallen leaves. He remembered her saying that she could walk undressed like that this even in the snow in winter. Harry believed her at the time, but still, deep down, he thought she was bragging or exaggerating. Obviously, he was wrong.
"Hi, Harry." She said simply and froze, hiding her hands behind her back and poking the ground with her thumb of the right foot. Her uncombed hair fluttering in the wind.
"Hi, Luna." Harry replied, and fell silent.
There were no goosebumps on her skin. He managed to looking not at her bare breasts or crotch, but into the thoughtful, intelligent eyes of a naked girl who slightly tilted her head. Luna was also silent. It was as if none of them knew what to say. The constant nudity of this girl has become a reason for sometimes quite malicious jokes at all four Houses. Teenagers are always teenagers, even magic students. Almost everyone at Hogwarts agreed that Luna was really crazy, but she didn't argue with them and didn't talk much to anyone.
According to Ginny, Luna had no friends, she talked closely only with her. Luna was smart, not the best in grades among her classmates, but one of the best, she was just very... unconventional. Harry now felt just as out of place by Hogwarts standards, even though he was dressed. He felt a strange kinship with this unusual girl. Only a loner can understand a loner. It was as if, with all his problems and the burning scars on his arm from Umbridge's torture pen, he owed to Luna to make her life better.
As if she was his little sister, whom he had never had and would never have. Would his parents let her walk around the castle without warm clothes, especially in this weather? Exposing her small but already quite noticeable girlish breasts and clean-shaven lady bits? Although Luna has her own father, who himself asked to let his daughter study tottaly naked. Harry didn't know how to react to that. It was wrong and at odds with all his ideas of normality and decency. But at the same time, he didn't think that the girl was crazy. She wasn't doing anything indecent except being naked.
"Sorry, Luna." Harry muttered, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"You don't have to take care of me, I can do it myself." The naked girl replied with a shrug, as if reading his thoughts.
"I don't..." He choked, and felt his cheeks flush. "But I know they're laughing at you, they think you're crazy!"
"Who am I to judge them?" Luna shrugged her angular shoulders. "I'm really different. Thank you for not thinking that way. It already means a lot to me.
"I still should have…"
"You're a good person, Harry." The naked girl softly smiled. "But I am not a lady for whose insulted honor a glorious knight fights in the ballads." I didn't need the prophetic gift of the legendary Cassandra to figure out how the other guys would react to my nudity. My father told me that, but I knew what was coming. People don't accept rara avis. Both they and I are what we are. The main thing is that I feel wonderful like never before."
"Really?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.
"Of course." Luna nodded. "I'm always warm because magic flows in me. Only absolutely naked, I feel like a real witch, it's a wonderful, light and bright feeling. I conjure as easily as I've ever done before. But I'm a little sad that I haven't made friends yet, even Ginny, whom I knew before Hogwarts, is shy of me..."
"If you want, I can be your friend," Harry offered.
"So today I got my first real friend in my life!" Luna smiled brightly, and Harry thought that he had never seen such a sincere smile from any girl at Hogwarts. "Were you going somewhere?"
"Just walking." Harry admitted. "I have written all the essays, so I am completely free until tomorrow's first lesson. Do you need my help?"
"I want to introduce you to someone." Luna replied mysteriously. "It won't be long, we'll make it back to the castle before bedtime. But it will be necessary to bypass the Black Lake and walk a little through the Forbidden Forest."
"How much is a little?" Harry grinned. "A few miles?"
"A few hundred yards, no more." Luna replied. "It's almost at the edge of the forest."
She walked ahead of him, moving further away from the castle. Harry shivered. He had some bad memories of the Forbidden Forest. A dead unicorn, acromantulas... but Luna seemed to know what she was doing, and he decided to trust her. In the worst case scenario, he will be able to protect the girl and himself, or find a way to retreat and escape from danger. After all, Harry is not a talentless wizard, but the winner of a tournament in which adult champions of other magical schools participated.
Luna was walking quite fast, seemingly knowing the way well. As soon as they walked around the pond, they left the path, but the naked girl didn't slow down. Unlike him, she never tripped or slipped on the mud, which seemed to be everywhere because of the rain that morning. As on the day she arrived at Hogwarts, her bare feet remained clean, while he quickly managed to get not only his shoes dirty, but also trousers, almost to the knees. Harry was curious about who he was going to meet, but Luna didn't explain anything, apparently deciding to surprise him. Hopefully, there were no dangerous monsters among her acquaintances.
Slipping in the mud once again, Harry cursed softly at his clumsiness and belatedly remembered Barty Crouch Jr. pretending to be DADA's teacher. What if he's just being lured into a trap by another Voldemort supporter? No, even the most talented wizard couldn't pretend to be Luna that well. She was the only one, unique, non-standard. Naked. The naked buttocks of a Ravenclaw girl were definitely not what he should have seen. But Harry couldn't turn away either, because without her, he didn't know where to go. It was probably one of the most unusual and embarrassing walks of his life.
Luna stopped at the first trees of the Forbidden Forest. She turned around, waiting for him, looking even more like a porcelain figurine in the evening light. Harry was quite far behind, although he was taller and his steps were wider. When he approached her, she frowned, noticing something, and came up to him, wrapping her hands around his arm. The one with the inscription "I must not tell lies" on it after Umbridge's lesson. Girl pulled magic wand out from behind her ear, waved it, and the scars paled, instantly ceasing to sting. Harry stared at the hand in surprise. He didn't know such a spell and didn't think to contact a nurse.
"Thank you, Luna." he said.
"I'm glad to help," the girl replied, already looking deep into the forest. "They're here, waiting for us. Let's go.
"Who?" Harry asked.
"You'll see soon enough." Naked girl smiled.
At the edge, the Forbidden Forest seemed less creepy than in the impenetrable thicket, but it still didn't look like a harmless park grove. Harry followed the girl past the gloomy tall trees. There was no path, Luna went straight into the bushes. He almost tripped over roots hidden under fallen leaves several times, while the naked girl seemed to be walking along a perfectly level road. He constantly had to bend over, dodge, and defend himself with his hands from branches that tried to whip or scratch him. Luna didn't even raise her hands, but the branches seemed to avoid touching her bare skin, allowing her to pass where she wanted. Harry decided that he had imagined it.
"We're almost there." Said Luna, when Harry was sure that they had walked not a few hundred yards, but several miles, and everywhere he looked there were only indistinguishable trees.
Without a map and compass, he would definitely never get out of here alone, but Luna probably had some invisible by him landmarks. Harry shivered, even though it seemed warmer here than in the open. They found themselves in a spacious clearing where the same strange creatures that were harnessed to the carriages were grazing. With the rare rays of the sun penetrating between the dense crowns of the trees, these animals looked less frightening than they did then. They probably weren't dangerous after all, since they were harnessed to school carriages, and Harry wasn't cowardly, but he still looked at a completely carefree Luna with a slight worry.
"I've always liked this place here. I often come here to feed them." She explained.
The skeletal winged horses were surprisingly friendly, although since they lived in such a dangerous place as the Forbidden Forest, they could certainly protect themselves. Even an ordinary horse is not the easiest prey for a predator, but such horses can be hunters themselves. Harry froze, wishing he could get his wand out quickly, and watched as the creature approached the naked girl. Like a real horse, the beast reached out to her, and she stroked him, ran her fingers over his forehead. It looked like Luna was really familiar to him. The creature sniffed at the girl, who giggled when the horse nuzzled her belly.
"How fast you are!" She took a piece of raw meat out of her bag, tossed it to the winged horse, and walked over to Harry. "Here you go!"
"Are you really not cold?" He asked, glancing briefly at the protruding pink nipples of the girl who was smiling at him. "I could give you my robe."
"It would be the first thing I would wear in months, since I returned home for the summer holidays." Luna replied. "My magic warms me, I just need to open up to it. Not only mentally, but also physically. Clothes, underwear, and shoes will only be a hindrance to me. Thanks, Harry, but it's better if I stay naked."
"Okay, whatever you want… Who is it?" He wanted to get away from the awkward topic.
"They're called thestrals." Luna replied, looking not at him, but at where most of the winged horses were grazing. "Aren't they amazing? Thestrals are very kind, but people avoid them because they…"
"Different." Harry finished for her, realizing it all the more acutely now. Luna noticed a small thestral straying from the herd and headed in his direction, the guy followed her. "Why can't anyone see them?"
"They are seen only by those who have seen death." Luna explained, and in the gloomy forest her quiet, detached voice sounded a little creepy.
"So... someone died at your eyes?" Harry asked, and immediately regretted the tactless question.
"My Mom." Luna replied just as quietly. "She was an extraordinary witch who loved experiments. And one of them ended... badly. I was nine."
"I'm so sorry." Harry said, wondering if it would be right to hug Luna.
"It was terrible." Luna didn't react to him in any way. "I'd like to talk to her again, and I'm sad because I can't do it anymore. She sometimes comes to me in my dreams, but she's always silent, just stroking my head and hugging me. You know, even when I'm awake, she's somewhere nearby, not like a ghost, but like a breath of wind. I feel like she's watching me right now and is happy that I've met my first friend, that I'm not afraid to be who I am, that her daughter is becoming a powerful witch. I wish she wasn't disappointed in me. But I also have my Dad, and we are very attached to each other. And we believe you, by the way, that You-Know-Who reborn and you fought him. And that the Ministry of Magic is plotting against you and Headmaster Dumbledore.
"Thank you." Harry replied, not knowing what to say to her confession. "You seem to be the only ones who believe me."
"I'm sure we're not the only ones." Luna took out another piece of raw meat from her bag and threw it to the foal thestral, who almost fell with his legs wide apart, but immediately began to eat the treat. "But that's what he'd like you to think."
"Him?" Harry glanced at the naked girl, who was squatting down, watching the thestral with her hands on her pointed knees.
"If I were You-Know-Who, I'd like you to feel lonely." Luna looked up at him with her penetrating gray eyes, she reasoned as if she was not a year younger, but much older than him and certainly much wiser. "You're not a threat alone."
She jumped to her feet and took out a third piece of meat from her bag, but she didn't give it to the thestrals, but handed it to Harry. Not immediately, but obediently, he took meat and threw it to the adult winged horses, and the girl took out another one and threw it. The pieces were quite large, and they probably would have been hard to carry, but thanks to the magic, the bag clearly didn't weigh down the naked girl. One by one, they took out more and more pieces of meat, which, according to the laws of Muggle physics, could not possibly fit in a small bag. In a few minutes, they fed all the thestrals who came to the clearing.
One of them, especially curious, came very close and allowed Harry to stroke him. He would not have dared to do it himself, but Luna encouraged him. The seemingly terrifying beast suddenly turned out to be warm to the touch and trustfully reached out to him. Harry was grateful to the girl who had brought him here. Just one short conversation with the strangest person in Hogwarts, in which there were many oddities besides her. But he almost physically felt so light, as if a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't want to leave the clearing, but Luna took his hand.
They came out of the forest together, hand in hand. The girl's palm was very warm, not at all like that of a frozen person. Warmer than his own, she really wasn't cold. They just walked back to the castle, in silence, without saying a word until they entered it. Other students could already see them there, but Harry didn't care. They were both different, even if they were different in their own way. The naked girl who sees and feels things that others can't or don't want. The dressed guy who has repeatedly survived the attacks of a dangerous wizard who wanted to kill him.
"Listen, Luna..." He asked, already in the hall of the castle, glancing at her still clean bare feet with colorful marigolds that looked out of place on the rough stone floor. "Can you…"
"It's a simple spell." The girl smiled before he could finish. "It's very useful if you often go to places where it's dirty and there are no roads, like Dad and me. Of course I'll teach you."
"Thanks." Said Harry, embarrassed. "If you get bullied…"
"Then my friend will protect me." The girl went up to him, stood on tiptoe and hugged his shoulders, clinging tightly to him, and his palms automatically rested on her bare shoulder blades. "Like the older brother I've never had."
"Potter-rotter making out with naked Lunacy!" The poltergeist Peeves, who appeared from the wall at the wrong time, exclaimed loudly, and Luna jumped away from Harry. If almost no one had been paying attention to them before, now all the two dozen students who were in the hall at that moment were staring at Harry and Luna. "Hubba hubba, ding ding, don't forget the wedding ring!"
"Shut your filthy mouth and get out of here, Peeves!" Harry barked, taking out his wand, noticing that the students were smiling, watching them, and someone was laughing at all. "Immediately!"
"Oh, oh, oh, how scary he is, that liar Potter! I've already peed myself out of fear!" The poltergeist shook his head, but just in case, he preferred to fly away, composing an insulting song about Harry and Luna.
"If you're shy of me..." The naked girl started, but now already the guy understood what she wanted to say.
"I promised that I would be your friend, and I won't go back on my words because of this buffoon, even if everyone at Hogwarts laughs at me." The guy replied firmly. "Not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because I…"
"Different." Luna finished for him. "Thanks, Harry."