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The weekend began like many others, with a grey sky, a slightly cold breeze, and Ginny helping search for Luna’s things. The disappearance of Luna's belongings was so common it had become routine.
This time, though, they had a secret weapon, something that would surely make a difference: a spell. They hadn’t found it in the library. Ginny had tried to search there, but she just couldn’t hold her focus, and Luna had immediately gotten distracted by a book on mythological creatures. No, to learn this spell, Ginny had to reach out to a specialist in finding lost items.
Her mom.
The letter she received—after finally surrendering and asking if there was such a charm—was more of a dissertation on the importance of household spells. Molly had been ecstatic that Ginny was finally giving more attention to ‘feminine matters’. The more Ginny read, the more her blood boiled, and she had ended up spending the afternoon flying her broom to clear her mind. But still, now she had the spell.
Luna seemed optimistic about how their day would go. “I love an adventure!”
Ginny sighed, though her expression was fond. “The spell is to shorten our quest, Luna. It is not supposed to be an adventure.”
But if Luna was predicting an adventure, it most likely would be one.
With a deep breath to center herself, keeping the image of Luna’s lost quill in her mind, Ginny cast, “Invenio Celeriter.” Immediately, she felt a distinct tug from her wand. “Come on, it’s downstairs.”
The pull took them to a corridor they had only started using this year, which housed the elective classes for third years. Ginny was sure the quill would be on this floor since they had already passed the stairs, but now her wand was pulling her directly toward a blank wall. For a second, she doubted the magic was even working. “What even…? I tested the spell, it worked in the dorms.”
Luna had her attention fixed on the wall’s bricks. “It’s working still, let me just…” Luna touched an artistic detail on a torch holder, spinning it. Feeling a slight tremor through the stone floor, Ginny watched as a very narrow passage opened up.
“Cool,” Ginny grinned, her competitive streak lighting up. “I’m going first!”
The small corridor led to a winding staircase, and the staircase led straight to a dead end. Or so Ginny would have thought, if this were their first blank wall of the day. Seeing that her wand was pulling stubbornly downward, she was fairly sure it was time to lift the ancient rug on the floor. She signaled Luna to help since she only had one free hand while holding her wand.
Thick dust kicked up into the air. The rug heavy enough that Luna gave up on lifting it, deciding instead to roll it away like a carpet. “It’s not as smelly as I thought it would be,” Luna noted cheerfully.
Their efforts revealed a wooden trapdoor. Luna yanked it open while Ginny used her foot to help wedge it up. “Thank Merlin it wasn't stone,”Ginny muttered.
The trapdoor revealed a smooth, polished metal frame. The rhetorical question of, “Is that a slide?” was the only thing Ginny managed to get out before the ground beneath her feet suddenly shifted. With a gasp, she fell directly onto the smooth ramp, which was, without a doubt, a massive slide.
Ginny barely had time to panic before the wild ride ended. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly moved out of the splash zone just as she heard Luna’s excited yell echoing down the chute.
A sharp smell of ozone was the first thing Ginny noticed, quickly followed by the sight of Luna shooting out of the slide, her hair completely frizzed out from the friction. Her laughter was melodic.
“Enjoy the ride, Luna?” Ginny asked, laughing as she reached down and offered her hand to pull Luna up.
“Yes! It was like flying but even better. a pity it wasn’t longer.” Luna practically glowed with happiness—or maybe it was just the static electricity, which instantly zapped Ginny’s hand the moment their fingers brushed.
“Ouch!” Ginny chuckled, rubbing her hand. Then her eyes narrowed playfully. “Wait, better than flying? No, no, no. When you fly a broom, you actually have control. You can see the sky above you! Comparing this tunnel to flying is like comparing a bludger to the golden snitch.”
Luna just hummed softly, a knowing smile on her lips as she began to walk in the direction Ginny’s wand was pointing. Or rather, the direction the wand was pointing Ginny.
The corridor soon opened into a grand hall lined with portraits. It was a common sight in Hogwarts, except for the fact that it was midday and every single painted figure was fast asleep, snoring in soft harmony.
“Oh, do you think this is where they go when they vanish from their frames during the day?” Luna whispered, her wide eyes darting around.
Ginny matched Luna’s quiet volume. “I thought they went to other portraits of themselves outside of Hogwa—” She stopped dead in her tracks, lowering her voice to an absolute whisper. “Oh no. It’s Anne Boleyn's portrait. If she wakes up, we’ll be stuck talking to her for hours.”
Crossing the hall instantly became a high-stakes stealth mission.
Luna signaled with a small wave of her hand to go around the right side of a large stone pillar, keeping them as far away from Anne’s frame as possible. Together, they tip-toed across the creaking floorboards.
When they reached a shortcut, Ginny noticed it was lined with beautiful, but very bitey, vases of Fanged Geraniums. Ginny snap-snapped her fingers together like a pair of jaws, mimicking the plants. Luna nodded in immediate agreement, and they took the long way around.
They were almost at the end of the hall when Ginny's foot caught on something. She nearly crashed into a chaotic pile of old, empty frames, but Luna caught her by the waist at the last second, steadying her.
As Ginny caught her breath, the reason for her trip became obvious. Her wand wasn't pointing toward the exit doors at the end of the hall. It was pointing slightly downward and behind her, aimed directly at a tiny, semi-circular crawling tunnel built low into the wall.
The girls exchanged a look, shrugged their shoulders, and dropped to their hands and knees. It was a tight squeeze at first, but the tunnel was weirdly cozy, lined with warm bricks that smelled exactly like freshly baking bread. As they crawled deeper, the passage widened, making it much easier to navigate as it began to wind upward like a corkscrew.
At the end of the tunnel, a thick curtain of ivy leaves blocked their view. Pushing through, they stepped into a room that made even the practical Ginny pause in absolute awe. A warm, golden glow washed over them.
The space was overflowing with lush plants and towering trees, none of them looking hostile. The sun beat down on Ginny's skin through the canopy, and when she looked up, she had to squint against the brilliant light bleeding over the edges of the vibrant leaves. The green of the plants was a shade she had only ever seen at the Burrow during the peak of summer—so rich it leaned toward a golden yellow.
Every single one of her senses was filled. The earthy smell of vegetation, baked soil, a lingering hint of ozone mixed with the heavy, moist warmth of the air around her and the heat coming from the vegetation she passed.
Luna reached out, gracefully catching a floating piece of dandelion fluff as it drifted past her nose. “How enchanting. It's the first time I've ever seen summer inside Hogwarts.”
Ginny took a second to appreciate the way the golden light filtered through the leaves, catching the edges of Luna’s hair. “Yeah,” Ginny murmured softly. “It’s really charming.”
Suddenly realizing exactly where her eyes had been directed for the last few seconds, Ginny quickly cleared her throat, blushing slightly, and pointed her vibrating wand forward to lead the way.
It didn’t take long for the environment to shift again. The vibrant green leaves overhead bled into rich reds, brilliant oranges, and deep, heavy golds. A crisp wind stirred above them, making the dry branches creak as they walked past. The air grew colder, smelling sweet with the scent of fallen leaves and autumn rain.
With every step, the temperature plummeted. The trees shook off the last of their foliage until they stood bare.
A sudden shiver ran down Luna’s spine as a stray snowflake drifted down, melting right against the back of her neck.
The air was now crisp, dry, and freezing. The ground beneath them was a light, sparkling blanket of snow, and an indoor wind began to howl around them. They were definitely not dressed for a winter storm.
Seeing Luna pull her robes tighter around herself, Ginny didn't hesitate. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around Luna's hands, squeezing them tightly to offer her own warmth. Luna didn't pull away; instead, she stepped a little closer into Ginny's side.
The winter section felt much longer than the others, but Ginny knew it was just the freezing discomfort making the seconds stretch.
Soon enough, the snow stopped falling. As the air warmed up, the frost beneath their boots gave way to soft, damp grass and bursting wild flowers. The transition was both gradual and sudden; within moments, they were surrounded by a sea of yellows, violets, and whites as nature came alive around them. The air was perfectly comfortable again, smelling of fresh rain and sweet, blooming petals.
At the far end of the spring clearing sat a massive wooden swing, hanging from a thick branch and large enough for both of them to sit comfortably. At this point, they were so used to the castle's whims that neither of them hesitated.
They sat down together, side-by-side. Luna kept a gentle, reassuring hand resting on Ginny’s forearm right above where she held her wand.
Together, they kicked their legs and pushed forward, swinging higher and higher into the sweet spring air. With one final, high arc, they felt a strange sensation—like passing through a thin, invisible veil of water. In an instant, the Room of Seasons vanished around them.
The backward drop came softly, as if gravity itself were being forgiving.
Only, as they looked around, it was more like gravity was being made fun of. The space looked like an old greenhouse, except the plants were all growing upside down from the ceiling. Long, purple vines hung down like curtains, filling the air with the scent of lavender and peppermint.
Luna stopped to admire a plush footstool that was floating gently in mid-air, much like the rest of the room's stray furniture. She gently patted its velvet cushion as if it were a sleepy puppy. Instead of rushing her, Ginny simply waited patiently, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she watched her. Once Luna looked satisfied, Ginny reached out, gently catching her sleeve to tug her along the winding path.
The room was much smaller than the others, and they quickly reached a heavy wooden door. Ginny’s wand was practically vibrating against her palm now; they were incredibly close.
Seeing a perfectly normal door after all their bizarre methods of moving through the castle made Ginny wary. Somehow, she had gotten so used to the weirdness that a regular doorknob made her hesitate.
Luna, however, was not so easily intimidated. With a serene smile, she reached past Ginny and twisted the handle without a single shred of worry.
The door swung open to reveal the crisp air of the Hogwarts gardens. It seemed the theme of the day really was plants.
It was a weird place for a quill to be, but then again, it wasn't like the quill had wandered out here on its own legs. Ginny felt a sharp prickle of irritation on her friend's behalf. If Luna ever allowed it, the bullies responsible for this would be absolute toast.
As they wandered deeper into the courtyard, the angle of Ginny’s wand pointed higher and higher. Finally, it locked onto the only tall structure in the immediate area: a towering stone statue.
It was a majestic griffin, carved with tall, feline ears sticking straight out of its feathers. Perched neatly behind the stone creature's left ear was Luna’s bright, distinctly decorated quill, catching the daylight.
“It looks very handsome like that, doesn’t it?” Luna’s dreamy voice sounded right beside her.
“Not exactly the description I would give,” Ginny grumbled. Pocketing her wand now that the spell was finally complete, she immediately rolled up her sleeves and looked around the grass, searching for options. “Do you think it’s better to climb up its wings, or should I try to knock it down with a stone?”
Luna looked at her with a quiet splash of humor in her eyes. Raising her own wand, she cast a soft, perfectly controlled, “Wingardium Leviosa.”
The quill slid smoothly from behind the statue's ear, drifting down through the air like a falling leaf. Luna caught it gracefully in her palm and immediately tucked it behind her own ear, right back where it belonged.
“Right. That works too,” Ginny stammered, coughing slightly as she clumsily unrolled the sleeves she had just readied for battle. She looked at Luna, the frustration completely draining out of her, replaced by a warm, bubbling amusement. “Guess you were right about the adventure, huh?”
“They usually happen when you least expect them,” Luna said softly. She took a step closer, reaching out to gently brush a stray piece of dandelion fluff and a remnant winter snowflake from Ginny’s shoulder—treasures left over from their trip through the seasons.
Ginny caught Luna’s hand as it came away, keeping her fingers loosely laced with hers. The cold afternoon breeze blew across the courtyard, but standing right here next to Luna, Ginny didn't feel cold at all.
“Come on,” Ginny said, her voice dropping to a gentle, warm tone as she began leading them back toward the castle doors. “Let's go back to the common room. I think we earned a spot by the fire and some of those pastries from breakfast.”
Luna trotted to keep pace, looking up at the sky with a satisfied expression. “You know, you make a very excellent knight in shining armor, Ginny. Even if you did want to throw rocks at a griffin.”
“Hey, practical problem solving,” Ginny defended herself, though her face split into a wide, bright grin. She bumped her shoulder playfully against Luna’s as they crossed the threshold into the entrance hall. “Next time your things go missing, we skip the library entirely and go straight for the slides.”