Chapter Text
I don’t own Harry Potter.
Well guys, I felt inspired to write a few side stories of what happened during the time in between the main story. Most of these should be considered canon to the main story. I will do my best to tie them in with the timeline of the main plot but some things might not line up the best so bear with me. These will obviously be much shorter than the main story and possibly be coming out much quicker? I don’t know yet. If there’s a demand for these then they will become a regular thing. Otherwise I’ll just do them whenever I feel like it. Also I’ll only be posting this on Ao3 as FFN is giving me a headache when I try to upload a new story or chapter. So to my Ao3 readers, congrats, you get something my FFN readers don’t. You’re special. Also for now, this series will remain wholesome. I might change it later to include smut. I don’t know yet.
Enjoy this chapter.
A Different Kind of Magic: Side Stories
Chapter 1
Luna Lovegood had a best friend. She had spent most of breakfast thinking about that. Technically, she had acquired him yesterday. It had happened rather suddenly. One moment, Luna had been helping Harry Potter hide from Professor Lockhart in the girls' lavatory. The next, Harry had decided that anyone willing to risk getting in trouble to protect him was worthy of being called his best friend.
Luna hadn't expected that. She certainly hadn't expected him to mean it. But Harry had. That was the interesting thing about Harry. People said many things about him. The Boy Who Lived. The Defeater of You-Know-Who. Gryffindor's youngest Seeker in a century. Famous Harry Potter.
Luna had discovered something much more important. Harry Potter was very bad at lying about his feelings. So when he'd called her his best friend, he'd meant it. Which created a problem. Luna wasn't entirely certain what a best friend was supposed to do. She knew what friends did, theoretically. Daddy had explained friendship to her before she'd come to Hogwarts, and Luna had read about it in books. She only had experience having one friend. So friends, plural, was new.
Friends ate together. Friends talked. Friends helped one another. Friends occasionally became embroiled in dangerous adventures involving cursed objects, secret passages, goblin rebellions, Dark wizards, or poorly planned expeditions into enchanted forests. That last category appeared surprisingly often in books.
Best friends presumably did all of those things more frequently. Unfortunately, Luna had very little practical experience. So she had decided to observe Harry's other best friends. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Then she would know what to do. It was a perfectly reasonable plan. At least Luna thought so.
XXXXX
Harry spotted her as soon as he entered the Great Hall. "Luna!"
Several Ravenclaws looked toward her. Luna looked up. Harry was waving from the Gryffindor table. Ron Weasley sat beside him, already halfway through breakfast. Hermione Granger was across from them with a book propped beside her plate.
Harry pointed toward the empty space beside Hermione. "Come sit with us!"
That produced considerably more staring. Luna didn't mind. She picked up her plate. The Ravenclaw table had never been particularly attached to her anyway. She crossed the Great Hall and sat beside Hermione.
"Good morning." She greeted them.
"Morning," Harry said.
Ron swallowed an enormous mouthful of eggs. "Morning, Luna."
Hermione gave her a slightly more formal smile. "Good morning."
Luna looked at the three of them. Harry was eating toast. Ron was eating everything. Hermione was reading. Luna filed this information away. Perhaps best friends were supposed to eat breakfast together. That seemed manageable.
Ron pointed his fork at her. "So Harry says you're his new best friend."
"Yes."
Ron looked at Harry. "You've known her for one day."
Harry shrugged. "She helped me hide from Lockhart."
Ron considered that. "Fair."
Hermione lowered her book. "Harry, I don't think friendship is normally determined by whether someone helps you hide from a professor."
"It was Lockhart." Harry pointed out.
Hermione hesitated. Apparently this complicated the matter.
Ron nodded solemnly. "That's different."
Hermione frowned at him. "What?"
"Lockhart." Ron said as if it explained everything.
"That doesn't make it different." Hermione protested.
"It absolutely makes it different." Ron argued.
Harry nodded. "Definitely."
Hermione looked between them. Luna watched with interest. So this was how they communicated. Hermione objected. Ron disagreed. Harry sided with Ron. Hermione became irritated. Useful.
"I believe Harry made a reasonable decision," Luna said. Hermione turned toward her.
"Thank you," Harry said.
"Lockhart has several Wrackspurts around his head. Spending too much time near him might be dangerous."
Hermione blinked. Ron stopped eating.
Harry looked at Luna. "What's a Wrackspurt?"
"They're invisible creatures that float into your ears and make your brain go fuzzy."
Harry considered this. Then he looked toward the staff table. Lockhart was smiling brilliantly while telling Professor Sprout something that Professor Sprout appeared to have absolutely no interest in hearing. Harry looked back at Luna. "That explains a lot.” Ron snorted into his pumpkin juice.
Hermione stared at Harry. "Harry."
"What?" He asked, turning to look at her.
"Wrackspurts aren't real." Hermione stated matter of factly.
Luna turned toward her. "They're invisible."
"That doesn't mean they're real."
"It makes them considerably more difficult to see."
Ron coughed. Harry suddenly became extremely interested in his toast.
Hermione took a breath. "Have you ever actually seen one?"
"No."
"Then how do you know they exist?"
"Daddy wrote an article about them."
Hermione's expression changed. Luna wasn't sure how to describe it. Concerned curiosity, perhaps.
"Your father wrote an article?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"Yes." Luna said dreamily.
"Based on what evidence?"
"He interviewed a wizard who had encountered them."
"How did the wizard know he'd encountered them if they're invisible?"
"He became very confused."
Hermione stared at her. Luna smiled. Hermione looked toward Harry. Harry continued eating. Ron was visibly struggling not to laugh.
Hermione slowly closed her book. "Luna."
"Yes?"
"I don't want you to think I'm making fun of you."
"All right."
"But if someone makes a claim about a creature nobody can see, there should be some kind of evidence supporting its existence."
Luna considered that. "That's sensible."
Hermione relaxed slightly. "Exactly."
"But not being able to prove something exists doesn't prove that it doesn't."
Hermione opened her mouth. Stopped. Then opened it again. "That's—" She paused. Harry watched her. Ron watched her. Luna waited. Hermione finally said, "Technically true." Luna smiled. Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly. "But that doesn't mean—" The bell rang. Hermione looked toward the doors. Then back at Luna. "This conversation isn't finished."
"All right." Luna nodded happily.
Hermione hurriedly packed her book into her bag.
Ron leaned toward Luna. "You've known Hermione for five minutes and already got her started."
"Started doing what?"
"You'll learn."
Harry stood. "We've got Transfiguration." Luna rose with them. Harry glanced at her. "Don't you have Charms?"
"Yes."
"That's the other way."
Luna looked down the corridor. "Oh."
Harry smiled. "See you at lunch?"
Luna felt something warm settle inside her chest. "Yes."
She watched them leave. Then turned toward the opposite corridor. She had learned several things. Breakfast together was definitely part of friendship. Hermione liked evidence. Ron found arguments funny. Harry believed in Wrackspurts. Or possibly Harry simply liked Luna. She wasn't sure which. Luna decided either possibility was nice.
XXXXX
By Wednesday, Hermione had discovered something troubling. Luna Lovegood was not stupid. Hermione had originally suspected otherwise. She felt slightly guilty about that now. It wasn't because Luna spoke slowly or behaved strangely. Hermione knew perfectly well that neither of those things indicated intelligence.
It was the creatures. Nargles. Wrackspurts. Blibbering Humdingers. Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Every time Hermione attempted to determine where Luna had obtained her information, the answer inevitably involved either her father or The Quibbler. Hermione had therefore assumed Luna simply lacked critical thinking skills.
Then Professor Flitwick had asked Luna a question about wand movements. And according to Ginny, Luna had answered perfectly. Then corrected another student's pronunciation. Then she'd borrowed Hermione's Arithmancy introduction and understood the first chapter despite not taking the subject.
Then, during lunch, Hermione made the mistake of explaining why Luna's claim about moon frogs was biologically impossible. Luna listened. Asked three surprisingly good questions. Pointed out an assumption Hermione had made. Hermione checked the book. Luna was right. Then Luna concluded that moon frogs probably migrated through mirrors. Hermione nearly screamed.
Harry found the entire situation hilarious. By Thursday, Luna had simply become part of their routine. She appeared at breakfast. She found them at lunch. Whenever their schedules allowed, she walked with them between classes. She sat with them in the library. Harry didn't question it. Ron didn't particularly care. Hermione had apparently decided Luna was a long-term research project.
Luna considered everything to be going rather well. There was only one problem. Ron and Hermione already had things they did with Harry. Hermione studied with him. Ron played games with him. Hermione helped with homework. Ron talked about Quidditch. Hermione argued with Harry when he did something foolish. Ron usually participated in whatever foolish thing Harry was doing. They each had a place.
Luna didn't. Not yet. So on Friday evening, when Harry invited her to Gryffindor Tower, Luna decided she would continue her research. Getting into the tower was surprisingly easy. Harry gave the Fat Lady the password. The Fat Lady looked at Luna's Ravenclaw robes. Then at Harry.
"Wife," Harry explained. That’s the joke that had been going on throughout the castle ever since Harry threatened Ravenclaw Tower for bullying Luna. Luna found it funny. And he liked making her laugh.
The Fat Lady did not find it amusing. “Excuse me?” She asked, frowning at him.
“It was a joke.” Harry said.
“You took this young Maiden’s innocence and then discarded her!?” The Fat Lady demanded, standing up in her portrait. The nearby portraits all gasped and a few of them ran off to spread the latest gossip around.
Harry sighed. “We aren’t married. It was a joke. She’s my friend and I’d like her to enter the common room please.”
“He’s very gentle.” Luna added helpfully.
The Fat Lady didn’t look like she believed him. But she must've decided Luna didn’t look sad or betrayed. The Fat Lady sighed. "Very well."
Luna stepped through the portrait hole as Harry led her inside. She had never seen the Gryffindor common room before. It was warmer than Ravenclaw Tower. Not physically. Ravenclaw had fireplaces. But Gryffindor Tower somehow felt lived in.
Books were scattered across tables. Someone had abandoned a pair of shoes near an armchair. A group of third-years were arguing over Exploding Snap. Fred and George Weasley were whispering suspiciously in a corner.
Hermione immediately claimed a table. "We have an essay."
Ron groaned. "It's Friday."
"The essay is due Monday."
"Exactly. We've got two whole days."
Hermione stared at him. Luna sat beside Harry. Ron noticed. He was setting up a chessboard.
"Hey, Luna." Ron greeted her.
"Yes?"
"You know how to play?"
Luna looked at the pieces. "Chess?"
"Wizard's chess."
"Yes."
Ron brightened. "Want a game?"
Luna thought about it. Ron played chess with Harry. This was something friends did. "All right."
Harry looked up. "Careful."
Luna turned toward him. "Why?"
"Ron's really good."
Ron tried not to look pleased. He failed. "I mean, I'm all right."
Hermione didn't look up from her essay. "You beat Harry almost every time."
"Harry's rubbish."
"Thanks," Harry said dryly.
"You are." Luna sat opposite Ron. The pieces arranged themselves. "White or black?" Ron asked.
"Black."
Ron grinned. "All right."
He moved his pawn. Luna looked at the board. And the world shifted. Only slightly. A knight moved. A bishop fell. Ron frowned. A rook advanced. Harry leaned closer. Ron moved his queen. The board changed. Another possibility. Another. Another. Luna blinked. There. She moved a pawn. Ron stared at it. Then moved his knight. Luna moved her bishop. Ron attacked. Luna retreated. He smiled. She moved her queen. His smile disappeared. Three moves later, Luna tilted her head.
"Checkmate."
Ron stared at the board. Harry stared at the board. Hermione's quill stopped. Ron looked at Luna. Then the board. Then Luna again.
"What?" He asked dumbfounded.
"Checkmate." Luna repeated helpfully.
"I know what checkmate means."
"Oh."
Ron leaned closer to the board. He studied it. His king looked up at him.
"Don't look at me," the tiny king complained. "You're the one who put me here."
Harry started laughing. Ron frowned. "Again."
Luna smiled. "All right."
XXXXX
The second game lasted longer. "Checkmate."
Ron stared. Harry stopped laughing. Hermione put down her quill.
Ron pointed at the board. "Again."
"All right."
The third game attracted Fred. He wandered over halfway through. "What's this?"
"Ron keeps losing," Harry said.
Fred immediately pulled over a chair.
Ron glared at him. "I've lost twice."
Fred's eyes widened. "Twice?"
"Shut up."
George appeared. "What's happening?"
"Ronald's being humiliated by a first-year."
"I am not being humiliated!"
Luna moved her rook. "Checkmate."
George pulled over another chair. "Oh, this is magnificent."
Ron went red. "Again."
The fourth game attracted three more Gryffindors. The fifth attracted seven. By the sixth, Hermione had given up pretending to work.
"This doesn't make sense," Ron muttered. Luna waited patiently. Ron stared at the board. "You can't possibly know what I'm going to do."
Luna looked at him. Ron looked back. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Luna smiled. "No. That would be very strange."
Ron nodded. "Exactly."
Harry looked at Luna. Something about the answer felt peculiar. But then Ron moved his knight. Luna's attention returned to the board.
"Checkmate."
"OH, COME ON!"
The common room erupted. Fred was taking bets now. Not on whether Ron would win. On how long he would survive. Hermione objected strongly to this. Mostly because Fred hadn't given her favorable odds. Game seven lasted twelve minutes. Game eight lasted twenty. Ron had stopped speaking. He was leaning over the board with the intensity of a general defending Britain from invasion.
Luna sat opposite him with her chin resting in one hand. She occasionally looked toward the fire. Once, she became distracted by a moth. Ron spent nearly four minutes planning a move. He finally made it. Luna moved immediately.
"Checkmate."
Ron made a noise Harry had never heard from another human being.
By game nine, Percy had come downstairs. "What is going on?"
"History," George said.
Percy frowned. "What?"
"You're witnessing history."
Ron didn't look up. "Nobody speak."
Percy looked toward the chessboard. "Is that Luna Lovegood?"
"Yes."
"Why is she in Gryffindor Tower?" Percy asked, though he sounded genuinely curious since he hadn’t seen her since she last visited Ginny at the Burrow over the summer.
"She's killing Ron." Fred said.
"I am not being killed!"
Luna moved her bishop. Ron froze. Fred leaned forward. George covered his mouth. Harry saw it. Hermione saw it. Even Percy saw it.
Ron slowly looked toward Luna. "No."
Luna smiled apologetically. "Checkmate."
The room exploded again. Ron stood. "ONE MORE."
Hermione stared at him. "Ron, perhaps you should stop."
"No."
"You've lost nine times."
"I KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE LOST, HERMIONE."
Luna looked up at him. "Are you sure? You seem upset."
"I'm not upset." Fred coughed loudly. Ron pointed at him. "Shut it." Then he sat. "This one counts."
Harry blinked. "What were the other nine?"
"Practice."
George nearly fell off the sofa.
XXXXX
The tenth game became an event. People stopped playing Exploding Snap. Books were abandoned. Someone ran upstairs and returned with two roommates. Percy remained despite repeatedly insisting he had prefect duties. Ron took white. He opened differently. Luna watched. The possibilities unfolded.
Ron attacked early. Luna countered. He changed strategy. The future shifted. Luna adjusted. Ron hesitated. For the first time all evening, he looked pleased. He'd seen something. A trap. A very good one.
Luna saw that too. She saw the move Ron wanted her to make. She saw his queen. His knight. Her king falling six moves later. So Luna didn't make that move. She moved a pawn. Ron frowned.
The future changed. He studied the board. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Nobody spoke. Even Fred and George were silent. Ron moved his bishop. Luna moved her knight. Ron attacked her rook. Luna sacrificed it. Hermione inhaled sharply.
Ron smiled. Harry didn't understand why. Then Luna saw it. Twenty-three possibilities narrowed to eleven. Eleven became six. Six became two. And then Ron reached for his queen. Luna knew. She waited. Ron moved it. Luna moved her bishop.
"Check."
Ron frowned. He moved his king. Luna moved her queen. Ron's face changed. He stared at the board. Then at Luna. Then back at the board.
"No."
Luna moved her knight. "Checkmate."
For two seconds, Gryffindor Tower was completely silent. Then—
"AAAAAAAH!"
Fred and George launched themselves over the back of the sofa. Harry doubled over laughing. Someone started applauding. Then everyone started applauding. Percy removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Hermione simply stared at Luna. Ron remained completely motionless.
His king threw down his tiny sword. "I want a new commander." Ron looked personally betrayed.
Luna smiled at him. "That was fun."
Ron slowly lifted his head. "Fun?"
"Yes."
"You beat me ten times."
"Yes."
"In a row."
"Yes."
"You didn't even look at the board for half of game eight."
"There was a moth." Fred collapsed against George. Luna looked at Ron. "Would you like to play again?"
"No."
She tilted her head. "But I thought you liked chess."
Ron stared into the fire. "I liked chess yesterday."
XXXXX
Later that evening, Harry walked Luna back toward Ravenclaw Tower. Hermione came with them. Ron did too, although he remained unusually quiet. Luna held her shoes in one hand. Harry had learned not to ask. They reached the corridor where they would separate.
Luna stopped. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
She looked at him. "Am I doing it properly?"
Harry frowned. "Doing what?"
"Being your best friend." Harry's expression changed. Hermione stopped walking. Ron looked over. Luna glanced between the three of them. "Hermione studies with you. Ron plays games with you. You each seem to know what you're supposed to do." She looked down at her shoes. "I've never had a best friend other than Ginny before."
Harry didn't answer immediately.
Luna continued. "I wasn't certain whether there were rules."
Something twisted painfully inside Harry's chest. He understood that feeling. Maybe better than anyone. "There aren't." Luna looked up. "You don't have to do anything," Harry said. "You don't have to study with me because Hermione does. And you don't have to play chess because Ron does."
Ron muttered, "Especially that."
Harry ignored him. "You can just be Luna."
She stared at him. "That's enough?"
"Yeah."
Hermione stepped closer. "It's more than enough." Luna looked toward her. Hermione smiled. "And while I still don't believe Wrackspurts exist, that doesn't mean I don't want you around."
Luna considered this. "That's very kind."
Hermione nodded. "I also intend to prove you wrong."
Luna smiled. "I'd like that."
Ron shoved his hands into his pockets. "And you're already my friend anyway." Luna turned toward him. "We've known each other since we were little."
"Yes."
"So stop acting like you've got to earn something." Luna's smile widened. Ron pointed at her. "But we're never playing chess again."
"All right."
"Ever."
"All right."
"I mean it."
"I believe you."
Ron narrowed his eyes. "Why does that sound like you know something I don't?"
Luna smiled serenely. "I don't know."
Ron stared at her. Harry laughed. Hermione shook her head. And Luna Lovegood continued toward Ravenclaw Tower with three friends beside her. She had spent the entire week trying to discover where she belonged among them. Hermione had her place. Ron had his. Harry had his. Luna had thought friendship meant finding an empty space and fitting herself into it. She understood now. There hadn't been an empty space. They had made one. For her. Luna decided she liked that much better.
End of chapter.