MC4A - Paranormal Phantasm

Fill #8

Representations: Luna Lovegood, Children who have lost their innocence

Bonus Challenges: Casper's House

Word count: 266

Beta: Aya Diefair

They thought her innocent and unwise to the workings of the world. They saw her dreamy eyes and heard her strange words and dismissed her as a child. Luna was not a child though. She hadn't been a child in a very long time. She had been wrenched out of childhood by her mother dying right in front of her. She coped by pushing people away using her strangeness. She watched as they laughed and smiled and never knew the pain of seeing a loved one die in front of you.

The children at Hogwarts were just that; children. Most of them were at least. She recognised those that were like her. It was easy to see if you knew what signs to look for, and she did. She walked the corridors of Hogwarts barefoot because her shoes had been stolen and talked to the ghosts—only some of which were dead. They were the people who drifted through the corridors as she did. No one saw them, not really. So they saw each other.

All of them had at some point decided not to ignore the others like them. They would pass by each other in a hallway and nod or smile, acknowledging the other's presence. When the war came to Hogwarts, the children became not-children and they all saw the others. Luna was finally seen properly. The war changed them all. When Luna again walked the corridors after the war was over, she saw what had happened. Nods and sad smiles of acknowledgment were everywhere. There were no children in Hogwarts after the Final Battle.