OOP - Chapters 10 & 38 Major Major Spoilers re New Character

[yale sam wahl]

No: HPFGUIDX 64076

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@               beaucoup spoilers to follow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"kappitoo" <kappitoo at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I was just wondering what theories people have on Luna Lovegood. She
>turned up at the beginning of the book and without any development at
>all seemed, somewhat uneccesarily, to be in every important scene.
>Obviously this is a setup for future novels, but does anyone have, or
>has anyone heard, any speculation on her role in the future?
>
   Paige Woods' Reply:

  Well, just to sum it up for you, I believe that Luna *IS* going to be a
huge part in the later books. Her family name, *Lovegood* is first mentioned
in Book 4...

     "No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts
couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory. (US edition, pg. 73)

    However, that doesn't explain anything. But I've been reading around the
posts, and someone pointed out that Luna, Harry, Neville, and Ginny all got
sprayed with the stuff on the train to Hogwarts. In the end, they were the
last ones standing... which leads to the question, "Why were they the last
ones standing?" And for her name... that seems oddly suspicious to me...
Luna means moon (or something around that!)

       ~Paige Woods~

Me -

Regarding Luna and her entry into the now doubled trio, both train scenes at
the beginning (185-199) and the end of OOP are interesting -
First train scene -

1.    Harry separated from R&H for the first time because they must sit in
prefect car. The trio is starting to be more independent with Harry
seemingly becoming the "odd man out"  -- clearly a friend but not a romantic
interest (especially not with Ron)... They were also not really as consoling
to Harry as Luna was while the feast was in progress.

2.    Ginny helps Harry to find seat after meeting Neville and introducing
them to Luna

3.     Harry misreads Luna as "giving off an aura of distinct dottiness".
Why do I say misread? Well think about it ..... what is she doing in
Ravenclaw ???  Ravenclaw's motto is "we'll teach those whose intelligence is
surest" as per sorting hat. This is second Ravenclaw that Harry has met.

4.    Luna is reading magazine updise down (185) -- on ride home Ginny is
reading same magazine updise down (866). Maybe a coincidence or maybe not
... Some posts mentioned how different Luna was from Hermione..... I think
that by books 6&7 the differneces/similarities to Ginny is what will be
important.

5.    On train ride to Hogwarts, Neville's plant, displaaying its "amazing
defense mechanism" sprays them all with Stinksap ..... on ride back plant is
much better behaved and "had grown a great deal over the year and now made
odd crooning noises when touched" (865). This could symbolize Neville's
maturation over the year showing that he has dropped some of his awkwardness
and now is more functional (or it could show JKR's love for botany).

6.    On ride to Hogwarts, right after Harry is Stinksapped, Cho (Ravenclaw)
drops in briefly to say hi -  on ride from Hogwarts,Cho passes by but doesnt
drop in and Harry officially puts Cho in his past.
7
.    When they get off the train at Hogwarts, there is a further bond
between Harry and Luna in that they both can see the thestrals.

In one short chapter, the ultimate expansion of the trio into the sextet is
established, and eventually cemented (762-763) when they all ride the
thestrals to the DoM.
Luna, Ginny and Neville either were nonexistent at the start of OOP or
undeveloped, and by the end of the book they are equals to HHR in both
courage and maturity.

I feel very strongly that Luna is critical to Harry's emotional stability in
the 6th and 7th books because Luna was the only one whose words gave any
comfort to Harry after the death of Sirius (reread 862-864 carefully --- she
is the last person that Harry interacts with in a significant way at
Hogwarts, and JKR's conversation and descriptive skills here are subtle yet
powerful). Up until that point Harry was totally depressed and raging,
feeling sorry only for himself.... NO ONE  could  snap him out of it ....
the last chapter was painful to read.
When he met Luna, he pitied her because everyone picked on her and she was
also disrespected by his peers, but by the end of the conversation,  she had
impressed him with her attitude and emerged as someone who he could
empathize with. She had suffered as well in her life, yet she wasnt defeated
and lived life on her terms.

I also feel that Harry will soon begin a journey that Hermione and Ron may
not be able to help him through, and that other matters like Quiddich and
even Hogwarts will not be as important to Harry as "making peace" with his
destiny. Hermione and Ron both have complete families and somehow seem
incapable of giving Harry the help he needs.They had not had to deal with
the death of a loved one and could not hear the voices behind the vale. Out
of the 6 that entered the Department of Mysteries only Harry, Luna, Ginny
and Neville could hear the voices (774-775).
One last point, for the shippers among us, i think that HG or HL is MUCH
more likely than HH - I just hope that they all make it through ............

samnan