[HPforGrownups] A Look At Luna Lovegood (longish)

[Janet Anderson]

No: HPFGUIDX 84048

Paula Gaon suggested:

>Ever since my second read of OotP and subsequent rereading of a few 
>chapters, can't stop thinking about Luna Lovegood.  Exactly who/what is 
>she?  When we first meet Luna on the train going to Hogwarts, she's 
>described as having "waist-length, dirty blond hair (not sure if dirty 
>refers to the condition of her hair or the color, I think it's probably the 
>condition due to her spacy character), very pale eyebrows and protuberant 
>eyes..."  Of course we get a glimpse of her strange taste in accessories as 
>well as her distant dotty character.  Now the first thing I thought about 
>after reviewing this description was Veela, at least part Veela-- pale 
>coloring, aloof manner.

I think this is really interesting, but I don't agree that Luna is an 
otherworldly creature.  I don't think she's a Veela, mostly because Veela 
once they reach puberty are, er, hard to mistake if there's a healthy 
heterosexual male within their line of sight. This applies even to those 
with as little as one-quarter Veela in their ancestry, e.g. Fleur.

I also think the "dirty blond" refers to the color, not the condition -- and 
I suspect Luna's going to be much better looking in a few years.  Someone on 
the list posited a sudden blossoming of Eloise Midgen into a beauty; I think 
it will be Luna and I also think (as I mentioned elsewhere) that she and Ron 
will have at least a temporary interest in each other -- to Hermione's 
chagrin.

 >Then, when it came to riding the Thestrals, she hopped on side saddle.  
Why would she need to ride side-saddle?    But the quote that really raises 
a red flag: "Luna was already in place, sitting side-saddle, and adjusting 
her robes as though she did this every day."  Doesn't she seem just a little 
too familiar with the art of Thestral riding?

I don't know, but I would *think* that Luna has learned to ride (horses) 
sidesaddle.  She's from the country, and the Wizarding World is 
old-fashioned.  There is no mention of horses at the Burrow, and Neville's 
grandmother probably wouldn't let him near a horse even if she had any -- 
nor would I blame her.


Janet Anderson

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