[HPforGrownups] DH: How did Luna recognize Harry at the wedding?

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 174267

Blazius1:
>In Fleur and Bill's wedding, Luna is able to see through Harry's
>polyjuice disguise.  How?

Bart:
Because physical appearance is not all there is to recognizing someone. For example, once, on a subway, when I was about 22, a young woman came up to me, and asked me, "Aren't you Bart Lidofsky?" I said yes. She was someone I barely knew from Junior High School, but I was working in a notebook on the train, and I erased something. Apparently, she recognized the way I erased it (on top of everything else, by then I had grown a beard, which made me even harder to recognize by appearance). Now, this is not entirely strange, as I use a slightly unusual eraser (a plastic one; it only rubs off the surface, and does nothing to the paper; it's more commonly used by artists, but it was also commonly used in the Netherlands, where I started using it). And there was my facial expression while erasing, and who knows what else.

The point is that people have facial expressions, gestures, ways of walking, ways of looking at things, which can be subtle, yet distinct. Luna recognized Harry by these methods (I don't have the quote in front of me, but she does pretty much say this). Remember in COS, when Harry & Ron pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle, and had to remember to take care of their walking, talking, and facial expressions, so as not to make it look suspicious?

What is interesting about this scene is that Luna did not come there looking for Harry in disguise, yet she saw right through it. I don't know what the encyclopedia will say, but I think that she would make an excellent auror. Think of the USA Network's (anybody know what it's called over the pond?) strange detectives, from shows like Monk, Psyche, The Dead Zone, Burn Notice, etc.

Consider:

The bar had no name on the door. Not surprising for an establishment on Nokturn Alley. People knew where to go. At least they thought so. That's why all the heads turned when the dark-haired young woman walked in. She was dressed more like she was going to a party than a Nokturn Alley bar. 

So, nobody reacted when someone violated the unwritten rule of anonymity, breaking the silence, "And, who might you be, and what brings you to a place like this?"

The young woman replied, "Hi! I'm an Auror from the ministry, and I'm trying to solve the Philo Finnegan murder." 

For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop on the floor. Then the bar erupted in hearty laughter. Everybody started offering to buy the newcomer drinks. "I will have to turn myself in, Missy! I'm the guy who killed Philo Finnegan!" said one. Soon, almost everybody in the bar was taking turns going up to her, and confessing to the crime. A good time was had by all, when the woman prepared to leave. "Thank you all. I'm pretty sure I know who the real murderer is, now." And there was more laughter, as she left. They hadn't had this much fun in years.

A few minutes later, back at Ministry headquarters, Agent Lovegood walked in. The disguise spell was removed. "I think we're on the right track." she said. "I'm sure it was Polywhacker Grimm who killed Philo Finnegan." 

"How do you know?" asked her supervisor.

She proceeded to explain the evening's goings on, while her supervisor fought the urge to slam his head against his desk a few times. "But, still. How do you know it was Polywhacker Grimm?"

"Simple." replied Luna. "He was the only person in the bar who did NOT confess to the murder."

Bart

Bart