Celebrating Friendship: Luna Lovegood
Harry Potter is fortunate to have made so many wonderful friends at Hogwarts. In order to celebrate that friendship, I shine a spotlight on Harry’s best friends and all they did for him. These are the friends who ventured into danger with him, supported him as the years became steadily darker, and became his closest, most trusted allies in the fight against Voldemort.
Luna Lovegood is one character we will never forget. Luna is one of Harry’s greatest sources of comfort from the first time they meet. Luna appears by Harry’s side in his most vulnerable moments, his moments of deepest grief and despair, and with her radiance and kindness brings him back to the light. To celebrate their friendship, let’s revisit the things Luna did for Harry that make her such a wonderful friend.
1. “You’re not going mad or anything. I can see them too” (OoTP 199).
Luna sees that Harry is bewildered, desperate to prove to his friends and to himself that he is not hallucinating or going mad. Luna realizes that Harry has recently digested a painful death, recognizes that Harry is in a vulnerable place, and responds with the assurance that he is not alone. Not many people at Hogwarts can see the Thestrals or know of their existence, and Luna knows no one should have to bear that knowledge alone.
2. “I believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and I believe you fought him and escaped from him” (OoTP 261).
Luna and her father don’t read the Daily Prophet and don’t believe for a minute that Harry is disturbed or dangerous. So when she comes back to Hogwarts in the fall and realizes that much of the wizarding world has turned on Harry, what does she do? Why, she takes the first opportunity she gets to dash up to Harry and assure him that she believes him wholeheartedly, of course. After mere days of knowing Harry, Luna is already doing all she can to combat his feelings of isolation.
3. “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?” (OoTP 863)
Luna, more than anyone else, knows exactly what to say to Harry as he grieves Sirius. She gives him the comfort that, though Harry can’t see or speak to him at the moment, Sirius is not completely gone. Having lost someone herself, she alone knows how to ease the terrible weight in Harry’s stomach. In those days of darkness and despair following Sirius’s death, Luna is a light to Harry when his other friends cannot be.
4. “‘Hello, Harry!’ she said” (DH 140).
>Out of all the guests at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Luna alone can clearly see Harry beneath the veneer of Polyjuice Potion. It is remarkable that Luna put so much effort into getting to know Harry that she can recognize him by his behavior even when he looks nothing like himself. It is this intuition that allows her to be such a supportive friend.
5. “‘I think we ought to say something,’ piped up Luna” (DH 480).
Once again, Luna shows her profound compassion and empathy as she stands beside Harry in a moment of grief. She speaks not only to honor Dobby but also to support and comfort Harry. She sees that Harry is overwhelmed and says all that he cannot bring himself to say. Only Luna could be so thoughtful and kind.
6. “That’s right, Harry… come on, think of something happy…” (DH 649)
Luna, Ernie, and Seamus hold the Dementors at bay; what matters now is dragging Harry out of the darkness of his grief and hopelessness. Luna is gentle and encouraging, a calm spot in the chaos of the battle, a light in the darkness. She alone can help Harry find something inside himself to hold onto and fight for.
7. Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!” (DH 36)
Luna understands Harry’s craving for peace and quiet after the Battle is won. She sees his exhaustion and gives him a chance to get away from it all undetected. Once again, Luna Lovegood knows exactly what Harry needs and helps him find it. For her understanding and compassion, Luna deserves to be celebrated as one of Harry’s closest friends.
