Five Ways Luna Lovegood Taught Us We Can Do Anything
Luna Lovegood is easily the sweetheart of the Potter universe. From the moment she is introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, most fans absolutely love her and her eccentricity. She seems generally clueless, lost in her own world, and completely oblivious to social rules. That’s not all there is to her, however. In between the lines, Luna has taught us some important lessons: how to be ourselves, how to believe in ourselves, and how to do whatever feels right. Here are five ways in which she did exactly that.
1. Getting to the Ministry
When Harry Potter needed a quick way to get to the Ministry of Magic in his fifth year, he was at a bit of a loss. His broom had been taken away from him, and no other way to get there was either fast enough or realistic enough. Luna came with the answer: Thestrals. The creatures were invisible to some of the people on their rescue team, but that just gives more power to the idea that sometimes you just really have to believe in something for it to work out.
2. Publishing the Truth
It can be very hard to diverge from the masses, especially if they’re all shouting that one particular version of a story is, in fact, true. This was most obvious in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix¸ when many people called Harry a liar. Luna didn’t just go against this tendency to follow the crowd; she fully supported her father in publishing the real story. She trusted Harry and his words and ensured that there was at least one place where he could be completely honest about what had happened to him.
3. Surviving the Malfoy Basement
Harry might have hesitated the moment he met Luna and she told him he was “just as sane” as she was, but honestly, anyone who can survive months of being captured by Death Eaters without losing their sanity should get major applause. She didn’t break, didn’t lose faith, and stayed strong through it all. Moreover, she actually took care of the people trapped with her and helped them not to lose hope until Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dobby came to save them.
4. Traveling the World
Even after the war, Luna did quite well for herself. While everyone continuously told her that those weird creatures she believed in weren’t real, she persisted. She ended up marrying Rolf Scamander, the grandson of none other than our beloved Newt Scamander. Moreover, she traveled the entire world with her husband in search of new fantastic beasts and creatures. In the end, she got to live her passion. Who’s laughing now?
5. Evanna Lynch
Of course, Evanna Lynch, the actress who portrayed Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, isn’t actually part of the Potterverse (as far as we know, anyway!). Still, her story completely fits with Luna’s individuality and beliefs. Evanna herself was a huge fan of the Potter books before she was chosen for the role of Luna. In fact, Luna was her favorite character, and she even wrote letters to J.K. Rowling expressing how much she loved the series! If she can make her dreams come true, why shouldn’t you be able to as well?
