Second sorting
Lirum quickly made their way to the great hall ignoring the chattering of students talking about the flying car. Finding their way to their normal seat near the middle of the Ravenclaw table. They were a little worried for the boys. It would be an awful way to start the year they thought. Still, they had faith the second years would figure something out. They seemed to have a tenacity for not dying when they should.
Giddy for an excuse to reread the whole set. They pulled out their new signed copy of ‘Travels with Trolls’ by Gilderoy Lockhart. At the beginning reading it they thought. This teacher must love Lockhart work as much as I do. Before suddenly being startled to attention by a soft voice across the table.
“Your hair is a wonderful color.” The voice said. Lirum looked up to see a girl with long blond hair. She appeared to be a first year newly sorted into Ravenclaw. “May I sit?”
“Uhh…yeah. You must be new, yeah? What’s your name?” Lirum said, trying to be polite to the girl who seemed a bit spacey.
“Luna… Luna Lovegood” She said sitting down everything about this girl seemed soft and spacey. Her voice, the way she moved, even her name. How was she going to survive in the Ravenclaw house, full of people who tear you apart for not fitting perfectly. Reaching out a hand to Lirum she spoke again. “Do you think their will be pudding?”
“Lirum Ollivander-There's always pudding, it’s Hogwarts.” Lirum said, shaking the girl’s hand.
“Always pudding?” Luna asked, with a cook of her head.
“Always pudding.” Lirum said with a nod.
“Wouldn’t the Nargles steal it?” Luna said much to Lirum’s confusion.
“The what?” Lirum asked, thinking they must have misheard the girl.
“The Nargles, silly! Won’t they steal the pudding if it’s always out?” The spacey girl said, leaning closer to Lirum. “Do you need a charm to protect yourself? I can give you one. Here take this one I have another in my luggage!”
The girl scrabbled to get the necklace off and untangled from her scraggly waist length blond curls. The first year handed over a small necklace. It was made of pale green and blue beads cascading down toward a Butterbeer cork attached by a decorative little piece of silver. Lirum looked at it quizzically, questioning if they should have asked to begin with. Looking up to see how excited the girl across the table was practically vibrating they couldn’t protest. With a heavy sigh they put the necklace on. Earning a squeal from Luna.
“…I’ll treasure it always?” Lirum said with a nod again not sure how else to proceed.
“Lovely!” Luna said, nodding back.
“Ginerva Weasley.” Mcgonagall called out reading from her long list of names needing to be sorted.
That name in particular drew Lirum’s attention away. Ginny walked to the stool looking nervous turning around scanning the room for faces she recognized. First her eyes settled on her brothers who all cheered as she sat down. Then over to the Ravenclaw table where Lirum and Luna waited, Lirum gave a smile and thumbs up which Luna noticed and mirrored. Facing the girl she clearly hadn’t met yet. If Ginny was to be sorted into Ravenclaw it would be Lirum’s job to make sure she was well looked after. No one told them that, Percy certainly wouldn’t, but it would take a weight of his shoulders Lirum could easily carry
“Gryffindor!” The hat shouted.
Well it was worth the thought. Lirum had figured based off of their family’s long Gryffindor track record, and Ginny's explanation of self that’s where she would be sorted. She jumped up happily and ran to meet her brothers at the Gryffindor table.
“Do you know her?” Luna asked, tipping her head to the side once more, feet dangling off the bench, rocking back and forth.
“She’s a friend of a friend.” Lirum said back patently.
“Is it the ginger boy you’ve been looking at?” Luna said simply turning back to face the Gryffindor table.
“I-p-uhh…I have not been looking at anyone! Especially not some ginger boy at the Gryffindor table!” Lirum stammered out. As Luna turned back toward them.
“Does your hair change color when you like?” She said, with an eyebrow raised.
“If you keep this up you will have No pudding!” Lirum bluffed. Hoping it would be enough to dissuade the curious first year. “I’ll give it all to the Nargles! You’ll get none of it!”
“You wouldn’t!” Luna gasped.
“Not if you behave yourself. Now will you be joining us for pudding or keep asking questions?” Lirum said, trying to sound serious.
“Pudding please ma-ah-uh-si-umm…” Luna started before trailing off. “What…um I’m sorry what should I call you?”
“Call me whatever you fancy. I’m not picky.” Lirum said with a sigh trying to get back to their book.
“But what would you prefer?” Luna asked seriously for the first time since sitting at the table. Lirum paused for a moment trying to think of a single person who’d ever actually asked that question.
“As far as sir or ma’am goes I prefer sir, knights are Sirs man, woman, or else wise.” Lirum said, crossing their arms. Giving a distrustful look towards the blond girl.
“And if I’m to refer to you?” Luna asked deep in thought about something.
“Then don’t. Why would you be referring to me.” Lirum said untrusting.
“If you're going to be my friend I’ll need to know.” Luna said, returning to her carefree appearance.
“Who said I would be your friend?” Lirum asked, unsure of this new girl’s intentions.
“You already accepted my anti-Nargle charm! It’s too late to back out now!” She said. “So what will it be?”
The food began appearing on the table. Luna began bouncing excitedly again, clapping as she saw the pudding appear on the table around them. As the first year began happily grabbing sweets from the table onto her plate Lirum made their decision. This girl was far too soft for this house and would need someone to help her.
“Use them when referring to me unless I tell you otherwise.” Lirum said with a sigh resting their head in their hand. This was the second underclassmen they had bound themself to helping.
“Wonderful!” Luna cheered. Picking through her plate that only contained sweets and no actual food. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you before!”
Suddenly they were sure their year would be as stressful as Percy’s. Reopening their book and picking up where they left off they didn’t make it very far. All they could think about was what Luna had said. Before long they snapped the book closed and dropped it on the table.
“Which boy did you think I was staring at?” Lirum snapped, looking up at the blond.
“May I still have my pudding?” Luna asked, a little worried. Earning a sigh from Lirum.
“Yes, you may still have your pudding. Now which one was it?” Lirum asked not remembering spending too much time looking at the table.
“The tall one.” She answered “With the glasses.”
With those words Lirum gave up. Dropping their head letting it crash into the table, cushioned only by their book. The rattling of silver could be heard, presumably and silverware fleeing the table from the impact. A startled gasp came from Luna as she bent over eye level with Lirum.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“Never better!” Lirum jeered. Second year in a row being more than ready to go to bed, before the end of the first feast of the year.
Lirum picked themself back up from the table after a moment. Opening their book one last time hoping to get some reading in at least if they were going to be embarrassed regardless.
“Why does your hair change color? Is it a spell?” Luna asked inquisitively. “Could I do it?”
“No, it’s not a spell, and trust me you don’t want it. My hair changes color because I’m a metamorphmagus. I can change anything about my body. The problem is sometimes I can’t help it.” Lirum explained. They pointed up at their hair and continued, a little more peeved. “Like when I’m embarrassed.”
“So, pink is embarrassment then. What about green? It was minty before?” Luna asked, playing with the sweets on her plate.
“Green is happy I guess? Neutral maybe?” Lirum said unsure. They’d never thought too hard about the colors their hair turned, or why unless someone pointed it out.
“Any others i should know about?” Luna said with a gentle laugh
“Well…I’ve been told when I’m upset it turns brown. But nothing else I know of.” Lirum said awkwardly.
“Hum, I’ll start a list then!” Luna said with a triumphant nod before students the prefects began calling the attention of students in their houses.
“Welcome to Ravenclaw house to all of you!” Penelope began.
Lirum tuned out the rest of her speech. This was their fourth year they really didn’t need to be told where anything would be. They followed quietly with the rest of the Ravenclaws back to their tower stepping into their common room that smelled of stone, parchment and old books
“It’s quite nice, cozy actually.” They heard Luna say from behind them.
“You call this cozy? I mean it is nice, I enjoy it here. But as far as common rooms go the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor are definitely much cozier.” Lirum said with a shrug.
“And how do you know what the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor common rooms look like, Mr. Ollivander?” Penelope questioned rather pointedly.
“I stayed here last Christmas. Percy said it was the only time of year we were allowed to go into other common rooms. Did he misinform me?” Lirum responded walking towards their dorm hearing a huff behind them.
“Well, keep that in mind. There will be no sneaking out, or into other common rooms this year in my watch. I won’t have you setting a bad example for the first years and losing us hour points again this year.” Penelope snapped arms crossed. “And you should get to bed. classes start in the morning.”
“Where do you think I’m going?” Lirum said, throwing a glance over their shoulder at the prefect.
“I was referring to the first years!” She snapped again.
“Yeah ok.” Lirum said, trying to leave once more.
“You will not make a fool of me this year!” She said under her breath.
“Course not!” They said snipped back, walking up the steps “you do that yourself.”
“Are you trying to get detention on your first night, Ollivander!” Penelope snapped loudly after the metamorphmagus made their way up the stairs.
“Have they done something wrong ma’am?” Luna asked, still standing with the other first years.
At that moment Lirum knew they’d made the right decision. Taking that silly little cork and bead necklace. Reaching a hand up to hold it against their chest. Being Luna’s friend had already been made worth it by seeing how angry Penny was. They’d now have someone in their corner, and they would be hers in return.
Summiting the steps to open the doors to their dorm Lirum couldn’t wipe the smirk off their face. Lirum ran to their trunk, took off their robes, and dressing in their night clothes. They couldn’t wait to hop into their large plush sky blue bed. They’d missed it all summer. Their bed at home was nice, sure. They could hear their grandfather running alright cleaning or working in wands occasionally some big thump of him knocking something over. But it was a city where there were always lights outside the windows no view of the lake no stars just witches and wizards out in the town enjoying their nights.
But here curling up in the plush blankets listening to the wind. They could have watch the moon reflecting off the lake and gaze at the stars from the safety of their cushy blue four post bed. That’s why Hogwarts was better. It was always quiet here to relax; occasionally there’d be a thump or two, but they were always quickly hushed before Lirum could think to complain.