He.had.turned.the.corner.towards.the.Fat.Lady.s.corridor.when.he.saw.somebody.up.ahead.fastening.a.note.to.a.board.on.the.wall..A.second.glance.showed.him.it.was.Luna..There.were.no.good.hiding.places.nearby,.she.was.bound.to.have.heard.his.footsteps,.and.in.any.case,.Harry.could.hardly.muster.the.energy.to.avoid.anyone.at.the.moment..
`Hello,..said.Luna.vaguely,.glancing.around.at.him.as.she.stepped.back.from.the.notice..
....`How.come.you.re.not.at.the.feast?..Harry.asked..
`Well,.I.ve.lost.most.of.my.possessions,..said.Luna.serenely...People.take.them.and.hide.them,.you.know..But.as.it.s.the.last.night,.I.really.do.need.them.back,.so.I.ve.been.putting.up.signs...
She.gestured.towards.the.noticeboard,.upon.which,.sure.enough,.she.had.pinned.a.list.of.all.her.missing.books.and.clothes,.with.a.plea.for.their.return..
An.odd.feeling.rose.in.Harry;.an.emotion.quite.different.from.the.anger.and.grief.that.had.filled.him.since.Sirius.s.death..It.was.a.few.moments.before.he.realised.that.he.was.feeling.sorry.for.Luna..
`How.come.people.hide.your.stuff?..he.asked.her,.frowning..
`Oh….well…..she.shrugged..`I.think.they.think.I.m.a.bit.odd,.you.know..Some.people.call.me..Loony..Lovegood,.actually...
Harry.looked.at.her.and.the.new.feeling.of.pity.intensified.rather.painfully..
`That.s.no.reason.for.them.to.take.your.things,..he.said.flatly..D.you.want.help.finding.them?..
.Oh,.no,..she.said,.smiling.at.him..`They.ll.come.back,.they.always.do.in.the.end.
.It.was.just.that.I.wanted.to.pack.tonight..Anyway….why.aren.t.you.at.the.feast?..
Harry.shrugged..Just.didn.t.feel.like.it...
`No,..said.Luna,.observing.him.with.those.oddly.misty,.protuberant.eyes..`I.don.t.suppose.you.do..That.man.the.Death.Eaters.killed.was.your.godfather,.wasn.t.he?.Ginny.told.me...
Harry.nodded.curtly,.but.found.that.for.some.reason.he.did.not.mind.Luna.talking.about.Sirius..He.had.just.remembered.that.she,.too,.could.see.Thestrals..
`Have.you…..he.began..`I.mean,.who….has.anyone.you.known.ever.died?..
`Yes,..said.Luna.simply,.`my.mother..She.was.a.quite.extraordinary.witch,.you.know,.but.she.did.like.to.experiment.and.one.of.her.spells.went.rather.badly.wrong.one.day..I.was.nine...
`I.m.sorry..Harry.mumbled..
.Yes,.it.was.rather.horrible,..said.Luna.conversationally..`I.still.feel.very.sad.about.it.sometimes..But.I.ve.still.got.Dad..And.anyway,.it.s.not.as.though.I.ll.never.see.Mum.again,.is.it?..
.....`Er.‐.isn.t.it?..said.Harry.uncertainly.
.She.shook.her.head.in.disbelief.
.`Oh,.come.on..You.heard.them,.just.behind.the.veil,.didn.t.you?.
.`You.mean…..
`In.that.room.with.the.archway..They.were.just.lurking.out.of.sight,.that.s.all.
.You.heard.them...
They.looked.at.each.other..Luna.was.smiling.slightly..Harry.did.not.know.what.to.say,.or.to.think;.Luna.believed.so.many.extraordinary.things….yet.he.had.been.sure.he.had.heard.voices.behind.the.veil,.too..
`Are.you.sure.you.don.t.want.me.to.help.you.look.for.your.stuff?..he.said..
`Oh,.no,..said.Luna..`No,.I.think.I.ll.just.go.down.and.have.some.pudding.and.wait.for.it.all.to.turn.up….it.always.does.in.the.end….well,.have.a.nice.holiday.Harry..