"Mine too." Neville agreed.
Harry felt his cheeks heat up but he held Luna's gaze. "Ron Weasley was mine. I met him on the Hogwarts Express in my first year."
"Ginny and I used to have play dates when I was small." Luna commented. "But when we started lessons, Mummy and Mrs Weasley didn't agree on what we should learn so we stopped."
"That's a shame." Hermione said, shifting on the bench slightly. "I guess it doesn't help that you're separated by the Houses at Hogwarts either otherwise you could have renewed your acquaintance again."
"That's part of it." Luna agreed softly.
"My Gran said there's going to be an Inter-House Common Room for the upper years," Neville informed them, "for the thing we're not supposed to know about."
"You mean the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Luna said with a knowing smile.
Harry's eyes widened. "Your Dad showed you the press release?"
Luna nodded, kicking her feet out to stare at her toes. "He's very excited."
"We know about the tournament but have been told not to say anything," Hermione said, staring at Luna's toes herself as though trying to work out what was so fascinating, "the Headmaster wants to surprise everyone at the feast tonight. But never mind that, what does the tournament have to do with the lower years not getting a Common Room?"
"The other schools aren't bringing anyone below sixth year." Harry said. "The Common Room is supposed to encourage international sharing and bonding."
"I think we should request one Common Room for first through third, and another for the fourth and fifth years." Hermione said, taking out her organiser and making a note. "We might not be able to do the international sharing but it should encourage inter-house bonding."
"But all feet need a big toe." Luna said suddenly.
For a moment they all stared at her.
"You mean someone to make it work? Right. Robert will see to the upper years," Harry suggested, "he's Head Boy this year."
"You'll manage the fourth and fifth years." Hermione said and as much as Harry wanted to argue with her, he knew it would be expected.
"What about you for the lower years, Luna?" asked Neville gently.
Luna looked surprised and shook her head sending her blonde hair flying. "Oh, nobody follows something they can't see."
Harry felt his anger stir again at how Luna must have been treated for her to make such a comment. "Who would you suggest?" He asked instead.
"Matthew Inglebee." Luna said simply.
Lydia's twin, Harry mused. Matthew was a good-humoured likeable guy with an easy-going personality. He'd gone into Hufflepuff but he was smart and ambitious if a little overshadowed by his more talkative and effusive Gryffindor twin sister. Harry enjoyed talking with him when Lydia wasn't around.
Harry nodded. "Matt would be a good choice."
"I think so too." Neville said. "He's very popular in his own year."
Hermione agreed. "I've seen him helping the younger years out in the library."
"So, Neville and I can talk with him when we get to Hogwarts." Harry said.
"We still need to get permission." Hermione cautioned him, but her brown eyes were shining with enthusiasm. "A petition maybe?"
"Sounds good." Harry said. "We should talk with the prefects too. If they support it and offer to spend some time in the Common Rooms 'supervising' we'll probably get permission for it."
"If we organise that in the next couple of days before school starts on Monday, maybe we can have the Common Rooms up and running by this time next week." Neville said enthusiastically.
"It's ambitious," Hermione tapped her chin with her quill, "but doable. Let me see, we'll need…" she bent her head over her organiser scribbling notes and Neville shot Harry a smirk as they both looked at her.
"Are you looking forward to the tournament, Harry?" Luna asked, sitting back and folding her hands over her stomach.
Harry lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "It might have been nice to have met some foreign students but as the ones who are coming are all older than we are, I doubt they'll socialise with us much."
"I'm with Harry," Neville said, "I'll go along to watch the tasks and cheer on the Hogwarts Champion but I'm not really that fussed about it."
Hermione sniffed. "Personally, I think the tournament's aims are good but its record is very spotty; two of the Champions died in the third task last time."
"My Daddy thinks it's a very bad idea." Luna agreed. "One of the Champions that died was his friend."
"Oh, how horrible!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up. She frowned. "Your Dad went to Hogwarts though, didn't he? I thought the two who died were from the other schools."
"Francine was friends with my Mummy – she went to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts because Grandmére was French." Luna explained. "Daddy lived next door to Mummy growing up so…"
"So he got to know her friends from school." Hermione finished. "How awful that your Dad and Mum had to go through something like that!" Her gaze drifted to Harry and he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry said firmly, "I have no intention of entering the tournament. Sirius says they're putting a whole heap of protections around the artefact so it'll be impossible for someone underage to enter."
"It won't stop some people trying." Neville commented, raising his voice to be heard over the clamour of people shouting on the platform outside. "Tri-Wizard Champions used to be able to write their own futures after winning; they had the pick of the available Mastery slots and the open job positions. Then there's the fame and the money."
Harry shrugged. "I don't need any more fame and I'm comfortable. I'm quite happy for someone else to go ahead and get the glory while I have a quiet year for once." He sighed. "You know how I was thinking of Quidditch after school?"
Neville and Hermione nodded while Luna looked on curiously.
"Terry started with his team and he was saying that there's a lot of publicity and talking with the fans and…" Harry gave a mock shudder. "I just want to play Quidditch!"
"So maybe a Quidditch playing career isn't for you." Hermione said practical as ever. "You have a lot of other options." She motioned at Luna across the compartment. "What about you, Luna? What are you thinking of doing after school? Are you going to follow your father into journalism?"
Luna seemed shocked someone had asked her a serious question. "Well…I was thinking of writing books about rare magical creatures perhaps a travelogue where I would write about my adventures trying to find them." She confessed with an easy smile.
"That sounds like a very good plan." Hermione said briskly. "I want to go into Healing, combining muggle and magical techniques like The Valley Clinic in the States."
Luna's silvery eyes went unfocused for a moment and she spoke without seeming to realise she was speaking. "Yes, the most successful plants are always well-rooted so their flowers can reach for the sun."
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