I’ve been listening to all the Harry Potter books, and I’ve finished
them all now, but not moved on, because of NaNoWriMo. But I did say I would
review all the books I read this year, and while I will fail spectacularly, I
thought I might procrastinate Nanowrimo by reviewing this. Because logic.
Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book in the Harry Potter series.
It’s mainly because of Luna Lovegood, who is introduced in this book. She’s a
magical munchkin. Which is my favorite term of endearment, apparently. In Order
of the Phoenix Harry is sort of vaguely shunned because the Daily Prophet has
been running a smear campaign against him, and trying to convince people
Voldemort isn’t back. Anyways. Onto Luna Lovegood.
I noticed something that really bothered me this time around. I’ve
noticed it before, but this time it bugged me more than before. Luna Lovegood
is one year behind Harry, Ron and Hermione, and in Ravenclaw, so she is in the
same year as Ginny Weasley. Luna has grown up in a slightly odd family. Her
mother was a very eccentric witch who would make up spells and stuff. She died
in front of Luna when Luna was nine, and Luna was then brought up by only her
father, Xenophilius, who is a goofball of weird. She has grown up with parents
who believe in different things, like crumplehorned snorcax, and Luna makes her
own necklaces out of butterbeer caps. So she doesn’t really fit in at Hogwarts.
A school for WIZARDS!
Luna is very comfortable with who she is, I think she’s lonely, but she
seems comfortable by herself as well. She is in Ravenclaw, the house for people
who are smart, and slightly more open, but she is still ridiculed by her
classmates. There is a scene in the book where she mentions something
outlandish and weird and Hermione basically scolds her for holding this belief.
Here’s the thing; Hermione is very intelligent, and people think she might
belong in Ravenclaw, she doesn’t. She is clever, but Ravenclaws are also
open-minded, try to discuss things and tolerant, and they don’t necessarily
just read a book and swallow the facts. Hermione is smart, but she is smart in
the way that she reads a book, and basically learns the whole book and can spew
it back. So when Luna says something that Hermione hasn’t heard about she
refuses to believe it. SHE IS A WITCH! SHE LIVES IN A MAGIC SCHOOL! How can she
be so fucking dismissive of something she hasn’t heard about? Until she was
eleven she didn’t know about witches and magic? GAH! I realize that Hermione
having a flaw makes her more believable, but… whenever Luna is mocked and
derided and whenever people are cruel to her it hurts me deep inside my soul.
Luna is kind, and loyal, and she’s strong, and she believes Harry when
no one else does, and he is annoyed because she’s weird. SHE BELIEVES IN YOU,
YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE. I’m angrier about this than I thought I was. She refuses
to let Harry and the others go alone to the Ministry. She doesn’t just join the
DA to stand up to Umbridge, she does it because she wants to fight. She is a
tough badass, she is unflinchingly good and she manages to keep her spirits up
when she is kidnapped in book seven. Luna is strong and brave in the face of
unimaginable terror. And I am very annoyed that she is portrayed to be annoying
or ludicrous just for holding some different views.
So in conclusion, I love Luna, she’s a magical monkey, and I want to be
her best friend.
