I would like to say that I enjoy reading everyone’s great theories! Please keep sending them along with your comments…however I must remind you that this column is for fun! The Quibbler name implies that most of the things you will read here are outlandish and crazy and that is what makes it so unique! So just read through and have fun…it is not necessarily meant to be taken seriously!

With that in mind, let us speculate on this week’s topic: the secret life of Luna Lovegood. What it is that makes this new character so amazing? She is so cool, yet so crazy at the same time. But Potter fans probably ended up asking many of the same questions throughout the read: where did she come from? Why haven’t we met her before if she is a fourth year? Why haven’t we heard of the Quibbler before now? And what is the deal with her seeming obsession with Ron?

First of all, the Lovegood name is mentioned in Goblet of Fire when the Weasleys meet up with the Diggorys on the way to the Quidditch World Cup. Not much is mentioned here except that they live near the Weasleys. We find out in Order of the Phoenix that Luna Lovegood, presumably of the same Lovegood family, is a fourth-year student at Hogwarts from Ravenclaw house. If she is as weird as Ginny says she is, why haven’t we met her? Furthermore, if her father is a bit of a celebrity (as editor of the Quibbler), seriously why haven’t we met her before?

This is a good question. And there are many explanations. An obvious one is that maybe J.K. Rowling just slipped up a bit in her storyline continuity. This makes sense, particularly when considering the thestral storyline, but I think there is more to it than that.

In many interviews, J.K. Rowling said that she had originally added a character to Goblet of Fire, a cousin to the Weasleys, but ended up deleting the character because it gave too much away for the storyline. Perhaps Luna is the answer to this mistake. Luna is an interesting character that may actually hold a lot of clues to the septology. For example, her name means “moon.” Could she have some sort of connection with our favorite werewolf, Lupin? Only time will tell.

The fact that her father is the editor of a crazy National Enquirer-style newspaper is probably something very important. This is the medium of which Harry can be believed, even if it is dorky and gullible people…you have to start somewhere! This just goes to show that Luna is very open-minded and willing to help Harry out if that means going to great lengths emotionally or physically.

But if she is so loyal to Harry and his cause, what is up with her thing with Ron? Some people might not see anything deeper than a friendship, but you have to admit, it is a little strange. She laughs extremely hard whenever Ron says something, she likes to hum “Weasley is our king,” and she happens to live very close to the Weasleys. Maybe she is a Weasley? Lots of things to speculate on here.

We also know that Luna can see thestrals because she witnessed her mother’s death. Luna sure seems to know a lot and has a lot of the same characteristics as Harry. Some of these include: witnessed a parent’s death, misunderstood by fellow students, sensitive to the opinions of others, and extremely loyal to friends, even if they have just met. There are many parallels here, and I think it is important to watch Luna and her actions.

I had a fan of the Quibbler recently speculate on the idea that Luna is a metamorphmagus. I am not sure if there is much evidence in the books about this, but it could explain why she has never been recognized before Order of the Phoenix. If it is true, think of how great it would be to have Luna on Harry’s side; she could easily disguise herself and slip into sticky situations.

One passage that still takes me off guard is in the final chapter, The Second War Begins, in Order of the Phoenix. Harry has just talked to Nearly-Headless Nick about the possibility of seeing Sirius again. Harry is all upset and he runs into Luna who has also skipped the feast. They discuss the archway and veil from the Department of Mysteries. Luna says, “And anyway, it’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?” speaking of her mother’s death. Harry is confused. Luna continues, shaking her head in disbelief, “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you? They were just lurking out of sight, that’s all.” What can this mean? That is what I will be speculating on in next week’s column. I am anxious to hear what you all think about this passage. A little interesting?

Overall, I think that Luna is a wonderful character and that we are only getting a tiny taste of how important she is. We hope that she has a good summer in Sweden and that she actually found a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Don’t forget to look for next week’s column: The Death of Sirius Black: Real or Just A Set-Up?

9/23/03