Heroes of Hogwarts: Being Brave is Believing in Yourself

Chapter 8

At Hogwarts:
Luna was so happy when she learned that she was chosen to lead around some American visitors around Hogwarts! I wasn't expecting it, she thought. But Harry told her about her job. Luna's assigned wizards were
Piper and Annabeth. Luna heard they already started a feud with Hermione last night. Last night for her, though, was way different. She didn't make an enemy. She made an ally.

Ginny Weasley is so pretty and kind, she thought. They've never really been great friends, despite being in the same age group. Ginny was actually quite upset when she learned she switched from Gryffindor to Ravenclaw. Nobody knew how to comfort her. She told Luna, after realizing she had only a few friends in Ravenclaw, that she thought she wasn't brave or loyal anymore. Luna had smiled kindly told her she still was, but now she was smart too. She had earned a couple laughs from the girlfriend of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

It was just after potions, and Luna was taking Annabeth and Piper to Charms. It's quite a fun class, one of my favorites, Luna thought. Sadly, nearly all the Hogwarts teachers retired and are now replaced.

"Luna, what's Ravenclaw like?" Piper asked the blonde girl, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, it's really interesting. We have one of the kindest ghosts. She's Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter Helena. Her real name is the Gray Lady or something or other, but I only know her as Helena. She's quite shy, but we're good friends now. How's Gryffindor?"

Annabeth glanced at Piper. "Well, last night Piper had her moment."

Piper laughed. "Hermione deserved it. Sorry, Luna, we're talking bad about your friend."

Luna lead the group down a hallway as a shortcut to Charms. "No," Luna said, "Don't be sorry. We all have our opinions. And I know how Hermione is."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Moving on, what was your-I mean THE war-like?"

Luna looked at Annabeth quizzically. She had accidentally said "your" war as if she had her own. But all the wizard wars had been in Europe so far.....

"Um, the war was a war. Death, hurt, sorrow, and so on."

Piper winced. "Sorry we asked. Wars are horrible."

Annabeth mumbled something Luna couldn't hear.

Then Piper screamed. Luna looked at her. Then she raised her eyes to where Piper was looking.

And she screamed herself.

Luna backed up, and pushed Annabeth and Piper behind her. She looked around frantically, but she didn't know where they were. She must'v taken a wrong turn. Or panic was setting in.

Annabeth was shaking and looking at the thing high up on the ceiling. It was horrid.

Luna forced herself to look at it again as she took out her wand.

It had a huge hairy body that had pieces of its victims in fur. The eyes were pure gold and they were glinting with evil. Then it started climbing down from the ceiling.

Annabeth gasped. "It's a......spider. How......?"

Piper took out her wand too and stepped up next to Luna.

"New victimssss. I'll have to thank my masssster. Wizardsssss, come forth and meet death nobly like heroesssssss." The spider hissed.

Annabeth stepped in front of Luna. "I'm not scared of you! I've faced way worse!"

"Then why are you backing away? You're no hero. You can't even begin to figure out who my massster isssss."

Luna lifted her chin. She stopped backing away. "Stupefy!" She yelled.