Luna Lovegood is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of books written by J. K. Rowling. She first appears in the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which was published in 2003. In the Harry Potter movies, she is played by the actress Evanna Lynch.
Characterisation
The character "Luna Lovegood" was originally named Lily Moon. J.K. Rowling imagined her as an imaginative and dreamy girl. Her last name, Moon, is mentioned during Harry's Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts. Rowling described Luna as the opposite of Hermione Granger because Luna believes in things through faith, while Hermione uses facts and logic. Hermione often tries to tell Luna her beliefs are incorrect, but this makes Luna upset, which is unusual for her. Luna is observant about people and has a way of being honest, even if it is uncomfortable. Her honesty helps others understand the truth. She values her friends greatly; she painted portraits of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville on the ceiling of her room, with the word "friends" around each portrait, as shown in the seventh book and movie. Luna's father is Xenophilius Lovegood, the editor of the magazine The Quibbler. Luna saw her mother die when she was nine years old, which is why she can see Thestrals.
After the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling shared details about Luna's life after Hogwarts. Luna becomes a magizoologist, a scientist who studies magical creatures. She discovers many new animal species and becomes well-known for her work. She marries Rolf Scamander, a fellow naturalist and the grandson of Newt Scamander. Luna and Rolf have twin sons named Lorcan and Lysander.
Appearances
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000) mentions the surname Lovegood for the first and only time at the beginning of the book. Luna Lovegood first appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) as a student in Ravenclaw House. She is sorted into Ravenclaw because of her intelligence and creativity. Luna is one year younger than Harry Potter. Other students call her "Loony Lovegood" because many people think her beliefs are strange. Luna and her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, believe Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore’s claim that Lord Voldemort has returned. Luna and Hermione Granger convince the journalist Rita Skeeter to interview Harry so his story can be published in The Quibbler, a magazine edited by Xenophilius. During the book, Luna practices defensive spells as part of Dumbledore’s Army. Near the end of the story, she fights with Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), Luna attends a Christmas party hosted by Professor Horace Slughorn with Harry. When Death Eaters attack Hogwarts, Luna, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom try to protect the school.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Luna completes her sixth year at Hogwarts. She and Ginny help Neville restart Dumbledore’s Army, which upsets the Death Eaters who control the school. To help Harry destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes, Luna and her friends attempt to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Severus Snape’s office. They are caught but receive a light punishment: a trip to the Forbidden Forest with Rubeus Hagrid. While traveling home for Christmas on the Hogwarts Express, Luna is kidnapped by Death Eaters. They take her hostage to stop her father from publishing articles in The Quibbler that support Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are also captured by Voldemort’s followers and held in the cellar of Malfoy Manor with Luna and Mr. Ollivander. All the prisoners are later rescued by the house-elf Dobby.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Luna uses her Patronus, a hare, to protect her friends from hundreds of Dementors. Luna, Hermione, and Ginny fight Bellatrix Lestrange until Molly Weasley stops Bellatrix and kills her. After the battle, Luna helps Harry leave the crowd to find peace. The novel’s epilogue reveals that Harry and Ginny have a daughter named Lily. In an ITV documentary, J.K. Rowling said Lily’s middle name is Luna.
Luna appears in the film versions of Order of the Phoenix (2007), Half-Blood Prince (2009), and Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Part 2 (2011). Evanna Lynch was chosen for the role instead of Saoirse Ronan. J.K. Rowling said Lynch was perfect for the part. Costume designer Jany Temime explained that Luna’s clothing shows she has her own style and interests, such as making jewelry. This is why Luna’s radish-shaped earrings and Butterbeer-cap necklace from the books appear in the films. Her outfits are mismatched and use purple and blue colors with animal or nature designs to give her a "folk art" look.
Reception
The entertainment website IGN placed Luna in the 12th position as one of the best Harry Potter characters. The website described Luna as heroic and noted her important role in the student group Dumbledore's Army. Empire magazine ranked Luna as the 10th best character in the Harry Potter series.