Luna Lovegood
| Luna Lovegood | |
|---|---|
| Harry Potter character | |
 Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood [a] | |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) |
| Last appearance | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) |
| Created by | J. K. Rowling |
| Portrayed by | Evanna Lynch |
| In-universe information | |
| Nicknames | Loony Lovegood |
| Family |
|
| Spouse | Rolf Scamander |
| Children | Lorcan Scamander Lysander Scamander |
| House | Ravenclaw |
| Born | 13 February 1981 |
Luna Lovegood is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. She first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). She is portrayed by Evanna Lynch in the Harry Potter films Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.[1]
Character development
[edit]Rowling has often said that Luna is the "anti-Hermione", as Luna believes things on faith alone, while Hermione grounds her views on facts and logic.[2] Hermione repeatedly tries to convince Luna that her beliefs are nonsense, but to no avail. This is not to suggest that Luna is foolish; instead, as a Ravenclaw, she believes that "wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure", Ravenclaw's motto. Hermione sees Luna as gullible, whereas Luna views Hermione as smart, but limited. Though they have different views, Luna and Hermione eventually become friends.
Despite her quirkiness, Luna is often perceptive about human nature, and Harry notes her knack for blunt honesty. She also holds her friends in extremely high regard, as Harry notices (with affection) that she has painted portraits of her friends (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville) on the ceiling of her room, connected by chains made of the word "friends" repeated over and over. Clearly, and despite recurring rudeness from Ron and Hermione, she regards these five as people very close to her.
Both Luna's parents are magical. Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, first appears in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, though Luna earlier identifies him as the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler, a magazine that, according to Luna, publishes "important stories he thinks the public needs to know". Luna says her mother was an extraordinary witch who died when a spell experiment went wrong. Luna saw the death of her mother when she was only nine and so she can see Thestrals.[3] Luna appears to be an only child as no mention is made of siblings. The Lovegoods live near Ottery St. Catchpole, a small village on the south coast of England that is also home to the Weasley family.
Rowling called Lynch "perfect" for the role of Luna.[citation needed] Lynch bleached her hair for the role.[4][5][6][7]
Appearances
[edit]Luna first appears in the novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) as a Ravenclaw student one year below Harry. Other students call her "Loony Lovegood". She and her father, Xenophilius, believe the claims made by Harry and Albus Dumbledore that Lord Voldemort has returned. Luna and Hermione Granger persuade the journalist Rita Skeeter to interview Harry so his claims can be published in The Quibbler, a magazine edited by Xenophilius. During the course of the novel, Luna practices her defensive spellcasting as a member of Dumbledore's Army. Near the end of the story, she participates in the battle with Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic. In Half-Blood Prince (2005), Luna attends Horace Slughorn's Christmas party with Harry. When Death Eaters attack Hogwarts, Luna, Ginny and Neville attempt to protect the school.
Luna begins her sixth year at Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows (2007). She and Ginny help Neville revive Dumbledore's Army, which infuriates the Death Eaters who are now in control of the school. Hoping to aid Harry on his quest to destroy Horcruxes, Luna and her friends try to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from the office of Severus Snape. They are caught and given a lenient punishment: a trip to the Forbidden Forest with Rubeus Hagrid. While travelling home for Christmas on the Hogwarts Express, Luna is kidnapped by Death Eaters. They hold her hostage to stop her father from publishing content supportive of Harry in The Quibbler. Harry, Ron and Hermione are also captured by Voldemort's followers, who imprison them in the cellar of Malfoy Manor with Luna and Mr Ollivander. They are all rescued by the house-elf Dobby.
When Harry returns to Hogwarts in search of the Ravenclaw item that Voldemort turned into a Horcrux, Luna helps him enter Ravenclaw's common room in order to view a replica of Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. She stuns Death Eater Alecto Carrow when they are discovered. Later, she fights bravely in the Battle of Hogwarts and summons her Patronus charm to help fight off hundreds of oncoming Dementors about to attack Harry, Ron and Hermione. After Harry's supposed death, Luna, Hermione and Ginny duel Bellatrix Lestrange, until Molly Weasley takes over and defeats Bellatrix herself. Finally, Luna is among the first to congratulate Harry when Voldemort is defeated. After the battle, she seems to be the only one who sees that Harry needs peace and quiet, so she provides a distraction so that he can escape under his Cloak of Invisibility.
Life after the book series
[edit]In Rowling's first televised interview after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she revealed a number of aspects of Luna's life after Hogwarts. Luna pursues a career as a "magizoologist", the equivalent of a zoologist but for magical creatures. While remaining eccentric, she is able to come to terms with the fact that some of her father's beliefs are false, although Rowling explains that her background has fostered in her a singular open-mindedness that allows her to make discoveries that more "reality"-oriented individuals might be unable to recognise.[8]
In a later webchat-based interview, Rowling explained that Luna discovered many new species of animals and became quite famous for it, though she eventually was forced to admit that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks do not exist. She married a fellow naturalist, the grandson of Newt Scamander, named Rolf Scamander.[8]
In the JKR Documentary on ITV, she drew a family tree which showed that Luna and Rolf had twin boys, Lorcan and Lysander. The twins were born several years after Luna's friends had their own children.
Harry and Ginny named their third child and only daughter Lily Luna after their "dear friend".[9]
Reception
[edit]Luna quickly became a fan favourite after her initial appearance in Order of the Phoenix, due in large part to her quirky personality and happy-go-lucky attitude. IGN ranked Luna as the 12th best Harry Potter character stating, "While Luna is often shunned for her oddball ways, things change when she meets Harry Potter and friends on the Hogwarts Express on the way to their fifth year at school. Luna joins the cadre of heroic students in Dumbledore's Army and plays a critical role within the group."[10] Empire Magazine listed Luna as the 10th best Harry Potter character.[11] Future Academy Award–nominated actress Saoirse Ronan auditioned for the role of Luna.[12][13][14]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Sharf, Zack (2 March 2023). "'Harry Potter' Star Evanna Lynch: 'I Wish People Would Give' J.K. Rowling 'More Grace and Listen to Her'". Variety. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "J.K. Rowling at the Royal Albert Hall". MSN. 26 June 2003. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Goldstein, Ian (11 February 2021). "The Sad Truth About Luna Lovegood That Harry Potter Fans Forget". Looper.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Lizo's interview with Luna Lovegood from CBBC. Retrieved on 30 July 2007.
- ^ Busch, Jenna (10 April 2019). "The Resiliency Of Luna Lovegood". Syfy. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Granshaw, Lisa (13 February 2018). "7 Reasons Why Luna Lovegood Is Our Favorite Ravenclaw In Harry Potter". Syfy. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ "10 Facts About Luna Lovegood They Leave Out Of The Movies". ScreenRant. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ a b J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript from The Leaky Cauldron. Retrieved on 30 July 2007.
- ^ J.K.Rowling - A Year In The Life; James Runcie; Independent Television (ITV); 2007
- ^ "Top 25 Harry Potter characters". IGN. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "The 25 Greatest Harry Potter Characters". Empire. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Rodriguez, Karla (3 August 2011). "Saoirse Ronan admits disappointment over 'Harry Potter' Luna Lovegood role". Irish Central. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "5 Things You Didn't Know About Saoirse Ronan". Vogue. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ Claire, Marie (7 September 2017). "Evanna Lynch has one regret about playing Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter". Marie Claire. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
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