10 little-known facts about Luna Lovegood even die-hard 'Harry Potter' fans may have missed
Luna Lovegood was a memorable "Harry Potter" character in the books and movies.
Her name holds a deeper meaning, but it was almost something entirely different.
She could've ended up with Neville Longbottom, and she eventually became a Magizoologist.
Luna joined the cast of characters in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
Starting in "Order of the Phoenix," Luna Lovegood was a central character of the fantasy series and a good friend to Harry.
Before using her platform to spread transphobic messages, the series' controversial author, JK Rowling, was known to use Twitter, interviews, and the official Wizarding World website to expand the "Harry Potter" canon beyond the seven books.
With this information and the original series in mind, read on for some facts about Luna that even the biggest "Harry Potter" fans might not remember.
Her name changed over time.
In a 2015 essay published on Pottermore (now known as Wizarding World), Rowling said Luna's name was originally going to be Lily Moon. It was one of the first 40 names the author came up with for the series.
Eagle-eyed fans may remember the surname "Moon" being called by the Sorting Hat during Harry's first day at Hogwarts. But that's the closest the name got to being referenced.
Rowling said the name came about before she'd decided Harry's mother's name would be Lily. She also said that although the name was never used, it gave her an idea "for a fey, dreamy girl," who would eventually become Luna.
Her name is also a reference to her personality.
Like many names in the "Harry Potter" universe, Luna's has its own meaning dating back to Roman mythology.
The Roman goddess of the moon was named Luna, which is also the prefix of the word "lunatic" since some civilizations believed that the moon caused lunacy.
Luna's eccentric personality is often misconceived in a similar manner by other characters.
Evanna Lynch had a relationship with Rowling before landing the role.
Lynch was a huge fan of the "Harry Potter" series well before she was a part of it.
She shared on a 2018 episode of "Dancing With the Stars" that she became pen pals with Rowling while she was in a treatment facility for an eating disorder.
The two developed a relationship and mentorship that eventually inspired Lynch to audition for the role.
Lynch wasn't the only actor who wanted the part though.
On a 2021 episode of "Harry Potter" actors James and Oliver Phelps' "Normal Not Normal" podcast, Lynch shared that her first "Harry Potter" audition was at an open call in London with thousands of people.
On top of all that competition, Oscar-nominated actor Saoirse Ronan was also vying for the role.
In 2011, Ronan told the Oh No They Didn't blog, "I was too young — but at the time I thought, 'I'd love to be in 'Harry Potter.' When I was younger, I used to think they had the best job in the world."
Rowling had a very specific vision for Luna while writing "Harry Potter."
Luna is meant to be a foil or contrasting character for Hermione Granger in many ways.
According to Wizarding World, Rowling even said Luna was the "anti-Hermione."
The author added, "Hermione's so logical and inflexible in so many ways and Luna is likely to believe 10 impossible things before breakfast."
Her physical appearance varies slightly from book to film.
When Luna is first introduced in chapter 10 of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," she's described as having "straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look."
Later on in the chapter, her eyes are also said to be "silvery."
In the films, however, her hair is much closer to a platinum or white blonde, her eyebrows are darker than her hair, and her eyes are light blue.
Some of Luna's jewelry in the films was made by Lynch.
We know Lynch was a major fan of the book series, even dabbling in "Harry Potter" fanfiction before playing Luna. But Lynch's dedication didn't stop there.
She shared on the same 2021 "Normal Not Normal" episode that she wore homemade radish earrings to her open-call audition — just like Luna is described as wearing in the books. She said the production team loved them, so she wore them for many scenes while filming.
Lynch also said she got to help design Luna's big Gryffindor lion head.
She grew up to be a Magizoologist, an expert in magical creatures.
Both Luna and her father Xenophilius were known to believe in the existence of lesser-known magical creatures, like Nargles, that others did not. They even went on a trip together searching for the elusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
According to the documentary "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life," Luna didn't give up those beliefs. The author said she eventually became a Magizoologist who discovered several new species.
She even married Rolf Scamander, grandson of the Wizarding World's most famous Magizoologist, Newt Scamander.
She apparently became a mother of twins.
In "J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life," the author detailed what happened in the personal lives of the surviving "Harry Potter" characters after the series.
She revealed that after marrying Rolf Scamander, Luna became a mother to twins, Lorcan and Lysander.
Neville and Luna almost ended up together.
"Harry Potter" fans occasionally take issue with the way certain events play out, especially in the case of relationships throughout the series.
Whether Hermione should've ended up with Ron or Harry has been an endless topic of debate, even for Rowling herself.
Neville Longbottom and Luna are another pair that fans seem to believe should've ended up together, and per Wizarding World, Rowling told USA Today that she started to "feel a bit of a pull" between them, too.
In the end, however, Rowling decided that pairing "felt too neat." And even though they became great friends, she said, "Neville would always find Luna's wilder flights of fancy alarming."
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