Novels Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000) has the very first and only brief mention of the surname Lovegood in the beginning. Luna herself first appears in
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) as a Ravenclaw student, sorted due to her wit and creativity, found to be one year below Harry. Other students call her "Loony Lovegood” due to the fact that many view her beliefs as “strange”. 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 does 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. All the prisoners are eventually rescued by the house-elf
Dobby. In the
Battle of Hogwarts, Luna summons her Patronus, a hare, to fend off hundreds of
Dementors that are about to attack her friends. Luna, Hermione and Ginny duel
Bellatrix Lestrange until
Molly Weasley intervenes and kills Bellatrix. After the battle, Luna helps Harry slip away from the celebratory crowd to find some peace and quiet. The novel's epilog reveals that Harry and Ginny have a daughter named Lily. In an ITV documentary, Rowling said that Lily's middle name is Luna.
Film adaptations 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 cast in the role over
Saoirse Ronan. Rowling called Lynch "perfect" for the role. When developing the visual style of Luna's character, costume designer
Jany Temime stated that Luna "is clearly a girl with her own tastes and her own hobbies, which include making her own jewelry". Thus, Luna's distinctive radish-shaped earrings and Butterbeer-cap necklace referenced in the books are featured in the films. Her "folk art" aura was developed with mismatched outfits in predominantly purple and blue hues featuring animals or natural elements. ==Reception==