Did anyone ever think that maybe there was a connection between Luna and Lupin? What if Luna was a werewolf and her mom died trying to cure the werewolf disease and was killed by Luna who was bitten as a very small child? It would explain some of her odd behaviour and also they're both called loony at one point in time or another, so it could be JKR linking her to Remus. Also we don't see her til fifth year so maybe she's very quiet and secluded to protect herself from being discovered? You'd think they'd get rid of the whomping willow after it hurt so many students and with Remus not being at school anymore. I think I'm going to use this in a fic if I can, but I wondered what everyone else thought.

-Jake

It might work in an AU fic, but here are my two knuts:

If Luna is a werewolf,

And she is held in the shrieking shack for safety

And she is in Ginny's class,

Then if follows that she would have been at the Shrieking shack on the night of the full moon
during POA...

Details, details.
Sigh. It was an interesting thought, though. Tess, you've memorized the books haven't you.

So, Jake, if you can get around that bit of obstacle, write the fic.

She doesn't need to go to the shrieking shack because of the wolfsbane potion and maybe they usually put her in there but they didn't for her safety. (Sirius Black was still considered a murdering lunatic at that point in time)

excellent point, Jake! Further to this, has anyone been given concrete evidence of Luna acting out of it in a manner that would promote the idea she is tired and possibly sick? I haven't seen anything in text, but now that you mention it, Dumbledore would certainly keep her in the castle, wouldn't he....

What about the ministry run on the thestrals, anyone care to take a guess at the moon phase at that time?

Tante, I have indeed memorized most of the books....just enough to be found casting my line off the deck of the good ship HG/RW and HP/GW on any day of the week..