"Oh, I almost forgot! The latest issue just arrived by owlk!"
"…owlk?"
"My father's letter-deliverer is half-owl, half-hawk," Luna explained. "Haven't I mentioned this before?"
The creature in question, which had been nibbling on one of the floating candles overhead, gave a small chirp to signal its presence.
"I am… pretty sure this is just a Northern Hawk Owl," Hermione concluded after giving it a close look. "If I remember the International Wildlife Encyclopedia right."
"That's what I said," said Luna, "a hawk-owl. We call him &§ƒƒ‡∂."
"You call him EEEEEEK?" Hermione asked, rubbing at her right ear. That shriek was absolutely ear-splitting.
"No, no, &§ƒƒ‡∂," corrected Luna, repeating exactly the same ear-splitting scream as before. "It's a Mermish word. It doesn't sound very good over the water, I'm afraid."
"Ah, Mermish, of course," said Hermione. "…Since when do you speak Mermish?"
"I don't really," said Luna, "but my father does. &§ƒƒ‡∂ is his owl first and foremost, you see."
"Ah." said Hermione. "Yes, I suppose this makes sense. More or less. And what does it mean in Mermish?"
"I believe it means 'Pink Turnip'," replied Luna matter-of-factly.