disclaimer: the wizarding world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and I am
simply a fan showing her admiration for her universe through my writing ♥

48. UNBREAKABLE VOW
Charles Hollingberry

To say that Charles was excited was an understatement. The man had been sending a patronus out constantly to friends, family, acquaintances... anyone really. The message that the silver opossum delivered was loud and clear. Literally.

"SHE'S HERE! SHE IS HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!"

His voice boomed through the hallways of the hospital and echoed into the courtyard where a few patients and Healers were out taking walks. Those that did look up to see where the source of the noise were greeted with a man giving two thumbs up and grinning from ear to ear.

Hearing the door open to the room, Charles spun around to see one of the Healers holding the world's most precious treasure in a pink blanket. His green eyes lit up and held his arms out eagerly.

"Can I hold her?"

The Healer looked towards his wife that was now asleep, exhausted from the 20 hours of labor. "Of course, Mr. Hollingberry. Meet your daughter."

Tears were already forming before his little princess was placed in his arms and trickled down his cheek when her violet eyes met his.

"Kurumi," he smiled, touching his forehead gently against hers. "Everything I have and everything I am is yours."

42. SILENCIO
Cameron Caddock

The train ride to Hogwarts had been one big anxiety ridden moment. The boat rides across the Black Lake moments of anticipation. Her Sorting.... terrifying. Equally as terrifying was her first impression of the Gryffindor house table and the glare she had received from a visiting Durmstrang student. The first year had been shaking like a nervous leaf until she had appeared. The seventh year prefect who had taken Kurumi's humble offering of cookies and enchanted them; not only showing the purple-eyed youngest her first glimmer of magic, but also providing her with the first moment of relief and belonging since learns she was a witch.

Now, sitting silently in the common room literally unable to speak as she observed the older girl's movements with wonder and admiration, Kurumi vowed that one day she would become a person like Cam and pay it forward with same acts of kindness the prefect had bestowed upon her.

Growing a bit drowsy from the night's excitement, Kurumi began to fall asleep right where she sat by the fireplace. In the next instant, she felt her tired body being lift up off the sofa as the very same prefect carried her away to bed.

12. FURNUNCULUS
Hecate Lafay, Potions Professor

The boils had spread beyond her forehead as she leaned against the unforgiving cold of the dungeon wall just outside Professor Lafay's office. The pain was excruciating, but the fifth year couldn't tell if it was the throbbing of her forehead or her heart that hurt the most.

She couldn't bring herself to go back to the dorms just yet. Not until she had collected her thoughts a bit more at least. She was fairly sure that Selina would try to beat the Potions Mistress over the head with Mortimer for inadvertently making it look as though Kurumi had been jinxed with Furnunculus. No, the Gryffindor didn't want this made into an any bigger deal than it already was.

It had been her first real academic failure at Hogwarts and her first time really being ridiculed by a professor. Dragon Lady, nonetheless.

There had been a glimmer of someone else as well. A more compassionate Dragon Lady, but Kurumi wasn't about to believe that the woman was becoming softer. Especially after the woman's suggestion to slip potions into her mother's drink without telling her.

"They just are," she repeated softly, wiping tears from her cheeks. "They just are..."

33. PETRIFICUS TOTALUS
Selina Skylar

This was not what she had had in mind when suggesting they do something fun.

Standing with both her arms pinned against her sides and her eyes vacant of all expression, one would have thought that Kurumi had been hit with a Full Body-Bind Curse were it not for the nervous twitch at the corner of her anxious smile.

"Come on, Hollingberry. It's just a broom. Ain't gonna bite you," Selina said as she gave her friend a firm push from behind towards the broom lying on the ground. Kurumi dug her heels into the pitch to try and stop the red head from pushing her further, but Selina was FREAKISHLY strong. "Vindictus is not going to like you tearing up his pitch. So lift your feet and stop acting like such a baby."

"I'm not getting on a broom again, Selina," she protested with a feeble flail. "You saw what happened to the last broom. Splinters!"

Throwing her arms up in the air with a loud groan, Selina marched around Kurumi until she was facing her. "Look. I get it. I do. But get over it. Listen to Coach Skylar and you'll be fine."

Coach Skylar...that was...new...

...and terrifying.

2. AVADA KEDAVRA
Alexa Cambridge

................................no.

No No No NO! This was NOT how her final year of Hogwarts was supposed to go. Things had already not gone the way she had hoped prior to King's Cross and now....THIS?!

It was tempting to take up Selina's offer - the first year was going to be the death of herself at this rate anyway. After all, who needed Avada Kedavra when you had the Beater's bat of Selina Skylar?

Well...once they got Mortimer back that is.

A first year with the actions reminiscent of a tornado and a mouth that was capable of producing the effects of a well placed Bombarda, Kurumi rubbed her temples with her fingers as she boarded the train with her best friend. Animals all over the platform....climbing the Hogwarts Express...all this and they hadn't even arrived at Hogwarts yet!

"I hope that one doesn't end up in Gryffindor," she whispered to the red head as they headed towards the prefect's compartment. "If she does...I think we should take up that suggestion about tying first years up. It's the nonviolent alternative to Mortimer."

Seriously. That first year was going to be the death of her.

24. LUMOS
Treyen Lockhart

The second year was very impressionable and naïve, which was a terribly dangerous combination to have if you were a Gryffindor trying to figure out your place in life. A desire that, despite the words of the two older students with her, had only been made more complicated by the piece of literature she had clutched in her hands.

Statute of Wizarding Secrecy...Wizarding Community...Muggles...secrets...secrets...

Eyes burning from the repressed memories forcing their way out through the tears that began to trickle down her face, Kurumi thought it would be best to just excuse herself and go back to her compartment. But then he smiled...and suddenly everything felt okay. It was okay not to understand.

His teeth were really white. Not the cold and unnatural glowing white she had seen happen when her brother had tried whitening his with those strip things. No, the smile before her right now was warm and inviting. One that made her little heart skip beats while her cheeks flush.

Wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks, Kurumi chewed on her lower lip absently for a moment before speaking.

"Treyen, a smile suits you better," she said meekly.

So always smile at her. Okay?

26. MORSMORDE
Evertt Scabior, History of Magic professor

"Right, so light your wands and jump in."

Her eyes widened and jaw dropped. Down into the Chamber of Secrets with a professor she feared more than she respected and who could arguably be the new Heir of Slytherin.

...........brilliant.

This was it. This was the end. The Dark Mark would be hovering over the castle in all its terrifying glory by the end of this lesson and she would never be able to pass her OWLs.

Her wand illuminated, Kurumi stood on the edge and peered into dark abyss. This was so much more than just a simple class field trip. This was like some zangy trust exercise with a man who the fifth year trusted as much as she trusted Walnut not to pee on Adam. She had to wonder, while watching her classmates blindly jumped down the hole, if she was just be bitter and looking for obscure reasons to not trust him. He HAD been the FIRST and ONLY professor thus far to take points from her - and for asnwering a question he had asked, for the record.

Huffing, she turned back and jumped in.

You better not be the death of her, Professor Scabior.

21. LANGLOCK
Simon Bennet

"You looked really good out there, Kurumi," the Quidditch captain said as he turned to the third year after dismissing practice.

Blushing, Kurumi fumbled with her borrowed school broom and looked down at the pitch to count the blades of grass to keep her hair from turning an embarrassing shade. "It's all thanks to Selina," she managed to mumble after a few painful seconds in which she had counted 25 individual blades of grass. "She trained me up."

Noting her demeanor, Simon offered Kurumi a gentle smile and took the broom from her before she whacked herself in the face with it. Feeling his eyes on him, Kurumi wondered if this was all build up to letting her down gently that she would not be playing in the first match.

Something she could live with. Really.

"How do you feel about playing Seeker?" he asked casually while eyeing the school broom he held.

"S-S-SeekWHAT?" she squeaked, losing count of the blades of grass entirely. "M-M-Me?"

He nodded.

"I-I-I dunno...I..." she spoke as though struck with Langlock. Lifting her violet eyes, she spoke to the seventh year. "O-Okay. But only because my Captain big brother asked."

4. BLASTING CURSE
Adam Burn

Scooping more beef bourguignon on to Selina's plate, Kurumi froze midscoop and found herself only half paying attention to Headmaster Tate as he gave his speech. She ought to be ashamed of herself, not paying proper respect to the man who reminded them each term not to die, but her full attention had been drawn elsewhere.

On a certain someone strolling between the crowded tables like he owned the place that he had previously abandoned. The people he had abandoned.

All those wasted tears. All that wasted time. All those wasted feelings.

The smug look and cocky smile that pulled at his handsome features lit a fire in the Gryffindor and she could feel her blood begin to boil. Not even giving Selina a second glance, Kurumi slowly stood and closed the gap between herself and the approaching boy. Swallowing back tears, his words hardly registered as she allowed impulse to take over.

The sound of her hand connecting with his cheek was seemingly the only sound in the Great Hall and, while she wouldn't admit it, her own hand stung a little at the unfamiliar sensation.

And then, her heart broken all over again, she walked away.

44. STUPEFY
Gaellen Tate, Headmaster

Caught red handed, literally, Kurumi held the cleaning solution in her hand and eyed the mysterious red X on the wall. Professor Lafay's words had not exactly been encouraging, and now the third year was finding herself feeling even less like a Gryffindor than before.

Especially in the presence of the Headmaster who she always seemed to say the wrong thing in front of.

A very unfortunate outcome. Like putting all your effort into baking the perfect patch of sugar cookies only to leave them in the oven too long and burning the edges. Headmaster Tate was her burnt sugar cookie. Someone she long to impress but never seemed to set the timer correctly.

"Gryffindors are always first to get their hands dirty," the Headmaster said with a wink. "Give it a scrub, Miss Hollingberry, and that'll be five points to Gryffindor for being a good sport."

Her violet eyes widened and she stood there stupefied.

Not because of the house points but because of the reason. Her actions, driven by her curiosity, had earned her the compliment of being called a Gryffindor. By the Headmaster.

And then, for the first time since being sorted, she truly felt like one.

6. CRUCIO
Evelyn Carter

Eyebrow raised and arms crossed, Evelyn sat on the sofa in the prefects' lounge as though it were her throne. She could feel the last ounce of her patience wavering as she gazed upon the forth year Gryffindor who still looked as though she were about to cry just from the sheer thought of performing a harmless hex. And her she had been under the impression that lions were supposed to be reckless. Merlin.

"Just do it already," she hissed. "The effects are only temporary."

The violet eyed girl shook her head back and forth several times rapidly before looking down at the ground.

"But its a DARK charm...that means its bad...a-a-and I only want to practice good magic..."

Biting the inside of her cheek, the Slytherin, tapped her foot and closed her eyes in a feeble attempt to shut the other's goody two shoes ramblings out. But to no avail.

"...a-a-and Josh wouldn't be pleased if I h-h-hurt you..."

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she glared at the younger girl.

If looks could cast Crucio, Cookie Girl would be writhing in agony on the floor right now.

7. CONFUNDUS
Sierra Greingoth

This HAD to be what it was like being hit by a Confundus Charm.

Or an out of body experience.

Or both.

Whatever this was, Kurumi never imagined she would come home from juku to see her mother speaking to...Sierra Greingoth.

But there was something unfamiliar about the Sierra she saw now. The Queen Bee in green that really should bottle confidence to make a galleon or hundred was no where to be seen. Instead, the Gryffindor saw a fragile person. Someone harboring more than just a secret, but a deep sorrow. Jaw clenched, she longed to show Sierra the same "kindness" that the Slytheirn had always bestowed upon her, but she couldn't. And it was frustrating.

Very frustrating.

"Why are you here?"

What had made her so desperate that she would lie her way to Japan? Why her?

"If I tell you a secret, will you promise to keep it between us?"

Eyes widening, Kurumi felt all resentment she had towards Sierra dissipate as her 'secret' was revealed. Her body acting on its own accord, she threw her arms around the other girl and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry."