#LLSHP AU

[athyrabunlord]

the voted scene from LLSHP(S) - Second Task: Black Lake

GIF version on my twitter

[narrator2705]

From @athyrabunlord LLSHP AU Chapter 20

[belphegor-xin]

this was what i thought of as soon as i read the new chapter of @athyrabunlord of llshp AU     the mutual dense jealousy is adorable 

in a way they are really alike 

[chikarikotranslations]

@athyrabunlord is a DiaRiko shipper and she has a couple of DiaRiko doodles on their Tumblr blog. She sometimes has DiaRiko in her LLSHP AU, which I highly recommend you should read it especially the Interlude: Carbonado.

Oooh thanks for letting me know!! I’ll definitely check it out ^^

[athyrabunlord]

Can you draw You and Ruby in there animagus form?

Ruby yes, in another pic; here’s quick rough doodle of You it should be obvious that I gave up on the feathers very quickly lmao

I didn’t draw her full Great Grey Owl form cuz really, she looks very similar to her Patronus.What sets her apart is that there are less white coloring on her, and ofc her eyes are blue. In terms of size, she’s definitely huge enough to easily carry both Mari and Dia’s Animagus forms.

[athyrabunlord]

These were thank-you pics for plin2290, who has finished translating all the existing chapters of [LLSHP AU] to Chinese! Please go check out their page!

[athyrabunlord]

"You-chan, say ahn~" "Mmmnnn, it's sweet!" "Hehe, you think so?" "Yup, and it's because Chika-chan gave it to me~" "Daww, You-chan~~"

P.S. they're not a couple yet X”D and already this lovey-dovey tsk

[LLSHP AU]

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP AU (S) - Yule Ball

Main Story: [LLSHP AU - Yoshiko Tsushima and the Fallen Angel]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

Sequel blips: TriWizard Tournament series- [First Task] [Yule Ball]

A/N: Look I’m so very creative with my titles lol. Like the previous blip, this one is just a segment of the whole TriWizard Tournament saga. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in portraying the overall tone of this Ruby-centric sequel series. A lot of elements are related to the Main Story so it’s definitely recommended that you read the Main Story before the sequel. Anyway, enjoy! XD

“This is a flash grenade.”

Ruby gulps nervously, not because she understands what that Muggle terminology means but because of You and Chika’s serious expressions. Chika is seated in one of the couches with her arms folded and her characteristic ahoge drooped, while You is carefully inspecting the object before placing it back into the wooden box.

“Even in the Muggle world, this isn’t something accessible to civilians,” You says thoughtfully, her gaze trained on the item as if she could unravel the mystery. “Chika-chan and I have seen enough movies to recognize it. Even if it’s not a flash grenade, it’s… still a grenade, a bomb.”

“Why would they give me something like this though?” Somewhat frustrated, Ruby begins to pace around the her Prefect dorm, a habit she’s picked up from Kanan since her First Year. “I wonder what Osaka-san and Kazuno-san have in their boxes?”

After the end of the First Task, it was announced that the Second Task would be held after New Year’s. The official only stated that the item in the wooden box is vital to the nature of the Second Task, and that the champion should get to know their respective item before then. Each champion is also allowed to bring one more item with them in this Task, and the only hint was that the two items should balance each other.

Furthermore, there is one special condition that will be announced on the day of the Second Task, and Ruby had an iffy feeling about it so she’d like to prepare for the worst.

But, what is she supposed to do?

“Hmm, no other hint at all huh?” Chika slowly chews on her mikan pastry, her eyes not shimmering as usual whenever she enjoys her snacks, but rather filled with concern for her friend.

“No. I heard the Durmstrang principal was rather upset about the secrecy but that’s it.”

“I guess this is fair. Unnerving, but fair.” You pats Ruby’s head, prompting the latter to smile. “We’ll research more on the grenades, you can count on us! How about the other item?”

“Onee-chan suggested I bring the Kurosawa sabre. Since there’s so much we don’t know about the Second Task, the sabre can at least protect me.”

Truthfully, Ruby isn’t as keen on the idea. She would much rather bring a bottle of Dittany in case she gets injured but in the end, she agrees with her sister that prevention is much better than treatment.

“That’s a great idea, as expected of Dia-san! I bet she’ll be surprised when she sees you in action~” Chika also bounces up from her chair and wraps her arm around Ruby’s shoulder. “Hehe, she doesn’t know what you’ve been working on, right?”

At this, Ruby grins playfully and does a Rubesty pose. No matter how much she practices, she acknowledges that she will never be skillful in swordsmanship. Therefore, at her request, Chika had been more than happy to teach her the complex Charm that makes her Beater bats hover around her like sentient guards. Except, in this case, Ruby has utilized it on the Kurosawa sabre. The last time they dueled in the Room of Requirement, the sword was quite the force to be reckoned with.

“That’s our girl! Uuuaaaah, You-chan, I can’t believe our Ruby-chan’s all so grown up now.” Dramatically, the Head Girl flops against her girlfriend and pretends to wipe away her tears with the latter’s scarf.

“A true champion of Hogwarts! We’ve raised her well~” You picks up Chika and spins her around while pretending to sniffle.

Ruby chuckles at the duo’s familiar antics. The couple never excludes her from their theatrics and she always enjoys watching them interact anyway. Being around them makes her feel happy and at ease, all the troubles churning in her mind evaporating away. You and Chika truly are magical in their own special way.

Not to mention, they’re both very perceptive.

“Something’s bothering you, right? And it’s nothing to do with the Tournament.”

Ruby doesn’t see a point in hiding it. “I’m worried about Yoshiko-chan and Hanamaru-chan.”

The duo exchanges a knowing look. “Right, we’ve been trying to grab hold of them too but they’ve gotten pretty good at evading.” You chuckles quietly at the last bit. Years of running away from the You Watanabe Fanclub must have trained Yoshiko well.

“I’ve talked with Hanamaru-chan, but it wasn’t enough - that’s the bad thing about having my own Prefect dorm, I miss being roommates with her. Outside of my Prefect duties, I try to look for her but she must’ve learned from Kanan-san where the best hiding spots are around the school. There just aren’t any… right opportunities.” Exasperated, Ruby resumes pacing around the room. “The most I’d gotten out of her is that, she kept saying it’s her fault but Yoshiko-chan won’t accept her apology and insisted she’s the one at fault instead.”

This isn’t a fight where she could just make the two talk and compromise. There’s no side to coax into admitting fault and apologize, not when both parties believe they’re the guilty ones. Both are very reluctant to talk about the subject further. Hanamaru had requested her to drop the subject and she couldn’t bring herself to push it. After all, Hanamaru had never asked her for anything, so how could she refuse?

“You just focus on the Second Task. Leave Hanamaru-chan to You-chan and I!” Chika pumps up her fist. “No one can evade our MVP Seeker for long! And I’m sure Riko-chan can grab hold of Yoshiko-chan and talk some sense into her.”

Ruby trusts the duo and her future sister-in-law, she really does, but it’s gnawing away at her conscience that she hasn’t been helpful towards her best friends. This useless feeling, it’s all too familiar, like how things were years ago back in the Estate.

“Aww, don’t make that face, Ruby-chan! You have a lot on your plate and you’ve already tried your best, cheer up!” Chika’s smiles then shifts to a mischievous one. “Don’t you have something else urgent that’s coming up very soon?”

You catches the drift and snickers. “Oh yes, the fun stuff~ I heard you have gained quite a bit of following after your awesome performance at the First Task~”

Ruby twitches uncomfortably. A tradition that’s existed for centuries, one that each champion must participate. A mandatory ‘task’ that she really doesn’t want to be under the spotlight for.

“So, who’re you taking to the Yule Ball?”

A strangled whimper is all she could reply to that.

==================

“There! How’s Yohane-sama’s amazing skills!?”

“Thanks for styling my hair! You really are good, Yoshiko-chan!”

“It’s Yoha-... whatever, hmnff, as long as you recognize my awesomeness, little demon no.4!”

Even though Yoshiko quickly hides it, Ruby notices that fleeting hesitation and that confirms her doubts. Still, she decides to put that on hold for now so they can finish dressing up. She glances around at all the makeup and accessories as well as the various clothes they no longer need, and acknowledges that this is the messiest that her Dorm has become in a while.

She couldn’t help but smile as Yoshiko poses in front of the mirror, relieved at this arrangement. It definitely is more relaxing to be in her best friend’s company instead of a fan’s. She thought You was joking but there had been several ambushes in the preceding weeks, including the time she almost drank a glass of juice that has Love Potion in it! It was downright scary!

Is it really such a big deal, to be featured on the front page of the Daily Prophet as a champion’s partner?

After much consideration, Ruby had originally asked Riko to accompany her for many reasons. Even though You and Chika had volunteered, Ruby did not want to split the couple especially since this is their last year at Hogwarts. Riko was in charge of performing with the piano so Ruby would only have to open the dance floor as Hogwarts’ champion and she is done. It would also be nice to spend time with her future sister-in-law, showing their closeness under public scrutiny. Neither Dia nor Riko has expressed concerns for the public’s opinion of their engagement but Ruby still wants to show her support whenever there’s an opportunity.

But then, Yoshiko had demanded to accompany Ruby. In spite of her best friends’ situation, Ruby had hoped that Hanamaru and Yoshiko would go to the Ball together. What surprised her more though, is the fact that Leah asked Hanamaru and the latter agreed. It didn’t seem like Leah got along with any of her schoolmates, at least the ones within Durmstrang’s entourage, but she did not expect Leah to ask Hanamaru of all the people.

Sighing, Ruby half-heartedly fixes her cloak and tries to ignore the weird feeling in her chest. Ever since this strange turn of events, she’s been feeling restless and confused. She doesn’t get annoyed often, which is why she has no idea how to deal with this tension in her body. True to their words, You and Chika had hunted down Hanamaru, and Riko had a long chat with Yoshiko as well, but Ruby has yet to see any improvement in their situation. Why else would Yoshiko go with her and Hanamaru still going with Leah? And Yoshiko hadn’t complained that her girlfriend was going with someone else. Just what’s going on? This doesn’t make any sense!

“Why the serious expression, Ruby? The fallen angel-”

“Yoshiko-chan. Tell me what’s going on between you and Hanamaru-chan. Please.”

It’s now or never. Ruby feels awful for ruining the merry atmosphere but she can’t bear it any longer. As expected, Yoshiko’s grin drops but she continues to stare at her reflection in the mirror. Ruby patiently remains silent as her friend fiddles with the ribbons and puts on her earrings. The raven-haired girl then reaches up for the quill affixed in her bun but stops at the last moment and leaves it be.

“... I guess it’s been long enough. Lily’s urged me to talk to you about it but…”

Ruby panics at the sight of shimmering tears in her friend’s eyes but Yoshiko irritably wipes them away with her gloved hand.

“Goddamit. It’s just hard to talk about, especially… to you.”

“Me?” Ruby hasn’t expected that, and is more than startled when Yoshiko whirls around and enters her personal space in one swift stride.

“Who am I, Ruby Kurosawa?”

The husky tone and the proximity cause her to cringe and instinctively clutch at her chest. Her heart quickens in fear in spite of her mind inwardly screaming otherwise.

“... I’m sorry. I just wanted to see your reaction.” Yoshiko murmurs sadly and backs away, returning to her spot in front of the mirror.

“Y-Yoshiko-chan, that’s not… I didn’t mean-” Ashamed, Ruby tries to ignore the prickling ache from the scars of sectumsempra and boldly places a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. Yoshiko smiles slightly at that, but the sight just makes her feel worse.

“It’s okay. I thought I’ve gotten over it. I thought we’ve all gotten over it, but it’s not that easy is it?” Yoshiko gingerly touches the mirror’s surface, her fingers trailing the shape of the quill before clenching into a fist. “I am Yoshiko. But I am also Yohane. I’ve accepted that. Or I thought I did.”

“Yoshiko-chan-”

“Things were going so well, y’know, between Hanamaru and I. Both of us, we thought we’ve moved on. But then, this one time, when we were kissing and things were getting heated between us, she… started crying. She was horrified and kept apologizing for thinking of...”

Ruby feels cold. No wonder this has been so difficult for her two friends to talk about. Back in their Second Year, Hanamaru had confided in her that she would involuntarily recall the first kiss she shared with the Yoshiko she fell in love with, and how guilty and conflicted she felt about being so intimate with the Yoshiko now. Ruby had tried her best to reassure her friend and always made sure to give the two privacy to sort things out, so things had never escalated to this point.

It was already painful to put herself in Hanamaru’s shoes, let alone Yoshiko’s.

“I told her it’s not her fault but, well, I’m just… I don’t know what to do anymore,” Yoshiko chuckles dryly and turns away from the mirror at last. “I love her, Ruby, but maybe she loves the Yoshiko I used to be more.” Yoshiko closes her eyes and shakes her head. “No, I shouldn’t doubt, I shouldn’t… I-I’m sorry to just dump this on you-”

Not knowing what else to do, Ruby hugs her friend tightly. “I’m the one who made you talk, Yoshiko-chan. I’m sorry I’m not helpful at all. It’ll be very hard, I understand that, but things cannot go on like this. I’ll be there if you two need an extra voice, anything, but please promise me you’ll talk to her. I w-will too. You’re both too important to me, I refuse to let the past get in the way of my best friends becoming h-happy.”

“Hey now, why’re you the one crying? You’re messing up my masterpiece!” Yoshiko laughs, sniffling hastily and hands over a handkerchief to Ruby. “Thank you though. I… I really appreciate it. I needed that. I really, really am grateful.”

Ruby smiles weakly, forcing away that horrible memory of Yohane almost killing her to the back of her mind. She needs to be strong, especially now.

“Heh, I remember you used to be a lot shorter than me.” Grinning, Yoshiko mischievously pats her head before tugging on her side ponytail. “Not anymore though. You’ve grown into your princely outfit for sure.”

“I’d r-rather wear a dress like you do. I look weird! Even the outfit I wore to the Banquet in our First Year is better than this…”

“What, you’re doubting Yohane-sama’s fashion sense? Trust me, you look great. Those two Gryffs will be all over you, not to mention your little fanclub-”

“Yoshiko-chan!”

“Fine fine. Why don’t you escort the great fallen angel to this Yule Ball and show the rest of the mortals what dancing truly is?”

Ruby stands straighter and chivalrously takes her partner’s hand, finding herself relaxing now that Yoshiko is smiling again. The expression still looks a bit stiff and her eyes are clouded with doubts, but overall she appears more relaxed at least.

The Christmas Banquet in their First Year was when her two best friends finally faced their feelings and confessed. Ruby fervently hopes that the magic of such dance would bring them back together once more.

====================

“They seem to be having fun.”

Ruby couldn’t help but mumble as she and Yoshiko sway along the waltz. It probably looks comical for any onlookers, that their attention is not on each other but on another pair. Indeed, after the first dance that each champion is obligated to start off the night, Leah and Hanamaru have remained on the dance floor and are seemingly absorbed in each other.

At first, the Durmstrang champion looks just as placid as she always does. She seems to despise the spotlight being on her just as much as she dislikes dancing for the formality of the Tournament. However, she is now chuckling at something Hanamaru said. That’s a positive expression, one that Ruby has never seen before. When did they get so close?

“That’s just the way Zuramaru is. She’s good at making us loners open up.”

Ruby frowns at Yoshiko, tugging so that the latter is close enough to hear her whispered words. “Even with the situation between you two, I don’t see Hanamaru-chan just agreeing to being Kazuno-san’s partner. It’s not like her.”

“Well, I agree this isn’t like her, but maybe she just wants to get her mind off of things. Maybe that Durmstrang champion has something I don’t?”

Ruby deliberately steps on Yoshiko’s foot, earning an angry yelp. “None of that, Yoshiko-chan. I was going to wait until after they finish dancing to get you two to talk, but I think enough time has passed.”

“W-Wait, now? But, what should I say?”

Yoshiko’s uncertain expression softens Ruby’s heart, but she recalls their earlier conversation and steels her resolve. “What you said to me. Knowing Hanamaru-chan, she would understand. If she continues to apologize, you just need to hug her and express your feelings until she can’t possibly think of anything else.”

“... where did you-? I’m gonna tell Dia-san that Kanan and Mari have been teaching you unnecessary things. Or was it those dunderheads?”

Ruby blinks. “What’s wrong with hugging? You-san and Chika-san hug all the time, they would cheer each other up that way.”

Yoshiko still looks dubious for some reason but sighs and nods. “Alright. Let’s go for it.”

After giving her friend’s hand one last encouraging squeeze, Ruby leads her around the crowd and towards the dancing pair. Leah’s expression darkens as soon as she notices her, which inexplicably irks her.

“What do you want?”

The Durmstrang champion is clad in a formal outfit fancier than her school uniform. The furred cloak is styled over one shoulder, with the school’s double-headed eagle embroidered proudly over the velvet scarlet. Her shoulder length hair is pulled to a sleek low ponytail, giving her a refreshing and regal demeanor in contrast to her usual slightly unruly appearance. If it weren’t for her vicious scowl and biting tone, she would have passed as a foreign royalty.

Hanamaru, dressed in a pretty but simple dress of white and dark crimson, drops her gaze nervously at their approach. If it weren’t for Leah’s tight grip on her wrist, she might have bolted from the dance floor. Ruby wistfully reminisces how she used to be the one fleeing from confrontations and Hanamaru being the one to give her courage.

Taking a deep breath, she firmly steps forward and reaches for Hanamaru’s hand.

“Kurosawa, what’re you-”

“Couples should spend the rest of the night together.”

“Ruby-chan, I-”

Ruby simply gives her dear friend a soft smile before nudging her towards Yoshiko, who’s been standing awkwardly to the side. Just as Leah is about to reclaim her partner, Ruby loops one arm around hers and drags her away. Soon, other dancing pairs obscure her view of her best friends but she trusts them to at least try to make it through one song together.

If glares could murder, Ruby is certain Leah has killed her a dozen times already. “You’ll pay for this!”

“I do apologize for interrupting your night with Hanamaru-chan, but-”

“Ha! I don’t really care, Kurosawa, but your friend’s stories are entertaining at least. Between a dreadful night with an eyesore, like you, she’s the better alternative.”

Frowning, Ruby tries to ignore the insult. “Stories?”

“Yup. She won’t stop talking about you and that girl… her girlfriend, I assume?” Leah rolls her eyes. “Like I said, rather than useless chatters, I do find her stories interesting.”

“I see… that’s why you asked her to the dance?”

“That’s right. She did Disarm me that time in the hallway. More impressive than you anyway.” Leah trails off, glancing between their connected hands and the fact that they’re swaying to the ballad. “... are we dancing?”

“Oh. I suppose we are-?” Truthfully, Ruby hasn’t realized that she’s taken the lead position with one arm loosely wrapped around Leah’s waist. She was too focused on getting the Durmstrang champion as far away from Yoshiko and Hanamaru as she could that the Pureblood etiquette ingrained in her soul must have automatically kicked in.

“This is ridiculous! Two champions dancing together?” Leah tries to back away but Ruby tightens her hold, worried that the former might storm back to her friends. “Hey, let me go! Do you have any idea how stupid we must look?!”

“I-I think we look okay, Kazuno-san. Um, in fact, I think you look quite nice.”

“What-? That’s not the point! We’re both donning the formal capes! No other pairs are like us!”

“That’s not true. Osaka-san is dancing with her senpai from Beauxbaton, and they’re both wearing dresses. Oh, Yoshiko-chan and Hanamaru-chan are in dresses too-”

“Have you even seen suits from Beauxbaton? And your friends are weird so they don’t count! Look at the rest of the room, everyone else is in suit-dress pair! Why is my logic not getting through your dumb brain?!”

Ruby dares to sneak a peek around, all the while making sure Leah doesn’t break free. Kanan and Mari had gone to Australia shortly after the First Task but managed to return here in time to attend the Ball. The married couple is putting on quite the performance at one corner of the Great Hall, along with a couple of alumni that Ruby recognized to have participated in the past dance competitions. Unlike two years ago though, Kanan is wearing a satin tux that shimmers in dark violet, while Mari is wearing a lovely turquoise cocktail dress.

Among the onlookers are Chika and You, who look ready to join the impromptu show judging by their excited grins. The Head Girl’s glossy suit must be handmade by her girlfriend, whose complementary mermaid dress gives her a mystic quality. Another quick glance to the unoccupied piano tells Ruby that Dia must have escorted Riko somewhere quiet, perhaps at the various food benches, but she isn’t given the chance to search further.

“Tch, you’re stronger than you looked-!”

The abrupt tug almost causes them to lose balance, but Ruby manages to use the momentum to twirl and dip Leah before returning to their previous position. Quiet applause indicates that there are people watching them and, judging by Leah’s frown, she definitely did not like that.

“I’m very close to giving the proverbial middle finger to the Yule Ball’s decorum and just leave this accursed dance floor.”

Ruby has no doubt Leah would go through with her threat, and a part of her is tired of having to put up with the hostile Durmstrang champion. However, the atmosphere around her is just so nostalgic that she doesn’t want anything to ruin this pleasant moment. Many things have changed since the Christmas Banquet two years ago, but Ruby is confident to say that they’re all mostly for the better.

Her friends are all here and, at the end of the day, they’re happy with their lives. Even Yoshiko and Hanamaru, Ruby believes with all her heart that they can sort through their issue together.

How about herself? She doesn’t know. She’s certainly come very far since the friendless scaredy-critter living a lonely life in the Kurosawa Estate. She’s content with the way things are already. There’s no need for more, just a bit of peace is more than enough for her.

“Let’s just have fun dancing, Kazuno-san. It’s the holidays, so we’re meant to relax. How about a truce, please?”

Maybe her calm tone is finally getting through to Leah, since she only sighs instead of struggling again. “... why do you have to stick to me anyway? Don’t you have a horde of merry friends to dance with?”

“They’re with their respective partners, and I really want Hanamaru-chan and Yoshiko-chan to make up. Things haven’t been going well with them-” Ruby stops herself, wondering if she’s revealing too much to someone who, technically, isn’t even her friend.

“Really? With the way Kunikida kept talking about her, I never would’ve imagined they had any problem at all,” Leah huffs, scrunching her nose in disgust. “And make up? More like make out.”

Ruby looks over her shoulder to see that her friends are indeed kissing. Although, unlike Leah’s exaggeration, Yoshiko and Hanamaru are simply sharing a chaste kiss. The exchange appears hesitant, but at least they’re both smiling at each other and that’s all that matters.

A warm sensation fills Ruby’s heart at that wonderful sight. Her steps become lighter and she really feels immersed in the calming movements of the music now. She has to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay though, and she isn’t surprised to find Leah deadpanning at her.

“Seriously, are you crying? Hnff, you’re so weird.”

Perhaps the joy has emboldened her, for she blurts out an ongoing question before she could stop herself. “Why do you dislike me so much, Kazuno-san?”

Leah raises an eyebrow, as if not expecting her to be so direct. “I have my reasons, Kurosawa,” she says coolly, “Are we done yet? I’ve already put up with you long enough, not to mention I was unknowingly involved in your little circle’s drama.”

This is probably the longest and sort of civil interaction she’s ever had with the Durmstrang champion, so she doesn’t want to waste this chance. “The music is getting good! Besides, I’m enjoying dancing with you. You’re a good dancer.”

“Duh? Much better than you are. While we’re on this, why are you leading anyway? I’ll show you how it’s done.”

True to her words, Leah switches their position and smoothly demonstrates the movements, each and every step precise yet graceful. Their cloaks flutter slightly at each turn, adding to their dance as if they’re part of the routine.

“See that? Come on, match my steps, don’t be so clumsy.”

Sure, Leah is chuckling at her expense but it doesn’t feel as mocking as it was before. As the melody continues to play in the background, their discussion becomes more light-hearted the more they focus on various aspects of dancing and eventually about wandworks.

At one point, Leah even laughs at a joke she made.

Ruby decides that the Yule Ball and, by extension, the Tournament, aren’t so bad after all.

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP AU (S) - First Task

Main Story: [LLSHP AU - Yoshiko Tsushima and the Fallen Angel]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

Sequel blips: TriWizard Tournament series- [First Task] [Yule Ball]

A/N: As per twitter vote from a while ago, I’m starting with a blip in the SequelTimeline (hence the (S) behind the usual tag of LLSHP AU). This is part of the TriWizard Tournament series. I’ll try to keep them as consequential as possible, but the blips’ might be all over the place depending on my muse. We’ll see XD;

Note: This blip takes place a year after ch21 of the MainStory, meaning chikayouriko are FifthYears and yoshimaruby are ThirdYears.

“The Beauxbaton champion has drawn the Ukrainian Ironbelly.”

Ruby Kurosawa could barely hear the noise outside the tent. Everything is muffled except for the pounding of her terrified heart. The Hogwarts uniform has never felt so heavy, so suffocating on her body, and she has to loosen her scarf a bit just to breathe a little better.

Shizuku Osaka gives them a graceful courtesy and holds up the miniature Dragon for the officials’ view one more time. Before it could breathe fire like its real-life counterpart, a swift but powerful Freezing Charm tames the replica, which she then affixes onto her brooch like an ornament.

Composed and elegant, the black-haired Beauxbaton champion is just as what her school is known for.

“Please proceed.”

Leah Kazuno calmly takes a step forward and reaches into the bag to draw her opponent. The petite but imposing Durmstrang champion remains unfazed even as she reveals the miniature creature in her palm for the officials to see. The leopard-like beast has a body full of spikes akin to a cactus, and it is growling warily with its intelligent eyes glancing at its surroundings.

“The Durmstrang champion has drawn the Nundu.”

Ruby swallows hard. That’s another dangerous level-5 magical creature, one that requires teams of highly qualified wizards and witches to subdue! Just how insane is this TriWizard Tournament?!

While she is on the verge of hyperventilating, Leah taps the replica with her wand, stilling its movement through a non-verbal petrificus totalus. Scoffing, she coolly gives it back to one of the officials before smoothly healing her prickled hand.

Fearless and professional, the sharp-eyed Durmstrang champion is every inch the representative of her school.

“Please proceed.”

Ruby tries not to flinch as she places her hand on the hilt of the Kurosawa heirloom, desperate to rein in her composure. After one deep breath, she approaches the official and shakily reaches into the bag. A sharp sting almost makes her drop the miniature beast but she perseveres and holds it up high.

She blanches at the growling replica in her palm.

A human-like head, a lion’s body and a scorpion’s tail. It’s unmistakable what she has to face in the First Task of the TriWizard Tournament.

“The Hogwarts champion has drawn the Manticore.”

Her heart plummets and with it, strangely, so does her fear. A peculiar sense of numbness washes over her, a resigned sort of acceptance that this is her fate and she must overcome it. She glances down at her hand, where the miniature Manticore’s stinger had pierced her palm. The sight of blood, no matter how little, still makes her stomach churn, though it also boosts her confidence.

She had bled way more before, and she lived. She can and will do this. As if sensing her grim resolve, the replica grins up at her before hopping back into the bag.

The Minister of Magic clears his throat, garnering everyone’s attention, though she has difficulty concentrating on his speech. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Professor Koizumi gazing at her with concern, and so she stands up a little straighter and holds up her chin high. She will do her Head of the House proud.

“... that said, we understand these three creatures are highly dangerous and could not be subdued even by teams of trained Hit-wizards under normal circumstances. Therefore, these beasts were specially selected by our Board and collaborators. A warrior from the Goblin Nation, Arkus, has graciously offered his help should it be necessary to stop the Ukrainian Ironbelly.”

At this, a scarred and bearded Goblin bows brusquely, his stance just as regal and intimidating as the massive battle axe he is holding. Perhaps it is ingrained in her upbringing through the Patriarch’s lectures, for Ruby innately feels respect as well as wariness towards the small humanoid.

“And Mr. Scamander will also be on the standby to tame his Nundu, which he has kindly provided for this Tournament.”

Ruby nods at the amiable wizard, whom she has met a few times at the Estate as the Patriarch’s valued guest. Kanan and Mari have talked about him as well, having traveled around the world with the famous Magizoologist a few times last year.

“Last but not least, Professor Toujou of Hogwarts has already negotiated with the chosen Manticore, and the beast has agreed to act only within the rules of this Tournament.”

The ever-enigmatic Head of Ravenclaw gives Ruby an encouraging wink then, prompting her to smile back in relief. Everything seems to be well under control. While the Tournament is known to have caused deaths in the past, surely this one would be all okay with the way the Board arranged for various scenarios.

The officials then exit the tent with the Beauxbaton champion to debrief her, and the remaining adults follow suit to prepare the arena as well. Ruby suddenly finds herself alone with the scowling Durmstrang champion.

“How fortunate you are, Kurosawa heiress. I bet your Professor has already made a special deal for you to win.”

Leah’s expression is blank, her eyes carefully guarded, but her voice is as vicious as poison. Ruby turns to face her peer and she is vaguely aware that her legs are no longer shaking.

“No. She trusts me, and I trust her. Hogwarts will never resort to cheating.”

“Then what was that look of relief on your face?”

“Knowing that there wouldn’t be any casualties among the bystanders.”

Leah’s expression darkens. “Is that all? Aren’t you scared? I saw you shivering like a pathetic rabbit since the moment you entered the tent. You don’t belong here. You should forfeit, for your own good.”

“I’m scared, very scared.” Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the tremor in her voice. She really hasn’t changed much over the years, but she is also proud to acknowledge that she has become stronger too. “But I will not run away. The Goblet of Fire chose me for a reason. Thanks for being worried about me though.”

“You wish. I just don’t want you to ruin the prestige of this Tournament.” Leah snarls, her stance rigid and proud. “Think of the mess if there’s already death in the First Task.”

“Of course, I don’t want to die either,” Ruby’s grip tightens on the hilt of the sabre. “I… I’m scared of pain, I can’t handle it, but I know I can face death if things were to reach that point.”

“Oh?” Leah’s demeanor loosens slightly, as if she hasn’t expected such response.

“I’ve already faced it before.” The faint pink scars from sectumsempra are visible reminders of what she had experienced on that terrible night, but compared to what her precious friends and family have endured back then, this Tournament should be within her ability to handle.

She, Ruby Kurosawa, is Hogwarts’ champion after all.

========================

Judging from all the gasps, cheers and applause outside the tent, Ruby is certain that Leah has succeeded in her Task just as Shizuku had. Both champions did not take more than ten minutes to achieve their objective, which is to retrieve a wooden box that their respective opponent is guarding. Each of them is only allowed to cast five spells, whether it be a Charm, Curse, Hex and so on, and the box can only be moved through actual contact, not by magic. It is meant to test the champion’s resourcefulness, wit and raw magical power, as well as their physical abilities.

Ruby has no plan whatsoever.

Her knowledge of the Manticore is limited to what she has studied in her family library. All those articles talk of how extremely dangerous the violent magical beast is, of how its magically resilient skin render wizards’ spells useless and thus there have only been one or two recorded triumphs against such creature. How is she, a mere Third-Year, supposed to get past the Manticore’s guard?

She stares hard at her wand, hoping to draw strength and guidance from the Holly and dragon heartstring core. She wishes for her friends and her sister to be with her right now, instead of being in this tent alone with her paranoid mind. To be fair for each school, no one is permitted to make contact with the champion, not even their respective Headmaster. Earlier, Chika and You have already tried to sneaked in but were quickly dragged away by their House Head before the officials noticed.

Ruby would have welcomed the Gryffindor duo’s presence. Her bravado earlier has faded enough for the small critter part to emerge, causing her thoughts to sink deeper to the pessimistic end as the clock ticks by. It’s not because she doesn’t believe in her own strength but more because of the countless scenarios against such a terrifying opponent.  She does enjoy the thrill of challenges to an extent, perhaps due to the duo’s influence over the years, so she tries to focus on that positive thought.

“Hogwarts’ champion, please enter the arena.”

Whimpering, Ruby wipes at her damp eyes one last time before standing up. With every step she takes, the fear is gradually left behind and that sense of numbness has returned once more. There is no running away now.

A thunderous cheer greets her as soon as she enters the Pit, which has been modified to accommodate the spectators and the Task. A quick glance reassures Ruby that various officials are stationed around the arena, especially for the guest section to ensure safety. Whatever happens between her and the Manticore will not affect the innocents.

When she walks past the student bleachers, she waves bashfully at the applauding Ravenclaws and searches the crowd for her future sister-in-law. She soon finds Riko and relaxes under her encouraging smile. The House of Hufflepuff is deafening in their cheers with, surprisingly, Professor Koizumi and Hanamaru being the loudest. Ruby could feel her ears burning, half embarrassed but half elated as well at such display of support from her best friend and Head of House.

As if not wanting to lose, Chika and You lead the Gryffindor section in the cheers with their flamboyant banners and Charmed fireworks. It’s over the top, really, but also so very like them. Ruby couldn’t but wave back just as energetically at the Head Girl and the Quidditch star. Passing shadows overhead prompt her to look up and smile at Pana and Lucifer. The two familiars are gliding and circling to keep with her pace, as if to act as her escorts. Fiery words of encouragement soar through the sky after them, providing entertainment for the onlookers. Ruby doesn’t have to glance at the Slytherin section to know that it is Yoshiko’s work, though her peers must have pitched in to help her control this Charm in order for it to work on such grand scale.

By the time Ruby reaches the Professors’ bleachers, she is smiling not just to reassure her friends but also out of genuine joy and love for them and her school. The Hogwarts staff are also clapping politely, some more exuberantly than the others. Dia looks tense but she is smiling as well, with a familiar golden cat draped on her shoulder and a large wolf head peering over the seat beside her. Kanan and Mari must have pretended to be Dia’s pets to sneak into this guest section. At Ruby’s hesitant wave, Kanan howls loudly and Mari swishes her tail like a flag, prompting Dia to frown and tug at her friends’ ears. Undeterred, the married couple continue to make a lot of noise and motions, making Dia sigh in exasperation.

The familiar comical interaction loosens Ruby enough for her to remember to bow in front of the Kurosawa Patriarch and her parents. The old austere wizard is not smiling and only gives her a brusque nod, but those who know him well can see the fierce pride in his eyes.

Shizuku seems amused at the lively display at her entrance, while Leah is wearing the darkest scowl ever. Both champions look disheveled, with Shizuku’s hair ribbon somewhat singed and Leah’s cloak having claw-shaped rips, but at least they appear mostly unharmed.

Ruby allows a quiet sigh of relief to slip past her lips. Her fellow champions made it through and there are no injured spectators. She nods at the panel of referees and the official standing just at the edge of the arena.

“Are you ready?”

With one brisk turn, she takes out her wand and takes one step inside the field of boulders and rocks. A cool brush of magic indicates that a powerful protective shroud must have been activated, keeping both combatants trapped within the arena as well as to shield the audience. At this point, all Ruby could hear are her quickened heartbeats and the sinister rumbling from the enormous beast at the other end of the modified Pit.

The Manticore is grisly to look at, like a creative project gone horribly wrong. Whereas the Sphinx appears majestic despite having a human head and the body of a lion, the Manticore is like a mutated and bloodthirsty version due to its wild mane and rows of sharp fangs. Its scorpion stinger tail is poised high in warning as it paces back and forth in front of the wooden box, her objective. Its powerful paws make heavy sounds on the gravel, its predatory eyes trained on her the moment she entered.

“So this is what I’m up against, a little rabbit,” the sentient creature’s voice sounds disturbingly human without any hint of a growl. “Ladies first then, so the show won’t be over too quickly.”

The insult almost makes Ruby smile in bittersweet nostalgia. Everyone tend to underestimate her and for the longest time, she had believed their evaluation to be true.

Not anymore. I’m not strong, but I’m not weak either. She could feel magic flowing steadily between her hand and her wand.

“I’m ready.” She tells the official without glancing at him. A hush falls over the arena but she could barely feel the eyes watching for. The Manticore is grinning at her, slowly licking its lips. A vague plan forms in her mind and she exhales deeply.

As soon as the wizard signals the start of her first Task, she raises her wand and shouts. “Expecto patronum!”

The amused beast barely moves even as the silver black jaguar snarls at it, an empty threat due to its intangible form. In spite of the confused murmurs in the background, Ruby finds herself smiling as the sight of her Patronus boosts her confidence. She is no longer alone in facing this terrifying monster.

“Wingardium leviosa!”

The huge boulders tremble from the Levitation Charm but only the medium-sized rocks actually float towards the center. The Manticore remains unfazed, even yawning tauntingly at the gradually increasing number of rocks gathering in the middle. Ruby keeps her arm steady in spite of the strain of such area spell and pours forth even more magic.

“Accio!”

Her third chosen spell summons the Kurosawa heirloom from outside the arena and she directs it towards the growing rock pile. The Manticore tenses at last, growling in anticipation and pawing at the ground. Just as the creature begins to run, Ruby yelps a string of incantations, moving her wand in sharp jabs.

The fourth and fifth spell is a combination of an advanced Transfiguration and a Charm, developed by You and herself under Professor Minami’s supervision. Ruby almost buckles from the strain of magical output but perseveres, willing and shaping the rocks into the image in her mind while the sabre acts as a focal point.

Rocks gather and morph around the the sabre, forming a long tail that eventually connects to a massive body with four limbs and an armored head.

Gasps and shouts could be heard from the audience and the Manticore stops abruptly, wary of the animated shape blocking its path. The grotesque replica raises its rocky tail, the sabre’s blade glinting under the sunlight, and lunges at its living counterpart.

Its movements are awkward and jerky but there is undeniable power behind each of its pounding footsteps. The real Manticore laughs haughtily when it tries to swerve around the slower clone and almost got slashed by its surprisingly fast tail. The two creatures crash into each other soon after, tearing and biting and gouging with the scorpion tail. The Manticore is undeterred by its opponent’s body of rocks, clawing and digging through the cracks, breaking the Transfigured creature from raw strength alone. For such a gigantic beast, it is nimble and agile, cleverly dodging the Kurosawa sabre instead of parrying it, knowing the blade would injure it whereas no magic could.

Ruby shivers instinctively from all that noise of the savage fight, though she manages to force her legs to move. She runs towards the boulders, ducking for cover when she hears a snarl rather close by. Worse comes to worst, she still has her wand to protect herself even though it meant being disqualified for using more than five spells. She could vaguely feel the tug of her magic animating the replica and, with a pained grunt, she increases the output towards her creation and wills it to endure the assault longer.

As soon as the boosted Transfigured beast collides against the Manticore, she dashes towards the end of the field. Many times she is tempted to look over the shoulder, to see if the monstrous creature is chasing her, to check if her creation is still standing, but flight mode is commanding her action and all she could to do is keep going.

Almost there.

Her lungs burn from the exertion and her throat aches from the screams she keeps fighting down.

Right there, on that patch of grass.

She almost stumbles at the abrupt cut of magic, indicating that her stone creation is no more.

She dives for the wooden box, tucking and rolling, just in time to dodge the Manticore’s tail slash. Panting, she glares up in defiance at the grinning beast. Its mane is wilder than before, covered in rubble that is doubtlessly from when it obliterated the replica, and its magically immune skin is unmarred by any of the replica’s attacks.

Ruby rolls to the side just as its massive paw comes down on her, sprinkling dust and causing the ground to quake under the force. Before it could pounce upon her though, a silver silhouette leaps in front of her protectively.

Startled, the Manticore could only stare at the proud black jaguar Patronus, which shimmers brightly under its caster’s fearless gaze. The stalemate lasts for a while but neither side relents. Ruby barely dares to breathe, her wand not raised but gripped tightly and ready for action.

“… it cannot attack me. I can just jump through it and rip your throat out,” the Manticore’s fanged grin widens when Ruby glares back even as her legs begin to tremble. “Yet, I find myself unable to move in awe of its power.”

From the corner of her vision, she notices the officials and Professor Toujou already on the standby. Ruby’s friends are all at the edge of the arena as well, blocked by the shield but their wands already poised for action.

The announcer takes a step forward and speaks firmly. “The champion has already acquired the wooden box.”

”Silence, human. You don’t look tasty, but you’ll do.” The Manticore sits down on its haunches and growls menacingly at the wizard who dares to point his wand at it. Professor Toujou clears her throat, prompting the Manticore to relax slightly and roll its eyes. “I know I know, don’t harangue me, Nozomi.”

Ruby blinks when the beast suddenly grins at her. “I concede, Kurosawa heiress.”

A deafening roar from the audience follows the Manticore’s words, drowning out even the official announcement of her victory. Tears well up in Ruby’s eyes but she barely feels them as she finds herself buried under her friend’s tackling hugs.

Miraculously, she has overcome the First Task.

============================

Ruby finds her mind drifting away to blissful peace as she licks at her lollipop. It’s one of her favorite snacks but it’s been a while since she’s indulged herself in the treat. As a Third-Year and a Prefect, she’s decided to cut down on her sweets intake in order to present a reliable, mature senpai image and so far it’s worked. She does miss being in the background though.

Ah, this tastes heavenly!

Smiling, she notices her steps are bouncier than usual as she walks down the empty hallway back to her Prefect dorm. Most of her Housemates are in the Great Hall, decorating the place for dinnertime, while her friends are preparing for the celebratory party later the night in Chika’s Head Girl dorm.

The Gryffindor duo had successfully rescued her from her peers, allowing her to take a little break in her dorm before having to socialize for the rest of the night. Indeed, Ruby isn’t fond of being under the spotlight even though her responsibilities nowadays require her to be. Thankfully, her friends are all very understanding of her, knowing that she needs a little breather. Chika and You claim that they’re going to raid the kitchen anyway, while Kanan and Mari must be catching up with Dia and most likely teasing her and Riko’s recent not-so-secret engagement.

As for Yoshiko and Hanamaru, well, hopefully they’re on speaking terms again. Ruby frowns at the thought of her best friends, wondering what the problem it is this time. They do argue from time to time, but those have all been harmless bickering, something Mari reassures her to be a form of flirting.

However, it feels like Yoshiko and Hanamaru have been keeping their distance, either avoiding each other or always sticking to Ruby so that they’re never alone by themselves. Just what had happened? Ruby would rather that they have heated arguments so at least she could play peacemaker, but this is something else entirely.  

Sighing, Ruby ponders for the umpteenth time about romantic relationships. She does get envious of that special closeness she’s witnessed in her friends, of how happy her sister is with Riko and so on, but she also finds it stressful. There are so many things to think about, and she is doing fine being the supportive role within their group of nine without being attached to anyone.

What’s more to ask for, if she already has her friends and family?

Suddenly, she couldn’t move her legs anymore and, with her feet stuck to the ground, the momentum makes her bend over awkwardly. Flailing her arms for balance, the lollipop falls to the ground and is kicked away by a dragon skin boot.

Ruby peers up to find Leah glaring at her.

“You didn’t even sense me coming.”

Though slightly irked by the loss of her snack, Ruby is more unsettled by how angry her fellow champion looks. “W-Why have you used partial petrificus on me?”

“To test you - just when I thought you to be a worthy opponent! But look at you, your guard is pathetic,” Leah snarls as she paces around Ruby. Since there is no wand in sight, it must have been a wandless, non-verbal petrificus, implying the witch’s skill and power. “Beside, what was with all that earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“That circus out there! All that cheering, even that dumb Manticore, being all buddy-buddy with one of your Professors! I knew it, there must’ve been a deal going on.”

Ruby says calmly. “I did not cheat, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

Leah then aggressively enters her personal space, their faces now barely an inch apart. “The TriWizard Tournament is not a game.”

Even though the flight alarm is going off in her head, Ruby is able to keep her voice steady. “I know.”

“Then why do I feel like you’re holding back?”

“I’m not.”

Leah growls in frustration, this time taking out her wand and points it threateningly under Ruby’s chin. “My instincts have never proven me wrong, Kurosawa.”

Ruby winces at the derisive way the Durmstrang champion utters her surname but she maintains eye contact. The silent stalemate continues for a while, neither relenting. Ruby notices for the first time that Leah is actually shorter than her, despite the latter having such an intimidating aura that made her presence so much larger.

Leah suddenly whirls around to deflect a Jinx and easily parries another Hex. Without thinking, Ruby breaks free of the Body-Bind Curse and grips Leah’s wrist before the latter fires off an offensive spell.

“I’m okay, Hanamaru-chan, Yoshiko-chan, please put away your wands.”

Hanamaru looks wary while Yoshiko’s expression is dark, but both lower their wands as they briskly approach them.

“What did you think you were doing, to my friend?” Yoshiko’s husky and menacing tone jostles an unpleasant memory in the back of Ruby’s mind but she forces it away.

Leah ignores the newcomers and continues to glare at Ruby. “So, you can move. You dispelled my Curse non-verbally as well.”

Ruby neither admits nor refutes that statement. After that night at the Estate, they’ve all worked so hard on wandlessly countering Body-Binding Curses. She hasn’t encountered any situation she had to utilize this skill until now.

“Oi, I’m talking to you.” Yoshiko stomps forward and uses her superior height to glare down at Leah. A familiar Ashwinder slithers out from her sleeve and drapes around her neck like a scarf. Leah looks disgusted at the hissing snake and raises her wand the same time Yoshiko raises hers.

“Expelliarmus.”

Hanamaru now holds both of their wands, her expression shadowed by her glasses. “No fighting in the hallway, right, Ruby-chan?”

Ruby swallows hard. Her best friend is rarely upset but it is obvious that this is one such time. “R-Right. Guest or not, y-you’d have to follow the rules here, Kazuno-san. Yoshiko-chan, really, I’m okay.”

Yoshiko huffs and folds her arms, while Leah nods curtly, seemingly taken aback by the turn of events. If Ruby isn’t mistaken, she even looks somewhat impressed as Hanamaru returns her wand back to her.

“You got lucky, Kurosawa.” Leah yanks her hand out of Ruby’s grip, reminding the latter that she’s been holding it this whole time. “Heed my words - I will be the victor in the end.”

Ruby exhales tiredly, watching her fellow champion storming down the hallway with the fur cloak billowing behind her. Durmstrang seems like a stressful environment to study in, or is there more to Leah’s drive in winning the Cup?

“Are you okay, Ruby-chan?”

“Yeah, just surprised and exhausted,” she smiles weakly at Hanamaru, noting the deliberate space between her and Yoshiko. Her two friends aren’t looking at each other and the tension is thick. She also notices that Lucifer is nestled in Hanamaru’s hood instead of Yoshiko’s like usual. Seraph the Ashwinder flicks its tongue at Ruby’s questioning gaze and nods imperceptibly before hiding under its master’s sleeve once more.

Ruby sighs again. This is only the First Task, and there appears to be more to come, Tournament or otherwise.

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP(P) Prelude - Wish

Main Story: [LLSHP AU - Yoshiko Tsushima and the Fallen Angel]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

Sequel blips: TriWizard Tournament series

A/N: Here’s the prequel story Delphinus, about Mari, Kanan and Dia’s early years at Hogwarts. Just a short prelude here to start things off, to show the kind of tone in this prequel. As stated before, this will mostly be in Mari’s POV, a lighter tale in comparison to the Main Story.

Reminder Mari, Dia and Kanan are 15yo, 14yo, 14 yo respectively here, and they have a bit different characterizations than in the main story since, well, they’re just starting their first year. They have not grown to be the senpais that Yoshiko knows them as in the Main Story, so stay tuned to see their growth and how they become close~ Without further ramblings  ado, here’s the prelude!

Words: 4,121

The door creaks loudly as it is pulled to a close.

She smiles nostalgically at the noise, wondering when the next time it would be for her to open this equipment shed, if ever again. Her heart thuds mournfully at the sight of this old building basked under the setting sun, like it has already blended into the scenery as a forgotten relic of the past. Shaking her head, she turns away resolutely and walks towards the plank that serves as the bridge between the port and the small boat.

Briskly, she hops onto the rickety boat, not all all deterred by the way it bobbed up and down along the waves. Her hand fondly brushes against the rusty walls as she enters the steering room, her steps gradually slowing to a stop. She bows respectfully before reaching for the small photo frame that hung from above the helm.

“I’d love to take you with me, Jii-chan, but you’d probably prefer to stay here by the sea, wouldn’t you?”

The elderly man is grinning back at her, his lively spirit nicely captured within the picture. Very carefully, she placed the photo frame onto the table she had set right beside the helm.

“I’ll be back in a few months, don’t worry. Maybe I’ll have some neat tricks to show you, maybe I can even reel in a big bluefin tuna! But, you’d prefer that I catch one with my own power, ne?”

The quiet echo of her own voice saddens her but she reigns in her emotions and manages to exit the boat with a placid expression. To her surprise, there are people waiting for her by the equipment shed.

“Kanan-chan!” “Kanan-chan!”

Kanan Matsuura steadies herself in time to catch an orange and silver shape. The two 12-year-olds sure have grown so much! It only seems like yesterday when she first played dodgeball and bug-catching with her childhood friends in the nearby park, all carefree and happy.

“I’ll be back after the first term, I promise, Chika, You.”

Chika’s characteristic ahoge is droopy as she woefully peers up at Kanan, while You has burrowed herself against Kanan’s side.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Kanan musters up her most easy-going smile and playfully wraps each arm around the girls’ shoulders. “When have I ever broken a promise to you two?”

“True…but! This ‘private’ school, why is it so secretive?” “Yeah, why can’t we go with you? Or I can ask Shima-nee or even Mito-nee to go with you?”

“It’s okay. A Professor is coming to escort me there. Don’t worry, she’s been very nice and helpful.” Honestly, the young girls’ worried faces are enough to make her heart melt. It’s staggering to know that there are still people in the world who cares this much about her, that she isn’t alone.

And that’s enough for her.

“Come on, it’s already getting dark. Your families will be worried if you don’t get home soon,” Kanan ignores the stifling feeling inside her chest at uttering these words, and gently nudges Chika and You away from the port. “I’ll be fine.”

The two girls only manage to walk a few paces away before turning back to give her one last tackling hug. Kanan almost stumbles from the force but she embraces them just as tightly.

“Write to us as soon as you get there!” “Remember to tell us all about the school!”

Kanan waves at them, calling and exchanging words with Chika and You even as the duo walks away. It is only until the two girls are out of sight that she allows her forcefully cheerful demeanor to drop.

Her expression probably looks awful right now but at least there is only one witness.

“They truly are worried about you. They are good girls.”

“They’re like little sisters to me,” Kanan says proudly, not too startled when a woman materializes out of thin air near her, as if she’s been concealed behind a veil of invisibility all this time. “I try to be someone they can look up to but it’s been hard.”

“I understand. Have you packed up everything?”

“...yeah. I guess I have. I’ve already cleaned up everything back at the house and here too,” she glances at the boat and the equipment shed one more time before turning to face the new arrival. The beautiful woman has cascading hair as blue as the sea itself, which is also her namesake. Her kind amber eyes and her deep, sonorous voice have a calming effect on Kanan, the same feeling she has whenever she is out by the sea.

Indeed, in spite of the unknown future, Kanan feels relaxed around the witch named Umi Sonoda.

“As we had discussed before, you may return here during the Christmas break, and you can always Owl them letters.”

“Right. Owling letters. That’ll be interesting,” Kanan allows a small smile to appear. “Birds always seem to like You. I’m sure Owls would too.” A thought then occurs to her, that both of her childhood friends have experienced odd events as well, ones that could count as displays of accidental magic. Perhaps, in a few years or so, they would also get that special acceptance letter?

And they could all study together in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

As if reading her thoughts, the woman speaks softly. “That is indeed possible. I have sensed something special in those two girls.”

“Of course. They are very special, especially to me.”

“You are special too, Kanan.”

“... I don’t know about that. What I do know is, I’m ready to leave this place behind,” Kanan chuckles wryly and picks up her small backpack.

“Are you certain? We are ahead of schedule so there is no need to rush. It is your home after all.”

“It’s okay. I’ve… said my goodbyes. Besides, it’s not my home, not anymore.”

“Kanan…”

“It’s not a home if no one is there.” She thoroughly believes this thought, even when Grandpa was still alive. It doesn’t matter what city or what sort of house she lives in. As long as the people she cherishes is there to welcome her home, then she will call it just that.

“I see.” The witch sounds a bit sad but respectful. “I hope you will like Hogwarts then.”

“Me too. I mean it when I told you that I’m looking forward to it.” At this, Kanan shuffles awkwardly and tries to meet the woman’s gaze. “While I really appreciate you coming here to pick me up, but I could’ve gone to King’s Cross myself, uh, Umi.”

It still feels slightly odd to be calling her so familiarly, but after spending the last few weeks in her company, especially after everything she’s done for her, ‘Sonoda-san’ seems too distant. When she first called Umi directly, the witch had been very happy, and that was enough of a reason for Kanan to continue calling her that. Moreover, this sense of closeness makes her feel connected to this new path in life.

“I am certain that you could. I am accompanying you because I want to. Humor me?” Umi smiles kindly as she holds out her hand.

The image is superimposed with the one from the night Kanan first met her. The witch had come to her home, requesting to speak to her guardian. After Umi was told that there weren’t any, not anymore, and learned about the teenager’s predicament, she had held out her hand and offered to take her away.

It was like being given a lifeline.  

It’s been surreal to learn about the world of magic, that the nifty little tricks she’s done throughout her childhood are actually due to magic. As fascinated as she is though, she remains skeptical of how she would fit in this new world. She prefers things to be simple and she thought that she would stay in this seaside town even after she grows up, watching over her little world because she is familiar with everything here.

But her grandfather isn’t here anymore, and she is given a chance to escape this shattered dream. Everything’s changed and it’s too painful to call this town her home nowadays.

With a deep breath, Kanan takes Umi’s hand and allows the latter to Apparate them away. She doesn’t want anything and doesn’t dare to wish for more. She’ll do whatever she could, to find a place she could call home again, a new world to watch over.

Perhaps, Hogwarts has the answer she seeks.

====================

Within the massive extravagant painting, the Black Jaguar swishes its tail languidly with its head rested on its crossed paws. In spite of its relaxed demeanor, its sharp eyes remain predatory as it stares at her from its perch high in the tree. The progenitor of the Kurosawa family rarely deems to speak and usually remains in his Animagus form to impose an intimidating presence on whoever is summoned to the main manor’s grand office. Likewise, all the portraits of past Heads of this prestigious Pureblood family are silent as they cast their judgemental gazes upon her.

Dia Kurosawa remains unmoved in her seiza position, her back straight and her expression serene. Her legs are numb and her heart is beating fast from all the pressure, yet she does not allow any hint of discomfort to slip through her rigid demeanor. She needs to be every bit as indomitable as her name.

The Patriarch calmly sips his tea and does not offer an explanation as to why he has summoned her to his office. The silence, however, is merely a test and an inaudible conversation has already begun between the heiress and her grandfather.

Despite years of cultivating her patience and the austere image of a Pureblood heiress, she is quite relieved when the Patriarch finally speaks.

“Time passes by within a blink of an eye, does it not?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“I still remember when you first bonded with your wand. Your parents, many of your relatives, and even myself, have wands of dragon heartstring core. But a wand of phoenix feather core has chosen you, just as it had chosen our great Founder in the past. It pleases me, Dia, that you have shown such potential already. I believe you have been taking well care of your gift?”

“I have been keeping it safe and polished, just as it is meant to be.” At this, Dia allows a hint of a smile to grace her features. The carbonado necklace is a possession she prizes above all else, a symbol of recognition from her family. While it is traditional for a Kurosawa to receive a jewel in association with his or her name after bonding with a wand, hers is more special than anyone else’s. The priceless black diamond can store magic, a powerful accessory that can eventually act as a shield against even the worst of Dark Magic.

Certainly, the item is meant to be given to the significant other, like how her father had given his carnelian brooch to her mother, but Dia does not foresee herself ever finding such a person in her life. Therefore, the carbonado necklace is hers to keep and it will protect her.

The Kurosawa doctrine is to ‘strike before stricken’, which Dia believes in as well, but it does not hurt to have that extra defense should all else fail. Because, really, she would rather avoid any confrontations even though she is confident in her own ability to take on anything.

“Very good. Once you have proven yourself worthy, you will receive the heirloom that our great Founder and I have chosen for you.”

The Kurosawa sabre.   

Her heart sinks even though she has expected it already. She is the heiress after all, and nothing is more symbolic and prestigious than the sabre which is said to rival the famous Godric Gryffindor’s sword.

The Patriarch speaks further of her responsibilities and expectations now that she is going to Hogwarts, and only dismisses her once he finds her responses satisfactory. After giving him and the Black Jaguar portrait a respectful bow, Dia exits the office in a graceful manner. It is only after she is well out of the main manor that she picks up her pace, relieved to be out of that stifling place.

Her gaze sweeps over the extensive Kurosawa estate, both enjoying the beautiful scenery but also conflicted over her desire to leave her home. She has seen the world beyond, from the galas that her family has hosted to the other formal events the Patriarch took her along with as a guest. While the prospect of fully presenting herself as the heiress is daunting, she also cannot wait to explore the endless possibilities that the society offers.

Perhaps, in time, she will finally be able to hold her head up proudly of who she is, instead of forcing herself to maintain this facade.

She exhales tiredly once she arrives at her home, a moderate-sized building in comparison to the main manor. Only her immediate family lives here, though her relatives visit often due to the various meetings that her father holds or the apprentices who bring items from the family apothecary to her mother. One day, she would like to have her own private housing, one that can be granted to her if she shows the Patriarch how much she accomplishes.

She must do well in Hogwarts if it meant earning her miniscule freedom.

After briefly greeting an uncle by the engawa, she enters the living room to find her parents enjoying the afternoon tea together. It is really only under the comforts of their own home that her parents appear this relaxed. Unlike the many arranged marriages that her relatives had, her parents are fortunate to actually be in love with each other and therefore the atmosphere at home is more pleasant than some of her cousins’. At least, that’s what she had heard, since there is no cousin near her age, the closest one being a decade older.

She urges her parents to enjoy this rare downtime together instead of sending her off, assuring them that she can get to Hogwarts by herself. After a few more exchanges, both her parents solemnly wish her the best of luck, her father giving her an encouraging nod while her mother sends her a small smile.

Dia pushes aside the persistent yearning for a pat on the head, or even a hug, and politely excuses herself to get ready for her trip. As soon as she enters her own room, she notices something out of place. Warily but calmly, she casts a spell to reveal the hidden presence.

“Pigi!”

Her 10-year-old little sister, shivering, slowly steps forward with her head lowered, most likely expecting a reprimand. Sighing, Dia puts away her wand and speaks quietly so that she doesn’t startle her easily-frightened sister.

“You are too young to be able to master the Disillusionment Charm, Ruby. However, you have improved a lot.”

“R-Really-? Thanks, Onee-chan!” A bright smile morphs on the little girl’s face, a cute expression that matches the bunny plushie that Dia had given her years ago. She then notices the traveler’s cloak that Dia is already wearing, and quickly runs forward to cling to her.

“Y-You’re l-leaving already?”

Dia so badly wants to return the hug but she could sense house-elves close by. Open display of emotion is considered a sign of weakness and Ruby’s standing within their family already isn’t very good. Not wanting to be reported to him through the house-elves as they are ordered to do, Dia simply pulls away and speaks firmly.

“You should get back to your lesson. I believe your Transfiguration tutor is already outside at the engawa.”

Ruby flinches, her doe-like eyes welling up with tears at the rejection. Dia grits her teeth and desperately hopes for her sister to understand her intention.

“I will return for the Christmas break. I expect you to show even more improvements by then.”

“O-Okay…” Ruby tucks the plushie under her chin and, as if in a burst of defiance, hugs Dia one more time. “I’ll miss you, Onee-chan.”

Not trusting herself to speak, Dia merely nods and stands as still as a pillar even long after Ruby leaves her room. She glances at the big modified broom collecting dust at the corner, recalling the innocent days when she took her little sister for flights around the Estate, when they had more freedom.

Just a few more years. Once she’s a legal adult, surely, she can do something. But what? All the other Kurosawas followed the Patriarch’s wish and became Aurors, Curse-breakers and so on. Those few who rebelled or were considered blemishes in the family name were cast out. She does not want that to happen to her and most of all, not her precious little sister.

Indeed, what lies in her future? Their future? Frankly, she is very afraid.

Smiling humorlessly, she begins to pack her luggage for school. Hogwarts will be a temporary refuge for her. She has five years to become used to the fact that her life is already planned out for her. There is no point in struggling against it.

She will take what Hogwarts has to offer, and return the favor by being an exceptional student that both her family and herself will be proud of.

She shall invest just the right amount of her heart, no more and no less.

==============================

“Thank you very much for coming! Take care!”

She plasters the shiniest smile she could summon onto her face and bids her guests farewell with just right balance between exuberance and poise.

As soon the last of the guests disappears from the fireplace via Floo Powder, she flops onto the carpet like a cat that just lost all its bones.

“Aaaah, I’m so tired! My face hurts from smiling too much!”

Mari Ohara proceeds to close her eyes and begins to nap there and then. Combined with the fragrance of coffee, the lulling quiet cackles from the fireplace and the melodious violin in the background, she’s truly immersed in this heaven of her home. While her family owns many properties around the world, this mansion on the private island is her personal favorite!

When something prods at her arm persistently, she whines and peeks open one eye. “Daaaaad!”

“Now now, those guests are esteemed members of Ilvermorny Scholars. It’s always vital to have connections! You never know when you need favors.”

The Head of the Ohara household strokes his beard with theatrical flair, his crooked grin belying his serious words. If it weren’t for his friendly demeanor, the way he dresses would have a commoner mistaken him for an important governor or even royalty!

The influential businessman chuckles as he continues to nudge at his daughter’s arm with his toe, and laughs harder when she playfully punches his shin. “But dad, they’re all so boring!”

“That they are, that they are. But honey, it’s through such connections I was able to get the best of the best Hippogriffs for you years ago, hmm?”

Mari pouts, unable to refute. Her Starbright is her darling and indeed the most amazing pet ever. The magical creature always seems to know where she wants to go and has always been watchful of her. Between even the world-class broom and her beloved Starbright, of course she prefers flying on her Hippogriff!

“But you’re right, I’m worn out too! Or, what is it that you youngsters say nowadays? I’m pooped?” Her dad also slumps onto the carpet beside her. The two share a cat-like grin before synchronizing in lying spread-eagle. Before they could close their eyes though, a loud cough makes them wince. They warily look up to see Mrs. Ohara looking down at them, her arms folded.

“If only all those guests could see you two right now. Whatever would they think?”

“That we’re super awesome?” Her dad offers.

The stern expression on her mom doesn’t last long as she crouches beside him and flicks his beard. The corner of her lips twitches a bit as if she’s trying hard not to muffle laughter. “Yes, yes, you’re the best.”

“Did you hear that, Mari-chan? Your mom approves!” Laughing, he struggles to sit up and cheerfully kisses his wife, who returns the gesture just as passionately.

“Eeww, no public display of affection please,” Mari covers her eyes but giggles when her parents lean in to peck her cheeks as well.

Her mom even ruffles her hair fondly. “I think you should go get ready, Mari-chan. You’ll be late for the train if you don’t hurry.”

At this, her dad groans loudly. “Oh that’s right, my baby girl’s going to Hogwarts! I can’t believe it’s already time!”

“Dad, I’m fifteen already.”

“Yes, and ready to date, you’re at that age, you can’t deceive me!” He lets out a scandalous scoff. “I can see it already, the moment my beautiful daughter steps foot into that castle, all those stupid, hormonal boys-”

“Dad, I like girls.”

“- girls are going to be all over you so I’m gonna Jinx them before they even-”

Mari rolls her eyes and zones him out, though her smile remains on her face and unlike the case with the guests, this one comes from the bottom of her heart. She came out to her parents not too long ago, but it seems like her dad’s already gotten used to it as if it’s old news. Sure, there may be slip-ups here and there about the gender stereotype, like now, but she could truly feel her dad’s effort in trying to make her like it’s the norm. Her mom is only too happy at the prospect of possibly having two daughters in the future.

Geez! She hasn’t even gone on a date with anyone and her parents are already planning way ahead!

Still, she loves them and she knows that she’ll always be her dad’s perfect little princess. Giggling, she gives her parents a loving hug before skipping towards her room to pack up. She isn’t wholly surprised that her house-elves have already prepared all the necessities while leaving room for her to place extra items.

Grinning mischievously, she stuffs a few more dresses and bags of her favorite coffee beans into her luggage. And, just because she could, she hops from the balcony of her room and is safely caught by her clever Hippogriff.

“That’s really dangerous, dear.” Her dad knows she would pull this stunt and thus is already waiting for her by the foyer. Mrs. Ohara also comes out of the house a moment later to stand beside her husband. Starbright approaches them without needing Mari to give instructions.

“I only do that because I trust Starbright will be there for me. You too, dad~”

He shakes his head as her overly sweet tone. “Gosh, I’m so going to miss you around here, princess. Well then, as promised, we’ll let you get to the station by yourself, on this ol’rascal here. Make sure nothing happens to her, capsice?”

The Hippogriff paws at the ground once, with its neck ramrod straight, to show that it will do its utmost best in escorting its mistress.

“What was the other thing you promised, dad?”

“... no mushy farewells, I know.” After taking a deep breath, Mr. Ohara gazes affectionately at her and smiles. “Enjoy yourself at Hogwarts, stellina, and definitely tell us if anything happens! In bocca al lupo!”

“Crepi! I’ll miss you both.” Mari winks back and, with a nudge to Starbright, the young witch-Hippogriff pair then takes to the sky.

She hums to herself, thinking for the umpteenth time that she’s probably the most fortunate person in the whole world. She has parents who love her, accepting her unconditionally and always providing anything she requests within reason. They spoil her really, and she knows that, and so she always tries to be the daughter they can be proud of. In spite of her complaints, she really does enjoy helping her father increase his influence and obtain more connections with important figures around the world.

Naturally, she’s excited about Hogwarts, but she’s also been to Beaubaxton, Durmstrang and even Ilvermorny a few times while accompanying her parents and they are all amazing schools! Therefore, going to Hogwarts only feels like being on an extended trip, rather than ‘her home for the next five years of her life’.

Indeed, she has everything she’s ever wanted. She’s happy, so what else could she possibly need at Hogwarts?

Mari grins as she urges Starbright to fly faster.

Well, she can always wish for more, can’t she?

stellina - my little star

In bocca al lupo - Italian slang equivalent to english slang of ‘breaking a leg’

Crepi - Italian slang equivalent of ‘gotcha’ responding to the above

[athyrabunlord]

LLSHP 20 - Our Story

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]

Arc3: [Chapter 15] [Chapter 16] [Chapter 17] [Chapter 18] [Chapter 19] [Chapter 20] [Chapter 21 (TBD)]

Interludes: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] (up until ch17!) [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

A/N: Honestly surprised myself that I finished this chapter so quickly, but I suppose I’m just as eager to get to the last climax of this story. As this is the second last chapter and based on everything that’s happened, I’m sure many things happening here are to be expected. Still though, it was difficult even for me as the writer to complete many of the scenes. Feedback as always is greatly appreciated, and I hope you’ll look forward to the last chapter/conclusion! Words: 7,480

“Ruby-chan! Ruby-chan!!”

Yoshiko remains rooted in her place, glancing helplessly between Yohane and the chaos beside her. Each and every one of Hanamaru’s cries stab deeply in her heart, making this appalling sight more and more real. Dia has borrowed Ruby’s wand and is repeatedly casting healing spells, while Hanamaru has upturned the Expandable Pouch for all the available vials of Dittany.

But those wounds just won’t close.

Blood continues to soak through Ruby’s vest, her body limp in Dia’s arms and her chest barely rising and falling. Chika and You’s eyes are wide with horror yet they are unable to even speak due to the Body-Bind Curse. Kanan is huffing ferally, struggling in futile under those shackles, the chains already digging into the wolf’s fur and ripping open the scabs. Mari is trying to get up, breathing laboriously, her face scrunched up in sorrow and fury as she shakily points her wand.

Yohane easily brushes aside those badly-aimed spells, the white wing’s feathers not at all ruffled from the disturbance.

“How far you have fallen… the two of you were once so difficult to subdue, but now?” Yohane smiles softly, a jarring expression that contrasts the powerful wave of magic she sent towards her struggling opponents.

Kanan and Mari are thrown back against the shelves, crashing into and shattering various bottles of potions. Mari slides down from the toppled shelf, her wand rolling away from her limp hand, while Kanan has reverted to her human form, eyes closed and breathing feebly.

Yoshiko is already running towards Yohane before she realizes it, yelling with all the rage churning in her heart. “Crucio!”

With an eyebrow raised elegantly, Yohane shifts her white wing to cover herself. The Unforgivable’s red magic dispurses upon contact, as if it were an elementary spell of no significance.

“Your emotions are delectable, O Lost One, but you do not have enough hatred to use the Cruciatus Curse,” she says calmly like she were discussing the weather. “Would you like me to show you? They were pretty good practice dummies back then.”

“No, stop-” Yoshiko hastily casts Protego at You and Chika’s direction but the sheer magic bursting from the sakura wand pierces right through her Shield Charm.

You and Chika, defenseless, could only clench their eyes shut and unable to even scream from the agony. Yohane is watching them calmly, as if everything is fine and peaceful, that no one is being tortured and bleeding to death because of her.

There’s so much anger in Yoshiko’s heart that it’s actually making her nauseous. She roars again, allowing this tremendous feeling to consume her and dig deep inside her mind. Black tendrils materialize from her arm and spear towards that despicable girl.

Yohane finally moves from her spot, frowning as she steps aside and lifts the Curse.

Yoshiko stands in front of You and Chika protectively, her body slightly hunched over as she lets out ragged gasps. With her arm still covered in black mist and stretched warningly towards Yohane, she dares to glance at the unmoving duo. Though their faces are pale and damp with sweat and their eyes are closed, they are at least breathing albeit weakly. Perhaps sheer exhaustion or those horrible past memories triggered by the shock had caused them to faint.

“Nngh...R-Ruby-chan…”

Hanamaru’s choked sobs echo in the now silent Apothecary. There are many empty vials cluttered around her and Dia is gingerly cradling Ruby while whispering comforting words. Yoshiko couldn’t tell if the wounds have been successfully closed or not, for her signature pink vest has turned into a sickening shade of maroon. Yoshiko could feel tears stinging her own eyes when she looks away from Ruby and meets Hanamaru’s gaze, which is filled with despair. Whimpering, the brunette bites her lower lip and shakes her head.

Ruby… she’s… no… no no no...

“W-Why her…I thought, it was me that you people wanted…” Dia says monotonously, her hands slick with her little sister’s blood.

“You were indeed, Kurosawa heiress. We thought you the most powerful Pureblood of your family, that you still have the potential to become even stronger. Yet, from what I saw in Lily’s mind-” Yohane pauses and smiles when Dia glares at her with bloodshot eyes. “Your Patronus and Animagus form don’t exactly match my image of a powerful Pureblood. Naturally, I got curious and concerned. All this effort, with the Fallen’s limited resources, what if we did get to you and you are the wrong one? And so I looked and pondered.”

Yohane gestures at Yoshiko, who recoils at the realization. “Ah yes, it is through you and our connection that I begin to understand the so-called failure more. That meek little Ruby Kurosawa, her Patronus is truly beautiful, that I concede. I want to make sure though, so I must get to the Kurosawa sisters, to get to all of you with one single swoop. How can I accomplish that?”

She tilts her head and says a matter-of-factly. “Well, here we are.”

Yoshiko clenches her fists, thinking back on all the events that led to this moment. The forcibly blocked-off connection back at the alleyway and the return of the vision, and her telling everyone about the assault on the Estate. It was an elaborate plan all along, with Yohane as the master puppetress stringing them onto the stage that she had designed. Luring them all here, setting up ambushes here and there to diminish the strength of their stronger members, and allowing Dia to run free so they would have to search around for her while Yohane most likely observed them.

Appraised them like livestock for slaughter.

“She has my respect. Truly unexpected, but I suppose her experiences molded her magic and soul. Her desire to protect her friends and save her dear sister makes her so much stronger,” Yohane taps the sakura wand thoughtfully, her smile dropping a little. “I know the Counter-Curse to sectumsempra of course. I could heal her… but I won’t. You’ve cost too many of my cohorts. I need compensation.”

Yoshiko laughs harshly, the rage burning and causing the black mist to condense around her arm again. “Compensation?! You dare to talk about compensation!? Why… why are you like this? Just what the fuck have you accomplished?” She gestures tearfully at her friends. “Are you happy now? Huh?! Causing all this misery, does that make you happy?!”

Yohane blinks in puzzlement, like she truly is incapable of understanding Yoshiko’s sentiment. “Of course I am happy. Do you not see, my sad other half? Can you not see the complete state of my magic, my soul?”

She spreads her wings wide, and Yoshiko could see the left wing slowly yet steadily turning from black to white as well. The atmosphere feels even heavier now that more magic has gathered and saturated in the air. Distressed, Lucifer curls up in Yoshiko’s hood, shivering.

“Truly, I am grateful to you all. See,” Yohane summons the wand from an unconscious member of Fallen nearby, casting a bright Lumos with no trouble. “I can now use any wand… perhaps, I can even obtain my own wand like the rest of you regular witches.”

“What-?” Yoshiko’s hand tightens on her own wand, reassured by the flow of magic between them.

“Because of you, silly girl. You caused so many irregularities in my core that I was unable to bond with any wand… until Lily’s.” Yohane taps the sakura wand against her palm, her thumb gently brushing over the wood. “Perhaps it’s due to Lily’s past interaction with the quill or her connection to you. Either way, this wand accepted my magic, and the rest is history.”

At Yoshiko’s silence, Yohane lowers her voice to a dangerous lilt. “I see the confusion in your eyes. It’s not something you can ever relate to, being able to use a wand like it is the most natural thing in the world. You and the rest of the wizards and witches.” Her condescending gaze then shifts over to Hanamaru, who flinches.

“I gave you a little taste of such… inconvenience. How did it feel, having magic so close without access to it? I was forced to learn to control the only thing I have at my disposal - my soul, my incomplete soul. But ah,” Yohane gives her a fanged grin. “It is much more powerful than I could’ve imagined. We Fallen, through countless research, learn more about my feathers - it can bypass Anti-Apparition Jinx, it can cause disruption in a witch or wizard’s flow of magic and thus rendering them vulnerable.”

She holds up the flask that contains the now black potion. “And now, I can grant magic to those who seek it - Squibs, Muggles, or even sentient creatures like the Acromantulas! Everyone will finally be equal, will they not?”

“You are mad…” Dia hugs Ruby close, sparks of magic cackling at the tip of the latter’s wand.

“Am I? Is it not unfair, that certain people enjoy the convenience and power of magic, while others suffer from the lack of it?”

“If you are strictly referring to that, then I have also thought of the same thing. But, never, ever, at the cost of innocent people’s lives,” Dia’s voice hitches and wavers. “R-Ruby, Riko, and all t-those people… what had they done to deserve this?!”

Yohane’s expression is the closest to remorse that Yoshiko has seen on her. “Unfortunate casualty to balance out everything. My people have suffered as well - those who had given their lives today shall be commemorated for the bright future that is to come.”

“Bright… future…?” Yoshiko glances at Ruby’s motionless body and snarls. “There’s no future! You think you can get away with all of this?! I won’t let you…”

“Just how do you plan to stop me, when I have already gotten what I wanted, hmm?” Yohane shifts her wings and tucks the potion in her pocket. “The rest of the world, the silly Ministry, they shall all see and understand the greatness of what I have accomplished. Even the so-called renowned Order of Merlin, 1st Class, is not enough to honor me. I am too worthy-”

“You are not.”

Hanamaru slowly stands up, her eyes downcast and still full of pain, yet there is something decidedly serene about her demeanor. “You don’t understand anything at all.”

“Oh? Care to elaborate?” Yohane narrows her eyes to slits, her tone lowered to a menacing octave.

“You think you’ve done an amazing thing, but you don’t understand even the simplest of emotions,” Hanamaru clutches her hand in front of her heart as tears trickle down her cheeks. “Can you even relate to our anguish? Can you even feel this loss? You call yourself complete, but how can you be complete when you don’t even understand the importance of such bonds?!”

Yohane’s cool expression shifts to one of anger. “You silly mortal. You’re the one who understands nothing. Your truly are unworthy to be by my side! Very well, I will show you…”

Grimacing, Yoshiko hastily moves to stand in front of Hanamaru and concentrates on the veil of black tendrils wrapped around her outstretched arm. Yohane scoffs at her action and merely holds up the sakura wand with a confident smile.

“Expecto Patronum!”

Yoshiko and Hanamaru cringe at that, staring with wide eyes at the beam of silver light summoned by Yohane’s spell. The Patronus begins to take a corporeal form, shaping into a pair of great wings that encompass the caster.

Yohane’s eyes flash with glee as she laughs joyously. “At last! I can cast the Patronus Charm! See, this is the proof of my worthiness, I am the great fallen angel Yohane-”

The silver light abruptly vanishes, leaving behind evanescent sparks like falling snowflakes. Yohane staggers a few steps, gasping and grasping frantically at her cloak when the whiteness in her left wing begins to recede.

“What’s-? Why… the potion-!” She desperately takes a few gulps, yet that does nothing to halt the darkening of her wings. The blackness has now spread even to her white right wing, like the unrelenting way that ink would spread across a piece of parchment.

“No… No!! W-What’s happening?!”

Perhaps it’s due to their proximity or Yohane’s inadvertently lowered defense, but Yoshiko could feel the former’s panic seeping into her cognizance. She hastily summons her own Patronus, sighing in relief when the silver coelacanth materializes easily at her call.

“Your dazzling Patronus. It comes from the caster’s heart and soul. It’s something that cannot be faked or created from nothingness. This alone proves your worthiness.”

She could almost hear the Selkie Chieftainess’ reassuring words and, judging from the spike of fury she felt, Yohane must have heard those words from her memory too.

“I am unworthy? But you’re the Horcrux! How is this possible?!” Yohane cradles the sakura wand against her chest, wheezing and panting. “This potion should have been perfect! This is supposed to be my crowning moment of glory!! No, it must be you, your existence, it’s making everything wrong, if I could just reclaim you-”

Due to their connection, Yoshiko understands that Yohane is trying to call upon the Dementor horde that probably still lingers around the area. Dia is in no state to cast a Patronus Charm, and Yoshiko herself could feel her control on the silver coelacanth slipping due to Yohane’s disbelief and anger cluttering with her own thoughts. Grimacing, Yoshiko musters her strength to send those black tendrils at Yohane to stop her.

Snarling in frustration, Yohane slaps aside the spears with her wings, though the impact causes both girls to recoil as if something has pierced through their hearts. Yoshiko sinks down on her knees, shuddering from that clash of their soul.

“Hana...maru… aim your Patronus at her wings… now!” She manages to squeeze out those words, her eyes trained on Yohane’s slouched-over form.

Though bewildered, Hanamaru’s expression is full of trust as she directs her Augurey Patronus towards the fallen girl. Yohane cringes with surprise, instinctively shielding herself with her wings, but the silver bird easily tears through the feathers as it soars past her.

Yohane cries out in pain, hugging herself tight and curling up on the ground. The shredded wings droop uselessly against her shoulders, those disintegrated feathers not reforming and the remaining ones losing the whiteness even faster.

Unlike the stabbing pain of the Cruciatus Curse, the agony in Yoshiko’s chest feels like molten lava that mercilessly spreads throughout her body. Her vision flickers out of focus and it takes a few moments for her to realize that she is slumped on the ground, coughing blood.

“Yoshiko-chan!” Hanamaru has dispelled her Patronus and is leaning over her, holding her hands and whimpering. Lucifer is also flapping its wings helplessly near her head, nudging and licking at her sweaty cheek.

Yoshiko couldn’t feel any of their warmth. That sensation of something vanishing is even worse now.

“Are you crazy!?” Yohane is trying to get up but her trembling arms are barely supporting her weight. “You want to... destroy yourself too!?”

Yoshiko knows there is blood trickling down her chin but she couldn’t even taste that coppery tang. She leans feebly against Hanamaru, finding her resolution growing at her loved one’s worried voice.

Almost there. She can end this.

Unable to wield her wand properly, Yoshiko tries to recall the feeling of summoning the Patronus all those years ago back in the background. The desire to protect Hanamaru, the desperation to prove her worth, the belief that she is truly someone special.

The silver coelacanth swims majestically through the air, bringing a small smile to Yoshiko’s face in spite of the severity of the situation. This symbol of hope, so beautiful and brilliant and free! At her slight nod, the sentient Charm then dives towards Yohane with the power of purpose.

Shaking, Yohane could only reform the wings into a condensed shield in a last ditch attempt to stop the Patronus. The black mist evaporates as soon as the coelacanth propels through it, but the silver fish also fades before it could reach her.

As soon as Yohane collapses, Yoshiko also drops her wand and retches blood again. Before her quivering hand could reclaim the wand, a pale hand firmly grips her wrist.

Dia’s cheeks are stained with dried tears but there’s a fierceness in her gaze that demands obedience. “Whatever you are doing, stop it. I want her to pay for everything she did but not through you, not at the cost of your life, Yoshiko-san.”

Hanamaru appears to have put two and two together as well and uses her sleeve to gently wipe away the blood staining Yoshiko’s chin. “It’s enough… it’s too much… no more… stop… don’t...”

Though feeling rather detached to her body in spite of the pain, Yoshiko is able to sit up with Hanamaru and Dia’s help. She glances at Lucifer, who is nestled against Ruby’s hand and crooning miserably, and then at the two girls supporting her upright.

Despite her blurring vision, she is able to meet Yohane’s furious eyes. “Just one more... hit, I’m sure... I can…”

I can end Yohane and atone for our sins.

Coughing weakly, Yohane claws at the wall behind her to try to get up. “If you want to die so badly, I’ll help you with that! The inferno of hell shall be the perfect mausoleum for the great fallen angel!”

A bitter and manic grin lights up on her dark expression as she holds up the sakura wand. “Let’s perish together then, my sad clone!”

Pouring forth from the tip of the wand is a terrible stream of fire, which roars like a sentient beast as it consumes everything around it. The shelves instantly crumble into soot and become part of this uncontrollable rampage.

Fiendfyre. The vague knowledge of the Curse trickles into Yoshiko’s mind as Dia shakily points Ruby’s wand and croaks out. “Partis Temporus!”

Even as Dia’s Charm causes it to part ways, the furious flame continues to spread around the Apothecary, hungry to incinerate and destroy, barely halting. The fire swerves around the spell, ready to converge and feast upon them and their vulnerable friends.

Yohane’s broken laughter reverberates within Yoshiko’s mind, the sheer despair almost making her just surrender and allow the hell fire to burn everything away. However, in spite of being unable to relish in Hanamaru’s warmth, she sees and vaguely feels her cold tears falling upon her skin.

Similar to how Yohane did it earlier, Yoshiko summons the black tendrils to form a condensed shield of blackness to block the fiendfyre just as it is about to reach them.

From her peripheral vision, she notices the sakura wand fracturing, followed by magic scalding her nerves, and everything whitens out.

==========================

Yoshiko blinks.

The atmosphere feels familiar and comforting, and she soon realizes that she is back at the Hogwarts Castle. This is the lavatory that masquerades as the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, the place where so many things had happened. The beginning of an end.

Perplexed, she approaches one of the mirrors and sees her reflection staring back at her. She’s not covered in dirt and blood, and her school uniform is immaculate and complete with the Slytherin scarf wrapped cozily around her. She doesn’t hurt anywhere, and she feels better than she’s felt for a long time.

She hesitantly pinches herself, startled by the pain.

This isn’t a dream. But what happened? Wasn’t she at the Apothecary on the Kurosawa Estate?

“Yocchan.”

Her heart thuds rapidly in her chest, the pang growing as she turns around to find a familiar girl smiling softly at her.

“L-Lily…?”

She wobbles towards Riko, unable to believe the wonderful sight before her. She raises her hand, not daring to touch the Ravenclaw in case this is all just an illusion. The last time she saw Riko, she was so frail on the hospital bed, those amber eyes so lifeless, unaware of the events around her, still confined to the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s-

“Is it… really you, Lily?”

Riko smiles sadly and gently holds her hand. It feels warm, yet there’s also something off about it. “Yes and no.”

“Eh-?”

“I am a construct of your conscience and the remnants of Riko Sakurauchi’s magic,” the burgundy-haired girl slowly lets go and allows Yoshiko’s hand to drop to her side. “Magic is full of possibilities and, while the Curse had destroyed Riko’s wand, its previous owner’s feelings remained strong and answered your call before the magic fades. I am here because of the lingering regret in your heart.”

“Regret…?” Yoshiko chuckles humorlessly, unable to tear her gaze away from the older girl before her. Real or not, it makes her so happy to see Riko healthy and well. It’s been so long since she heard her voice. Come to think of it, this lavatory was the last place where they had a heart to heart conversation, wasn’t it?

“Yes, regret,” the Riko replica says quietly, her expression just as kind as the original’s. “You wish to speak to Riko, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. Ever since that day. I want to say how sorry I am. I want to say how much I appreciate her being there for me. No, not only those. There are so, so damn much I want to talk about with Lily, and Dia-san too,” Yoshiko’s voice cracks and she has to swallow down her sobs. “H-Hanamaru, Ruby, everyone! I want to speak with them more. I want to keep spending time with them. I-I don’t want to leave…”

As always, a mere duplicate or not, this Riko patiently waits for her to gather her composure.

“I want all of us to be together even longer, all nine of us. But, that’s not possible, not anymore.” Yoshiko breathes deeply and clasps her hands together, smiling wryly at the realistic sensation she could feel even though she knows it will not last. “Because... I’m dying.”

There, it is out in the open. Saying it aloud doesn’t feel as terrible as she had expected. This sense of finality is calming even, and having this Riko as the witness somehow gives her more courage. She’s been vaguely aware of this fact since she intercepted that Killing Curse, and everything Yohane did with the potion as well as that clash of Patronus and the wings only sped up the progress.

“I can cry and whine about it, but that’s not gonna change the fact that I’m… disappearing. I’m just a Horcrux, yet I was able to experience a pretty awesome life as a human, finding people who cares about me, loves me,” Yoshiko places her hand against her heart, lowering her gaze at the reassuring sensation of heartbeats. “And I love them too.”

The burgundy-haired girl tilts her head morosely. “Riko cares about you. She is still in shock, still recovering from what she had suffered in the Chamber of Secrets, but deep down, she knows the truth. At least, the truth that you, Yoshiko Tsushima, are not the one who hurt her. Given time, she will accept the truth. Believe me, I’m a corporeal form of her magic after all.”

“That’s relieving to hear,” Yoshiko wipes at her eyes and grins. “Well then, I have no more unfinished business. Thank you for speaking with me. I needed that… I needed that one last push.”

She steps forward and embraces the taller girl, smiling when she feels familiar magic enveloping her even as the replica fades away. The scenery around her begins to dissolve as well, along with the wholesome sensation of being a regular student.

Closing her eyes, she pours her emotions along with the flow of magic.

“I hope you will recover soon. Thank you for everything, and goodbye... sister.”

===============================

“Hanamaru…”

Yoshiko blearily opens her eyes, not surprised to find herself back at the Apothecary. The pungent odor of smoke almost throws her into a coughing fit, but she feels too weak to even exhale properly. Hanamaru and Dia are still seated around her, and a quick glance tells her that the others are nearby as well. Though unconscious, Kanan and Mari, You and Chika, the four of them have been Levitated and placed close together and far from the licking flames of the fiendfyre.

Indeed, walls of the nightmarish fire trap them in this little space. Everything else appears to be ablaze and there is no way out as far as she could see. Perhaps the shield she had created earlier was the only reason why they have yet to be consumed by this magical inferno. At the time being, the flames have skirted around this area, similar to how a river current could be diverted by a formidable rock in its path.

Once certain of everyone’s whereabouts, she finally forces herself to gaze at Ruby, who is still lying behind Dia. Lucifer is curled up against the motionless girl’s hand, as if its tiny body could help preserve warmth.

“...Ruby, how is she-?”

“S-She’s not breathing…” Hanamaru chokes out, and Dia clenches her eyes shut. “S-She’s already...”

“Could you… bring me c-closer?”

Hanamaru and Dia share an uncertain glance but do as requested. Grunting, Yoshiko reaches for Ruby’s wrist, unable to feel any pulse but unable to feel the coldness either. She couldn’t feel anything, not anymore.

“... Ruby, no amount of apologies would be enough… but maybe, if I could only…” Yoshiko grits her teeth and concentrates. Black mist slowly forms around her arm though, with it, comes a dizzying sensation.

“Yoshiko-san-?”

“If these tendrils can maim… it might be able to heal too. It’s the magic of my soul, so if I could only make it…” She ignores Dia’s worried gaze and tries to guide the mist over to the vicious wounds all over Ruby’s body. However, unlike the gentle glow of healing magic, the black mist is fluctuating, as if struggling to break free of the veil form she is keeping it.

“L-Let me help…” Hanamaru reaches for Yoshiko’s hand before the latter could stop her. Instead of hurting her, the black mist recedes a little to give space so that her hand covers Yoshiko’s larger one. Though unable to feel another’s person’s warmth, she could faintly feel the trickle of magic mingling with hers.

Before their wide eyes, the black mist stabilizes and descends upon Ruby, shifting into a soft glow. The maroon of the drenched vest lightens a little and the wounds begin to mend.

“W-what?” Dia doesn’t dare to blink, carefully touching her sister’s cheek and gasping when Ruby lets out a weak breath.

“Maybe… it’s because Yohane knows how to heal her so I somehow know too… or maybe, it’s because Hanamaru’s been connected to us since so long ago…” Yoshiko wheezes, her vision flickering precariously again. What she just did has drained her what little of energy she has left. She would’ve fallen backwards if Hanamaru hadn’t been holding her.

“Ruby…” Dia hugs her sister close, her voice strangled with emotions. “She… she will fine?”

“At least she won’t bleed to death,” Yoshiko gives her a weak grin and struggles to reach for her pocket. “Now, Dia-san, please get everyone out of here.”

“Yoshiko-chan-?” Hanamaru blinks as Yoshiko pushes a black feather in her palm and then drops another in Dia’s hand.

“You heard what Yohane said earlier. These feathers, they should help you Apparate,” Yoshiko pauses and allows herself a moment to sweep her gaze over her friends one last time. She tries to etch their images into her mind, hoping that would help her remember them forever, though she finds such logic ridiculous since she’s the one who would not remain.

“Yoshiko-san, just what are you-?”

“Lily is waiting for you.” She caresses Lucifer’s head before depositing the protesting bat in the older girl’s lap. “I’m counting on you, my greatest little demon, be good to Dia-san okay? Watch over them.”

“I don’t like this… why are you saying all these things,” Hanamaru wraps her arms around Yoshiko’s, refusing to budge even as the latter weakly attempts to tug free. “Let’s all go back to Hogwarts… let’s all go home zura.”

“It’d upset me if I hear anything were to happen to you. I want you to take care of yourself too, Yoshiko-chan.” She could almost hear Grandma Kunikida’s kind words, so she guiltily apologizes to the elder in her mind.

She glances at Ruby, comforted by the feeble but steady rise and fall of her chest, and recalls her worried voice from their conversation by the Black Lake. “Yoshiko-chan, d-don’t leave us, okay?”

“That’s a promise I can no longer keep, my friend.”  She sadly looks away and stares at the roaring flames. “Hanamaru, I’m… just returning to the sky for a bit…. I’ll be back…”

“Yoshiko-chan-?”

She cups Hanamaru’s cheek and kisses her deeply, pouring all the feelings she had in this one intimate gesture. Though stunned at first, the petite girl soon melts against her and returns the kiss just as tenderly.

Yoshiko smiles. She couldn’t feel anything, but she could sense the girl’s love and that is more than enough for her. Though reluctant, she pulls away and whispers against Hanamaru’s ear.

“Please don’t forget me…”

Mustering all the remaining strength she had, she shoves Hanamaru away and abruptly stands up. With one arm around Ruby and the other steadying the startled Hanamaru, Dia is unable to move from her spot and could only watch as Yoshiko gives her one last pleading look.

Before any of them could react, Yoshiko quickly summons the black mist to cover herself and walks into the fiendfyre. The magical flames is tickling at her skin, threatening to consume her, and she finds it utterly ironic how she was able to feel the heat from this Curse and nothing else. She glances back, noticing Hanamaru’s silhouette and flashes of magic. She must be trying to get through this destructive fire, to get to her.

“... promised!” The girl’s heartrending cry is nearly muffled by the cackling inferno. “You promised … when you return to the sky, you would take me with you! Yoshiko-chan!”

Yoshiko turns away and resumes walking. Even though she knows Hanamaru couldn’t hear her, she still finds herself murmuring at the fire.

“I’ll always love you.”

=================================

After what feels like an eternity, Yoshiko finally reaches a similar area within the fiendfyre where the flames have left untouched. Yohane is hugging her legs, in fetal position, the vestiges of her torn black wings draped over her shoulders and are steadily crumbling to dust.

She doesn’t move even as Yoshiko sits down beside her.

“What? Do you pity me?”

“I suppose.”

Yohane laughs shakily, tearfully. “... you knew we are dying.”

Yoshiko nods. “I wasn’t fully sure… but yes, I knew. I just didn’t want to believe it.”

“Then why are you here? Didn’t tell your friends, did you? Wouldn’t you rather die with them around you?” Yohane shifts and turns to face her. If it had been any other circumstances, Yoshiko would have felt sympathy at the sight of such raw helplessness on her mirror image’s expression.

Alas, as it is, she feels nothing. “I don’t want them to see me… go, not like this.” She looks down at her hands, unsurprised that her fingertips are becoming translucent. Her feet are already disintegrating into black mist, into an intangible form. This certainly doesn’t feel like her body anymore. “Besides, in the end… you’re me. I want you to know that you’re not alone.”

Yohane recoils. “Even after everything I have done?”

Scowling, Yoshiko grabs Yohane by the scruff of her cloak and yanks her close so that she’s glaring into those wide eyes. “I will never forgive you. If only I could make you pay, if only I could make you apologize… except, you couldn’t, could you?”

Yohane blinks, still startled and bewildered. Sighing, Yoshiko loosens her grip and shakes her head. “You’re incapable of remorse, just as you’re incapable of many other emotions.”

“... you’re right, I don’t.” Despite the bite of her words, Yohane’s visage flickers with what appears to be lament before the characteristic aloofness returns. “So what. Instead of staying with your beloved friends, you’ve come to me, so we can happily die together, is that it?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Like you said a while back, it’d be too sad if I remain ignorant before I go,” Yoshiko interlaces her fingers together, smiling wistfully. “I want to know. I want to understand why you are this way. Tell me… tell me your story.”

Yohane scoffs half-heartedly as she looks over at Yoshiko’s condition. “There’s not much to tell, but I suppose I could share it. It’s your story as much as it is mine and, well, we got nothing else to do to pass this time anyway, waiting for the inevitable death.”

After a moment’s deliberation, Yohane takes out a familiar quill and places it in Yoshiko’s palm. The object falls through the latter’s translucent hand, landing softly in her lap. The former flinches while the latter doesn’t react.

“Er… yeah, this was you. The quill. It’s made from an Augurey actually, quite unlike any other quills.”

“So I was right,” Yoshiko’s lips quirk with slight humor. “I sensed the connection. It’s a given though, since I … used to be this thing.”

“Right. Well then, where should I even start?” Yohane closes her eyes briefly before opening them again. Her husky voice now has a distant quality to it as she taps her fingers against her knee. “Ah, the playground. I assume you don’t know what happened after Mother saved us?”

Yoshiko could only remember being hugged by Father while Mother was speaking to the Ministry officials that arrived. As if sensing her thoughts, Yohane nods curtly. “They screwed up, y’know? The Dementors were chasing an escaped convict from Nurmengard - that’s a wizarding prison - because the transfer to Azkaban didn’t happen smoothly. During the chase, the Dementors took a detour because they sensed two delectable children with developing magic. Yup, Hanamaru and I.”

Yoshiko carefully watches Yohane’s expression, which appears to be forcibly stoic at the mention of the brunette.

“Father and Mother took me home while the Ministry dealt with the aftermath for Hanamaru. I don’t know. I never saw her again until that day at King’s Cross Station,” she trails off, frowning, and her voice becomes flat again as she touches her chest. “That incident caused my magic to become unstable. Something was desperately trying to break free, and it wasn’t my Patronus or anything.”

Yoshiko exhales tiredly. “... Me?”

“Probably. I know I call you a Horcrux because that’s the only terminology closest to describing you, but who knows what you really are?” Yohane shrugs. “Father was a Muggle descendant of a Squib from a notable Pureblood family, and he’s kept in contact with a distant relative ever since I was born. That relative, an old man who’s also a Squib, have always been helpful in terms of knowledge from the magical world. Mother was a Half-blood who grew up in the Muggle world, so she didn’t know what was happening to me either.”

Even though everything is in the past tense and despite knowing what was coming, Yoshiko is rather pleased at learning about her parents, no matter how trivial the information seems. Yohane snorts at that but she continues speaking.

“So, Father called for the old man to see if he knows what can be done… alas, he wasn’t able to make it to our place in time. Like I said back then, there was a burst of accidental magic and you killed Father. My soul split off, and you were able to latch onto the family quill as some sort of Horcrux.”

In spite of already hearing it once before, Yoshiko still winces and lowers her head. Unlike last time, Yohane’s tone isn’t accusing as she adds. “I believe our magic was very unstable then, and that’s why when Mother tried to help me, save me, she remained too close to the quill and her life force was drained so rapidly.”

Yohane’s composure crumbles a little, displaying a rare moment of pain and sadness.

“That old man discovered me in the ruins of the apartment and quickly took me away under his protection before the Muggle authorities arrived. We went far away, as he didn’t want the Ministry to discover me and possibly take me away for experimentation. We lost our faith in the Ministry since that botched transfer, see? And that’s why neither of us knew of your existence, that an orphan was found at the ruins and identified as Yoshiko Tsushima, an orphan who lived like a Muggle for ten years before receiving Hogwarts’ letter.”

Yoshiko furrows her brows. “I think you’ve seen it in my mind. I… did live like a Muggle, but it was definitely not normal. You have no idea how happy I was, when I found out I was a witch.”

Yohane laughs callously. “It is still better than mine. I grew up with only that old man to rely on. He taught me everything about magic, despite being unable to use it himself. He… was the leader of Fallen. The Fallen’s been around for centuries but it’s only due to my presence that they had such breakthroughs. His distant ancestor was a Squib from the Kurosawa family actually, hence my cohorts’ obsession with this particular Pureblood family.”

Yoshiko isn’t surprised to learn that she’s very, very distantly related to Dia and Ruby. All the Pureblood families are related in one way or another through intermarriage after all, and some Muggleborns do have Pureblood ancestry. Still, hearing such connection gives her a sense of peace.

Yohane chuckles dryly. “She’ll live, that Ruby Kurosawa. Kudos to you on that bastardized healing spell. I’ll have you know that I didn’t aim at any vital spots, otherwise she would have died for certain.”

“Why?”

“Why indeed. I could have killed Lily. I could have killed Ruby. But, like I said, maybe your silly mortal emotions did influence me to an extent,” Yohane sneers, though her voice is subdued and no longer has that vicious edge. “Anyway, within the Fallen, there are many other Squibs and magical relatives tormented by discrimination. Yes, even more Squibs distantly related to the Kurosawas, those who were burned off the family tree. That man who used a suicide bomb, he was actually the brother of that wizard who I had the Dementor Kissed.”

Yoshiko cringes at recalling those aforementioned men. “But all the members of Fallen we had encountered, they all used magic so well-?”

“They were temporarily granted the ability to use magic through the many versions of incomplete potions we have developed. Why do you think it was so difficult for us to capture a Pureblood? The old man passed away three years ago and so, under my leadership, I pushed forward our agenda by risking casualties and exposure. I’m not conservative like him, and I was fucking sick of being idle and hiding, like I’m some sort of abomination.” Yohane takes out the nearly empty flask of the potion that had briefly granted her a white wing. “I still believe this potion is truly complete. It should work on the Squibs, Muggles and other potential candidates, just not me. I suppose, nothing can ever fill the void of my missing soul.”

She raises the flask as if she is about to hurl it into the flames, but she lowers it tiredly a moment later. “There, satisfied now? That’s my pathetic little story, you silly girl.”

Yoshiko gazes contemplatively at the ground for a while, with only the cackling flame and Yohane’s ragged breathing as background noise. She morbidly tries to prickle her finger at a piece of sharp rock but her now transparent finger just goes right through the object.

“Your story doesn’t excuse you for what you’ve done.”

“Of course it doesn’t, and I don’t intend it to anyway, I only-”

“But I still can’t help but sympathize with you.”

“Ha?” Yohane’s visage is full of incredulity. “Did your brain disappear too?”

Yoshiko rolls her eyes. In so many aspects, it’s ludicrous how they’re bantering like this in the middle of this deadly inferno while steadily vanishing into oblivion. Yet, it also feels right, like some sort of closure that the two pieces of the same soul owe to themselves. Perhaps it is exactly because they’re dying that they’re able to reach such moment of truce.

“Had I gone down the wrong path, I might have ended up like you. There were some pretty dark moments while growing up. All those talk about conquering the world and acquiring little demons, there were times when I genuinely wished it, maliciously too. It was brief and quickly forgotten, but it was there,” Yoshiko pauses and watches as the quill falls through her lap onto the ground, the black mist now spreading up her legs and have reached her waist. She could barely see the shape of her feet anymore.

Yohane is watching her, her expression a mixture of fear and morbid fascination at her condition. In comparison, the only sign of her declining health is that bead of cold sweat trickling down her deathly pale cheek.

“I just want to say… you weren’t always evil, Yohane. We… you… you saved Hanamaru back then. You did it because you wanted to save her, right?”

Yohane sighs and rubs her temple. “... yeah. She was my first friend. I remember what happened, but I don’t remember my reasoning behind it… or my emotions back then.”

“I think, when our souls split, it just so happens that I’m the part that retained the feeling, deep in my subconscious,” Yoshiko finds herself smiling, though it isn’t a happy smile. “You hold the memories of that event, but not the emotions associated with it. You were only left with the negative feelings, while I was capable of learning more. I still had hope.”

“Hope, huh?” Yohane returns her smile, and it appears just as forlorn. “That’s certainly a foreign feeling… but it sounds pleasant, Yoshiko.”

“Yeah, hope, along with many other emotions, allowed me to summon the Patronus that you originally did to save Hanamaru.” With a strained grunt, she reaches for Yohane and drapes her arm around the latter’s shoulder in an awkward hug.

“What the hell?” Yohane freezes but doesn’t push away, especially when she notices how Yoshiko is barely hanging on with her semi-transparent arms. “You-”

“Just shut up and listen to me… no, rather, go ahead and look into my mind,” Yoshiko grits her teeth and tries to gather her thoughts. Everything seems to be slipping away, like it never existed in the first place.

Kanan’s playful grin as she chases her around the Room of Requirement

That twinkle in Mari’s eyes as she teases her about her feelings at the courtyard.

Chika’s sunny laughter as she persistently shoves mikans towards her mouth at the library.

The protective gleam in You’s blue eyes as she ruffles her hair in the Aviary.

Dia’s understanding smile as she attentively listens to her in the Slytherin Dorm.

The softness of Riko’s voice as she speaks to the Thestrals with her at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Ruby gently holding her hand and telling her that she is family.

The sheer love in Hanamaru’s kiss earlier before they parted ways.

“Everything I’ve experienced, the good and the bad, all the fun times at Hogwarts, all those precious moments of my life as Yoshiko Tsushima, I want you to feel those too. This is my story… I want to share it, at least, before I… before we…”

Yohane closes her eyes, allowing Yoshiko to lean against her as she stiffly returns the hug. “It’s warm.”

“It is.”

“It’s… nice…” Yohane whispers despondently, her breaths light and wispy. “Heh, you are a good girl, Yoshiko. Being a mortal isn’t all bad. This way, dying isn’t so bad.”

Yoshiko smiles at the acknowledgement, unable to think anymore. The fiendfyre continues to blaze around them while the black mist of her body leaks away into nothingness. She may be disappearing, but she’s surrounded by all these wonderful memories and feelings.

Indeed, this isn’t so bad.

[athyrabunlord]

Yohane’s concept art for [LLSHP AU]

[athyrabunlord]

About LLSHP AU (Afterword)

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] [Pixiv Link] [Translated to Chinese by plin2290]

I’m just so pleased and happy to have made it! I have so many existing incomplete stories that it’s astounding for me to actually complete a multi-chapter story. Once again, I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU!! to my readers for staying with me to the end, providing me feedback and expressing interest, motivating and inspiring me enough to reach this point.

The following is really just about my rambling, about my thoughts, about the planning process and my decisions, so do keep reading if you’re interested in the makings of this story. I just feel like sharing (aka: blah blah blah) since, again, I actually friggin completed a story omg (´；Д；｀)  

===================

First of all, let’s go way back to near the end of October 2016, not long after LLS Season 1 ended. Yes this is so long ago lmao. After drawing several canon-related fanarts and writing short blips to satiate my thirst, I decided to create a complete whole AU so I can fantasize more XD I ended up picking the Harry Potter verse because, come on, it’s always fun trying to Sort your favorite characters and think about their abilities and whatnot.

Ideas started to whirl and initial sketches began. There’s an old post explaining why I Sort the girls into their respective Houses. That’s also when extra details were pondered over, the why and the pros in doing so. You should know by this point that I’m a complete useless 3rd Years trash, but as I brainstorm more, I realize that their story is more suitable to be a prequel, something that supplements a main story. And so, what should the main story be about? What kind of story do I want to present? Who would be the perfect main character/narrator for this?

Yoshiko. In canon, she’s already associated with (black) magic and, as a First-Year and Muggleborn, she would be perfect for a reader to immerse into this fascinating new world of magic through her perspective. As an old post says, I fudged up the School Term and age during the initial stage and didn’t realize until everything’s all finalized, that’s why I had to keep it as it is XD;;;;

Anyway, at this point, I’ve already decided Yoshiko to be a Horcrux, with the antagonist of this story to be Yohane, and how the last few chapters are going to play out.  Everything else, even the other characters’ backgrounds are all further elaborated and refined based off of this central plot. On a side note, how sexy is Aikyan’s solo in the 3rd Live, I mean, the white and black wing I could only think about Yoshiko/Yohane DX

Ahem, I’ve always found Yoshiko’s character fascinating, that there’s a Yohane side of her even though, really, she’s Yoshiko (a good girl). The Chamber of Secrets and the Half-Blood Prince are the main source of inspiration for this particular idea, but of course HP fans might notice many elements from the original story used or modified in my story. I’m also a strong believer that the Patronus Charm can do more than just warding off Dementors or Lethifolds (and Obscurus), hence its significance in this story, especially later chapters.

Therefore, each girl’s Patronus was tentatively decided at this early stage, with 1 or 2 possibilities. After this, I then thought of what ships should this story present. As much as I did not want romance/ships be The Major Point, I have to acknowledge that ships are what people go for in a story, myself included. I understand shipping might turn people away from even trying a story, that’s why I kept it secret for the first few chapters before confirming it on tumblr (where the chapters were first uploaded). I was just testing the waters, to see if people are interested in the story enough to keep reading even if the ships aren’t their preferences.

Back to planning stage - as a multi-shipper, I did not want to set in stone right off the bat what the ships are either. And thus I continued expanding on ideas and see where things would  go, keeping most of the initial interactions and important moments intact. This is why there are times it might seem there are multiple pairings even though nothing was specified (cough wee kanadia, youriko etc (｡･ ω<)ゞてへぺろ♡). Not to mention, as the main character, Yoshiko will always have moments with each of the 8 girls. I remember joking in an old post that, if this were a gal-game, there are various routes to this story, from the default path to those you have to unlock via certain conditions XDDD

Naturally, members of the 1st-year trio and Guilty Kiss get more screen time with Yoshiko. Then, as a fellow Slytherin and part of the tsurime trio, Dia does too. Not to mention Season1’s anime ED shows You & Angel together, You gets special moments too. Chika is Aqours’ leader who first accepted Yoshiko into the group as datenshi, so I tried to show that as much as I could given the circumstances in the story. And so, this leaves poor orca on the side lol. But yeah, YoshiMaru, YoshiRiko, YoshiRuby, so many possibilities! However, as more details get finalized, such as Yoshiko’s childhood, her Shiira-KANSU! Patronus and about the Augurey, YoshiMaru just happened. Things seem to click into place with their love as the focal point and I was able to keep expanding the story. First puppy love, innocent and pure. A dream that grew to become reality. Could other ships have worked? Yes, but then that would’ve given this story a different direction and it wouldn’t have been LLSHP AU – Yoshiko Tsushima and the Fallen Angel anymore. As I developed YoshiMaru more and more, I was very satisfied with my choice.

On a side note, I confirm Yoshiko did have a crush on You at first (and Hanamaru had a crush on Kanan) xD it’s mostly just physical attraction in a “the-senpai-I-admire” kind of way, and it soon morphs to strong friendship as this story progresses. I don’t know if this was obvious at all but that’s why these two girls always have a soft spot for Gryffindor Baka#2 and Baka #3 xD!!!

On the other hand, I was not expecting DiaRiko to form. Yes, it was my guilty ship but I didn’t intend for them to be a couple in this story, just close friends/confidantes. In canon, they’re already the straight man of their respective year trios (most of the time anyway, I’m looking at you ponkotsu penguin). Yet, given their respective pasts and personalities, they became intimately close and found solace with each other, and that kind of relationship is what I tried to show to the readers, especially through the Carbonado Interlude. They’re not predestined to fall in love but they did and found happiness. Out of the four ships, I was most worried about DiaRiko since it’s a rareship unlike the other three. That’s why I keep saying how pleased I am that it ended up being well-received by fans ;;A;;

ChikaYou came to be as I finalize the 2ndYears’ background and Riko’s part, while KanaMari’s story is set aside for the prequel and thus not given much spotlight in the main story (and also due POV effect). In spite of how much I adore ChikaYou, it’s also not shown much because of what happened in the story but also because I wanted to present their dynamic as a duo and CYR bond with Ruby (since that’s how Yoshiko perceives them most of the time anyway).  

Ruby, my widdle cinnamon roll baby, is left unpaired for a reason. I want to show that platonic/friendship love is just as wonderful and powerful. There’s a saying ‘lovers come and go, but friends are for life’, and that’s exactly what Yoshiko and Hanamaru meant for Ruby, and vice versa. Now, while I’m on this, I have a confession about Ruby’s fate. After the concept arts were drawn and uploaded, I was finalizing the details of the three Arcs before I toss the first chapter onto tumblr. The end of ch19 is definitely one of the biggest climax of the story - Ruby ended up being Yohane’s target instead of Dia. Originally, uh, yeah, Ruby is supposed to die because her wounds were too much. Regular healing spells do not work on sectumsempra, only a special counter-Curse could reverse the effects. I tried very hard to find a way around it to save her. I don’t want my baby to die, any of them really, and she still have so much ahead of her. Fortunately, I was able to save her through Yoshiko/Yohane which, in turn, saved this raven-haired girl as well. I was able to continue working backwards on finalizing the Arcs and individual chapters with a peaceful state of mind.

‘Yoshiko’, as in the one who’s been narrating the story from ch1-20, still died in a way, but at least I was able to change the story from Bad End to True End (?). True End is the ch21 I uploaded. Bad End route would have Ruby dead, Yoshiko gone and ch21 would turn out completely different. A Happy End would be Yoshiko the Narrator miraculously alive and the others not having scars or still recovering, but I just find that too unrealistic. I’ve minimized the, uh, damage enough as it is, given the circumstances. J.K. Rowling did go on a killing spree in Book7 but come on, with a psychotic maniac like Voldemort and all those magical spells, you can easily kill people. You don’t need Avada Kedavra to kill someone, a sudden Diffindo or Reducto is enough. I’ve chosen my sacrifice and one is too many already. And speaking of sacrifice, let me talk a bit about Riko and why she was the ‘first victim’. Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare. Even though this story was outlined even before the First Live, this song already stands out to me from the anime, a song where the 8 of them sang in Riko’s absence but her spirit is still with them. And so, I sort of portrayed that the way it is in this story. Even though Riko didn’t get any lines from ch12 onward until ch20, her role remains significant and is the pivotal point for the remainder of Arc2 and Arc3. In terms of the plot, I’ve followed my outline quite closely. All the core points remained unchanged as I write out the chapters, though how I write a chapter (ie the wording, the extra little details, and actual professor dialogues instead of just narration) did change as I go along, influenced by more of the official content. Facts about characters that are only revealed in Season2 or other media such as SIF etc were not incorporated into this story (for example, Kanan being afraid of ghosts and height). As I mentioned in an older post about wands, I would have chosen phoenix feather for Ruby’s wand core had I known about the Duo-Trio results. The Kazuno sisters would have been incorporated into the story alas, back then, very little was known about Saint Snow in Season1 of the anime. Yes… season2 was finished and, like, a total of 15 live performances have happened between the creation and the completion of this story LOL Back to the plot. Seven is said to be a magical number in the HP verse and that’s why each Arc has 7 chapters. Arc 1 is the Intro, Arc 2 is the turning point, Arc 3 is the climax and the resolution. Sounds easy and straightforward so I thought I would’ve finished the story within a year. Well. It ended up almost taking two years lmao. Obligations IRL aside, new ideas, more AUs, more fanarts etc also make sticking to the update schedule difficult. It’s the worst when it comes to writer’s block – you have the outlines, you know what’s supposed to happen in a chapter, yet the words just aren’t flowing and you’re stuck. Thankfully, with you lovely readers giving the feedback and encouragement I need, I made it over each bump on the road to get to the finale. Hanamaru wrote most of this story, yes. Each chapter titles with exception of Ruby’s interlude and ch18-19 also showed up in ch21. The title of the ‘book’ is supposed to be revealed in the Epilogue but, since I had to upload it onto Fanfiction.Net, I can’t just call it LLSHP AU so I had to reveal “Yoshiko Tsushima and the Fallen Angel” right away. Back then I called this a temporary title because I did think about giving this story an alternate title, since she didn’t write the interludes, ch21 and the epilogue. However, at the end of the day, this still suits the story best. After all, the individual titles for ch21 and the epilogue make up the story’s title.

“Yoshiko has always known that she isn't normal like everyone else. Surely, she would master everything about magic at Hogwarts, and become the amazing fallen angel she's meant to be. Little did she know, her school year would be more than eventful as she makes great friends, uncovers secrets, and learns what it truly means to be Yohane.” - this is the summary I put on Fanfiction.Net. It speaks from both Yoshiko the Narrator’s perspective, and Yoshiko from the Epilogue’s perspective. It probably sounds confusing but I hope you understand what I mean. So, what’s next? I’ve invested a lot in this world of LLSHP AU already and there are still so many more possibilities, especially with the rather open ending both ch21 and the epilogue presents, so I’m definitely not done with this AU! Since I have the memory of a goldfish, I don’t know if I’ve already mentioned this but the prequel will be told mostly in Mari’s POV. It will have occasional Dia and Kanan POVs too (because I’m a shameless 3yrs-oshi and writer privilege); Rather than taking forever to write and cramping the scenes into a massive interlude chapters, I’ve decided to split it in shorter chapters - this will roughly be a 12-part story that took place before the main story, showcasing segments of the kanadiamari’s first 3 years at Hogwarts.

This prequel is… relatively normal and lighter compared to the main story, meaning it’s more school-oriented and more slice-of-life episodes for the most part (at least, that’s the outline), and much more Professor cameos. There will be more N-card girls to be showcased as well, such as kanadiamari’s Housemates and Quidditch teammates. Overall, it’ll be shiny °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° There will not be a full sequel to the main story. Instead, there will be blips/drabbles about events that happen after the main story, as teased in the Epilogue - the TriWizard Tournament for one XD And, unlike the main story, the ideas for blips in this sequel-timeline are more vague, so I’ll be able to incorporate new content into it (as in, from official content 2017 onward such as proper characterization of Saint Snow).

There are plans for omake/filler fun blips as well - little incidents that happened throughout the main story or, rather, ‘excerpts’ that Hanamaru wrote but didn’t make it to the final version of her book. The first Halloween, more scenes with the Professors, birthdays and so on.

There are also plans for character-exclusive blips as well, similar to an Interlude. For example, DiaRiko’s ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) cough cough.

My tentative plan is to keep going with the prequel, and maybe every few chapter or so I’d write a sequel-timeline blip. I’ll see how my muse and inspiration is in the future, I’m already extremely satisfied that I finished the main story XD And I do want to work on some of my other existing AUs (ie Animus AU and Mafia AU just because I’ve already invested time in creating the concept arts and so I don’t want them to sink into oblivion…) or who knows, there might be new AUs. I mean, pretty much every new SIF set is enough to inspire a brand new AU please allow me a moment to giggle like the trash I am over the DiaRiko UR set *pterodactyl screech*

AHEM. Another thing is illustration/artworks. Since most of my time was spent on writing, there are much fewer artworks than I would’ve liked for this story. I think I mentioned this somewhere that I’d love to have an individual cover art for each chapter alas, no time at all DX I’d like to have at least one illustration per chapter too but OTL I can only pick one and so for this AU I chose writing over drawing. Cry.

Anyway, I’ve rambled long enough and I think I’ve talked about everything I want to get off my chest. If you have any questions/feedback, go ahead and fire’em at me, since I’m now able to answer anything without fear of spoilers now XD (unless your question is about the prequel or things that happen in the sequel-timeline)

Thanks for reading the whole thing and, ofc, staying with me until the end of this story!

[athyrabunlord]

Yay more Ruby Leah bonding! Also as expected of Ruby! Being able to Animagus, maybe Ruby is a late bloomer and is like Dia level of amazing? Nah she's probably a cluster of potential to surpass Dia! Wow reading about Ruby makes me more hype.

Ruby tried very hard yes, and she does havepotential to surpass Dia in various areas, such as Transfiguration. In theoriginal HP, the Marauders became Animagi in their Third Year, when they wereonly 13-4 yo. While here, kanadiamari became Animagi near the end of theirThird Year (which, for this AU, they’re 17-18 yo already). And so, it’s notfar-stretched that Ruby manages to do it as well. You would’ve been able toachieve that in her Third Year too except too many things happened and she justdidn’t work on it until her last year. Chika is still working on hers, thoughshe’s proud of and content enough her Owl girlfriend XDD

[athyrabunlord]

Umi's face is the best in that cover art, Also I like her alot already despite only a couple sentences about her. Probably cause of how she helps Kanan. I am totally looking forward to this. Take your time though. You know I really enjoyed the way Ruby was shown in here, it lets you know that Ruby is a true Cinnamon bun. Wait. I mean a skilled Witch or at least a hard working one, she has been shown since a young age to be practicing so it only makes sense that she is a true Kurosawa.

Haha, Umi looks so harmless and soft and fluff, but she’s still Oni when it comes to studies! I’ll try to showcase her more later on since she’s a significant figure in Kanan’s life. And yes, if you compare the Ruby in the sequel and the Ruby here in the prelude… my baby’s all grown up *wipes tears*

[athyrabunlord]

I like how you went back to the Yoshiko thing, because really its a super important thing. Speaking of which, Are there any ask's you havent gotten to yet? Because the truth is, I sent like alot alot of Ask's after you posted the epilogue summarizing everything I wanted to say and if they didnt go through I wanna know, cause its actually happened before.... Back to the fic Ruby and Leah dancing toghether would be great to see animated. PS: the suit/dress conversation was spot on great I loved it

Thanks Anon! Other than the fact it was from the Main Story, it was pivotal for Yoshiko and therefore just as important to Ruby. If I had the artistic ability & time, I’d be drawing out the whole TriWizard Tournament instead of writing it loooool

And yes I’m sorry! There were quite a few asks buried under all those spams of “apologies for previous sent messages feel free to ignore or delete them” etc (honestly getting really annoyed; yes they’re still coming on a daily basis from what I can see…). My desktop already lags whenever I access tumblr, even more so when I scroll through the the anon asks XD; so there might still be some unanswered asks, recent or old.

I’ll eventually find a solution to this… eventually… eventually………….

Below are some of the way over due replies to the Epilogue’s feedback:

to Anon: Now that I’m reading your series of feedback comments, I can’t help but smile. Yes I definitely don’t mind feedback of any form, since it shows the readers really are taking in what I’ve written and that makes me feel like all the effort has paid off! Again, sorry it took so long to respond to these.

Indeed, the Epilogue is just something extra to tie up the loose ends as well as tease the parts that weren’t written, to leave room for speculations. That last line has been there since the very beginning of the Main Story’s outlines. I’m glad to actually be able to incorporate it as it is meant to be.

As rambled in my Extras (or was it Trivia? Oi author-lmao) post, it would’ve been interesting if Kanan is a Tiger instead of a wolf XD As for the ships, yes, I tried very hard to make it as ship-free as I could (other than the main ship of yoshimaru), to see if people of various shipping preferences can get through at arc1 and would stay in spite of the chosen ships for this story. Some did, which makes me happy!

I also tried to write the story in a way that none-HP fans can understand/enjoy most of the content, but also easter eggs here and then for the hardcore ones.

Oh believe me, I definitely thought about alternate bad endings other than the Bad End I mentioned in the Trivia post. There are just so many ways the story could have ended, or other directions in the previous chapters, but I feel like Hanamaru would’ve written the book regardless, though it would’ve been a much different tone.

I agree with Ruby - I was neutral towards her, that she’s just a mascot cinnamon roll (well, she still is, my previous bby), but ep9 where she handed Dia the Mijuku Dreamer outfit will forever be one of my favorite scenes ever. Then I really start to take note of her and the differences between the Kurosawa sisters. Dia is by no means weak but, in a way, Ruby really does have stronger inner strength.

Anyways, the Tournament saga will continue for a few more blips, hope you enjoy the rest of the series!

@softoxidation I just noticed I never replied to you properly on this feedback OTL Ahem, throughout the story, Yoshiko has been ‘bad’ at potions because her cauldron kept exploding whenever she tries to brew them. They never figured out the reason, so Riko went around it by helping her with whatever she could teach on the subject that doesn’t require actual brewing, such as conceptual knowledge, how to prepare the ingredients and so on.

While it was never explained in the main story, it’s implied that her unstable magic as a Horcrux interacts detrimentally with the concoctions. Now that she’s… whole again, she aced the subject. Just as you said, one of the reasons is because Yohane is good at it. Yohane used to be ‘weak’ because of her unstable magic and being unable to connect to a wand, so it took years for her to be proficient with her wings. In terms of… combat ability(?), Yohane was definitely better than Yoshiko.

Anyway, yes, stating that Yoshiko got Outstanding in Potions is my way of saying that she is not the same as the Yoshiko from Arc1 and she’s grown up.

The Epilogue cover was meant for Yoshiko the Narrator thanking the readers and saying goodbye