Ever since Harry's initial introduction to the wizarding world, the people around him have heaped their expectations and hopes and fears on his shoulders, expecting him to bear the weight without complaint. Throughout the war, he steadfastly endures the burden. One day, however, he decides that he's had enough.

Petunia told Lily a lot of things over the years. After all, isn't it an older sister's job to warn their younger sibling about the darker things in life? But, alas, Lily never listened.

Despite being trapped at Hogwarts for Christmas and forced to decorate the castle without magic, Ernie and Megan fight to cling to hope.

Seven years have passed since the end of the war, and, despite her attempts to move on, Katie is still caught under its shadow.

In Irma Pince's opinion, Quidditch game days are the best Saturdays in the world.

Eddie Thomas is determined to do whatever it takes to make the world safe for his family. He may have left them, but, at the end of the day, everything he does is for their benefit. 'He manages to keep his promises, too, for a time... But, as all things, it eventually all turns to dust.'

Stuck in Grimmauld Place, Sirius ruminates about his role in the deaths of Lily and James Potter. 'His life had been vivid and intense but, from the day he was born into his particular branch of the Noble and Ancient House of Black, his story had always been fated for calamity.' Set during OotP. Primarily rated due to hints of alcoholism.

A half-giant faces a whole different array of challenges and obstacles than their human counterparts. As she grows up, learning of her ancestry and about the way her peers react to that, Olympe Maxime has to reckon with the intersection between identity and experiences. One-shot.

When darkness falls and despondency sets in, sometimes your only option is to cling to what's left. While on the run from Voldemort, Harry and Ron decide to celebrate Hermione's eighteenth birthday. 'It wasn't festivity-specific and there hadn't been much for him to choose between, but it was better than nothing.'

In the middle of a boring discussion at a family picnic, a butterfly catches Lucy Weasley's attention. Although she's always been sceptical of both adventures and Scamanders, when one of the twins offers to join her in her quest, she can't help but accept his allegiance.

Even in the darkest of times, the smallest of traditions can help you cling to hope and memories. Garrick Ollivander has been able to stay out of the war for the most part, isolating himself from society when possible and focusing instead on his craft, but that manufactured peace is about to be broken in the worst way.

Needing to let off some steam, Hermione meets up with Dean and his sister Ellie at a Muggle pub and throws herself into a game of darts. 'She hastily updated the scoreboard before, plastering a bright smile on her face and hoping that she wouldn't catch the tail-end of a knowing glance, walking back to them as if she hadn't a care in the world.'

A collection of three one-shot drabbles written for the Slytherin Drabbles Competition. In order: the moment Pansy Parkinson decides to turn over Harry Potter, Tom Riddle considering Albus Dumbledore's opinion of him, and Vincent Crabbe reflecting on the ideas of being stupid and being a Slytherin.

Worried that he started teaching too early, Quirinus Quirrell latches onto the rumours about a strange spectre wreaking havoc in Albania, determined to find it and prove himself. 'It was as if his heart and mind were merely pieces of firewood and kindling longing for a spark to set them alight. That spark had to be out there somewhere, and he was determined to find it.'

In her mind, Merope Gaunt is an abused princess waiting for a dashing prince to ride to her rescue. After years of hoping and dreaming for someone - anyone - to take her away from it all, she notices Tom Riddle passing by her family's shack. Instantly recognising him as the one who will save her, she waits for him to return her interest.

'It was an art form and he was the artist, carefully placing the paint where it had to go to achieve his ends.' Lucius Malfoy was raised to manipulate people; even in his darkest hours, he plots and plans for the future. A one-shot tracking Lucius' life from his arrival at Hogwarts to the end of the first wizarding war.

Unable to concentrate on her schoolwork, Penelope starts to make her way out of the library - only to find Hermione Granger lost in a state of unnerving anxiety. Feeling compelled to help, Penelope gets ensnared in a conversation about snakes, pipes, and mirrors.

Priscilla Rosier's path diverged from Tom Riddle's when he took the job at Borgin and Burkes and turned his focus to building his underground empire. Her role was to tactfully rally the purebloods to the cause while pretending that she no longer loved him. However, his legacy refuses to leave her alone. A companion piece to The Evolution of a Name.

The wizard who eventually became known as He Who Must Not Be Named went through many monikers. Through them, one can track his development and, eventually, his fall.

In the wake of the war, Harry and Luna grew closer together. Now, they're embarking on their most daunting journey yet. 'What started as a stream/is now a coursing river/that pulls them along in its current,/and they're hurtling towards the edge:/the edge of the cliff,/of this state,/of love.' Written for TrueBeliever831's Freeverse Challenge.