Esmeralda Deluna

Backstory

Being in Slytherin has its occasional downsides, for example, the occasional prejudiced suspicious glances in my direction. I mean, I guess it's a bit strange, being a muggleborn in my house but to be honest, house unity here at Hogwarts has really improved. I'm an apprentice prankster; my older brother (he's a year older than me) taught me that it's good to laugh or even just coax a faint smile from someone to cheer them up!

We didn't have the best childhood, you see. We were raised in an orphanage after my brother accidentally blew up the TV and our parents decided that was too abnormal for them so they sent him away. They sent me after him 'just in case' I was just as 'dangerous'. The carers at the orphanage were...nice enough. We weren't starved, we weren't abused, we weren't mistreated but I definitely wouldn't call it paradise. All our meals were cold and we were put in a separate part of the building as if we were a danger to humanity (which we probably were, to be honest). I don't think they were trying to starve us but maybe they thought we would do less damage if we were weaker. And I don't think they liked us after I may have turned everyone's hair green by accident. Maybe they thought we'd spray-painted them while they were asleep.

When my brother turned eleven, he received his letter by walking into an owl that was flying directly at him while we were mowing the grass. Apparently he 'wasn't expecting it to swoop that low' or something. Either way, it was a sight to behold and it was the first time I'd properly laughed in years. He looked at me like I had just started speaking some alien dialect then started laughing as well. He told me that he was sure I would get my letter next year why I turned eleven and that I should keep on laughing and smiling until I was sent for. Anyway, he seemed pretty open to the whole idea of magic even though I was convinced it was some sort of elaborate prank. However, the next day, one of the professors came to take him to buy all his new wizarding equipment.

After he left, I practiced all my best muggle pranks to keep a bright smile on my face. Sure enough, a year later, another owl delivered my letter and I calmly sneaked away from the muggle world.

Nowadays, my brother and I are a team, where he goes, I go and where I go, he goes...except class of course. Yes, we are actually unregistered animagi but that's because it's easier to go unnoticed when pranking. Might as well spill the beans, I'm a red squirrel and he's a red fox. We also have an annual tradition to give each other specific coloured items on our birthdays. He gives me green presents (or just things wrapped in green paper) because of the first time I showed magical ability and I give him blue presents because he blew up the TV (blew, blue, get it?). Anyway, we're happy now, thankfully and life is good! I wouldn't give up our pranking for the world!

Mischief Managed!