Leah Holmes - First Year - Gryffindor

Full Name: Leah Alexis Holmes
House: Gryffindor
Age: 11
Wand: 26.5 cm elm wood and unicorn hair
School Year: First Year
Patronus: None
Species: Human

History/Background Story:

Pre Hogwarts

Leah Alexis Holmes was born on the 3rd of November at St Bartholomew's (Bart’s) hospital. Life didn’t start out well for Leah. Unfortunately, due to certain health issues her mother had acquired during pregnancy, Leah was diagnosed with several health issues, a heart condition among one of them. The heart condition proved to be the most difficult to deal with. The condition stopped her from being excessively active as she was at a constant risk of having a heart attack, or worse, heart failure. Dolores Holmes’ (Leah’s mother) health decreased after Leah’s birth. She began to lose her mind and got herself involved in all sorts of trouble. Being a single mother of a problematic child was stressful enough. She needed something to help her escape those harsh realities.

At the age of ten, Dolores became unfit to raise her daughter and sent her away to live with her brother and his new wife. Archie and Penelope Holmes welcomed their niece with opens arms. Archie works as a Doctor at the local clinic and has made himself well-known throughout the community. Penelope is a local artist who is slowly making a name for herself, both locally and internationally. They have a five-bedroom house in a wealthy suburb.

After moving in with her Uncle and Aunt, Leah’s life began to take an interesting turn. She went to a different school, met different people, had her own bedroom and bathroom. Things were finally good for Leah. Until she received a letter in the mail. She didn’t recognize the handwriting, nor did she recognize the name of the sender. James Kafka. Confused, Leah sat on her bed and opened the letter. What felt like hours was only ten minutes. The letter she’d received was from her biological father. A man she’d never met before was pouring his heart out on paper. How was she supposed to feel? He’d never tried to contact her before. Now that she wasn’t with her mother, it was free reign, it seemed. Angry, upset, tears streaming down her cheeks, Leah clenched the letter in her hands. They shook slightly as she starred at the ink splatters. Before she could do anything else, the letter burst into flames. Leah panicked and dropped the letter, watching the paper crumple and burn. It was a miracle the rest of the carpet didn’t catch fire. Unknowingly, Leah had discovered something buried deep inside that would change her life forever.

Upon learning about the wonders of the wizarding world, curiosity struck Leah. What if magic could cure the very thing that had held her back her entire life? What if magic could cure the heart condition she'd been born with? She spent the better part of the summer pondering this. If it was possible, she'd be able to do more than she ever imagined. She could run without feeling sick. She could play sports without needed to stop every five minutes because she felt like she'd pass out.

It seemed St Mungo's Hospital knew exactly what to do. After spending the day in Diagon Ally with her liaison, it was revealed that there indeed was a cure for Leah's heart condition. All that was to take place was a night in the hospital. If all went well, she'd be able to go home and lead the life she'd merely dreamed of. Once they arrived at St Mungo's, Leah was taken to her own room. She changed into the hospital garments before slipping into bed. The nurse presented her with a bottle full of bubbling purple liquid. It smelt terrible. "Drink this first, then this one," the nurse held up a second bottle. Two potions seemed easy enough. After downing the first bottle, which tasted like pears, Leah downed the second. She couldn't remember what happened between the time she drank the two potions and when she awoke the next morning, healthy as a horse.

With her new found strength, Leah was sent home almost immediately. Her Aunt and Uncle couldn't believe what they'd heard. Leah spent the rest of her day in the backyard, playing around with a football. She didn't stop once, the thought of her heart condition almost never existed. Leah felt free, at last.


During Hogwarts

First Year

Despite all the chaos throughout the year, Leah was untouched. She explored the castle with bright eyes, taking in as much as her brain would allow. She didn’t show herself much, needing to get used to the environment first. Throughout the year, Leah has met a few people, some of them even being her friends.
She plans on attending the summer camp with her friends, instead of spending the summer with her Aunt and Uncle.