The Brightest Light

On Christmas Eve, Greenhouse Three is supposed to be empty-locked, dangerous, and best left alone. But in her first year at Hogwarts, Professor Juniper Sallow is there anyway, stringing ivy and glass baubles onto a Venomous Tentacula that... strangely enough, allows it.

One by one, four first-years drift toward the lanternlight-Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Terry Boot, and Theodore Nott-and what starts as "just a bit of decorating" turns into tea, biscuits, and a question Juniper didn't expect: What were your Christmases like?

She answers with one memory worth keeping-six years old, a singing kettle, oranges like stolen sunlight, and a fierce, kind neighbor named Mrs. Hampshire who teaches her where to put the brightest light.

A quiet, cozy Christmas one-shot about borrowed warmth, small bravery, and a dangerous plant choosing to be beautiful for one night.