Laurel Branch

**Holland Branch**: *" Please don't teach the puppies to bite."*
**Laurel**: *"They bit me first. I was just biting them back."*
— Laurel expressing her unique love of animals

[Source]

## Biography

**Laurel Ivy Graves** (née Branch) is a half-blood witch, the daughter of Vernon and Holland Branch (née Noble). Her godparents are her aunt and uncle Heather and Aspen Noble.

Laurel was named in honor of her maternal great grandmother Laurel Noble, and her paternal grandmother Ivy Branch. She began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 2030 and she was Sorted into Hufflepuff house.

### Early childhood

Laurel Ivy Graves (née Branch) was born in 2019 to Vernon and Holland, she is their only daughter, although she shares her father with a half-brother Jack Connor. Laurel is seven years younger than Jack. In 2029, Laurel attended a Lunar Eclipse Party with her family. The party was thrown by a friend of Laurel's parents, wizarding astrologer Keegan Strong. Laurel thought him to be strange, Vernon and Holland insisted he was brilliant. Laurel was unable to deny she did have fun at his party, there were a few times she dozed off during his fabulous moon-stories. His children Mallory and Gavin were much more entertaining. Less so was the fact that Mallory was on such good terms with Laurel's half-brother Jack. Laurel learned from Gavin that his father and Logan's mother were also friends, Jack would stay with them whenever Alexia was not feeling well.

Several days before Laurel's father was to leave for an impromptu business trip a letter arrived informing Vernon that Jack's mother Alexia had passed away. Jack was to receive a substantial amount of money in life insurance, but the young man would not be allowed access to it until he was twenty-five. Vernon assumed parental rights of his biological son, and over the next few weeks Jack was moved into the Branch household. Laurel and Jack did not get along during the first month Jack was living with her and her mother, they fought constantly, each time something in the room would explode or they would find piles of sand near any missing glass. She was unable to see any part of him she could relate to until their father returned. A few days later Laurel learned from her father how similar her mother Holly was to Jack's mother Alexia.

She was able to warm up to Jack when she began to look at him like one of her mother's patients, meaning when she looked at him like an injured animal. Jack had lost his mother, while the pain was not visible on the outside Laurel could sense that he was hurting on the inside. She didn't want to like him because she did feel he stole her place in the family. She was exactly where she wanted to be in her small three person family until Jack came along. After a long talk with both her parents about him, she began to feel bad about the way she treated him. He was mean to her, of course, it wasn't his fault he was mean. He was that way to everyone. Even to their father. It wasn't until he became more comfortable around his new family that Laurel was able to see that he wasn't a big jerk like she thought. He was something like their father, the big brother she never wanted.

### Hogwarts Year (2030-2037)

Laurel Graves (née Branch) began her education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 2030, where she was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

#### First year

In 2030 Laurel boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Headed for Hogwarts in the first years carriage she was joined by: Regan Black, Liliya Chkarova, Emmet Furst-Dugmore Dylan Myo and the Graves Brothers; Caine, Damien, Julien, Marcel and Quincy.

#### Second year

In 2031 she she struggled in Transfiguration with turning her beetle into a button taking the longest to finish the assignment. She even more problems with Rabbit Slippers.

#### Third year

In 2032 she kissed Marcel Graves on the cheek after helping her with the Seize and Pull Charm.

#### Fourth year

In 2033 she made up for her earlier hardships in Transfiguration with her Cross-Species Switches homework.

#### Fifth year

In 2034 she began taking Care of Magical Creatures and Wandlore. She and Marcel had their first kiss under the Whomping Willow.

#### Sixth year

In 2035 she became less hesitant about having a boyfriend and finally asked her housemate/best friend Marcel Graves on an official first date.

#### Seventh year

In 2036 after some confusion (only ever on her part) she confirmed that Marcel was her boyfriend. By end of the school year they were engaged and planning their wedding.

### Adult Life

Laurel and Marcel had a small, but beautiful, dusky overwater wedding ceremony.

The couple began working together as Unicorn Keepers; rescuing and rehabilitating unicorns as well as collecting horns for potions and tail hairs for wands. They also collect blood for hospitals and clinics but VERY rarely.

They have two children together; Antoine and Yvette, born in 2038 & 2041 respectively.

## Physical description

1/4
Laurel, like her half-brother Jack, takes after her father. She has long, straight, jet black hair, and brown eyes. She has a warm skin tone inherited from her grandmother Ivy. Laurel does not burn, but she does tan well when exposed to too much sun. She also shares with her father Vernon his smile both sweet and mischievous. Laurel has her mother's style, she likes to dress nicely, and she has an interest in fashion.

## Personality and traits

Laurel is playful, dependable, and loving. She takes after both of her parents in this way. Like her mother Holland, a Veterinarian, Laurel loves animals and cannot resist cuddling with a furry pet when she sees the face of a precious, little, critter. Something like her father Laurel is protective, even of people she is not certain she actually likes. Her half-brother Jack for example. It has taken time to warm up to him, but Laurel does stand up for him when he does not care enough to stand up for himself.

## Magical abilities and skills

* Transfiguration: Conjuration, Vanishment, Untransfiguration
* Charms: Counter-spells, Protective enchantments, Concealment charm
* Magizoology: Hippogriffs, Unicorns, Porlocks

## Possessions

* Wand: Laurel's wand is made of English Oak, these wands demand partners of strength, courage and fidelity. An affinity with the magic of the natural world, with the creatures and plants that are necessary to wizardkind for both magic and pleasure. Her wand's core is made from Dragon heartstring with the most power, capable of the most flamboyant spells.
* Crup: Rian
* Owl: Finian Scops Owl

## Relationships

### Family

#### Branch family

*"She glared over the table with narrowed eyes watching her mother and father fawn all over her half-brother."*
— Laurel at dinner with her parents (and Jack)
Laurel felt closer to her family before her half-brother Jack moved in. She felt distant from her father Vernon when she saw how much time he was trying to devote to him. She also felt he was driving a wedge between Laurel and her mother Holland since she walked on eggshells around him, trying not to mother him to much but still be the mother figure he no longer had. Laurel has learned to enjoy Jack's presence when he makes attempts to see her as family.

### Friends/Acquaintances

#### Marcel Graves

Laurel officially met Marcel in the Clock Tower Courtyard in third year. She recognized his face easily; his four other brothers have the same one. She couldn't remember his name but he kindly gave her an easy way of distinguishing him from his brothers. They were in the Hufflepuff common room together when helped review a spell she struggled with. In her excitement at having gotten in right she kissed him on the cheek. During an encounter in the Library she made him confess that he called her pretty. Over the summer after fourth year he admitted to having a crush on her. When they met up at the Whomping Willow at the beginning of their fifth year be brought her blue flowers, he kissed her for the first time and told her he loved her.

#### Augustus Gabriel

Laurel met Gus at Carkitt Market in fifth year. He was learning on Eternelle's Elixir of Refreshments cart the same day she stopped by for the first time. She was instantly curious of him when she noticed he was writing. She waited for her chance and waved using his eye contact as a chance to start a conversation with him. She scared herself when she talked him into walking the market with her. She was overly kind to him and he let her know that he wasn't used to that. She let him know she'd try to be less nice.

## Etymology

* Laurel: Taken from the Old English laurel tree which was used to make wreaths. The name came into use in the 19th century.
* Ivy: Taken from the creeping green plant often seen growing on the site of buildings or gardens. The word is derived from the Old English ifig (climber).
* Branch: An Irish surname. A variant of McBreach, Breach, and McBranch.