Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: I know that I missed actual Diwali this year, but I still got it done!

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 15); MC4A (Year 4)
Individual Challenges: In a Flash; Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Performance Art; Old Shoes (Y); Lunar Era (Y); Colors Galore; Go Fluff Yourself; Gender Bender; Hold the Mayo; Gwen's HP Bribery; Ship Sails; The 3rd Rule; Ethnic & Present; Rian-Russo Inversion (x2); Neurodivergent (x2); Rowl in Her Grave; Artist MC; Magical MC (x2); Gryffindor MC; Ravenclaw MC; La Vie Boheme; Culturally Inclined (Y); Purple Stripe; White Stripe; Best Stories (Y); Tell My Story
House: Slytherin
Assignment No.: Term 15 – Assignment 10
Subject (Task No.): History of Magic (Task#2: Write about a 'first'.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: 365 [254](Gold)
Other MC4A Challenges: Set [2C](Park/Playground);Ship (Lunar Lion)[SpBig (Stuffed Toy); FaMed1 (First Holiday; Favorite Things); FaBig (Talking); FaMic1 (Turned Left Instead); ; 4C (Roadtrip)]; Chim [Alcium] (Crimson); Fire [x3](Zuke the Hini; White Stripe; Femme Fatale); Garden [Daphne Special (Knee Socks)]; TWT (NB Luna; Post-War)[Task#2](Harry Potter); Hang [Phrase 04] (Outside Challenge/Competition; Generic & Games/SE Circles)
Representation(s): Desi & Autistic Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood; NB Luna Lovegood; Background Everyone Lives AU; First trip out of the country/first remembered celebration of cultural heritage
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Under the Bridge; Jet Fuel; Second Verse (Bad Beans; Corvid Brain; Rock of Ages; Trickster's Union; Lovely Coconuts; Deadliest Catch; Clio's Conclusion; Car in a Tutu; Unwanted Advice; Nightingale; Zucchini Bread; Nontraditional; Found Family; Not a Lamp; Ladylike; Bechdel Test); Chorus (Some Beach; Forked Path; Turtle-Duck; Surprise!; Abandoned Ship; Unicorn; Larger than Life; A Long Dog; Tomorrow's Shade; Mouth of Babes; Fire Song; Peddling Pots; Bee Haven; Wabi Sabi; Odd Feathers); Demo 1 (Easy Zephyr; Sweetest Burn); Demo 2 (Sailor Delight; Yarnspinner)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: Mea (Ennui); TY (Avasa; Enfant); SHoE (Terse); RoIL (Satisfaction; Workstation); SS (Schooner; Shout); O3 (Oath); FR (Satisfaction; Liberation); SN (Rail; Ameliorate); T3 (Terse; Thimble)
Word Count: 489 words

(^^)
Fest & Fire
(^^)

"Oh, moon and stars," Luna moaned around the bite of falafel that xe had just taken. "This tastes so good!"

It was a good thing that Harini was so good at translating Dudley when he talked with his mouth full because otherwise there was no way she would have understood that declaration. Not that Harini blamed Luna for xyr lack of manners. She had a small paper basket of her own samosa that she was eating with just as much relish as Luna was xyr basket. Street food was not this good back in England, not even at any of the pubs that other of their friends swore by.

Visiting the Punjab had been an inspired idea. Harini loved everything she had learned and experienced so far. She had been a bit wary about Luna choosing the location for xyr birthday trip just because of the fact that Harini was going to be xyr travel companion and it was her first trip out of the Isles, but Luna seemed to be enjoying xemself just as much as Harini was, if not more. Not to mention that Luna's forthright and direct manner had proven helpful as xe did not have any problem with bluntly asking for clarification and elucidation on things where Harini still had an instinctive urge to duck a blow from Aunt Petunia's frying pan for considering asking questions.

Coming in late October and staying into November as they had meant they were there for Diwali, the festival of lights. That meant there was a festive mood over the entire city. Everywhere they went, there was music and dancing. Luna managed to convince a trio of old women to teach them how to make rangoli in the park's pavilion.

Now they were farther into the park, where there was a series of food vendors and craft stalls lining the wide sidewalk. After finishing their food, they threw out their trash and continued down the path. At the end of the avenue they were on, the sidewalk widened to a wide plaza. The town they were in had organized a carnival with several rides and boardwalk game stalls. Dotted among them were even more artisans and craftspeople selling their goods.

"Do you think Teddy will like this?" Harini asked after examining a stuffed octopus knitted with crimson yarn shot through with strands of gold. It was beautiful and very soft. Even if her godchild was too young to really appreciate it now, she thought that Remus would probably appreciate the gift. Dora might make jokes about indoctrinating the baby early, but Harini didn't see anything in Hufflepuff colors to balance things.

"I think Teddy will love it," Luna agreed. Xe grinned before reaching into a basket on the craft table and presenting a rattle made from a pale yellow wood with swirls of black on it.

"Perfect," Harini said before buy both souvenirs for Teddy from the knitting booth-runner.