Lü Ziya

Male

15

5th

"Half-Blood"

Warren

Nügua the Puffin

Care of Magical Creatures
Divination
Study of Ancient Runes

Duelling Club
Student Activist Club

The young teenager known as Lü Ziya is quite an eccentric fellow, one that seems to work on an independent wavelength from his fellow, less politically-motivated fifteen year olds. He seems a communistic society as the epitome of all political aspirations, and it is obvious from conversations with him that the pursuit of such a goal in the magical world is a major aspect of his person. He is a skilled orator, though the presence of the mask upon his face and lack of visible eyes due to his large hat are detrimental to his attempts at conveying his messages, with the muffled, lightly accented words seemingly comical to those who listen. Life is a source of passion for him, and he will take to all that he does with vigour and energy, although it can be rather overwhelming to others at times. His manner of speech is quite formal, and he will always try his best to treat everyone with respect.

Sleeping; Cartoons; Learning new things; History; Dengism; Four Classics; Century Eggs

The Bourgeois; Inefficiency; Opposing opinions; Mushrooms; Neo-Feudalistic Plutocracies

The unknown; Dying; Failure

In the mid-1800s, a lesser branch of the Chinese Lü family, a magical clan that claimed descent from the ancient military strategist and sage Taigong Wang (though supposedly separate from the House of Jiang, rulers of the Qi state), crossed the great Pacific Ocean for California, leaving their homes and loved ones to seek new fortunes in what was known as the Gold Mountain. Though the wizards and witches of the family would first suffer discrimination from the established white settlers like many of their fellow Chinese brethren, they were lucky enough to achieve success in the goldfields (though it was possible that magic may have been involved), and soon became semi-respected members of the East Coast's magical authorities, even after they were subsumed into the great American Association. While they were still in frequent contact with the upper branch back in Qing China, this side of the Lü family began to identify more as Americans as the years went by, becoming a mix of the disparate cultures of their motherland and their new homes.

This was the foundation of Lü Ziya's beginnings.

Following the victory of the Chinese Communist Party over Jiang Jieshi's Guomingdang in 1949, the members of the upper branch that had survived the horrific magical shadow wars that ran alongside the First and Second Sino-Japanese Wars as well as the Chinese Civil War were left in a destitute state. Their fortunes, located in their native Shandong province, had been destroyed during the Japanese occupation, when General Yasuji Okamura implemented his scorched earth policies to deal with the Chinese resistance, and despite prominently supporting the CCP, failed to regain their wealth after Jiang Jieshi's Republic was forced to Taiwan. The next few decades were hard for the family to bear, and the economic development enjoyed by Shandong following Deng Xiaoping's rise to power, while definitely improving their situation, failed to return them to former greatness. So in a snap decision, Ziya's grandfather, Lü Yongpei, moved his part of the upper branch over to the States, where they hoped that the lesser branch would accept them.

And they did.

By the time Lü Ziya was born, the first child of the magical Lü Zifeng and his long-time Muggle girlfriend, Hua Peixing, his family had joined the middle class of America, though backed with the support of the firmly entrenched lesser branch. It was quite a simple life for him in his youth, with the only strange happenings being his bouts of accidental magic. Then he turned eleven, when he was accepted into Salem despite his family's wishes to send him back to China for his wizardry studies. Still, he went to the closer American institute without too much disagreement, taking to the school like a fish did water.

He has spent the last few years enjoying his time at Salem, and wishes to continue in such a manner.

Amelia Artemia Averyonna

Female

11

1st

Muggleborn

Tituba

None

Apple, Single Unicorn Hair, 8 inches, Swishy

None

None

Amelia is a kind, sweet, and gentle but very shy girl. She has a tendency to prefer to stay by herself and away from others, in order to avoid having to talk to others. These habits are due to her embarrassment at being mute and wanting to avoid situations where she might have to speak. Even though she is capable of using sign language but due to a lack of people around her capable of using it, she prefers to find other means to talk to others.

Amelia enjoys spending time outside and will do so, regardless of the weather, unless it is a thunderstorm. She likes being around plants and creatures, things that she can interact with without having to talk. She also enjoys taking care of them and the visual beauty that comes from such effort, using them as subjects for her sketching's.

One outstanding trait of Amelia is her self-confidence. Or rather, her complete lack thereof. Amelia's lack of confidence in herself is to the point that if she does accomplish something, she doesn't feel as if she was the one who actually accomplished the task, even if she was the only one to work on it. This lack of confidence also effects how she views her talents, causing her to think she is lacking in an area where she is actually quite skilled at.

Amelia is also a pacifist. No matter how badly you treat her, she will simply bow her head and let her tormentor(s) continue until they are finished. She will never seek revenge on them or hold a grudge and simply views such things as a natural part of her life that she cannot avoid. This, combined with her muteness often makes her a target for bullies and people of the like.

Candy, peaceful and quiet places, the outdoors

Bullies, loud places, situations where she has to talk

Amelia's greatest fear is losing her freedom and not finding her place in the world. She feels a need to find where she belongs and fears that she will never really belong anywhere. She also fears for losing her freedom, as without that, she will never find where she belongs.

Amelia also has a great fear of thunder, due to a certain incident.

Aja Janine Kay

Female

15

5th

Muggle-born

Warren

Hazel, Phoenix Feather, Rigid, 10"

Maxwell the Chinchilla

Arithmancy
Care of Magical Creatures
Divination

Choir

Upon first meeting her, Aja is easy to categorize as "that friendly girl with good grades." And indeed, this is an accurate description. She's helpful and empathetic, has a warm, welcoming air about her, and never fails to achieve impressive marks on her assignments and tests. But while Aja seems like all smiles and sugary sweetness, she's actually rather introverted. She'll wave to people she knows in the halls, and chat with her neighbors in class, but if asked, no one would be able to say who her friend group is. In fact, no one would know much about her at all. Aja is a private person who prefers to reveal only superficial things about herself to others, though she's fine with others confiding in her. The constant smile she wears throughout the day keeps everyone out of her thoughts, and if she was upset about something you would never know.

Many would be surprised to learn that Aja has a very calculating nature. She knows how to assess a situation (or person), how to pick her battles, and how much she can get away with. That's not to say she's ever malicious or outright manipulative – she's just always measuring everything around her. Aja often uses these skills to understand others and put them at ease, though sometimes she does manipulate just a bit to get her way. Aja knows it's easy to be charmed by a young, friendly girl and that people often underestimate her. In her opinion this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Aja's lack of any real friend group is likely why she gets such good marks – that, and the fact that she's still absolutely fascinated with magic and has some perfectionist tendencies. Because she's often left to her own devices, she spends most of her free time in the library or garden, learning new spells or finding other ways to entertain herself. Aja loves a challenge and has a hidden competitive streak a mile long. She is adaptable and can thrive in most environments, but is surprisingly stubborn when it comes to certain, more personal beliefs and practices. This applies to the few people she truly cares about, also. If you manage to win her loyalty she is fiercely protective and unendingly caring, but thus far only her family can claim this status – her big brother, Ollie, in particular.

Performing Arts
Privacy
Animals
Spicy Food

Nosy People
Conflict
Large Open Spaces

The Dark
Vulnerability
Uncertainty

Growing up the middle child of nine was chaotic, to say the least. The Kays are a high-income family from Chicago, though you wouldn't believe it from the state of their house: while big enough for eleven people to live comfortably in, it's always in a constant state of disrepair. Most of the money goes towards things like food, electricity, food, water, clothes, school, and food. Aja's childhood, while always a clamoring mess, was a happy one.

Though a Muggle-born, she knew about the existence of magic long before she received her acceptance letter to Salem's – her oldest brother, Olorun, got his own letter when Aja was just five years-old. The entire family was astonished, of course. Not only was magic very much real, but little Ollie was a wizard! While surprising, this also cleared up several mysteries surrounding the boy; the uncanny way he could quiet his siblings when he was trying to do homework, how he somehow got his sister's flower to bloom for her after she pouted that it wasn't "waking up yet," how easily he fixed his brother's action figure after it was launched out of a second story window… suddenly there was an explanation for why the eldest child was so gifted.

Once the family finally knew the rhyme and reason for these strange events, they began noticing the same pattern with Aja. It wasn't until Ollie came home for winter break, however, that their suspicions were confirmed. Of all her siblings, Aja had always been the closest with Ollie. She adored her big brother, and Ollie doted on her even more than their parents did. When he'd left for boarding school, Aja'd been devastated to lose her brother, but all the more devoted to him when it was revealed he could do magic. When he finally came home, she all but tackled him with a hug, and wouldn't leave his side for hours. She babbled on and on about all he'd missed at home, and peppered him with questions about magic and his new life as he unpacked. Her eyes lit up when they fell on his wand, and like the curious little girl she was, she picked it up. Unfortunately, the moment her fingers closed around the hilt, all the lightbulbs in the house blew up.

With this final confirmation that Aja was a witch, she began playing more and more with her magical abilities. Eventually she actually got pretty good at directing her magic – at least, as good as she could get without a wand or any real knowledge of spells. She learned to entice wild animals to come to her, make her mom think her room was cleaner than it actually was, and change the colors of her toys, among other things. She was, and still is to this day absolutely delighted with magic. At first the other Kay siblings didn't know how to react to their magical brother and sister. Some were jealous, others were enthralled, but eventually everyone just accepted them as more quirks in their eclectic family.

Aja's first year at Salem's was also Ollie's last. She was sorted into the same house as him, and throughout the year the two could often be seen together at night in the common room, working on homework or teasing each other. Ollie had a friend group of his own that he'd have fun with, but whenever Aja wasn't with her brother, she was alone. When the two went home for break, Aja took full advantage of having a seventeen year-old brother. Ollie was no longer underage and thus could freely use magic outside of school – which meant that as long as Aja practiced her spells near him, the Republic of Magic wouldn't be able to tell which of the two was casting outside of Salem's. Ollie (and their parents) was disapproving at first, but he'd never been able to deny his little sister anything, and if there was one thing Aja was good at, it was getting her way. She even got Ollie to teach her some of the more advanced spells.

This continued even after Ollie graduated, as he continued to live in their family house to help take care of his younger siblings. He currently works in Chicago's wizarding world in a vet's office for magical pets. As for Aja, she's continued her studies at Salem's without her brother. By all accounts, she's a friendly girl and a good student, but no one seems to know anything about her besides that.

Aella Persephone Strand

Female

16

6th

Muggleborn

Good

|Copper and Silver|

-Alchemy
-Apparition
-Care of Magical Creatures

-Magical Creatures Club
-Astronomy Club

A Random Drunk Man

Astronomy

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Doe

Crisp air and wood

Springy, Hemlock wood, Unicorn hair, 13 ½ inches

-Quick at drawing wand
-Can learn potions, plants, and creatures easily

-Is inefficient in spellwork
-Does not grasp a spell easily
-Spells often don’t work

For Aella's whole life, she had been on the outside, looking into the window at others. Yes, she was friendly and warm, sympathetic and empathetic, but her awkwardness and inability to communicate well without coming off as weird or annoying usually turned people away. Her strict adherring to the rules and general fear of everything led to others thinking her a bore. So, instead, she dove into her studies, not having surfaced from her education since the second grade of primary school. She became the rock for her friends, a reliable rock that was always there in the corner, but never approached unless needed. She was the paper weight whose only purpose was to hold the papers down. Nevertheless, Aella is loyal, always the shoulder to cry on, and always willing to give advice, though half the time she has no idea what she is talking about; a gentle hand to guide to the light, but remains in the dark. And so, she filled her time with hardwork and perfecting every homework assignment, to the last letter.

When alone, Aella was even more of a mess. Every time she looked into a mirror, insecurity stabbed her in the gut; every time she made a decision, she regretted it. She became cynical and pessimistic, believing that humans didn't have the capabilities to care for others, only themselves. As if to prove her point, people walked over her as if she were a welcome mat, but, to their credit, she never stood up for herself. She was submissive, did everything everyone expected her to do, she was easily discouraged by others and completely dependent on her peers to determine her self-worth. She was always tense and timid, expecting the worse to happen. Aella was neurotic and anxious to the max, always going over in her head the worst case scenario - it got so bad sometimes, that she would become sick from her anxiety and throw up. And despite her hidden desire of being idolized by others, she became a conformist and a coward. Even though she was brimming with opinions, she kept her mouth shut and went along with whatever people told her to do. She ran from confrontation and everything else. Aella put effort into blending in with everyone else, becoming a forgetful face. However, there were moments when her clumsy nature would expose her to her peers, set her apart if only momentarily. It is easy to guess that Aella is depressed, often crying when no one is looking and cursing her bad luck. When she discovered she was a witch, Aella turned to superstitions, hoping she could change her luck, but so far the six years have been fruitless.

-Southern Sweet Tea
-Baked Alaska
-Ice cream (favorite flavors: Neapolitan, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Green Tea, Pistachio, Butter Pecan)
-Root Beer
-Root Beer Float
-Animals
-Stars
-Lapidary
-Reading (Favorite Authors: Edgar Allan Poe and Dr. Suess)
-Origami
-Puzzles/Sudoku

-Alcohol
-Tobacco
-Breaking Rules
-Strong Perfume/Cologne
-Risks
-Juice
-Breakfast Food
-Breakfast for lunch/dinner
-Food touching other food
-Wearing socks without shoes
-Her toes touching each other (She has to wear toe socks)
-Flat Soda
-Spiders

-Being embarrassed
-Failing
-Being a disappointment
-Being alone
-Clowns
-Dolls
-Ghosts
-Needles
-Rejection
-Roller coasters
-Spiders
-Buried alive

-Lapidary
-Star Gazing
-Reading
-Origami
-Puzzles/Sudoku

Aella was born and raised in Palatka, Florida. It was a nobody town that nobody has ever heard of, but Aella liked the smallness of it all. She was the third child to muggle parents John and Karen and she had two older sisters, Clio and Thalia who were six and seven years older than her. While her family was always close, and she was closer to them than anybody else in her life, Aella always felt like she was too different than the family - too young, too immature at the moment. While Clio and Thalia were best friends, Aella sought friendship with rats. She started raising rats from a young age, and by the age of eight, she had six female rats.

Around the age of nine, Aella's mother began drinking heavily. Aella didn't really understand much of what was going on since her family neglected to tell her, but it felt as if the family was breaking apart. Aella dove into anime, reading, and rats to escape the whole ordeal. The eldest sister, Thalia, began fighting with her mother - this wasn't so much of a surprise, since the two were too alike to not fight, but it was starting to escalate. Until one day, Karen kicked Thalia out of the house during the summer. For a month, Thalia was forced to find refuge with her friends, only sixteen years old. During the night, sometimes Thalia would break into the house and chill with her friends in the basement. Clio knew about it, but had steadily grown more distant towards her sister, often times staying at a friend's house when she knew Thalia was coming over. This left Aella alone, knowing that her sister was drinking and smoking down in the basement while her parents slept.

Meanwhile, her mother's drinking hadn't been getting any better. Aella had been in her room, reading a Dr. Seuss book, when her mother came in, slurring and stumbling. Aella tried to ignore her, and her father had to drag her mother out of her room and into the hallway; Aella shut the door and locked it. It was only minutes later when she heard shouting and Aella peeked her head out of the door - her mother was rummaging through the pantry which was just down the hall and her father was trying to pull her away. Aella quickly closed the door and huddled on her bed, trying to close the sounds out, when Clio came into the room with a popcorn bowl. But instead of popcorn, there were pill bottles. Clio urged Aella to hide it and, on hands and knees, Aella stuck it underneath her bed and sat up just before her mother came bursting into the door. Aella couldn't make out what her mother was saying anymore, her words were so slurred, but all she could hear was her father on the phone telling someone that his wife had swallowed pills and he needed help. The ambulance came and went, Aella's father and mother with it. Aella tossed and turned until one in the morning until she went downstairs into her sister's room and climbed into bed with her.

After that night, Aella's mother went to rehab for a couple of months and came back better. Thalia was allowed back into the house, and harmony was restored. But Aella came out of the ordeal tenser and more reclusive than before. Soon enough, she got her letter to Salem Witches' Institute - baffling her mother and father - and started to attend. There, she didn't have much luck with friends, and after her first year there, Aella had fallen into a depression. When she arrived home for the summer, she was sent to therapy where they realized that she might have clinical anxiety and depression. She was put on pills and then whisked back to school. During her second year, Thalia changed drastically. She had gotten pregnant with her ex-fiance, partied too hard, and had a tobacco addiction. She lacked responsibility, something that Clio possessed, and Aella realized that she had two options: become like Thalia or like Clio. She chose Clio, setting her on the path of a cautious girl who took no risks in life. By the time Aella came back home after her second year, Thalia had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It was in the beginning months of her third year at Salem when Thalia had her son, Cal, and given full custody over to her parents. Despite being now in her twenties, Thalia was going in no direction, was living at home with her parents, and could not provide emotionally or financially for her child. The stress put on Aella's mother who desperately tried to get Thalia on track led Karen to a familiar comfort that would solve her problems. Alcohol. And, going into her sixth year, not much has changed - Karen Strand was still an alcoholic, Thalia was still a deadbeat mother, Clio had distanced herself from the family, and John Strand was barely staying in the marriage.

Dorado Schmitz(Please, please, please just call him Dor)

Male

16

6

O positive Pureblood

Good

His mother has a doberman named Nebula and she is just the sweetest most beautiful dog in the world, yes she is

Muggle Studies
Care of Magical Creatures
Apparition

Magical Creatures Club
Potions Club
Quidditch

12 1/4" Sequoia with dragon heart string, reasonably supple
(I liked the Sequoia description, it's American, it fits Dor)

Dorado is sure of himself in almost every degree. He was rarely denied anything growing up and quickly found that he's good at what he likes to do. That's not to say he doesn't work for it, he does. He's just lucky enough to have that extra bit of talent adding to what he accomplishes. He's a social person, enjoying conversing with people of different backgrounds and learning from them. He strives to treat everyone with the respect they deserve. Dor loves attention and is not afraid to stand out with what he does. He'll answer any question in class, pull impressive maneuvers on the Quidditch pitch, and often speak out loud and at length of his various accomplishments. However, he'll gladly play up the accomplishments of others as well, especially his friends. So long as he's the one who gets to tell the story. He can be a competitive guy, enjoying proving that he's better at Potions or Quidditch or chess, and he finds it very difficult to be a graceful loser when he's bested.

Despite his best efforts to be respectful towards all, he often falls short. He's not only confident in his own judgment and beliefs, but can be rather self-righteous when it comes to the treatment of non-wizards, letting him conveniently overlook the lack of respect he's currently showing for a witch or wizard. He considers himself above those who lack both talent and the work ethic to make up for a lack of talent. He figures there's no excuse to not be good at something. Adding to his list of shortcoming in the respect department is the way he can be with girls. Not that he thinks women are inferior. His mother is a clear example of why that's absolutely idiotic. No, he's just a teenage boy who often overlooks the feelings and personalities of young women in his quest to get some action. But it's harmless, it's not like he's actually gone after another girl while in a relationship. Well... except that one time. It's clear that despite his well-meaning values, he's still got a lot of learning to do about humans and magical creatures alike before he can truly make a difference.

He enjoys a good party and a good time. He waves away any concerns that he could damage his reputation for the future with a favorite quote from his father: "No politician is to be trusted. But I'd take one who's flaws I can see over one who seems flawless."

Girls
Sports and physical activity (Quidditch, basketball, swimming)
Wizard's chess
The outdoors
Parties
Challenges
Rainy days
Magical creatures
Potions

Willful Ignorance
Losing
Being told he can't do something
Being alone for too long
Astronomy
Snow (the first few times it was great, but after that...)
Being called by his full name

Becoming a representative in the Republic only to grow complacent and corrupt.
Muggle automobiles. The words "screaming metal death trap" come to mind.

Dorado was raised by relatively average magical parents though his mother is a fairly gifted witch. In her time at school she was in Warren, a skilled potioneer and head of the Astronomy Club. His father, in Good, was never too skilled in magic. Despite that he managed to charm the young witch working at Foxglove and Mushrooms in his seventh year. The two later moved to Arizona and run their own apothecary outside of Tucson.

Growing up an only child, Dorado has always considered himself something special. His parents' love and full support gave him the confidence and to after any goal he had, no matter how small or how outlandish it may be. His parents allowed him to learn for himself what was within his limits rather than squash his dreams outright. His parents' apothecary served as the primary source of potions and ingredients in much of the area between Texas and California, and as such his mother often had to restock. From an early age, Dorado was fascinated by the man who dealt in ingredients from magical creatures. He came in every month with wild stories and great quantities of ingredients for his mother. As he grew up and slowly got to know the man that was Ezra Noyer, he learned more and more about the magical natural world. Specifically, how unhappy it was with wizard-kind.

When it came time to go to Salem Witch's Institute, Dorado was overjoyed at the idea of finally learning more about magical creatures for himself as well as the art to which his mother had devoted her life. As he continued his time at Hogwarts, a few things became very clear to him. One was that, as a whole, the world wizarding community was irresponsible in its interactions with non-wizards. He also began to think that he was the one who would do something about it. It also became clear to him that he was good at Quidditch and that that got him attention from girls. He chose his classes in his third year with the intention of one day going on to represent the interests of magical beings and muggles alike. After graduating from Salem Witch's Institute he plans to either attend a Muggle University or spend a few years assisting Mr. Noyer in his work, perhaps one then the other. Following that he wishes to become a representative in the Republic once he feels he really understands these outside parties.

Larissa “Lars” or “Larzy” Leone

Female

15

5th

Halfblood

Tituba

Pine, unicorn hair core, 9 ½ inches, slightly springy

Care of magical creatures
Study of ancient runes
Muggle Studies

Magical Creatures Club.

Excels in spell work and charms
Works well with magical creatures
Decent at flying

Piss poor at potions
Doesn’t work well with plants
Unfortunately crappy aim when using spells

A very large and very irate moose.

Wood moth.

Pine trees and campfires.

From the time she was small, Lars has always been considered a happy and energetic person, with a very curious nature and a great deal of kindness. While she doesn’t always fit in, she has an odd sort of charm that often makes her hard to hate, not that she would care too much if someone did dislike her. She’s can be a bit stubborn, especially when she believes something is unfair or cruel, and won’t shy away from defending herself or whoever she believes needs defending at the time. She could be considered a pacifist, if not for the fact that she believes not everyone can get along and that fights are inevitable. Despite this, she is mostly laid back and care free, preferring to be open minded, patient and kind to those she likes and to simply avoid those she doesn’t (which are far and few between).

While she is very friendly, Lars often prefers to keep to herself, and has a golden rule of keeping her problems, however large or small, private. She doesn’t like to trouble others with anything she believes she can handle on her own, and worries that she’s being bothersome and difficult when she does. Her pride can sometimes dictate her choices, making it hard for her to seek out help when she really needs it. If she ever does though, it’s a sure sign that she respects you very much and will most likely to return the favor tenfold. She is a very loyal person, and won’t forget kindness when kindness is given. She's never been one to take others for granted and is quite reliable.

When it comes to academics, Lars is a bit of an underachiever, often doing the minimum of what needs to be done so that she can pass her classes and then quickly get back to her own business. She doesn’t thrive well in formal education settings, and she prefers to teach herself. When it comes to subjects that she is interested in, she could be considered a sponge, and is always full of enthusiasm and motivation to know more. Hands-on work is best for her, as she likes a very active learning style. While she can easily thrive on her own, her lack of time management skills and habit of procrastinating can sometimes lead her astray.

While Lars is a very hard-working and honest individual, she doesn’t much like being rushed or pressured to do anything, and works very poorly under pressure. If given adequate time and recourses though, she can be very imaginative, innovative, and clever when solving problems, and will always strive for the best results. While she likes to have clear instructions to start from, she won't turn down using more effecient short cuts to reach the same results. She has a hard time actually working with people though, as she doesn’t trust others very easily and refuses to carry all the burden herself.

- Tea/coffee/caffeine in general
- Anything to do with art. (both making and appreciating it)
- Comics/books/cartoons
- Anything she deems cute (this includes pretty much any magical creature)
- Her father and two brothers
- Being outdoors/camping
- Summer thunderstorms
- A very wide variety of music
- Doing exciting things
-

- Fighting/arguing/shouting
- Cold rainstorms
- Restrictions
- Her mother
- Injustice / cruelty
- Super hot weather and sunburns
- Shorts that are too short
- Having nothing to do

- Moose and large, hooved animals
- Anything to do with suffocating
- Being dehumanized

- Drawing and painting
- Sitting outdoors and listening to music
- Reading comics/books
- Teaching Bel and Gar little tricks

Larissa was born in Grayling, a quiet but incredibly friendly and peaceful town located towards the top of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Her parents were a witch who worked as a seamstress and a plain old muggle father who worked as a carpenter. She was born second to her older brother, Rigel, and then a few years after that her youngest brother Leo was born. And then maybe a few months after that, her parents divorced. She was only four at the time, and doesn’t remember much of a transition, honestly. Her mother received custody of all three of them, while her father received visits and shared holidays, though, that eventually dwindled down to a few times a year thanks to his muggle job.

When Lars was six, her brother received his letter to Salem. Her mother was the most excited about the news, suddenly so proud to have a magical child. Rigel seemed less happy with the news, but Lars couldn’t honestly remember that well. She recalls her brother and mother fighting about it sometimes, but she never stuck her nose in it. Sometime during her brother’s fourth year, he moved out of their mothers and in with a friend of his. It bothered Lars a bit, but because her mother wouldn’t make a big deal of it, neither did she.

Eventually, when Lars was finally old enough, she received her own letter to Salem, and her mother was once again suddenly so proud of having magical children. Her mother was a bit overbearing about it, but she never voiced her opinion on it for fear of starting a fight. It wasn’t that she wasn’t just as excited, but her mother made her feel less like a child and more like a trophy whenever she talked about it. Her father, being a muggle, didn’t really understand very much, even after going through the process with Rigel. He offered silent support and that was enough for her.

First year was rough. Making friends was hard, classes sucked, and Lars honestly wasn’t understanding any of what she was supposed to be learning. Her brother offered some help, but it didn’t too much good. Her grades were pretty bad that year, and her mother only picked fights about it, which oddly both bothered and motivated Lars to do better. By the end of her second year, she was towards the top of her classes, but the fights with her mother only seemed to get worse. Her brother had long since graduated, and had started working in the muggle world with her father. She didn’t see a lot of him especially after that, but in some odd twist of fate, her and her father began to talk more. By the end of her third year, she’d moved in with her father, and begun talking to Rigel again.

During her fourth year, Lars’ younger brother Leo began attending Salem. She hadn’t seen as much of him since she’d loved in with their father, so she was pretty excited to see him attending school with her. Leo and she had always been pretty close. It was around then too that Lars really began to feed her interest in mythical creatures, eventually joining the Magical Creatures Club. She’s coming into her fifth year now, and is pretty excited. She’s beginning to take a serious interest in art and mythical creatures now, and wants to look into future careers involving either.

Julius "Jules" Aquino

Male

13

3rd

Half-Blood

Tituba

Cedar, Dragon Heartstring, Pliable, 11 3/4"

None, but has been begging his mom for a dog for years. Or a dragon.

Care of Magical Creatures
Muggle Studies
Divination

Magical Creatures Club

Jules specializes in back-talking, smack-talking, trouble-making, and heart-breaking (because really, look at those eyes). Already very independent, Jules hates it when people tell him what to do, and even more when they talk down to him. He's rash, and has no tact to him at all, but at least you always know that what you see is what you get with him. Somehow though, people can never stay mad at him when he does something that by all accounts should land him in detention (and often does). Jules still has all the wonder and curiosity of a little boy, and a smile that lights up his face.

Though he's never cared much for things like rules or authority, Jules has high moral standards and empathy, and no patience for cruelty. He's a small, but scrappy kid who isn't afraid to stand up to someone and pick a fight… even when it can only end badly for him. Jules is also very responsible, something that tends to catch most people off guard. He's a dependable sort with a protective streak, who you can go to for almost anything, and he'll have your back. Especially if it means making a little mischief. He loves mischief. In his few years at Salem's, he's already garnered a reputation among teachers and students alike for pulling pranks and being a general disturbance. Jules never means any harm, though (unless it's fight pickin' time) and mostly just does it to make others laugh. He likes spending time with other people and cracking jokes, so he's pretty popular with the other students his age.

He's brave, loyal, curious, and mischievous, but all in all, he's just a kid who's stumbled into magical abilities and wants to have fun with them. What can possibly go wrong.

His mom
Animals of all sorts
General tomfoolery

Rules
Being talked down to
Bullies
His mom being anything but happy

Loss
Heights
Uselessness

A scrawny punk from Richmond, CA, Jules was born to single mother, Rosa Aquino. Rosa, a squib, immigrated to America from the Philippines when she was still pregnant, and managed to find a shabby apartment in the Bay Area just in time to give birth to him. Though she lacked any talent for magic, she knew that in all likelihood Jules would be a wizard just like his grandpa. So when at three years old, Rosa inexplicably found him sitting on top of the refrigerator – where she'd hidden a toy she'd confiscated from him two days ago – she knew exactly what was going on. On her next day off from work, she took baby Julius to San Francisco's wizarding district and walked him through the allies.

His introduction to the magical world was… a noisy one. He stared, wide-eyed as Rosa walked him into Sybill's Savoring Sweeties, a candy shop. The two of them played with the different treats, some changing color, some moving all on their own. They dissolved into giggles as Jules' wonder and delight. But then as Rosa was distracted talking to Sybill, little Jules picked up a few of the fire-crackers and dropped them on the floor. The ensuing cacophony was something to behold, and he almost lit the store on fire. The two woman did the reasonable thing and freaked out, but Jules just giggled at the spectacle, in awe (it wasn't uncommon to hear gunshots at night in Richmond – Jules had stopped being afraid of loud noises long before magic entered his life).

The knowledge that he was different from the other kids at school, that he had magic, didn't impede his ability to make friends. Instead, it was all the time he spent in time-out. Teachers were quick to brand him a trouble-maker for both his love of pranks and his uncanny ability to start fights with other kids in the play yard every time someone wasn't looking. It didn't matter if Jules was the target, or if it was his friend, or someone he didn't know at all. If someone started doing something that he didn't think was right, he stepped in. Luckily, five year olds can't do much to seriously hurt each other. But still, it landed him in time-out often enough, and poor Rosa got more and more calls about her unruly son. Eventually, enough was enough, and she decided that it was time he got a good lecture – along with a couple of smacks to the head. Jules wasn't exactly cured of his ways, but at least he got better at knowing where the line was drawn – and when it was acceptable to cross it.

As Jules grew older, Rosa started depending on him more and more. She took him to doctor appointments to translate her broken mix of English and Tagalog, had him take official phone calls for her so she wouldn't have to speak, and had him negotiate with their landlord, because she didn't trust her ability to do it well enough. Jules took on more and more responsibility, almost becoming a parent in his own right. His mom worked two jobs and late nights, so he learned to cook and made dinner for her from the few ingredients stocked in their fridge so she'd have something to eat when she got home. As he got taller and more responsible, Rosa seemed to shrink, time and her heavy work load weighing her down.

Leaving for Salem's when Jules was eleven was both the most exciting and most painful thing he'd ever done. He hated leaving his mom. Who was going to talk for her, or make her dinner, or give her a good morning kiss? And Richmond wasn't exactly a safe neighborhood. Even at his young age, he knew that much. But Rosa insisted, saying that they would write each other every week (a tradition they still continue, even today) and that she would be fine. Besides, didn't he want to learn all about magic? He'd learn so many wonderful things, and then during breaks he could come home and they could go into magical San Francisco so Jules could show off and not get in trouble for using underage magic. It'd be the best experience of his life, she promised.

Phoebe Charleston

Female

16

6

Half-Blood

Good

None

Alchemy
Apparition
Care of Magical Creatures

Choir
Dueling Club

“Oh cute, you want to learn a bit about me. Why don’t you grow a pair and ask me instead of being a wuss and asking someone about me?”

It isn’t very hard to notice that Phoebe is quite strong-willed after the first time someone meets her. She isn’t one that is easily intimidated and is quick to speak her mind both in a conversation or a confrontation. Even as a young child Phoebe was seen as a strong-minded child in which her family often says took after her Aunt Liz in that aspect. However because of that, Phoebe usually knows what she wants to do and won't hesitate to go after it, whether it is a good grade, a new friend or a new love interest.

A tad self centered and vain, Phoebe can be a little too focused on her physical appearance a tad more than she should be. Not only that, she isn't one that likes to be alone and will purposely strike up a conversation with others for the sake of having company. Although she can come off as a bit harsh and with a bit of a temper, she does have a caring streak for others and is more than willing to lend a hand, as long as she doesn't think of you as annoying.

Being around others
Dogs and cats
Coffee!!!
Flowers
Visiting Honeycutt
Music

Spiders and other creepy crawly creatures
Bad hair days
Rainy days

Becoming rejected and alone
Loosing friends
Failing classes
Loosing Aunt Liz

"Why are you being so nosy? I was an only child with just my mom raising me. Aunt Liz was pretty cool too. Seriously, what else do you want to know about me? Why don't you fuck off and leave me alone."

Although born in a family with a muggle born witch and the paternal side of her family from a pure bloodline, it wasn't until Phoebe was ten years old before she was first exposed to the world of magic. The use of magic was banned in the Charleston household and even though Phoebe's family objected to the idea, respected her mother's wishes after the death of Phoebe's father at the age of two knowing that it reminded her of her deceased husband. Even though the memories of her father is nonexistent and her mother wasn't one that freely shared information about him, she learned bits and pieces about him from when her father's parents or sister came to visit but it wasn't until Christmas dinner when Phoebe was ten when she was first "accidentally" exposed to magic and a new side of her family.

From watching over her while her mother worked long hours or cheering her on at soccer games, Aunt Liz was a central part of Phoebe's life growing up and was one she often looked up to. It was often circulated through the family that the two of them shared a similar strong personality and it was proven correct yet again when Liz and Phoebe’s mother got into a heated argument over telling Phoebe about magic since she passed her tenth birthday and had a year left before she would go to Salem.

“I don’t care about if you want to continue to shut magic out of your life because it reminds you of my brother, that is fucking up to you but the girl has the right to know.”

From all the years she could remember of her aunt and mother, never did she hear the two argue as much as they did that night and in hindsight the bits and pieces she heard should have pointed her towards the idea of trying to figure out what was going on but she got her answer a week later when she and Liz went out to take a walk in the snow when she got the first real glimpse of magic. That was when her hunger for magic started. Her mother was upset for a few days but didn’t stop the girl from going with her aunt and exploring a whole new side to life and learning more of who her family actually was.

At Salem, Phoebe did a pretty good job at school throughout the years. She wasn’t a star student with perfect grades but was far from being at the bottom of the class. She had quite a few casual friends and acquaintances and worked hard on knowing as many people as she could by name but there was only a select few in which she would call a good friend.