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Ziba Soames
Status:
Half-blood
Nationality:
English
Residence:
Norton, England
Function:
Second year, Gryffindor
Wand:
23,4 cm cherry wood and jackalope antler
Ziba didn't always know she was a witch. She'd always thought her parents were simple, average, common folk - just like everyone else. There was no problem with that, of course, except for the tiny voice in her head that whispered possibilities of so much more than meets the eye.

Sometimes, it was more than just a voice that made her wonder. Sometimes it was her toys, suddenly appearing on a shelf or under bed when she was sure she hadn't put them there. Sometimes it was her hairbrush suddenly sticking to her mum's fingers whenever she tried to tame her long locks after a long day of running around in the fields. Sometimes it was a peculiarly small owl passing overhead with determined thrusts of his wings. If she squinted hard, she thought she could see a tiny letter clutched in his claws. Sometimes it was Aunt Ira who would make dramatic surprise visits a few times a year, ready to pull little Zi onto her lap and share stories about creatures, heroes, and lands she'd never heard of before. Mum always seemed a little high strung whenever Aunt Ira was in town. And sometimes it was those quiet moments at night, lying wide awake in bed long after her dad had tucked her in, her mind teasing the idea that maybe those stories were real and maybe there was a whole world out there, ready to be discovered... and waiting for her.

It wasn't until Ziba's 7th birthday that the truth was finally revealed via a chocolate ice cream cake that spontaneously broke out into an operatic and slightly off-key version of the birthday song. After that incident, it was hard for her parents to deny the signs any longer. She was a witch. And so was her mum.

Apparently, her parents had wanted to keep her magical abilities a secret from her out of fear. Her mum lived through a terrible war, you see. Many people died, including Ziba's grandparents. After that, Ziba's mother wanted nothing to do with the magical world, so she ran to a small muggle town in Norton where she met her husband. Though she did confide him in her true identity, they both decided the best way to protect their daughter would be to live a fully muggle life and hope she turned out to be a muggle like her father.

Of course, that only lasted for so long. Zi's powers started showing at an early age, almost begging to expose her parent's lies. So when the cake on her 7th birthday started performing a little dance number for them, they sighed and realized there was no more hiding the truth. Aunt Ira, of course, was elated. "I knew it!" she yelled, scooping Zi up into her arms and dancing along with the chocolate dessert. Zi looked up at her and swore she saw a twinkle in her aunt's eyes. "I knew I saw a spark in you," her aunt said proudly. Zi, still shocked by how loud and... flexible her birthday cake was, slowly beamed as she began to realize. She'd been right all along.

The Soames family had a long talk that night after Aunt Ira left. Ziba had hundreds of questions so they told her everything - how her mother came from a magical family, how she learned how to control her powers, how she went to a magical school with other children like her, and how there was an evil man who almost destroyed it all. Hearing about the man sent chills down Ziba's spine. Whenever she thought about her secret world, she never once imagined how dangerous it could be. But it didn't stop her from being curious and wanting to know more, to know everything. She wanted to learn about her powers, about other magical children, and about this castle hidden in the Scottish Highlands. She hoped when she saw Aunt Ira again, she could share some stories of her own. So when Zi finally received her letter of invitation to attend Hogwarts, she knew her own story was just about to begin.

---

Ziba, affectionally called Zi by her family and friends, is a young girl with a big imagination. She wants to go on adventures like her aunt and is curious about the world around her. Summer is her favorite season because it means spending hours outside exploring in the tall grass fields behind her house, climbing trees and seeing the town stretch out before her. Ziba is well-mannered and can sometimes be in her own head for too long, but she also won't hesitate to speak her mind and tell people what she wants. She likes to ask a lot of questions and use those answers to understand whatever is puzzling her at the time. Her dad always says she talks a lot for someone who thinks too much. She is independent and open-minded, not afraid to try new things and come to her own conclusions about them instead of relying on what other people think or feel about it. She's tough and can take a fall on her bum quite well, and especially enjoys hearing stories about fearsome beasts and daring heroes, but socializing with her peers is another monster she is still learning to battle.

Most of all, Zi loves her family. Everyone says she is the spitting image of her beautiful mother - flowing brown hair, smooth tanned skin, and dark eyes filled with warmth. Ziba doesn't think much on her looks but she does take pride in following her mum's example of being kind yet strong-willed. However, there is some lingering bitterness over the fact that her parents wanted to hide everything from her. They support her pursuit for a magical education but still refuse to use magic around the house, though Aunt Ira said after one year at Hogwarts, Ziba will come back and try to change their minds. She hopes she will. She's a witch, after all.