i. the overview.
1. the basics || 2. the magic
ii. the person.
1. the qualities || 2. the opinions || 3. the types
iii. the trunk.
iv. the looks.
v. the relations.
1. the family || 2. the friends
vi. the backstory.
1. the history || 2. the schedule || 3. the o.w.l.s
vii. the threads.
(year 1) (year 2) (year 3) (year 4) (year 5) (year 6) (year 7)
viii. the inventory.
iv. the inpc.

*****

name. Alyssa Hesper Salinger ✰ nickname. Aly /æli/ ✰ house. Ravenclaw ✰ age. 16 ✰ birthday. May 9, 2008 ✰ year. 5th year

rebellious. Aly is just so tired of the role in which she's been placed for her entire life. It's time for her to come out of her shell and become her own person - and maybe even break a rule or two along the way. reckless. Becoming bolder and bolder, Aly is turning into the kind of person who simply doesn't care about the consequences anymore - well, mostly, anyway. Honestly, safety is no longer a concern of hers. It's about what she can do rather than what she should. Yes, this includes fouls.
	anxious. Aly is an overthinker, plain and simple (ironically enough). When faced with an unsure situation, she'll go over it in her mind a thousand (or more) times until she's satisfied it'll be all right. scared. Sure, she puts on this tough exterior nowadays, but inside, Aly is still just a scared little girl. Her life recently has had enough loss, and she's always terrified that she's going to lose more.
sweet. Having a bad day? She'll be there to cheer you up with a soft smile, freshly picked flowers, and a shoulder to cry on. Aly knows what it’s like to be down, and she always tries to pick others up - especially if they're hurt. She's a born Healer, one might even say a paragon of health... bighearted. Those who have found themselves lucky enough to receive Aly's love may drown in it. She will always put her loved ones first, before anything else, and shower them with affection, lest they be taken from her.
	withdrawn. Though "shy" and "quiet" are not usually in Aly's vocabulary, she’s become more distant as of late. She’s learned to think more than she talks, so she doesn’t blurt things out quite as much as she’s used to, staying more in her own head... distracted. Her head may not literally be in the clouds, but there's often something else on Aly's mind taking her away from wherever she is at the present... especially if she doesn't want to be there.
creative. She may not be artistic, per se, but Aly has a knack for thinking outside of the box. She's a Ravenclaw for a reason, after all, and that's not just because of her smarts! She's a dreamer, too, you know. wise. Aly has learned a lot recently... or, at least, she thinks she has. In her opinion, she's a wizened witch with a great knowledge of the happenings and goings of life, which can sometimes be a bit insufferable if you get her talking about it for long enough.
	vain. One of this lovely creature's less endearing qualities, she will always be the one to stop at a mirror just to double-check her lipstick, or worry about her hair and fit more than a pressing problem. Don't tell her it's a coping mechanism, though. She won't take kindly to that. self-indulgent. Sure, Aly will still put her loved ones above anything, but she's also learned to put herself first, too. After all, it's her life to live - if she won't live it, who will?
friendly. Aly could make friends with a brick wall if she so chose. She doesn’t do it as much anymore, but if she wants to be your friend, she can be a real charmer sometimes. intelligent. Aly isn't as interested in school, grades or perfection as she used to be, but that doesn't mean she's not still as smart as a whip. And she still loves to read during her free time, though her literary tastes have changed...
	athletic. Aly once held the first-string Keeper position on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She left the team when she left Hogwarts, but came back stronger than ever and has since switched to Chaser (and now Seeker). independent. Aly used to be a terribly needy person who always had to be the most loved in the room. Now, she knows that people can leave no matter how much they love you. So she doesn't care as much.
restless. While this used to mean that Aly couldn’t sit still, now it also means that she doesn’t like being in one place or being one person for too long. Life was made to change, after all, and Aly knows that better than anyone. confrontational. Hey, if Aly doesn't like you, you're going to know it. She's done with playing games around people she doesn't care for, so if you wrong her, steel yourself for an argument.
	determined. Aly has big goals and ambitions. Once she gets her heart set on something, you may find it difficult to tell her no. She’s stubborn as a mule and twice as clever, and she’ll stop at nothing to get the job done. resilient. You can kick her down as many times as you like, but she'll always get back up again. In her mind, there's nothing anyone can do to her that's worse than what she's been through... so she can get through anything.
curious. If there's one thing Aly hates most, it's not knowing something. This provides drive to her love of learning, but also makes her incredibly nosy. But don't worry, she can keep a secret! Nowadays, she's more interested in the theoretical anyway... thoughtful. Sure, she's an overthinker, but that means she must be a thinker in the first place, right? Her mind is always running chock-full of different things.

likes. Reading, flying, exploring/adventures, sugar, hanging out with friends, Muggle culture, learning, flowers dislikes. Her mother's rules, mean people, snotty purebloods, being trapped, bugs, being told she can’t do things, certain Hufflepuffs favourite subjects. Astronomy (favourite subject), Divination, Flying, Muggle Studies, Herbology (former fave) least favourite subjects. Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration favourite food. Cauldron Cakes favourite colour. Blue! favourite song. Anything from her father's old records favourite place. The Ravenclaw common room, especially late at night

Statistics & Abilities

the stats.
stamina. 10
evasion. 11
strength. 5
wisdom. 11
arcane power. 7
accuracy. 13
(+2 from Quidditch wins x x)

the abilities.
charmer. x
keeper's catch. x
paragon of health. x
lovely creature. x
foulplay. x

Spells Acquired

Reducio

first year.
Bewitched Snowballs • Nive Percutio
Bubble-Producing Charm • Bullarum Immortalem
Curse of the Bogies • Mucus ad Nauseam
Dancing-Feet Spell • Tarantallegra
Extinguishing Charm • Extinguo
Eyeglass Repair Charm • Oculus Reparo
Fire-Making Spell • Incendio
Four-Point Spell • Point Me
Glass to Sand • Quarzicum
Green Sparks Charm • Verdimillious
Knife to Paper Airplane • Cultrofors
Knockback Jinx • Flipendo
Levitation Charm • Wingardium Leviosa
Locking Charm • Colloportus
Matchbox Transformation Spell • Flintifors
Matchstick to Needle • Conmutocus
Mending Charm • Reparo
Mice to Snuffboxes • Muspyxis
Opening Charm • Aberto
Passage Opening Charm • Dissendium
Red Spark Charm • Periculum
Sauce-Making Spell • Condimentum
Scouring Charm • Scourgify
Shooting Spell • Jaculor
Smokescreen Spell • Fumos
Snail to Teapot • Choclea Bibe
Sneezing Hex • Steleus
Snowflake-Creating Spell • Nix Facitur
Take Root • Anathema Daphnis
Umbrella Spell • Pluvia Velo
Unlocking Charm • Alohomora
Untransfiguration • Reparifarge
Wand-Extinguishing Charm • Nox
Wand-Lighting Charm • Lumos
Whistle to Watch • Tunc Sibilus

second year.
Atmospheric Charm • Caelum Muto
Avifors Spell • Avifors
Blindfolding Spell • Obscuro
Blue Sparks Charm • Caerulimillious
Bluebell Flames • Caeruleus Inflamarae
Cascading Jinx • Ingens Explosiones
Clothing Color-Changing Charm • Multicorfors
Color-Changing Charm • Colovaria
Disarming Charm • Expelliarmus
Engorgement Charm • Engorgio
Fiery Script Charm • Flagrate
Fire-Making Spell • Incendio Duo
Flask-Conjuration Spell • Potiri Putine
Flower-Conjuring Spell • Orchideous
Freezing Charm • Immobulus
Fur-Growing Spell • Furrure Cresco
General Counter-Spell • Finite Incantatem
Gluing Spell • Epoximise
Hair Color-Changing Charm • Crinus Muto
Hardening Charm • Duro
Hive-Conjuring Spell • Cutem Uro
Hot-Air Charm • Aer Calidus
Illegibility Charm • Illegibilus
Packing Charm • Pack
Paper Mending Charm • Papyrus Reparo
Purple Firecrackers-Conjuration Charm • Violaceous
Revealing Charm • Revelio
Reviving Spell • Rennervate
Severing Charm • Diffindo
Shrinking Charm • Reducio
Slippery-Jinx • Lubricus
Slowing Charm • Arresto Momentum
Slug-Vomiting Charm • Slugulus Eructo
Softening Charm • Spongify
Squiggle Quill Spell • Vermiculafors
Stairs-into-Slide Charm • Glisseo
Sun-Light Charm • Lumos Solem
Tickling Charm • Rictusempra
Tongue-Tying Spell • Mimblewimble
Weather-modifying Charm Variant • Meteolojinx
Weather-modifying Charm • Metelojinx
Weather-modifying Countercharm • Meteolojinx Recanto

third year.
Ascension Spell • Alarte Ascendare
Bandaging Charm • Ferula
Banishing Charm • Depulso
Boggart-Banishing Spell • Riddikulus
Bravery Charm • Animosus
Cheering Charm • Serenate
Cracker Jinx • Nec Divinos Crepitus
Descension Spell • Descendo
Desk into Pig Spell • Corpus Porcus
Fish to Flower • Piscimutatio
Fish Transformation Spell • Piscifors
Freezing Spell • Glacius
Full Body-Bind Curse • Petrificus Totalus
Gripping Charm • Inhaeresco
Guinea Fowl to Guinea Pig • Avum Porcus
Hair Thickening Charm • Crassus
Healing Charm • Reparifors
Hovering Charm • Sublevo Brevis
Hurling Hex • Iacta
Jelly-Brain Jinx • Wibbli Cogitatus
Knee-Reversal Hex • Retro Genibus
Leg-Growing Charm • Concalo Crura
Litterbox to Wildebeest • Arcacas Invacca
Owl to Opera Glasses • Speculafors
Porcupine [or Hedgehog] to Pincushion • Hystrifors
Radiant Wand-Lighting Charm • Lumos Maxima
Revulsion Jinx • Relashio
Rotation Charm • Circumrota
Sealant Charm • Consigno
Singing Jinx • Cantis
Snake Summons Spell • Serpensortia
Snake-Vanishing Spell • Vipera Evanesca
Spider Conjuration Spell • Arachnos
Summoning Charm • Accio
Tail-Growing Hex • Cauda Incrementum
Teacup to Tortoise • Tazachelys
Teapot to Ferret • Migaleollam
Teapot to Gerbil • Jerbollam
Teapot to Rat • Ratollam
Teapot to Tortoise • Terachelys
Teddy Bear to Spider • Arachmutatio
Twitchy Ears Hex • Trementes Aures
Vinegar to Wine • Acetum Reverto
Wand-Lighting Charm Duo • Lumos Duo
Water Repelling Charm • Impervius
Water-Heating Spell • Aqua Fervens
Wind Jinx • Ventus
Window Shattering Spell • Finestra

fourth year.
Age Line • Aetas Terminus
Amplifying Charm • Sonorus
Animal Goblet Transformation • Vera Verto
Anti-Cheating Charm • Esto Verax
Beauty Spell • Pulchra
Bedazzling Hex • Indesmulo
Blackboard-Writing Spell • Scripto
Blockage Clearing Spell • Anapneo
Broom Jinx • Indomitus
Bubblehead Charm • Aspira
Cauldron to Badger • Furificar
Cauldron to Guitar • Afinar
Cauldron to Sieve • Filtración
Dinnerplate to Mushroom • Fungifors
Drone Jinx • Obstrepere
Ducklifors Jinx • Ducklifors
Ecto Spell • Ectomatic
Fog-Conjuring Charm • Nebulus
Hair Loss Curse • Calvorio
Hair-Regrowing Spell • Capillus Incrementum
Herbivicus Charm • Herbivicus
Impediment Hex • Impedimenta
Ink Revealing Charm • Aparecium
Instant Scalping Hex • Trichaufero
Leg-Locker Curse • Locomotor Mortis
Mice Transformation Spell • Snufflifors
Minor Explosion Charm • Bombarda
Minor Healing Charm • Episkey
Mobiliarbus Charm • Mobiliarbus
Muffliato Charm • Muffliato
Pepper Breath Hex • Draco Spiritus
Pressurized Water Charm • Aqua Eructo
Quieting Charm • Quietus
Rabbit Slippers • Lepus Calceus
Rabbit Transformation Spell • Lapifors
Rock to Dog • Canifors
Shield Charm • Protego
Siphoning Spell • Tergeo
Skurge Charm • Skurge
Smokescreen Spell Duo • Fumos Duo
Somnambulist Charm • Somnambulus
Spider Repelling Spell • Arania Exumai
Star Shower Spell • Stella Cascadia
Steel Talons Transfiguration • Steelclaw
Stretching Jinx • Distringo
Structure Building Charm • Erecto
Switching Spell • Viceversus
Teeth-Straightening Spell • Recto Dente
Vacuum Cleaner Spell • Lambent Lutum
Washing Up Charm • Lavabit
Water-Making Spell • Aguamenti

fifth year.
Ascendio • Ascendio
Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers • Reveragain
Freezing Spell Tria • Glacius Tria
Herbivicus Charm II • Herbivicus Duo
Muggle-Repelling Spell • Repello Muggletum
Projectile Jinx • Waddiwasi
Shocking Area Spell • Fulgurunda
Smoke to Daggers Spell • Pluviae Acuta
Spell-Detection Spell • Specialis Revelio
Tracking Object Charm • Avensegium

Potions Known

Reducio

first year.
Antidote to Common Poisons
Antidote to Uncommon Poisons
Babbling Beverage
Bruise Removal Paste
Burn Healing Paste
Confusing Concoction
Cure for Boils
Dizziness Draught
Dogbreath Potion
Forgetfulness Potion
Herbicide Potion
Muffling Draught
Pompion Potion

second year.
Anti-Paralysis-Potion
Black-Fire-Potion
Calming Draught
Deflating Draught
Drowsiness Draught
Gregory’s Unctuous Unction
Murtlap Essence
Pepperup Potion
Sleeping Draught
Swelling Solution

third year.
Befuddlement Draught
Bulgeye Potion
Fire Breathing Potion
Grand Pepperup Potion
Laugh Inducing Potion
Madame Glossy’s Silver Polish
Mandrake Restorative Draught
Memory Potion
Pet Tonic
Revive Potion
Scintillation Solution

fourth year.
Baruffio’s Brain Elixir
Blood Replenishing Potion
Erumpent Potion
Essence of Dittany
Fatiguing Infusion
Floating Potion
Garroting Gas
Skelegro
Turbo Farts Potion
Weakness Potion
Wit Sharpening Potion
Wound Cleaning Potion

fifth year.
Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction
Wiggenweld Potion

Hesper Livingston-Salinger; NPC, Slytherin graduate of Hogwarts, b. 2 November 1984. Currently an Auror with the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Hesper is strict and overbearing, and she expects nothing but perfection from her only daughter Aly- perfection on the Quidditch pitch, perfection in grades, perfection in life. This leads to frequent clashes of personality between Aly and her mother, and the two have a complex relationship.
Looks: Straight dark hair, dark brown eyes, perfectly shiny white teeth, strong and sharply boned features.
FC: Mariacarla Boscono

Benjamin Salinger; NPC, Ravenclaw graduate of Hogwarts, b. 23 June 1986, d. 30 Nov. 2022. Formerly an employee at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Benjamin was insanely intelligent and scored perfect Outstandings on all his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s during his time at Hogwarts, leading Aly to desire to live up to his legacy. However, he was also playful and joking, and he and Aly were the best of friends up until his death during the fall of Aly’s fourth year at school. She misses him terribly.
Looks: A curly mess of light brown hair, light emerald green eyes, round glasses, freckles, friendly-looking, exceedingly tall.
FC: Finn Jones

Dauncey; NPC/official pet. Aly adopted him from the Magical Menagerie at the beginning of her third year at Hogwarts, after acquiring the promised good grades for two years that her mother had required in order for her to get a pet. She loves her big, fluffy, playful boy, and though she's had to cat-proof her dormitory due to the fact that her cat is as clumsy as she is, Aly has never been happier to have a constant companion!
Looks: Thick fluffy silver coat, playful greyish-green eyes, pure white muzzle, grey ears, short black claws, heavy frame (25 lb).

+ = positive | - = negative | n = neutral

other schools

Reducio

Manu Macedo
Friend/Pen Pal (+)
Castelobruxo
✰

inactive

Reducio

Zykeal Lane (G)
Anonymous Pen Pal (+)
✰
Lilia Eilertsen (G)
Acquaintance (n)
✰
Reynolds McNeil (H)
Acquaintance (n)
✰
Kaden Truell (H)
Acquaintance (n)
✰
Liv Hartley (H)
Acquaintance (n)
✰
Charles Cutting (R)
Acquaintance (n)
✰
Sylvain Wyllt (R)
Former Teammate/Friend (+)
✰
Charles Alluring
Cousin/Friend (+)
Beauxbatons

Some of Aly's familial, friendly, and romantic relationships can be best described through music. Specifically, Taylor Swift songs

Benjamin Salinger (deceased father) - marjorie, by taylor swift
♪ I should've asked you questions, I should've asked you how to be... 'cause every scrap of you would be taken from me ♪
✰
Hesper Livingston-Salinger (mother) - mad woman, by taylor swift
♪ every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, what about that? and when you say I seem angry, I get more angry ♪
✰
Dealla Prince (best friend) - fifteen, by taylor swift
♪ and soon enough you're best friends, laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool, we'll be out of here as soon as we can ♪
✰
Pericles Dralt (very good friend) - question...?, by taylor swift
♪ half-moon eyes, bad surprise, did you realize out of time she was on your mind? ♪
✰
Evelynn Decipio (new friend) - when emma falls in love, by taylor swift
♪ she waits and takes her time ‘cause little miss sunshine always thinks it’s gonna rain ♪
✰
Aaron Jones (ex-boyfriend) - the 1, by taylor swift
♪ I persist and resist the temptation to ask you: if one thing had been different, would everything be different today? ♪
✰
Jorah Moussa (one-time kiss) - august, by taylor swift
♪ so much for summer love and saying "us", 'cause you weren't mine to lose ♪
✰
Xailah Alptraum (unrequited first wlw crush) - gorgeous, by taylor swift
♪ you're so cool, it makes me hate you so much... you've ruined my life by not being mine, you're so gorgeous ♪

the livingstons.

Reducio

The wedding of Caelum Livingston and Darcy Priestly in 1979 was nothing short of unexpected for the high-society pureblood community of London, England. Both of them were from strict and well-known pureblood families, and their fall into love while both being Slytherins at Hogwarts was watched and approved of by all who knew them. The birth of their first child, eldest son and heir Anatoly Livingston, in Jan. 1981 was even less unexpected. The arrival of twin daughters Hesper and Cassiopeia three years later in the early November of 1984, however, took the entire family by storm.

more to be written about their childhood

And thus Hesper and Cassiopeia entered Hogwarts on September 1, 1996 with their paths already laid out for them. Their elder brother Anatoly, nearly four years their elder but four whole years ahead of them in school, was the Slytherin male prefect for his year as well as a star Slytherin duellist. Their cousin Jessica Livingston, the middle child of Caelum Livingston's younger brother Adrian, was also already in Slytherin at Hogwarts, having been born in May of 1984 just five months before the twins but an entire year ahead of them in school. Jessica was quieter and kept to kerself, but between their brother's popularity and the widespread knowledge of their family line, as well as the novelty of having identical twins at Hogwarts, Hesper and Cassie were instant hits amongst their pureblood classmates. They quickly rose to become some of the top students of their class, joined the Quidditch team as a dual pair of Chasers, became the best of friends with their cousin Jessica, cheered Anatoly on at his graduation at the end of their third year in 1999, and all in all spent their first four years at Hogwarts being intelligent, happy, and well-liked in general.

Then fifth year hit. In August of 2000, Hesper received her prefect's badge in the mail, whilst Cassiopeia was snubbed for the job. Such is the problem with having twins. Though Hesper loved her sister dearly and didn't want her to feel inferior, even offering to give up the prefecture or at least share the badge since they were identical anyway and nobody would know the difference, Cassie rejected all of her sister's attempts at peace and threw herself into a headlong competition with Hesper. Forcing herself to study late into the night to get better grades than Hesper, training long hours at the Quidditch pitch so that she could score more goals during matches, wearing more makeup to be the prettier twin, buying the newest fashions before Hesper could - Cassiopeia did everything, and all Hesper could do was watch as her beloved other half crashed and burned. And crash and burn Cassie did, right before her O.W.L.s, no less. In the end, all of Cassie's petty, spiteful fights and late nights and competitions were for naught, because she broke down in the middle of no less than four separate O.W.L.s, pulling barely A's in most of them with just a single O.

Hesper stayed the same student she had always been, receiving some O's and some E's and just one A, and Caelum and Darcy redirected all of their pride into the elder twin once more. Cassiopeia wasted away, in the eyes of their parents and in the eyes of their classmates, leaving some younger students to be surprised to find out that strong, smart, successful Hesper Livingston even had a twin in the first place. Hesper, who loved her twin dearly, always hated that Cassie had become so shy of the spotlight, but at this point, her sister would barely even speak to her. Cassie dropped off the Quidditch team, her grades sunk, and for quite a lot of their sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts - despite sharing a dormitory - the sisters almost never saw each other.

That was all right, though, because by her seventh year, Hesper had a new object on which to focus her affections. A curly-haired, bright-eyed sixth-year Ravenclaw by the name of Benjamin Salinger.

the salingers.

Reducio

Unrelated to the Muggle author J.D. Salinger, the Salinger family line had a long history of purebloodedness, albeit not the type that was often considered "right" for high society. A few times, they'd even been called blood traitors simply because they lived among Muggles and rejected the highfalutin balls, fashion, and jargon of the fancier pureblooded families. They were not rich, but they were comfortable and happy and, most of all, kind. Many Salingers had been Sorted into Hufflepuff, though a fair number had ended up in Ravenclaw all the same.

Walter Salinger was one of those Ravenclaw types, an intelligent but jolly man who much preferred small talk with coworkers and smiling during sudden rain showers over studying tomes or researching textbooks. He had an affinity for Herbology especially, something his lone granddaughter would someday share, and because of this, he met similarly anthophilic Hufflepuff student Marjorie MacDougal in the greenhouses during his fourth year. She was a year younger than him, but the pair bonded over plants and soon became fast friends. For years Walt pined after his Hufflepuff best friend, but a clueless Marjorie went about her own life as though Walt were just a pal, even going so far as to date a few of his mates; when Walt finally confessed his feelings just days before his graduation from Hogwarts, however, Marjorie could only reply with a dumbfounded: "Why, why didn't you say so?" and a sweet, impromptu kiss.

The pair were married a few years after Marjorie's own graduation and, in 1985, the new Mrs. Salinger fell pregnant. On June 23, 1986, she gave birth to the couple's only child, who they named Benjamin after Walt's late father. The pair pledged to give Benjamin as normal of a life as possible, despite all sorts of wildness in the world, and they raised him in a quiet home in Welwyn Garden City, where the Salingers had always resided.

Benjamin was a carbon copy of his father, both physically and personality-wise, with one key difference - he loved to read, a trait that bewildered both of his parents, neither of whom were particularly literarily inclined. The young boy devoured every book he could get his hands on from the moment he could read onwards, and his first instance of magic was even floating a book above his face so that he could read lying down without his arms becoming tired. It delighted his parents, and soon enough, their young bookworm with a heart of gold and his father's jovial sense of humour was off to Hogwarts shortly after his 11th birthday in 1997, where he was (unsurprisingly) sorted into Ravenclaw. A new lineage of Ravenclaw Salingers had been created, though, of course, they didn't know it yet.

Benjamin positively threw himself into his studies and became the very top student in his class by the end of his first year. Most of his classmates considered him a bit of a know-it-all, but they were mostly willing to forgive that because he was just so easy to get along with - joking, laughing, and kind. Many girls kept their eye on the slender boy with his shock of curly brown hair and brilliant emerald eyes, the former from his mother and the latter a generations-long Salinger trait, but from his third year on, Benjamin - never Ben - only had eyes for one: Hesper Livingston.

She was a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and though Benjamin didn't play himself, he had been dragged to a match or two by one of his closest mates, and that was where he had first laid eyes on the Slytherin Queen. Her dark hair ruffling in the breeze, her strong arms wrapped round the Quaffle - she was beautiful and, he later discovered, brilliant, but worst of all, she didn't know he existed. And no matter how hard he tried, that fact was not going to change. She was a year older, after all, and popular and gorgeous; he was just the nerd a year below.

Little did he know that said nerdiness would be exactly what would win him Hesper's heart. Benjamin Salinger continued to top his class for the next years and, at the end of his fifth year, took his O.W.L. examinations. Of course, he would not find out his scores til the middle of the summer, but when he opened the results letter with his parents, all three Salinger jaws dropped to the floor. Benjamin had received straight Outstanding grades on every exam, and while, granted, he hadn't taken every elective available to him, it was still an insanely impressive feat.

He wrote one of his mates about it, who wrote another, who wrote another, and soon word had spread around the entire school of the boy who'd gotten perfect Outstandings. The rumour mill was abundant enough, even, for Hesper Livingston to finally give Benjamin a second glance.

the livingston-salingers.

Reducio

tw: arranged marriage, disowning

At the beginning of Hesper's seventh year and Benjamin's sixth at Hogwarts, in September of 2002, Benjamin finally got what he'd been dreaming about for the past three years. No-nonsense, all business, Hesper had marched up to him in the Great Hall and asked if he was the boy who'd scored perfect Outstandings. After stammering out a yes, Benjamin mustered up enough nerve to ask Hesper if she wanted to accompany him to the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and the rest was history. Or, at least, it would become so soon enough.

Hesper Livingston and Benjamin Salinger were the power couple Hogwarts always needed. Ruling grades, athletics, and even popularity, they both rode the high until their respective graduations and jumped straight into the workforce following their school years. Hesper had always known she was destined for great things, and so straight into Auror training she went; like her whole family, she had political aspirations, and a lucrative, respected Auror career was the greatest way to go about that. Benjamin, on the other hand, had his pick of careers from Curse-Breaker to Magizoologist, Healer to Legislator, Archivist to Potioneer... and instead, he chose a base-level job at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

To say that Hesper was furious would be an understatement. All of Benjamin's potential, in her opinion, had been wasted on a basic, boring office job. But, quickly enough, he convinced her that it was for the best; Benjamin didn't want his mind to be picked over and used, and plus, what was more interesting and unique than fixing accidents and catastrophes? This way, he could study more about magic itself - what made it tick, what made it work. Begrudgingly, Hesper sighed and agreed that, yes, it was a good idea, even if it didn't make much money.

Her parents Caelum and Darcy, on the other hand, were much less pleased with their perfect daughter's not-so-perfect choice in boyfriend's not-so-perfect choice of career. Livingstons were a powerful people, after all, and they would not be having their beautiful, brilliant daughter waste her potential, even if Benjamin was wasting his. Caelum called Hesper to his office on her twentieth birthday and told her, in no uncertain terms, to break it off with Benjamin; he had arranged for her a marriage to an up-and-coming pureblood family's only son, who was six years Hesper's elder and already had a prominent and established career. Hesper's own cousin and friend, Jessica, who was only five months her elder but had been in the year ahead of the twins at school, had gone through with an arranged marriage to an member of the Alluring family - another powerful, prominent pureblood lineage - who was nine years her elder when she had been just fresh out of Hogwarts at 18, and so 20-year-old Hesper would follow in her elder cousin's footsteps and not be allowed to complain any longer. She was to follow her father's bidding and be the perfect girl they had raised her to be, break up with Benjamin, and marry the other pureblood boy they had chosen for her. Caelum was not about to let his brother's middle child beat his own, after all.

In a shocking twist, Hesper nearly did it. She went to Benjamin after work one day with the complete and full intention of ending things with him, but after looking in his eyes, she simply could not do it - instead of the words "I'm leaving you" escaping from her lips, "Marry me" did instead. Benjamin, fresh out of Hogwarts and not yet nineteen, was certainly shocked to say the least, but this was Hesper - his Hesper, the girl he'd loved since he was twelve years old. Of course, he said yes.

Caelum and Darcy were nothing short of displeased. In fact, one might even say they were more furious than the last time. Though their eldest, Anatoly, was already married with children, so they were not in need of an heir to carry on the lineage, Hesper's disobeying of their direct orders was enough to bring Cassiopeia back into their favour as the favourite twin. Cassie, who had spent years trying to regain the love and approval of their parents, readily agreed to marry the man who had been meant for Hesper, and Caelum and Darcy made it clear that while Hesper could attend family events such as Cassiopeia's wedding and Christmas, they would not be attending any of Hesper's. Not her wedding, nor the birth of her first child. Though Hesper would always have the Livingston name, her family would not be considered a Livingston line.

And so, for the most part, Hesper left the family to make her own. She attended her sister's wedding and watched her say "I do" to a man she did not love, but other than that and the very occasional letter, the Slytherin Queen cut herself off from the family she had once so adored in favour of her new family - Benjamin. The pair married in October of 2006. Hesper could not bring herself to completely change her name, so Benjamin convinced her to hyphenate with his, even offering to hyphenate his own name to Livingston-Salinger as well. But he was not a Livingston born nor a woman, and Hesper was nothing if not a stickler for tradition, so she refused his offer, but carried the warmth of his love in her heart.

alyssa.

Reducio

Hesper and Benjamin began to discuss having a child almost as soon as they were married, but Hesper didn't become pregnant until August of 2007, almost a year after their wedding. There were lots of worries about the baby, mostly who would raise it, since both parents had promising careers that were just beginning to take off - and while Benjamin was more than willing to give his up to stay at home and raise their child, Hesper told him there was no way in Azkaban she was going to be the sole breadwinner and convinced him to keep his job.

Though Benjamin's parents, Walt and Marjorie, had a hired house-elf by the name of Dinny who had worked for the family since before even Benjamin's birth and offered to transfer his hiring to Benjamin, the soon-to-be father was worried about his aging parents and refused to hire Dinny so that he would stay with the elder Salingers. This did give him an idea, though, and he brought up the idea of hiring a house-elf to Hesper, who readily agreed; she had also grown up with elves and thought it an excellent way to childrear. After a long and grueling process with a particularly picky pregnant Hesper, the Salingers settled on hiring Becca, a motherly-type house-elf whose career consisted of taking care of children as well as cooking and cleaning. Becca started working for the Salingers right away and almost instantly became part of the family, even helping care for Hesper when she became too pregnant to go into work, despite her protests.

On May 9th, 2008, Benjamin and Hesper's beautiful baby girl entered the world with all ten fingers, all ten toes, and her father's startlingly green eyes. The new parents named their daughter Alyssa, meaning "noble", because they liked the name's significance, but also because it had been Benjamin's grandmother's middle name; of course, Hesper's name became the baby's middle name, making her officially Alyssa Hesper Salinger. First of her name. One-of-a-kind. Walt and Marjorie came to visit the baby a few days after, gushing over their granddaughter like a broken fountain, calling her "Aly" for the very first time, but although Hesper sent her parents and siblings a letter detailing the announcement of Alyssa's birth, none of the Livingstons ever came.

the childhood.

Reducio

tw: death

Just a few weeks after Alyssa's birth, tragedy struck, and Marjorie Salinger was killed in a freak accident at the greenhouse at which she worked. Details were never released to the public or even the families, even though multiple victims died that day; stressed and heartbroken, Walt spent days trying to convince the Ministry to tell him how his beloved wife had died, even going so far as to plead with Hesper, his daughter-in-law, for help. But she was not an investigator, nor on Marjorie's case, and it didn't matter much anyway. Only a few days after Marjorie's untimely death, Walt passed too, allegedly from a broken heart.

That left Benjamin, Hesper, and Alyssa quite alone in the world, just the three of them and Becca; the couple had no parents, none of them had any siblings, and while Hesper was cut off from her family, Benjamin still stayed in touch with distant relatives, but was never close enough with any of them to really spend time amongst them. He took to calling his daughter "Aly", the nickname her now-deceased grandparents had bestowed upon her. The tiny unit of three moved into Walt and Marjorie's house in Welwyn Garden City, the exact same peach-coloured house in which Benjamin himself had grown up, and hired the now-jobless Dinny as a second house-elf, partially to give the overworked Becca a break and partially out of pity for the elf who had helped raise Benjamin.

It was a jarring shock for Hesper. For the first time, she was surrounded by Muggles - an entire community of them, rather different from the large mansions and few-and-far-between (but still wizarding) neighbours amongst which she had grown up. As such, she kept Aly from playing anywhere but their fenced-in backyard and kept her entirely away from the neighbourhood kids, to the point where none of the surrounding Muggles even knew a child lived at that home. When Hesper went back to work, she ordered Becca and Dinny to do the same and keep Alyssa out of sight.

As such, Aly Salinger grew up the loneliest child you can imagine. No siblings, no family at all really, no neighbourhood playmates - instead, she had her two house-elves, Dinny and Becca, who parented her during all the times her real parents were off at work flourishing their careers. The female carbon copy of her father, Aly had little contact (if any) with the world outside of her home, only occasionally popping out to run errands with one or both of the house-elves in wizarding communities. Her parents didn't tell her much of their family history except for the very basics: that she was a pureblood from the Livingston and Salinger families, but she had no family except for them. Hesper ingrained a little bit of the... not phobia, per se, but certainly Muggle-distrust she had received growing up into her daughter, but unlike Hesper who actually believed in it, this only made a young Aly more curious about the Muggle world. People couldn't just wave their wands and boil water? House-elves didn't exist for most people? How did they get anywhere if they couldn't Apparate? It was all just so fascinating to her juvenile brain.

Quidditch played a large part in Aly's life from a very early age. Her mother Hesper started teaching her to fly on a toy broom before Aly could even take her first steps, showing her moving photos of grinning Quidditch players who waved out at her from the page whilst in hot pursuit of the Quaffle and Snitch. She even got to attend a few Quidditch games growing up, since her parents were both such strong Quidditch fans; it was her mother's favourite pastime to remark during these games that, well, she could have played for the Harpies, she just hadn't wanted to. During these games, however, and during the errands Aly took with the house-elves to the "outside world", it became clearly evident that Aly had taken so much more after her father, and before that, her grandfather, for she was just simply the friendliest person you'd ever meet. Always laughing and happy, always bringing a smile to others' faces, Aly's father took to telling her that she could make friends with a brick wall.

Aly also, like her paternal grandparents, loved flowers and plants and gardening of all kinds; from a very young age, her favourite pastime was helping Becca to prune the small flower garden that was kept out back of their house. At the age of five specifically, during one such gardening session, Aly reached out and touched a few tulips, only to have them burst into colourful blooms far ahead of schedule, whilst the ones that remained untouched remained unbloomed. From then on it was clear that Aly was a witch, though with her pureblood heritage, it was never doubted in the first place - and, adorably, the very day after her first instance of magic, Aly marched into the sitting room with her father's old magic textbooks and slammed them down on the table, loudly declaring that she was "ready to be a witch now!" (Except her front tooth was missing, so it sounded more like with.) Benjamin just chuckled at his daughter's overbearing curiosity and love for learning at such a young age. Her extroverted charm and enthusiasm was endearing, to him.

To Hesper, however, it was a weakness. She had seen where she ended up after trying her whole life to be perfect, then making one decision that, in the eyes of her parents, fell short. Sure, Hesper loved her life, but she always had the feeling that Aly could do more, could be more - with Benjamin's brains and her ambition, her daughter would be unstoppable. And so, all throughout Aly's young childhood, whenever her mother was home, they clashed over how to exist and to live. Hesper would push Aly, and though Aly didn't particularly love being bossed around, she learned quickly not to talk back to her strict mother and soon bent to doing just about whatever she said, striving to be perfect, to make her proud.

And so that is how passed the young childhood of Aly Salinger, with a few key life events: Dinny retired from working when Aly was nine, leaving her with only Becca, though she missed Dinny terribly as he helped raise her perhaps more than her own parents did; she was tutored by Becca, amongst various other human tutors, throughout the years at home to prepare her for Hogwarts, never actually attending a real school; and, finally, when Aly received her Hogwarts letter on May 12th, 2019, just three days after her eleventh birthday, she waited impatiently by the fireplace for her parents to get home. She was bouncing on her feet, practically vibrating almost, for nearly two hours before Benjamin Apparated into the room... and when she screamed with excitement and shoved the letter into her father's face, he was again struck by the bewitching exhilaration on his daughter's face. Her simple grin of pure joy was enough to make him smile, too.

Unsurprisingly, at Hogwarts she was Sorted into Ravenclaw House almost immediately; thus began her life at Hogwarts, which is still going on today...

the family tree.

Reducio

aly's personal canon schedule.

first year.

♫ don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple ♫

Reducio

= Abandoned || = In Progress || = Completed

• 2019-2020 First Year Entrance- September, crossing the Black Lake and meeting Reynolds McNeil
• Freshly Hatched Eaglets- September, meeting Charles Cutting after the Sorting
• A New Friend- September, only available in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitories, meeting Lydia Lestat and Lennox Knightley
• Tainted Love- April, meeting Lilia Eilertsen in the second-floor girls' lavatory
• April Flowers- April, meeting Haven Bohannon and Kaden Truell on the grounds
• Salty About Sweets- April, decorating delicacies with Charles Cutting, Kaden Truell, Reynolds McNeil, and Liv Hartley in the Great Hall
• Aly's Academy for Mazed Muggle-Borns- April, teaching her friends Charles Cutting, Kaden Truell, Reynolds McNeil, Haven Bohannon, and Liv Hartley about the Wizarding World

✰

second year.

♫ honey, life is just a classroom ♫

Reducio

= Abandoned || = In Progress || = Completed

• Keeper's Catch- late August, Aly practicing her Keeper skills before her second year at Hogwarts (Keeper's Catch ability application)
• Herbology by Any Other Name...- early January, studying Herbology in the Study Room with Rose Moon
• Counting Stars- January 16th, finding and comforting Lindsey Springhall on the grounds
• Bluebells and Biscuits- late January, only available in the Ravenclaw common room, meeting and befriending Mars T'ien
• Keep Wiggling!- February 1st, taking care of Flobberworms with Opeila Winters and Ileen Knight (errand)
• Quidditch: Slytherin v Hufflepuff- February 5th, attending the Slytherin v. Hufflepuff Quidditch game to cheer on Lindsey Springhall
• Quidditch Game- February 6th, Aly's first Quidditch game as first-string Keeper against Gryffindor
• Zykeal, Taylor, Anastasia, Paige and Aly- February 14th, group Valentine's "date" with Zykeal Lane, Taylor Haywood, Anastasia Beckett, and Paige Chase (errand/event)
• Jumbles of Jellybeans- February 23rd, making jellybean arts and crafts with Haven Bohannon
• Ruinous Ruminations- March 1st, fighting a shadow monster in the Ravenclaw common room and learning why one does not cast Incendio indoors (main story)
• Final Foray- May 1st, another of Aly's Quidditch games as second-string Keeper against Slytherin
• Blossom Ball - Underworld- May 29th, trying the trials at the Blossom Ball with Pericles Dralt (and immediately failing)*
• *Aly was also present at the Spring portion of the Blossom Ball and briefly met Dealla Prince and Xailah Alptraum, but never actually made a post in the thread.

✰

third year.

♫ and you're dancing 'round the room when the night ends ♫

Reducio

= Abandoned || = In Progress || = Completed

• A Daunting Task- late August, picking out her pet Dauncey at the Magical Menagerie (official pet thread)
• Quidditch- October 24th, Aly's first ever victorious Quidditch game as first-string Keeper against Slytherin
• Paragon of Health- late November, Aly escorting Sylvain Wyllt to the hospital wing and figuring out band-aids are a thing with the help of Kelsey Brumby (Paragon of Health ability application)
• Keeping a Nose to the Grindstone- January 14th, Aly practicing for the Quidditch match and meeting Calliope Maher-Schmidt
• Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw- January 15th, Aly's second victorious Quidditch game of the year as first-string Keeper against Gryffindor
• A Blooming Friendship- January 21st, Aly being partnered with Cassandra Ironwoods in Herbology class
• Run- February 2nd, Aly fleeing getting in trouble for a prank she didn't do, with the perpetrator Aaron Jones
• You Would Do Well- February 1oth-21st, Aly writing back and forth with her mother Hesper Livingston-Salinger about Valentine's Day
• Sweets for your Sweet- February 13th, Aly making cupcakes for some of her friends with Cecily Quinn and Dealla Prince (errand)
• TABLE 11 | Sweethearts Tea Party- February 14th, Aly attending the Valentine's Day tea party with Cecily Quinn, Lavinia Cloven, Bloom Silverton, Galton Lansdale, and Alan Vanes, receiving a mysterious note, and becoming obsessed with herself (briefly)
• Creepy Crawly Comradery- February 19th, only available in the Ravenclaw common room, getting Sylvain Wyllt's help with a bug-infested plant and confronting him about the Valentine's note
• Hide- February 25th, Aly fleeing getting in trouble for skipping class, escaping with the help of Aaron Jones
• Healer Internship- March 1st, Aly applying to the Healer internship and subsequently beginning her tutelage as an intern under Kelsey Brumby
• The Only Thing We Have to Fear- March 2nd, Aly facing her Boggart for the first time with Pericles Dralt, Dealla Prince, and Santario Martin
• Gossip Girls- March 4th, only available in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory, having a gossip-fest with roommate Dealla Prince... and maybe figuring something out in the process
• Lending Hand- March 20th, Aly getting some begrudging assistance from (and getting in a Quidditch argument with) Percival Rainwood during Potions class
• Spring Flowers- March 21st, meeting fellow flora fanatic Castor Alarie (Beauxbatons iNPC for Edme Achillian) on the grounds
• Ask- March 26th, meeting Aaron Jones at the Quidditch pitch for some reason unknown to her...
• [Event] Crafting Table- April 2nd, running the crafting table at the Midspring Festival
• [Event] Midspring Festival- April 2nd, enjoying the outdoor Midspring Festival with date Aaron Jones
• Raising Support for Broom Racing- April 8th, making a banner to support the Ravenclaw Broom Racing team and running into Sylvain Wyllt (errand)
• Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff- April 9th, Aly's last Quidditch game of the year as first-string Keeper against Hufflepuff
• The Date That Goes Wrong- May 7th, trying unsuccessfully to go on a double date with Aaron Jones and other couple Jack Warren & Dealla Prince
• Life Begins at Fourteen- May 9th, celebrating the exact minute she turned 14 on her birthday
• Live by the Day- May 29th, Aly meeting Flash Holmwood over wildflowers on the grounds
• Capsulizing History- June 1st, Aly putting something into the Hogwarts time capsule (errand)
• A Friendly Game of Quidditch- June 21st, Aly playing a game of unofficial Quidditch with the Pygmy Puff Riot! team

✰

fourth year.

♫ you haven't met the new me yet ♫

Reducio

= Abandoned || = In Progress || = Completed

• Exile- July 4th, being sent to live with cousin Charles Alluring post-rule breakage
• Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown- July 5th, bonding with cousin Charles Alluring after being exiled to live with him for two weeks
• Poppies and Pals- August 3st, meeting Ivy Starling and Emmie Bailey and welcoming them preemptively to Hogwarts (mentor thread)
• Summer 2022- August 6th, representing Ravenclaw in the summer Quidditch game against Koldovstoretz & Durmstrang
• Triathlon: Round 1 Swimming- August 8th, representing Ravenclaw in the summer camp Triathlon (round one)
• Truth or Dare - Group 4- August 14th, playing a short-lived game of Truth or Dare during summer camp
• Small Frogs in a Big Hall- September 28th, catching frogs in the Great Hall with Cash Ironwoods (errand)
• Quarrel- September 30th, arguing with Aaron Jones about why he hadn't asked her to the Fall Ball yet
• Faerietale Endings- October 8th, attending the Fall Ball
• Slytherin vs Ravenclaw - Fall 2022- October 14th, Aly's only Quidditch game of the year as first-string Keeper against Slytherin
• The Sins of the Father- November 2022 - June 1, 2023, leaving Hogwarts for a few months due to her father's death and undergoing some personality changes
• Sight Unsent- December 2022 - May 2023, writing letters to her best friend, Dealla Prince, as a sort of unsent diary
• Noses and Hearts, Similarly Broken- June 1, 2023, returning to Hogwarts only to get punched in the face by her abandoned best friend Dealla Prince
• Of Most Dangerous Heights- June 9th, being rescued by Jack Burnett after drinking a Floating Potion goes wrong
• Pride Day at Hogwarts- June 17th, painting at the Pride day event (errand)
• Forts and Things- late June, only available in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory, building a pillow fort with Callie Jensen
• Summer Ready- June 28th, raking leaves outside as part of a lakeshore clean-up (errand)

✰

fifth year.

♫ all your closets of backlogged dreams and how you left them all to me ♫

Reducio

• The Dead Horse Club- July 1st, meeting her cabinmates for summer camp in the Thestral cabin
• Unexpected Arrival- early-throughout July, corresponding semi-anonymously with Zykeal Lane
• Spin the Bottle Beans! - Group 1- July 11th, kissing Jorah Moussa at a camp Spin the Bottle event
• Girl Power- July 2oth, befriending and empowering Lindsey Springhall after realizing they'd been screwed over by the same boy
• This Is Me Trying- the month of August, fighting with her mother over the summer break
• Call Phantomnation- September 8th, Divination class with a freaking-out Piérre Marchonné
• Candle-Lit Banquet- October 6th, showing up to the Fall Ball to find her ex Aaron Jones dancing with Opeila Winters
• Dance 'Til You're Dead- October 13th, reconnecting with Pericles Dralt and discussing life, death, and what falls between
• Slytherin v Ravenclaw - Fall 2023- October 28th, Aly's first Quidditch game back, this time as a second-string Chaser against Slytherin
• To Understand Death- November 4th, sneaking into the Forbidden Forest and meeting Cassius Eden
• Sink or Swim?- December 10th, swimming in the flooded Great Hall (errand)
• Stargirls- January 3rd, sneaking into the Astronomy Tower with Dealla Prince to watch the Quadrantids meteor shower
• Frost and Foremost...- January 6th, officially leaving her ex Aaron Jones behind in 2023 and meeting Xailah Alptraum (errand)
• Biscuits, Cravings, Decorations- January 7th, decorating Christmas cookies in the Great Hall (event)
• A Colorful Meeting- January 20th, quite literally running into Dorion Anderson and ending up covered in paint
• Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff - Winter 2024- January 27th, Aly's second and last Quidditch game as a second-string Chaser, against Hufflepuff
• To Require, or Perhaps Desire- March 9th, actually meeting Xailah Alptraum for the first time whilst searching for the Room of Requirement
• A Constellation of Creativity- April 7th, attending the Astronomy Fair and learning about the Astronomy Internship (errand)
• Four Walls- April 7th, colouring in a house with her goals for the semester (errand)
• Magical Masquerade: The Entrance- April 13th, attending the Spring Blossom Ball and interacting with Rebecca Lark, Pericles Dralt, and Evelynn Decipio, among others
• Clara Bow- April 24th, Aly being accepted to the Hogwarts Headliner and making first-string Seeker in the same day
• The Lion, The Witch, & The Newspaper- May 6th, befriending and interviewing Evelynn Decipio in the Headliner offices
• Saccharine Sixteen- May 9th, celebrating her sixteenth birthday with Pericles Dralt, Rebecca Lark, and other friends
• Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor - Spring 2024- May 11th, Aly's first Quidditch game as Ravenclaw's first-string Seeker, against Gryffindor

✰

sixth year.

♫ if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow ♫

Reducio

Yet to come...

✰

seventh year.

♫ up there's the finish line, and run, and run, and run ♫

Reducio

Yet to come...

✰

adult life.

♫ I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world ♫

Reducio

Yet to come... 𓊝

✰

planned threads.

Reducio

- Eagle Eye - post-spring ball 2024 thread in the hospital wing with Pericles Dralt and Evelynn Decipio
- On Eagles' Wings - practicing Seeking with Pericles Dralt and Evelynn Decipio
- Mad Woman - summer 2024 solo
- Uninvited Invited Guests - spending time at Evelynn Decipio's home in the summer of 2024 (also with Pericles Dralt)
- Seven - summer 2025 solo

✰

thread ideas.

Reducio

• Got any ideas? Interested in a thread with Aly? My thread status is currently closed, but I'm happy to plan for future ideas, so shoot me an owl or a Discord message (at lilac.heart#3965).

"...even as her other hand tightly gripped her beloved Silver Arrow, which was lovingly polished and had even recently been carved with her surname, Salinger, at the end of its shimmering grey handle. This broom had carried her through years' worth of Quidditch matches in a variety of different positions, and it had never let her down - nor would it begin to do that now."

—Aly Salinger, Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor - Spring 2024 (x)

"It was a beautiful clear charm, which had encased inside of it a lovely pink-and-gold flower petal. The petal itself was a little hard to identify, but after five or six minutes of peering at it instead of getting ready for breakfast and her Monday classes, Aly had finally announced to a mostly empty Booted Eagle dormitory that she was quite sure it was a rose petal. Though she didn't have a chain to put it on, Dee had provided a piece of twine and helped Aly to tie her new necklace around her neck."

—Aly Salinger, Life Begins at Fourteen (x)

"Inside awaited a camera with the same Ravenclaw colors, all rich blue and metallic stars, alongside a corked carafe marked Developing Solution. The lens collapsed into the box housing the body, making it easy to slip into a bag or carry with the soft strap over one's neck."

—Pericles Dralt, Saccharine Sixteen (x)