Willows, Alyssa

Abilities:
Talent in magic having to do with the element of Air/Wind
Wand:  
11& 1/4 in. ivory heartwood with griffin claw core
Patronous:
Crane
Specialty::
Bird and Air magic, disguises, survival
Weakness::
Earth magic, growing things, hot climates, claustrophobia

PERSONALITY: Alyssa is a free-to-fly girl who values her freedom over anything else.  She is always described as "having her head in the clouds" as she's never really grounded and is a terrible daydreamer.  Her most beloved wish is to truly fly with the birds, and not just hover with them like she can do now.  Alyssa is flighty and hesitant to make friends, but she'll try her best if you give her a chance.  She hates machines and modern things, especially machines that try to go up in the air.  They just can't reproduce the feeling of wind flying through her hair, and that is what she loves.  Alyssa was a dancer before the terrible "incident" that struck her home when she was eight.  She was labeled mischievous and a troublemaker even at a young age, so parents warned their students to stay away from her, leaving her lonely but teaching her the harsh ways of the world.  When you look into Alyssa's eyes, you see experience, pain, and a deep knowing of the world that some people never know in their entire lives.

LIKES: The color white: white doesn't lie, birds, ice skating, dancing, flying, running, hiding, climbing, daydreaming

DISLIKES: modern things and machinery, airplanes and helicopters, the ground in general, the color black, lions, houses

FEARS: Being closed in, being trapped, being enslaved, having her freedom taken away, fire

Alyssa grew up in a nice house with caring parents and two siblings.  Her parents were both purebloods but had resolved to battle the stereotype and promote half-breeds and muggle-borns' attending of Hogwarts.  They argued at events and made a campaign to stop persecution of half-breeds when one night when Alyssa was eight, Death Eater supporters set their house on fire after placing a massive group sleeping charm on the family.  Alyssa was not effected, maybe because her body's nature was not to be chained by anything, and that was why she had the element of air in herself.  She climbed up the chimney and jumped off the roof, running away into the forest nearby.  The attackers could not find her, and they took her for dead.  She found a cave and gathered feathers caught in the wind to make a bed high up in the mountains.  Birds were all around her, and she began to see the world from their point of view, as beautiful, wild, and free.  She became even more light on her feet and was cautious and hesitant to trust things she did not know.  One day, muggle hikers found her cave and reported it to the muggle police, who in turn reported it to the muggle government, who then reported it to the magical world.  The Ministry of Magic sent wizards to erase the hikers' minds and to find the girl.  She was captured and put into a cage, where she promptly fainted due to fright and claustrophobia.  When she was finally freed, she immediately floated up to the corner of the ceiling and curled up into a ball.  She had always been able to float a little, but it was nothing like flying unfortunately.  One of the wizards easily levitated himself up to the ceiling and put her to sleep.  They put her in an airplane, where they set course for Hogwarts.  The plane stopped working immediately after crossing the Hogwarts borders, but the pilot managed to crash-land in the Black Lake, where the plane was almost immediately pulled down by the creatures living there.  Alyssa floated out, perfectly calm and relaxed while the pilot screamed for help sitting on the shore.  Alyssa turned away and started to make her way towards the castle, which she could tell was glamoured because she was a witch.  She was greeted and was sorted, and sent off to the House Common Room and Dormitory to meet other people.  For the next few years, Alyssa was a loner and an outcast, but she didn't mind that.  She hadn't come to Hogwarts to meet anyone, anyway.  Much of her time was spent high up in the forest, and she always hated the castle's walls.  Alyssa picked up on fine details easily, which made up for her daydreaming in class.  She received 9 OWLs and is considered a clever girl, though more street-smart than book-smart.  She has no friends at Hogwarts and barely knows any people.



Other Characters: Irene Moore