One thing most people can tell about Indiana is that she is always moving, like there is always too much energy built up and nowhere to go with it. Whether she is walking back and forth across a room or simply rattling her leg as she sits in class, she is always in some sort of motion. She is considerate about her motion though, tuning into the people around her and making sure she is not annoying or overwhelming anyone. She will let others speak their mind first before giving out her opinions, making sure no one feels unheard.

Indiana is no pushover, though. Once others have had their turn to talk, she is unfiltered when the time calls for it. She knows her opinions and will stand by them. She is stubborn in her ways. Following tradition and what she was taught, but she is not unwilling to learn from others. It may take some time to change her thoughts and opinions on a matter, but it is possible with the right words and proof. Proof is always important.

The silent morning of November 12, 2014 marked the beginning of a new era for the Snyder family. It was a crisp fall morning when their baby girl entered the world four weeks earlier than planned. With a head of sparse, dark hair, Indiana Jane Snyder entered the world tiny but healthy. She spent only a week in the hospital before finally going home to their apartment.

It was evident from a young age that Indiana took after her father. From her looks to her love of the outdoors, she was following closely in her father’s footsteps. While many children her age were watching children’s movies and Youtube videos, she was constantly spending as much time as possible outside. Trips to the park always resulted in the same thing. The squealing laughter of the small child would ring across the playground as she played with the other children or made up games of her own. Her pockets would be filled with any item she found of interest, leaves, feathers, and rocks of every shape and size would weigh her pockets down.

Indiana’s energy never dropped as she aged, constantly moving and wanting something to do. She had been participating in sports for as long as she could remember. The girl was enrolled in whatever sports and activities she showed any interest in, anything to give her an outlet for her neverending energy. The one thing the activities had in common was movement. From toddler ballet to tee-ball and peewee soccer, she was participating in everything.

A variety of activities had been joined and left behind over the years, lots of time and money going into them but most of them never sticking. The two that caught her attention the most and have since been her constant, were soccer and hockey. The girl enjoyed them so much, she threw a fit when she realized she would no longer be able to compete once she was informed she would have to attend Ilvermorny.

The Snyder family lived a rather comfortable life. Jackson Snyder is an Orthopedic surgeon at one of the local hospitals while Harper Anderson is a public relations manager at one of the apparel brands in the city. They were able to afford a decent-sized two-bedroom apartment right outside of Downtown and could easily afford to get almost anything they wanted.

With their jobs, the Snyder parents were both rather busy but attempted to make as much time as they could for their daughter. At least twice a week Jackson and Indiana were at the park or a sports game, having the most common interests, it as not difficult for the father-daughter pair to find time to spend together. Harper and her daughter struggled with those activities, even though Harper at the most free time of the two parents. Most of their free time was spent hanging around the house or occasionally going to the movies. Indiana never felt like the time spent together was forced though.

Growing up in the city, having various activities in her childhood, and attending public school allowed for Indiana to have plenty of friends growing up. Between teammates from the sports teams and her classmates, there was almost always someone for the girl to hang out with or talk to. Nearly once a week, Indiana was at a friend’s house or dragging someone back to their apartment after school. Kelly Walters, Indiana’s oldest friend, had been met during tee-ball. Being another girl on the team, the became quick, inseparable friends. It was not until Indiana left for Ilvermorny that they slowly began to grow apart.

The Snyder family was like every other family, the occasional fight or argument occurring, but they rarely lasted more than a few hours. The biggest struggle of the family occurred when Indiana discovered she was a witch. They didn’t believe it at first, it wasn’t possible. Maybe they were tired, maybe it was a trick of the light, but there was no way that it had happened. But, when a stranger showed up at the door and gave a rather thorough explanation to the family on what had happened, a rift began to form in the family.

Harper Anderson had been attending the same church, weekly, since she was a child. There were only a few services that she had missed over the years, but only when it was absolutely necessary. Jackson and Indiana did not attend as often, only once a month or on major holidays, but they still accepted Harper’s devotion to her religion. It was because of this devotion, that she had the hardest time wrapping her head around her daughter being a witch. Everything she had learned about, her entire life, was suddenly no longer true. She had proof, yet she could not accept that it was happening and wanted to find ways to fix it. For the time being, she would just have to accept it.

Jackson Snyder, while still in disbelief to what had occurred, was much more accepting. Sure, he was suddenly thrown into a new world, but there needed to be someone Indiana could lean back on and he wanted to be that person. He learned what he could, from the limited resources he had, but he was much more accepting of the situation than his wife.

The discovery was a major change in the family’s life. The topic was avoided as much as possible, to avoid upsetting Harper and wanting to keep the peace, but they couldn’t avoid it forever. Indiana had to relearn everything, feeling helpless as she no longer had control over a major part of her life. She would be leaving for a school, far from home, while her parents were struggling back home. Her mother, constantly rereading her religious scripture to reassure herself, while her father was attempting to keep the peace and reassure his daughter. Things were different, Indiana could not change that, but she could do everything in her power to push back against the changes where she could.