Challenging Changes PV Aly Salinger

Aly Salinger had finally gotten over the lightheadedness and nosebleeds that her eventful winter break had brought about. Between briefly losing her magic (much to her family's chagrin) and being kidnapped by vines at Tenūsa just a week later, her health had suffered significantly, and only now was the teenage Ravenclaw beginning to go a full week without a visit to the Hospital Wing. It was a good thing, too - her excuses were running low, and she really didn't need her friends knowing. They had enough to worry about as it was.

Unfortunately, the block she was now facing was mental, rather than physical. Though she had bettered in the blood department as of late, Aly had also found herself facing recurring nightmares - of hurtling through empty air, with the fear that she could cast no spell to save herself. Of course, she'd regained her magic prior to the Tenūsa event, but a terrifyingly high fall would scare anyone, even those who could turn into a butterfly to save themselves from such a fate. Aly had been able to call upon her Animagus form to save her from becoming splattered spaghetti on the ground, but she couldn't shake the fear of what-ifs. What if she hadn't gotten her magic back by then? What if she had tried and failed to turn? What if she never could turn again, to feel the freedom of a gentle breeze underneath her delicate wings?

Sure enough, the Ravenclaw's attempts to turn into her Animagus form as of the last month had failed spectacularly. Once, it had even physically hurt, which Aly was quite sure it was not supposed to do. She was determined to not have to go to Professor Kāne for assistance - struggling through his N.E.W.T.-level Transfiguration courses was hard enough - and, so, on this bright February morning, Aly snuck into the outdoors during her free period with an iron will and an idea about throwing herself off of high places.

Instead, she found herself wandering towards the edge of the grounds, almost instinctively; it seemed that her embarrassment about not being able to assume her Animagus form extended into social shame. What would the ickle firsties think about looking out their windows to see a big, not-so-tall seventh-year throwing themselves off a balcony? No, better to get further from the castle so that she wouldn't traumatise any children if she did hurt herself. It was in this area, far from the towering stone spires of her beloved school, that she spotted another figure.

A familiar one, albeit not necessarily a friend; more of an acquaintance, really, at least at this time. Aly and Eun-ji Lee Hunt had crossed paths a handful of times outside of their shared classes in their seven years at the school - they were both seventh-year female Ravenclaws and had mutual friends, most notably @Pericles Dralt. The two girls had most recently seen each other at the Gringotts protest over the winter holiday, before anything had gone down regarding Aly's health; this pair, along with some of their other mutual mates, had met in the Leaky Cauldron for some planning before leading a quasi-revolution in Diagon Alley. Aly's fellow eaglet seemed to be very much deep in her own thoughts, and for a moment, Aly wondered what she might have been thinking about; it was sometimes hard to imagine that everyone else was also going through their own issues, especially when her own seemed so magnitudinous.

She wanted to hang back, to not disturb the other girl, but her cheerful nature was too much to beat back even with the prospect of losing her most precious ability hanging dangerously low over her curly head. "Oh! Whoops, I didn't realise someone else was taking the quiet space," she quipped, as if this lost patch of grass on the edge of their school boundary was a popular hangout spot rather than just a random encounter. "Didn't see you there, Eun-ji. My apologies."

Aly turned as if to go, then paused for a moment and swiveled back over her shoulder, curiosity getting the better of her. She knew what she was doing out here, but what was the other girl's reasoning? Still, rather than ask her outright, she racked her brain for any details she could remember about her fellow seventh-year. "Actually, while I have you, just right quick. You were the brains behind the first-aid kit at the Gringotts protest," she offered up, her words coming from a place of honesty as she explained, "Are you going to try to train for a Healer's position? I can leave you be if you're out here to study for that - I hear the schooling for it is no joke."

Feb. 4, 2026 | Ravenclaw sweater/trousers, fur cloak | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18

February 4th, 2026
Mentioning: @Aly Salinger

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji had grown to be a closed off and somewhat bitter young woman. She built her walls so high up, people often found her utterly unapproachable. Brick by brick, she built them high enough that most people took one look and walked away. The loneliness of such existence felt heavy sometimes but it served it’s purpose. At least that mindset was what helped her settle in her new reality.

Still, out of all the people that could have stumbled upon her today, Aly was not the worst-case scenario. The two of them weren't friends but they always seemed to orbit the same people. Be it Aaron, Dee or now Peri. No matter how thin those connections were, they ultimately pulled them into each other’s paths. Sometimes it was as simple as her passing by in the common room, other times they somehow ended up planning a protest together. Eun-ji also remembered seeing Aly in the Hospital wing quite often this year. She didn't know why her fellow Ravenclaw kept coming since she never pried into other people's business and patient's privacy was sacred to her, but noticing her presence was unavoidable, considering she was doing internship there. In any case, familiarity was not affection but it still counted for something and Aly never struck her as a difficult person to be around so Eun-ji didn’t mind.

“No need to apologize. It's not like I own this spot.” Indeed, Eun-ji might have owned some properties ever since she was proclaimed the Hunts' heiress but even those were just ghosts on a fancy paper. None of it was actually hers, even the things that were supposed to be hers ended up coveted by her grandparents more often than not. That's why, she'd never laid claim on anything that didn't belong to her...Not places, not people. Not even hypothetically. “And I'm not doing anything important either.” She added when her classmate paused and inquired about the healer training, seemingly wondering if she interrupted her studies.

In all fairness, it was hardly a surprising assumption. Many people had expected her to take that path, including her own family. Even Eun-ji herself considered doing so when she was younger but those days were long gone. And that little girl felt like a stranger now. Yes, she still couldn't help getting involved, whenever there was a danger of injury. It was in her blood, like an annoying itch that wouldn't go away if she didn't scratch at it but an instinct wasn’t the same thing as a calling. If she could, she would have become a muggle surgeon but being a witch derailed that plan far too much by now. Not to mention her grandparents wouldn't stand for it. They'd do anything to ruin her career if she ever attempted to do that. Or any other muggle job for that matter. Mercifully, medicine in all forms was not her only passion…or talent.

“I'm not going to be a healer. I'm planning to attend WADA.” The raven-haired girl clarified simply. She didn't offer further details, unsure if Aly even cared or was just being polite. “I just came here because of my animagus form. It’s a good spot to change and Mordred enjoys playing with me the most then.” She nodded towards her silver Mau. Right, when in doubt, blame it on the cat. It's not like she was lying either. Half-truths were still truths, were they not? “You? If you came for something important, we can leave.” The witch offered politely, her tone calm and without a sliver of annoyance. It’s not like she couldn’t distract herself in a different way. Ballet practice was always an option.

OOC: Sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation and then the work piled up and the ball started…it was a bit much. Should be better now though, I promise.

Aly truly could not read the emotion on the other Ravenclaw girl's face. One would think that seven years of passing each other in the same common room might have allowed the curly-haired girl a bit of an insight into her Housemate, but Eun-ji was... different from Aly, in so many ways. It wasn't just that they looked different, or that they ran in (mostly) different social circles; no, whereas Aly was cheerful and outgoing, Eun-ji had always struck her as more of an introvert. Really, her only interactions with her had been at the occasional ball back in... had it been fourth year, when she'd been dating Aaron? And, of course, in classes, and now the protest from December. But other than that, there was so little familiarity here that they may as well have been complete strangers.

Indeed, as Eun-ji spoke, her voice was lilting and low, the tone perfected and elegant. Her fellow seventh-year reminded Aly all too well of some of the more polished purebloods she had been meeting all year at her Livingston side's fancy balls, including her own debut the previous summer. Aly vaguely knew Eun-ji's surname, Hunt, was another of the bigger pureblood dynasties in the United Kingdom; indeed, the Livingstons often extended invitations to them for events, though Aly wasn't sure she'd ever seen Eun-ji at one of her jewel empire family's galas. The other girl spoke about how she wasn't doing anything important, nor did she own the spot, and Aly paused, her mind racing; in fairness, she was the one who wanted to be alone, but she didn't mean to insinuate that the quiet area towards the edge of the grounds should've been hers, either.

But all this vanished a moment later when Eun-ji explained her reasoning for being out there. No, it wasn't anything to do with the Healers' exams, or even their N.E.W.T.s, which were looming at the end of the school year like a mountainous monstrosity - in fact, she spoke to wanting to attend WADA, as if that were something with which Aly herself would be familiar. She didn't offer any details, but Aly cocked her head in confusion - or perhaps curiosity - all the same. "Sorry, what's WADA? I can't say I've heard of it," she said, somewhat stupidly, because for all she'd been searching for potential jobs this entire school year, the soon-to-be graduate still had absolutely no idea what to do with her life. (She would end up figuring it out over the Easter holiday, of course, but for now, she was still left lost and searching.)

Still, her mouth dropped at the mention of being an Animagus. Apparently, the pair of eaglets had more in common than Aly had realised, and before she could even think about keeping her own talent a secret, she blurted out excitedly: "Oh, brilliant! I'm an Animagus, too!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Aly regretted it; she clamped her lips shut with a frown. Better to put the attention back on the other girl, so that she didn't realise that Aly had ignored the latter part of her question; half-heartedly, she mumbled, "What's your form?"

Feb. 4, 2026 | Ravenclaw sweater/trousers, fur cloak | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18 | @Eun-ji Lee Hunt

Mentioning: @Aly Salinger

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Though looking rather uncertain, Aly didn’t immediately walk away nor ask her to leave. This, of course, left them suspended in the same awkward place where they’d began. Stuck in a conversation, neither seemed entirely sure how to navigate. At least Eun-ji knew how to feign confidence. The same couldn't be said about her classmate but at least she was honest. Something Eun-ji had been struggling with for years...

Still, she wasn’t actually too bothered. Aly was someone she could be reported talking to without being worried. A pure-blood, a safe choice. A fact Eun-ji was made aware of, when her fellow classmate gotten an invitation to her introduction into that gilded, rotten cage she was still trapped in. Fortunately, unlike some other classmates, she didn’t think Aly or her family showed up that night. Since it’s been four years now, Eun-ji doubted the curly haired girl even remembered the invitation. Not when she had to suffer through her own golden parade just last year.

The Hunts mentioned said event in passing but the Korean girl would have rather swallowed glass than attend. I’m not assuming she was invited. That’s just how she felt about it. She was purposely avoiding any pure-blood family gatherings that were held by people she met on daily basis. For most part, she succeeded. The old families knew about her of course. Her grandparents made sure of that, but that didn’t mean Eun-ji wanted to be seen with them more often than absolutely necessary. Not in front of people that might ask questions at least. Peri had ran into her once, when she was meeting her grandmother and it ended up in disaster. The memory still made her wince, even now after many months have passed. Thankfully, here she was safe from such unfortunate meetings. Hogwarts had its own rules, even the Hunts couldn’t come here to haunt her.

“Sorry, what's WADA? I can't say I've heard of it,” Eun-ji paused. Right. She wasn’t sure why she assumed everybody knew what the abbreviation stood for. It’s not like she knew about it until she actually started considering pursuing her dream again. “Ah, sorry that’s my mistake. WADA stands for The Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts.” The young witch clarified simply. Aly hadn’t asked for a speech and she wasn’t about to offer one.

Besides, it seemed the other girl was much more interested in her revelation about being an animagus. Figures she is one as well. Looks like many of Peri’s friends are. Not a new observation by any means. The wizard seemed to be passionate about that particular ability for some time now. “Yes, I did the ritual last year so I’m still fairly new to it.” The fact was not exactly a secret. It simply had no way of spreading. That tended to happen when you could count your friends on one hand and still have fingers left over. Eun-ji was only mildly surprised that Peri hadn’t mentioned it to Aly. He may have never seen her form but he was aware of her being an animagus for a long time. Then again, why would the two of them ever discuss Eun-ji in any context? “Mine is an Andalusian horse.” She paused before adding: “What’s yours?” Since Aly asked first, she didn’t see a reason why she shouldn’t be allowed to do the same.

It seemed that WADA was an acronym, for the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts. Aly snapped her fingers, the name now sounding familiar - she'd just never heard anyone speak the shortened version aloud before. "Oh! Yes, yes. I remember that from the career brochures. Definitely not my style," she said before quickly adding on, "But it sounds exciting for you. I hope you get in." Was there an admissions process for WADA? Aly truly couldn't remember, having discarded that particular brochure quite early on into her job search the previous semester. The seventh-year had already, by then, spent enough time in the public eye to know that such a life was not for her; now, months later, as she wrestled with whether or not to leave the Livingstons that had so taken her in and yet also trapped her in this cage of expectations, she knew this truth even more still.

She cocked her head to the side, trying to remember all of the different paths that WADA's brochure had boasted. Had 'model' been one of them? The other girl was certainly pretty enough to make a living simply from her face, though judging by having enough ambition to go to a prestigious dramatics academy, Aly had an inkling that Eun-ji might have had bigger dreams for herself. Perhaps she'd go into some kind of performing art; the Ravenclaw made a mental note to listen for her Housemate's name on wizarding radio or at the theatre in the future. But in the meantime, Eun-ji seemed reluctant to offer up any further details; maybe the other girl was just cold by nature, or perhaps Aly had touched a nerve. Either way, she let it go.

Instead, the conversation again shifted to their shared Animagus talent. Aly nodded at the admission that Eun-ji had only done the ritual last year. "We've probably been Animagi about the same time, then," she admitted, flexing one hand and then clenching it into a fist, her eyes glued to it to avoid looking at the fellow eagle. If she looked, maybe Eun-ji could have read it all on her face as plainly as a Witch Weekly spread: doubt, fear, distrust of her own power. "I only managed to do it during last year's summer camp. Peri helped me gather all the ingredients, and then when that lightning storm hit, it was perfect timing."

A horse seemed a rather giant form; then again, Aly had seen @Evelynn Decipio shift into what was essentially a really big cat plenty of times, and it had never seemed to bother the redhead, such a difference in size. Being small had been so disorienting for the curly-haired eaglet the first few times she'd shifted into her Animagus form; suddenly, the world seemed so much larger and more terrifying, and her senses strangely warped to boot. A bit of research in the library on how butterflies took in the world had helped to dissolve those disorientations, at least. "You must be able to run so fast," she said, not quite in a gushing tone, but certainly in awe. "I'm a butterfly - a Peleides Blue Morpho, to be specific. But I, erm..." She looked away from her hand for a moment, green gaze darting down to the same shade of grass, then to a nearby tree, and then to Eun-ji's eyes for just a fraction of a moment before glancing away, more so like a hummingbird than a butterfly. "Well. Have you ever had... issues... with your change? Like a mental block, or something?"

Feb. 4, 2026 | Ravenclaw sweater/trousers, fur cloak | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18 | @Eun-ji Lee Hunt (mentions @Pericles Dralt)

Mentioning: @Aly Salinger

Blue in English, Red in Korean

There was another soft meow echoing from beside her as the topic shifted towards the animagus skill. Without thinking, Eun-ji opened her arms and the silver Egyptian Mau sprang into them with his usual effortless grace. It was a familiar habit that required zero concentration from her side. Cradling the cat against her chest, fingers sinking into the snow kissed silken fur, she quietly absorbed the information given to her. It was somewhat nice to hear that neither of them had their animal form for very long. It made Eun-ji feel less self-conscious, even though there was no reason to feel that way in the first place. That’s just how her brain was wired. Always striving to keep up with everybody.

“That makes sense.” The witch nodded, when Aly shared that Peri was the one to assist her with the ritual. She wasn’t all that close with the ivory-haired boy back then so it didn’t occur to her to ask him for help, but the same didn’t apply to the other girl. “I received some guidance from Marcus. He did a good job sharing the instructions with me.” Honestly, at the time, Eun-ji was a bit nervous since their former Head of the house could only help partially. He was taking part in the summer camp so he couldn’t visit often and naturally, as a werewolf, he wasn’t able to be there for the final step at all. Even so, he guided her well and she ended up completing the ritual without any major issues.

“Oh, you are a butterfly?” Eun-ji found it almost funny, when she realized the size difference between their forms. “Well, I can certainly run fast but I cannot fly so I'd say you win that round.” She pointed out. A butterfly seemed fragile but there was also power in being small. Easier to hide and fit into places most could not. She wasn’t sure how Aly felt about that however. Considering her next question and the apparent hesitance in her tone…it seemed she was not entirely confident with her change. “Hmm…no, I can’t say I have. Nothing bad ever happened during my transformation process so there is no basis for any trauma.” If anything, turning into a horse felt like a sweet escape from all the trauma her human form constantly carried everywhere she went. Naturally, Eun-ji would not admit as much to Aly. Or anyone else for that matter. Still, the question lingered. She was a Ravenclaw after all and as such, extremely curious in nature.

“Were you at the Tenusa event by any chance?” The guess slipped past her before she could reconsider it. When Ye-jun recounted the disaster that happened in there, he mentioned a girl, who turned into a butterfly in order to escape the aggressive vines. He was both impressed and eager to use the opportunity to tease his cousin about how useless her own form would be in the same scenario. It was a stretch of course, there were likely other butterfly animagi out there and Tenusa hosted many young wizards and witches during the event. But if Aly had been there…Well, Eun-ji could easily imagine an experience like that creating a mental block during the follow up transformations. In any case, if she were wrong, Aly could just say no. If not…well, she was the one to breach the subject in the first place so she couldn’t blame Eun-ji for asking. Right?

Eun-ji was more observant than Aly had expected, it seemed, or perhaps just more knowledgeable about the goings-ons of Hogwarts and its students even when they were outside of the castle. The Ravenclaw certainly hadn't expected her Housemate to just outright question if she had attended the ill-fated event at Tenūsa so soon after her own query about having a mental block about her Animagus form, and for a moment, a chill of electricity and fear combined ran down her slender spine. No way she knows. Eun-ji wasn't even there - was she? I don't remember her being in attendance, but maybe I just didn't notice. I was rather distracted, between Kavi and my magic and all...

The curly-haired brunette coughed to clear her throat, though it felt more as if to cover up her surprise. "Oh! Erm." At first she wasn't quite sure how to respond, but after a moment, a slow nod escaped her before she could even realise that she had been moving her head, her curls bobbing lazily up and down. "Yes, I, er... I suppose I was." She gave the girl a mildly suspicious side-eye. "You weren't, if I'm remembering correctly? I'm certain I would remember if a horse had trampled through the vines at some point."

Still, there were other points to reply to, and Aly gave a lame attempt at distracting the girl with her comment about their former Head of House. "You are so lucky to have been able to learn from him," she said with a slightly dramatic sigh, though unlike her fellow Ravenclaw, she was clearly no actress. "Marcus, I mean. I'd have loved to have asked him questions when I was going through the process, though of course Peri was also wonderful and had so much first-hand experience." As for the flight versus running, Aly cracked a genuine smile at the idea. "We should race sometime," slipped out, though she immediately realised what she had just said and tried to offer a retraction: "I mean, broom versus horse. I'd lose as a butterfly." The unspoken words may or may not have been clear: I'm not sure I even can.

Nevertheless, the next suggestion was somewhat out of politeness, somewhat out of a true offer: "Maybe we could get together for a transformation sometime? Grab Peri and Eve or something and make a day of it when we all need a break from N.E.W.T. studying?" Of course, it did not occur to her that she had just opened herself up to the possibility of being asked to transform right then and there...

Feb. 4, 2026 | Ravenclaw sweater/trousers, fur cloak | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18 | @Eun-ji Lee Hunt (mentions @Pericles Dralt and @Evelynn Decipio)

Mentioning: @Aly Salinger and briefly: @Pericles Dralt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Oh. So her guess was correct after all. Eun-ji hadn’t truly expected to be right but in a way, it made things much easier for her. She already ventured far enough into the conversation that retreating would have been awkward. At the same time however, she did not enjoy prying. Guessing the cause on her first try meant Eun-ji was spared that fate.

“You are right. I wasn’t there precisely because I knew something messy was bound to happen…It was a school event after all.” From her weary tone, it was clear how tired the she’d grown of watching adults fail the students placed in their care. The disappointments had been stacking each year until they became an expectation rather than simple worry lingering at the back of her mind. The young witch was even considering not attending the upcoming Fall ball despite it ultimately being her last one but that was a decision for another day… “My cousin was there though and he recounted the disaster in painstaking detail to me. It seems he was pretty impressed by your smart escape. I was purely guessing that the butterfly in question was you however…” It seemed only fair that she revealed the source of her knowledge to the other girl. There was no reason not to.

At the comment about Marcus, Eun-ji simply nodded in agreement. In her opinion, there was no point in further discussion. That lesson belonged to the past, Marcus was gone and despite their efforts, it didn’t seem like he was coming back. The witch had no desire to let her mind linger on yet another loss. “Well, I have no doubt, Peri was an excellent teacher.” She noted instead. He did come across as someone that would be.

When Aly, presented the idea of a race, Eun-ji could feel a corner of her lips tugging upwards. “So…” She paused, watching her classmate’s expression for a moment. “You tell me you’d lose in your butterfly form and then you propose an equally inconceivable conquest to me?” The witch drawled out though there was no bite behind the statement. In fact, she was almost amused. “Andalusian horses can reach the speed up to around eighty eight kilometres per hour. Brooms can go double that speed if not more.” It would be basically a similar if not worse loss for her as it would be if Aly competed with her in her butterfly form. “I’ll run with you for fun though. You can find me if you ever feel like doing that.” The ballerina was not a sore looser but she also never took on challenges that were impossible to win in the first place. It would be illogical to do so.

That being said, while she might have refused the unfair race, Eun-ji was intrigued by the idea of hanging out with her fellow Ravenclaw in their animal forms. Not to mention Mordred would appreciate them doing so as well. “Why not now?” She retorted, for once very much oblivious to Aly’s internal struggle. “Seems like we both have time and I never got to be around other animagi in my animal form. Makes me wonder what it’s like.” It was a practical suggestion since Eun-ji didn’t know if they’d ever actually get to do this even if the promise was made. Their last year would be busy for everyone so no one could guarantee they would actually find the time to meet up later. Unlike Aly and Peri, Eun-ji may have not been busy with N.E.W.Ts but ballet now claimed nearly every spare hour she possessed. Ever since she decided to give her dream another shot, the ballerina started practicing even more intensively than before. The entrance interview waiting for her after graduation demanded nothing less so she could not guarantee she’d be available in the future.