Written 2003, © Erica 2005
Profile for Tria Ligare Academy. (same RPG as in this profile, it was redone, but later died)
Picture;
Basics;
Name: Cho Mei Chang
Age: 19 (b-day Oct 27)
Gender: Female
Blood: Pureblood
Schooling;
House: Hawk
Year: 2nd
Wand: Rowan, phoenix feather, 9 1/2 inches. Slim and quite whippy. Excellent for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts
Previous Schooling: Hecate Academy, an academy in London for young gifted witches (an all girls school), (5-11). Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ravenclaw House (11-17).
Personality;
General Personality: Cho hasn't changed much since her years at Hogwarts except in a couple aspects. At the school she'd been one of the more popular Ravenclaws and well liked by pretty much everyone. At TLA she had to start over in the social cast. But Cho had already decided that she was going to be careful whom she made friends with. During her Hogwarts years, Cho could be so fiercely loyal to her friends that she was blind to their short comings. This became evident to her after her argument with Harry over Marietta. Afterwards, Cho tried to be more conscious of how others might view a situation.
More quiet and subtler than she used to be, Cho usually doesn't bring attention to herself. But she often notices things most people don't, and because of that she often knows more too. Cho picks up on information very easily and retains it well. Despite the fact that she's not as outgoing as she used to be, Cho is a devoted friend. She's a good listener and is often helping her friends with their problems. But even her good friends have problems breaking past the barrier she puts up when she's having problems. When she's in a down mood, she'll shut herself away and won't let anyone near her, fearing they will be hurt because of her. The only person that ever successfully got through to her while she was in a state was Cedric. Cho has a good sense of humor and likes to put it to occasional use. She does have a habit of staring off into space at the most inopportune moments though.
An ambitious girl, Cho has several goals and dreams. She wants to become an Auror, to become an animagus, and with those abilities avenge Cedric's murder. But Cho also wants to be able to sing again, to love someone again, to settle down to a quite, peaceful life, and to raise a family. Cho's hobbies range from Quidditch and her studies, to defense magic, martial arts, weaponry, and singing (even though she hasn't done it in a long time). First impressions of Cho are generally that she's shy, innocent and sweet, quite far from the truth. Cho's general opinion on school and life are positive, that school is necessary to further oneself in life, and the life has both it's good and bad, and hopefully more good than bad.
Cho does have one serious character flaw. She has an incredible temper, which most wouldn’t expect from the usually demure and polite Asian young woman. Once Cho is angered it takes a lot to calm her down. And while she tries really hard to see something from other points of view as well, if she has strong feelings on a certain subject, trying to change her mind will only anger her. And it really doesn't take much to set Cho off either. A frustrating assignment on a bad day can make her throw her text books across the room. Someone insulting one of her friends or someone she really respects (and really insulting them) is probably one of the worst things a person can do in front of Cho. Someone once made a degrading comment about Cedric and Cho completely lost her head (figuratively). Though she considered that detention completely worth her actions.
Pet Hate: There's only one thing that really irritates Cho, which she has no reason for: tapping, like someone idly tapping their quill or finger on the table. It annoys Cho to no end, but she has no rational reason for her irritation, other than it bothers her.
Likes: Books, books, books, and more books... and Quidditch, DADA, dueling, martial arts, weaponry, singing, taking walks, honesty, gentlemen (real ones), gardens. Animal: Phoenix; Book: A Little Princess; Color: Blue; Drink: Butterbeer; Food: Rice; Flower: Blue rose; Music: Classical; Scent: Fresh rain; Thing To Do: Read
Dislikes: Magpies (chatty people), liars, conceited and self-infatuated prats, dark magic, insults about Cedric, when her psonics flare unexpectedly. Animal: Serpent; Book: Catch 22; Color: Brown, pink; Drink: Coffee; Food: Pizza (grease, gross!); Music: Rock; Scent: Cigarette smoke; Thing To Do: Attend social gatherings
Phobias/Fears: Others getting hurt because of her, completely loosing control of her pyrokinesis and hurting someone (whether intentional or not)
Appearance;
General Appearance: At 5' 2" and 48 kg (105 lbs),Cho is short and willowy, but Quidditch and other activities have made her tougher than she looks. Her soft, glossy, straight raven black hair has some bluish tones, gently frames her face and just brushes her shoulders. She used to wear her hair in a long braid until her fifth year, when she cut it off as a sign of mourning. Cho's narrow slanted eyes are a soft deep brown and ever watchful. Framed by long lashes, they are set in a slender face with clear, light toned skin. Cho's eyes hold a haunted look that is very hard to detect if you don't know her well. Her mouth is generally in a neutral straight line, but if she's in a good mood the corners will be turned up a little. It doesn't really take much to make her smile, just the right person.
Cho has various scars from various Quidditch accidents, and a bird shaped birthmark on her right shoulder. A conservative dresser, Cho dresses more for comfort and efficiency than trendiness, but she does have a thing for wearing her work robes when not in school uniform. Cho always wears a silver fabrigeé and sapphire ring, given to her by Cedric only a week before his death, on the ring finger of her left hand. Tucked under her shirt, Cho wears a flat silver disk with Chinese runes on a blue silk cord around her neck. An old Chinese monk gave the amulet to Cho's mother when the baby was born. And on in her belt, Cho carries her 20 great grandmother's shukusen. Cho moves a little like a bird in flight, light and flowing; and ever since she was a child, she's always walked softly.
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 105 lbs
Complexion: Light toned skin
Defining Marks: Various scars from various Quidditch accidents, and a bird shaped birthmark on her right shoulder
History;
Parents: Hiroshi Chang & Norika Yoshimoto [dead]
Sibling(s): None
General History: Cho was born in Communist China to Hiroshi Chang & Norika Yoshimoto who were on assignment for the Ministry of Magic. Cho's parents had both been born in China and had immigrated, in their late teens, to Great Britain where they met at their jobs in the Ministry. Hiroshi and Norika were both aurors during the Dark Lord's reign of terror, and happened to be in China tracking Death Eaters when Cho made it known she wanted to be born. Norika returned to England a few days after that while Hiroshi completed the assignment. Then Hiroshi returned to England also. Norika went into hiding with baby Cho and Hiroshi continued working as an Auror until the Dark Lord's downfall with the Potters. With the threat of the Dark Lord pretty much over, the Changs were some of the Aurors that were placed on reserve, since they had a young child. So Hiroshi and Norika took other jobs in the Ministry. Norika worked in the Department of Research, and Hiroshi worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Both the Changs and the Yoshimotos are old wizarding families and because neither Hiroshi nor Norika had siblings Cho will have a large inheritance. Both sets of grandparents adore Cho, as she's their only grandchild, and are quite proud of her progress in school, though they wish she had attended their old school in China. The Chang family is an ancient Chinese family but the Yoshimoto family was at one point originally from Japan. Hiroshi changed the spelling of his last name from Zhang to Chang so less people would be confused on how to pronounce it (or come close to pronouncing it). In Ancient Japan, the Yoshimotos had been a high ranking family and part of the samurai class.
Cho was quite an advanced child (one of the reasons she's a Ravenclaw). She learned to talk before she could walk and taught herself to read by the time she was three and a half. As soon as she could talk, Cho started asking questions. Why this? How does that work? Do cats go to heaven? When she couldn't find an answer for her questions, she tried to look it up (the cat question never was really answered). Cho's father began training Cho in martial arts and weaponry when she was very young. She took fairly well to both and is now quite adept at them. When they realized how bright their daughter was, and how willing she was to learn, Hiroshi and Norika enrolled Cho at Hecate Academy, an all-girls school in London for young gifted witches, which she attended from age 5 until she entered Hogwarts.
Cho was very surprised when she was selected to be the Ravenclaw seeker in her second year. Sure she loved flying but she'd never really been all that into Quidditch. But when her parents suggested she try-out she did. As it turned out, she was somewhat of a natural. Though it had taken her a long time to master as a child, Cho is able to guide her broom with her knees and still stay balanced. And her sharp eyesight certainly helped with locating the snitch. After her first game, Cho was hooked to Quidditch. It was in fact over the Quidditch pitch that Cho and Cedric first met, during the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff game in her second year. Even though she was on an older broom, she was lighter and was able to outmaneuver Cedric.
When she was sorted into Ravenclaw, Cho took it as a sign that she should study hard (like she'd do anything else). And she did. As one of the top students in her year, Cho had no doubts about what people expect from her. For her first four years at Hogwarts, life was wonderful, despite all the chaos that seemed to start after Harry Potter came. Cho was pretty much not affected by anything that happened, except for when Penelope Clearwater was petrified. Cho was pureblood so she knew she wouldn't be attacked, but she didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt Penny, who had often tutored her when she needed help. When Cho finally met Harry over the Quidditch field her fourth year, she was almost surprised that the scrawny boy (even though he was taller than her) was indeed The Harry Potter. But she found him to be a good opponent.
Cho's fifth year however, was not so wonderful. Cho reasoned she should have guessed the year wasn't going to be good after the appearance of the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup, but she hadn't ever been keen on divination. With the added stress of the OWLs and the coming of the Triwizard Tournament to Hogwarts, Cho's stress level was beginning to rise. The stress was alleviated somewhat when Cedric asked her to the Yule Ball. Like most girls, she's harbored a small crush on the Hufflepuff boy for his good looks, but Cho had also liked him for his humbleness and kindness. Cho tumbled head over heels for Cedric and a week before the Third Task, he gave her the silver fabrigeé ring she still wears. Had Cho known the outcome of the third task, she might have never gone out with Cedric. When Harry, Cedric and the Triwizard cup reappeared outside the maze, with Cedric dead, Cho's world collapsed. Dumbledore's words at the end of the year sunk deep into her heart, though she was hardly hearing them at the time. The Dark Lord was back. Shortly after returning home, Cho suffered a nervous breakdown and was still on the road to recovery when her sixth year began. She almost complied with her parents' wishes for her to stay home a bit longer, but Cho knew that if she did, she'd never leave.
Cho put up a brave face for most of the year, though she was still grieving over Cedric. She tried not to show how much she was hurt, but little things around Hogwarts kept setting her off, leaving her in a pool of tears. It didn't help that Umbridge was teaching DADA. Cho had planned for Defense to be her main focus that year, so she could someday right the wrong of Cedric's murder. Even if it hadn't been the Dark Lord, like the Ministry was trying to say, Cedric was still dead and someone had killed him. And Cho wanted to make them pay. When she heard about the Defense group Harry Potter was putting together, Cho dragged her friend Marietta to the meeting so she wouldn't have to go alone. She would later rue this decision. Being in the DA helped Cho focus herself that year, and she found she was starting to develop feelings for Harry. Eventually she worked up the courage to kiss him under the mistletoe, but then immediately felt guilty because of Cedric. After her final fight with Harry about Marietta, Cho started going out with Michael Corner, but he ended the relationship before the school year ended because she was still being a bit mopey over Cedric. After looking back on her and Harry's failed relationship, Cho can see she wasn't ready for another relationship and that Harry might not have been mature enough. Cho also later felt bad for parting on bad terms with Harry after their argument about Marietta, but can now see she had been somewhat biased.
By the time her seventh year rolled around, Cho had pretty much come to terms with Cedric's death. While she didn't having any long term relationships that year, she went on a couple dates with a few guys. Once again she focused on DADA, more firm in her goal to become an auror. Cho had planned to apply to the Auror's Academy that year, but something changed her mind. Cho had begun to experience some strange fluxes in her magic. Whenever she was extremely angry things would begin to catch on fire. Knowing that in moments of extreme emotion a wizard/witch's magic could sometimes get a little out of control, Cho though she could handle it, by just keeping her temper. But after butting heads with a boy in her house in Herbology and setting part of the greenhouse on fire, Cho realized she needed some help. She was too old to have her magic leaking out when she was angry, plus, when she was younger she'd never had her leaked magic act the same way twice. And now whenever she was mad something would catch on fire. After writing to her parents, Cho went to the Headmaster. Using a few tests, Dumbledore determined that it wasn't a leak in her magic that was starting the fires, instead, Cho was a pyrokinetic.
Cho had hoped the Headmaster would be able to help her get a grip on her magic, but Dumbledore felt that a more advanced institution than Hogwarts would be better equipped. So after some research on the various advanced magical institutions, Cho decided to apply to Tria Ligare Academy. She reasoned that she might as well further her education while she's learning to bring her pyrokinesis under control. Plus an advanced wizarding degree would look good on her application to the Aurors’ Academy. Cho still plans to enroll in the Aurors' Academy, but until she gets a grip on her pyrokinesis (and in that her temper), that will have to wait. Her excellent scores on the NEWTs though were very encouraging though.
Cho's first year at Tria Ligare Academy was a little bit of a shock. After finding the type of work load to be vastly different from Hogwarts, it took Cho most of her first semester to adjust to it. She spent the second semester adjusting socially. Cho went on a few dates, but nothing long term. And while she could sense she was starting to understand her pyrokinesis a bit better, she knew she still had a ways to go before she could control it properly. Toward the end of the year, under the stress of exams, Cho found she was loosing her grip on her pyrokinesis a bit. Completely frustrated and angry over a concept she was failing to grasp, she accidentally set half of her room on fire. Cho sent a request to the Dean to inquire if she could have a dorm to herself to save others the hassle of having their belongings damaged by fire, but has yet to hear back.
Another blow came to Cho toward the end of her first year at TLA, the death of her parents. When Voldemort's return became evident toward the end of her sixth year, both Hiroshi and Norika were called into active duty with the Aurors. Cho had known there was a chance her parents could be hurt, even killed. But knowing the risk never lessens the blow. Hiroshi and Norika were both killed in the final battle with Voldemort. Cho inherited their vault full of galleons, their town house in Kent, and a small patch of land in China. Cho sold the town house and rents an apartment in London when she's not at TLA.
Writing Sample:
The end of the year was approaching, and still Cho hadn't received an answer. She paced the floor of her dorm, wringing her hands and worrying. She had to be accepted, she had to be. There was no two ways about it. She had to learn to control her pyrokinesis and it seemed that Tria Ligare Academy was the only place she could do that. As she passed her window for the umpteenth time, Cho began to chew on her lip. She couldn't leave her powers unchecked, that much was very evident.
As she finished another circle in her dorm, Cho collapsed onto her four-poster bed, exhausted from her pacing and worrying. Her usually neat coal black hair was in complete disarray, but she paid it no mind. It was a rare thing for her to be so uptight over one thing. But this one thing was important, and almost a life or death situation. The Headmaster had been very precise about the fact that if she didn't learn to control her psonic, the uncontrolled power would eventually kill her. It was ironic really. Cho had never thought of herself as anything especially special. All one had to do was look at Harry Potter and see that Cho was for the most part "normal."
But "normal" people didn't set the greenhouse on fire. "Normal" people didn't accidentally set their own belongings on fire unless they were a complete klutz, which Cho wasn‘t. And "normal" didn‘t start fires without their wand. That was probably the worst bit, the inability to control this with her wand. Her wand was useless when it came to channeling this type of magic, and it annoyed her. Her pyrokinesis was so closely tied in with her emotions that even when she was slightly ticked off she was noticing that the fire around her was beginning to react. Like now. She wasn’t angry, just really stressed, and the flames in the wall sconces were already doubled in size. Cho tried to concentrate and force the flames to return to their normal state, but she was too worked up to focus properly.
About to try another round of pacing, Cho pushed herself into a sitting position on her bed. As she slowly stood and made her way over to the window, a shadow passing in front of the moon caught her sharp Seeker eyes. An owl. Cho's breath caught in her throat as her eyes watched the owl swoop lower and lower, heading straight for her. Holding out her hands, the owl dropped the envelope intro her fine boned hands. Her brown eyes were alight with anticipation as she ripped open the seal. It was from Tria Ligare Academy, the wax seal made that much evident. As shaking hands unfolded the thick parchment, her mind whispered a silent mantra. 'They can't have rejected me. They can't have rejected me. They can't have rejected me.' Finally, Cho opened the parchment and saw the words, "You have been accepted..." Bursting into tears of joy, Cho hugged the letter to her chest, and hurrying over to her desk, started scribbling a letter to her parents that she'd been accepted. And behind her, the fire in the wall sconces shrunk slightly in size.
((meh, she’s usually not this emotional, but waiting for her acceptance letter had to be stressful))
Character Extras;
Pet/familiar: Tawny Owl- Tori, Cat/Familiar- Hoshiko
Advanced Magic: Apperation License. Cho is quite skilled in Defense Magic as she wishes to enter the Auror's Academy once she has furthered her education in Defense Magic and gained a better control over her pyrokinesis.
Special features: None