Professor Erica Zayara

## Academic and Professional Career

Erica Zaraya has always been a gifted seer. Her visions came to her far earlier than most, and this led to many extremely traumatic experiences as a child, particular because she was muggleborn. She learned very early in her life that warning others about the future can have disastrous consequences so she resigned herself to helping in small ways, mainly emotional support and encouragement, most recently in the form of tea. She can be quite scatterbrained, easily mixes up her words, and is terrible at remembering names; but this is due to the confusing nature of her visions. Despite these obstacles and her natural nervousness she will consistently try to cheer up her colleagues.

Her true sight ability is far greater than any witch’s or wizard’s has been in centuries, and constantly foreseeing possible outcomes is mentally exhausting. She has taken up the habit of telling others about recent events happening around the school. She does this not to help others ‘catch up’ on the latest news but in an attempt to keep recent events straight in her own head.

Naturally, she was top of her class in Divination and the only witch in recent memory to pass the rigorous TS (true sight) exams; receiving the highest rating possible: oracle. So proficient was she in this field that upon graduation she was youngest witch ever asked to join the Ministry’s Department of Divination, an offer she politely but firmly refused.

Instead, she traveled the world studying under a number of world reknown seers, all of whom were quite willing to take Erica under their wing. During her travels she met several young witches and wizards struggling to cope with their own true sight ability and this experience led her to pen what many consider the greatest textbook ever written on Divination. She is one of the only textbook authors from Hogwarts to be from a house other than Ravenclaw, and this has caused some animosity between her and members of that house. Because of the dismissive attitude many Ravenclaw authors have given her book, she has a bit of a trust issue with them.

Recently Professor Alaric sent her a pendant for safe keeping. When she touched the pendant her already impressive Divination powers were vastly increased. Others seers see one possible future. Oracles like Erica can see futures from just a few alternate universes. But with this pendant Erica was able to see all the possible futures: everything that could possibly happen in a situation. As expected, this type of vision was physically draining and emotionally terrifying. Through much research and assistance from other professors Erica discovered that the pendant holds a being known as Faosko, a powerful wizard of the ancient world. This wizard eventually communicated with Erica, asking to use Erica’s body as a vessel for a short time. Erica accepted this request. It remains to be seen if this decision will be for good or for ill.

## Personal Life

Erica adopted her niece Liliana Zaraya from her twin sister, Alexandria Zaraya. Alexandria was a Gryffindor before she left Hogwarts in her fifth year to America to become a Dark Witch. Erica went to America for her sister's trial with Liliana. Alexandria Zaraya is now held at Azkaban for the foreseeable future.

Erica travels to America often and has a fondness for Whataburger.

Erica is one of the rare witches who excel at both Physiomancy and Neuromancy. She can both diagnose and treat wounds of the body and mind with relative ease, but she is a very poor duelist and knows very little in the way of wizard fighting.

She is known for coining the term ‘hufflebest’. A word used on much more than one occasion in her book, which is another point of contention between her and the Ravenclaw authors.

Her freckles seem to change location somewhat. This is thought to be due to her great power in Divination. When having visions she is actually a bit in phase with multiple realities at once and this causes her skin to change between slightly different versions of herself.

The Professors she speaks with the most is Professor Rosetta Mauve and Professor Malcolm Gray. She has currently gone on one date with Malcolm but it was cut short by the Hogwarts Lockdown and Malcolm ran off muttering about Professor Persephone Petalthorn.

## Story So Far

**Malekif:** While not directly involved with the events caused by the vampire Malekif, Erica was approached by Rosetta Mauve to help find Professor Persephone Petalthorn. Erica told Rosetta Mauve that she could help if they could find the fake Petalthorn so she could see into the future to find Petalthorn's location. Professor Malseava approached Erica and offered to help with the search. Erica attuned to the Professor's future to find out that it was not Malseava she was with but instead a Deatheater named Salem possessing Malseava. She found Salem in an attempt to help Malseava but Salem escaped. Despite her efforts, she did not find Malseava or Petalthorn before she had to leave for America to attend her sister's, Alexandria, trial in America. Malseava approached Erica after the events of Malekif to inform her he was doing well and that Salem had left his body. During this time she met Tobias Locke, Rosetta Mauve and Malcom Gray.

**The Pendant:** When Erica returned home from America she found a letter and a Pendant from Professor Alaric Locke. When Erica touched the crystal of the Pendant, she was taken into an intense vision about Onyx, Alaric and Tobias Locke. After the vision, she confided with Rosetta about the Pendant. Rosetta was able to sense the entity inside of the Pendant using her powers. Rosetta revealed that the entity appeared as a ball of light, warm and kind. Erica decided not to pursue options to destroy the Pendant and instead research who the entity may be.

Erica and Malcolm had already begun a close friendship when Erica decided to turn to Malcolm for help. Erica approached Malcolm, asking if he could research any legends that the Pendant may be apart of. Malcolm had other business to attend to which left Erica with some spare time. In that time, she had tea with Professor Euan Grey where she learned his secret recipe for tea. After teatime, she was approached by students and faculty about visions of darkness from individuals that do not normally get visions. Erica was in the middle of compiling all of the visions together to report it to the Headmaster when Malcolm stopped by to tell Erica what he had found. Malcolm told Erica about three Pendants that contained entities named Onyx, the manifestation of Darkness and Chaos, Faosko manifestation of Light and Order, and Balance, who's power is currently unknown. With that knowledge, Erica knew she had Faosko's Pendant.

Before she could figure out what she would need to do about the Pendant, Malcolm asked Erica on a date. Erica enthusiastically agreed. Rosetta helped Erica get ready for the date, even suggesting giving him a gift, of which Erica chose a 'Legend of Drizzt'. While on the date, Malcolm got into a bar fight with a catcaller and Erica delved into some of her personal life. Before Malcolm could tell Erica anything, an announcement that Hogwarts had gone into lock down sounded in Hogsmeade. Malcolm apologized profusely before running off to find Persephone. Erica made it back to the Castle alone.

Erica went straight to Rosetta's quarters when she was let into the Castle, letting her know that Persephone and Malcolm may be in trouble. Before parting ways, Rosetta let Erica know that if the Pendant was taken away from Erica and destroyed, Erica's soul would possibly burn up. Erica and Rosetta exchanged good bye's and good lucks, their friendship growing stronger through this interaction.

**What the Light Brings:** Erica was awoken by female whispers and visions of Onyx. Immediately she was greeted and spoken to the being Faosko. Faosko told Erica that Onyx, her brother, was causing too much havoc and needed to be reigned in, if not, more destruction would be caused. Erica agreed to let Faosko use her body as a vessel. Faosko took over Erica's body quickly and began her search for Onyx. Faosko tuned into the ever present soul decay of Alaric Locke, the vessel of Onyx. She traced Alaric's past steps to where he apparated out of the school. Faosko quickly followed suit. Immediately after apparating, Faosko ran into Malcolm Gray and a man she calls Mr. Janitor. Faosko gave Malcolm a dire warning before disappearing into the forest to find Onyx.