Week 1 - Character Discussion

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

With Harry being the main character, we experience the events of "Philospher's Stone" through his perspective. However, other characters throughout the book have their own backstories and experiences.

With these character discussion threads, we would love to hear more about the character you've been assigned. Not much is known about these characters, so you are free to come up with your own ideas. You can respond to the prompts in the first person (as they would, in their own voice) or you can tell us about them in the third person (like the book does with Harry), it’s up to you.

We'll be offering one prompt per chapter. You'll need to answer one of them in 100 words in order to earn 20 beans and a turn. You're welcome to answer any of the other prompts for extra beans, but you won't get extra turns.

The prompts are as follows:

• Chapter 1: What is your character’s family’s legacy?
• Chapter 2: Describe a time your character showed involuntary magic at a young age?
• Chapter 3: What was your character’s childhood like?

Post your responses below by 11:59 PM HOL time on 31 May.

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Hannah Abbott
Describe a time your character showed involuntary magic at a young age?

When I was a little girl (about six or seven), a cousin of mine a few years older than me came by with his parents for the afternoon.

The two of us were playing games in mum’s garden, where I’d normally feel the most calm and at ease, but he kept trying to get a rise out of me, saying I’d “never be good enough to beat him at anything.”

Being somewhat easily flustered, I stamped my foot angrily down into the soil. The beds around us were filled with foxglove, which suddenly grew to an incredible size! Towering over our heads, the flowers leaned in aggressively toward my cousin, as if reprimanding him for teasing me. Some even sinisterly started looping around his waist. He easily broke free, but was very clearly scared.

Mum—who was outside having a cuppa with my aunt—quickly realized what was going on. She came over to calm me down, explaining how strong emotions can trigger a magical response.

Admittedly embarrassed, I was also proud of myself for the floral display. Though I did spend the rest of the day apologizing to the foxglove for startling them, and thanking them for their supportive response.

This experience helped grow my love of plants even more, and reminded me of the importance of standing up for myself. Just perhaps with a little more emotional finesse next time!

[Janne Halla]

Draco Malfoy
Chapter 3: What was your character’s childhood like?

Well, I suppose my childhood was alright, better than alright, actually. I mean, I grew up at Malfoy Manor, which is loads bigger than most people’s houses, with loads of rooms and fancy stuff. We’ve got peacocks in the garden. Real ones. White as snow. Dad says they’re a symbol of our family’s pride or something like that. I just think they’re cool.

Mum was always fussin’ over me, making sure I had the best of everything, robes, brooms, toys, tutors... You name it. She’d always tell me I was special, and honestly, I reckon she’s right.

Dad...he’s strict, but he’s brilliant. He taught me loads before I ever got to Hogwarts. Spells, history, the important stuff. He says I’ve got to carry on the family name properly, with honor and all that. I didn’t always understand what he meant, but I do now. Sort of.

I didn’t really play with other kids much, unless they were from the right kind of families. Mostly just saw other pure-bloods at events and things. My best mate’s probably Crabbe or Goyle, though to be honest, they mostly just follow me around. Still, they’re loyal, and Dad says loyalty’s important.

Sometimes I wondered what it’d be like to have a sibling, but then again, I’d have to share stuff. And I don’t like sharing. Not my broom, not my sweets, not anything. So maybe it’s better this way.

[Luna Ravenlong]

Dean Thomas

What was your characters childhood like?

Growing up, I didn’t know anything about magic. My dad died when I was a baby, so it was just me and mum for a few years, until she met my stepdad when I was four. I had a pretty great childhood, alongside my four half-siblings, my parents were incredibly supportive and loving and spent as much time with us as possible. I particularly loved going to see football games with stepdad, bonding over our love of West Ham.

However, I did always feel slightly different to my siblings. None of them ever did “strange things” like managing to summon my baby sisters stuffed bear when she lost it and wouldn’t stop crying or stopping my football just before it hit the kitchen window. It did freak my parents out a bit, and we were all quite relieved when Professor McGonagal came and explained it all.

[River Fenwick]

Seamus Finnigan
What was your character's childhood like?

Ah, me childhood was a grand ol’ time, growin’ up out in the Irish countryside. I was always out and about, tearin’ ‘round the place on me broomstick—fair play, it really sharpened up me flyin’. Me mum was over the moon with it all, reckonin’ I’d end up playin’ Quidditch one day, especially with how natural I took to a broom. She’s mad about the Irish National Quidditch team, so I’d say that rubbed off on me somethin’ fierce. I got properly obsessed with Quidditch meself. If I couldn’t be out flyin’, I’d be stuck inside listenin’ to the matches, hangin’ on every word from the commentators. All in all, it was a fairly typical childhood...,well, as typical as you’d get with a Muggle dad and a mum who’s a witch.

[Prof. Will Lestrange]

Terry Boot
What is your character's family legacy?

"Unremarkable but comfortable" would be the best way to describe it. Or at least comfortable considering the fact that I was torn between two realms; my mother was a witch from a respected, but not particularly prominent line (the Wildsmiths - claiming Ignatia, the Ravenclaw who invented Floo powder, as an ancestor - nearly all magical Wildsmiths ended up in Ravenclaw like her) and my father being a successful Muggle pharmacist (a distant relation of John Boot who established the infamous Muggle pharmacy chain).

The fact that my lineage is both magical and Muggle (some would use the term "half-blood") meant that I was raised to consider both Muggle and magical approaches to doing things. With the art of dealing with Muggle 'potions' in one side of my lineage and a magical substance that is very potion-like on the other side... it seemed natural that Potions would be in my blood on both sides. And with the Potions Master at Hogwarts also having a witch as a mother and a Muggle as a father, I was told that this should be a fairly comfortable class for me even though it was very unlikely that I would end up in his House...

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Padma Patil
What is your character’s family’s legacy?

Both Mr. and Mrs. Patil were born in India to Wizarding families and emigrated to Britain when they were young. They attended Hogwarts, but they were not in the same year since Mr. Patil was three years older. They actually did not cross paths much during their time at Hogwarts.

Mr. Patil's ambitious nature landed him in Slytherin. One of his closest friends was Percy Parkinson. They even became neighbors once they decided to settle down and start families, so Mr. Patil's twin daughters, Parvati and Padma, grew up with Parkinson's daughter, Pansy. Mr. Patil worked his way up to a respectable position in Gringotts.

Mrs. Patil was always helping out her mother and grandmother in the kitchen as a child. She was poised to take over her family's successful catering business. Mrs. Patil was placed into Hufflepuff by the Sorting Hat, highlighting her dedication to hard work.

Since Mr. and Mrs. Patil were both so focused on their careers, their families decided to play matchmakers and arranged their marriage. Luckily it worked out well for both families. Imagine their surprise when Mr. and Mrs. Patil were blessed with twin girls! They were even further surprised when their girls were sorted into different Houses - Gryffindor and Ravenclaw - matching neither one of them! Though Mr. Patil was frequently heard boasting about his uniquely balanced household.