ravenclaw ~ Nerissa Astor ~ first year

name. Nerissa Astor. NI-RIS-UH = sea nymph. A-STUH = hawk, thunder god.
nicknames. Neri. NEH-RIY = my candle, lamp. Nissa. NIHS-AA = to test.
blood. Pureblood. FATHER = pureblood. MOTHER = pureblood.
birthdate. 13 November 2010. ZODIAC SIGN = scorpio.
birthplace. Brecon, Wales. HOME = the astor manor.
house. Ravenclaw. VALUES = wisdom, creativity, knowledge, orginality.
wand. 27,4 cm aspen wood and unicorn hair. MADE BY = ollivander.

active. Yes. HOW MUCH = at least once a day for at least half an hour.
reply rate. 4-7 days usually. MIN = a day. MAX = 2 weeks.
owls. Open! EXTRA = open to thread ideas.
ooc info. Female, adult. DISCORD = soon!

race. Parselmouth

abilities. n/a

statistics.
STAMINA = 4
EVASION = 7
STRENGTH = 4
WISDOM = 7
ARCANE POWER = 6
ACCURACY = 7

spells.

potions.

height. 4 feet, 11 inches. FIGURE = slender and narrow.
skin. Pale. FRECKLES/MARKS = n/a.
eyes. Dark. SLANT = level, slightly upwards.
style. Simple. THEME: base colours, silver jewellery.

Nerissa was a young witch full of curiosity, intelligence and resourcefulness. Ever since she was young, she would creep up to her father's study to read his books and inspect his ledgers, looking for not only knowledge, but secrets. Yes, secrets, those were what Nerissa loved. She held her own close, and would use any means to discover the ones of others. She spun lies masterly, weaving stories to pull information from others. To others, she might seem cold and calculated, and while this isn't untrue, it is far from who she really is. But unfortunately, growing up in a rich pureblood family, Nerissa also developed many biases against muggleborns and halfbloods. But, to her, were those really flaws?

Born in the cold months of November, Nerissa had a relatively controlled childhood. She grew up on the outskirts of a quiet town called Brecon, in one of the old Astor Manors. Her dad, Augustus Astor, worked in the International Confederation of Wizards, and was often away, so she spent most of her time alone. Of course, she did have a governess, and the staff, but they were hardly substitutes for peers. She didn't mind much, choosing to spend her free time wandering the large manor, and trying to discover the secrets of its halls.

That was her favourite thing, as well as playing in the fields alone, as she didn't have many friends. All the kids in the village were muggle, and since her house held so many magical items, none could come over. She could, of course, visit the village, but she drew many odd looks when she did, so she chose to stay home. Her only friend was her second cousin, another pureblood, who lived on the other side of the country. Nerissa only talked to her friend through letters, or in person whenever her grandparents threw a party. So, all she really had was her governess, who did her best to be like a mother to Nerissa. She would sing to the girl, braid her hair, teach her about the wilderness, but every summer, she packed up her things and headed off.

Nerissa's real mother, a pale woman whose silent portrait could be seen in almost every room of the manor, was absent from Nerissa's life, and supposedly long dead. Her father never mentioned his old wife, and the staff that she interrogated only knew bits and pieces. According to them, she was either very rich, or very poor, lived there for years or only a weekend, was cruel or the sweetest woman they'd ever known. She could never get a straight answer, or anything conclusive. However, the only thing they had agreed on, was that she was a pureblood, and Nerissa's mother.

But little did they know, the fate of Nerissa’s mother wasn’t as clear cut as they thought. After she after she bore him a child, Augustus coldly rejected her and forced her to leave. He later regretted this, and pretended to off at work while he was searching for her. However, his search bore no fruit, at least for a few years.

On May 12th, 2013, he was following a tip he’d gotten from a bartender, and discovered her in the countryside. But there was something he hadn’t expected— she was being hunted by someone else: an Auror. Augustus recognized the Auror, and immediately cast a stunning charm on him. The spell missed, but the Auror turned and confronted Augustus, perceiving him as a threat. After a moment of aggressive discussion, Augustus learned little, only that she had stolen something from the ministry— a prophecy. According to her, it was one she had foretold. But Augustus didn’t care, wanting to protect his former lover. He moved to attack, but the Auror blocked it, and it hit Nerissa’s mother straight in the chest.

Augustus always blamed himself for his lover's death, but never told Nerissa any of it. He still visited the house, and wasn't away for longer than a month, but he became cold and distant. It bothered Nerissa, and she held on to any moment she could where he would soften up. She never knew the real reason why, the reason it hurt him to look at her face. Her face, that look so much like her mother's. Except hers, hers was alive and well.

Nerissa was a witch, and she'd always known it. It hadn't been something that was kept from her, nor had it been something she'd ever questioned. No, it was a simple fact, and at the age of eight, it was proven to be true. Not that she'd doubted.

Antiques weren't uncommon in a large manor like the Astor's. Something that wasn't common, however, were marble busts. In fact, there was only one in the entire house. It lay in the study of Nerissa's father, and it depicted the cold expression of a young woman who looked strikingly like Nerissa-- her mother. One night, as she snuck up to her father's study, Nerissa elbow jolted backwards, knocking something over. The bust. In an instant, she turned around, praying that no damage had been done. And surprisingly, it hadn't. Despite being two shelves up, and falling onto hard, stone floors, not a crack appeared. Quickly returning it to it's spot, Nerissa never spoke of the incident again, tucking it away in her chest of secrets.