𝑬 𝑨 𝑹 𝑳 𝒀 ● 𝑳 𝑰 𝑭 𝑬
Brian Gaffey was born as the fifth child to Connor Gaffey and Mary Gaffey née O'Keefe in the largely working-class area of Scotland Road, Vauxhall, Liverpool. His father used to be a dockworker by trade, until he was laid off from his job following the 2008 recession. This was a large hit to Connor's self-esteem, as the Gaffeys have worked at the port of Liverpool ever since they emigrated to Liverpool from county Kildare, Ireland, in the late 1840s. His mother works as a cashier at a local supermarket, having worked in retail ever since she was sixteen years old. He was largely brought up by his older siblings, particularly his oldest brother and sister, a pair of twins called Jacqueline (also lovingly called Jacky) and Sean. Jacqueline cared for him when his mother was off at work, whereas Sean introduced him to football, a sport Brian would obsess over in his younger years, playing in the streets several times a week. Brian was allowed to join his local football club at age four, and never missed a training after, growing up to be a keen and hard-working athlete.
He started attending Trinity, a local Catholic primary school, less than a year later. During his time at primary school, a young Brian first experienced social inequality when he was bullied for getting his older brother's old school stuff, as his family couldn't afford to buy new supplies. When his classmates found out that his father's employment wasn't very steady, he was mocked rigorously. He got into fights early-on, but was dissuaded from fighting his classmates by a handful of influential teachers that motivated him to work hard and concentrate on his school work. Still, Brian knew how to stand up for himself, and wouldn't shy away from a confrontation.
His childhood was marked by his father's inability to cope, and Brian quickly determined that he wanted a better life than his dad's. Motivating himself to work hard, he toiled tirelessly at school as well as on the pitch, showing himself to be both a gifted pupil and footballer.
The Gaffeys had a hard time understanding Brian's magical ability, but came to see that an education at Hogwarts would be the only way to ensure that Brian's gift wouldn't be found out. They have very mixed feelings about the magical world at large - and who could blame them? They were forced to send their youngest son off to a boarding school on the other side of Britain. Brian, too, had a difficult relationship with Hogwarts. He felt slighted at the fact that he had to abandon his family without a choice, only seeing them during his time off in the winter and summer. Whereas many other students may feel anxious and happy to attend Hogwarts, Brian feels conflicted, fearing that he'll have quite the culture shock at his new school.
