Mat Duncan Encyclopedia

Full Name: Mat Duncan
House: Gryffindor
Age: 11
Wand: 26,8 cm walnut wood and phoenix feather
School Year: First
Patronus: -
Species: Human

Physical Description
Mat is a little shorter that the average guy for his age, but he has a solid and strong build. He has light brown hair, with slightly auburn reflections, styled short and messy. He has brown eyes and the light skin of a scottish guy, but not too pale as he spent a lot of time outside.

Mental Description
Mat is a very smiley and spontaneous guy, who treat people friendly and as if they've known eachother forever, even if they have just met. He likes to joke and play with other, but is a bit elusive and doesn't stick around much if you don't know him well. Indeed to really trust someone he need to spend a lot of time with them, he will not speak about himself except with very close friends. That said, once he become friend with someone, he is very loyal and supportive and he goes out of his way for them.
He is adventurous, and before Hogwarts he liked spending time outside on the hills: racing brooms with his friends, playing quidditch in the backyard, or just walking around and exploring. He can appreciate reading, but you'll never find him cooped up in a library: he's more the type to bring a book outside and read a few pages before being distracted by the call of nature.

History/Background Story
Mat was born in the evening of March 31 2014. It was snowing that day, and the pale grey light streaming through the window made the atmosphere in the room ethereal, suspended. His mother Liv, slumped on the cot, stared exhausted at an indeterminate point in the white sky, while his father held him and whispered disjointed phrases. Even though the Healer had said that the newborn was as healthy as a horse, they couldn't stop examining him, afraid of finding a problem. But Mat was fine, he was a normal baby. Well, almost normal.
Mat grew up in the country house that his paternal grandparents had built in the hills near Inverness. His father was an expert broom-maker: he had founded a small shop where, together with his friend and partner, he worked and carefully enchanted wooden broomsticks. As is well known, artisanal activities do not see rivers of galleons,, but there was never a shortage of customers. His mother, on the other hand, worked in a bookshop and wrote books. She was a cultured woman who had spent most of her life studying and researching. She often recounted how, as a young girl, the Sorting Hat had merely touched the tips of her hair to assign her to Ravenclaw. Mat's grandfather was a Muggle and had made his living raising sheep. He was a man of another era, serious and authoritative, but in front of his grandchildren, his tough bark melted like ice in the sun, allowing a paternal and jovial character to emerge. He had taught them to take care of animals, to cultivate a vegetable garden, and to rejoice in the little things.
And then there was his brother.
Mat had a brother, Ben, who was three years older than him. Ben was a little taller and thinner than him, with a pointed face and eyes that appeared both sad and charismatic at the same time. For Mat, he had been a role model and playmate, and their bond was strong. Ben was mature for his age and had an independent and sincere character that was magnetic. In the small group of young wizards they hung out with, his opinion was always the most listened to, and even the older boys respected him. He was the kind of kid who could handle himself in any situation and always seemed to know the wisest thing to do. He spoke little, only meaningful words, but because of this, when he opened his mouth, everyone listened. Mat had always seen him as an example, as what he should be, but as he grew up, another feeling came alongside admiration: the desire for independence, to have a personality of his own, not to be considered just a copy of his brother. And so the cases in which their opinions differed became increasingly frequent. However, Ben did not take offence, but observed this side of his brother with curiosity and satisfaction.
During his childhood, Mat spent many hours outside with his brother and a couple of their friends. The hill behind their house was their playground, where they spent whole days exploring, playing, or just lying on the grass. Growing up, his parents allowed them to use some old broomsticks, so playing Quidditch in the hill field became their favourite pastime. It wasn't exactly a professional set-up (there was only one goal, consisting of a basket tied to a tree), but it was enough for fun. But on the other hand, as he got older, lessons also began. Every day for a few hours, his mother would instruct him about the history of magic, explaining how their world was organised, the Ministry, the relationship with Muggles, but also some non-magical knowledge that she knew he would no longer have the opportunity to learn once he started Hogwarts, such as mathematics and English grammar. Mat's childhood was generally quite carefree, and on the day he found himself in front of the Hogwarts Express, beneath all the trepidation and anticipation, he felt a hint of melancholy for that period of his life that was now over forever.

First Instance of Magic
When Mat was 6 years old, he was walking down a hill with his older brother and a friend of them, a wee wizard who lived not far away. They had been playing quidditch all the afternoon, with a soccer ball they found in town and some old broomsticks, and were very tired. As they were staggering towards home, Mat tripped and fell for several meters off the cliff side before stopping on a rock, hitting his head hard. To his surprise, he managed to get up and wasn't feeling sore or hurt at all: he checked the back of his head expecting at least some blood, but nothing. He smiled upwards to reassure his companions, who were running down worried, and replied with a shrug at their questioning look. When they told what happened to their parents in the evening, they were relieved to know that Mat was indeed a wizard, but also a bit sorry for not having witnessed their son's first magic.