Index Registration

Character name: Orsolya Tarnay
School Year or Adult Level: Adult I
Does any Profile Card info need changing? Blood status to Half-breed; Function to Headmistress of Ilvermorny, I
Link to the character page: Accio
Character Statistics: Stamina 8 | Evasion 10 | Strength 10 | Wisdom 20 | Arcane Power 2 | Accuracy 10 (Total: 60. Intending to take an ability for Adult I.)
Character Special Race/Talent: Dhampir

Reducio

Mina Lahaie's whole world collapsed three months before her twenty-third birthday.

The daughter of two accomplished wizards, Mina had gotten almost everything she wanted since childhood. Smart, self-disciplined, the forever golden girl, she had always held her head up, and so easily became the centre of the crowd wherever she went. She had dedicated herself to the art of Duelling since her Ilvermorny days, and it was only natural for her to step into professional Duelling after graduation. Talented, Mina soon became a rising star in the Canadian Nationals in her early twenties, and was considered to have a bright future. There were certainly ups and downs, yet in her twenty-two years of life she hadn't really tasted failure.

She had been planning a trip across Eurasia with her school friends since graduation, but they had only found a time suitable for everyone until then. Starting from the west of the continent, they went east, enjoying their quality time off from work. Despite loving her career as a professional Duellist, Mina adored every second of the trip with her lifelong friends, and sincerely hoped that it would never come to an end. Yet everything changed when they reached Romania.

Spending their night in a local hotel, Mina left her group of friends and went out to the night street to search for a late-night snack. She might have been a little tipsy that night, because she did not take her wand with her, thinking that it would be a quick return from a little 24-hour shop at the end of the street. And this, turned out to be completely unacceptable for a Duellist. Having just arrived at sunset and unfamiliar with the surroundings, she turned at the wrong corner, and went into the darkest of alleys, where she was attacked by a bloodthirsty vampire.

Worried by her long-time absence, her friends went out searching for her, and arrived at the scene just in time. Startled and interrupted by the group of wizards directing their wands at them, the vampire fled the scene, leaving Mina lying on the cold ground. It was still too late. The vampire had already bitten her. A failed turning.

After the incident, no one had any interest in continuing the trip, but Mina insisted that they should. Refusing to return to North America right away, she decided to stay in Europe for a bit longer, where she would take a break and think everything over. Recently turned into a dhampir, Mina had no idea where her future lay. Vampires and dhampirs were not a species suitable for precise casting, and with the discrimination on them, she knew that she would no longer be able to pursue Duelling and rise to the very top of the world like once she had dreamed.

Yet she was a strong woman. She had always been so, and she knew that there was no point in mourning for the things that had already gone. Mina rented a small house in Bucharest, and tried to get used to her new life. Upon connecting with the local wizarding dhampir community, she did make a few friends, including a Hungarian dhampir who was introduced into their circle almost the same time as her.

Tarnay Benedek's whole world brightened four months after his twenty-seventh birthday.

The son of a human and a vampire, Benedek had never met his mother. Bred in the vampiric House of Tarnay in Hungary, he was the only dhampir around the manor, rumoured to be born out of a shameless affair of his father. He had never known much about his mother, except that she was a witch and "freaked out" when she learnt that her lover was a vampire. The Tarnays claimed that she was more than willing to get rid of the newborn child and leave him with them, but Benedek had always suspected that it was untrue. He could never find out the truth, though, seeing that he did not even know what her name was.

So, Benedek grew up as the outsider of the family, the quiet, sullen kid who always occupied the darkest corner of the library. He was surrounded by wealth and power the moment he was brought into the ancient castle of the vampire house which had been accumulating for centuries, yet there was always subtle malice and disdain towards him, and even his father acted as if he didn't even exist most of the time. Benedek was impure. The prominent vampire lineage was something the Tarnay family prided themselves on.

He was packed off to Scotland when he was eight. The days spent with his mother and posing as a normal wizard made his father aware of the possibility of his half-breed son manifesting magic. Durmstrang was not really an option, and on tops of that his father had no interest in meddling with "that woman's alma mater". They said that Hogwarts accepted half-breeds with welcoming arms, and thus he arrived in Scotland, patiently waiting for that first magic to knock on his door. Benedek was a late bloomer, and it eventually came when he was almost ten. His father checked on him a few times upon business trips to Britain, and he mostly spent his time before school with a private tutor.

He once thought that everything would be much better upon entering Hogwarts, yet Benedek soon found that he was wrong. Dhampirs were very much looked down on by human beings as well, and sometimes it wasn't even implicit. Benedek told himself not to pay attention to them, and spent his seven years as a nerd who tirelessly absorbed knowledge. His social circle was limited to a few people who were really warm-hearted and truly cared.

History of Magic had been his favourite subject since his childhood and school days, and he stepped into the professional field after graduation. Benedek returned to the family estate in Hungary, and spent his days dedicating himself to doing historical research as well as roaming in the ancient streets of Central and Eastern Europe. Through work connections, he got to know a dhampir from Romania, who then introduced him to a little salon hosted specifically for dhampirs in Bucharest. That was when paths crossed and he met and befriended a newly turned Canadian dhampir.

A born dhampir and a turned dhampir. An understated young man and a self-assured young woman. The rest was history.

From friends to lovers, from Bucharest to Grand Falls. The newlyweds moved to a small town in New Brunswick, Canada, where, under the encouragement of Benedek, Mina returned to the duelling piste she loved so much as a coach. Her friends who travelled with her helped hide her new identity, and she always tried to maintain minimal media exposure and wore a mask when she had to face close interactions, while Benedek continued to work as a low-profile historian. It wasn't long before they had the joy of welcoming their newborn daughters, a pair of healthy twin girls whom they named Orsolya Marie and Sofia Lahaie.

From a young age, Benedek and Mina made sure that their daughters were familiar with both their lineage and how to hide their race from prying eyes. To some extent, the girls were luckier than their parents; Mina made extraordinary efforts to adapt to her new dhampir self after the turning in her adulthood, while Benedek had never received such care and support when he felt confused about his in-between identity as a child. Unnaturally pale-skinned, averse to sunlight, and having a love for blood pops, Orsolya knew that she was different from the time she was old enough to understand things. She wouldn't say that she was particularly proud of it, but that was what she - and her whole family - was, and that was already enough for her to feel like she belonged.

Character Backstory:

Reducio

Orsolya Marie Tarnay was born on October 2nd, 2001, to Benedek Tarnay and Mina Lahaie in Grand Falls (Grand-Sault), New Brunswick, Canada. Seven minutes older than her twin sister Sofia Lahaie Tarnay, Orsolya was the firstborn of the wizarding couple. Hailing all the way from Hungary, her father worked as a Historian, while her mother was a professional Duellist turned Duelling Coach.

The family of four was well-off, and lived a modest life away from the bustling streets. This was because they were no ordinary human beings. They were a family of dhampirs. Growing up, Orsolya was more than aware of her identity, and she learned from her parents both to recognise and hide her lineage. Due to the family keeping a low profile and her own aversion to sunlight, Orsolya mostly grew up indoors away from peers, only going out when the sun wasn't so scorching. She spent much of her childhood living up to her parents' - mostly her mother's - expectations, learning various subjects from her parents and private tutors, including basic wizarding world prep knowledge and arts, sports, etc.

But Orsolya had never been a lonely child, because she had always had Sofia. From the time she could remember, Sofia had been by her side. And no matter how hard she tried, Sofia was always the perfect daughter. Lovingly nicknamed Zsófika by the family, she was cheerful, charming, and intelligent, and could easily draw all the attention when she wanted. On top of that, while both girls carried the deadly, vampiric traits from their parents, Sofia had always looked a little bit more "human", less pale, more active, and generally livelier and brighter than her twin sister. Orsolya had always suspected that their parents were more biased towards Sofia because of this, especially her mother, who, despite having accepted her dhampiric self well, had always been secretly reminiscing about her human days. Orsolya had constantly tried to get the better of her sister ever since her childhood, but was still a step behind most of the time. Indeed, she couldn't imagine a day without Sofia and if really given the chance she definitely wouldn't let her go, but it was a child's naïve wish that her sister might disappear and she could thus become an only child and get hold of everything. This sort of love-hate relationship between them continued for years afterward, even when they stepped into adulthood, and it was way beyond what words could describe.

Mina expected her daughters to receive proper wizarding education, and she trusted her alma mater, Ilvermorny, to be the perfect place. When she was still in school, she had been a full human being, but Benedek knew the difficulties of being one among humans, and thus expressed his concerns. Mina reassured him that they would be hiding it anyway, and it was nothing like when Benedek's lineage was practically public knowledge when he was at Hogwarts. So, while Benedek wasn't exactly keen on the idea, because of Mina's insistence, it was settled. At the age of eleven, the Tarnay girls boarded the underground train to Ilvermorny, and were sorted into Horned Serpent House. They were known as "the nerdy twins", quickly rising to the top of their grade, but seldom socialising with others and preferring to stay by themselves. This was mostly because they feared that their dhampir identity would be discovered. As any other eleven-year-olds, both Orsolya and Sofia wished to fit in. But they had to do so for the sake of keeping their places in the school.

They slowly got used to it - it wasn't too different from when they were kids, keeping away from other kids and staying together for the whole time. As relatively young dhampirs, it was easier to hide their unnatural traits, but as they grew older it became way more difficult. When they reached their third year, the Tarnay girls did make some friends and tentatively started socialising through the school years. However, with them trying to blend in and their visibility increasing, rumours began to spread. They were suspicious. They might be ineligible. They could be...dhampirs. Considering that they could not continue their education well in this case, their parents pulled the two girls out of Ilvermorny. After discussion, the family then relocated to Aberdeen, Scotland the summer before the girls' fourth year, and enrolled them in Hogwarts.

Although there were still many distrustful eyes and hurtful whisperings directed at them in Hogwarts, at least they wouldn't have to intentionally hide it all the time. When the secret's leaked, then let it be. Both sorted into Slytherin, they were finally able to study and socialise above board, with those who were open to accept them as they were. While Sofia preferred Charms and Transfiguration, Orsolya, influenced by her father, was more interested in Ancient Runes and History of Magic. Both completed their studies with perfect grades, and their parents couldn't be more proud. They would certainly become accomplished young witches as they had expected since they were young, and oh, everything was so promising.

After the girls' graduation, the family moved back to their house in Grand Falls. Graduate school was obviously the one and only right thing to do, and again they set out on the path of further education together. Yet approximately a year later, to everybody's astonishment, Sofia dropped out. She only informed the whole family after she went through all the procedures, claiming that she had had enough of academia and that attending the Wizarding Academy of Visual Arts and Design was her longtime dream. Her parents were shocked, and so was Orsolya. The perfect little Zsófika, always ahead of her in terms of meritocracy, now announced her withdrawal. Intending to pursue an academic career, Orsolya, for once in almost a score of years, got rid of Sofia as a competitor, and suddenly became the better daughter in their parents' eyes. Sofia would become a Stylist, while she would spend her life dedicating herself to research institutes. Her shadow, or rather, the person who had shadowed her, was finally gone as they embarked on different paths, and her childhood wish had absurdly been fulfilled. She would be lying to say that she could resist a touch of schadenfreude, but without Sofia by her side, something certainly felt off. Orsika and Zsófika. That was how it was meant to be.

Orsolya, at first, did not understand Sofia's choice like their parents, having grown up in a family aiming for elite academic research. However, she did admire Sofia's courage and determination to pursue what she genuinely wanted - while she had never regretted devoting herself to academia, there were certainly times when she wished to release her true self. After all these years, the sisters finally managed to engage in heart-to-heart conversations and open up to each other. From there, Orsolya became one of the firmer supporters of Sofia, helping her when their parents voiced their disapproval, before they gradually came to accept it.

Orsolya, on the other hand, quite enjoyed herself in her studies of runes, history, and related subjects, and continued to work in these fields after graduation. She found a job in the Canadian branch of a North American research institute where she worked for two years, and when there was an opportunity to join a dream team in the United States, she did not hesitate. Thanks to the encouragement from Sofia, Orsolya arrived in New York City, ready to start a new life. It was a lovely experience, and at an annual review meeting, a friend of a friend told her about an opening to teach an elective course at Ilvermorny.

So, Orsolya applied for it and returned to Ilvermorny after a decade. The school was exactly as she remembered, yet everything had changed. Teaching was much different from researching, but Orsolya found it equally intriguing. She meant to stay on this post for a few years before she returned to academia, but somehow she was miraculously put into consideration as the next Headmistress when there was a vacancy. Orsolya, despite feeling a bit nervous, was not going to let the opportunity slip through her fingers.

And so, she said yes.

First Instance of Magic:

Reducio

Almost a year after her twin sister's first accidental magic, Orsolya still hadn't displayed hers. Well, it wasn't like she would turn out as a squib for the rest of her life as she was barely five, but her parents were starting to worry. Another day of them chanting about it at the dinner table, Orsolya retreated to her bedroom while the rest of the family stayed in the living room, hopping onto her bed and grabbing her favourite storybook. It soon turned so dark that her reading couldn't continue, but Orsolya was not in the mood to light the candles or retrieve an oil lamp. She genuinely hoped that someone would peek in and ask what she was doing, and maybe kindly bring her a source of light. But perhaps it was because the topic that day was just engaging or they thought she was already asleep, as nobody showed up. Waiting in vain, Orsolya felt so frustrated, and all of a sudden somehow all the candles in the room lit up for a brief moment, making the room bright as if it were daytime.

STATUS: Approved, Nadira, Oct 9th

Ivory River

Stats:
Stamina- 7
Evasion- 6
Strength- 5
Wisdom- 6
Arcane- 6
Accuracy- 5

Reducio

Wand:

27,7 cm willow wood and snallygaster heartstring

Character name (First and last name): Damon Delaney
School Year or Adult Level: First
Does any Profile Card info need changing? No
Link to the character page: Skadoosh
Character Statistics: Sta - 5 | Eva - 10 | Str - 3 | Wis - 4 | Arc - 2 | Acc - 6
Character Special Race/Talent: Metamorphmagus

Reducio

Damon Delaney inherited his magic from both sides of the family, although neither bloodline carries an even remotely similar history with it.

The Dufresnes are a publicly muggle family, although have had a few witches and wizards somewhere up the family tree, whose magical heritage was never properly documented. Any number of Dufresnes found to have magical abilities were promptly cast out from the family, either by voluntarily leaving once realising they could never live safely amongst their relatives, or by being effectively disowned. The magical branches of the Dufresne family tree had become disconnected from their muggle relatives. Camilla Dufresne grew up knowing none of the history regarding these relatives beyond that they were simply “strange” or had supposedly disappeared from the family entirely.

The Delaneys, however, have maintained a much quieter magical lineage. They had never been a particularly prominent nor exceptional wizarding family, magic had appeared sporadically throughout their ancestry. Among the more unusual traits, there have been several confirmed metamorphmagi amongst the family. The gene has been known to skip a few generations at a time, Aiden was not a metamorphmagi, neither was either of his parents, nor theirs before them. Aiden was very aware that any of his children could be born a metamorphmagus, but the concept is easier to accept than the reality.

The first signs that Damon was a metamorphmagus appeared just a few months after he was born. At first, they were subtle enough so that Camilla thought she was imagining things. Damon’s hair seemed to change colour depending on his mood. Not dramatically. He was born blonde, courtesy of Aiden, but it would darken into a light brown when he was fussy, or become a warmer golden colour when he was happy. Sometimes, Camilla would claim that his eyes looked slightly different than they did the day before. And when the conversation became unavoidable, she blamed Aiden.

“What did you do?”

Aiden immediately knew what she meant.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why does our baby’s hair keep changing?”

Aiden hesitated and that hesitation told Camilla enough to know that he was hiding something. So Aiden finally admitted that he was a wizard. The conversation that followed was not a pleasant one.

Camilla initially assumed that Aiden was joking or lying or having some kind of breakdown. She refused to believe him when he tried to explain that magic was real and that Damon had inherited the genetics from him. The revelation of Aiden’s magical identity was enough to shake their marriage and everything she’s ever known about him. And the fact that their infant son was exhibiting magic traits made the situation considerably worse. Aiden then explained that Damon was a metamorphmagus. Someone capable of altering their appearance with magic and, for the early years of his life, would largely be triggered by his emotions before he’d understand what was happening.

And that proved to be exactly what happened when Damon reached his toddler years and his abilities became increasingly obvious. His hair was usually the first indicator. It would become warmer and more vibrant in colour when he was excited or happy, while anger or sadness caused it to darken considerably. His facial features slightly shifted as well, although these changes were a little less consistent.

By the time Damon was old enough to understand what his abilities were, he found them more fascinating than anything. He found much amusement when they aided in his mischievous streak. He’d get a rush when he’d steal things and his appearance would alter subtly, just enough to keep him from being identified as the criminal. Even if everyone already knew he was to blame. His parents were considerably less amused than he was.

Damon’s metamorphmagus abilities became a core part of his identity, as well as a vehicle for his mischief he used to navigate the world. Even as his relationship with magic became more complicated, he never viewed his abilities as shameful. They were simply another interesting thing about himself.

For Aiden, however, watching his son grow into his abilities was bittersweet. He was proud that Damon had inherited such magical traits, but was also painfully aware of his complete lack of impulse control and restraint which had the potential to make such unique abilities so calamitous.

Damon had inherited the magic, but how he chose to conduct himself with it was entirely up to himself.

Character Backstory:

Reducio

OOC Notes: @Maximilianus Kenneally Vidler is Damon's third cousin and here is the index reapplication
Micah and Jesse are DNPC’s
Also I think I’m over 2k by the slightest amount (not even 100)

-

Damon Delaney grew up in the small-town of Le Claire in Iowa with his parents Aiden Delaney, a man whose job remained a mystery, and Camilla Dufresne, a farmer’s daughter. Damon’s parents have an… interesting relationship. They were the kind who really hit it off when they were young but weren’t made to last. The only thing that held them together was the fact that Camilla fell pregnant with his baby when she was nineteen and he was twenty, and Aiden refused to abandon her nor the child while they were quite literally young dumb and broke. They didn’t want to have a bastard baby and aimed for a quick marriage, but they couldn’t gather the funds until a few months after Damon was born. Camilla’s father refused to let her take Aiden’s surname.

Aiden never told Camilla that he was a wizard… he dabbled in potions but told her he was a chemist. But it was very apparent that something was wrong when Damon was born a metamorphmagus. Camilla was outraged that she was lied to, and their marriage started to deteriorate rapidly following the very hard conversation revealing his magical nature. They remained together out of obligation.

From a young age, it was very apparent that Damon preferred being outdoors in the sun than sitting around the house. He was the kind of unruly kid who would disappear into the woods for hours chasing local legends, return home with frogs and beetles in his pockets, his clothes caked in mud, and new scrapes and bruises all over his skin. He’d go into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich before even thinking to wipe his shoes off on the doormat.

Camilla has very little patience for her son’s antics. She is easily irritated by him, doesn’t understand his restlessness, and isn't particularly affectionate. And, most importantly, is dreading the day he starts exhibiting instances of magic. Aiden, however, is the more stable and caring parent. Damon has many fond memories of spending time with his father at the wharf. It’d be just them, two camping chairs, fishing rods, and a bucket of bait. Damon never could catch anything, but it was the only way anyone could get him to sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time. For Aiden, it transcended mere bonding with his son, and was a gateway to avoiding his responsibilities at home.

Their family isn’t particularly well off. Aiden was never clear about his career and Camilla remained unemployed to “raise” Damon. That was the cause for why Damon developed sticky fingers when he was about 6. At first it’s just little things. He sees another kid with a toy he wants but his parents couldn’t afford, so he simply takes it. Then he’d steal food. Money.

Because he is young, Damon doesn’t understand his family’s financial situation. He doesn’t understand why other kids can ask their parents for things and simply have it the next day, while he is always told “just wait” for weeks on end. He can’t wait. Therefore, he develops the philosophy of “I’ll just take it then”. It works. And when something works, Damon repeats the process. Especially when the world isn’t gonna hand him anything on a silver platter.

Stealing becomes his thing.

Over the next year, Damon became the kid who would steal someone’s lunch and deny it while eating it in front of them. The kid who would pickpocket people and get caught all to immediately start mouthing off. He would get shoved around for it, come home bruised, but would still do it again two days later with no regrets. And being a metamorphmagus only makes it harder for the victim to identify the criminal when he gets a rush during the act and changes his appearance on accident from the adrenaline. How could they describe the perpetrator as black haired and brown eyed, then look into this brunette’s big bright blue eyes, and say it was him?

This just becomes part of Damon’s personality. He learns very early on that he is not physically intimidating, but he relies on his speed and street smarts to get away with it. If he can’t overpower someone, he will outsmart them. If he can’t outsmart them, he will run. If he can’t run, well… he’ll still mouth off.

Aiden in particular is very disappointed in him. He sees his son as this bright, charming, boy with a big heart. He loves Damon enormously. But crime cannot be ignored. He keeps trying to correct Damon, take away privileges, talk it out with him. But Damon gives a different answer each time that varies in sincerity.

“I was gonna give it back”

“They weren’t using it”

“They had two”

One day, Aiden took Damon fishing, like many times before. But the nature of this trip was different. Aiden needed to have a very real conversation with his son. He explained, once more, that this behaviour needed to stop. But, most importantly, he asked him why. He sought to understand what was wrong, how to help. And he didn’t want any excuses like the many times before. After Damon denied that it was solely because they were poor, he answered simply:

“I don’t know.”

It became apparent that Damon couldn’t necessarily control himself when he had the impulse to steal. He didn’t always need it, it’d just be there and he could. And Damon enjoyed stealing. He enjoyed the thrill of the crime, he enjoyed getting away with it, he enjoyed having something he shouldn’t and no one else knowing about it. And that became a real problem.

On top of his less than conventional hobby, Damon spent the majority of his early childhood alone. The other kids in town weren’t too fond of him and not because he was a thief - although that was a large part of it - but it was because he had no concept of personal space, picked up a dead bird with his bare hands and chased a little girl around with it because he thought they were having fun. And some kids wouldn’t let it live down, specifically Jesse Barnes, the town’s bully who was more brute than boy. He was older than Damon by several years, but that apparently didn’t mean he had any remorse about his habitual bullying.

Damon was 8 when he was spending a fine summer afternoon outside, sitting in the grass with a jar full of grasshoppers, meticulously adding more to his collection of friends. That is when that goon approached, calling him names like most of the other kids did. Damon would sigh, his hair already darkening. He had already been warned about fighting. Jesse was not convinced, especially by the sight of his changing hair colour. Who was Damon fooling? He was a demon playing angel.

Even if he tried to ignore Jesse, the larger boy wasn’t having it, shoving him, trying to aggravate him. Usually, it worked.

“If you’re gonna hit me, hit me properly, you pansy, pig-kissing, sack of horse shit.”

And Jesse does. He continues until Damon’s curled in on himself on the ground, barely able to breathe, bleeding from his nose, and covered in his grasshoppers when Jesse poured them all over him.

“You got anything else you wanna say to me, Freak?!”

“Yeah…” Damon heaved. “You’re also ugly.”

Damon regained consciousness almost an hour later to the sensation of being poked with a stick by a boy who also seemed older than him, similar age to Jesse, but held none of that same malice.

“You still breathing?”

Damon responded with a groggy groan and the boy laughed.

“Man. I don’t think I ever saw anyone get beat up worse than that.”

“Shut up…”

The boy laughed again and offered a hand to help him up. That single gesture was several lifetimes in size, and was the start of their close friendship.

His name was Micah Rowe. And he was somehow even more feral than Damon. The two instantly became inseparable, one may even mistake them for brothers had they not looked so different.

When Damon would climb trees? He was trailing after Micah, who was taunting him to climb faster. When Damon would be scrounging around in the mud looking for frogs? He was competing with Micah to see who could catch more. When Damon got in trouble for stealing something? Jesse was right there vouching for him. And, most importantly, Micah fought Jesse off for Damon. And he never got judged for being a metamorphmagus, if he couldn’t help his abilities around him.

Damon also learned one of the most useful skills he will have ever picked up in his life from Micah. It began with a simple “Wanna see a trick?”

Micah was convinced that Damon’s talents were a complete waste without sleight of hand. And Damon becomes stupidly good at it.

Naturally, cards become Damon’s new obsession. Not just fancy tricks either. He starts playing card games with Micah. Poker, Cribbage, Gin Rummy, BlackJack. And they see who can cheat better to clean the other out. But it’s mostly tricks.

Damon approaches his father one day, says “hey, watch this!”, and made a card disappear from his hand so cleanly it was impossible to tell when he’d done it. When Aiden asked where he learned it from, Damon is already pocketing the watch that he took while occupying him with the cards. That was the start of an even bigger problem.

Aiden is the one person Damon trusts the most. He wants his father’s approval, his father wants him to stop stealing, he continues to steal and Aiden continues to be disappointed. Neither of them know how to break the cycle. And the fault is partially Micah’s.

For a while, Micah has been Damon’s biggest enabler. He is the one person who doesn’t express disappointment when Damon steals, even if it’s from himself. In fact, he will often aid Damon in his antics. Micah will distract someone with cards while Damon steals from them and they reap the rewards together.

Damon was 9 when they stole something that seemed innocuous, but was owned by someone who really really didn’t want it stolen. Some sort of family heirloom valuable enough for the owner to come looking for them.

Damon had gotten away with his antics thousands of times before, so he genuinely believed he could handle himself. Even when Micah suddenly no longer thinks this is a game and realises they’re in over their heads. Micah pleads with Damon to return it, says how this guy ain’t messing around. Unfortunately, neither is Damon.

That led to Micah getting seriously injured.

Damon had been beaten up before. He’d been bloodied and bruised and humiliated. But this was infinitely different. This was his best friend. His brother. Suddenly, the abstract consequences weren’t so abstract now. And he was at fault.

Micah’s parents were very upset with Damon. So was Micah. Aiden was told what happened and can’t do anything but sigh. Since Damon’s first petty crime, he’d been trying to teach him morality, but now he’s confronted with the terrifying reality that Damon doesn’t necessarily understand consequences until they happen, and even then…

Camilla soon filed for divorce and didn't even try to fight for custody, leaving Aiden to raise Damon alone. Aiden made the decision to contact his second cousin in Ireland that he was relatively close with, Rose, for help with work and money. The two of them then moved to Enniskillen, which was close to such relatives in Sligo. They didn’t move because they hated Iowa, Aiden just wanted a clean slate. A second chance that Damon absolutely does not deserve.

Aiden thinks that a new country, new school, new people will finally set his son straight. Damon is having a field day and immediately falls into his old habits.

And when he becomes more exposed because he’s allowed to embrace his magical side… his sticky fingers have access to an entirely new arsenal of things that someone like him should not have access to. Wands, potions, magical creatures, enchanted objects, cursed objects. Aiden doesn’t know what to do anymore. But Damon is still loved.

So when Damon has his first instance of magic and later receives his Hogwarts acceptance letter, the reaction is a mix of “I’m so proud of you” and “God help Hogwarts.”

First Instance of Magic:

Reducio

Within the first week of living in Ireland, Damon had already less than legally acquired a wallet. In his defence, the man made it stupidly easy. Too easy, in fact. The Irish were an interesting breed, letting their wallets stick half way out their back pockets for the whole world to see.

Damon saw it.

Damon wanted it.

Damon took it.

The entire process took less than 3 seconds, and he was halfway down the street before the man finally noticed.

“Oi!”

Damon glanced over his shoulder to see the man running after him. A balding man with a big pot belly, surprisingly speedy for someone with such a physique.

“Ah, shi-” Damon bolted.

He tore through the street clutching the wallet tightly in his hand, laughing the entire time despite himself. His shoes slapped rapidly against the pavement as he weaved between people, ducked under outstretched arms, and glanced back occasionally to see if the man was still chasing after him. He was.

“Give that back!”

“Come and get it!”

Damon grinned. That was the problem with being 9 years old. He was very clever, far more clever than anyone ever gave him credit for. Because he was so incredibly stupid at the same time.

In Iowa, Damon knew every twist of every road, every shortcut, every hiding place. When he’d get chased by someone he pickpocketed, they were severely disadvantaged, not only by the fact that they were the only one between them that had something to lose. But because they were in Damon’s playground. In Ireland, he didn't have the time to get accustomed to any of the streets before his impulses took the wheel again.

Damon was well ahead of the man when he cut down a narrow path without looking at where it led. The ground disappeared beneath him. And he screamed, stomach lurching as he dropped over the edge. There wasn’t any time to grab anything- there wasn’t anything to grab. He just flailed in the open air as he quickly descended towards the ground.

Then something in him snapped. Not painfully. More like a sudden pressure behind his ribs that made him forget how to breathe for a second. The air had caught him, his fall had slowed, then stopped, suspended a foot above the ground, strung up by nothing.

The magic released him half a moment later and he landed on a hard patch of grass on stiff legs. His arms remained spread uselessly at his sides and, for a long moment, he couldn’t even think.

Once regaining sentience, he immediately checked to make sure the wallet was still there- it was, every card and coin intact. Excellent.

“What a thrill!” His grin only widened as he ran off triumphantly before the man could catch up.

Three days later, Damon tried to recreate the phenomenon by leaping off the roof of his house. Aiden caught him barely 5 seconds after he jumped. The result was a broken clavicle, a grinning young boy, and a very unimpressed father.

Character name (First and last name): Alkaíos Drakos
School Year or Adult Level: First
Does any Profile Card info need changing? No
Link to the character page: here
Character Statistics: stamina: 04 ; evasion: 05 ; strength: 05 ; wisdom: 09 ; arcane power: 03 ; accuracy: 09 ;
Character Special Race/Talent: None
Character Backstory:

Reducio

Alkaíos Drakos was born in Kardamyli, Greece, the son of Nikolaos and Mary Drakos, and the younger sibling of three older brothers and two older sisters, in order of age: Julius, Iáson, Irênê, Adonis, and Thaleia. Alkaíos’ childhood was full of wonder and exploration. The family lived where the mountains met the sea. The kids would spend the whole day outside, whether in their garden or by the water. Their father was a painter, and their mother worked from home. Their life was full of magic, as their painter father taught them to see it everywhere.
But when his mother Mary, an immigrant from England, received news that her own mother was sick, six-year-old Alkaíos was forced to move with his family from Kardamyli to Bath, England, where Mary would take care of her. Soon her mother passed away, but to the Drakos’ surprise she had left them as the sole inheritors of her hotel business in her will. It was a small, family-run hotel, and they were unsuccessful in finding anyone willing to buy it. Since Mary wasn’t working and Nikolaos was lacking inspiration for his art, which had earned him a bunch of not-so-happy envelopes from Greece, they decided to take on the hotel business.
Alkaíos helped his parents in the business as much as he could and met all kinds of interesting people. Ever since childhood he had been interested in music and had started learning to play the saxophone back in Greece. As he grew up and improved, getting more and more interested in jazz, he gathered a band and started playing live music by the hotel. He also always carried a handheld audio recorder, which he used not only to compose his amateur songs but also to listen back to guests’ conversations it happened to catch. He listened to it when he was bored and would find out some interesting things.
He knew that his father was a wizard and that all his older siblings had gone to Castelobruxo before they moved to England, and they had to transfer to Hogwarts. Magic was part of his everyday life – not at the hotel, but whenever he visited his father in the art room, he would always learn something new about the wizarding world.
His invitation to Hogwarts wasn’t a surprise to anybody, though he was hesitant to leave because he liked helping out at the hotel and studying at home in the evenings. But to his parents, it wasn’t up for debate, so he had to attend.

First Instance of Magic:

Reducio

Alkaíos’ first experience of magic occurred when he was six years old. While he was riding in his mother’s car and feeling very sad, he looked out of the window. Suddenly, to his surprise, the clouds outside began forming intricate shapes and figures. Fascinated, he watched them, and his mood lifted a little.