Theodore Vendeberg | Second Year | Gryffindor

Wand: 29.6 cm cherry wood and phoenix feather

Reducio

Appearance

Theodore is twelve years old and stands at four-feet-nine inches tall, the average height for a child of his age. He has pale skin and hails from a white British background, with distant Germanic ancestry. The boy possesses a slender physique with a narrow nose and a long symmetrical face. He has bright hazel eyes and rounded ears. By far the most prominent feature, the first thing most people will spot, is his wavy ashen hair. Unlike the rest of Theo’s appearance and presentation, his hair is often uncontrolled and wild with little care for styling. When it comes to clothes, it is a rare sight indeed to spot Theo out of his school uniform. Black robes, white plain shirts, ties and business casual trousers is how the boy usually presents himself. Always clean and pressed, Theo’s commitment to perfection and adherence to uniform standards exudes precision and order wherever he goes.

Personality

Theodore had a strict and wealthy muggle academic upbringing which has influenced the formation of his personality greatly. From a young age he was taught that life was cutthroat and harsh. His parents drilled into him that he needed to be the best of the best to avoid drowning in failure or mediocrity. He began to see life as a competition and he was playing to win. To put it lightly, this mindset resulted in egotistical and snobbish behaviour. The boy cut himself off from forming meaningful connections or friends in fear they might drag him down. At his best, the young wizard comes across as aloof and withdrawn, at his worst, rude and arrogant.

As Theodore becomes older, he has an increasingly complex relationship with authority. Like most children who start off very trusting and non confrontational with their parents, heading into adolescence has been challenging. Theo often finds comfort in structure and discipline, however, when his life becomes unguided and order-less, he often self-destructively breaks rules to seek attention from his peers and mentors.

Another unfortunate trait Theo shares with his parents is his need to maintain a social veneer of exclusivity and high society. He will often go out of his way to ensure those around him recognise his social class and passively patronises those he considers beneath him. This attitude extends to his tendency to easily dismiss cultures different from his own. He has an inability to comprehend diverse backgrounds and experiences of people from different upbringings.

So does Theo have any positive personality traits?

No, not really. He is a sarcastic, snobbish, troublemaker, with little respect for those around him and a complete lack of empathy. Unless you count his commitment to academia, there isn’t a whole lot that can be said in his favour.

Why would you play a character like that?

I consider the most rewarding part of roleplay to be long term character development. Our characters are shaped by their experiences and are impressed upon by those we interact with. Just because Theo’s biography says this today, does not mean his personality or life is set in stone.

History

Our story begins with the birth of Theodore Vendeberg on the 6th January 2012. The Vendebergs were a rather prosperous upper middle class Muggle family situated in the North of England. Their estate in the suburbs of Manchester was owed to the successful careers of Casey and Albert Vendeberg, Theo’s parents. His father was an esteemed barrister, while his mother thrived in real estate, owning many properties.

Although Theo has a German second name, his family have lived in the UK for many generations. He is culturally northern English and shows no other ethnic influences through his cadence or mannerisms.

Theo would receive a private education, making him a (public School boy) in the traditional sense. He would not see his parents often, but the weight of their expectations would always be on his shoulders. It was anticipated that his path would lead to a prestigious university, mirroring his father's journey into the field of law. When the Hogwarts representative visited their home in 2023, convincing Theo's parents that this was the best path for their son proved to be a challenging task. Even now, Theo's parents maintain the belief that magic is not a gift; rather, they see it as a theft, robbing their son of the opportunity for a conventional, prestigious life in law.

He has an older brother named Aaron, who lacks any magical inclinations. Despite this, there is no sense of envy between them, as Theo's gift has stirred considerable disruption and rowing within the family.

First wandless magic

Theo first performed unintentional wandless magic at age 9 when he became annoyed at the sound of his brother playing the piano while he was studying. The piano strings snapped one by one and the keys flew across the room in a terrifying spectacle.