johannes cyprian sauer

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Durmstrang Institute ........................................................ seventh year, quidditch keeper hellhound pack, horntail horde

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name johannes cyprian ambroży sauer d.o.b. june 21, 2007 (age sixteen) ethnicity italian-german, polish blood status pureblood species full human =============================== alignment chaotic good enneagram 8w7 (the nonconformist) mbti enfp (the campaigner)

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Present and Past Activities

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2007 - 2018

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Born Johannes Cyprian Ambroży on a cool June morning in 2007, far north of Poland to the old-money pureblood couple, Ignacek Ambroży and Cesia Sauer, is where our dear wizard's story begins. Their only other child, Asriel, who was 3 old years at the time, immediately took a liking to the tiny creature that was his brother and the two quickly became inseparable- much to the eternal exasperation of their parents attempting to wrangle the unruly pair into any semblance of peace in between their busy lives.

From the perspective of a standard upper-class pureblood family dynamic, Johann's childhood of halcyon country life was practically a fairytale. Sun-drenched summers running amok in open fields and golden-leaved autumns lounging in shedding forests alongside his brother, broken only by sunset and fed-up tutors trying to put things inside of their heads before they left again. Johannes' parents were a very strange pair in raising their two children, especially as Johannes grew older. The two were perpetually in a state of busy- Ignacek was a busy potioneer working in town and Cesia maintained the very demanding job as a travelling physician- and so were often away, allowing their children practically free reign of the house and its surrounding area during the hours of the day in which they did not see each other, only hindered by the evil eye of their tutors. When they did converge together, their aggressively sweet parenting and borderline overbearing attitude came full force, attempting to fit seamlessly as the disciplined adult figures for their wild boys.

In between running amok in the countryside they called home, the daily introduction of their parents and being cooped up indoors for makeshift classes, Johann and Asriel had carved out their own niche within the local town where their father set up shop. While they were not allowed to invade the brick-built building filled with glass bottles and overrun with the smells of herbs, their father let them do whatever they desired in the small community as long as they did not wreak too much havoc. Surprisingly, the duo were a polite, if not equally mischievous pair, who entertained themselves by visiting the residents bearing random items they found on their 'adventures', often receiving trinkets of their own to keep.

It was at the little bakery that supplied the area's goods that Johann spent his time most often, running around on the streets with the local children as Asriel stayed within the blacksmith's den, endearing himself to the old couple who owned the store with ease. For a while, this pattern continued- some days he and his brother would wander the lands as mini explorers and others as civilised brats pretending to fit into the life their friends had.

But of course, not all good things last forever. The two began to grow slightly older and as Asriel soon grew old enough to attend Durmstrang, the hours spent outside together disappeared like candleflame, serious educational and etiquette lessons taking up everything that was left. The day that Asriel left for Durmstrang for his first year, Johann was sent away as well to Germany to live with his grandfather, an illustrious entrepreneur and strict traditionalist.

Three years Johannes spent in Germany, shaping up and observing first-hand what "serious and respectable" business work was in the heart of Frankfurt under the firm hand of Alexander Manfred Saur. After the time was up and his own departure grew near, Johannes returned home to greet his brother and share with him whatever he had learned. No such thing occurred. Asriel had grown significantly from the impishly flippant companion of Johann's dreams, becoming spiteful about their country-slow living and reserved in the face of their parents as a bitter rose of resentment bloomed within his heart. The rest of Johannes' summer was just as lonely- if not more so- than off-days in Germany, for it seemed that as Asriel matured with the embrace of culture, the townspeople became distant over the time away as well. People had moved in, people moved out, and such was life.

It wasn't until Johannes began his own schooling in Durmstrang that he realised where his brother was coming from. There were so many different people, so many different experiences and yet so much to do during every second of the day. It was a scarily exhilarating culture shock for the country boy. Spite of his own built with every visit back home, the intense contrast of busily apathetic dismissal versus sudden, forceful affection like fire and ice. But his three years with his grandfather had taught him that negative emotions were harmful- harmful to whatever relation he was to have with the people he interacted with- and so Johannes pushed it down, masking himself in wide-eyed reverence and enthusiastic nods.

Durmstrang was his escape, his beautifully harsh world in which he can be whatever he wanted. Home was no longer home and suddenly there was a part of Johannes that pinned family to school.

2020

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07.03.20 | Welcome BBQ. Site-wide. PCs and iNPCs. Summer Camp Event.
========(Enter JOHANNES, caught in a sudden gay panic into the melting pot
========of Europe.)

07.05.20 | Devil Children in Hiding ☒ PV. Cielle Johansen (Ivy Bellamy). Summer Camp.
========(Exit JOHANNES and CIELLE, panicked, seemingly pursued by 3am
========patrols.)

07.05.20 | Chess Combat 2 Site-wide. PCs and iNPCs. Summer Camp.
========(JOHANNES participates in a new-fangled version of
========Wizarding Chess.)

07.xx.20 | Adequate Food and Company PV. Everett Brooks (Dorion Anderson).
===========Summer Camp.
========(JOHANNES and EVERETT flirt immediately upon meeting.
========A kiss ensues.)

07.20.20 | Water Fight! Site. PCs and iNPCs. Summer Camp.
========(The sun is out to get JOHANNES's accuracy... How embarrassing...)

09.03.20 | Wishes and Kisses PV. Lucas Dragamior (Amara Dragamior). Letters.
========(LUCAS seeks to woo JOHANNES through clever wordplay and
========freeform poetry.)

10.09.20 | From the Deep Site. Durmstrang iNPCs. Great Lake.
========(DURMSTRANG makes a dramatic entrance out of the Great Lake.)

10.09.20 | With Grace Site. Beauxbatons iNPCs. Great Lake.
========(JOHANNES visits BEAUXBATON's entrance to greet
========LUCAS's arrival.)

10.10.20 | Broom Racing [Public Alpha] Site. Broom Racers. Flying.
========(The first Broom Race commences and JOHANNES receives a
========new scar.)

10.15.20 | Let Slip the Dogs of War Solo. Second Person POV. Owlery.
========(The AMBROZY FAMILY demands JOHANNES' presence over the
========winter break.)

10.16.20 | The Fall Ball Site. PCs and iNPCs. Ballroom.
========(JOHANNES attends the ball with LUCAS and, after some ghostly
========interruption, promptly gets left behind.)

10.24.20 | Look Ma, No Hands! ☒ PV. Maksim Preobrazhensky (Ami Procoppio). Grounds.
========(MAKSIM's blood pressure rises with JOHANNES' mere presence.)

10.28.20 | No Place You Can Hide ☒ PV. Vyacheslav Preobrazhensky (Ruby Cazares).
====================================Abandoned Toilets.
========(JOHANNES ruminates over his new winter plans and SLAVA attempts
========to distract him.)

2021

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05.21.21 | Magical Schools Arrival Site. PCs and iNPCs. Great Hall.
=======(The international schools arrive at HOGWARTS for the upcoming ball.)

05.29.21 | Blossom Ball (Underworld) Site. PCs and iNPCs. Courtyard.
=======(JOHANNES attends the ball with a couple of his HELLHOUNDS.)

07.15.21 | Party in the USSR ☒ Group Thread. iNPCs and Cecily Quinn. Preobrazhensky bar, Russia.
=======(Enter CAST, looking to celebrate Maksim's birthday.)

12.24.21 | Siri, Call "Chaos Demon" ☒ PV. Cielle Johansen (Ivy Bellamy). Via Phone Call.
=======(JOHANNES and CIELLE share their winter break plans and
=======Christmas Eve activities.)

2022

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03.08.22 | C'mon Snake, Let's Rattle ☒ PV. Yefim Rumyantsev (Flash Holmwood).
======================================Durmstrang Corridors.
=======(Enter YEFIM, joining JOHANNES in a side hall scrap in defence of
=======a Hellhound's honour.)

06.11.22 | Tapping On the Glass ☒ Group. iNPCs. Durmstrang Main Hallway.
=======(JOHANNES becomes the target of CHARLES' gay crisis in the form of
=======a fistfight victim.)

07.03.22 - 07.10.22 | Horntail Bootcamp Group. Horntail Horde. Kolbeck Estate.
================(Durmstrang's Hexwizard team visit FELIX's manor
================for training and 'team bonding'.)

07.19.22 - 08.04.22 | Camp Schnell-Marchonné Group. Durmstrang Quidditch Team.
===================================================Schnell Estate.
=================(Durmstrang's Quidditch team gather at VALENTIN's
=================estate for a structured Boot Camp experience.)

08.01.22 | Horntail Horde Tent 2022 Group. Horntail Horde. Summer Camp.
=======(The HORNTAIL HORDE assembles in preparation for Summer Camp.)

08.03.22 | Prank War II Group. Horntail Horde and Conspira-sea tent. Summer Camp.
=======(The HORNTAILS declare a prank war of epic proportions on
=======the CONSPIRA-SEA tent.)

08.06.22 | Hogwarts v Durmstrang & Koldovstoretz Group. Yilbegän Quidditch.
=========================================================London Quidditch
=========================================================Stadium.
========(Amid a thunderstorm, YILBEGÄN battles HOGWARTS to reclaim
========international Quidditch glory.)

08.09.22 | A Scribble with Fangs Solo. Self. ???
=======(JOHANNES shows up to fulfil his bet with CHARLES, only to be
=======stood up.)

10.07.22 | Hexwizard Pre-game Group. iNPCs. Rehearsal Room.
=======(An international-school-only Hexwizard demonstration game is set
=======up for an extra edge.)

10.08.22 | Faerietale Endings Ball Site. PCs and iNPCs. Courtyard.
=======(Dressed as the Cheshire and aiming for a Wizarding Joust, JOHANNES
=======joins his team at the ball.)

10.15.22 | Bypassing Trouble Group. PCs and iNPCs. Corridors.
=======(Armed with an hour of sleep and performative spite, JOHANNES joins
=======in on shield-sliding down Hogwarts' staircases.)

10.15.22 | My Darling Heart of Stone Solo PV. Johannes Sauer and Astrea Neptune.
=======================================Great Lake.
=======(JOHANNES meets what seems to be a spirit haunting
=======the Hogwarts grounds, a wandering cat in tow.)

10.22.22 | Hexwizard Task 1 Hexwizard teams. PCs and iNPCs. Ballroom.
========(The payoff of so many preparatory months.)

2023

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01.16.23 | Shipping and Handling Not Included Solo. Askeli Helvig. Letters.
========(As the months of Hexwizard preparation continue, JOHANNES receives
=======news and support from his fellow HELLHOUND.)

07.01.23 | The Dead Horse Club ☒ Group. Thestral Cabin. Summer Camp.
========(JOHANNES laments his future amongst his young cabinmates alongside
======= his fellow upperclassmen.)

07.29.23 | Hogwarts vs Durmstrang Summer 2023 Group. Sárkány Quidditch.
========================================================Quidditch Pitch,
========================================================Summer Camp
========(With a shuffled Quidditch roster, team SÀRKÀNYOK plots to cast its
========revenge on the team that had once defeated them years ago.)

08.12.23 | No Roads Lead To (H)ome PV. Cielle Johansen (Ivy Bellamy). Letters.
========(The culmination of a fallout, resulting in little closure and all loose ends.)

08.16.23 | The Prodigal Son Solo. [REDACTED]. Letters.
=======(JOHANNES aims to reclaim his title within the HELLHOUND PACK by
=======appealing to their new leader.)

09.01.23 | Test for the Crooked Solo. Hellhound Pack. Durmstrang.
========(Folding back into the HELLHOUND PACK, JOHANNES debuts in a
========new era of uncertainty.)

09.03.23 | Chivalry Fell On Its Sword PV. Slava Preobrazhensky (Ruby Cazares). Durmstrang.
========(Calling upon JOHANNES for an unusual request, SLAVA plans to
========establish proper morality in their underclassman.)

09.05.23 | Convince Me of Mor(t)ality Group. Slava Preobrazhensky (Ruby Cazares) and
=========================================Alaric Havertz (Lucian Mornstern). Durmstrang.
========(ALARIC is made victim to the exertion of proper, "merciful"
========Durmstrangian authority, with little allowance for misunderstanding.)

09.09.23 | Dear Roommate, How Dare You...? PV. Nichlas Forsberg (Alan Vanes).
================================================Durmstrang.
========(A mutually adverse and new room assignment throws a wrench in the
========plans of all involved.)

09.10.23 | This Macrocosmic Joke Solo. [TBA]. Durmstrang.
========(The unique nature of JOHANNES's tentative position within
========the new HELLHOUND PACK makes itself apparent.)

09.12.23 | Chaos in My Soul, Nothing More Solo. Askeli Helvig. Durmstrang.
========(As JOHANNES's sleep and workload schedule continue to rapidly
========disintegrate, he seeks advice from a long-time brother in arms.)

==

Character Inspirations Mischa Bachinski (Ride the Cyclone) Neal Caffrey (White Collar) J.D. (Heathers West End) John Bender (Breakfast Club) Alec McDowell (Dark Angel) Jack Wilder (Now You See Me) Dallas Winston (The Outsiders) Jim Stark (Rebel Without A Cause) Template by Winnie Harper ==========================

Property of Durmstrang Institute

NOTE TO PROSPECTIVE THREAD PARTNER(S):
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A highly judgemental character by nature, this individual may come across as particularly waspish or difficult but there is a very distinctive OOC/IC boundary that this Author hopes will encourage some semblance of approachability. This character is meant exclusively for RP-related activities and may be subjected to a small variety of semi-planned character arcs. As such, they may not be transferable to all plot ideas, but his Author encourages all readers to reach out if they seek further information or character bonding. Contact me through Owl Post or on Discord at Aurelian#6194 / o.sirberus.

Update Issue Date: 01/6/2024

=

appearance Reducio It’s ironic that he had developed everything from his maternal grandfather’s side of the family, yet his hair stands out as the one sign of difference. A curly mess of naturally golden honey-brown hair, carefully kept charmed a shade of deep mahogany, crowns him as first his father’s son and next Alexander Manfred’s protege. Dark eyeliner surrounds Marengo grey eyes in varying states of neatness, clearly the work of an experienced hand taught by too many accidental injuries to seem overly heavy-handed. A taller mortal form - now scraping just shy of 5'7 and a half (171.45 cm) - has obviously failed to lessen the depth of Johannes’ inherent short-guy-spite. Polish-born and German-raised, his Sauer Italian roots are apparent in his olive complexion, dotted with beauty marks and cut through with faint scars from a lifetime of mischief. Perhaps adding to the fair assessment of his delinquent nature, his chipped nail polish and consistently tattered looks are the work of many a messy prank and a few too many fistfights gone right. Ever conscious of his outward appearance, the one goal he has is to make as much of an impression as possible, as quickly as possible. His wardrobe is a void of layered black, neon accents and silver jewellery, far from the clean cuts of pureblood expectations. Four shiny rings decorate his hands and their positions are as follows: right index; right ring; left middle; left pinky. His right eyebrow is split 3/4 of the way in a diagonal scar and a lone earlobe piercing remains in his right ear. The other one, seemingly unmarked by previous symmetry, had long been sealed shut by the wonders of magical healing. The faint smell of smoke and coffee clings to his clothes from the accidental collateral damage of sparkly teenage prankster purgatory, and occasionally present amounts of multi-colour glitter follow him with the same stubbornness. The faint clink of chains against each other heralds his arrival - that is, if his obnoxious nature didn't clue you in beforehand.

personality Reducio Let not his flippant, playful nature fool you into underestimating Johannes Sauer's adaptability, for he prides himself in being a jack of all trades and shameless exploiter of tempers. A true night owl, he thrives after hours and it is rare to find him lacking things to do, places to see and people to annoy. It’s undeniable that he is, at heart, the very definition of a daredevil and a show pony. Truly a romantic at heart, his relationship luck has been… unfortunate, to put it lightly. Indeed, after so many failed connections, his silver tongue has instead taken up its normal post in snarky comebacks and pop culture references bound to go over wizarding heads. It is in this state that Johannes is most at home - spinning his own judgement with an unfiltered sense of reckless abandon. His sense of loyalty is based on shared morals, violent defence and extreme solutions (which is perhaps a bit more barbarous than he would like to admit but, then again, Durmstrang had always had the ability to bring out the truth in people’s habits). In furthering oneself, there must be sacrifices. A begrudging Johann knows this just as well as any other. Once upon a time, he was an aristocratic pureblood in all of its technicalities and the lingering effects of such an education have sewn themselves into his morales. He has mastered the art of keeping half of his defensive heart on his sleeve and his cards close to his chest, but earn his allegiance and you'll never doubt his trust in you.

reputation Reducio In short: Conflicted. Considering academics alone, Johannes would typically be ensured a relatively high standing on the Durmstrang dormitory hierarchy if not for his chronic disciplinary infractions and habitual distraction. (To be explored further in Academics section, tba.) Well-established as a notorious troublemaker and a prominent member of the Hellhound Pack, this pretence of proper scholarship is balanced by his extracurricular activities. Indeed, Johannes has carved his niche into the outskirts of Durmstrang's social spheres with every intention of maintaining his unpredictable position. Always up for a good time and ever-ready to defend his own, his level of social disengagement from the rest of Durmstrang's general student population could almost be remarkable. He, in the face of a continually impermanent sleeping space, has by now resorted to occasionally crashing at his fellow Hounds' rooms instead of attaching himself to a certain location. (His international participation in Hexwizard has thrown his dependability into some doubt, but Johannes seeks to appeal to his superiors and reclaim his previous status in due time.)

approachability Reducio Low. For all of his nonconformity and lack of self-preservation skills, Johannes is surprisingly hard to approach without previous accounts of interaction. Often torn between swagger and surliness, he can come across as brooding and somewhat abrasive. More often than not travelling in a group amongst the outskirts of the Hellhound Pack, he has little business branching out and would much prefer to linger along with the people he knows best. As such, he is likelier to break his bubble to approach someone else than allow them to approach him.

======.

Magical Information How fitting it is for Johannes (ever the victim of life's practical jokes) to have developed such a stubbornly mischievous magical core, channelled into a similarly innoxious wand with little care for its owner's varying intentions. Maintaining itself as the most honest aspect of his identity, his magic is all too willing to betray any facade of brooding disregard in its characteristic flamboyance. The encroaching pins and needles of fluttering potential, uncomfortable if not for its familiarity, seem to crawl underneath his skin with only an eager desire for acknowledgement. Miscellanous Reducio Boggart TBA. Mirror of Erised TBA. Amortentia Brisk, winter air and burned paper. Woodsmoke, freshly ground coffee beans and cedarwood. Polyjuice Pitch black with the viscosity of molten glass and a faint iridescent sheen. Upon completion, the potion will quickly rise in temperature, the liquid growing searingly warm and the bottle nearly too hot to touch. Smells like extremely dark chocolate, going down rich and bittersweet with the lingering burn of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. = Mechanics Reducio Cedar Wood: "Spells performed against this wand owner's enemies (those who have specifically crossed them) tend to be more painful. The lights hurt their eyes. The bindings or bandages are too tight. Everything is 'uncomfortable.'" Romanian Longhorn: "When their owner is passionate about something, the spells that successfully go off tend to be more dramatic. There are often audible explosions, brighter lights, and whooshing sound effects." Effects: • Dragon Like Power: +3 to arcane power when casting spells with this wand. • Accident Prone: 5% chance that the intended spell will rebound on the caster. Non-targeted spells such as counters, healing, and some utility spells that have no target or are self-targeting cannot rebound. This is not prevented by the Perfectionist ability. ..31.2 cm (12.3 in) Deodar cedar wood and Romanian Longhorn heartstring. Reasonably supple.

Works in Progress

Expect the following... Family information Hellhound Pack Overview Current Relationship tracker Other Misc. Items Solo Works in Progresses My Darling Heart of Stone Test for the Crooked This Macrocosmic Joke Chaos in My Soul, Nothing More

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Family Information Reducio Ambrozy clan Reducio Straightlaced and respectable, the Ambrozy's are precisely the type of family for aspiring heirs to look up to. According to generational lore, the Ambrozy family began as a wealthy trading family that controlled a sizable guild, raking in wealth by intermarrying into other prolific families and winning popular favour through clever manipulations and inclusive mingling. Before long, they had amassed a small fortune, which the then-patriarch of the family used to fund their budding apothecary business. After reinserting itself into the magical world, the Ambrozys continued to function as healers and scholars until their sudden turn toward defence against the dark arts, which turned out more than fruitful. It seemed that their newfound fixation on the magical world was much more successful than the muggle, and within a few generations, they prided themselves as skilful Aurors, hit wizards and warders. House Sauer Reducio Pureblood they are and while not aristocratic as much as particularly wealthy in some sense, the exact situation in which the Sauer's came into power is dubious at best. Originally an Italian gentry family working in finance and landownership, they dabbled in every career choice, juggling especially between high politics and illegalities. But after a long dry spell that sent the family into dangerous territory, the then-heir turned to the crime life with the Sicilian mafia to build up a safety net to rise again under. Attempting to secure themselves and contribute as much experience and ability to the sect as they ducked in and out of the public eye, they kept their magic under careful wraps. Working their way through the ranks generations at a time with blood and their lives on the line, they passed their skills onto the next generation under the blanket that was their position. Hellhound Pack Lore Reducio In its beginning stages, many years before the model we know today emerged, the Hellhound Pack was one of many loosely allied outcast groups under the Strigoi Collective. The Collective's concept of a larger brotherhood soon began to deteriorate between power disputes and changing social structures. Three prominent now-unassociated groups emerged from the splintering alliance: The Leshonki Clan, the Polevik Troops and, finally, the Hellhound Pack. While there certainly is a side culture of pranks and petty crime, the Hellhound Pack is a hotspot of aggressive loyalty fit for Durmstrang's rough atmosphere. It has developed an underground reputation for taking in outcast and underappreciated members of Durmstrang's societal outer ring - but only through the multi-stage mercy of endorsements. Currently, the Pack... Reducio 2018 - 2022 2022 - current Placeholder Reducio placeholder Placeholder Reducio placeholder ===========================

Johannes Ambroży

Statistics (67/67)
Stamina: 10
Evasion: 14
Strength: 10
Wisdom: 8
ArcPower: 8
Accuracy: 17

[+5 duelling wins (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
+2 quidditch wins (1, 2)]

Abilities

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Ability 1 | Foulplay

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Save face, keep your cards close and do not trust anyone completely. Just a few lessons to be taught when business meets political relations meet possible personal ruin. Of course, when Alexander Manfred Sauer drilled those sentences into his young charge, he knew exactly what he was doing. Johannes is a Shakespearean fool by nature, with a trickster's heart.

Smooth conning was a family trait for the Sauers- they didn't gain so much money wholly legally after all, but then again, most high-ranking families had some ties with the unsavoury more often than not. The Sauers were just a bit more, how you say, unapologetic about it. Alexander Manfred's father had been deeply involved in the mafia as a highly influential capo, holding a very close friendship with the local don- as had his father's father, who had immigrated from Italy to West Germany under orders to spread the influence. Nasty business did they do, keeping their magic under wraps as they worked their way through the ranks generation at a time with blood and their lives on the line.

And for a long while, that was how things worked. They would pass on their skills early on and watch them blossom, under the safety blanket that was their position, and attempt to contribute as much experience and ability to the sect as they ducked in and out of the public eye. Alexander Manfred was a stray in terms of historical context- he had taken off into life just as proper as he should have, married a nice woman with good ties and affirmed their alliance, but the moment that the child was announced, the man had packed right up and moved off into Frankfurt. Leaving behind all that he knew- the role of the future capo to his younger brother, Anselm Wilhelm Sauer.

His only daughter Cesia would eventually leave for Poland to pursue a life with another. Mildly disappointing, for his darling clearly deserved someone better in his rightful opinion, even if the sweet suaveness passed down from parent to child did seem to skip over the next generation. Life went on. In time Asriel was borne into the world- a sneaky child he would prove to be in his beginning years any time that Cesia would bring the babe over, but a sneaky child with too little to hide and too much to say. It was worrisome, almost. Perhaps this was where things were to die out, in the middle of a pretty estate in green rural Poland.

And yet three years later after his first grandchild came another. There was a spark there, in the infant's eye as Alexander Manfred loomed over him, all Sauer grey eyes and swaddled in pale green. There was something special in the child, even more special than the magic that ran through their veins. Even more special than the miracle that Cesia had even been able to conceive at all in such a stressful setting- Poland was slow but it was fast and Germany was even faster-. And with proper training, that specialness could bloom into something more. Yes yes yes, there was hope after all for the child.

But it would have to wait to be developed. And wait did he do and develop did it. Over letter he heard the exasperated jottings of Cesia, remarking that it seemed every day her boys seemed to get in more and more trouble, it seemed like every other day since Johannes was introduced to the town that he came back home with sticky fingers and a new trinket he had swiped from the counters. Time drew on and life continued.

7-year-old Johannes came into his home in Frankfurt in the middle of a perilous time. With the departure of Asriel to Durmstrang and the sudden addition of a child came trouble from the west. The little sect was cracking under the scrutiny of the local law enforcement, hastily dropping their publicity with all the swiftness of a desperate animal seeking safety. And without any prior notice did Anselm drop by, eager to visit his estranged brother and grandnephew.

So young Johannes meet his granduncle for the first time in his young life, two years into the child's 'apprenticeship'- more like babysitting, Anselm would often tease when the two brothers were alone- and there was an immediate shift. Alexander's brother had always been the more culture-savvy of the bunch, always been the better at children and adults alike, so it was a no-brainer that they would get along. It was only surprising how well did Johann attach himself to the mobster- for as much as Ansel was good at bonding with others, he was also just as good at the morally questionably things that he did.

The promise of potential. Er, the promise of potential, or so Johannes so often heard Alexander Manfred Sauer remind himself under his breath with a disappointed glare as if the boy couldn't hear him from behind a gleaming smug smile and scuffed boots that had been newly shined until they gleamed only a few hours earlier. It seemed that Johannes took after his granduncle much more than he did his grandfather- too reckless and getting way too much of a kick out of messing around than the bitty should have.

Regular folk don't take his wittiness as well as expected and 'imitation is the best flattery' doesn't work as well when the listener interprets it as mockery, you see. But as Johann matured at Durmstrang, his aptitude for chaos only increased. So Alexander Manfred took it upon himself to take in the boy every summer with the encouragement of his brother, silently planting the methodology on how exactly to sway people's opinions and keep unnoticed. The tools that he had been taught himself as a child were having a comeback, and he could only pray that Johannes Cyprian would use them well.

Unbeknownst to him, the boy was using it more than well. So useful, it needed to be utilised. And what better way to test it out than on those around him?

[WC: 1017]

Ability 2 | Charmer

Reducio

There was something about Johannes that drew you in and kept your attention. It didn't happen immediately- quite the opposite really, for it was easy at a glance to dismiss the boy as another troublemaker in red and fur. And it certainly didn't happen all at once. It was a slow build of opinion, constant lapping of water slowly eroding away your defences as he stands in front of you, all innocent words as he strips away the shields with surprisingly diligent patience.

A smooth talker, half-truths cheekily spilling themselves from his mouth with ease, there's a certain caution you should take when striking up deals with this bold trainwreck of a boy. There's no telling if he's going to toss you out or keep you in, taking and taking and yet acting as if he half didn't know it.

When he was younger, Johannes' quick mind and easy tongue had been what got him the attention of all who knew him- after all, there was a reason why the spare son was the one to be groomed under his grandfather's wing instead of Asriel after all, and that reason alone often made it so that he attracted just as much nasty stares as impressed.

It only got worse- or better, depending on who you asked- the moment he stepped foot on Durmstrang land. So many people, not quite so alike in dignity, such a diverse mix of personalities that he had never encountered before. It made for the perfect set-up. Because there seemed to only be two types of people there, the sweet and the salty, and luckily Johannes is a good taste tester.

He walked into his first-year shoulder to shoulder alongside his brother- yin and yang, some whisper as they pass- and walks out with teacher opinion split. Second year, he entered with a blank face and the first night there he decides he will make something of a name for himself. All he needed was some good setups and a solid amount of sweet talk.

With a bit of time and recklessness, he gains lackeys- loyal outcasts who are all too willing to follow around in an attempt to win sway over his heart, as if that was an easy feat to do- and together they form a group so chaotic it is impossible to decide if he is the bad influence or they are. And with his followers, he gains somewhat of a reputation in his little section of the castle. Those who grow to form their opinions of him off his stunts see him as a sly lunatic, a self-indulgent madman without care for authority, a slimy fake hiding under a pretty face. It's almost funny, the sheer contrast of interest there is. Some say he's a delinquent. Or a misunderstood pity party? Others say he's a rebel. Or the very picture of wayward potential?

By this point, it's hard to keep track of what people say he is because it's easy to get muddled with contrasting opinions and Johannes is perfectly content to allow the rumours to spread. And while there was a great number of people who stop to stare at him with suspicious eyes every time he walks through the halls, tailed nicely by wand-wielding

Go to Asriel if you needed a quick danger fix, full of spite and filled with the ever-present risk of being caught.

Johannes was for those who cared just a little too less for their heart.

[WC: 580]

Ability 3 | Evasive Maneuvers

Reducio

Meadows of thick green grass and colourful wildflowers surrounding on all sides, Johannes' earliest memories were fuzzy with time and turned bittersweet with fate, but at the very least he could remember that his adventures tagging along with Asriel in the Polish countryside were spent on foot. They went off the worn dirt road in Johann's direction so much that there was no need for bikes or other transportation like the ones he and his German peers became so fond of. A naturally fast kid with the speed that let him take the lead in the first half of every race, he used to pride himself more in bursts of speed than the very bad endurance that kept Asriel on top in the long run.

When he had been shipped off to Germany and placed into a different school at 8, he'd already been well-acquainted with the air under his feet and tough bark against his skin, the impact of ground meeting leather soles and the seasons nipping at his back. His departure from the golden fields to the concrete city of Frankfurt signified a shift from the free carelessness conveyed in the backfields of the Polish countryside to the peculiar combination of proper pureblood etiquette placed alongside modern society.

The next year was the first time he'd been on a proper broom by himself, zooming through the azure sky in circles around his grandfather as Alexander Manfred looked up from below, standing in the middle of a pretty green meadow that mirrored the Polish countryside he had just left. A few weeks after that, the Olympics had shown live on television. Passing by an electronics shop was the only reason why he had even seen it, the screen protected behind glass windows as people flipped and jumped in competition, and a crowd formed around it. Johannes had promptly begged his grandfather into taking after-school gymnastics classes.

Okay, wait a second. That's enough prose-y rambling about the past. We're talking about the now- talking less about the wholesome slice of his life turned foul. The present. The last month of summer and the beginning of the new year. As much as a straight shot Johannes was turning out to be, it seemed that wandwork wasn't his forte. Especially when it came to funny things like duelling- summer camp was only an embarrassing tipping point to an already subpar area. He wasn't bad at aiming or anything- years of messing around and finetuning his motor skills to give him some edge negated any such thought- but it was as if everything in the universe collided to give him the worst hand of cards. Sometimes it was the sun, sometimes it was the heat, and most of the time it was his wand freaking out on him. He used magic often for the little things- pranks and practicalities- but it seemed that the instrument felt more like a pacifist's tool in the barest of concepts. What a disappointing thought, but something that just had to be accepted.

It didn't matter anyway. Duelling involved standing on guard, but standing guarded still as a mother tree. Advance, defend- it was both the same in keeping rooted. Johannes was not the pinnacle of steadiness. He could hold his own and attack back like any other, but do so in the open, without cover or chance of escape? That would not do. He lived and breathed in the split second of the quickdraw, the wind stinging at his eyes as it rushed over him, the feeling of freedom in his bones tempered by danger and adrenaline.

The last month after summer camp and the first of the new year, he started to train just a bit harder than usual. Not for pure strength like some of the more intimidating tanks of Durmstrang, not for magic- his roughened knuckles and scraped palms could not match up to the pretty hands soft with physical idleness- but for speed and agility. If he won't stand to bear the blows head-on, if he could not fire back jets of power from the pool of magic in his veins, then maybe he could attempt to avoid them altogether. Avoid them and hit back hard when they wouldn't see him coming.

During his last month of summer in Germany, he researched and executed heavily the very basics of parkour to get around quicker between his paperboy job, errands, and his free time without a bike. The thrill of leaping and flipping through the air combined his affinity for gymnastics with the rush of constant motion, a light dollop of danger and flair atop the finest cake. He questioned his gymnastic coaches on how to keep limber "at boarding school"- easy cop-out, and it wasn't wrong- and took diligent notes to take with him back to Durmstrang.

There was a feral need to capture that feeling and prolong it- and if he could combine the muggle-type nature to the wizarding world that his ancestors buried? Well, that just made the deal all the sweeter. On his first day back to Durmstrang after classes, he picked up a school broom and sought out the flying and racing instructors, promoting some of the racers in his group up the ranks to learn a bit from them. His reputation preceded him and rumours started up. Soon he had to shoulder past sceptics whispering in contemplation at whatever trick he was planning, but he would not budge in his mission. Things were going to look up, he was sure of it. If not, well. He was going to take fate in fist and make it.

[WC: 935]

Ability 4 | Rapid Reviver

Reducio

Johannes had always been a bit of a self-sacrificial support-type sonuvabitch.

He couldn't fill the unoccupied role of the true alpha male, not in the way that people needed and definitely not in the way that he's seen others do so. Of his budding Hellhounds, he was perfectly content serving as their resident witty pseudo-leader or, more accurately, a particularly convincing mascot of bad idea bingo. A fun deuteragonist to a plot going off the rails without a definite protagonist but a very obvious antagonist. Great job, kid, you got a charisma stat of 'surprisingly high, but still a dumbass'.

Sure, he had long admired the more accomplished wannabe delinquent groups out there from the comfort of Durmstrang's home base but the idea of him being commander to the poor decision-making army was, in his opinion, outrageously unrealistic. And to be honest, for the general population, whose opinion of him ran very obvious laps around the title of a 'reckless, swaggering bastard' (not entirely incorrect but c'mon-), trying to sway any hypothetical opinion would be frustrating for all parties involved.

Attracting attention was where he shined, but wielding that interest was a much harder task, regardless of all the instruction and inspiration he's taken from his upperclassmen. In conclusion, no he was not vying for the 'casting role of top dog to rule them all' any time soon.

In the meantime, he could take his attention off the mostly-irrelevant overall student body and focus on those he could call his own. Don't get him wrong, he couldn't really care less about most half-strangers he had the pleasure of peers with, but he didn't want the worst for them. It was just pretty obvious why he would apply himself most strongly to his friends and allies, the people who he would trust and not get metaphorically (though literally hasn't happened yet, he didn't doubt it) stabbed in the back. Unfortunately, that already limited number of brothers-in-arms waned frequently with the coming and going

June 21st, our Johannes' birthday. What an occasion to remember, but the most relevant to our recollection today was a shoddily wrapped anatomy book from an upperclassman of his. Thick and surprisingly informative with full-page diagrams complete with plastic stages to get in and out of a certain sector of the body, his initial thoughts had shifted from vaguely confused to snarkily interested.

Looking back on it, it was entirely a giant gag gift, a homage to the many almost-grey hairs caused by his disregard for straightforward logic and safety, and that much was clear the moment he had unwrapped it to a chorus of hollered ribbing. The attached letter read as follows: "Since over half of you punks all insist on risking your heads on those brooms of yours, might as well figure out what's inside of them. Study session, anyone?" It remained a hot topic inside joke for weeks afterwards, finding its way into letters and meetups alike as it collected dust in between the cluttered bookshelves inside his room.

It was on one particular evening that Johannes finally gave in to the pull, after so long making fun of its sheer existence in that specifically sarcastic way. Sit down, skip open the beginning pages, and- hook, line and sinker. With information about the body in full colour and explanatory paragraphs about how medical procedures worked, muggle and magical alike, it was shockingly interesting. Who would've thunk?

The book, lenticular cover and all, was extraordinarily inconvenient to store and hold with its large size, but goddamn did that size hold some real goldmines. He'd clowned it for so long, only to be shown up by an already printed book, so who was the clown now? This was just the beginning of the end, that joke had spawned the birth of a wannabe bad boy's fiendish look into the healer's world!

[WC: 645]

Ability 5 | Blindvision

Reducio

It is one part mischief, two parts insomnia, and a whole combination of the two that has forced Johannes' hand in adapting to the dark. While he'd rather not title himself a 'night owl', it is clear that he thrived at the day’s end. If the bogeyman, or whatever the hell was the creature that a chair with clothes on it turned into at night existed, he might have found an obligatory companionship with the creatures that went bump in the night.

As a young child, he'd never believed in nightfall being the end of a day's fun, and that sentiment never left as he grew older. Begging for "just five more minutes outside" or "just one more story", only to hide books under his pillow and sneak toys behind stuffed animals, he was the bane of any bedtime routine. Luckily for the nannies attending to the young Ambrozy heirs, his older brother Asriel was (as Johann would now unfondly describe as) "a major snitch and a two-faced goody-two-shoes" and Johannes at this time was also the type to overcompensate stealth for his perceived triumphs, doing nothing but making it more obvious what he was doing.

As he grew older, now under the care of his (far more vigilant and far quicker to give out wisdom in a solemn tone) grandfather and forced to undergo mandatory state schooling, his daytime energy levels were at an all-time conflict. Early to bed and early to wake, Alexander Manfred's days ran on routine and deadlines in a way that grated against the free-form, extremely loose way he had been raised previously. At school, it was harder to focus on so many different subjects, but the existence of other teachers to talk with than a single tutor and other students to befriend than his focused, studious brother allowed Johannes to make friends in a way he hadn’t been able to beforehand. While the length of time that it took him to fall asleep each night barely changed, the cycling excitement of things to do and people to meet managed to make him less reluctant to bed down. Yet the looming presence of secrets kept and the separation between his mostly magical early years as compared to his new muggle-surrounded home life before Durmstrang weighed heavily upon him.

It wasn't until his second year at Durmstrang that he found his new place in society where he could be himself, finding refuge from the homesickness and brotherly estrangement in his new brothers-in-arms and familiar objects from home. Having spent the latter half of his first year forming social connections in hallway corners and behind stone walls (a habit that grew in frequency from then on), Johannes often found himself lamenting the cold, early sundowns of Russia that caused only inconvenience. Any poor soul venturing outside the snow-covered castle past mid-evening risked both their dignity and their sense of direction as the untamed beauty of the expansive school grounds (which already was difficult to navigate in the daytime) worked against them.

He could try (and fail more times than he would admit) to avoid adult supervision on an hour-to-hour basis in his laundry list of possible disruptions to the public peace, but things got a lot riskier when night fell. The late ventures Johannes engaged in became earlier and earlier as they all learned their curfew's limits and tracked the sun's confusing routine over the years, but it was just as difficult to set stink pellets in the dark whether it be it was a realistically early or late time of day. After all, it was much harder to pull pranks or walk around unhindered when one couldn't see more than a few feet away, but any possible light sources would do nothing but serve as beacons to ruin a semi-perfect stealth mission.

Equally as damning as an ill-timed Lumos or a few broken matchsticks was Sandman's continued disregard of Johann's poor, messed-up sleep schedule. Oh, the inconvenience! To think he was meant to “grow out” of such insomnia… Always slipping just slightly out of sleep's grasp, caught in an unwanted, futile chase against its pull, it had always been a problem of actually getting to sleep rather than staying so. The drowsy feeling (and, more importantly, aftertaste) of sleep potions always felt wrong to use and the energy-boosting effects of caffeine never did seem to work on him, not in the way his grandfather (who took his morning cup of coffee black as ink and twice as strong) claimed it did.

He'd long ago replaced the mind-numbing sleepless nights, laid uselessly upon his bed- trapped within both a mind and body unwilling to give up to the time-skip purgatory of dreamland-, with an ever-lengthening list of new distractions. Whatever amount of sleep he would manage to catch, he'd take it, but he'd rather not lay wide-eyed and restless in some fool's attempt at counting sheep. In his logic, he was going to get some sleep eventually, so might as well tire himself out with something useful to pass the time, right? It didn't matter if it was prepping for a future stunt or something more mundane, as long as it got the job done to calm his ever-busy mind.

His options written down and scribbled out in coloured ink, many a night have been whiled away in a variety of activities as Johannes attempted to sate his boredom. Every activity from petty self-contained misbehaviour and whispered conversation from across rooms on the more interesting nights, to 2 am broom maintenance and last-minute studying on the lonelier ones, has cycled through his regular routine of internally cursing sleep out.

With the familiar, untroubling motions of unhurried busywork and harmless prank planning, he has learned to function in the dark so often that it developed into muscle memory, allowing him a surprising amount of adaptational competence. And sure, back home it was dim lighting from light pollution rather than the pitch dark that blanketed Durmstrang, but who was really counting? Johannes would rather not know the sheer amount of time- the percentage of his short life- in which he has spent procrastinating sleep, not entirely of his own accord.

[WC: 1030]

Ability 5 | Wandmaker

Reducio

Origin | Aquisition and Significant Scenario.

Reducio

Summer, 2017. Pre-Durmstrang.

Reducio

Of all the possible means by which Johannes could have received his wand (his very ticket into the wizarding world itself, how exciting!), its mundane origins had bordered on uncharacteristic comedy. 10 years old and bound to join his brother at Durmstrang come the school year’s start, he had been over the moon to have been extended an invitation home for the first time in three years. Under the short “mentorship” (read: childcare) of his grandfather, he had well-grown into his own fantastical concept of how his school life would be following his release from Germany’s mandatory education system. Even as his parents’ spare son, it would simply be remiss for them — under the careful guidance of the greater family legacy — to not follow tradition and make a call to declare his first wand.

From Frankfurt to the steps of his childhood home, Johannes had been promptly whisked away by an Ambroży representative, apparently an unknown relative of some sort, to the workshop of a well-respected Polish wandmaker. Under the familial trust, he had perused the grand variety of wands, shelves filled to the brim with boxes of beautifully intricate carvings and runes and origins, seemingly bestowed with increasingly auspicious destinies with every new offer.

Yet not a single one managed to attune properly, only managing to draw good fortune with an accidental draw. Out of place and tucked away with its deceptively simple casing, entirely too temperamental for the typical wielder and charmingly crooked, Johannes’ wand choice had undoubtedly been another piece of the puzzle – another red flag unknowingly raised in the battle of blood loyalty. But for then, for now, it was enough.

(WC: 274)

January 2018. First-year, winter semester.

Reducio

For months, he had apprenticed under existing Hounds, trying his damnest to prove his worth as a prospective member between keeping up the short-lived ghost act with his brother’s peers. Asriel had… changed since the last time they’d interacted, enough that Johannes had no place within the blonde’s good pureblood life. It was inevitable that he would have branched out one day, but he had never imagined it so early on.

Caught between constantly running messages across campus and exploring Durmstrang’s social network, there was only the next letter to look forward to, the next spell to tackle, and the next vocabulary word to learn. He had been picked from the pool of possible associates to be sworn in with neither proper preparation nor instruction. Johannes, near-desperate and for lack of a better tribute, had instead bent his head and offered up his wand to his future Boss as a token of his commitment and loyalty.

It remained, bar the rings he had once worn around his neck, his most valuable connection to the wizarding world to this day. But at the time, it had represented a means to an end and a final removal of himself from the family legacy he was never meant to stain.

Stupid young and presumptuous, he had missed the grim terror that had settled upon the retrospectively too-young shoulders of the Pack’s rising leader, faced with the future of his next generation. Had he been in his Boss’ shoes, he would have never taken it, not for its symbolic weight, yet it had been warily accepted with a certain heroic bravery that Johannes himself could never attain. From there, his swear-in went as smoothly as it could with such a magically debilitating tribute, with all the self-serving, hodgepodge rituals of any youth social group with more bark than bite. No longer was he meant to be held adrift amongst Durmstrang’s social ladder – a freshly made man he was, with a word of self-congratulations upon his tongue and only the barest hint of regret behind his teeth. This rebirth would go on to become the most significant achievement in his Durmstrang career, all dramatics aside.

(He found his wand delivered later that evening, safely back where it belonged upon his bedside table, unharmed and manic with gleeful separation.)

(WC: 381)

(WC: 655)

Wood | Cedar (Himalayan cedar).

Reducio

A person of exceptional allegiance and uncharacteristically staunch adherence to his code of conduct, the backbone of Johannes' moral compass is supported entirely by the background from which he hails. Whether nurture or nature is at fault when addressing his nonchalant posturing, who's to say? With staunch membership in the Hellhound Pack and the Horntail Horde, he had long carved his (rather negotiable) importance into stone and continually aims to defend it from both misunderstanding critics and his own self-deprecation. He has found some semblance of safety and belonging in them — dangerous things to offer someone with seemingly little to lose and everything to gain.

How peculiar it is, considering his hypocritical derision of blatant selectivity, that Johannes’ sphere of acknowledgement and active resistance to injustice extends nearly restrictively to his social strata of influence. There is no question that he'd lend a hand to the other troublemakers of Durmstrang (more often than not in physical retribution). He'd defend the underdog out of solidarity, but often only if their position aligns roughly with the demographic of people he's identified with. Burned one too many times by the misunderstood remarks and dismissive critique of so-called “straight-laced”, even solidarity fails in the face of inexhaustible social conditioning.

(WC: 206)

Core | Dragon Heartstring (Romanian Longhorn).

Reducio

Someone had once said, in many more words and a heaping spoonful of abstract fondness, that Johannes had always felt things with such passion it burned him up from the inside. He loved things like a bonfire and took insults like dry ice. Of all the classical elements, it's rather fitting that hellfire had always accompanied him, bleeding into nearly every aspect of his life. A spark of devotion and danger and beauty combined– it was everything he strived for. Rules and social constructs… how easily they broke under the brazen hand of impulse itself, vulnerabilities only highlighted by social perception. Over the years, his extreme nature has mellowed from unfed aggression into a sullen brooding, but this reckless abandon to pursue his own goals has never left him.

Just as overdramatic, showy and temperamental as its owner on the best of days, the notion of one’s magic as an extension of a person’s personality is perfectly exemplified. Johannes’s magic is maintained as the practical antonym to practicality itself, historically being described as a “prankster’s weapon” rather than one of true ill-intent. Crawling under his skin with the explosive itch for mischief, it holds little reverence for its owner’s flimsy justifications of humanity. How lucky that his wand is all too happy to channel this, allying with the incarnation of magical brilliance – opportunity itself.

(WC: 224)

Length | 12.3 inches (31.2 cm).

Reducio

Toeing the line between a fighter and a feeler in all dignitary aspects of the phrase, it is undeniable that a large part of Johannes thinks with his heart rather than his head. His public persona values both memorability and individuality above all else, aiming to assertively guide others into forming their perspective of him in line with his social goals. From his wholehearted delight at provoking utter inconvenience on his poor victims to the idiosyncrasies of his own identity, everything about Johannes embodies selective unpredictability and performative spite.

With clothing as his armour and a silver tongue as his weapon, the wizarding world has given Johannes the power to bypass muggle incapability and cross further into unconventionality. How bright everything seems in the twilight of youth, with even the encroaching shadow of emerging adulthood’s disillusionment on the horizon. All pop culture and pride, Johannes would rather put up a mask of normality in the face of such conflict, hyperaware of his own vulnerability and all too willing to live life to the fullest while he still can.

(And if “normality” seeks to besiege reasonability, then so be it.)

(WC: 189)

Wand Flexibility | Reasonably Supple.

Reducio

To put it bluntly, Johannes’ many descriptions and mildly derogatory nicknames (read: quickdraw annoyance, degenerate human safety hazard…) are well-deserved. A bit harsh, but undeniable nonetheless. He, ricocheting precariously between "emo brooding drama king" and 'frontman of his own one-man show', holds no illusion to the extent of his tiresome personality.

Yet as non-conformist as Johannes is, the stubborn change-loathing part of his personality always seems to rear its ugly head at every new twist in life.

He’d much rather be the active instigator – the left-hand man of created chaos– than part of the participating crowd. The reigning champion of bad idea bingo, if you will. After all, it’s much easier said than done to feign nonchalance when one has a part to play in the mayhem. He aims to sate his curiosity— to whet the appetite for the insatiable divinity of possibility itself— not bring about systemic change to his greater surroundings.

Johannes upholds a contradictory, near-anachronistic set of haphazardly assembled morality. By combining both a rigid concept of honourable conduct and societal disregard, he is highly self-aware of his selfishness and yet continues his path with little true want for positional change. When society ripples in outrage, his place is amongst his own, having great pride in his place in a criticised hierarchy for sheer virtue of the effort that went into establishing it. Not that he ever needed an official title to swoop into the spotlight, but hey– the thought is what counts. As an appointed “guard” of the Hellhound Pack and resident support character for any self-sustainable crew, this sentiment is strengthened by his great dependence on group dynamics.

(WC: 273)

[WC: 1547]

Speciality

• Former Broom Racer
• Current Keeper on Durmstrang Quidditch Team
  • Broom: Silver Arrow