Dennis Tumberton | Ravenclaw | Third Year

Full Name: Dennis Tumberton
House: Ravenclaw
Age: 11
Wand: 26,3 cm aspen wood and snallygaster heartstring
School Year: First Year
Patronus: N/A
Species: Human

History/Background Story:

Dennis grew up in a stable loving household. His parents, Quint and Maggie Tumberton, attended Hogwarts and dated through their seventh year. Both shared a passion for understanding muggles and with an aptitude for teaching secured jobs in Edinburgh as professors at the University of Edinburgh right in Maggie’s hometown. Dennis has two siblings younger than him and has enjoyed a close relationship with his extended family. Quint and Maggie have done their best to give him a good foundation and broad education about the world around him, having dedicated themselves to understanding all manner of muggle folk. They were very excited when Dennis received his acceptance into Hogwarts.

First Instance of Magic:

For a long time this didn’t happen. For Quint, his first experience was when he was 8 and for Maggie, she was 9. However, both Dennis’ 8th and 9th birthdays came and went and not a single whisper of magic even though his parents did all the could to encourage him. His younger sister, Lizzy, broke a bunch of plates during a temper tantrum when she was 4. And his youngest brother, Seamus, was 6 years old when he broke his toys because father wouldn’t get him more. It looked like poor young Denners (as his family affectionately calls him) wasn’t as gifted as the rest of his family. His family remained hopeful and supportive of him, even though he felt lesser than.

Then the summer after his 10th birthday, it was hot but he was playing with his sister and brother in the garden. Lizzy, then 8, mischievous even when their parents were around, managed to get the ball they had been playing with away from her brothers. She tripped, and without meaning to, sent the ball, whether by her own strength or by magic (it depends on the sibling you ask!), flying over the fence. Seamus, 7 by now, climbed over it to go after the ball. Dennis knew the road on the other side was always busy this time of day and quickly followed.

When he made it through the gate, Seamus was in the middle of the road trying to retrieve the ball. Seamus didn’t see, but a car at that moment ran a stop light and was speeding toward him.

“No!” Dennis screamed, a mixture of desperation and sheer terror as he flung himself helplessly forward trying with all his might to close the gap that was far too wide even for a full grown adult. At that moment, the car stopped. Not down to a crawl but suddenly. So fast was the man going that when the car stopped that back end lifted up as if hitting a wall.

The driver looked stunned. Looked at Seamus and then back at Dennis. However, as Seamus safely made it back to the sidewalk, the driver shook his head as if coming out of a day dream and started driving off again as if nothing ever happened.