DO NOT WEEP; WAR IS KIND

Hi, friends! We hope your week is off to a fabulous start, and that you’ve had a wonderful enough weekend to get you through your work (or school) week.

Now we realize that it’s already another manic Monday, and we hate to make it all the more manic, but we have some big news to share with y’all that we don’t want to delay sharing any longer than necessary.

After a lot of talk and thought and a lot of tears, we’ve come to the decision to close down War Is Kind in the next couple of weeks.

Please know this has nothing to do with any of you, your characters, or your writing. We’re so proud of the community that we’ve built on this dash, and so grateful to have met all of you, and to have been able to write together for so long. But we feel the time has come to move forward, to tell other stories, and to look fondly on the memories we’ve all created here together. 

Before we go any further, we want to reiterate that last part: this will be happening over the next two weeks. We’re not closing down today, or shutting down the dash. We’ll continue on with threads, and we’ll host the Halloween celebration events we posted yesterday as planned. However, this will be our last event, and our big finale as a group, and then, on Saturday, November 4th, we will be closing the War Is Kind main.

We’re hoping that the next few weeks will give everyone a chance to prepare and plot their final moves in the closing chapter of WIK. Use this time to go wild and play out all those plots you’ve hesitated to play out before. Let your characters be as dramatic as they want to be. Let them make that dumb mistake you’ve always talked them out of before. Let them confess their feelings to their longtime crush. Whatever you’ve put off, the next couple of weeks are your time to do it! What you do after that is up to you. You’re welcome to continue to play out this story on this dash with one another, to drabble out the end, to do whatever you feel necessary to do your characters and their stories justice.

We understand that this is a difficult message to read and process (even without the big barrel of information we’ve thrown at you taken into consideration), so if you have any questions, concerns, comments, etc. that you would like addressed, we’ll be around until close (and probably after for a bit, too). Don’t hesitate to reach out to us, no matter how large or small your concern.

Lastly, we want to thank all of you. War Is Kind has been an exciting and challenging dash since June of 2016, and we're so grateful to have experienced it not only with all of you, but because of all of you. We wouldn’t be here without our wonderful players, both past and present. We’re so proud of all of you, and so proud to have written with you.

So here’s to the stories we’ll tell in the next two weeks, and the ones we’ll tell together beyond WIK! Thanks again for everything, friends! We can’t wait to see what you all have up your sleeves for our grand finale.

xoxo

Emory Wilkes

Age/Year: 22/23; Gryffindor 1975 Affiliation: Death Eaters, Tier Three Blood Status: Pureblood Occupation: Tattoo Artist at Markus Scarrs Indelible Tattoos FC: Taylor Kitsch

TRAITS

+ optimistic; eager; confident – spiteful; instigating; brutal

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. Rebellious is too weak a word to describe Emory Wilkes. He hates being told what to do, and he hates following rules that weren’t an idea of his to begin with. When his older sister, Carolyn, told him there was no need to worry about becoming a Death Eater, for example, he was furious. To spite his sister and dismantle her holier-than-thou attitude, Emory worked towards his Dark Mark and nothing else. It all came to a head when he helped to kidnap and torture Dawn Withey, just before the British and Irish Quidditch League final was scheduled to take place. As it turns out, Emory’s efforts were in vain, as they angered the Dark Lord more than they pleased him. Now back on the bottom of the Death Eaters’ ranks, Emory has that much father to go to prove himself, and that much more of Carolyn’s self-righteous gloating to listen to.

II. Emory is well known throughout the DMLE, and has been since he was roughly fourteen. Petty crime after petty crime has given him many memories of summer nights spent in holding cells, waiting for his sister or parents to escort him home, always with a scolding that left him smirking with pride. Nothing anyone has said or done has given Emory a reason to reform his behavior, and his trips to the DMLE haven’t gotten any less frequent since he turned seventeen. Finally, after a pub brawl with Gideon Prewett last summer, Emory was put on a year long probation. As if the probation (and its many hoops) weren’t torture enough, Emory has found himself under the watchful eye of Rufus Scrimgeour, a no nonsense Auror who appears to keep his wand in a questionable place, in Emory’s opinion. Every check-in at the Ministry ends in a quarrel, and leaves Emory wondering if he’ll make it out of the next meeting without having time added to his probation. If it meant clocking Scrimgeour just once, though, it might all be worth it. With only a few weeks left before he’s free of the man, the thought has begun to cross his mind more and more…

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Emmeline Vance: Before going to Hogwarts, Emory knew nothing of Emmeline Vance but her last name, picked up from his parents’ disgusted whispers every now and again by his young ears. His curiosity was piqued when he heard her name at the sorting, and peaked when Carolyn told him to stay away from her. After learning she was the daughter of his estranged aunt and a mudblood, Emory suddenly understood the taboo. For most of their time at school, Emory made his cousin’s life a living hell— taunting her about her father between lessons, or volunteering her name whenever a victim was needed for a bout of bullying. It’s been years since Emory’s had that kind of power, and he longs for the day that he has it again; for the day the Dark Lord allows him to suggest the Vances; the day he can cut that rotten branch off of his family tree for good.

Evan Rosier: Emory looked up to Evan Rosier even before he was singled out by the older boy as someone with potential. To Emory, Evan is the older brother he never had, and an infinitely better influence than Carolyn. Evan was the one who ushered him into the Dark Lord’s movement, who taught him all he would need to know to be a worthwhile soldier. Who needed a dueling club when he had Evan’s expertise in martial magic? What good were his dorm mates when Evan was doing something far more interesting and devious in an abandoned classroom up the hall? Even though both of them are now marked Death Eaters with equal footing in the Dark Lord’s army, Emory still looks to Evan as a leader and a brother— the one person beside the Dark Lord who will lead him along the path to victory.

Willow Shafiq: As a youth, there were few people Emory despised more than Willow Shafiq. Every arrest that put him in the Ministry’s hold led to another meeting with the overzealous witch, who, in his not so humble opinion, needed to mind her own business. What’s worse is that the youth counselor seems to have taken a special interest in him again now that he’s on probation, despite the fact that he’s far from a youth these days. Perturbed though he is by Ms. Shafiq’s unwarranted concern, Emory has come to realize that he has too ripe an opportunity on his hands to shrug her off completely. Ms. Shafiq’s halfway house, the Occamy Den, is full of impressionable underage wizards who aren’t much different from himself—not to mention plenty of blood traitors and mudbloods who could make for good games. Though he’ll cringe the whole way, Emory has no choice but to take advantage of the situation and wedge his foot into the door of the Occamy Den—hopefully permanently.

FATE

Emory DOES NOT SURVIVE the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Peregrine Pearson

Age/Class: 26/27; Ravenclaw 1971 Affiliation: Ministry of Magic Blood Status: Muggleborn Occupation: Auror FC: Chyler Leigh

TRAITS

+ attentive; fair; shrewd – candid; nosy; audacious

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. In a world where she was defined by her blood status, Peregrine was hardly surprised that she had to work twice as hard as her peers to achieve her goals---namely, when it came to being accepted into the Auror Academy. What she didn’t expect was that she would have to continue to work twice as hard once she was there. Without the same background in the Wizarding world as most of the other Aurors, Peregrine feels that no one takes her seriously, especially when her opinion differs from the majority. This is especially true lately of Rufus Scrimgeour, whose push for Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses on the job both terrifies and annoys her to no end. Whenever she speaks out against it, Rufus gives her a pat on the head and moves on his merry way. Luckily, Peregrine doesn’t mind doubling down to stand up for what she believes in. She’s something of an expert at it by now.

II. The most horrifying development in the war against You-Know-Who is the most recent: the sudden, unauthorized disappearances of Dementors from Azkaban, and their resurgence onto the public streets. For Peregrine, the thought alone was unnerving, but now that she’s officially the Auror assigned to take charge of the epidemic, she’s downright terrified. Putting aside the fact that Dementors are dangerous and difficult for her to deal with on her own, Peregrine is scared of what could happen to innocent witches and wizards if she fails at her job, more than anything else. She’s never been put in charge of a case this heavy, and while she wants to be grateful for the opportunity, it’s difficult to be with so many lives depending on her work.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Gawain Robards: Gawain, in all his arrogant glory, was one of the most difficult people for Peregrine to get along with in the Auror Department when she first started. As she’s gotten to know him better, not much about that has changed, but she has developed a deep respect for the man, who stops at nothing to get the job done. One area of common ground that makes Gawain easier to tolerate is his opinion of the vigilante groups out to stop Voldemort, rumors of which have been surfacing in the department for the past several years. While Peregrine can’t blame anyone for wanting to put a stop to You-Know-Who and his followers, the underground, sneaky nature of these unknown groups makes her sick to her stomach. Gawain just so happens to feel the same way, which makes Peregrine feel a little more sane and a little less alone in her field. He may not be a friend, exactly, and they may not agree on everything (as Rufus will remind her whenever the Unforgivable Curses come up), but she’s glad to have Gawain as whatever he is on her side---at least when it comes to this.

Violetta Midgen: While they were in school, Violetta took off the edge of being Muggleborn, even if by just a little bit. Having a friend with a Wizarding background for a guide helped Peregrine to fall in line quickly, and she learned as much as she could as quickly as she could from her roommate in order to move in. Years later, not much has changed, except that the girls are even closer, practically attached at the hip---until recently, that is. Peregrine thought that when Violetta accepted a job within the Ministry, that it would give them the chance to spend even more time together. Instead, Peregrine has been seeing less and less of her best friend. She understands that Violetta’s job is demanding, but she can’t help but wonder if there’s something more to her recent absence.

FATE

Peregrine’s fate is UP TO THE PLAYER.

Charlie Farley

Age/Class: 22/23; Gryffindor 1974 Affiliation: Civilian Blood Status:  Muggleborn Occupation: UP TO PLAYER FC: Sidharth Malhotra

TRAITS

+ vibrant; encouraging; easy-going – short-sighted; unsettled; bird-brained

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. Charlie was attracted to the Wizarding world from the moment Professor McGonagall arrived on his doorstep to introduce it. While the shock of the existence of magic took some time to settle in, Mr. and Mrs. Farley couldn’t pretend that they were surprised by Charlie’s link to it, having witnessed many an incident that had gone without explanation until then. There was no question about whether or not Charlie would join his magical peers at Hogwarts, and on September 1st of that year, he left the Muggle world behind. For the seven years he spent at Hogwarts, Charlie explored all that he could of the magical world around him. It didn’t take long for his curiosity to swell beyond what was right in front of him, and within months of completing his formal education, Charlie set off to explore even more of the Wizarding world, leaving the country without looking back.

II. Once he went abroad, Charlie’s communication with friends and family has been dismal, so much so that very few of his friends know of his recent return to the United Kingdom. Of course, it’s difficult to repair tangled and broken threads when the reason for his return has Charlie busy and weighed down. The sudden disappearance of his parents nearly a month ago turned up no signs of foul play or any clues as to their whereabouts, at least not according to the investigation done by the Muggle police. Had it been Ministry of Magic officials inspecting the Farley home---well, Charlie has a feeling that they might have at least gotten closer to solving the damn thing. There’s not much time to puruse the issue, though, as Charlie now has three younger siblings to provide for, which requires him to find a regular ol’ 9 to 5---a concept foreign to his vagabond lifestyle. Though he’s always been a master of balancing his life, these newfound responsibilities will do nothing if not test Charlie’s ability to do so.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Gideon Prewett, Fabian Prewett, & Frank Longbottom: In a dormitory full of intense blokes, Charlie was somehow the glue. It wasn’t that he held together the friendship of the four necessarily, but that he held their sanity in tact. When Fabian would get worked up over a headline in the paper, Charlie was there to point him to the comics in the back. When Gideon’s fist would clench at the rude remarks of a pureblood supremacist (or someone from an opposing Quidditch team with a nasty knack for creative insults), it was often Charlie who intervened and kept Gideon out of detention. The stress of mothers and assignments were alleviated for Frank when he and Charlie would pull out their guitars and strum along together in the firelight of the Gryffindor common room. Charlie was the missing piece who kept Fabian, Gideon, and Frank from falling apart. After some time away, there’s no telling how much work he has to do, or how many pieces have fallen out of place. He’s braced himself for the impact, though, and is ready to make up for all the time he’s missed.

Kathleen MacDougal: He doesn’t particularly like to be reminded of it, but some of Charlie’s earliest attempts at writing his own songs were inspired by Kathleen MacDougal. It only took one failed date at Hogsmeade for him to find another muse, but the pair remained friends over the years despite that. He has always admired Kat for her ability to remain unflappable even in the face of his fellow Gryffindor’s madness, a skill he knows he’s out of practice in. Although he might be afraid of the reactions some of his other friends might have to the news he’s returned to the country, Charlie knows that the worst he can expect from Kat is a brief glare for not writing followed by a hug.

Marlene McKinnon: As enchanted as Charlie was by the Wizarding world, it was a mystery to him as to how witches and wizards could be so fascinated by something as plain as the Muggle world. Even so, he was happy to answer questions for Marlene when most would scoff or roll their eyes---and thus, a friendship Charlie could never escape from was born. With this friendship came promises to teach each other the game of Gobstones, and how to drive an automobile. With Charlie’s sudden departure abroad, some of said promises fell through. Charlie is hopeful that they can pick up where they left off, though---but if Marlene is anything like she was when Charlie left, he knows that’s much easier said than done.

FATE

Charlie SURVIVES the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Violetta Midgen

Age/Year: 25/26; Ravenclaw 1971 Affiliation: Civilian Blood Status: Half-blood Occupation: Medical Examiner for the DMLE’s Dark Force Defense League FC: Hayley Atwell

TRAITS

+ disciplined; discreet; intelligent – secretive; distrusting; conceited

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. It took all of one month as a Healer trainee in St. Mungo’s Hospital for Violetta to realize she had picked the wrong profession. She could handle the gore, and the sickness, and even the putrid stenches that came from the most unexpected places. What turned Violetta off was the noise: the bloodcurdling screams, the heartbroken sobs, the whimpers of weak patients with no hope left in the world… It was all too much for Violetta, and she knew it would only get worse as the war progressed. She resigned from her training and almost immediately began studying to become a Medical Examiner. Though she still works in St. Mungo’s, Violetta finds this work to be just as fulfilling, and much more peaceful. After all, working with the dead is as noiseless as it gets.

II. It was late February when Violetta was first approached by Millicent Bagnold. The offer was straightforward: a position in the Ministry of Magic come summer, investigating corpses that had been victims of You-Know-Who and his followers’ Dark Magic. She’d left Violetta with her business card and a mile high stack of questions. After weeks of deliberation, Violetta came to a decision: she would join Millicent in the Dark Force Defense League, studying the traces of You-Know-Who’s magic and working to combat them in every way that she could. In complete silence, of course. After a year’s worth of work in Millicent’s department, Violetta is finally settling in, and is nearly convinced that she made the right choice---the operative word being nearly.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Lucius Malfoy: While Violetta’s job offer has certainly left many of her acquaintances curious about its prospects, no one has been quite so curious as Lucius Malfoy. Violetta was surprised when Lucius first approached her at St. Mungo’s; she was even more surprised (and certainly alarmed) to find he knew all about Millicent’s offer. Violetta still hasn’t figured out how Lucius got wind of the offer, or why he cares enough to comment on it whenever they run into each other. At first, Violetta tried keeping Lucius at arm’s length, at least until she could figure out his motives. Whatever he wants can’t be good, and she’s in too weak a state these days to be able to afford being tempted. She grows more curious every day, though, and a little bit more desperate as the threats of violence accumulate day after day. Lucius Malfoy is a powerful and influential man. What he has in mind might not be a very good idea, but who’s to say what he can offer her in return won’t be worth it?

Peregrine Pearson: Peregrine has always been Violetta’s closest friend, and she’s always been sure that their connection would have been uncovered quickly even if they hadn’t been forced into the same dormitory at Hogwarts. There is no one Violetta trusts more with her dreams, her complaints, and her secrets than Peregrine—or at least, there was no one shetrusted more until recently. When she first took her job in the Dark Force Defense League, Violetta thought that it might bring her and Peregrine even closer, given that the DFDL would be working with the Aurors on an almost daily basis. As Lucius Malfoy closes in on Violetta, she grows more and more paranoid. She’s never told Peregrine about his attempts to corner her, or her suspicions about what he’s up to—and especially not that she’s considering meeting with him at long last. The closer her thoughts get to Lucius Malfoy, the further VIoletta pushes from Peregrine—a dangerous thing to do in times as strenuous as these.

Sutton Pyrites: Violetta knows she’s among the best in her field. There’s very little others can offer her in knowledge and skill, which is why when it comes to her work, she prefers to keep to herself. Enter Sutton Pyrites, whose work at embalming, in Violetta’s well-trained eyes, can best be described as an art. She’s no stranger to his talents, though she hesitates to call them that, more out of pride than him being undeserving. She’s loath to admit it, but Violetta knows that while she’s one of the best in the field, partnering with Sutton could make her the best. But is that something she really wants to do?

FATE

Violetta SURVIVES the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Bertie Higgs

Age/Class: 24; Hufflepuff 1972 Affiliation: Civilian Blood Status: Half-blood Occupation: Seasonal Bartender, The Leaky Cauldron; Sailing Instructor, Port at Dover FC: Matt Lanter

TRAITS

+ adventurous; charismatic; lax – indecisive; disorganized; manipulative

BIOGRAPHY

Bertie is nothing if not a vacillating force of nature. Irresolute and fluctuating are his middle names, and if he hadn’t been sure of the Higgs written in bold print on his birth certificate, he would be sure unstable would be his last. Everything seemed to be going the way the paternal, political, Ministry-hugging side of his family wished as eleven-year-old Bertie fled happily from his hometown of Cambridge to Hogwarts. What they knew was that he spent the next seven years befriending people of all houses and statuses, making a small name for himself, enjoying his free time with Horace Slughorn, playing beater for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and working his way through classes that would surely set him right where they wanted him: next in number to the Minister’s support staff. What they didn’t know was that his small name began with his love for life---something Bertie didn’t see coming from the paternal side of his family at all. Rather, Bertie acted, spoke, and lived by his maternal, simple, Muggle roots. He did well in school because he liked to have a good time. He wanted to play for Hufflepuff because the thrill of the game never failed him. Bertie was befriending people of all houses and statuses, not to make a name for himself, but because he was unfathomably curious.

It might have been a surprise when he didn’t take the internship offered to him fresh out of Hogwarts. Instead, Bertie’s alumni status fell into his lap unexpectedly, or so it seemed, minute by minute, day by day. Who was he without the floors at Hogwarts under his feet? What could possibly be good enough to hold him down once his have to had dissipated? Somehow, he ended up bartending by night, and drinking the part. Somehow, he ended up with severed ties, estranged from his longtime, Auror girlfriend. Somehow, he found himself far away from the stress the impending war pleaded for. And somehow, he ended up in bed with another man, effectively ending what sense of self identity he had left, effectively leaving him planted into a life he couldn’t remember getting himself into.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise when a new job meant something to him. With a series of (somewhat) unfortunate events looming over his head, Bertie moved to the seaside of Dover to take over his grandfather’s boat, his rent paid in the marina in exchange for instructing wide-eyed sailors from far and wide on a lifelong hobby. Getting out of London (at least seasonally) was enough to truly separate him from the life he had tried so hard to leave behind, and Bertie began to develop a sense of self he hadn’t felt in a long time. The problem was this: not even the sea could hold Bertie down, and he knew it. How little did he know of what would happen in the next day, or the next hour, or the next month? Very little. How much had he separated himself from those unfortunate events? Too much, and never enough. And in the end, could he walk out of the door as easily as he had entered it? He wasn’t sure anymore.

PLOT POINTS

I. Bertie Higgs is not against the Ministry per se, but it would be a misrepresentation of his character to forget that even the mere mention of the government brings a grimace to his face worthy of a bag of over seasoned peach rings. While every inch of the Wizarding side of his family has seemingly canvased every inch of the Ministry, Bertie has taken a hard pass on this unspoken tradition. At first, he took the same pass on assisting his Muggleborn mother with her new business, Common Sense Careers. As a nonprofit organization specializing in bridging the gap between frightened companies and even more frightened Muggleborn witches and wizards, it’s institution that the Higgs family could support with their thirst for prominence, and one that undoubtedly flaunts Ministry propaganda Bertie has never been able to swallow, much less pass along. With the recent debate over Muggleborn employment in the Wizarding world coming to a head, however, Bertie has found himself waist-deep in Common Sense Careers, alongside another surprising addition to the team: his cousin, Edgar Bones, who has been donating both time and money to the organization, unbeknownst to the rest of their family. Understanding Edgar’s situation all too well, Bertie is keen on helping his cousin keep his involvement under wraps, especially when he’s trying to keep his own involvement to the minimum.

II. Bertie’s relationship with Rufus Scrimgeour (and by extension, the Ministry of Magic) is a banter of push and pull. Rufus pushes Bertie deeper into the Ministry only to watch him take two (or six) steps backward. In turn, Bertie pulls Rufus out of his comfort zone and out of the clutches of the strife stricken DMLE. As he began to regard Rufus as a friend rather than a very annoying mentor, however, Bertie began to daydream of considering considering the idea of a settlement past his happiness in Dover, however ridiculous he knew the thought might be. Bertie may have hated the idea of settling anywhere near the Ministry all of his life, but some days, he hates the idea of disappointing Rufus more. 

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Amelia Bones: Long gone are the years when Amelia and Bertie were on the same page, few and blissfully youthful though they were. Though Bertie wouldn’t say there’s been any sort of quantifiable tension between the pair of cousins in their recent years of rekindled friendship, he only wishes he could tell her about his day-to-day life without feeling as if he has to edit every sentence. She has become a part of the them crowd -- the Ministry crowd -- and Bertie only hopes that this barrier won’t last long. 

Dawn Withey: Even if he knew Quidditch wasn’t something he would pursue in any professional matter, while in school, it kept Bertie walking up three flights of stairs without huffing and puffing, and kept his clothes from falling off an out of shape body. The same couldn’t be said for fresh-out-of-school Bertie, who drank his way through shifts between baskets of spare (or burnt) chips and spent his days sleeping. Had it not been for Dawn, there would have been no hope for the young wizard’s health. Bertie has trusted his former partner to keep him moving in her free time, and in return, Bertie offers a familiar face and a hard working mindset for company.

Lori Orpington: There are only two things that Bertie considers ridiculous about Lori: her high, high heels, and her longing for the Ministry. He has to admit that he left The Leaky Cauldron first in pursuit of happiness, but what he didn’t do was leave only to step into the Ministry. Not to mention, he really was looking forward to being back at the pub with her in the winter. With that excuse teasing lazily off the tip of his tongue, and one more friend headed in the direction he teeters on dodging more and more every day, Bertie is trying hard to keep his true emotions in check.

Millicent Bagnold

Age/Year: 29/30; Ravenclaw 1967 Affiliation: Ministry of Magic Blood Status: Muggleborn Occupation: Head of the DMLE Dark Force Defense League FC: Sarah Shahi

TRAITS

+ dignified; methodical; witty – overzealous; intimidating; pretentious

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. For two and a half years, Millicent trained to become an Auror. For two and a half years, promising, bright, and dedicated Millicent was more secure in the Wizarding world than her blood status had ever allowed her to believe she could be. Perhaps, she had begun to think, all that talk about the Knights of Walpurgis was only hogwash. How wrong she was proven when she herself was attacked by the ever elusive Knights while walking home from work one evening. So traumatic was the event that Millicent dropped everything – including the Auror Academy – to cope with the terrible incident and its lasting effects. However, Millicent was unsinkable, impossible to destroy. After nearly two years away from most of the Wizarding world, she returned, more determined and prepared for battle than ever before.

II. Since her ill-fated career as an Auror, Millicent has dabbled in just about every other corner of the DMLE. When she returned to the Wizarding world in 1971, she immediately began training as a Hit Witch— an occupation she spent only a few years in before moving on to Magical Law. Millicent worked next in the Wizengamot’s offices, pushing desperately for laws to protect Muggleborn witches and wizards for the entirety of her time there. As with all of Millicent’s positions in the Ministry, it wasn’t long until she grew bored with that one, too. She considered resuming her training as an Auror, but before she could consider it too seriously, she was given a much better offer: to become head of the DMLE’s new Dark Force Defense League, designed to combat the most puzzling and catastrophic of You-Know-Who’s efforts. Millicent jumped at the opportunity, hand picking resources and employees as she put her new division in order, building not just a department, but a new fortress that could take down Voldemort once and for all. Now having been afloat for a full year, the DFDL is thriving—but that doesn’t mean Millicent isn’t still looking for prized pupils to add to her impressive collection of employees. Her latest target is Sturgis Podmore, a curse-breaker she knows will be an invaluable asset to her team. As with everyone else she’s pursued, Millicent is determined that Sturgis will soon be a proud member of the League---and then she’ll begin to look for the next addition to her team.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Amelia Bones: Amelia Bones left a quick impression on Millicent—and a strong one at that. When the passionate young witch barged into her office two years ago, inquiring Millicent about her thoughts on an adult defense class, she left the elder witch with a lot to think about, most of which left her beaming proudly at the thought of having such an intelligent, strong youth in the DMLE. It took almost no time at all for Millicent to agree to help with the program—and thus their project was born. After two years of meeting every Saturday morning and teaching witches and wizards to defend themselves (full of many more moments that caused Millicent to beam proudly over the incredible young Bones), Millicent couldn’t stand to watch Amelia sit behind her desk in the Council of Magical Law any longer. She knew that Amelia not only longed for more, but had worked hard for more, and she had found the perfect place for her: a position as a Defensive Engineer on the Dark Force Defense League.

Rufus Scrimgeour: There’s not a soul in the Ministry who hasn’t heard Rufus Scrimgeour argue for the Aurors’ use of the Unforgivable Curses first-hand. There’s also not a soul in the Ministry that’s sought him out to discuss his position further. Well, perhaps there’s one. Millicent couldn’t agree more with Rufus. Despite the fact that she’s not out in the field fighting by his side, Millicent recognizes the merit of fighting fire with fire. Perhaps, between the two of them, it’s a change they can effect in the coming year. If Millicent has it her way, they definitely will.

Violetta Midgen: Violetta was Millicent’s first pick for her new department, even if she was an obvious choice. Given her reputation in the world of healing as the best medical examiner in all of the United Kingdom, Millicent knows that she’s going to be persuaded to pick someone’s side in this war eventually. It would be too great a risk to let Violetta fall into the wrong hands without even trying to save her. It took Violetta some time to consider Millicent’s offer, and the longer she went without hearing from Violetta, the more worried Millicent became that perhaps she’d already been persuaded to join the ranks of those with less than pure intent. Those fears were asauged when Violetta finally accepted and joined the Dark Force Defense League. They’re working side by side now, something Millicent is eternally thankful for.

FATE

Millicent SURVIVES the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Gideon Prewett

Age/Year: 23; Gryffindor 1974 Affiliation: Order of the Phoenix Blood Status: Pureblood Occupation: Obliviator FC: Sam Claflin

TRAITS

+ adventuresome; compassionate; protective – restless; bullheaded; defensive

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. As his professors were always quick to remind him all of his life, Gideon has never been able to grasp the meaning of the word cautious. Risks are never tabulated if the gut feeling is good, and passion is all the cause he needs to make a move. As such, Gideon didn’t so much as blink before accepted Albus Dumbledore’s offer to join the Order of the Phoenix. He dove in head first, taking twice as long as normal to complete his Obliviator training at the Puddlemere Institute of Magical Professions just to put his best foot forward for the Order---and sometimes, his worst foot, if it was all he had to offer. Though Gideon has matured with age, his temper has clung on tightly, getting him into more trouble than he can afford on more than one occasion. Whether it be a couple of swears at a rude passerby, or a bar fight that gets him suspended from work for several months (as once happened with Emory Wilkes), Gideon is definitely known for being hot-headed. He’s been working on it as of late, trying to remember, as his mother often says, that his heart is at least in the right place, which is half the battle.

II. Gideon grew up in the small Wizarding village of Mould-on-the-wold, alongside, Charity Burbage, and his cousin, Alice Longbottom. Still, there was no partner in crime like his twin brother, Fabian, with whom he’s shared everything, from embarrassing moments, to well deserved detentions, to their small flat in London near the Ministry of Magic. Though the boys are uniquely individual in taste and personality, Gideon considers his brother his very best friend. In fact, it was Fabian's personal studies in Arithmancy that helped Gideon to his purpose in the Order. After seeing eerily close predictions of dates and coordinates of Death Eater related incidents in his brother’s notes, Gideon began to do some research and work of his own. Now, he has a full fledged mission on his hands: to help the Order sniff out all the locations where these new Inferi creatures are being created, and to burn them to the ground. While their project seems to be making progress, Gideon can only hope that time is still on their side for this one, if they haven’t run out of it yet.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Charlie Farley & Frank Longbottom: Sure, Fabian is a little less hot-headed than Gideon, but his clarity of mind is never a guarantee; hell, he’s more unpredictable than Gideon in a sense. Frank and Charlie, though, have always been reliable anchors. The pair of them guided Gideon through Hogwarts---whether it be by keeping on top of his homework assignments, or making sure he didn’t drink too much firewhiskey after a Quidditch victory. Though Charlie has been abroad, their frequent letters telling of his adventures have given Gideon hope for the future, of things to look forward to when all is said and done with the war. Still, it’s Frank that Gideon is closest to now. After having spent years in the Order, filled with late night conversations about their worries and hopes and dreams, Gideon is almost as comfortable with Frank as he is his twin brother. Even before he married Gideon’s cousin, Frank was as good as family. In the face of such dark times, Gideon is grateful he has such good friends to rely on, though he has a terrible feeling he’ll need them more in the future than he ever has before.

Marlene McKinnon: Dysfunctional is too kind a word for Gideon’s relationship with Marlene. The pair have a lot in common, not the least of which being their tendency to dive into trouble head first for the fun of it, without a second thought. As such, Gideon has always enjoyed Marlene’s company, even during their school days, long before either of them joined the Order. So once she did join, he didn’t mind answering her questions, or giving her advice (even if she rarely ever used it). He enjoyed the friendship they built, and the time they spent together, and the way things seemed to be progressing into something more. Or at least he did until their relationship imploded. Gideon doesn’t blame Marlene for not wanting the relationship he wanted, but he’s concerned now about losing her entirely. In spite of the distance that’s settled between them in the past few months, he’s still hoping to be able to salvage whatever he can of the friendship they used to have.

Peter Pettigrew: Gideon tries very hard to be a good example. After all, he has a litter of nephews looking up to him; it would be irresponsible not to put forth a good effort in this endeavor. He knows he’s failed where Peter is concerned. Peter was made Gideon’s responsibility when the younger wizard joined the Order last year. It fell on Gideon to mentor him, to shape his experience in the Order as a good one, a productive one. But between suspensions and his personal affairs, Gideon has been lacking in his duties. Now, he’s determined to change all that, if Peter will allow him to.

FATE

Gideon DOES NOT SURVIVE the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Dolores Umbridge

Age/Class: 19; Slytherin 1977 Affiliation: Ministry of Magic Blood Status: Half-blood Occupation: Improper Use of Magic Office FC: Janel Parrish

TRAITS

+ conscientious; ambitious; ebullient – misanthropic; authoritarian; corrupt

BIOGRAPHY

UP TO PLAYER

PLOT POINTS

I. Coming straight from Hogwarts and falling into an internship in the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry was more than Dolores Umbridge could have dreamed of at the tender age of seventeen. If there was one thing Dolores was keen on, it was telling people they were wrong and needed to correct their behavior. She excelled in the department, and by the end of the year, she earned herself a small promotion that added clerical duties to her list of tasks, and a few galleons to her account in Gringotts every paycheck. Though it was Dolores’ first promotion, it won’t be her last. Wrapping her superiors around her finger has become one of Dolores’ stronger skills, inferior only to one other: making people fear her.

II. Dolores is quite keen on getting her way, and there are few things she won’t stoop to in order to achieve it. Whether it’s shelling out gold to keep herself distanced from her father’s custodial legacy in the Ministry, or blackmailing co-workers to ensure she’s the one in line for a promotion—if Dolores wants it, Dolores gets it.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Narcissa Malfoy: Friend is a loose term used loosely by Dolores, but if she had to apply it to anyone, she’d be quick to apply it to Narcissa Malfoy. Not only does Narcissa’s name carry weight in the Wizarding world – both good and bad – but she works in Borgin and Burkes, a shop that Dolores visits regularly. If their agreed stance on Muggleborns in the Wizarding world wasn’t enough to bond them together, their fascination with cursed objects still would be, even if Narcissa is focused on their creation and Dolores is intrigued by their use.

Willow Shafiq: If there’s one person in the Ministry that Dolores can’t stand, it’s Willow Shafiq. Several years Dolores’ senior, Willow’s agenda is what Dolores would politely call unorthodox. The Improper Use of Magic office exists for a reason: the punish those who can’t handle the responsibility of magic and weed them out until the Wizarding war is composed only of those who can. Willow, for reasons Dolores can’t quite figure out, sees the department as an opportunity to spoil and pamper delinquent youth who don’t deserve to keep their wands—for the sake of the greater good, of course. If it were up to Dolores, Willow would be unseated from her job, and her backwards influence soiled forever. Fortunately, Dolores has a few tricks up her sleeve that might be able to do exactly that.

FATE

Dolores SURVIVES the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.