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Neutrality.
Accepted! -- Sparky
Your Nickname: Neon
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
Are you over thirteen? Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? RPG Directory
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Arcturus Hollingbury (P), Morgana Hollingbury (P), Lydia Hollingbury (S)
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary
Mordecai "Mord" Linus Hollingbury
61 (13 April 1950)
London, England
Halfblood
Ravenclaw, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office, Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Wand
Wood: Alder, 11.5 inches
Core: Phoenix Feather
Strength: Rigid
Surface: Knobby
From Ollivanders. Pale whitish with lacquer finish and very distinctive, with vines carved twining around the wand from the tip to the handle. The handle is wrapped in blue linen. Over time, the knobbiness has been worn down, making the wand strangely wavy at first glance.
Appearance
Mordecai, or Mord as he is known by his friends, stands at 5’11”. While he is not exactly toned or muscular, he wears a fair amount of clothes that accentuate his shoulders and build into looking bigger than he really is. His rectangular-jawed face is framed by a thick head of black hair with a central parting. The hair at his sideburns has gone completely white; he tucks them behind the ear to show them off. Like every Hollingbury, he has light brown eyes and his hair is brown in the sun, although it has a sprinkling of white at the roots which is especially visible at his central parting and temples. The back of his hair ends at the base of his neck, though it's still long enough to spill over his shoulders.
Probably what makes him look so dignified and aged is that he has a beard and moustache. While there are some white hairs in the beard directly under his lower lip, the rest of the facial hair remains blackish-brown. He also usually has a serious expression which disappears around friends and family. When reading he usually requires reading glasses.
When at work, Mordecai wears single- and double-breasted waistcoats with ties, giving off a very dapper appearance on first impressions. He keeps his appearance well because he prefers an authoritative look to go with his job. Unlike his son, he has good fashion sense and knows it, preferring to at least look smart at all times.
When off work, he is more inclined to wear plain v-neck pullovers or sleeveless jumpers with a white t-shirt or dress shirt underneath. He usually doesn't tuck in the hem if he's dressed as such, but with a collared shirt alone he tucks it in.
He doesn't wear tshirts.
In winter he wears a double-breasted grey longcoat with a scarf under the collar. In summer he goes for dress shirts tucked into belted jeans, but with the collar unbuttoned.
Personality
Mordecai is calm, almost always serious and very, very difficult to anger. He usually doesn’t show most of his emotions, and is fairly level-headed and softspoken. Most people see him as a force to reckon with because he’s very law-abiding and takes his duties seriously. He is also known to catch onto body language cues very quickly and is very highly observational, always constantly watching the people he speaks to. It is never a good idea to assume he does not see quick glances, surreptitious looks and subtle changes in expression, because he does. He just doesn’t say anything about it.
Despite his authoritative impressions, Mord is organised, reasonable and tries to be as impartial as much as he can. He dislikes censorship and biased prejudices, and always searches for a middle ground; if not, then the lesser of the two evils. This method of reasoning has got him through most hard times, so he’s more likely to stick to it. He can be a stickler for tradition, but if something has changed for the better he will consider it. Most of his friends know him for being cool-headed and logical; it’s very difficult to get him to panic. Certainly useful in emergency situations and also leaves a lot of space for wondering if he's actually joking or being completely serious.
However, Mordecai sometimes has no variance in his tone and manner of speech. Both his wife and son know how to read him since they’re so familiar with his body language, but even friends still find it hard to know what he actually means. The only things that get conveyed very well are his seriousness, and that moment when you know it’s a final decision and he’s not changing his mind. Other than that, most people get confused between Mordecai being genuinely happy and Mordecai being sarcastic. There isn’t much change in his tone either when it comes to people he doesn’t trust.
Like his son, Mordecai has trust issues - and for good reason. He is extremely distrustful of anyone, and partially paranoid. Because he’s good at keeping his emotions hidden, this isn’t obviously apparent at first glance; Mord himself doesn’t reveal this to anyone since he’s constantly on guard, so he still is fairly natural and friendly, but it’s often a mistake to think he trusts someone just because he’s being amiable with them.
Like Hollingburys are usually wont to be, Mordecai is protective of his loved ones. He is still currently in the grieving process for his daughter, although like all his emotions this isn’t apparent from the start; his family knows he is still grieving, but not many else. What they don't know is that he blames himself for not being able to keep his family intact, as it's something that his father laid into him very harshly for a long time.
This set of trust issues has made him very defeatist and pessimistic in nature, although he doesn't openly show it. He feels that he has no power no matter what he does, against the greater power that is the Ministry of Magic. Sameera Taylor appears to be gently steering him out of the stagnant depths of this thinking, but it will be a while before we see him assume full charge.
His Patronus is a peregrine falcon.
Behaviour
Mordecai is known to like tea very much, and is an amateur tea brewer. He is often interested in Muggles, especially Muggle law, although his job doesn’t always give way for his interests, and is all for treating them fairly. It’s said that his fascination with Muggles passed onto his daughter.
His hobbies are duelling, wizard chess, tea brewing, and reading law. Formerly he used to have a competitive streak that slowly dwindled as he aged, but he still finds some enjoyment and motivation with friendly competition.
His sexual orientation was formerly straight; it is now asexual.
When Mordecai gets angry (which is rare, even more so than his son!), random objects have their surroundings increase in pressure. This can lead to exploding or crushed items, including the floor. Like most Hollingburys, this is completely out of his conscious control and comes from when he was a child, and only ever happens if he's angry at someone else.
History
Mordecai led a quiet, if strict, life with his halfblood parents, being homeschooled and bright. As the oldest, he was immediately taught to be responsible and authoritative, to be accountable and always being an upright role model who should not bend to worse forces. Academics was very much strongly emphasised with him and his sister, although she had more leeway than he did as he was the eldest and therefore shouldered with the burden of making sure he was in charge.
In Hogwarts, he was immediately Sorted to Ravenclaw – not a surprise for a Hollingbury. For his OWLs, Mordecai took Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Astronomy, Potions, History of Magic, Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes. For NEWTs, he dropped History of Magic and Astronomy, and achieved Os in all subjects. He was a Keeper on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during his third and fourth years, and an avid member of the Duelling Club that later gave him his skills and reputation as a duellist. This gave him quick reflexes that he has not lost today by occasionally duelling non-lethally with his friends.
After graduating from Hogwarts in 1968, he then took a summer internship at the Ministry of Magic, working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, usually somewhere with the Wizengamot Administration Services. Whilst there, he worked as a lowly clerk assigned to one of the more strict staffpersons, but learned a great deal on wizarding law. The training he was given taught him responsibility and reliability as well as introduced him to the hardships of the real world. After his internship ended in 1969, he applied for a job within the Wizengamot Administration Services as he enjoyed his term there.
Mordecai worked in that area from 1969 to 1971, wherein he transferred to the Administrative Registration Department due to a lack of staff. This was also during the time of the First Wizarding War, where he became jaded over time due to the events.
In 1972, due to the First Wizarding War, the strict regulation of the Floo Network gave him several problems, culminating in his fireplace losing connections with the Ministry. The Floo Network Authority sent Lydia Kontzoglou, a Muggleborn Greek-British witch from Brighton, to fix the connection. Mordecai found himself smitten with Lydia and eventually found time to visit her on Level Six. Lydia, charmed by his advances and personality, spent time with him in the Ministry whenever they could since they couldn’t even have a proper date; both of them were essential during the War as Lydia allowed Mordecai to keep track of casualties as well as births through the Floo Network. In 1973, Lydia joined the Hollingbury family in matrimony to Mordecai with a hasty and very quick wedding only attended by their parents.
The First Wizarding War, however, put pressure on Lydia because of her blood status. Mordecai never made any mention of their wedding to any of his colleagues, and Lydia hid with the Hollingburys as she could not leave the country on pain of death. Mordecai started becoming paranoid around this time, and as such began to delve into Occlumency, desperate to find a way to prevent people from finding out his secrets. Despite the hassle that they endured, Lydia became pregnant and gave birth to Alethea in 1974.
Now with the added burden of a family on his hands, Mordecai persevered in working harder than ever. He became distrustful of a few of his colleagues within the Administrative Registration Department, as some of them ratted out their Muggleborn colleagues and joined the side of the Death Eaters. The Ministry’s persistence and strength during this time compelled him to continue working at his job, overall. Mordecai continued his studies, his resolve to master Occlumency holding out throughout this time. It was not easy for him as around this time he still was not partial to supressing his emotions, although his paranoia gave him some help going from novice to intermediate level.
In 1980, Arcturus was born. At this time, Mordecai finally caved and bought the house at 25 Acton Road, London; he could no longer hide his family with his parents. The house was very heavily guarded and neither Alethea nor Arcturus ever experienced the hardships of the war. Lydia and Mordecai did not ever tell them anything about the war, but kept them in the house with Mordecai’s mother visiting to take care of the children.
Around this time, the Death Eaters began to decline. When the war ended in 1981, Mordecai and Lydia finally had a proper wedding service and let their colleagues know. Mordecai found himself hoping, deep down inside, that he would never have to deal with such a tumultuous time ever again. He relaxed his studies in Occlumency to spend time with his family.
He was wrong.
He went back to the Wizengamot Administration Services, but this time as senior personnel. He was also usually present at court hearings to record down the details, and also determined legal proceedings according to different cases and scheduling court dates and availability of judges. Lydia continued her job at the Floo Network Authority, as a senior Regulator. Their lives continued in peace, with Mordecai regularly visiting Lydia’s family in Greece, where they had fled to during the early years of the First Wizarding War and were now permanently residing. Both Mordecai and Lydia watched their children grow up and start their education in Hogwarts; while they were away in Hogwarts, Mordecai resumed his Occlumency work and began moving towards mastery of the ability.
In 1991, Mordecai went back to his Administrative Registration Department position, having had his fair share of time on the Wizengamot Administration Services.
In 1995, Mordecai noticed a few events occurring in the Ministry, although at the time he was too preoccupied with his work to investigate or even find out more about them. The following year, after the events of the Triwizard Tournament, the Ministry of Magic began to deny the return of Lord Voldemort. Mordecai himself was sceptical of this, but slowly began to observe how paranoid Fudge was, and how desperate the campaign to discredit Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore eventually became. He said nothing of his observations, knowing that he would be fired from his job the moment he made his suspicions to others. When the Dark Lord’s return was finally accepted by the Ministry, he then let his colleagues know – and was immediately labelled a coward for staying silent the whole time despite his situation. Mordecai did not object, but he was angry about it, and quietly went back to his studies in Occlumency.
On 1st August 1997, the Death Eaters carried out their coup on the Ministry, with the death of the Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. Alethea died while helping a few wizards and witches escape, but her death was quiet and only known by few. Mordecai could not leave his job, and continued, but he knew once again that his wife and blood status would come under fire and this time the Ministry would not be backing him up or protecting him. This time, he convinced her to Greece before the war could properly begin, although it pained him much to do this. He did not inform his father of his daughter's death until Christmas of 1997 due to his grief; along with his mother's death due to a Death Eater-related incident, this strained their relationship and has been so ever since.
The Muggle-Born Registration Commission was set up under the Administrative Registration Department, much to Mordecai’s horror. This time round none of his colleagues could blame him for his silence; if they ever so much as voiced dissent, they would be fired from their jobs and possibly interrogated. Mordecai lost several friends of his during this time, along with being ridiculed about his blood status and his heavily halfblood family. Thankfully at this point, his skill in Occlumency was advanced enough to the point he felt guarded even to his son, and could detect if Legilimency was being used on him whenever he was interrogated.
Mordecai's time from 1997 to 1998 is, according to him, one of the most tormenting times he has ever been through. Alone in the house, he was forever worried about Arcturus in Hogwarts, especially when the news came through that there were Death Eaters and the Dark Arts was a subject in the curriculum. Considering his parents' own stance on the Dark Arts, he was very concerned about Arcturus practising it, and was relieved eventually at the end of the war to learn that his son actively rebelled against it, though not without a few scars left behind.
Despite that, that period is mostly responsible for why Mordecai is still fairly thin for a man his height and age. He suspects that the stress has never left him, and in honesty he hasn't been able to eat very well since then.
After the Second Wizarding War ended in 1998, Mordecai transferred to the Improper Use of Magic Office to leave his memories of the War behind. While he was grateful for the return of his wife and the fact that his son survived the Battle of Hogwarts, he is still grieving over the loss of his daughter.
Mordecai continued to work in the Improper Use of Magic Office, his prior knowledge of wizarding law helping him eventually rise to the position of Head. As far as is known, he has mastered Occlumency enough to be able to suppressing thoughts, emotions and memories in order to make anyone believe he is completely confident in what he’s saying.
Skills
Law
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but what Mordecai is truly good at is being impartial. He takes both sides into consideration, leaves emotions out of his decisions and upholds the word of justice with an almost ruler-straight adherence. 'Almost' being that sometimes he may look for ways to bend the rules if there is precedent (and sometimes even if there isn't he's going to do it anyway) but only if the reason is solid enough that even he feels the sentence should not be too harsh.
He presents evidence without embellishment, has no intentions of bending to higher powers because of authority or money, and hopes to remain upright and be a role model of justice. Even if the society he's in takes him out because of such morally good standing, he considers keeping his word to the end everything that he could ever fight for.
Duellist
Don't be fooled by the aged wizard sitting at his desk writing in a crisp calligraphic hand. Mordecai is a formidable opponent, especially as an Occlumens, in terms of his reflexes and wide knowledge of spells. Though he will not resort to Dark Magic to win a fight, he is pragmatic and, thanks to his proximity to the MLE, knows quite a bit on lethal and non-lethal spells. He considers protecting himself his own responsibility and does not wish to rely on the protection of Aurors - he would very much prefer to be self-sufficient in that regard.
Mordecai's duelling level is equal with his Occlumency.
Tea Brewing
Mordecai takes a huge interest in studying different techniques of tea brewing. There is something visceral about tea that he enjoys, something that doesn't even answer to intellect, and tea brewing itself is just one of the many things he's fascinated about. From the history of tea in Britain to Chinese tea ceremonies, he has a treasure trove of knowledge and honestly wishes to one day experience these for himself. He considers his theoretical knowledge not adequate for his liking; practical must follow.
Though at his level he still considers himself very much an amateur, but that would be like how Lydia, passionate herbologist, describes herself as an amateur.
Wizard Chess
Once Mordecai's favourite pastime, it has now really fallen out of favour as it reminds him of his father's strict drummings into him regarding this particular hobby. Nevertheless, if challenged to a game, he will take it in his stride; win or lose he doesn't mind. It's the journey and the mental stimulation that he enjoys, not so much the destination. A game that pits wits against wits, and doesn't rely on luck. Something he is comfortable with.
He always plays the black side unless advised by his opponent to take white. The handicap of not moving first is his personal challenge.
Job Duties
As Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office, Mordecai is in charge of assigning penalties and verdicts to those who break the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and upholding it when the office gets intelligence reports of violations. He also occasionally deals with special cases that might have exception to the laws, or even to judge whether certain cases are really worth being labelled as violations.
He is also the person to go to for giving final permission to wizards and witches for performing magic under certain circumstances, though he requires an extremely good reason or a Department Head vouching for their employees’ reliability and sincerity on not misusing magic.
Because of his position, he often is consulted by the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office (and receiving their reports), as well as reviewing reports checked by both Departments of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and Magical Law Enforcement. While he does not assign solo investigators to minor cases of the breaking of the Statute, he does request reports, discuss about and gives his opinion on the case with the investigator if approached. Because of his reputation of noticing tiny details, he sometimes is contacted by other departments on Level Two for his input even if his job may be completely unrelated, but his availability tends to depend on how much daily work he has to do (which is a fair amount). He prioritises his office work over everything else, and usually has to make judgements in which cases are actually significant violations/breaches of the Statute or not.
Expertise
Mordecai has been working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement since his first day as a Ministry of Magic intern. From Wizengamot Administration Services clerk to then working in the Administrative Registration Department, he has picked up an impressive knowledge of wizarding laws and rules, along with a very good sense of classifying, sorting and isolating important information. When he transferred to Improper Use of Magic after the Second Wizarding War, his experience and reliability eventually moved him up to the position of Head.
Summary
A figure of authority with a strong personality, Mordecai nevertheless has his own grief to manage. He deals with many important matters that often needs his time and asks for his decisions to be final, and even sometimes as someone as experienced as he is, he knows he is not prepared for anything that could actually happen in the wizarding world. With his paranoia, it is entirely up to him to decide whether to be prepared for it, or take it as it comes – only time will tell what he chooses, not just for his sake, but for the safety of his family and the wizarding world.
Wizengamot Member
2009
Expertise and Skills
Ever since his employment within the Ministry Mordecai has been part of the justice system in minor and not-so-minor roles. His 13 years of Wizengamot Administration Services, 10 of those years as senior personnel, have bestowed him with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of wizarding law, experience with the inner workings of the Wizengamot and, ultimately, impartiality and a poker face to boot.
He also has had 12 years in the Improper Use of Magic Office, where during his tenure as Head he has seen many cases that require his recommendations of verdicts to the Wizengamot for various cases based on severity of the offence and law breach. He has a reputation for his strict adherence to the law within reason, but he is not above listening to both sides of the story , and he is certainly not a great devotee of jumping to conclusions.
Additionally, as an Occlumens and a survivor of both Wizarding Wars, Mordecai understands and practises the utmost confidentiality he can provide. While he won’t admit it, the paranoia left behind by the Wars allows him to read body language that only the keenest observers would notice him doing.
Responsibilities to Uphold
Personal opinion should always be kept away from professionalism. Both sides of the story must be heard to make a complete, fair case. Jumping to conclusions will only leap to disaster, and so will making hasty judgements based on assumptions; but a level head must also know when to bend in a gale. Both the defendant and the plaintiff are equal in court as they are in law, and both must be treated as humans, not mere objects. Above all, impartiality.
Past Experience
Mordecai observed the case in front of him. It was standard fare, really. The culprit was caught for bewitching Muggle neighbour’s roses to shoot water every time
someone tried to partake of their fragrance. Basically a wizarding prank on an unsuspecting Muggle. While he was all for living amongst Muggles – and Merlin knows that there were only so many places in London for wizards to live – sometimes he was often compelled to start writing laws on etiquette towards Muggles.
But that was for the Muggle Affairs Office, whenever that place was ever going to get back on its feet. The problem now was that he had to deal with the culprit’s son, who was in front of him right now and it wasn’t making his day any better.
“The man was letting his dog out to ravage our garden!” he protested as he waved a finger at the report in front of Mordecai. “You can’t let some Muggle get away scot-free with his ridicule!”
“Why didn’t you just put a Repelling Charm on the fence?” asked Mordecai calmly.
“Mum won’t let us, she says she wants the front garden spell-free!”
“That’s something you’ll have to negotiate, then. It would have been much easier to take pre-emptive measures rather than go all out on the poor man.”
The man wrung his wrists in anxiety. Mordecai could understand his worry, but he’d be damned if he was going to let someone sway him from giving a proper verdict. He’d been in the process of writing one when the man had barged into his office; it was either good timing or contrived coincidence, but Mordecai was in no mood to admire this.
“Please,” the man pleaded, “don’t put him in front of the Wizengamot for this. It’s a minor offence, right? First time? It was just a prank, really, and the Muggle had it coming!”
“I don’t know,” replied Mordecai evenly. “But no one ever had it coming, you had ample opportunity to come up with a non-hostile response. Your father breached the Statute of Secrecy and was, if I’m not wrong, doing it because he saw Muggles as…where was it?” He turned the page. “Something on the lines of ‘that lowborn Muggle need to be taught a lesson’. We don’t need other people doing the job of the MLE for us or taking their judgement into their own hands, and certainly not with that kind of mindset towards our fellow humans. Muggle or not.”
“Surely the Statute of Secrecy allows for some exceptions, right?”
“No.” Mordecai’s tone made the man cringe in his seat. “The law is the law, and Muggle pranking isn’t part of it.”
“How did he even break the Statute, anyway?” The man was going for defensive.
“He’d just so happened to charm the roses before your neighbour’s friends arrived for a rose-admiring party, or whatever it was that involved the flowers. Your father didn’t just manage to prank your neighbour, he managed to do it to all of said group of Muggles as well. Do you know how much paperwork that was for the MAC to deal with? Magical Accidents and Catastrophes,” he added, seeing the man’s confusion. “And anything to do with the MAC gets sent up to me, which means I get the share of paperwork too. Now, if I were any less reasonable I’d have you out of here on the basis of Causing Additional Exasperation to the Head of Improper Use to Deal With, but I’m willing to hear your case out if you give me a good reason to not penalise your father.”
“Have I?” asked the man hopefully.
“No, you haven’t.” The man’s face fell. “My verdict will still stand. Remind your father that his opinion of Muggles won’t excuse him from breaking the law. He can keep his opinion, but we want no additional distress to your neighbours based on such presumptions.”
He looked defeated, but Mordecai kept his blank face. Slowly the man got to his feet, knowing that if anything it would take more than a crowbar and an earthquake to change the older man’s mind.
“Just, uh, one thing…” he began hesitantly.
“What is it?”
“Please don’t tell my father I came here to try and plead for his case.”
Mordecai considered this, while hope and anxiety fought for dominance on the man’s face. It was a sight worth watching. He finally said, “Whatever your business is with your father, you keep it to yourself. I’ll have no part in involving myself with your family matters.”
This didn’t have the reaction he thought he would get – the man looked bewildered. So he said, “It means that I won’t tell him on the basis that I can understand exactly why you’re here, and that I’m not interested in putting myself where I don’t belong.”
The man’s face broke out into relief, but Mordecai’s blank face made sure that the relief quickly dissipated into nervousness before he quickly shuffled out. Mordecai covered his eyes with one hand for a moment of respite , sighed and went on with his work.
Myers-Briggs Personality Type
Defender (ISFJ)
The Defender personality type is quite unique, as many of their qualities defy the definition of their individual traits. Though sensitive, Defenders have excellent analytical abilities; though reserved, they have well-developed people skills and robust social relationships; and though they are generally a conservative type, Defenders are often receptive to change and new ideas. As with so many things, people with the Defender personality type are more than the sum of their parts, and it is the way they use these strengths that defines who they are.
There’s hardly a better type to make up such a large proportion of the population, nearly 13%. Combining the best of tradition and the desire to do good, Defenders are found in lines of work with a sense of history behind them, such as medicine, academics and charitable social work.
Defender personalities (especially Turbulent ones) are often meticulous to the point of perfectionism, and though they procrastinate, they can always be relied on to get the job done on time. Defenders take their responsibilities personally, consistently going above and beyond, doing everything they can to exceed expectations and delight others, at work and at home.
The challenge for Defenders is ensuring that what they do is noticed. They have a tendency to underplay their accomplishments, and while their kindness is often respected, more cynical and selfish people are likely to take advantage of Defenders’ dedication and humbleness by pushing work onto them and then taking the credit. Defenders need to know when to say no and stand up for themselves if they are to maintain their confidence and enthusiasm.
Naturally social, an odd quality for Introverts, Defenders utilize excellent memories not to retain data and trivia, but to remember people, and details about their lives. When it comes to gift-giving, Defenders have no equal, using their imagination and natural sensitivity to express their generosity in ways that touch the hearts of their recipients. While this is certainly true of their coworkers, whom people with the Defender personality type often consider their personal friends, it is in family that their expressions of affection fully bloom.
Defender personalities are a wonderful group, rarely sitting idle while a worthy cause remains unfinished. Defenders’ ability to connect with others on an intimate level is unrivaled among Introverts, and the joy they experience in using those connections to maintain a supportive, happy family is a gift for everyone involved. They may never be truly comfortable in the spotlight, and may feel guilty taking due credit for team efforts, but if they can ensure that their efforts are recognized, Defenders are likely to feel a level of satisfaction in what they do that many other personality types can only dream of.