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If you have written other characters here, list them all: Moira, Isaac, Claudia and Morrigan
Full Character Name: Arianna Marsh Wickwood
Character Birthday & Age: November 20, 1970 & 38
City & Country of Birth: Dover, England
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn?: Pureblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts - Ravenclaw
Job: Healer: Hogwarts Counselor
Wand:
Arianna has had two wands in her life. The first was purchased from Olivander’s just before she entered her first year of Hogwarts. It was eleven and a half inches long, made of apple wood, swishy with a spiraled shaft, and a Unicorn Tail core. The wand has severed her well over the years, reflecting her personality more then her chosen profession.
After she married her husband, Wilton, a Wandcrafter her second wand chose her. This wand reflects her work as a healer and is the one she uses in her professional work. It is ten and half inches long, springy and smooth, and made from Rosewood with a Phoenix Feather core.
Physical Description:
(Optional list)
Build/Body type:
Estimated Height/Weight: 168 cm / 55 kg
Hair color: Blond
Eye color: Green
Skin color: Pale
First Impression: Upon first impression most see Anna as a confident, caring witch who’s inner beauty matches the outer.
Any odd/outstanding features?: None
Personality Description:
Arianna (or Anna as those who are close to her call her) is loyal and kind person. Over the years she has been notoriously quick to trust others, something that had gotten her in trouble on occasion. For a time she attempted to avoid making connections that might lead to future pain, however she has since gone back to the way she was as a child.
Over the years, Anna has learned to remain unaffected by the moods of others. It was a tough lesson to learn on her part, but with the experience gained from dealing with more difficult patients she has learned to keep an even temper when working. However, when not working with a patient her temper can get the better of her when she is backed into a corner. In a moment of anger she will sometimes say or do the wrong thing and regret it later.
Anna will often keep things to herself when something is troubling her until she has had time to process it, often for fear her temper may get the better of her. She will try to avoid conversation about whatever it is she might be feeling, changing the subject.
History:
Arianna Marsh was born on a snowy November day at St. Mungo’s in London to Catherine Randall Marsh and Samuel Marsh in 1970. She was their first born child, and as Catherine was from a wealthy pureblood background, she was doted upon and had all the luxuries one could ask for growing up. Her mother was the only daughter born to Collin Randall and Alexandria Snark Randall. Her parent’s marriage was arranged, and Samuel barely passed approval as he was the first generation to ‘regain’ pureblood status as his Great-grandfather married a Muggleborn witch.
Growing up, Arianna was always close to her extended family, especially her Uncle Adam. Her was the youngest of her mother’s siblings and only eleven years her senior. During his breaks from school, he would often visit and choose to stay with Catherine and Samuel instead of returning to the family home in London. It was during one of these visits he gave her the nickname “Anna” which is what she has chosen to go by.
Adam was the one person who had the most influence over young Anna, perhaps because of the nearness in their ages. He was more like an older brother to Anna then an Uncle and they would spend hours discussing everything in their lives. Anna was the only family member he told of his friendship with his classmate, Vivienne McKenzie, who’s pureblooded family had very different views on purity then the Randalls’.
During the summer break before his sixth year she overheard an argument between her mother and uncle over blood purity and his choice of friends. Anna had often been confused by her parent’s view points on those who were either Muggleborn or Muggleborn supporters as her childhood friend was the daughter of a Muggleborn maid who worked for her family. She had never considered the other girl any different from herself and had a difficult time accepting her parents’ prejudices.
As she grew older she became increasingly aware of a growing rift between her uncle and the rest of her family. It came to a head in 1978 when her uncle wed Vivienne secretly to escape an arranged marriage to someone he did not love. Adam was disowned by the entire family, and for a time Anna thought she would never see him again.
In 1981 Anna entered her first year of Hogwarts and was sorted, much to her joy, into her Uncle’s house, Ravenclaw. She found a sense of freedom within the walls of Hogwarts, and it was there she took the first step towards reconnecting with Adam through a letter she owled to him. A plan was hatched between the two. Anna convinced her parents to allow her to stay at Hogwarts during breaks, but she would actually go to stay in London with Adam and Vivienne.
The holiday breaks were always Anna’s favorite time away from her studies. After the first fall of Voldemort, her parents became increasingly unkind to anyone not of pureblood. Anna’s resentment of them grew and she often found summers to be her least favorite time. There was no excuse to escape.
After sitting for her NEWTs Anna found the courage to tell her parents she had been going to stay with Adam and Vivienne as they no longer had any legal hold over her. Her mother became so enraged that Anna was thrown out of the house. While she tried to decide what to do from there, she went to live with Adam and Vivienne and their now four-year-old daughter, Moira.
A year later she began to train as a healer at St. Mungo’s. She had made the choice after visiting Vivienne’s aunt in Italy and shadowing her as she worked with patients in her own private practice. She found great joy in her work, one she had never known before. It kept her mind sharp and made use of her skills.
At the completion of her training in 1993 she became the assistant to a London based healer. It was around that time that a man by the name of Brice Haskins came looking for her at Adam and Vivienne’s home. He claimed they were betrothed and an owl followed his visit with a letter from her parents confirming that fact. At first she was completely against the idea, refusing to have anything to do with Brice. However, his charm eventually won her over and she began to consider the possibility.
Anna was convinced she could change Brice, to mellow his pureblood views and stop his philandering. She forgave him time and time again for infidelities and harsh criticisms of her beliefs. As the wedding drew closer in 1995, she began to realize he would never change and she would only find herself faced with a lifetime of unhappiness.
The night before the wedding she managed to have a private moment with Brice at their rehearsal dinner. Giving him back the engagement ring he had given her, she called off the wedding. Brice was furious, screaming verbal obscenities at her as she tried to leave. It was perhaps the most difficult decision she had made up until that point, leading her to believe it was the correct decision.
She remained in London for another four years, continuing with her job. During the time leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts she saw much of the affects of the violence. It would always remain with her and to this day sometimes haunts her memories.
In the winter of 1999, however, everything changed. On December 23rd she had been forced to work late when a routine case went wrong. After the patient was stabilized and moved to St. Mungo’s she began to gather her belongings to return home. She was in a bit of a rush as she had yet to finish preparing the presents she had bought for Moira’s fifteenth birthday. When she entered her boss’s office to bid him goodnight, he closed the door behind her asking her to sit. He asked told her that after all the years they had spent working together he was falling for her. Having never seen him as anything other then a professional acquaintance and mentor she was horrified and rejected his offer. In turn, he fired her.
Anna was distraught and returned home without a clue as to how to proceed. She knew her career in London was basically over and who knew what lies would circulate about her. Seeking guidance from Adam and Vivienne they encouraged her to try something new. She decided to spend some time traveling, and after the New Year she left for Norway to stay with friends of Adam’s from school.
It was there that she was introduced to Wilton Wickwood. Anna was slow to trust any man at first given the nature of her engagement and the way her boss behaved. However, their mutual friends seemed to think that they were perfectly matched and kept finding ways to bring them together. It didn’t take long for her defenses to weaken and the whirlwind of their courtship began.
When news of the courtship reached her parents, Brice once again tried to stake his legal claim over Anna despite the fact that their relationship was long over. Wilton and Anna married secretly in a small private ceremony in Germany ending anyone’s claim over her. Adam, Vivienne and Moira were the only family present for the ceremony.
The next seven years they spent much of their time traveling around Northern Europe, giving Anna a chance to study with some of the best healer’s in the world. During her travels she began to study psychology. She would often find herself often working in Wizarding orphanages giving her the chance to work with children of various ages. She also served as a guest teacher at St. Dymphna's Hospital in Salem’s Peak, giving her a chance to see Moira flourish in her own right as a healer.
Most recently they attempted to start a family, but have encountered difficulties. Upon returning to London the added stress of trying to readjust to having her family so close also began to drive a wedge between the couple. With each passing month they continued to grow farther apart until Anna finally moved out of the brownstone they had purchased to stay once more with Adam and Vivienne while she attempts to find her way once more.
What is your occupation? How do you go about it? How did you get your current occupation? How does your past and abilities justify your current skills?:
Anna began her training as a healer in 1989 as a Healer-in-Training at St. Mungos. She studied there until 1992 when her training was completed and went to work for a private healer in London. She leaned more during her employment there, which ended in 1999, than during her studies at St. Mungo’s. There was less competition to take on a case, and therefore she received more first hand experience.
In 2000 she took an extended sabbatical to allow her time to travel. After she married later that year, she continued to travel with her husband. She would find the local healer of whatever town they were in, furthering her studies. She also served as a guest teacher during this time for St. Dymphna's Hospital in Salem’s Peak.
Writing Sample:
Show your character in a scene that illustrates the best and worst aspects of their personality. Include action, dialog and thought.
It was late, and it had been an exhausting first day at St. Mungo's. Whoever had been in charge of the ground floor before her had left the files a mess and no one seemed to have done anything to improve the situation while a new head was sought. It was one of those days that the use of magic had been much needed.
Anna was almost certain Wilton had spent much of the day organizing the shop and was probably as tired of dust and paperwork as well. As she approached their brownstone just outside of Diagon Alley, she noticed a dim light from an upstairs window and a smile formed on her lips. It was candle light which meant her husband was waiting up for her.
Entering the house she was still trying think of as her home, she removed her coat and hung it on a coat tree just near the door. Wilton's cloak was hanging there, and she ran her fingers over the fine fabric for a moment. Hearing shuffling about above her head, she turned her attention back to the present and made her way up the stairs.
When Wilton had first mentioned returning to London she had been reluctant. Part of it was fear, she knew that. Fear was one of those emotions that tended to shorten her fuse, especially when it came to an increased possibility of running into her parents or the man she was once betrothed to. None of them had any claim over her at this point in her life, but not even that happened.
Reaching the bedroom, she noticed the door was cracked open and she could see the same candle light inside. Pushing the door open, she smiled as she said, "I'm sorry I'm so late, my darling. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Anna is a skilled and experienced healer. Her bedside manner has developed over the years, making her able to deal with even the most volatile of patients. Her temper at times can get the better of her, despite her great capacity to show others kindness. She can also be quick to trust, something that is both a blessing and a curse
Arianna Wickwood: Waitress at the Three Broomsticks