Accepted! -- Sparky

Your Nickname: Ames!
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If Yes, list them all:
Gabrielle Murray
Adelia Delacroix
Malcolm Blake
Rufus Delacroix
Moaning Myrtle (Secondary)
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary.

Full Character Name: Maurice Rutherford Holmes.
Character Birthday & Age: October 1, 1966.
City & Country of Birth: Northumberland, United Kingdom.
Blood Purity: Halfblood; a great-grandparent muggle on mother's side.
Alma Mater: Hogwarts; Slytherin House.
Job/Position: Private Liaison & General Assistant to the Minister.

Wand: 12" Hawthorn, Phoenix Feather.

Physical Description:
Maurice stands at 6'2" (190cm) with a slightly fading ginger (sometimes it can appear blonde) hairline but contributes that to the work he's been in for the past twenty years.  His blue eyes are particularly striking, especially if one strikes against Maurice in a bad manner. True, it's been noted that he wears glasses occasionally but Maurice will shrug it off by saying that the quill writing of these last Ministry bunches are rather hard to read. Maurice also has the habit of saying he's losing weight when he is and is not - after all, pastries are a sweet tooth's guilty pleasure. There are some scars on his body from the wear and tear of dueling otherwise; Maurice is faring rather well for a forty three year old man.

It would be amiss to not mention that because of his aesthetic lifestyle, Maurice dresses in very dressy wizarding robes and three piece business suits underneath them. The three piece suits also are utilized if he has to leave the UK for global affair business. Even within his own home, Maurice wears comfortable clothing because after all, he does feel comfortable in looking presentable should company be invited or invites itself.

Personality Description:
Maurice's personality has often been described as stone cold and uncaring, but having spent a spell inside the Auror Department straight out of Hogwarts (which he soon left six months later but still appreciates the lessons and dueling he learned) and majority of it inside the various parts within the Department of Mysteries. It is then, no wonder that others feel uneasy towards him within the Ministry as well as the outside the business setting when he is nearby. Maurice is sneaky and conniving with a silver tongue that can make the worst things appear to have a gilt-edge; he is particularly good at manipulation, even if it’s to benefit as well as having an ambitious spirit that’s been his sidekick since his school days.

These beneath the surface negative traits are also play well into his positive ones as they have helped Maurice when he applied vigorously for his position inside the Minister of Magic’s department. Maurice’s ambitious nature combined with a desire to help deal justice accordingly clearly showed the man had a taste for government and politics all along (it contributes to the fact his father worked in politics when he was in the Ministry). Aside from these details, Maurice has a strong sense of aesthetics in his life and it shows when he arrives to work because he believes one should always look their very best even if not to impress. After all, beauty is to be seen on the outside as well as the inside, right?

History:

Childhood

Born into a life of a distant aristocratic family on his mother’s side, Maurice was the younger of the two Holmes boys. His older brother, Reginald, was already five by the time Maurice was born and so the sibling rivalry was minimal when they were growing up. Maurice’s own childhood had its ups and down moments, but it was for the most part enjoyable. There were family trips around Europe on a fairly consistent basis (mainly due to his father being one of the International Liaisons for the Ministry), which gave Maurice a taste of the countless cultures around the world at a very young age. He found he loved London (even as it was within the same country), Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, New York City, and Prague for their individual contributions to the modern world and still to this day, they are still Maurice’s six go-to locations when he needs a recharge.

The aptitude that Maurice had the knack for magic was evident by the time it came for Reginald to head off for Hogwarts. Maurice was climbing one of the trees in the backyard of their home in Northern England (as a slight dare to see how far up Maurice would go) when he slipped and fell. Much like Neville Longbottom in later years, he bounced squarely on his bum before falling backwards, laughing uproariously with his brother. Needless to say, his parents were quite displeased by their boys but ended up only scolding them harshly for it. While Reginald was away at school, Maurice continued on through private schools, spending the holidays with Reginald and his family. Yet, it seemed the brothers were headed for a fork in the road by the time Reg was heading into fifth year – he was going into puberty and everything a young man will endure at that age. So, that meant when Reginald brought friends from Hogwarts over, Maurice was no longer invited in and that began a small resentment against his brother up until he arrived at Hogwarts himself.

Hogwarts

With his own arrival to Hogwarts and sorting into Slytherin, Maurice found individuals within and outside of his house that shared many of the same things he believed in as well as liked. A few of these people eventually were the ones he graduated with and headed into the Ministry with, including Gabrielle Murray, Zora Roh, Francis Pepper, and the current Minister herself, Persepolis Zephyr. He was typically studious, excelling well in Potions, Charms and History of Magic while fairly decent in Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies. Post graduating, Maurice took a month to travel around the world with a part of the small lumped sum that his maternal grandparents had given to him. Eventually, it was clear he had to settle down and begin the journey into adulthood.

Adulthood

What ever went through the young man’s mind at that time to become an Auror is still something Maurice would question today, but Maurice DID attempt the process. It proved the numerous hours, the constant backaches and various other details he remembers from that time were too much for him. He was soon leaving the Auror Corps and exchanging the famed scarlet robes he could have worn for the cryptic beings that lurked on Level Nine. Reginald was leaving the department for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad and said he’d leave a good word for his baby brother inside the Time Travel Investigation & Regulation Bureau.

Upon arriving in that particular department, Maurice settled in well after a few months, soon finding the mysteries of time something that was both powerfully astounding as well as powerfully dangerous. He learned this first hand when he was in the department when Hermione Granger was given a Time Turner in addition to when the battle inside the DoM occurred.  In regards to the destruction of the Time Turners, this presented Maurice with an opportunity to change hands and offer his best chance at becoming an apprentice Time Turner. Maurice learned the craft as best he could from his master time crafter but soon went back to Bureau when it was plainly evident the man wasn’t cut out for the job.

Of course, times change and with the removal of Annwyl as Minister and in his place, Persepolis, Maurice saw an opportunity to advance his ranks and so, he applied for the Minister’s department for one of the liaison positions. Maurice kept an eye on the political climate within the Ministry throughout his tenure in the DoM by recalling how Josiah, their father, had worked in foreign affairs and because of this, had brought an interest in politics to both of the boys in their teenage years.  Maurice felt rather confident that with Josiah’s political upbringing, along with the desire to finally have a chance at politics now that he was older. With this in mind as well knowing he had supporters who could help usher him in, Maurice applied for the position and hoped for the best. After a few tedious weeks and interviews, Maurice was offered a position inside the Minister’s department and he took it.


Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
Essentially Maurice’s job will have him constantly on his feet and more than likely in and out of the Minister’s department on a daily basis, traveling to the various locations that Zephyr will need him. Whether this means going overseas on diplomatic terms or interacting with the various other departments to ensure everything is going well, Maurice will be on the trail, blazing a path to keep Zephyr’s image clean as possible. He understands the fundamentals of politics and knows fully well that with being in this position, Maurice has to keep Zephyr looking good even if others don’t perceive her this way.


Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Maurice really has never had experience with being a liaison, much less worked with the Minister’s office so close due to being inside the Department of Mysteries for so long. Be it as may, Maurice has firsthand knowledge in keeping quiet on matters by stonewalling himself from others finding out as well as displaying an adaptable attitude when busy with his occupations. When he was within the DoM, Maurice kept on top of what the political atmosphere in not only his office, but inside the entire ministry. He learned early from this how people react to legislature, trials (and tribulations), conflict/ resolution, and even how a Minister will react to the situations given to them. Even as it’s true he never was a politician nor worked in a politician’s office until now, Maurice isn’t ignorant to how politics work and how individuals can use them for gaining or losing popularity.


Documents Transcript:
N.E.W.T. Scores, 1984:
Charms | E
Defense Against the Dark Arts | E
Herbology | A
History of Magic | E
Muggle Studies | E
Potions | O
Transfiguration | O

Auror Training: August 1984 – January 1985

Department of Mysteries: January 1985 – August 2009
   - Time Travel Investigation & Regulation Bureau: July 1985 – July 1999
   - Time-Turner Workshop: July 1999 – October 2002
   - Time Travel Investigation & Regulation Bureau: October 2009 – July 2009

Minister's Office, Private Liaison, Assistant to Minister: August 2009 – Present[/tt]

Writing Sample:
See any of my posts!

Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Maurice is an ambitious fellow with dreams as vast his mind will allow.
No, he doesn’t intend in running for Minister any time soon, but it’s not to be discounted yet.
As for the rest of his hopes and dreams, well, you don’t need to know about that, do you?
After all, caring is not an advantage, darlings. Not for this fellow.