Writer's Block:
Hey everyone! I’m Michael, and I’ve read the code of conduct. I’m 21 and I’ve been writing here for ages. Henry is a primary character, and in addition to him, I also play: Minerva McGonagall, Paetyn Harper, Corby Gent, Mathieu Vaillancourt, Elijah Grimlish - as well as three secondaries: Jacqueline Lumpkin, Maxen Whitman, and Charlie Robards.
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Character's Full Name: Henry Rudolph MacLeod
Character's Birthday and Age: March 21, 1937 – 72 years of age
City/Country of Birth: Dumfries, Scotland
Blood Purity: Mixed-blood. (1/4 goblin, 3/4 halfblood)
Alma Mater: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Gryffindor House
Job/Position: Professor of Arithmancy
Wand: Henry finds little use for a wand nowadays, finding that in his golden years things are simply more enjoyable doing them the non-magical way. Though when needed, his wand is of seven inches, made from the finest cherry with the core of dragon heartstring (a Chinese Fireball, to be precise).
Physical Description: Due to his goblin ancestry, Henry has an extremely short stature, standing at a stout 3 foot 6 inches. Other than his height and slightly elongated fingers and toes, however, MacLeod has a decidedly human appearance. He has long, flyaway gray hair, swept back and left flowing down his back. His receding hairline draws emphasis to an already large forehead. He has bushy brows and steely gray eyes. A large bulbous nose sits atop a lengthy mustache, as bushy as his brows, that flows seamlessly into a scraggly beard, unkempt and long enough to tuck into his belt.
Henry wears earthy colors, and has a rather small wardrobe (ever tried shopping for a pint-sized individual? Not fun). He has a bit of a gut (probably from all the ale) and a twinkle in his eye. He speaks with a thick Scottish accent, and at times mumbles in gobbledegook.
Personality Description: Henry enjoys all the simple things in life: a nice pipe of fine tobacco, a glass of fine ale, a sturdy home, and a sense of worth. A friendly chap, Henry never minds starting up a chat with anyone, and despite his rather unkempt manner, is an intelligent individual. With a strong sense of loyalty and friendship, Henry understands how important being honest and reliable is. Henry enjoys working with his hands, and has a strong affinity for herbology, animal husbandry, and of course - arithmancy.
MacLeod has little use for pomp and circumstance; he’s gruff and straightforward. Though some might claim he’s rude, Henry simply feels that everyone deserves the honest truth, no matter the consequences. He has a strong sense of humor and enjoys a good laugh. He’s fluent in gobbledegook (language of the goblins) as well as English.
History:
A stout baby, they all said. Certainly healthy, with chubby cheeks and a set of full lungs on him, they said. Little Henry was born into his mum’s family home, in the rural outskirts of Dumfries, Scotland. He was a stumpy little child, and excessively hairy. He ran and played like any child of his age – out and about in the wilderness as early as his little legs would carry him and returning only when the last wisps of sunlight had been leeched from the sky above.
When Henry was old enough to attend school, he realized that he was different from the other boys and girls. For one, he didn’t have a papa at home, and for another… he was really short. It was the start of a life full of teasing – which only helped Henry to grow thick skin, though one could argue that with goblin blood, he’d been born with thick skin. Muggle children, more so than those of magical heritage, can be particularly cruel in their teasing. Perhaps magical children are just used to anomalies, or perhaps anomalies aren’t really anomalies to magical folk.
He knew of magic, with a retired cursebreaker for a mother and though everyone told him not to worry – that he’d grow out of it – his mum never gave him such false hope. “People can be terrible,” she’d say, and “Just hold your head high, Henry,” It never provided much comfort for the little boy. When his Hogwarts letter finally came, Henry couldn’t have been more excited.
His mum sat him down and told him the entire story. His father had been half-goblin, a worker alongside her during her career as a cursebreaker for the goblins at Gringott’s. They’d loved each other dearly, but when word got out that she was pregnant, he was given an ultimatum: his family or his career. He chose the latter. The revelation meant little to Henry, for what does it matter who’s one father is when one has the opportunity to study magic at the most prestigious school in all of Europe?
He had a gaggle of friends, the first time in his life, at Hogwarts. He wasn’t exceedingly smart, but managed to make passing marks in all his classes, at least. Upon his third year at Hogwarts he took Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures for electives. He’d finally found his niche. Perhaps it was the goblin ancestry, but Henry was extremely talented at Arithmancy. He achieved top marks in the class, and even managed an ‘O’ for both his OWL’s and NEWT’s.
Upon graduation, Henry ventured into the world looking for work. He quickly found that the adults in the world weren’t nearly as accepting as the children. No one wanted to hire him, even with his exceptional marks from Hogwarts. He took odd end jobs – handling a wealthy man’s stable and busting tables for local cafes. When he’d had enough of that, he ventured toward Gringotts, thinking that he’d have solace at least there, where he wouldn’t have to look into everyone’s nostrils just to say hello.
He was wrong.
Though they conceded to giving Henry a job within the accounting department of Gringotts, they weren’t very happy about it. For the next fifteen years Henry endured taunts and slurs and verbal abuse from the full-blooded goblins of the bank. By the time Voldemort started gaining power, Henry was ready to leave – and so he did.
Without warning, in 1972, Henry fled in the dark of the night. If one thing was certain, half-breeds weren’t welcome in any circle, and he didn’t care to join the Dark Lord in any case. He travelled to the darkest recesses of Egypt, learning his mother’s trade: curse breaking. By the time Voldemort had fallen the first time, Henry was truly happy for the first time since Hogwarts. He enjoyed the challenge that curse breaking offered, and stayed there until Voldemort rose again.
During the Second War, Henry travelled to and fro. He never stayed in one place for long – because though he wasn’t a huge player in any nefarious plots, his curse breaking skill had earned him a name for himself and he’d heard that if Voldemort wanted you and you didn’t want to be got, you got dead. And Henry didn’t fancy either choice – so he ran.
When Voldemort had fallen at the hands of Harry Potter, Henry finally thought it was time to retire. He bought a cottage in the mountains of Hogsmeade and settled down. That is… until the spot of Arithmancy professor opened at Hogwarts. He’d never been good at sitting idly, and so applied for the job.
Job Description: As professor of Arithmancy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is Henry’s job to teach the students interested in the art of arithmancy of all its innermost secrets. With a combination of lecture and practical instruction, it’s Professor MacLeod’s job to ensure that his students can successfully pass their OWL and NEWT examinations. Beyond simple instruction, it’s within any professor’s duty at Hogwarts to ensure that the rules and disciplines of the castle are upheld.
What expertise makes your character qualified for their position?: Henry spent time both as an accountant for Gringotts bank and a curse breaker, both require quite a bit of arithmancy. He achieved Outstanding scores on both his OWL and NEWT examinations while at Hogwarts.
Provide a short summary of your character: Henry’s a gruff individual with a heart of gold. He enjoys the finer things in life and loves children – though he never married or had any of his own. His bright eyes show intelligence hidden beneath the lids. He enjoys a pipe and he enjoys teaching. He’s friendly and rather energetic. Though he’s shorter than all but the house-elves, he can still command a room and keep it in order.
Henry MacLeod : Head Arithmancer, Office of the Minister for Magic