Physical Description:

Balfour Spectre is wily in his handsomeness- why, with ears that stick out and an impish boy’s toothy grin, it is obvious that he had once been a sweet but awkward wee boy. A phase he has since outgrown with startling capacity.

At 6'3'' there is little he hasn't yet outgrown.

In the dark of winter and its eternally present cloud cover, Balfour's cherubic red curls darken to a burnt mahogany.  In warmer months they are bleached by the sun; a rusty blonde. While not an especially vain man, Balfour is not above dying his hair for aesthetic reasons. When he fancies it he also sports a well-groomed goatee. His right shoulder blade is marked by a medium sized tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail. It sometimes moves across his back, wings flexing and nostrils smoking.

Spectre's wardrobe is tasteful but split between extremes. Opening one door reveals stacks of practical, tattered clothes that have been well used in the line of dragon taming or beast handling. His other door divulges crisply ironed shirts, tailored vests and sleek dress robes.

His body language is fluid and light-footed without the intention of either. He has many scars though none on his face; they are most notably from dragons or other beasts. Balfour was born with airy graces and with the mannerisms of a trickster, although his open personality dispels sinister inferences.

Personality Description:

A difficult man to hate.

Balfour's undemanding and spirited character makes him exceedingly easy to like. He is forward without being rude, understanding without being passive and charming with only the slightest trace of pretentiousness. His upbeat personality fuels a diligent work ethic and disguises an acerbic, perceptive sense of humour.

Naturally, Balfour enjoys the company of creatures but does not restrict himself to those of an intensely magical nature. He keeps the company of three cats (that are more than meets the eye), several newts, an eagle owl and a single black German Shepherd named Whiskey. Sometimes he has the pleasure of dog-sitting Ira Almasy's pair of white huskies. Above all, he treasures the companionship of his partner - Johann Storm.

In social situations Balfour is quick to refill drinks, recall anecdotes and listen to politics but he hardly garners the lion's share of attention. Many of his opinions do not leave his mind, much less his lips- except perhaps to the close friend or his lover. He worries a great deal, internally, and tries very hard to leave that negativity in a place where it cannot effect those around him. Even so all preoccupations require a release: an anonymous letter to the Daily Prophet, a complaint written in blank hand.

More recently he has focussed his energies on a side project- The Haunting Hour, a late night show on the Wireless that airs weekly and discusses whichever concerns Balfour finds lacking exposure in the Ministry or the wizarding media. He takes on the smooth but biting persona of an anonymous radio host- a persona whose characteristics are part fiction, part truth.

History:

Balfour Siobhan Alexander Spectre is the illegitimate son of pureblood William Spectre and his American mistress, one Mrs Eleanor Cradle. He is also William's youngest and only pureblood child as the other Spectre siblings are halfbloods, on account of their muggleborn mother: Katrine née MacFusty Spectre. He has never met his biological mother- she left soon after his birth.

CHILDHOOD

In a family of three older step-siblings, Balfour was always eager to please. He had been entrusted with the knowledge of his origins from a young age and was especially self-conscious of it for all of three or four months. The other Spectre children did not much care if their baby brother was illegitimate, pureblood, mudblood, goblin-blooded or even a house elf. He had their father's cheeky smile- their mother's good favour. That was family and family was good enough. It was a lovely childhood.

HOGWARTS (1986 - 1993)

To the discontent - but not surprise -of his parents, wee Balfour was sorted into the house of Slytherin. He did not fit in and yet he was not offensive enough a presence to merit the dislike of his fellow housemates. It was a curious dynamic that would take years to reach an equilibrium; only in his fourth year at Hogwarts did the youngest Spectre earn any measure of popularity.

And it came in the form of the Care of Magical Creatures.

Here was a young Slytherin with great capacity for the subject- not simply in theory. He wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves or get right down to meeting the introduced animals; most importantly he extended a feeling of great respect to the creatures.  This was rare in youths and even rarer in his house. A darling-faced boy with a flair for beasts? Balfour enjoyed some favouritism from his female classmates as a result of his talents. Popularity wasn't what spurned him to continue. The Spectres were among the handful of families whose members frequently cared for Hippogriffs in their breeding and welfare. They have also been known in the past to handle Dragons, as the MacFusty clan does, although not many Spectres go into such work today. After taking his O.W.L.S, it was all Balfour could think to do with life. 

In his final years at Hogwarts, the wizarding world was growing shaky. Harry Potter's presence at the school was destabilising though not yet alarming. When Balfour graduated, the Boy Who Lived had only just discovered the Chamber of Secrets hiding beneath their beloved castle and the second Wizarding War loomed vaguely in their distant future.

With four N.E.W.T.s under his belt (Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Potions, Herbology), the youngest Spectre was well on his way to New Zealand for training.

ADULTHOOD

The Antipodean Opaleye is not a terribly aggressive beast and as far as first experiences with Dragons go, it isn't a bad choice. Balfour spent the first four years of his 'education' by travelling between New Zealand and Australia. He handled, tracked and studied this particular breed of Dragon while being mentored by more adept operatives of the profession.

In the following years - between 1996 and 2006 - Balfour travelled to various other countries. Peru, Romania and Sweden, notably. He initially travelled as an apprentice or handler; in the early 2000s this reputation took off to higher waters. Even during the Wizarding War much of his time was spent abroad and he had not the pleasure of being urged home by the Order's recruiters, such as Charlie Weasley. This would later come to be interpreted as cowardice. His lack of political participation and action during a time of need is something that Balfour deeply regrets.

By the end of the war the wizard had become a learned, experienced man whose advice was valuable and whose presence reassured other Dragon handlers. It was not a status that Spectre had anticipated. Still, he ran with it.

He ran far enough, coming full circle to the United Kingdom in 2006. This time Balfour was not at home in the Highlands but in Wales, where he began to work as part of the Dragon Research & Restraint Bureau. He favoured fieldwork, rarely visiting the Ministry in London.

PRESENT

In January of 2010, Balfour Spectre suffered an injury from an expecting Hungarian Horntail (named Nidhug) whom he had the pleasure of handling. He suffered mild burns on the right side of his body and a gash to his chest. The injuries were not critical though they prompted a duration at St. Mungo's- as well as a report to the Department Head.

A timely incident. The Head of the Beast Division had recently been obligated to step down for personal reasons (that is, the Department Head personally did not like him) and here was an ideal candidate for the position, laying in a hospital bed scribbling down observations on injuries sustained by Highland dragons. Balfour had been hesitant to accept - he enjoyed his fieldwork - but he had been living an adventurous lifestyle for many years now. He wanted time to write, to perhaps even affect policy and change those things that can't be handled in the great outdoors.

Couldn't hurt, could it? Not any worse than a dragon's bite.

Describe your job duties and how you go about them:

As Head of the Beast Division (Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures) Balfour is responsible for the administration and projects of those offices working underneath him. This includes those members of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau as well as the Centaurs.

His typical day begins by reading, discussing and eventually approving (or terminating) proposals submitted by the respective offices. Approved proposals will eventually be taken to the Head of the Department, with whom Balfour holds a weekly consultation alongside the Heads of other divisions.

While his mornings are typically flooded by stacks of paperwork, Balfour's afternoons are occupied out of office. One may find him apparating across the country to personally inspect ongoing projects of significant importance. Naturally, he cannot spend as much time in the field - or make as thorough an inspection - as he would like.

Regardless of where he is working, Spectre is usually in the company of the division's designated Magizoologist. He is diligent in remedying gaps of knowledge and supplementing his own understanding of beasts. He retires each day in a timely manner.

Balfour's second job is as the anonymous radio host of The Haunting Hour, a Wireless show that airs late at night every week. The programme does not have a fixed time slot but can be caught between the hours of two and four in the morning- it runs for one or two hours. Balfour begins The Haunting Hour by bringing up news items from the week and speculating on their origins, intent and circumstances. His tone is smooth and playful but his purpose biting; he is critical of the Ministry as well as of the printed media.

During the programme Balfour will occasionally take calls from listeners. This is done on their part by addressing the Wireless device (for newer models) or by using a telephone (landline only). He also mentions that Howlers are accepted but has not disclosed an address for such correspondence. The show broadcasts from the basement floor of his apartment building in London.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field:

During his time in the bureau as well as his fourteen years abroad, Balfour has inevitably encountered experiences with other creatures. He has published several articles in Magizoology journals- primarily on Dragons but also several on his observations of various beasts both across the world as well as specifically in the United Kingdom.

Balfour initially travelled alone in his training. In the ten years prior to his current appointment, he frequently took the leading position in most projects and missions. His reputation as a leader is not a strict one. Many have praised his comforting manner, and want nothing more than to please the amicable wizard. This pleasant dynamic keeps up unless Balfour's golden rule is broken- the rule is that he requires complete seriousness on the field.

As a radio host he has much less experience. His knowledge on the operation of magical broadcasting equipment comes primarily from his older cousin, who has worked on the Wireless shows for over forty years now. Balfour experienced technical hiccups when he first started The Haunting Hour - or a version of it - while still in Wales, November 2009.  He is now more familiar with technical procedure but may sometimes be heard struggling with the equipment.

Summary:

Balfour Spectre is a wizard who, in his mid-thirties, has seen a good deal of the world- and even more dragons. He is the recently appointed Head of the Beast Division at the Ministry. If business carries one past the department, you will find him to be an approachable and genuinely likeable person. Balfour also anonymously hosts a weekly radio show called The Haunting Hour, featuring a charmingly meandering programme that is also critical of the Ministry. He's a busy man but always has time to stop by for a friendly chat.

How did they learn or hone this ability?:

Balfour initially began his study of Animagi through his father, who informed him at a young age that his biological mother (an American witch) had been an animagus. During his third and fourth years at Hogwarts, this study was done through the seeking of literature as well as many letters between the two wizards. It was only in his fifth year that Balfour was directed to a family friend for instruction - an old Italian gentleman, Andrea Bisignani, later to be known as one of his biological grandfathers.

The two exchanged correspondences over the years but Balfour never progressed further than a Beginner's level until he graduated from Hogwarts. At this point he was free to pursue both his training as a Dragon Keeper as well as his interest animagi. He attained the actual ability to transform at 19 years old and continued to practice throughout his time working abroad.

Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:

In spite of the focus on Dragonology, Balfour has had extensive experience with other beasts in his travels. He utilized his ability as an animagus to roam territories or large conservatories he has visited across the world. As he is unregistered the ability has not come into great use since returning to the UK in 2006. Balfour is mistrustful of the Ministry of Magic - as he is skeptical of most politics - and accordingly believes that his animagus status is "none of their business." A paranoid part of him believes that it will come into some use in the future.

Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability:

Balfour's animagus form is that of a large wolf with a thick, russet coat. He is an alarming, aggressive figure and would find it difficult to hide in an urban setting.

While this transformation from man to wolf had been difficult - painful - in earlier years, it is now natural. Balfour has transformed many times during his travels. He often falls to all fours in the process, anticipating the instinct of the animal. The transformation occurs quickly and can be performed without his wand. The longest he has stayed in this condition was for a month, seven years ago when wandering in a desolate, boreal region of a Russian forest.

Career Change (Effective from 25th January 2012)

Character Name: Balfour Spectre
Character Biography: LINK
Previous Job/Position: Head of Beasts Division
Position Applying For: Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Why have you chosen to change careers?:
In the wake of Alec Carter's death and having to temporarily stand in for him on the 10th of January, Balfour has made the decision (encouraged by his fiancé) to apply for department head. He believes that he can make a change for the better in this position, where he can affect policy on a more significant stage and across several divisions instead of just the one.

Elaborate on your expertise in this new field:
From conducting beast handling missions to heading the Beasts Division, Balfour has consistently moved from one point of leadership to the next throughout his career. He is on good terms with his fellow division heads, and even in his current position he has had time as well as energy to spare. Balfour has yet to hit forty but he works hard, has the right connections, and is more than capable. He has always made an effort to become familiar with the workings of other divisions and, in terms of political leanings, has kept his cards close to his chest.

Describe your new job and how you go about doing it:
Balfour leads the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He begins his day by answering messages and memos from all divisions, reviewing their reports and approving/denying various proposals (all of which first have to be approved by the division heads before he reads them). As a hands-on head, he intends to spend afternoons in the field, observing high-priority missions in an attempt to stay current with the department's affairs. It is very likely that Balfour will work overtime, as he prefers to leave the office and its paperwork in some kind of working order before starting all over again the next day. As head, he will hold intra-departmental meetings and will also attend inter-departmental meetings, in addition to scheduling one-on-one appointments with the Minister of Magic.