Physical Description

Like most Donovans, Shona is fair-skinned, with waves of rich, dark hair, a mouth that curls easily at the corners, and sharply defined features that make the family resemblance known with every tug of expression. At 5’8 she is rather tall, with generous curves softening a fit, muscular frame that she likes to dress in flattering jeans, knee-high boots, and striking shades of red. On an open field, she cuts a very quick, confident figure.

Up close, however, is a slightly different story; despite a brilliant grin that rarely falters, there is a watchfulness about her, an assessing gleam not so hidden by the friendly glitter of her eyes. Her movements are open and carefree, but with an undertone of deadly grace. Even her hugs belie a strength that is best not tempted.

Clothing-wise, Shona swings between ‘biker chic’ and something more comfortable. She likes tight tops and even tighter leather pants, but for both comfort and practicality will don looser (but no less flattering) shirts and jeans. Her boots are often knee-high, if not high-heeled. Her favorite colors are red and black, both of which make up a large part of her wardrobe, and as a result it is fairly easy to spot her in a crowd.

Personality

An exuberant mix of remarkable warmth, charm, and fearlessness, Shona is amazing. She is a queen. She is kind, and funny, and has a way of making you feel worthwhile even when she is laughing at you. Many find Shona easy to open up to, and all of this is true.

However, Shona is also nosy, observant, and – at times – uncomfortably direct. Her sense of humor, while hilarious, can be wicked and embarrassingly astute; in the right mood, she is merciless. A troll, even. A troll with creepy glowing eyes and too-white teeth that seem to follow you around the room. She might even tell you what your feelings smell like. For all she claims that she isn’t confrontational, this is deeply, profoundly, and blatantly untrue.

She is, maybe, a little bloodthirsty this way.

Still, Shona is a big sister, a teacher. A protector. While she thrives in groups and parties, Shona does best when she is looking after others—making sure they are happy, safe, and that their needs are met, and takes great personal satisfaction when they are. To this end, she endeavors to make herself available, and her spaces safe and comfortable; the Hideaway in particular is fashioned like a den and supplied with many cushions and soft throws. Her office, while frequented less, is furnished in warm woods and fiery, earthy colors. Both locations have hot cocoa, and as such are fairly accurate reflections of a very warm and giving personality.

That said, she is protective. She takes personal offense at people who insults, upsets or discomfits those she cares about—not because she thinks they can’t defend themselves, but that they shouldn’t have to. Serious offenders should watch their step, lest they find themselves on the wrong end of her smiles… or claws.

Prior to 1997, Shona had a remarkably comfortable life with a bright future. On a crisp, rainy Halloween, she was born to happy, wealthy parents Raul and Talia Donovan—the second in a long line of six, and regardless of birth order established herself leader of the lot. When she began at Ledesma, her parents’ and grandparents’ alma mater, she brought those leadership skills with her, marking the beginning of a successful academic career.

Magnetic in both looks and personality, she was extremely popular and well-respected (if not well-liked), until her name had nearly as much clout among staff and classmates as her family’s. By junior year she had snagged herself captaincy of the school’s Quidditch team and indisputably brought nearly all her peers to heel. Despite her young age, Shona had already taken up her family’s tradition of wildlife conservation and philanthropy.

Not all, however, was smooth sailing; in 1985, her parents separated. Talia, then an ambassador, took all but her eldest children with her to the United States; about to begin school, Shona had to watch her family splinter and leave her behind. She quickly grew immersed in her friends and studies, but never forgot her siblings. Of them all, she was closest to her youngest brother, Rick, and worried about him the most. Unlike the rest of them he was quiet and introverted, and even more sensitive than their sister Cecily. She knew the move would be hardest on him. Talia’s and Raul’s eventual reconciliation couldn’t happen soon enough.

After graduating with near perfect grades, she did post-grad work perfecting her Mermish and studying merpeople colonies in the Pacific, and went on to study the ocean’s local sea serpents, such as the Marianas Trenchfang.


Then, rumors of Colin and Rick traveled overseas. Uneasy, Shona took a break from work to return home—and was horrified to find her fears so quickly justified.

After forcing a confession out of their wayward cousin, she tracked Rick down and together they held their own until help arrived. But in the ensuing melee, both were bitten. To protect her baby brother, Shona concealed his identity and registered her new status. Ever supportive, their family obtained a mentor to train them.

The ensuing year was difficult, but more so for Rick than it was for her; already a wolf at heart (and an Animagus, no less), Shona flourished, progressing by leaps and bounds. Rick, however, did not, and so once he finished school she took a leave of absence from work to travel the world, taking him with her.

Eventually she returned to work. But it was no longer enough; inspired by Rick, she began taking a more active interest in other werewolves and sponsoring those who needed it, registering as a mentor with those who had such programs. Drawn by the UK population’s highly polarized (and generally negative) situation, she moved to England in 2009, after the Ides of March, before realizing she could do much more by working with the younger generation instead.

In December 2010, Zel and Emeline Trumble officially joined the pack.

Career

Teaching at Hogwarts
• Experience:  18 years as a Magizoologist, with a specialization in marine magizoology.


As Hogwarts’ professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Shona’s job is to teach her students how to care for magical creatures—how to identify, handle, and understand their basic behavior, as well as their history as a species and with humans. Once a week, every other week, there is a quiz, and a proper test at the end of the month.

An outdoorsy witch at heart, Shona prefers having lessons outdoors, where she has enough room to give her students real, breathing subjects even when the weather is crap. (Enchanted models are all well and good – and the classroom can be made to reflect real environments – but there are just some things you can’t imitate from life, like fresh air.) There are often lectures and non-participatory demonstrations, but more often than not students are actively encouraged to physically participate, for hands-on experience. Homework usually involves writing a lengthy but concise summary about the day’s lesson, demonstrating an understanding of what they’ve just learned, and making their own notes and questions about the subject of the next lesson, to use then.

Werewolf Mentorship
• Experience:  13 years of being a sane, successful werewolf.


As a mentor, it is up to Shona to guide those for whom she is directly responsible. She must teach them not only appropriate behavior, control, and self-control, but also history, philosophy, and healthy means of expression, and provide them a ready ear and – in the very least – emotional support. To this end, she checks up on everyone every week without fail, preferably by Floo or in person, and leaves them an emergency contact when she cannot be reached for whatever reason. Shona in particular prefers to spend time giving self-defense lessons, working out, and playing a dangerous form of Hide and Seek.

Werewolf, Animagus, and all-around badass, Shona is an exuberant thirty-something-year-old witch and sponsor of several werewolves. She currently teaches Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts.

WEREWOLF

Characteristics and abilities.

• • Heightened senses (notably smell and hearing), strength, reflexes, agility and speed (though much of this largely depends on personal fitness).
  • Improved healing factor and overall health. She doesn’t heal rapidly and can still get sick and scar, but she is definitely sturdier than the average human.
  • Night vision. Her eyes flash when hit directly by light (and may be easily blinded).
  • Retractable claws and fangs.
  • Increased vulnerability to various strains of wolfsbane.

Of her fellow werewolves, Shona is one of the most attuned to this side of herself. She feels her needs and instincts more keenly, and is happiest when surrounded by those she has close ties to, but she retains excellent self-control and transformation is considerably less painful for her than it is for others.

She can also understand normal wolves, to a certain extent, and gauge the health of other creatures.

Describe how this influences their life and what happens to them.

Every full moon, Shona turns into a sleek black wolf. She takes Wolfsbane Potion to keep her mind human, but it tastes like shit.

For the rest of the month she enjoys what perks the curse has given her. She uses her keen hearing to eavesdrop, prevent accidents, find students and detect lies; her sense of smell to identify and track down people, creatures, and substances; her strength, speed and stamina to keep up with magical creatures and other werewolves; and her night vision to work in the dark when she has to.

How did they become a creature?

August 22, 1997. The day Rick was kidnapped, Shona ran after him. She was bitten in the melee.


Status & Reputation

A law-abiding werewolf, Shona has never charged with a crime or been convicted of one. Instead she is a registered mentor, a werewolf responsible for the growth and guidance of other, less experienced werewolves, and the top-ranking werewolf of the Donovan Pack. The most criminal thing she has done as a werewolf is keep the identity of others werewolves a secret.

Though her most immediate concerns are centered around those she is directly responsible for, Shona is fairly well known among outside her immediate circle. If she isn’t liked, then she is usually at least respected for her competence, her work, and ability to be strong without being aggressive, stern or cruel. Her easy confidence invites trust without expectation, and the basic level of courtesy and acceptance she extends to others is sometimes even a marvel to those who aren’t.

But perhaps most important of all is that she cares, genuinely cares. She cares about her family. She cares about her friends. She cares not only for those she is responsible for or issues that directly impact them, but for people she isn’t and ones that do not. It’s a level of caring that respects boundaries, but stands fast even in the face of futility.

How did they learn or hone this ability?

At the start of year, Shona signed up for formal training with one of the several mentors available at school and trained over the summer.

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

Her ability does have an influence on her life, most notably in the way she relaxes. Inside – uncaring of shedding and lupine musk – Shona often uses this form to curl up and lounge about; with a human body, one has to account for sleeping limbs and pinched nerves, and clothes, and general disheveledness, whereas a wolf has considerably less concerns, thus making it easier to let all those worries fade away. So long as there is enough surface to lie on, just about anywhere is fine.

It is when she is outside that her ability’s influence really shows. Outside city walls, Shona is free – free to feel the wind on every hair, the rough, peaty ground beneath her feet, the sounds and smells to surround her and surrender herself to. Her problems become shrinking tracks in the dirt, stupid, invisible whispers left far behind—the bones of rabbits, blood on her teeth, the occasional wolf pack – animal or human – trespassing into her territory.

Of course, this form has its other uses as well. With these heightened senses, Shona makes for an excellent tracker and hunter. She uses them to track down creatures and plants when her human form doesn’t suffice. More importantly, full moon shifts are a lot less painful for her than they are for other werewolves.

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

Like she does every full moon, Shona turns into a large black wolf, albeit one sleeker and narrower in frame. As a master she retains full control over her instincts, intelligence, and understanding of human speech. Any aggression she displays is under her own cognizance, provoked or otherwise, despite the alarming figure she presents.

Prior to her mastery, transformation was painful. There were terrible pains and nausea; it took time to gather her bearings. However, these have not been problems for quite some time, and she focuses her attention onto other things instead, such as making the transition as smooth as possible. The change comes naturally to her now—more so, perhaps, that it has become as natural as a reflex for her. In this form she is fast, strong, and agile, with considerable stamina and extremely sensitive senses of smell and hearing augmented even further by her lycanthropy.

Due to practice both habitual and forced, she is capable of holding her form for weeks upon weeks on end.

Experience/Qualifications

One (1) year of mentoring her younger brother, thirteen (13) years of being a sane, successful, law-abiding werewolf overall.

After she and Rick completed their training, Shona took an official leave of absence to help her brother further. In that time, they traveled extensively, giving him the space he needed to put between Cartagena and himself, as well as the time he needed to really come to terms with what had happened to them. She was understanding when he needed it, and tough when she had to be. Shona helped him move on.

Now, she helps others. At present she is currently mentoring several young men and women, whom she sees every Sunday and checks in on throughout the week.

What do you think the most important aspect of this job is?

Self-worth and self-control. In the eyes of the law, one is less important than the other, but without it, the other is pointless. Both are equally important and integral to each other, and as a mentor it is up to Shona to help other werewolves not only succeed at being werewolves, but realize they deserve better—lead happy, functional lives.

Methods

Instead of formal circles and sessions, Shona prefers to hold meetings in a more casual – or comfortable – setting. Occasionally she will send them on errands, or have them undertake longer-term projects.

Every month she sends in reports before and after the full moon.