Your Nickname: Paolo
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
Are you over thirteen? Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? RPG Directory
If you have written other characters here: No
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Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Paolo Rossi
Character Birthday & Age: November 23rd 1992, 17
City & Country of Birth: London/England
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Halfblood
House & Year: Gryffindor - 6th

Wand: Yew, Chimera Scale, Inflexible, 7 and 3/4 inches

A wand that has had dark beginnings but has long since redeemed itself with a string of good deeds performed in the hands of its new masters.

It was passed down to Paolo after his father’s death; he in turn was given it by his father.  As the story goes it was once owned by a dark wizard of considerable power, it was taken by Paolo's grandfather who was part of the hit wizard squad sent to kill him.  Being the lone survivor of that particular mission the wand was salvaged both as a memento and because of its aesthetically pleasing qualities.  It was only a year or so after the event that Paolo’s grandfather began using it in place of his own wand.

It is the only treasure that the family really owns thus is a point of pride for Paolo that has been entrusted with its care.  Though he is still far too young to be able to unlock its true potential, he is expected to achieve great things upon his graduation, providing of course he keeps his grades high, his nose clean and his eyes off the girls.


Physical Description:
Paolo comes from good stock and is tall for his age, standing at around six foot and two inches.  In terms of build he is rather unspectacular, neither stocky and strong nor slender and frail but somewhere in between like most healthy boys his age.  He weighs around 10 stone and fluctuates between 10-11 depending on the time of year, everyone puts on a few extra pounds over the winter months after all.  Paolo enjoys sports of all kinds, magical and non-magical.  He is a very gifted football player and also enjoys the British game of snooker, his passion however is duelling.  Due to his active and outgoing nature he has a very low body fat percentage and has been blessed with a fast metabolism, something which makes him the envy of his older sister.

Paolo owes his olive complexion to his Italian descent and he does look like your typical Southern European.  He is constantly told by his mother and grandparents that he is the mirror image of his father, something which comforts him whenever he finds himself dwelling on past troubles.  From his mother’s side of the family he has inherited a rather big and bony nose, something that has been made worse by a break suffered during a rather robust footballing challenge in his 3rd year at school.  His eyes are unspectacular and are the typical dark brown one might expect to see in a man with Sicilian roots.  If his body ever needed to be identified for some macabre reason one would be aided by a rather curious birthmark that he has on the left side of his hand, at the base of his right thumb in the shape of a smiling face.  In truth this is not a birthmark at all but a burn he suffered from a young age playing with his mother’s cigarette lighter.

When it comes to fashion Paolo has expensive tastes that are very out of proportion with his family’s financial situation.  He is, therefore, one of those characters who spend what little wealth he earns on clothes and accessories only to bemoan his choices when he realizes he has no money left for essentials.  Still, there are worse things that a young boy could be intrigued with than clothes and sunglasses so his mother does not berate him as much as she probably should.


Personality Description:
Paolo is a very gifted young man when it comes to practicing magic and most of his professors have very high hopes for him when it comes to sitting his N.E.W.T’s.  The problem lies in his somewhat whimsical nature and his love for sports.  Teachers never know what version of Paolo they are going to get when it comes to lessons, on Monday he might be the best student in the class, answering questions with complex and clearly well thought out answers then on Tuesday he might spend the lesson staring out the window or carving “I <3 <insert girls name>” into the desk.  He really can be a frustrating person to teach but his brief and sporadic moments of brilliance more often than not keep him on his professors “good sides”.

As stated previously he is a bit of a jock that enjoys playing football and snooker when in the muggle world and duelling during the school year.  His passion for duelling is something of a family trade, coming from a long line of hit wizards and aurors he has always been around duelling, both as a sport and as a form of defence.  Paolo is good at duelling because of his strong, competitive nature.  This serves him well however he does often tend to get lost within the moment and in these instances will usually give everything it takes to win; “win at all costs” is a motto that he lives by.

He is an awful loser both sportingly and academically who does not respond well to criticism.  Though Paolo would not admit it, he is the sort of person who needs to be loved and admired.  To get the best out of him, he needs an arm around his shoulder and to be told how good he is at something, shouting at him and berating him serves only to annoy him and force him into a shell.

Being in Gryfindor it goes without saying that Paolo is an extremely courageous young man, perhaps overly so.  He does not shy away from dangerous situations and in certain instances actively tries to get himself into them.  It is both a strength and a weakness that he has, Paolo loves a grand, courageous gesture, whether to impress a girl or to win a duel.  It is definitely something that will eventually get him into trouble.  Though not narcissistic he is very confident in his own abilities, a confidence that whilst it is not misplaced, sometimes clouds his better judgement.

His friends would call him loyal and though it is true he can be very calculating when it comes to relationships.  He chooses his friends wisely and though reasonably friendly with most people his social group is usually composed of those students that he thinks can either offer him something in the future or help him improve himself at the present.   He does also have a nasty streak in him, he is not the sort of character to forget an insult and he most definitely will hold grudges against people if they ever anger him.


History:
Paolo Rossi is of half-blood descent, on his father’s side all members hail from an Old Italian pureblood line but his mother’s family are unashamedly half blood.  His mother (Theresa) was a graduate of Hogwarts School and found employment shortly after graduation within the ministry of magic.  She was never the most studious student but she held a respectable position within the Department of International Magic Co-operation, it was through work that she would meet her future husband Vincenzo.  Vincenzo had been working in London on a consultancy basis with the department of magical law enforcement, Theresa was assigned to him as a contact person, to help him with his life in Britain and the two instantly connected.  After a whirlwind summer romance Vincenzo relocated to London on a permanent basis to be with the love of his life.

The two were married soon after and settled down together in a small studio apartment in Kensington, a family soon followed with the birth, firstly of a young girl (Maria) and a few years later a young boy whom they named Paolo, after Vincenzo’s father.
From a young age it became apparent that Paolo was magically gifted, all the obvious signs were there. Maria on the other hand grew up without showing any signs of magical potential and much to her disappointment on the day of her 11th birthday neither a letter from Hogwarts nor invitations from any international schools arrived in the mail box.  In their early lives this would become a bone of contention between the two siblings, Maria finding it difficult to hide her jealousy, Paolo finding it impossible not to talk about school when she was around.

At the age of three, in the year 1996, the family relocated to Palermo, Sicily to escape the troubles that had begun to sweep Britain.  The family lived abroad for four years before returning to London, a decision which they probably would never have taken had Paolo’s father Vincenzo not died whilst on an assignment from the Italian ministry.  Grief stricken and desperate to be close to her own family Theresa and the children returned to London in the winter of 2002, where they have remained until this day.  Theresa returned to the ministry where she continued her work promoting International Magical Co-operation, Maria attended an all-girls high school and Paolo stayed with his grandparents whilst his mother was out. 

He developed a very close bond with his grandparents but his grandfather in particular.  His grandmother was a muggle but his grandfather was magically gifted and whenever Paolo was around they would play with “real” magic”  Of course Paolo could not join in, he was far too young to learn spells but he enjoyed watching his grandfather’s pyrotechnics nonetheless.

When the new school term started to roll around the inevitable letter of invitation from Hogwarts arrived along with an invitation to attend an entrance examination for Beuxbatons Academy, his father had been educated there so the school had kept tabs on Paolo but due to financial constraints and a lack of fluency in French the family opted for Hogwarts instead.  It was an expensive month for his mother, though the family was by no means poor, any single mother would be put under strain when it came to purchasing expensive school robes and spell books.  Luckily there was one thing she did not need to buy, a wand.  Paolo was given his father’s old wand, a family heirloom that was now in its third generation.  It was a wand with a long history and a new chapter had begun!

At school Paolo has always aimed to strike a balance between studying and recreational time, he has always enjoyed his classes but every young man needs to make time to himself.  When he is not in class, or in the common room studying, he enjoys hanging out with friends and training as part of Gryffindor houses duelling team.  Though he occasionally watches the quidditch, flying has never been something he has enjoyed and so he treats the sport with an indifferent attitude.  From his O.W.L results you can see that he is a boy of great talent when he applies himself, unfortunately however he only seems capable of this when the subject matter is something which appeals to him.  He is very much not the sort of student who digs deep and fights through boredom, if a class does not interest him he refuses to apply himself, occasionally becoming disruptive.

O.W.L’s transcript.

Transfiguration – O
Defence Against the Dark Arts – O
Charms – E
Herbology – E
Potions – E
History of Magic – E
Astronomy – P
Care of Magical Creature – P


Classes:

Core Classes No Charms Defense Against the Dark Arts Herbology History of Magic Potions Transfiguration No

Electives No No No No No

How Do You Fit Into Your House?:
His character traits and quirks are in keeping with those usually associated with Gryffindor.  He is courageous, loyal and possesses a strong sense of justice.  Though he could also be described as cunning and calculating he has much more in common with those in Gryffindor house than those in Slytherin.

Writing Sample:
The brief walk from the castle, across the ground towards the Herbology greenhouses was usually an uneventful stroll, a few minutes extra in which you got to chat with friends about inter house politics, girls, sports, anything really, any rubbish that seemed important at the time.  Paolo, flanked by a couple of friends, emerged from the great hall with the rest of the sixth year Herbology crowd.  What was the topic of conversation today you might ask?  The lack of top buttons on Jennifer Clark’s shirt would be the answer. 

“Cleavage is a wonderful thing.” Paolo exclaimed, drawing smirks and laughter from his friends and a grimace from some passing female Hufflepuffs.  There was a chorus of agreement as the conversation shifted from girls to sport,
”Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw tomorrow afternoon, are we watching it?” A tall blonde boy said.  Paolo shrugged nonchalantly, quidditch wasn’t really his thing, he had never really excelled at flying and the fact that playing the sport was something that did not come naturally to him made it unimportant in his eyes.  Of course you couldn’t come out and say so, not unless you wanted to be black listed as a loser, quidditch was so big in Hogwarts one had to at least pretend to have a passing interest in the sport. 

Brushing a long strand of dark hair from his face Paolo replied,
“Is Emma Stewarts playing seeker for Hufflepuff?”,
“Naw man.” Came the reply. “Injured herself in training the other day.”
“Well in that case…..” Paolo continued “Hardly seems worth it, she’s the only girl on the team that’s even half way fit.”

There was another murmur of agreement and smirks.  Of course even had Emma been playing Seeker, Paolo would have found another “cool” reason not to attend.  God quidditch was dull, consider that one a bullet dodged, he mused.

They were almost there now, couldn’t have been more than 20 yards away when Paolo felt someone fall against his back, forcing him to the floor in a heap.  There were shouts of protest as his friends expressed their anger followed by some laughter from the rear.  Paolo picked himself up hastily and swung around to meet the commotion that had materialised itself at the back of the group.  The boy who had fallen into him remained on the floor.  He was a spotty boy with long curly blonde locks of hair, the colour of his tie said Hufflepuff, Paolo did not recognise him. 

Shifting his cold gaze from the boy Paolo surveyed the cause of the commotion.  From the smug looks on their faces it was clear, although he had not seen with his own eyes, a couple of the Hufflepuff boys had been pushing the kid on the floor around, now Paolo was involved.  He was not one to get into disputes often but he could hardly back down now, not when he had been toppled over like a domino’s piece in front of his friends and peers.

“Hey cazzo, what do you think you’re doing? Huh?” He shouted, his face contorted into a frown. The boys he was confronting were unknown to him but from their expressions he could tell they were ruffians of a sort.  One of the boys shrugged in response
“Sorry mate wasn’t us was it?  It was spotty there, clumsy on his feet he is.” 

The student, clearly the ring leader of his group smirked at his witty retort.  He was well built, with a square jaw and mousy brown hair that sat messily atop his head.  It was then Paolo recognised him as a beater for the Hufflepuff quidditch team.  Paolo snorted “Wise guy eh?  Since when did the sorting hat put the hard men in Hufflepuff?  Idiot.”

There was a crowd gathering now as the situation escalated.  Paolo felt a light tug on his robes as his friend murmured that
“He was not worth it” in his ear but the young man stood his ground, a look of defiance upon his face. 
“What did you say?” the Hufflepuff replied,
“You heard” Paolo shot back. 

An awkward silence had fallen over the crowd now as the two boys faced off against one another, neither willing to back down, yet neither sure how they were going to resolve the conflict without losing face. 

Seconds passed like minutes before someone acted, there was a twitch of the hand before a wand appeared from inside the boys robes.  Anticipating the move Paolo had unsheathed his own and there was a flash of blue then red as he deflected his attackers hex and countered with a stunning spell which sent the Hufflepuff beater spiraling backwards onto the grass. 

In an instance the silence was gone, replaced with the chanting of the crowd
“Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight.”  Another red flash hurtled towards him, this time sent from his assailant’s friend, again Paolo deflected the spell but before he could counter he was flattened by another Hufflepuff boy who speared him, knocking the wind out of him as he did so. 

The boy dug his knee into Paolo’s chest as he braced himself to lay into his face with a flurry of punches.  Wincing in anticipation for the blows he was saved by his own friend who had downed wands and aimed a kick at the boy’s side
“Have it!” He yelled as black leather connected with the boy’s body with a sickening thump that forced him off Paolo and into the foetal position. 

Picking himself up Paolo was ready to throw another spell when suddenly there came a thundering voice, magically amplified that sent shock waves throughout his body
“That’s enough!” It was his Herbology teacher, storming towards the scene with a look of fury etched upon her face.
“You” she pointed at the Hufflepuff beater, “You, you, and you”, she pointed at Paolo, “My office now!” 

Sullen faced the boys followed her back towards the castle.  Paolo cast an apologetic look to the friend who had saved his face from taking a pummelling and received a nod of acknowledgement in return.  He had just enough time to cast the spotty Hufflepuff a glance before he left.  “You better bloody put in a good word.” He tried to say with his eyes.


Sum up your character in one paragraph:
An intelligent young sixth year with a talent for Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts.  Interested in dueling, girls and the latest fashion trends around school.

Special Title Request
Character Name: Paolo Rossi
Title Applying For: Duelling Club President
Character Biography: LINK

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:
Paolo Rossi has no true experience dealing with Dark Wizards but he is very well versed in both Defence, Transfiguration and Charms magic, all of which are important weapons in a duelist's arsenal.  He has been a follower of the sport from a very young age and it would be fair to assume that as soon as he joined Hogwarts he would have been involved with the dueling society in a fairly large capacity.  He is passionate about the sport both as a means of fun and advancing oneself as a wizard.  The fact that he harbors desires to become a Hit Wizard after school means that he takes dueling far more seriously than many friends and peers, for Paolo dueling is preparation for a life of trouble and strife after Hogwarts.

What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?
Aside from providing students with a competitive platform on which to showcase their skills, in Paolo's eyes the main driving force behind the duelling society is to prepare its members for life outside of Hogwarts, with a special focus on those looking to enter Magical Law Enforcement.  With the recent dementor attacks the importance of being able to defend yourself has been hammered home to many students and the club provides them with the tools and opportunity to learn how to do so.  On a personal level Paolo is eager to increase duelling's popularity as a sport so that one day perhaps duels will attract the same crowds that quidditch matches do.  Paolo would also consider it his duty to use his new found position to entice the ladies.

Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle: 
His strength of mind and determination to succeed can be seen in his desire to improve his defense work, to the extent that he takes additional lessons on top of his N.E.W.T work from Professor Storm.  Dueling is his passion and it takes a great deal of mettle to put yourself in harms way primarily for the entertainment of others.  In his mind he was made for this position.

Paolo would say that he deserves this position because he is, on most occasions, a very good student who is more than capable of producing Outstanding work, even at N.E.W.T level.  In exchange for maintaining a continually high standard of school work he should be awarded with Presidency of the only school club that he is truly passionate about.  It would be an acknowledgement from his teachers that they appreciate his effort and commitment and it may spur him on to offer more in classes that he traditionally finds boring.  This is the greatest frustration that comes with teaching Paolo Rossi, if he were somehow convinced or if he was given an incentive to try harder it would make his teachers lives much easier!  Not to mention he himself could probably bump some of those "E's" up to "O's".  A win win situation for all parties involved!