Your Nickname: Kali
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? Friend
If you have written other characters here: No
If Yes, list them all:
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Cassidy Oak MacQueen
Character Birthday & Age: October 25th, 1980 (29)
City & Country of Birth: Born in Limerick, Ireland
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ravenclaw House
Job/Position: Healer, Magical Bugs and Diseases, St. Mungo's

Wand: 10" Oak with a Dragon Heartstring Core, supple rigidity and a knobby shaft

Physical Description:
Cassidy has a slender frame, with just a bit of lean muscle, and limbs that appear at first glance to be a tad too long from the rest of him. He is not outlandishly tall, standing at five feet and eleven inches on a good day, although he often allows his shoulders to slouch forward when he stands, which cases him to seem shorter. Despite his mother’s constant attempts to teach Cassidy proper posture, he’s always leaning on walls and appliances whenever he gets the chance. His skin tone is naturally a pale olive, something of a combination between his father’s Irish ivory and his mother’s Mediterranean tan. Out of all seven of the MacQueen children (all boys, Cassidy being the youngest of the lot), Cassidy looks the most like their mother, dark as his brothers are fair.

His eyes are a toasted almond in hue and shape, holding signs of wisdom beyond his age. He has a tendency to smile with all of his features, both his lips and eyes crinkling at the corners from a lifetime of laughter, and dimples dotting his cheeks. The overall appearance of his face is a pleasant combination of aged and child-like, with all of the poignancy and little of the playfulness of a puppy.

The majority of the apparel stuffed into his wardrobe could be described as odd, but charming, which is exactly what many say of his character upon first meeting him. Most of his wardrobe is comprised of button-up shirts and plenty of corduroy and tweed throughout (he has a particular fondness for vests). Shoes have never been much of a priority for him, and so aside from what he has to wear to the hospital, he has owned the same pair of penny loafers since he stopped growing at the age of nineteen. By now, the shoes have been lovingly worn and the soles are threatening to come off, but Cassidy is resolute against buying a new pair.

Cassidy’s relaxed stature (hands in pockets of his slacks more often than not) and quiet but animated voice give the impression that he has much to say but doesn’t want to scare new acquaintances away with ridiculous notions. Cassidy speaks in a unique accent, mostly Irish due to his father, but with some inflections of a Londoner thanks to the great deal of time he has spent in the area throughout his life. He also does not take too much care to enunciate and ends up dropping g’s and stringing words together when he begins talking too quickly.


Personality Description:
“An odd, quiet boy” was the most common phrase tossed around Cassidy when he was a child. He rarely spoke to people outside of his family (unless asked a direct question), but it had nothing to do with being shy, as everyone seemed to believe. It wasn’t that he never had anything to say, either (it was difficult to get a word in edgewise, anyway, with six older brothers), but rather that he was always observing his surroundings and taking mental notes on insignificant details. As he grew older, Cassidy seemed to find his voice and began interacting with others more often, striking up conversations on the train, and telling jokes to friends. Though still relatively soft-spoken, he now finds himself able to converse quite comfortably with just about anyone.

Cass has never been much of a dreamer and thinks that it would be silly to waste his time dwelling on things that are unlikely to happen; he chooses instead to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground and focus solely on the solid world. He entirely refuses to plan any further ahead than a few weeks, as the idea that he could die at any moment is constantly in the back of his mind; however, he does not view this morbidly, but as a fact of life. Despite not living every day to its fullest (on the contrary, Cass is a tad cautious), he does not feel as though he is missing out on anything too important.

As depressing as some may find it, Cass’s job is truly the love of his life. Nothing gets him more fired up than discussing strange cases of diseases that wind of on the second floor on St. Mungo’s. He normally is very good at reading social cues, but when he begins talking about bugs and the like, he can go on for hours and cannot read people when they are clearly bored or disgusted with the subject. Cass is painfully left-brained, relying almost solely on logic and reason to make decisions and putting little to no feeling into such choices. That is not to say that he does not show his emotions, but he makes it a rule to keep his professional life professional. Outside of work, he is much more open about himself, though he’s generally better at listening than talking. He likes to think that he has many stories to tell, but sadly did not inherit his mother or father’s story-telling ability, and most of his tales end up being full of awkward pauses and um’s.

Growing up as a half-blood, Cass has been impacted by both the magical and Muggle worlds; he keeps his mother’s old record player in his studio and his shelves are filled with plenty of Muggle literature (he has a soft spot for Jane Austen, in particular). He makes a point to keep up with current events, both wizarding and not, as he hates not knowing things. In fact, Cass has an incessant need for knowledge, which often takes precedence over more important things in his life, such as eating or sleeping. He’ll often spend days and nights poring over tomes, searching for an answer to a specific question.

Although he’ll never admit it, Cass has a bit of a temper when he is being misunderstood. He’ll have outbursts that can best be described as tantrums or fits, something that he never quite grew out of as he matured. As a child, he always had a difficult time putting his ideas into words, and most people tended to not fully comprehend what he was saying; rather than trying to understand, however, they simply would wave away his notions as childish nonsense. Cass recognizes that he is smart and so it irritates him to no end when people speak to him in a condescending manner.

Cass is not one to put much emphasis on intimate relationships, but his familial bonds and friendships mean a great deal to him. Growing up in a large family, everyone looked out for each other and Cass continues to use to same protective nature with his close friends and people whom he cares about. With all others, though, he tends to act more closed off in a manner that most would describe as charmingly polite, but verging on cold. He doesn’t mean to act so indifferent, but he doesn’t worry too much over the emotions of strangers and acquaintances. To Cass, there are worse things in the world than hurt feelings.


History:
The pregnancy was not a happy accident - it happened at the worst moment, when money was low, tensions were high, and there were already six strawberry-blonde boys running amok in the house. Killian MacQueen was having trouble making enough money at his job, while his wife, Giada, exhausted herself caring for the four sons who were not yet old enough to attend Hogwarts. When the news was out, Killian swore he'd go mad with a baby in the house, Giada found a strange peace that caused her to take up painting again, and the boys all hoped and prayed for a baby sister. Alas, when the child was born, it was revealed to be another boy who looked nothing like his brothers or father, and everything like his mother. They called him Cassidy after nothing in particular and the family soon settled into a new routine with the infant.

The fact that Cassidy MacQueen made it past five years-old was a feat in and of itself; although his mother doted on him, his brothers did everything from levitating him to playing hide and seek (one of the brothers would hide Cassidy, while the others had to find him) with him. None of his family members were particularly gentle with him, and so Cassidy learned from a very early age that crying was not going to get him anything, except made fun of by his older brothers (and occasionally his father).

The family's home was located on the outskirts of Limerick, Ireland, though whenever any of his brothers ventured further into the city, Cassidy was left behind with his mother. He didn't always mind, though, because Giada played old songs on the record player and painted in the kitchen while Cassidy sat on the counter and ate fruit. Throughout his childhood, Cassidy was closer to his mother than his father, because Killian was out more often than not and when he did have free time, he took the older boys out on their broomsticks. Cassidy's first experience on a broomstick was disastrous, because one of his brothers thought it would be amusing to bewitch the broom, and while the others had a good laugh, six year-old Cassidy fell from six stories and was caught by his father just in the nick of time. He tended to steer clear of broomsticks after that.

The happiest day of Cassidy's life was the day he caught the train for his first year at Hogwarts. For years, he had heard fantastic stories from his older brothers about all of the amazing things and people at Hogwarts. More than anything, Cassidy longed to learn and drink in all of the knowledge that he knew his professors were waiting to impart. At the station, all of his family members prepared him in different ways: his mother, who was a Muggle herself and knew little of the magical school aside from what her husband and sons told her, reminded Cassidy to not forget to eat and to not allow the other children (including his brothers) to pick on him; his father gave him a gruff hug and expressed hope that he would gain a bit of bulk before the holidays; and his brothers (half of whom were already out of school and had just come along to bid the others farewell) assured him that he'd be hexed by the older kids before the end of the week, and he may even get his shoes stolen (they ended up being quite right, and so Cassidy spent most of his second week in just his socks). Aside from all of that, however, Cassidy found that Hogwarts was the greatest place that he had ever been.

The Sorting Hat was the most terrifying object that Cassidy had ever laid his eyes on. Here was a hat that was meant as nothing more than an accessory, and yet it was going to decide his fate for the next seven years. He had brothers in every House (at some point or another), but still he feared that he would be placed somewhere he would not fit in. The moment that the Hat touched his head, Cassidy argued with it, trying to explain why certain points of his character should not be taken into account, and why certain Houses would be horrible for him. In the end, the Hat (no doubt tired of Cassidy’s bickering) placed him in Ravenclaw, which proved to be a perfect match. Cassidy’s primary years at Hogwarts were spent in the library and out across the grounds, either with his nose in a book larger than his head or discovering new spots to hide away from the majority of the student body (and some professors, as well). He spent his holidays and summers at home, where his mother claimed he didn’t write enough letters and his father was disappointed that Cassidy hadn’t taken up Quidditch or at least some sort of physical activity. Although Cassidy had never been out of shape, he was a rather slender boy and preferred spending his time studying rather than improving his physique for the sake of his father.

Popularity was never a priority for Cassidy, but he was well-liked by his peers and got along well enough with most of them. By third year, he was no longer bullied by other students, because many of them were aware that he could outsmart them and he was not afraid to stand up for himself and for his friends. Because of this, his school years mostly passed by without incident, until his sixth year, when the Second Wizarding War took place. His parents nearly took him out of school when Albus Dumbledore passed, but Cassidy refused and went on to aid in the Battle of Hogwarts. He did his best to heal the injured, but sadly, many lives were still lost.

Cassidy passed his NEWTS with flying colors, and ended up traipsing after his best friend, Flynn, to work at St. Mungo’s. He immediately began training on the Magical Bugs and Diseases floor, taking a great enthusiasm in his work. However, not long into his training, Cassidy’s mother passed away and Cassidy found it difficult to get past that. This resulted in him ceasing to train at St. Mungo’s for a year, while he dealt with the tragedy and helped his father cope with the loss. When he was finally able to move on, he restarted his training with renewed vigor, and became an official healer after a few years.

Currently, Cassidy lives in a studio apartment by himself and continues to work as a healer at St. Mungo’s, though he has been doing a great deal of research in his free time as of late, sometimes for days on end, and it seems to be having an effect on his health.



Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
As a healer, Cassidy has patients that he is required to attend to, and he normally has multiple patients at a time. He works on floor two of St. Mungo's, Magical Bugs and Diseases, which takes a great deal of precaution. Cassidy (with the other healers) has to ensure that there is no chance of an infestation spreading to the rest of the hospital, and if a disease is contagious, it may be necessary to quarantine a patient. Depending upon the case, Cass has to brew potions, perform healing spells, and generally just care for the patients. He is very kind to his patients, but does not sugar-coat anything for them. If a situation is looking bad for them, he tells them immediately.

Although he enjoys helping people and often connects with his patients, Cass's favorite part of his job is coming across new illnesses and diseases. Nothing excites him more than needing to do research in order to treat a condition that he is not entirely decided about.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Cassidy received excellent marks at Hogwarts and showed great enthusiasm for nearly all subjects. His final grades were as follows for the required subjects for a healer:

Herbology: O
DADA: E
Potions: O
Transfiguration: E
Charms: E

Cassidy also showed a great interest in and excelled at Care of Magical Creatures, particularly when working with magical insects and arachnids.

Writing Sample:
There was a feeling of defeat in the room of white; Cassidy could sense it in the half-eaten tray of food and curtains pulled over the window, could see it in the two pairs of red-ringed eyes that turned to stare up him. The stares accused him of different atrocities, the brown eyes of the mother blaming him for not saving the sick child in the bed, and the hazel eyes of the patient upset over her mother's tears. Cassidy was well aware that he had already over-stayed in his welcome the moment that he had set foot in the room. To the mother and daughter, here was the healer on the case, prepared to deliver bad news. The parent looked away from Cassidy in resentful disappointment, squeezing her daughter's frail hands tightly. Steeling himself for a protest, Cassidy spoke in a cold, professional tone.

"Madam, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room. We've got to begin examining your daughter for -"

"I'm not leaving." The woman's voice was shaky from crying, but resolute in the decision. She refused to meet Cassidy's gaze, which had remained a blank slate, save for a few irritated blinks. Patience was not his strongest virtue, though it was tested daily by friends and family members of his patients. Cassidy was prepared to attempt to explain the situation to this woman, when her daughter spoke up from the hospital bed.

"Mum, it's alright," the little girl attempted a brave smile, though the dark circles under her eyes made it near impossible, "They just need to study me a bit more. I'll be fine." It sounded nothing close to promising, but the mother seemed to know that it would do no good to argue. Taking her daughter's face between both hands, she placed a kiss atop the girl's brunette curls, before standing with a sigh.

"I'll just be right outside if you need me," she gave her daughter an uneasy smile before looking to Cassidy with a less-than-friendly stare, "or if anything goes wrong." She then made her way out of the hospital room, closing the door softly behind her. Cassidy wasn't sure whether she was attempting to threaten him or not, but he found it difficult to take anything seriously. Dealing with the family of patients was not one of Cassidy's strengths, as they usually blamed him for everything and didn't know what they were talking about in the least. Until he healed their loved ones, he was the enemy in their eyes.

The little girl looked nervous as Cassidy approached the edge of her bed; she offered what was meant to be a friendly smile while he looked through the charts on his clipboard.

"Sorry about my mum," she mumbled apologetically, "She's just afraid, is all, since I haven't been...you know, improving." That was mostly true, though Cassidy refused to acknowledge that. If he did so, that would be admitting defeat and he was nowhere near ready to accept failure.

"Well, she shouldn't be," Cassidy replied in a monotone voice that was supposed to be soothing, "We're doing everything that we can, and we'll figure out what's wrong." He never made any promises, because he was well aware that anything could happen. The little girl shrugged in response, looking as frail as ever with her hospital robes hanging on her tiny frame. Cassidy could not deny that she had gotten worse since her arrival, but he didn't say anything about it. There was no need to frighten the girl anymore than she already was. Clearing his throat, Cassidy managed a small smile.

"I'll be right back," he told her, holding his clipboard underneath an arm, "I've just remembered that I forgot a couple of things. I'll go grab those and then we'll get started." The girl merely nodded in acknowledgement as Cassidy turned to leave the room. He entirely avoided looking to the girl's mother as he strode down the hallway toward one of the supply closets.

More than anything, he wanted to give the girl and her family a few empty promises that would ease their worries and suffering. And yet, Cassidy found himself unable to be upbeat for them. He knew just as well as other healers - you can't save every patient.

Sum up your character in one paragraph:
None would describe Cassidy MacQueen as the friendliest of the healers, but he cares for his patients efficiently and finds a great enthusiasm for the work that he does. Although he can seem frigidly polite upon first impression, Cass (as his friends and family are wont to call him) has a compassionate attitude beneath his rigid professionalism. He has a great love and respect for knowledge (sometimes to an unhealthy degree), both magical and Muggle alike. Nothing is more important to Cass than the truth, which he will sometimes stop at nothing to uncover. In his quest to discover truth, he may accidentally tread on the feelings of others; don't worry, though, he genuinely means nothing by it. He simply feels he has more important things to do, and never really learned how to apologize.