Physical Description:
Verity is waifish, standing at 5'7" and rather thin. She has wavy, dark brown hair that falls past her shoulders, and her features are a perfect blend of both of her parents (Italian and Welsh from her dad and African and Jewish from her mum), with an olive complexion and a slender face complimented with high cheekbones. She has glasses prescribed, but her vanity causes her to use vision enhancing potions so that she is rarely seen wearing them, and her friendly amber eyes belie a steely determination. Her jaw is squared, and she is rarely seen without a smile. The middle name she chose for herself has proven to be incredibly fitting, as she carries herself with poise and grace, never one to slouch or lean.

She has a tendency to chew on her hair when deep in thought, but becomes incredibly embarrassed when it is called to attention, as she does with anything that threatens her personal pride. Though she has a bit of an oral fixation, and in classes or while studying, it is rare to find her mouth empty. It's most unfortunate when she accidentally sticks her quills in her mouth, and it is not uncommon to find her lips to be stained with ink.

She speaks with a soft Welsh accent, and she often uses slang like "Tidy" in her speech.

Personality Description:
Loyal and warm-hearted, on paper Verity looks like the perfect Hufflepuff, though she her affable demeanor is tempered by great ambition to prove to the Wizarding world at large that she is someone worthy of respect. As such, she is not the best with failure, and can push herself too hard. Due to this, she can also be rather competitive, especially when it comes to House points.

She has a minor problem with hero worship, and can become depressed when people inevitably show that they are in fact human and make mistakes. However, she is very self-aware, and makes valiant efforts to move past her flaws (not always as successful as she would hope). In particular, she seems to view Hermione Granger as a Muggleborn idol, and often thinks WWHD (What Would Hermione Do) before making decisions of particular importance.

She is a helper, and always encourages her friends to be the best that they can be, which can be irritating to some, though she doesn't mean to imply that people need fixing. Verity just wants her friends to be happy, and so tries to assist them in recognizing that they can be (and in fact are) better than they think. Verity is very in touch with her emotions, and is known to be a rather easy crier, but she's also an extremely nurturing and empathetic person who would be the first to offer a shoulder to cry on.



History:
Verity Bell was born Victor, though she transitioned when she was in year 5. Her parents are both extremely loving, and fully supported her decision. However, she was terribly bullied at school afterwards, and her mum in particular found it extremely difficult to refrain from storming into her primary school class and punching the little monsters who tormented her daughter. When the letter came, telling her that she was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry she felt that it was at first an elaborate prank, but then an incredible calm came over her as she realized that this meant an escape from her tormentors.

She was enthralled by this exciting new world, and pored over any information she could find, which led her to discovering Hermione Granger, someone she immediately felt a kinship with as a fellow Muggleborn, and she became determined to follow in her footsteps. So with a trunk full of school supplies, and her new Norwegian Forest cat named Beauregard, she boarded the Hogwarts Express, optimistic for the future. On the train, she shyly asked a lanky first year (who she thought was a third year) boy named Zel, who she became fast friends with, though she often wonders if he only likes her because of her cat.

During her first two years at Hogwarts, she researched a potion that was more effective than the Muggle hormone therapy, and in the summer before her third year she went to St. Mungo's and began to use the potions for her transition. Due to her uncanny skill with potions, she has recently even mastered brewing the potion herself, and she has pursued Muggle studies alongside her Hogwarts classes in order to be able to attend University for Psychology after she graduates from Hogwarts.

Her time at Hogwarts has been a reprieve from her past schooling experience, though that is not to say she hasn't been teased at all. But her friends have made the taunts bearable, and her intelligence and sheer tenacity have caused many of those who dislike her to still respect her abilities, especially when it comes to Potions and Transfiguration, where she is nearly second-to-none within her class. The class where she struggles the most is Defense Against the Dark Arts because she has a nearly pacifistic attitude, but she does have some skill with defensive charms. She is an active member of the Potions club, and is also training with Professor Hughes in order to become an Animagus, something she has become invested in since Zel was turned into a werewolf.

Classes:

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

Electives Study of Ancient Runes No Care of Magical Creatures No Muggle Studies

How Do You Fit Into Your House?:
She read about the Houses and the Sorting Hat before going to Hogwarts, wondering where she would fit in. Slytherin and Ravenclaw seemed to be natural fits, due to her ambition and intelligence, but they both seemed too clique-y for her tastes. When she read about Hufflepuff, she felt a sense of family, and decided that would be her House.

True enough, when the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, it wanted to place her in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw, but she held firmly to her beliefs, refusing to be in a House that would be less than accepting of everyone's differences. Ultimately she was placed in Hufflepuff, and she couldn't be happier.

Writing Sample:
Oh my God, oh my God, how on earth could I possibly have been so daft to eat that chocolate from Linus?! Verity berates herself, as she had spent the past half hour in the girl's bathroom waiting for the effects of Linus' prank candy to wear off, which caused her to be late for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She barrels down corridors, past various portraits, muttering darkly to herself and worrying that her tardiness might cause Hufflepuff to lose House Points.

With a final burst of speed, she dashes into the classroom, gasping for air and attempting to not disrupt the class. She sees her friend Zel give her a bemused look, and quickly takes her seat next to him, and promptly buries her face in her books in order to avoid looking in Professor Storm's direction.

Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Verity is a clever and strong-willed witch, who values loyalty and acceptance over almost everything else. She sets high goals for herself, but with her relentless determination, she just might surpass even her own lofty aspirations.