Professor Stella Elphick (bio)
Meet your new Divination Professor and Seer! She and her daughter Isadora spent the first eight years after the Second War living as muggles in various cities around the UK, having no contact with the Wizarding world (how mysterious). Just prior to Isa receiving her Hogwarts letter they reemerged into Wizarding society. For the next four years Stella worked in the Office of Prophecy at the Ministry of Magic, until September when she took up the position of Divination Professor. This is her first year teaching, so she has a lot to learn but she's very eager and well versed in the subject. Her personality is a blend of quick wit, sharp humor, a deep abiding love of excellent wine, and still being incredibly guarded though she is very friendly. She is the sort of person (at least in my head, and my goal for her) who makes others feel at easy and comfortable without divulging too much about herself or her history. She is a very proud Mama, and Isadora is the light of her life and it definitely shows (though she won't be cutting her any slack in class, of course)!

What she's looking for
Adults: So, when she was in Hogwarts all those years ago, she was a Slytherin and very different from the sort of person she is now. She was a little too trusting, a little too naive. I think she would have had lots of friends in many houses, of course the whole vanishing from the face of the Earth after the War might have put a damper on those relationships. I would love for her to have friends from back then though. For the last four years she's worked at the MoM, and is the sort of person who I think would have made a fairly large group of friends even outside her department, but especially with anyone connected to the DoM/Office of Prophecy/other Seers. Obviously her fellow Professors are just getting to know her and it might be nice if she had a mentor of sorts, especially if they also enjoy very good wine and bitching about those grubby little blighters they teach.

Students: As a new professor, it might be kind of fun to see how far the students can push her before she tries to snap them back in line. She's not particularly touchy feely but she does care and if you're struggling she will go above and beyond to help. She has the luxury of believing that her students actually want to be in her class because it's an elective - if you give her any reason to believe otherwise she will not hesitate to remove you. I know there are a couple of Seer students out there as well and she is very open about her gift, not in the same way Trelawney was, but she is very happy to help in tandem tutoring with Maiko, and happy to read cards or tea leaves for students if they're interested. She's very much a believer in scrying and most of her predictions come about that way rather than the stone statue spouting gibbering way. I'd also love input for the kind of classes you'd be interesting in taking part in!

SJ she is so fab<3

She probably wouldn't have much reason to interact with Leon, but she might know Izola? Izola loves divination, especially tarot cards. Of course there is the matter of how they met, which is probably only after Stella returned to wizarding society, but Izola doesn't trust the ministry. Still! They could have met outside of that - Izola loves people, and I think she would get on well with Stella. Especially if they were sharing a bottle of wine.

Of mine, only Bastian does Divination but, I think, he has something of a talent for it - he's not a seer but it's definitely one of his better subjects. But better subject or no, he's still likely to make things up if he can't see the answer first try, and I'm sure he won't hand every piece of work in on time.

Alex actively dislikes Divination, while Ji-Hyun is indifferent to it, but if you want a thread with either of them of course you are welcome <3

Yay for Professors! So my only adult who might have known her at Hogwarts is Eva, as Stella would have only been a year or two ahead of her at most, and was intrigued by Divination (especially scrying). Though, she is also very different from who she was during her years at Hogwarts. But she does love wine, especially if it's a choice vintage. So they might have been at least friendly acquaintances at school. Cal could interact with her at school, both being new teachers, and he also fled to live among Muggles after the war. They could potentially bond over Muggle technology or something.

As for students, I have lovely Nico who is in Divination and is a Seer. He'd be very interested in scrying, and would possibly be more apt to accepting tutoring from Stella than Maiko because he doesn't like that Mai always tries to bribe him with food. He's not one who would try to actively push her buttons, but he definitely suffers from RBF so he wouldn't necessarily appear to enjoy being in class even if he did. As long as she didn't tell him to smile or inquire into his life, Nico would tolerate (if not be fond of) her. It depends on her tolerance for deadpan. Though he finds stars to be creepy, and especially if people claim that they have power over people, so any astrology talk would turn him away.

I'm sensing good stuff for her and Sachairi. Not only are they both new teachers this year, but Sachairi's of an age to have possibly known her when she was at Hogwarts, and even though he was a Gryffindor, he'd've been her friend if she was nice (although he might have teased her about being Slytherin now and then.) They might have lost contact when she dropped out of Wizarding society and may not have ever made contact again, so that he'd be delighted to see her now.

Saxon is a little old for her to have known him, but they do have a few overlapping years in Hogwarts and were both Slytherin. If my math is right, her first year would be his sixth year, though, so she would have had to be open to having friends much older than her. (He wouldn't've cared.)

Opal is too old for them to know each other from school, but Divination was one of her best subjects and if they have any similar social circles it's entirely possible they could've met at a party or something? If nothing else Opal would probably know of her by reputation once she's been teaching at Hogwarts for a few months. They may not already know each other but I think they'd be really interesting interacting, what with their shared interest in Divination combined with the massive differences between them otherwise. XD On the other hand it's probably the least natural or likely connection of my three characters.

Hazel - Thanks Boo <3! We've talked about Izola and Stella a bit and I really like the direction we were  leaning with them.

With Bastian I can see her being exasperated by him but at the same time find him amusing? She has a daughter his age so she could already know him or at least know of him? Depending on how you want to play it she could have even read his cards before, over a holiday or something if he and Celeste are friends (which we can also talk about).  I can't think of anything with Alex or JH at the moment but if anything comes to me I will be sure to let you know! For now we could focus on a thread with she and Izola or Bastian if you wanted?

Derrek - I'm not sure how Stella feels about talking about living with the Muggles? They moved a lot and it was a lot of secrecy and lying. I see it as like this really stressful thing she has just tired to put behind her since coming back to Wizard Society. I do think she and Cal could get along though, and Eve too if you'd like! It would really depend upon how Eve felt about Stella just waltzing back into the world after eight years without so much as a peep. I think being a mother of a 15 year old has given her a sort of insight into RBF and the exterior assholeness vs. the reality. She would never want to push him faster than he's ready, but if he's willing to learn she's more than willing to teach. I see her style being different from Maiko's in that she approaches Sight very much like this is a thing in your life, it is a thing you can learn to control or it will control you, the choice is his and when he wants to make that choice she will be there, but it's on him to decide and commit to the process?

Jack - I like the idea of she and Sachairi having been friends in school. She was sort of this wild dreamer who wanted to take the world by storm but hadn't settled on a way to make that happen when she got pregnant with Isadora. They could have remained friends even post Hogwarts until she left, and as long as he doesn't ask too many questions she'd be happy to see him again I think. I dunno how much interaction she and Saxon would have had, but we can throw them together to see if anything forms up? I haven't really established her social circle, but in my head she was kind of a rising Ministry Star in the prophecy office, we could have them run into one another in October sometime maybe, in Hogsmead? If we think long enough I'm sure we'll come up with something!

Hello! I have a feeling I may have PMed something along these lines at some point, but equally that may have been a vivid dream.

The ties I can see are…

Stella & Camille - both teach prediction/divination topics, and new ladies to the castle. For the moment, Camille doesn't live on campus, but like Kelly's mentioned to me before, it seems like the Hogwarts Staff Ladies might socialise once in a while together and stick together. Camille would also be tempted to consult Stella for the odd reading at this changeable time of life (especially if she started calculating certain doom for her husband as he faces the wizengamot)

Stella & Ignan - he's a bit of a sceptic, and doesn't consult divination. (Thea's quite tempted to have Winnie predict/phophetise something related to him, for incredible awkwardness?) The two of them work together, and he's probably taken a dig at all of his colleagues within the first week of term. You are absolutely welcome to prey on his scepticism, wind him up or seek his alliance - she's quite witty, so I imagine they might be the sort to engage in verbal parries more for their own amusement.

Alas, neither of my students study. 

I have Francis who is a governor (Ambrose's father) though he's quite the agreeable chap - if Stella's daughter is in the fifth year with Ambrose it's possible they've met and interacted through the years at moments like the Hogwarts Express, and also he works on Level 9 where Stella was so they're familiar faces to each other I imagine. I'd love it if they were friends, and that she and her daughter were invited to the Pepper's gathering in the early summer (though that thread has passed now really).

That would give you options to know the wider Pepper family - and certainly Eta Pepper (NPC Third Year, Ambrose's cousin, daughter of Monty Pepper, niece of Francis) has just joined Stella's class and divination is her obsession! Please feel free to use her if you need a student in a third year class to enable you to push ahead.

Let me know how you feel about the above and we'll sort out a suitable interaction thread

You did PM me! And then I did that thing I do where I think I've replied because I was struck with half dozen lovely ideas only I never actually wrote them down and sent it, I just think I did (my mother informs me I do this with answering texts as well).

I love all of this, I love the idea of the Hogwarts ladies having wine and cheese night, or cooking for each other, playing cards and talking about how being a Professor leaves so little time for a social life and if they didn't have each other they'd probably go bonkers.

Also I love love love the idea of Camille and Stella being friends and talking over predicting the future. Depending on how comfortable Camille got with her and how quickly I could even see them discussing the dangers of being involved with men who have trouble following the law. She would gladly do readings for her whenever she wanted.

Teasing Ignan is my favorite thing ever and I don't get to do it nearly enough! Stella will rectify this at once.

I adore the Peppers, you know this, I have gushed and fussed about them before, but I'm so glad I have a grown up character to actually be friends with Francis now! Family friends seems like such a cute idea and I wish I hadn't missed the big dinner! They can owl though, she can tell him all about settling into being a Professor and talk about the kids and maybe slyly ask after her ex (break up = huge part of the reason she left the Ministry). I also think she would get a huge kick out of Monty because he's just hilarious. And if we go with the idea that she's an old(ish) Pepper family friend then I am sure she dotes on Ambrose (because, really, how could you not?)!

We should def. do a thread, most natural seems Camille, or maybe letters with Francis and Stella? Let me know!

Super stuff! I shall co-ordinate Francis to send an owl to her soon after term begins to see how she's getting on.

We can have our ladies catch up as September progresses, I'll add to my list to come back to you when I've cleared a few threads down (spread myself a bit thin in my excitement!)