Writer’s Block:
Hi, I’m Michael. I’ve been a member of Absit Omen since its inception, though for much of that time I was inactive. I currently play the following primary characters: Minerva McGonagall, Tempest Sage, Elysia Hughes, Elijah Grimlish, Mathieu Vaillancourt, Pandora Puddifoot, Chadwick Blish, and Jacqueline Devereux. My secondary characters are Maxen Whitman and Tipper the House-elf. A few of my characters are deceased: Gawain Robards, Charlie Robards, and William Smythe. I have retired Paetyn Harper and Henry MacLeod. I've also retired Corby Gent, who may be up for adoption if the character creator is interested. I am over 13 years of age and have read the code of conduct (numerous times, actually). Jacqueline is a primary character.
Jacqueline Claire Devereux
Character's Birthday and Age: July 14, 1950// 58 Years of Age
City/Country of Birth: Bordeaux, France
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
Job/Position:
Professor of History of Magic
Wand:
Olive; Kelpie Mane Hair; 11 inches; Swishy; with a spiraled shaft
Physical Description:
Jacqueline’s hair is stark white, and cropped quite short. Too short to pull back, and too long to spike, Jacqueline normally lets it fall where it may, running a brush through it occasionally. She has a rounded face, with very prominent features. She has twinkling blue eyes, and lengthy lashes. She has a slim, pointed nose that juts out directly in the middle of her face. Her lips are full, though usually pulled taut. She rarely smiles.
As for clothing, she shops in only one store: La Magique Couture. Only the most modern and beautiful of clothing are worthy to adorn the slim woman’s body. She rarely ever wears hats, though she can often be found wearing an assortment of jewelry.
Jacqueline stands taller than many of her fellow witches and wizards, standing at a proud 5’10. She also wears heels, the clackers making her appear taller than she really is. She weighs around 120 pounds, keeping herself thin by hours of working out weekly.
Personality Description:
Jacqueline rules her classroom with a no-nonsense attitude, an attitude that carries on into her everyday life. She isn’t sure how to really open up to other people, nor does she care to try. She’s perfectly content living her life alone, without any other people to complicate it, make it harder than it needs to be.
She is one of those people that have to constantly have something to occupy their time. Which is one reason she teaches. Unlike others, she holds no love for the post, no love for teaching. She doesn’t hold favorites, nor does she care for those professors that do. Because she didn’t attend Hogwarts, she doesn’t hold a favor to any house.
She is very convincing, and very strict. This being said, she is also very protective and fiercely loyal until the very end. In the right company, she can be very humorous and witty. She’s very unique and proud of it. When you’ve made a friend by her, be prepared, you’re going to be a friend for life. The same rule applies to those who wrong her.
History:
Jacqueline Lumpkin was born in Bordeaux, France on July 14, 1950. Her mother, Scarlett Devereux, and father, Marc Devereux, were very proud of their daughter, though Marc had a very big secret. It was a love story like no other, the story of how Marc fell in love with his wife. He always claimed it was love at first sight, and when he fell in love, he put away his wand for good, turning his back on his magical upbringing. Scarlett had no idea that that part of him even existed.
Marc waited; hoping that their young daughter wouldn’t show signs of magic, wouldn’t let out his secret. Soon enough though, the signs could no longer be ignored. Crazy, unexpected things started happening, things no one could explain. Well… no one that would open their mouths anyway. Marc thought that if they just ignored the signs everything would go away, her magic would just disappear. He was mistaken.
Finally, after one of Jacqueline’s ‘fits’, she burned down their family home, accidentally of course. It was then that Marc came out with the truth. He revealed his deepest fears, that something like Grindelwald would happen again, and he didn’t want his daughter to be anywhere near magic when that happened.
Scarlett was hurt but understood. From then on, secrets were not allowed in the Devereux household. Growing up was difficult with a muggle mother and a father that no longer lived his life as a wizard, but Jacqueline made it though it just fine.
She fought with her parents constantly about honing her powers, letting her learn what she needed to know. To be the person she was always meant to be. Though both her parents disagreed, they understood that it was something that Jacqueline had to do for herself. She was finally allowed to go to Beauxbatons.
Upon arriving at the school she realized that she was no different from anyone else. Magic wasn’t anything bad, or anything to be feared, she learned, it was simply who she was. There are always two sides of a coin, she knew, and she honestly enjoyed what she could do.
She studied hard. Every day of her school career was spent either in the libraries or in the dorms, book curled up in her arms. She was fascinated by all the possibilities magic had made for her, and she wanted to study more. She wanted to learn things people couldn’t put in books, she wanted to discover things, learn things no one else knew.
She graduated from Beauxbatons with honors. The bubbly teen couldn’t wait to start her career, the only thing she’d wanted to be since she started her life as a witch: she wanted to become an Unspeakable.
The training was intense, the hardest and most straining aptitude tests she had ever dreamed of. Somehow she passed. Before she could blink four years had gone by, and she was up for a promotion. Department Head Heelery was retiring, the life span of an Unspeakable wasn’t very long, and the Head Unspeakable was shorter than that. Jacqueline, however, marveled at the idea. The new possibilities one could pursue when they were in charge of everything.
It was during her time as Head Unspeakable that she came across her first true love: Bryan. Bryan Lynch was a kind and gentle man, who loved Jacqueline for who she was. He didn’t care that she couldn’t tell him everything about her job, he didn’t care that she was away so much, their love could endure the most strenuous of circumstances. Later that year they were married. Soon after, Jacqueline was aglow, and her first born daughter, Stephanie Lynch was born.
She returned to her work after her baby was born, and life was going great. She had all she ever wanted: a child, a man who loved her, the job of her dreams. She began to get wrapped up in her work again. A new project was starting, and she started staying at work later and later, going in earlier and earlier. Eventually she wasn’t even coming home. It was then that Bryan decided to leave. He couldn’t stand staying with someone that cared only about their work and not him.
It devastated Jacqueline. She began to get sloppy in her work performance, and when it was time to start the new experiment, something inexplicably bad happened. A rune with one wrong line caused everything to go horribly wrong. It landed her in the hospital for three months. When she was finally released she stepped down from the position. It was dangerous for her and for everyone around her, and she couldn’t have that.
She decided that someplace else in the Ministry might be better for her, so she spoke with the Minister and he placed her in the Professor Oversight Committee. Peter Lumpkin was the Department Head, and they worked together phenomenally. Soon, they were in love. After a quaint marriage ceremony, Peter and Jacqueline Lumpkin were one. He was an older man, but age doesn’t matter when it comes to love, and they were in love.
Soon after, Jacqueline was once again pregnant. She was huge, and come to find out, she was carrying twins. Peter and Patricia Lumpkin were precious, and hellions. Before she knew it, eight years had passed, and a professor at Beauxbatons was up for retirement. The current Head of the school searched everywhere for a replacement, but to no avail. Eventually they had to turn to the Ministry. Jacqueline, being the most experienced for the job, was asked to take up the post as History of Magic professor.
It was hard for her to decide, but she opted for the position. She ended up teaching every one of her children, something that wasn’t very common. Ten years later, all three of her children had graduated, Patricia even made Head Girl.
She loved teaching; it was a thrill and something she never thought she would enjoy. She didn’t want to leave, so she didn’t. Shortly into her eleventh year at Beauxbatons she received terrible news. Her husband was gone. Disappeared. There was nothing she could do, and they had been growing apart since she had taken the job, so it didn’t really come as a shock, but it made her bitter. The thrill and the love of teaching were no longer there for her.
She continued teaching, a tenure of twenty years at the fine institute total. She was aged, it was a fact. Finally, she was asked to step down. Apparently the school was tired of the strictness and edge that Jacqueline had brought to the school. She complied.
With nothing to lose, Jacqueline took off for London. The place had always fascinated her, and now she could go and enjoy it. She took up a job at the British Ministry of Magic; once again in the Professor Oversight Committee. For four short years she sat on the board, until opportunity once again came for a knock.
Her old class, History of Magic was opening up, and with Jacqueline’s experience, she was a shoo-in for the post.
Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Jacqueline was HoM professor at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for a total of 20 years. As a former Unspeakable, she is very knowledgeable in things both written and unwritten. She graduated from Beauxbatons with honors and was top in her class.
What is your teaching philosophy?:
Strict. A firm hand is the only way to make children understand. Too many people these days let these students off the hook for things they should be punished severely for. A child shouldn’t necessarily enjoy class, they should learn. That’s all Jacqueline’s there to do. Teach.
Writing Sample:
Professor Lumpkin sat quietly in her office, grading papers on the Statue of Secrecy. She was skimming over one particularly dull essay, her eagle-feathered quill scrawling red ink across the page. It was a grim undertaking, considering her time could have been spent better elsewhere.
Her head was resting in her hand, her eyes glazed over. It was time for a break. Placing a firm ‘D’ over the top of the scroll of parchment, Jacqueline placed her quill down and replaced the stopper to her bottle of ink. She stood, her glittering midnight blue robes shimmering about her body.
Stifling a yawn, Jacqueline slithered across the room, her heels clacking loudly in the confined room. The tiled floor only helped in magnifying the sound. After blowing out a couple of scented candles placed about the stuffy office, Jacqueline headed out into the empty corridor.
Stealing a glance at the watch on her arm, the History of Magic Professor quickened her pace. A smirk slowly crept up on her face; she was almost certainly going to be late for her fifth year class. Not that it really mattered; class wasn’t based off the bell schedule. Class began and ended precisely when Jacqueline said it did.
Finally reaching the classroom door, she entered, hearing the sound of chatter die out instantly. “Ah yes, the blissful young minds, bursting to learn.” Said the professor. “What, pray tell, are you planning on doing with that bird, Mr. Jameson?” Jacqueline asked, “Ten points from whatever house you’re in, and dispose of the twittering twit immediately.”
Provide a short summary of your character:
Jacqueline is sometimes misconstrued as cranky, bitter, and bitchy; though in fact, she only appears that way. She isn’t exactly easy to get along with, though oddly enough, is very friendly when people break through her tough skin and get down to her heart.
Jacqueline Devereux: Head of the Department of Mysteries