Biography
Accepted - Niobe
About You, the Writer:Your Nickname: Erika
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? In search of a HP RPG
If you have written other characters here, list them all: NA
Full Character Name: Myrni Seurr Levartian Whitman
Character Birthday & Age: August 21, 1977 (35)
City & Country of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn?: Muggle born, but there is evidence that her mother's side has "witchy" blood that extends beyond herself and her Aunt Nayda.
Alma Mater: Hogwarts / Gryffindor House
Position at Hogwarts: Formerly Professor of Arithmancy & Gryffindor HOH
Wand: 8 1/2", Mahogany, braided strands of unicorn hair core (a gift from her aunt – made a half inch larger than her own, but with wood from the same tree and hair from related unicorns).
Physical Description:Simple. That describes Myrni best. Simple beauty. Simple style. Simple accessorizing. Just simple. She has never needed or really wanted any embellishment to extend her beauty and thus she doesn't go out of her way to make it happen unless it's for professional reasons or special occasions.
She has a girl next door look with seemingly ordinary brown hair and hazel eyes. But her eyes do have a tendency to change colors depending on her mood or what she is wearing. Her smile really is the thing that would be most noticeable about Myrni. She is usually always smiling, whether it is a genuine friendly smile, a smirky wry grin, or a lopsided playful upturn of her lips, it is something that tends to worm it's way into ones affections. Usually when she smiles naturally and fully (doesn't hold back), a distinct dimple can be seen in her left cheek.
Even her frame is ordinary and simple as she's not tiny and not modelesque either. She standsat 5'6" and weighing 125lbs. If not for her robes and teacher-like attire, it would be hard to pick Myrni out of a crowd of students because her simplistic frame is not especially intimidating.
Personality Description:At first glance, Myrni appears to be shy and introverted. But that is because looks can be deceiving. Beneath her rather innocent exterior is a clever and spirited woman with much on her mind. Her eyes are constantly observing her surroundings and if one does not watch carefully, they might miss her quirky little smile that masks her wide range of thoughts.
As a student, she was rarely be the first to want to speak, but tended to have the answer when it became apparent that no one else wanted to put something out there. She's a risk taker – she's willing to endure the embarrassment of being wrong. Even as an adult, Myrni openly courts mischief, but not in the sense that she means to be a troublemaker. Risk taking and curiosity are things that she enjoys exploring because she feels that they add to her character. Daring tasks, impossible puzzles or ponderings and other such things that some might shy away from are all right up her alley.
In terms of her academics, Myrni is definitely an individual who learns best through experimentation and hands on tutelage. She likes to read too, but she doesn't like it when reading OR learning become too much of a chore. So she tries to avoid that when possible. Usually, she only reads her texts once and her view is that if the information didn't stick, it probably wasn't important. She is modest about her talents, but she really is a whiz when it comes to anything related to the more studious subjects (numbers, runes, history), despite also being very artistic and creative. Because this combination is very much a part of who she is, students and adults alike will usually see the delicate blend of both in her approach to teaching. Surprisingly in class, she has considerable vocal command. Her voice has a melodic quality that tends to carry throughout a classroom.
Because Myrni never had brothers or sisters, her friends are like family to her. To strangers, she can often appear to be aloof and uncaring, but she is fiercely loyal to her closest friends. To them, she will often wear her heart on her sleeve and share things that she may normally keep very hidden deep inside.
History: Myrni was born the only child to Christopher Levartian (a muggle political figure in England) and Nova Seurr (a muggle lawyer from Boston, Mass.). Her parents met each other in Boston when her father was on a business exchange. Shortly after meeting, they married and Myrni was born. Since his own family was gone, Myrni's father had always been close to her mother's side of the family. He expressed to Myrni on more than one occasion that there was something strangely comforting and intriguing about the Seurrs, but no matter what it was, he was glad to be a part of it.
But her father's job demanded his attention back in England, and so he, Nova and Myrni returned to his family estate to live. The Levartian home seemed haunted from the start (or perhaps it was always haunted, but no one ever really wanted to indulge in it). Myrni seemed to be the only one not disturbed by it in the least.
Despite being an only child and having very career driven parents, Myrni was well adjusted in her childhood. She didn't feel particularly neglected because she wasn't lacking for things to occupy her time. She did plenty of things that normal "muggle" children did, but she also realized at a young age that she wasn't like all of her friends.
By the time she was invited to attend Hogwart's, she had explored every inch of her home, discovering secret passageways and conversing with the ghosts that were there. She could even swear (even though she would never admit it to anyone, even her parents) that she met her paternal grandparents several times in passing.
During summers, Myrni would travel overseas to Boston to spend with her Aunt Nayda (her mother's sister). Her aunt was the only person to whom Myrni felt she could open up about some of the strange and unusual occurrences in her life, and Nayda did much to reassure her niece that it wasn't all that "strange and unusual". Close to her ninth birthday, Myrni learned that her aunt had attended a special school for witches and wizards (Salem Witches Institute), and together, they began to pour over their family history on her mother's side, searching for traces of magical connections.
Nayda assured Myrni that she would have no worries in being invited to attend a Witchcraft and Wizardry School. She didn't claim that Myrni had the most extraordinary talents that would wow a panel of professors, but she knew that there was a uniqueness about Myrni that would add flavor to the Magical world.
Sure enough, the letter to attend Hogwart's arrived the summer that Myrni turned 11 and created quite a stir in the family. Aunt Nayda, was of course, tickled pink (among other colors). Her mother was indifferent and actually was opposed to the idea of Myrni going away. But the deciding factor was Myrni's father, who was, and still is, particularly fascinated by witchcraft and wizardry. It was Myrni's father who was able to convince her mother that the school was a good thing, and when Myrni needed to shop for supplies, he was more than willing to accompany her. He took to the Magical world with interest and has had to restrain himself for the past three years from swiping Myrni's textbooks for his own nighttime reading.
Her years at school were pretty typical. She had her share of skirmishes with rival witches and wizards and flunked her share of potions and transfiguration quizzes. But while there, she came to appreciate Hogwart's as a place where she could feel completely at home with who she was. Following school, Myrni took up a job at the Ministry of Magic for several years but eventually she became restless and after traveling a bit, she took up a teaching position at the Salem Witches Institute. She taught several subjects, including History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Lost Languages and Arithmancy. In her spare time, she also penned several textbooks and wrote for scholastic journals on the subjects. She was quite happy in her role until 2005 when she became engaged to one of her former classmates, Nathaniel Whitman who had become an Auror. She returned to England to be closer to him and again looked into suitable teaching positions.
2008-2009 Update: Myrni married Nathan and moved on to become the director of Year Out Adventures.
2012 Update: Was love enough? Apparently not for Myrni to remain Mrs. Whitman. The two had separated early on in the year, and by August their divorce was finalized. She broke the news to close friends like Kurby Bagnold and his sister, Rosheen. To help stay busy, she returned to Hogwarts to teach History of Magic for the year.
2018 Update: incoming...
Elaborate on your expertise in your field: Oddly enough, I fell into Arithmancy more by accident than on purpose. As was the case with some previous years, very few Gryffindors in my year actually tried for an O.W.L. in Arithmancy. Though I never believed I'd do anything with it, I did achieve an O, which was hardly surprising for me since in an odd way, I have always loved playing with numbers. Arithmancy appeals to the part of me that loves logic sees numbers as puzzles and codes that are just waiting to be cracked.
While I wouldn't say I have a photographic memory, it is razor sharp. I pay attention to and remember considerable detail about the world around me and this includes remembering and interpreting numbers and the history surrounding the subject. Despite never having a job in the wizardry world directly relating to Arithmancy, I have taught the subject for many years and I have written a few textbooks for use by professors.
What is your teaching philosophy?: I love to get students active in classroom studies. You'll never see me doing a "chalk and talk" style lecturing because I believe that the best learning is done through hands on manipulation of the materials or subject matter.
Writing Sample:Myrni Levartian stepped into The Leaky Cauldron, pulling her robes more tightly around her. it was a busy evening but the place was not entirely packed. So as she glanced around in search of the person she was looking for, it didn't take her long to find him. Her expressive hazel eyes finally settled on the tall, gruff looking frame of her very good friend, Halston Hayden MacGregor. Both were alumni of Hogwarts and although they had gone their separate ways when they had finished their schooling, they had always kept in touch. Now that Myrni had returned to England to teach, she was looking forward to the ability to catch up with him. She missed his familiarity and also the lilting sound of his voice.
Once he spotted her and waved, Myrni grinned back and bounded in his direction, practically throwing her arms around his broad shoulders and not even caring that she looked childish when doing so. "Haydes!" she exclaimed happily, embracing him for a moment before pulling back and looking up into his face.
The reserved Hayden smiled down at her but other than that, one might not know that he was moved by the occasion of their reconnection. That was just who he was--understated. He could be bursting with happiness inside and it would look the same as if he were taking a leisurely stroll down Diagon Alley. He was happy to let his friend to show enough child-like excitement and enthusiasm for the both of them.
Even years ago when Hayden had married and had his children--three of the most moving moments in his life--it had been Myrni who had reacted as if she were the one living it. Perhaps Myrni lived vicariously through others, as she was not married and had no children of her own. Although the former event might soon change, he was told, as she had recently become engaged.
As he pulled back, Hayden reached down and snatched up her dainty hand in one of his large ones and sought a glance at the ring her fiance had proposed with. Hayden was a widower and it was debatable if he would ever marry again, but it was safe to say that at one point in their youth, if all the cards had aligned in their favor, he and Myrni could have ended up together. Thus, he was deeply protective of her, especially when it came to matters of her heart. For Myrni was often reckless with it, often pinning her affections on those who were interested in someone else.
Now, she had finally settled on Nathaniel James Whitman, an Auror and a well respected Wizard. Really, there should be no reason for him to be worried about her and yet he still was. In his Scottish drawl, he said to her, "'Ey sweetie. Ah see ye is sparklin'. Tis almost blindin' me even from afar..."
That caused Myrni to smile shyly and she gently tugged the hand out of his grasp, looping her arm through his and guiding him over to the bar. "Yes, I know. Nate felt he needed to make a statement, I guess," she said of her fiance. She didn't mention that she hadn't seen him for a while since she had been back. It didn't necessarily bother her since she was busy with work, but she was still getting used to the idea that much of her life married to him might be spent on her own. Smiling impishly at her friend again, she asked, "So how are the kiddies?"
"Ye tell me," he returned wryly, knowing that both his son and daughter attended school. Even though she may not have specifically taught them, he knew that she was diligent in looking after them. He was glad about that as ever since their mother died, Camden and Venora had needed a decent mothering influence in their lives outside of his own mother who was not as young as she once was.
They shared a laugh as they requested drinks and waited for them to arrive. Myrni looked over her brawny friend and sighed. "It's good to see you again, Haydes. I missed you something awful." She gave his arm a squeeze and added, "Seeing you makes coming back here feel like home." And I haven't felt at home in a long while, she thought.
Sum up your character in one paragraph:Myrni is simple in her complexities. Despite being a very talented witch, she is also inextricably human. She's a walking contradiction in many ways. She's intelligent but she's also naive. She's innocent and she's jaded. She's mysterious and an open book. She's giving and she has wants. She's confident and she's flawed. She's delicate and a bit rough around the edges. She's fearless and also incredibly terrified.
Myrni Levartian: Professor of History of Magic