Accepted! ~Elle

About You, the Writer:We will never ask any member to disclose any personal information.
Your Nickname: (A moniker to identify you, the writer. Can be your first name or a nickname.) Kat
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Ja, mein Herr
How did you find us and decide to write with us? Cissy gave me the link, I checked it out and caught the AO bug.
If you have written other characters here, list them all: Kabir Ahmed, Vladislaus Dragulia, Dilly Morris

Full Character Name: Aleron Johannes Wilhelm

Character Birthday & Age: September 3, 1977; 31

City & Country of Birth: Heidelberg, Germany

Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn?: Technically pure, though his father is actually a Squib.

Alma Mater: Beit Gaddol, Or

Position: Professor of Runic Studies; Laevenstrome Fundunct of Sorcery. Currently on leave of absence, serving as an Auror Consultant with the British Ministry of Magic

Wand: Black Ash, 12 inches, smooth and springy, unadorned

Physical Description:
(Optional list)
Build/Body type: Small and wiry
Estimated Height/Weight: 5’7”, 150 lbs.
Hair color: Medium Brown
Eye color: Blue
Skin color: Fair; occasionally sunburned (especially the ears) if he forgets to bring his hat.

First Impression: Any odd/outstanding features? If running late he may not take the time to shave. He may have threadbare patches...even rips...in the knees of his trousers, from crawling around archaeological sites to examine runes and hieroglyphs up close.

Personality Description: Aleron is nerdy and mild-mannered, not shy but also not the sort to stand out in a crowd. He prefers to avoid conflict whenever possible. This may lead on occasion to his being taken advantage of, as he does not like to refuse a favor to a friend. In the case of female friends, he has an unfortunate susceptibility to tears. He often walks around with his nose buried in a book. Sometimes this is deliberate, if he sees someone he wishes to avoid. For instance someone who he knows is going to ask a favor, especially a favor that he knows is a bad idea…

History:
During the aftermath of the Holocaust, when most of the German survivors were emigrating to Israel, a number of Jews from the former Soviet Union escaped to Germany. Aleron’s parents, Johannes Wilhelm and Galina Rosenbaum, were born to two such families. They met as students at the University of Heidelberg, married and eventually ended up as professors. Both are now retired.  Johannes taught philosophy, Galina violin and cello. Aleron knew that his grandparents were all mages, but Johannes inherited no magical abilities and Galina did not like to make him feel inferior so the Wilhelms did not use magic at home.

In fact Aleron knew very little of such things until he was ten years old, and went with his father to see a traveling exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts. As he looked at the hieroglyphs they began to glow. When he asked his father what this meant, he was surprised and frightened to learn that Johannes did not see the glow. More frightening still, he told Aleron to keep quiet about it. That night they went see the Rabbi, who had known Aleron’s grandparents. He also knew that they were mages, and unlike more conservative Rabbis he did not have a problem with this. He told Aleron that while the Jewish religion frowns upon witchcraft and sorcery, nevertheless there had always been people who had such powers, and used them to help people. Aleron knew at once that he wanted to do the same. Thus it was that he was sent to Beit Gaddol, where he was sorted into Or. Among his Housemates was Dreogan Eleor, who was also to become his best friend...

Aleron excelled in school, eventually receiving twelve C.A.M.L’s (Certified Academic Mage Levels) consisting of eight O’s (outstanding), and four E’s (exceeds expectations) in his sixth year. After graduating from Beit Gaddol he spent a year at Kibbutz Erez, the magical kibbutz in the Negev. From there he went on to Hebrew University; where eventually he earned a PhD in Archaeology, which allows him to participate in Muggle expeditions.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field:

After his work at the Meroe pyramids in Sudan…in which he translated a carving which proved they were built in the era of 1500 BCE rather than the later time period that had previously been accepted…his expertise is widely sought, by both Mages and Muggles. He has also served as a consultant to military and law enforcement branches of various magical ministries, in cases where they encountered mysterious runes or other magical writing. On some occasions, for instance when writing has been done under duress…or when it is charmed to be interactive, text will glow for Aleron. He may even hear the writer’s voice.

As a former professor Aleron still loves to teach and will always take on a beginner, so long as there is genuine interest. He is also available as a mentor for interns.

Writing Sample:

Show your character in a scene that illustrates their best and worst aspects of their personality. Include action, dialog and thought.

The site was on the Ethiopian Massif, near the headwaters of the Blue Nile. The vegetation was typical savanna; which being suited to herd animals, it was hardly surprising that the site was located in the middle of a cow pasture.

Oblivious to the curious stares of the bovines...and that he had just crawled through a fresh offering...Aleron took a paintbrush and gently swept the last bit of dirt off the stone. Taking a magnifying glass from his pocket, he examined the writing. “Kushite,” he said to the man at his elbow.  “Approximately 1500 BCE...”

As he examined the glyphs they began to glow; which since this was a Muggle expedition of course he would not mention. Then as he looked closer the writing seemed to flow into different shapes altogether, and mysterious words came to his mind:

“Move downwind...please...”

Sum up your character in one paragraph: Aleron can be absent-minded. It isn’t that he doesn’t pay attention...he knows he didn’t shave this morning, he woke up late...and his socks don’t match because it’s his last clean pair. But faced with an intriguing puzzle...whether it involves ancient writing or human nature...he may focus in on that one thing so much that he doesn’t notice others. Things like ants crawling up his trousers, or a bat dive-bombing his head. If you take him into the jungle to look for the Sacrificial Well, he may just find it for you...by falling in while engrossed in reading a monograph about it.

But if he does, he will also find a cavern no one knew about, complete with ruins, hieroglyphs, and a calendar carved from jade.