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Full Character Name: Atticus Orin Pennyapple
Character Birthday & Age: February 2, 1991
City & Country of Birth: Blackpool, England
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Pureblood
House & Year: Slytherin 7th year
Wand: 10 5/8”  Ash, Phoenix Feather, Springy, Spiral Shaft

Physical Description: Brown hair, Hazel eyes, about 5'11” in height. Eyes are sunken into his head a little making him look somewhat in a haze. Wears darker set clothing often consisting of long sleeve shirts and long hair covering his face. Generally has a grin on his face as if laughing at some private joke and refusing to share it with outsiders. His fingers are constantly smudged with ink or dirt from the pitch which in turn causes his face to don the black smudges as well. So he has to constantly scrub his nails in order to keep them as clean as his mother would like. His eyebrows are kept in check by plucking, and tweezing where need be and his eye lashes are longer than the average male's.

When going out to a social event, or to family function Atticus is dressed to the nines by his mother's fashion sense. Well fitted pants, snappy tie, well formed shoes, and of course a nice set of robes. Atticus is not allowed to be seen as a popper in front of people who might judge their family.

Personality Description: Atticus is inventive, creative, laid back and  both comfortable being both solitary and around others. Atticus is self sufficient not needing others approval to survive socially. He is therefore choosy in his friendships and makes several strong connections rather than a few flighty and easily fractured ones. His favorite activity is to take pictures or sketch. Though he isn't terribly athletic he does spend time bumming around the Quidditch pitch while his house mates practice he doodles all over one of his many notebooks. His fingers are constantly smudged with ink which in turn causes his face to don the black smudges as well.

He is a perfectionist at heart not happy until a project is complete and to his standards. His main concentration isn't on academics but when he works on a project he goes full force.

Atticus finds that his sarcasm and wit can protect him from most of the dangers he faces inside a house full of overly ambitious snipes. He isn't against step over someone if it means he gets a bigger piece of the pie. His goals when he leaves school is to live off his artwork; photography, sketchings, and paintings. If that doesn't work out he isn't above using other means to support himself.  

Social problems are often associated with the Pennyapple boys, most of them creating a feeling of isolation unless others know them and break through it. They however found constant companions with one another. William the oldest was the more outspoken and ambitious of the other younger two. Atticus and Vincent being only two years apart share similar temperaments but Vincent has more social climbing interests than his older brother.

Skilled with a steady hand and a photographic memory from sketching he is rather adept at forging signatures and handwriting. It takes some studying but once he gets it down he can do it off hand and easily when he requires the skill later.
 
When he is upset or down he tends to shut off from the world. Instead of lashing out which is what he wants to do, he instead closes himself off and isolates. His brothers worry about this greatly because when their brother gets truly upset it takes him time to come out of it. Atticus has trouble relating to some people and prefers to keep himself among those he fits in with.

Since he is relatively quiet, he is a good listener. Atticus prides himself on his ability to keep his trap shut when important things are relayed to him, and often enjoys being in the confidence of people out of the ordinary.

When Atticus isn't drawing or getting into things he shouldn't he enjoys playing guitar. Often playing to calm his nerves. Atticus likes to practice in empty classrooms or near the lake when it's warm.

History: Donovan Pennyapple is the middle son of three born to Greggory and Samantha Pennyapple. His parents were of old money, having had many years of different investments as well as jobs in and around the ministry to maintain their lifestyles and their family. Their boys are Kevin, Donovan, and Alan. Each child was soon joined with their picked partners for life Kevin married Margaret Grant, Donovan married Alissa Moon, and Alan married Anne O'Connor. Donovan a Slytherin alumni much like his family married Alissa Moon a Ravenclaw alumni two winters after he left school and one after she did.

They only knew each other through family functions because their circles didn't mesh but married life wasn't as cold and dreadful as many others. There were some awkward moments, but first they grew to tolerate, then grew to care, and eventually even to love. He had his moods, but Alissa could follow him and one up him in many respects. The couple welcomed three children into their lives in quick succession. First William, then Atticus, and followed up soon after by Vincent.

The boys were raised mostly by nannies and tutors. Their parents were often busy both with social events and one another. Donovan was the break out of his brothers, where they were involved in the ministry and it's workings, he took to Quidditch and supplies. Donovan became a quality broom maker, and often helps design the next big broom.

Money being good as it was, he is often seen splurging on high end things and his three children never had to want for anything. Alissa remained a socialite and often spent time with the wives of the other three Pennyapple men while the children were sent off to play awkwardly with one another. William (b. 1988) was the oldest of the children followed by Roberta (b. 1989) only daughter of their uncle Kevin. Next in age was Atticus (b. 1991) who kept mostly to himself laying back under the radar when his two cousins from his uncle Alan's marriage; Greta(b. 1991) and Lennox(b. 1992) caused trouble for the youngest boy his little brother Vincent(b. 1993). The families lived near one another, sharing much of their personal struggles as well as future ambitions.

Atticus felt most like he belonged on the outside. While the children played outside running about with brooms in hand, he enjoyed doodling and drawing. As he got older his skillful hand improved to wear he was sketching faces, figures, and landscapes. When his oldest brother went off to school, Atticus was the oldest in the house and was the person Vincent went to for most of his problems. This created a closer bond with the two young brothers, which continued to bloom into their years at Hogwarts.

When his eleventh year rolled around Atticus found himself placed in Slytherin house along with his older brother and not far behind his little brother. His brother joined the Quidditch team, and Vincent was interested in charms club, while Atticus with his less than stellar scores made friends with people more suited to his personality. His grades in school were not due to his lack of intelligence, they were more due to lack of interest in the subject matter. Atticus enjoys Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and dabbles a bit in Potions. Though he enjoys those classes he doesn't extend any extra effort because his future goals are less academic.

With time on his hands, Atticus practiced a new craft he read about in a book and began to work on his skill for forging not just signatures but also full documents. At first it was for fun sending his parents letters from his older brother claiming to be leaving school to follow his dream of performing in musical theatre up to letters to his teachers from his parents. His hand is steady and he spends much of his time studying the work before he attempts to recreate it but he finds that the ability to recreate others work may benefit him in the future.

His brother has since left school and Atticus has come more into his own being more out going and enjoying school more. He has even improved his grades in school, but not to the extent that his parents wished. His goals for when he leaves school are ambitious in that he wants to live off his art not his wand. Atticus is under the belief that if he was meant to be a wand brandishing nut like his brother (who is interning for the ministry) he would have had a sign a long time ago. Instead he found a camera in one hand and pencils in the other. Who needed a better sign than that?

If his first option falls through than he plans to survive anyway possible from living off his inheritance to using his other talents for less savory means. As long as the ends justify the means, he has no qualms with going all in.

How Do You Fit Into Your House?: Ambitious but not in the same respect of many of his house mates. He dreams of glory coming from his artwork rather than through academic achievement or a fancy career. What he wants is a glory all his own, much like the Weird Sisters are household names in the music world, he wanted to take the world by storm with his pictures from his point of view. Both through photography and sketches.

Writing Sample:
Show your character in a scene that illustrates the best and worst aspects of their personality. Include action, dialog and thought.
They had another one of those nights where Atticus just wanted to shut the girl up in the common room who wouldn't stop with her constant rambling. He had been around his brother for a bit and when Vincent wandered off to be with his other friends, Atticus stayed behind with a book in one hand and a sketch pad under his left. Going back and forth between reading and drawing a rather dreadful picture of the girl talking covered in pustules he didn't hear Nicola, a friend of his, walk up.

It wasn't until she pushed his shoulder. Maybe the blather of the first year had gotten to her too or she was on a mission but the silence remained as she nodded to the exit. “Right,” he said quietly scooping up his things and smiling at the little picture he drew. The paper was worthy of framing, he was sure of it.  

Slinking towards the door quietly, Atticus adjusted his long sleeve shirt to stop it from riding up his arm any more. Rolling his head around his neck, he felt a few stress relief pops as they walked down the hall. They ghosted the halls as if they were barely there. It wasn't long before it dawned on him where they were headed, 'ah of course' he thought with a sly smile the two crept into their favourite classroom closing the door behind them charming it shut tight.

“So tell me Nic, what's weighing on your mind?” Atticus asked as he wandered to a desk sitting on it and giving her his most inquisitive look. If he wasn't careful he might look like someone trying to counsel the other student the way he was propped up...

Sum up your character in one paragraph: Independent, artistic, and full of sarcasm. Atticus is comfortable in an empty room or a large crowd as long as he can be himself. Driven by the need for perfection in his work, Atticus can be overbearing when he is working on something near to his heart. Mostly he is laid back and rolls with the punches trying to keep himself under the radar and out of view of those hoping to guide him towards their view of what he should be.