Accepted! ~Elle

Your Nickname: Wild Rover
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? RPG Directory
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Griselle Knolly
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Alexandrina Gossett Knolly
Character Birthday & Age: May 23, 1965, 43
City & Country of Birth: Oxford, England
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts, Slytherin

Cover Job (If any):
Type of Criminal: Ex-Azzie
Allegiances / Loyalties / Political Faction: none as of yet

Have they committed any previous crimes?: Yes
If yes, what were they and were they convicted?: Following the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998 Alexandrina was convicted for treason, sedition, and assault.

Prior  to that she used the Imperious curse as a means of information gathering and sabotage.  She was never convicted for this

What crimes might you commit in the future?  Discuss all possible: Alexandrina plans to lay low, but will likely join forces with the WBA and do more of the same.  She acted mostly as an informant in her Death Eater days and could probably put those talents to use again.
Are you currently under pursuit by the Ministry of Magic?: No

Wand: Alexandrina is forbidden to carry a wand by law.

Physical Description: The first thing that most people notice about Alexandrina is that she's clearly been worn out and used up.  One could not say that she looks like she's seen better days, though.  Alexandrina looks like she hasn't seen any good days.  On top of her incurably unkempt look is a poor attempt to hide it, as if a pretty dress and bold lipstick are enough to distract from a wild mass of uncombed blond hair hair and dull, heavy-lidded eyes.

If one is brave enough to look further, they might find some features that could be considered beautiful, and they might even get the impression that Alexandrina could clean up really well.  Yes, she's a total mess.  Yes, she's got a large nose and a prominent chin.  And, yes, her body may be well past its prime.  She's also got soft, full lips, well-defined cheekbones, and round grayish blue eyes--all features that she passed on to her daughter Griselle.

Personality Description: Surprisingly, not that much has changed since Alexandrina went to Azkaban.  She's rougher around the edges to be sure, and her goals in life have shifted, but she's still very much the same person at her core.  Alexandrina has always been motivated primarily by the fear that she's not good enough and the desire to prove not just others but also herself that she is a perfectly respectable member of society.  It's been at least a minor factor in most of the bigger decision throughout her life including lying about her heritage, joining the Death Eaters, and (to a lesser extent) even getting married and having a child.

Even smaller mannerisms are affected by this fear.  Alexandrina tries hard to convince herself that she's still a proper lady and often tries too hard to act the part with speech and gestures that are overly formal and flowery.  She also finds it hard to keep up the charade without breaking character and is known to ruin her otherwise refined presentation with crude habits or colorful language.

Alexandrina's other primary motivator is her love for her daughter, though it's more than a little misguided, misplaced, and misinformed.  She has not seen her daughter in ten years, and when Griselle was a young child she was treated more like a lap dog, yet Alexandrina is convinced that she knows what's best for her daughter.  After becoming a mother, working in Griselle's best interest was just a big a factor in her decision making as her own fears of inadequacy.  Continuing to lie about her heritage was necessary to make sure Griselle would have a proper upbringing, and Alexandrina always insisted that she thought becoming a Death Eater was the best she could to make the world a better place for her young child.

On top of all that, Alexandrina can be quite manipulative and persuasive if she puts for the proper effort.  She used to make a point of knowing the right people and saying the right things, but she's currently very out of practice, and her social network is pretty much shattered.

History: Regina Brinley and Francis Gossett were betrothed as teenagers (as any Pureblood should be).  However, they weren't particularly fond of each other, and neither let their moral obligations get in the way of courting others.  Regina was not particularly concerned with blood purity, and at the age of seventeen began secretly dating the Muggle-born Bill Hamilton.  She continued to see Bill secretly for the next two years, until she began to suspect that she might be pregnant with his bastard child.  To avoid a scandal, she quickly ended the relationship, ran back to Francis, and the two were hastily married.

Francis was well aware that Alexandrina was not his, but he went along with the plan to save face.  Besides, he couldn't help but feel fatherly joy and pride over the birth of his wife's first child.  The Gossetts had two other daughters: Georgina was born four years after Alexandrina, and Arabella was born two years after her.

Alexandrina had a happy childhood, blissfully unaware that she was an illegitimate halfblood.  At the age of eleven, she went off to Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin.  Almost immediately, she began to show a real talent for charms and history, and she began to become something of an overachiever. 

She almost consistently excelled in all of her classes, except for a significant decline in her fourth year.  Right in the middle of all of the awkwardness of puberty, here parents decided she was old enough to know the truth about her parentage.  Alexandrina was understandably shook up by the news and didn't really begin to process it and move on until she was able to confide in her friend and classmate Lucas Knolly.

She never thought much of Lucas--other than he was a nice guy and mildly attractive--until he began to show concern for her suddenly foul mood and wouldn't leave her alone until she opened up about it.  She learned that he was also hiding a less than pure family tree, and sharing their secrets was the first thing that brought them together on a closer level.

Lucas and Alexandrina married a few years after graduating, and they made sure to walk the walk and talk the talk of a proper Pureblood couple, surrounding themselves with influential and well-known purists, making sure to say all the right things, and occasionally name dropping.

Their daughter Griselle was born in 1992, and for the first few years of her life she was the center of her parents' world.  However, when Voldemort came back into power, the Knollys found a cause that seemed more important than fawning over a young child.  The couple knew several Death Eaters well, and after only a little convincing Alexandrina and Lucas were among the new recruits.

Alexandrina quickly found her niche as an informant and information gathering.  She was rarely involved in any direct attacks or violence, but she proved to be useful in behind the scenes work: planning, organizing, researching, and sometimes recruiting.

Alexandrina did step out into the action for the Battle of Hogwarts, and after the battle was over, both she and her husband were promptly arrested.  Alexandrina was found guilty of treason, sedition, and assault.  Lucas ended up with heavier charged against him, including murder and use of the Cruciatus curse.

Alexandrina languished in Azkaban for the next ten years, and aside from the deterioration of her once elegant carriage and self-image she stayed surprisingly stable and seemed to be a good candidate for release.  She seemed to be genuinely remorseful (though, honestly more remorseful of mistakes she made and how she did things as opposed to her actions), and the love she felt for her daughter was almost inspiring.

Now, she's fresh out of Azkaban and living in a bridge house.  She desperately wants to get back in touch with her daughter, and she still hasn't given up on making that better world for her.

Writing Sample:

Sum up your character in one paragraph: Alexandrina Knolly is an Ex-Azzie with something of an inferiority complex and a strong desire to reconnect with a daughter she hardly knows.  She may have done some terrible things in the past (and may continue to do so in the future), but her intentions are in the right place.