Accepted! ~Elle
Your Nickname: Lyssa
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? Web Search
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Mystique Ketteridge, Trina Quinn, Evie Pascal, Chalmers Holt, Ringo Cavendar (inactive/secondary)
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary
Full Character Name: Shamera Blake Harvey
Character Birthday & Age: November 15, 1985. 23
City & Country of Birth: London, England
Blood Purity: Pureblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts. Slytherin.
Cover Job (If any): Owner/Bartender The Underground
Type of Criminal: Bounty Hunter
Allegiances / Loyalties / Political Faction: Whichever pays best
Have they committed any previous crimes?: Yes
If yes, what were they and were they convicted?: Started out with petty theft. She then eventually started doing work as a bounty hunter, working blackmail for whomever paid her. She has also done a bit of theft. Sham has never been convicted, as she’s well learned how to clean up after herself. She’s also beyond mastered the memory wiping charm and uses it when she needs to. Shamera also sometimes does jobs looking more male, which also helps her hide her trail.
What crimes might you commit in the future? Discuss all possible: More of the same. The blackmail and theft would be the main ones. She’s not necessarily against murder, but the pay would have to be incredibly significant.
Are you currently under pursuit by the Ministry of Magic?: No
Wand: 8 1/2 inches. Almond with Padauk grip. Dragon Heartstring insert. Pliable with a spiraled shaft. The wand is well taken care of, and always kept in such good condition.
Physical Description: Shamera is average height at 5’7” tall. Despite that average height, she makes up for it in her demeanor and use of heels when in public. She has almond shaped blue eyes, that are often lined in black to help them stand out. A rounded face, and average lips also make up the rest of her features. A few freckles may be seen on her face, but she often covers them up the best she can. Her favorite facial feature may very well be her nose, which isn’t too fat, nor too thin, and isn’t too pointed or too rounded. Just the right size, she would say. Combined all together, she’s often called pretty. But her features also lend her a slightly sinister look, which she believes helps her gain her clients and helps them to believe what she’s capable of doing.
Her body shape wouldn’t be described as curvy, but she’s pleased with it nonetheless. Sham is quite pleased with the size of her chest. Not necessarily small, but manageable when she requires binding if portraying someone of the opposite sex. Altogether, her physical appearance is what helps her earn her money when doing her work at The Underground.
Sham’s favorite part of herself would most likely be her hair. The shade is a darker red that, in the sun, appears more ginger. In the shadows, it looks more brown with just a hint of red. She finds that being a redhead sets her apart from most others, and likes that. When she needs anonymity, she turns to transfiguration, but is most often seen with her natural hair color.
Personality Description: The best word to describe Shamera would simply be “charming”. She has well learned how to please others and uses that best to her advantage. The majority of her youth was spent in the abyss of London where she would just sit and watch people. There she learned how to blend in, stand out, and hide. Stealth would also be one of Sham’s strong suits, as well as social camouflage.
However much she learns to camouflage though, there’s one thing she’s not been as good at, controlling her temper. She has been getting a lot better at it, but every so often she might lose control. But it's a lot better than in her past. A man once thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of her, and ended up in St. Mungos for weeks. He suffered an affliction that a new cure had to be made for and the inability to remember the last three years of his life.
As for those who know her best, they’ll tell you she’s more loyal than any Gryffindor. Sham would say she only has a few “best friends” but also finds getting too close to too many people can leave you with problems. She will feign being your friend if it will benefit her, but will never let you get too close until you’ve proved yourself trustworthy. Shamera also finds men the least trustworthy, because of all the problems her mother had with her father. Because of this, she doesn’t believe in love, only lust.
If Shamera ever met her father, she’d most likely be the cause of his death for the emotional pain he caused her mother. If Sham ever loved anyone, that would be her mother. The woman brought her up in the most difficult situations, and would be the only weak point on the usually hard young woman. At 23, she’s been through a lot of hard times, which have built her into the person she is. But she’s thankful for what’s shaped her, and wouldn’t have changed it as she does enjoy what she does.
History: Alexis Harvey (previously Grumman) gave birth to her darling daughter Shamera Harvey at twenty. Christian Harvey, an American wizard who charmed the younger girl, was thirty. The two thought they were in love when the got married a year before she was born. Perhaps her mother really was in love, but Sham learned that her father’s feelings were all just lies. After she was born, he realized he couldn’t deal with a daughter and left the two females to try and survive in the heart of London. Probably off to cross the globe leaving a trail of offspring he couldn’t take care off, and the poor women who fell for his charm.
As she grew older, Sham learned how to pick pockets and was able to gain leftovers from restaurants that took pity on her. Her mother worked small jobs in Diagon Alley, having left her wealthy family in Russia and leaving behind a large inheritance. Sham never found out Alexis’ reasoning for this, and didn’t even know of her other family’s existence until she was older. And also, Alexis never quite knew of Shamera’s excursions when she was at work. But the two were able to make it through, and were happy. Sham spent most of her time outdoors, and still feels most comfortable in the concrete jungle of London. That was where she learned the most about herself, and how to trick people into trusting her.
When the girl turned 11 and got her letter to Hogwarts, she didn’t want to go. If she left, how would she be able to make sure her mother had enough to pay rent and get food? After a month of saying no whenever her mother brought it up, her mother got offered a well paying, steady job as a manager of one of the Diagon shops. It was then that her mother demanded she go to the school. Her mother wanted her to get a good wizarding education, as she wouldn’t be able to teach all herself.
Though she’d been to Diagon before with her mother, there was something different when she was there to buy her school items. With her mother, they were able to get all they needed. The most exciting thing that day was the wand. Sham was given an interesting look because of the materials used in her wand. They were often used for darker magic and charms. Sham didn’t care about this at the time, but now knows the significance it must have played in her future.
As soon as she got to Hogwarts, Sham was decided she changed her mind. For the first couple months she would send an owl to her mother informing her of everything. Getting sorted into Slytherin, making acquaintances, taking classes, as well as the food. Eventually her letters got shorter and fewer. She felt oddly at home in the big stone castle. There were plenty of places to hide and much to learn. Her two favorite things though, were learning Charms and Transfiguration. She excelled in these two subjects, receiving top marks in them. She soaked in all that was taught, and also finished near the top in her year.
After Hogwarts, Sham went back to almost the same life she had before school. Except now, she had magic to aid her. Some of the teachers expected her to do much more, but she preferred a simple life. She was able to afford a cheap place in London near the Leaky Cauldron, working part time there as a bartender. Eventually she started her role as a bounty hunter, hired to get money that was owed to others from those who owed it. It was a very lucrative business, Sham learned. Charms and Transfiguration came in incredibly useful for her in hiding herself, getting the money out of others, and keeping under the radar of the Ministry all the while.
Through one of her jobs, she made a friend in Melanthe Grumman. Sham was also surprised to find that the two were cousins, related through her mother. Sham hadn’t known any family besides her mother, and enjoyed knowing she had more family out there. Then, because of Melanthe, Shamera was able to purchase an old building in Diagon Alley, expand the basement, and create a nightclub called The Underground. No one knows of Melanthe’s assistance except for Sham, and she was fine with that. The “unknown benefactor” was the reason Sham was able to keep even more under the Ministry’s eye. They all saw her as the charming owner of The Underground, which was now one of the most popular wizarding nightlife places. She’s been able to make quite a profit off both of her jobs, and often still sends money back to her mother to make sure she’s still doing well.
Writing Sample: BOOP.
Sum up your character in one paragraph: Shamera Harvey is loyal to the few people she trusts, and can be incredibly cruel to those who get on her bad side. A street urchin at heart, pick-pocketing as a child led her to her life as a bounty hunter for the dark side of the wizarding world. For those who just meet her, she’s charming and playful as the owner of The Underground. Her extremely dark side is only seen by those who won’t remember it, and has a way of making people stay quiet if they did recognize her. She’s crafty and knows how to be what people want, and uses that for both jobs, as a bounty hunter and Nightclub owner/bartender.
*Also, Erika and I have talked about Melanthe's association with Shamera.
Shamera Harvey: Bounty Hunter, Owner of The Underground