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Your Nickname: Swift
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Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Peter Marcolf
Character Birthday & Age: January 7, 1997; age 12
City & Country of Birth: Birmingham, U.K.
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Muggleborn
House & Year: Hufflepuff First Year

Wand: Brittle canary wood with a core of dragon heartstring (specifically a Hebridean Black) and a carved, spiraling shaft.

Physical Description: He stands a little small for his age at 5'2", but is otherwise of a fairly average build, if a bit bookish. His bright ginger hair and round orange glasses make him stand out in most crowds. Behind the glasses, his eyes are a vivid blue. His rounded face is pale and spattered with freckles. As far as clothing goes, he has rather odd taste for a Muggleborn boy of his age, often wearing dress shirts with braces and tweed jackets. (He thinks it makes him look like an old soul, but he'd never tell anyone.)

Personality Description: Peter seems like he'd be a shy fellow, and usually he is reserved, but when a topic of conversation comes up that he's both knowledgeable about and interested in, it can be an ordeal to get him to stop talking. As a Muggleborn, he's still learning about wizarding prejudices so he treats members of all Houses fairly equally (with a touch of preference to fellow Hufflepuffs, of course.) Likewise he didn't come to Hogwarts with any preconceptions about Pureblood status. A students abilities and intelligence are more important to him, so he's not entirely immune to bias. Despite being an occasional snob in that area, he's fairly friendly if a bit of a know-it-all. However, as much as he may seem self-assured, he lacks self-confidence, especially given that he has to play catch-up to all his fellow students raised in wizarding culture. He has a strong need to prove himself, which almost landed him in Slytherin.

History: Peter is the only child of John and Lorelei Marcolf. The couple live in Birmingham, where Peter was born and raised. John is a banker; Lorelei has always been a housewife and amateur thespian. Their boy was a surprise to them later in their lives; John was nearly 40 when their son was born. John was also a workaholic, and though he loved his son, he saw precious little of him. Lorelei too was a loving, if somewhat absent parent, with her theater work and circle of friends. Thus Peter was left largely to his own devices once he was old enough to entertain himself. Spending several nights a week at a friend's home wasn't uncommon, and when at home he usually spent his time reading, watching television, or inventing games for himself. He learned to live in his own head to escape boredom.

Fortunately a solution that suited the whole family came to the Marcolfs when Peter turned eleven. All those weird little mysteries, like the neighbor's cat's fur disappearing, suddenly had an explanation; Peter was a wizard. It took some patient, gentle explanation and seeing Diagon Alley in person for John and Lorelei to really believe it, but once convinced they were delighted for their son. (Well, Lorelei anyway. John was still a little befuddled by the whole thing.)

Once Peter got over his own disbelief, he immediately delved into anything he could get his hands on. His parents had always been indulgent of his whims, so he convinced them to buy him a number of books from shops like Flourish and Blotts. He's barely scratched the surface of the wizarding world even well into his first year.

Already, though, his rose-colored glasses are being shattered. The werewolf attacks are something he doesn't quite know what to think about yet; the werewolves are people, but so are the victims, and people who are sick get quarantined to protect everyone else, right? It's a lot for a 12 year old to absorb.

How Do You Fit Into Your House?: Peter, while ambitious, is a strong believer in hard work and fair play. He wants to make it to the top (whatever he decides the top is) on his own merits. However, he doesn't quite fit into the usual Hufflepuff stereotype of modesty.

Writing Sample: Almost from the very moment Peter learned he was a wizard, he wanted a wand. And here he was, about to get one. In a shop. With his mother hovering over him, and a fussy little old shopkeeper looking through boxes. He would have been underwhelmed if the measuring tape hadn't done its job by itself. That alone was worth the trip. Even though the dusty little shop felt like somewhere that smiling simply wasn't allowed, Peter was grinning from ear to ear.

"Here, I think this might suit you. Applewood and unicorn hair. This wand is particularly pliable." Peter did his best to wipe the grin from his face and look dignified as he took the wand in hand and waved it through the air. Nothing happened. It was the third time he'd done so, but it only made him all the more curious as to how the shopkeeper would know when he'd found the right wand.

They went through what seemed every wand in the shop that day. A 10" yew wand with elaborate carvings, a very plain ebony one, phoenix feather and teak, elm and unicorn hair. All the wands seemed to blend together eventually. There had been a few that had seemed right in his hand, and he could have sworn he felt a heat emanating from them, but as soon as Ollivander put the last wand of the day in his hand, he knew. This one was different.

"Canary wood, with dragon heartstring core. A touch tempermental, perhaps, but in the right hands it should do just fine."

The wand swished through the air, sending a fine mist of water from the tip. Peter jumped and almost dropped the wand. His mother looked astonished... and damp.

"Er... sorry about that, mum."

Sum up your character in one paragraph: Peter's a friendly Hufflepuff, but one who wants to prove himself and move up in the Wizarding World. Being a first year, he still goes wide-eyed at things most older wizards take for granted, but he's a fast learner with a lot of ambition and the wherewithal to go far.