Character Name: Alexandra Carstairs
Age: 16
Please provide a link to their Application: Here
Do any of your other Characters have Special Abilities? No
If Yes, then Please provide their name and a link to their bio:
 
What level is this ability at? Intermediate
At what age did your character gain this ability? Aged 12

The day Alex returned from her first year at Hogwarts, her Father, an accomplished legilimens and occlumens, began to teach her to use Occlumency. His methods were not the most orthodox, but they were undoubtedly effective, and by the time of her return to Hogwarts, she was already able to use Occlumency. It took longer before she was able to use Legilimency, particularly because her Father rarely got her to practice it, but eventually, she managed that too. Her lessons have continued every holiday since.

Of course, she didn't just rely on him. The gap between them was already too wide to allow it, and Alex sought further information from her favourite source: books. There were a number in her own home on the subject, ones that she assumed belonged to her Father, and when she returned to Hogwarts that September there were more available, although some of them were frustratingly off-limits in the restricted section. Already weighed down with several volumes, of varying levels of interest and reliability, Alex bided her time.

As ever, there was only one person who was party to her trials: her best friend, Theo Whitman. At first, he was only use as a source of constant and frequently unanswerable stupid questions, but Alex was still happy to be able to pass on her own, limited, knowledge of how to achieve both. He wasn't as quick to learn as she had been - but they both had lessons and homework to do, and he had less motivation to do so. The competition between them - unspoken, and not especially intense, but slightly more so than the harmless rivalry between two friends - helped her improve more rapidly, Alex's development improved by the knowledge that, come summer, she would be home again and exposed to her Father's less pleasant lessons.


Alex isn't so delusional as to assume that her thoughts are of unique worth, or that she is likely to have her mind forced open for another's viewing. But likely isn't certain, and the security that knowing that her mind is inviolable is one that she treasures. Furthermore, the skills required to develop Occlumency and Legilimency are useful to her in her studies, her ability to focus and recall enhanced.

She uses both talents most often when practicing them. Outside of that, she uses Occlumency to prevent her Father from using Legilimency against her. Legilimency, she uses even less, lacking the motivation to do so. Theo is the one more concerned with controlling others, whereas Alex doesn't think that it's worth the effort. Despite her own dislike of others reading her thoughts, Alex doesn't concern herself with the moral issues surrounding the privacy of another's thoughts, and is instead more worried about the problems that would arise from getting caught.

At present, Alex is capable of the most basic level of Occlumency - that is, preventing a Legilimens from reading her thoughts - although against a skilled Legilimens, it's likely that her defences would eventually fail. Even if unable to protect against an attack, she would still be able to tell that one was taking place. The more advanced method of suppressing individual memories, and allowing the Legilimens to see others, she can use occasionally, but she's far from mastering it and thus far her attempts have been inconsistent.

Legilimency, she can use when she has her wand in hand, and ideally when making eye contact. However, her Legilimency is much weaker than her Occlumency, and although it has improved through her practices with Theo, it is still ineffective against Occlumency.

When using either, Alex is unable to do anything other than focus on maintaining the spell, becoming nearly oblivious to her surroundings, although she still responds to auditory stimuli. After using Legilimency for anything other than the briefest of uses, she suffers from intense headaches, with the same applying to more prolonged use of Occlumency.

Character Name: Alex Carstairs
Age: 17
Please provide a link to their Application: Here
Do any of your other Characters have Special Abilities? Yes
If Yes, then Please provide their name and a link to their bio: Alex Carstairs, Legillimens/Occlumens
 
What level is this ability at? Intermediate
At what age did your character gain this ability? 17

Like everyone born into the wizarding world, Alex was aware of animagi and how they differed from merely transforming oneself into an animal from an early age. It was, she decided, something that she would like to be able to do when she was older. Although she put considerable effort into it during her first few years at Hogwarts, she made little progress and as she grew older her interest fluctuated, sometimes more focused on the theoretical and sometimes with the purpose of becoming an animagus herself.

It was the Nightshades that galvanised Alex to really push for the transformation. The others were animagi, and able to skulk off into the night together, leaving her behind. Of course, she had Naomi for company – but although she respected the younger girl, far more than she did almost any other fourth year, it still rankled, and Alex felt that she was excluded, even within the small group. The others did nothing to suggest as such, other than a few discussions about being animagi that Alex was unable to participate in, but the Ravenclaw still found the divide frustrating.

Not to mention that being incapable, no matter that others wouldn’t view it as such, was entirely inexcusable.

Although her friends were barely past the transformation themselves, they were still happy to help Alex, with advice that was sometimes useful and sometimes nonsensical, and the occasional jab about what she might transform into. But through their assistance, and no small amount of determination, Alex began to improve, even if it didn’t always feel like it.


Alex mainly uses the ability with the Nightshades, at least for the moment. Being considerably smaller normal and able to put on a considerable turn of speed means that sneaking around the castle is far easier, and has enabled her to properly explore the rooftops of Hogwarts. (The gargoyles are a fascinating bunch.)

She doesn’t use it often during the day; classes are too frequent and the transformation requires too much effort on her behalf to make the change worthwhile. And, despite being far less conspicuous than the others, the sooty falcon is non-native to Scotland and Alex worries that a keen ornithologist might note this.

And who’s to say that it won’t be an advantage in future? Alex would be reluctant to explain why, exactly, she thinks the ability to fly away at will could be useful, but… it could be. Luck favours the prepared, after all.

But even if she never needs to use the transformation, being able to fly without assistance, even as poorly as Alex does, is well worth the effort she put in.

Alex transforms into a sooty falcon. Slightly smaller than average, her feathers are darker than usual: black, and a deeper grey for the back. She has scarring on her talons which correspond to the scars on her hand, which were caused by her overly aggressive owl.

But leaping off a building and soaring away before touching the ground is still, for Alex, a distant dream. Unlike more practiced animagi, Alex needs time to make the transformation, firstly to begin it, then to complete it, and then to become accustomed to the different limbs it involves. Although she can fly, it is ungainly and would quickly be noticed by someone watching as abnormal. Furthermore, she requires a wand to transform, and finds it difficult to maintain for long periods of time, in addition to being worried that she’ll be unable to return to human form if she waits too long to attempt the return. Flying requires considerable amounts of energy, and when human again she is often exhausted.

As for others – aside from a few hairs plucked with a sharp beak from a snow leopard that wouldn’t keep its paws to itself, and possibly a few students up past curfew glimpsing a falcon soaring around at night, there has been minimal impact on anyone else.

Special Title Request

Character Name: Alex Carstairs
Title Applying For: Vice President of Duelling Club
Character Biography: http://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=9498.0

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:
 A sharp tongue and a refusal to back down mean that she has been in more than her fair share of duels, and a desire to learn and, perhaps more significantly, a desire not to lose, mean that she is a better dueller than most her age. That aside, Alex enjoys duelling for its own sake, she has attended the duelling club regularly since her arrival at Hogwarts, being appointed president at the beginning of the sixth year. As president, she worked closely with Gracie to make sure that the club was successful and now has a better understanding of how to run the meetings.

What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?
Alex is bent on making the duelling club the best it possibly can be. In her opinion, duelling is an excellent way to apply what you have learnt in class in a practical manner, as well as forcing the individual to think quickly. Duelling may not be the most practical application of magic, but it is one of the most taxing and to be successful, you require a variety of skills. The vice president of duelling club is needed to support the president and help to make sure that the club runs smoothly, as a watchful eye is needed to keep the sessions relatively calm and without major incident.

Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle:  
Alex takes her own responsibilities seriously, and her refusal to fail alone would provide sufficient drive for her to try and make duelling club as successful and versatile as possible. Having been in charge of duelling club, she has tried to prevent it from descending into a platform for petty rivalries to take place and make sure that when tempers did flare they were dealt with swiftly. Confident in her own abilities, Alex has no qualms about offering constructive criticism to others and intervening if she deems it necessary.

Special Title Request

Character Name: Alexandra Carstairs
Title Applying For: Ravenclaw Prefect
Character Biography: http://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=9498.0

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:
As a diligent student, Alex has consistently been an involved member of the student body. She is driven and works hard to make sure that she does well in class, including having tutoring sessions with the charms professor, Rick Donovan, as she has a natural aptitude and wants to improve on it.

However, her most relevant experience is that of presidency, and later vice-presidency, of duelling club, giving her prior experience of a leadership position over other students that few have. It taught her many valuable skills, including the importance of tactful communication and the ability to work with others as part of a team. She also gained experience at organising events, and particularly (given the nature of duelling club) at avoiding potential problems, and how to deal with what problems did arise.


What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?
The ability to co-operate with the other prefects and staff members, or failing that, to keep disagreements to a manageable size and to yourself. If the prefects argue, they publically undermine each other and diminish their reputation. Alex is tactful where necessary, and being well aware of the enthusiasm and energy of her fellow students she will offer a more reasoned approach during meetings, helping to temper exuberant suggestions to ones which are more realistic, and helping to ensure that the prefects are able to work together productively, even for such small things as their patrolling the corridors.

Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle:  
As president of duelling club, Alex displayed leadership qualities, showing a great deal of personal self-restraint in carrying out her duties and dealing with problems swiftly and capably