Hogwarts School: A Harry Potter RPG

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→ CHARACTER INFORMATION.

Name: Gawain Sophus Rhydderch

Birthday: 11 May

Hometown: Glasgow

Bloodline:
Muggleborn / Halfblood / Pureblood / Unknown

Magical Strength (pick one):
Divination / Transfiguration / Charms / Conjuring & Summoning

Magical Weakness (pick one):
Divination / Transfiguration / Charms / Conjuring & Summoning

Year (pick two): First Year (please), Second Year

Biography:


An ancient pureblood clan, the Rhydderchs; family lore passed on from generation to generation traces their descent from North British rulers of the 6th Century. This assertion is strengthened by the fact that the byname, at least, is referred to in ancient Welsh poetry. The earliest one recorded - the common progenitor of the modern-day Rhydderchs - is one Euphemius Rhadderch (the name eventually underwent linguistic transition to become the modern-day Rhydderch), who lived only two generations after the time of the Four Founders. They are known for their gifted intellects, for the Rhydderch are wont to produce some of the brightest minds in each generation. They have a reputation of nobility, brightness, fairness, and uprightness. Really an ideal lot and decent human beings, they just have one problem - an unhealthy obsession with blood purity.

For you see the Rhydderch would never mouth off a foul word as 'mudblood', for that is ignoble. Nor do they hold Muggles or the Muggleborn in any kind of contempt. For many Muggleborns have historically been friends and associates with Rhydderchs - Euphemius Rhadderch's best friend is said to have been Muggleborn. But when it comes to marriage - no, absolutely not; blood must be kept cleansed from any trace of non-magic!

Rhydderch blood must be kept enriched with magical talent, for that is where their honor and prestige in the Wizarding world lies, and honor is inherited through blood. For this reason, they preferably marry within the family (though they are willing to marry into other pureblood families) and most marriages are arranged from birth and conducted early. Note that, like a considerable majority of the global populace, the Rhydderchs do not consider consanguineous marriage to be incestous.

In such ambience was one Atticus Rhydderch reared, the Head of the House Rhydderch being his own father, Arcturus Rhydderch. Atticus was informed at a young age that he was bethrothed to his first cousin Helena Rhydderch, his father's brother's daughter. Now, young Atticus was a boy who was quick to get attached, and knowing he was going to spend the rest of his life with his cousin, grew quite fond of her as they grew, even if at that prepubescent age he did not really know of all the intricate details of the marital contract that are restricted to adult knowledge. Helena too was quite fond of her cousin ever since they were children. Then came the time when, as generations of their ancestor Rhydderchs before them, Helena Rhydderch came to be eleven whole years old.

Only, she could not perform magic. It simply did not exist for Helena Rhydderch.

Now, a Squib was considered to be an anomaly among the Rhydderchs. Men of honour that they were, they still dealt kindly with Squibs, allowing them to inherit their lot in the Rhydderch wealth but encouraging them to move on to live with Muggles in any case. Also, it was necessary for Squibs by ancient family custom to forego the use of the surname Rhydderch, and they could never marry within the Rhydderch family. Thus, Helena Rhydderch became Helena Smith, her childhood engagement to her cousin Atticus was terminated, and she started going to Muggle School at her parents' behest.

She was fourteen when the Rhydderch Heir, Atticus Rhydderch, was accepted into Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and by his Fifth Year Atticus Rhydderch had once again brought immense glory and honour to the Rhydderch name; sorted into Ravenclaw (one of the two traditional Rhydderch Houses because of their 'learning', the other being Slytherin because of their 'cunning'), singularly gifted in Charms, School Prefect, and consistently the highest achiever in his Class.

The future in the Wizarding world was bright for Atticus Rhydderch, and nonexistent for Helena Smith.

But then things went south.

Yes, Helena had grown into quite a fair lady, but it was not her fairness that attracted Atticus to his ex-childhood-bethrothed. It was rather a combination of his fond childhood memories of her, and her own "Rhydderch-ness": her keen intellect and copious wisdom, her love of philosophy, her flawless mastery of the intricacies of language, and her passion for that strange Potions-like Muggle science that was oh-so-fascinating in the early twentieth century (Chemistry). Indeed, the fifteen-year-old soon found himself quite smitten with his eighteen-year-old cousin. Helena was perceptive, so she noticed, but he was the Rhydderch Heir - the eldest son of an eldest son of an eldest son of an eldest son! - and she was but a rejected Squib with Rhydderch blood. Yes, she reciprocated his feelings, but their's was a union that was inconceivable!

The intrinsic nobility of character that they had been reared in prevented them both from trying anything behind their parents' backs - even meeting one another. But their hearts were one, as the seed sown in childhood was now a blossoming tree. They both realized what brought order to their hearts would bring chaos to their families. It all felt rather cruel: despite growing up believing they would live til the end of their days together, now that they actually understood the meaning of marriage and love, now that their hearts longed for each other, it had become forbidden to them.

Three years of awkwardness later, when Atticus had been graduated from Hogwarts for over a year, his parents tried to set him up with a third cousin-once-removed. Atticus Rhydderch, at once, rebelled, declaring his love for Helena and proposing marriage to her. Now, much to the horror and dismay of the Rhydderch Elders, including Helena's own father, Helena, being a Squib stripped of Rhydderch status, had no ancient custom prohibiting her from saying 'yes'.

The Heir of Rhydderch had rebelled against medieval customs and married a Squib!

The House of Rhydderch shook, and shook like it had not shaken in four hundred years.

The Elders assembled. Ancient customs and punishments were discussed, voted and vetoed. Some suggested Atticus Rhydderch should be disowned entirely, and lobbied against in the Pureblood Societies as a rejected outcast. Others merely wished to strip him of his inheritance, yet others opined he and his 'wife' be cast out into the Muggle world, banished forever. Of course, there was a wider Wizarding World outside the Rhydderchs that cared not for their internal family disputes, and not everyone was for or against Atticus' decision, neither was every suggestion thrown onto the round table even feasible.

Atticus knew he could no longer live in peace because of the ridicule that came with being a disowned pureblood. Ultimately, to spare both his unborn child and his wife the fate of living in the Wizarding World as outcasts, Atticus Rhydderch forewent his status as Rhydderch Heir - it passing to his younger brother Lancelot - and his inheritance, deciding to move out of the Rhydderch Estate. With some help from his friends, he gathered enough funds to purchase a humble but cozy abode somewhere in Glasgow, Muggle Scotland, where he settled with his now pregnant wife.


Sir Gawain was a knight associated with nobility and loyalty. Ironic that Atticus named his son Gawain, for he often felt he had been disloyal to his family customs when he had chosen Helena over them - not that he had ever regretted that decision. But Atticus was still a Rhydderch, status notwithstanding, and all Rhydderchs admired nobility and intelligence. Thus, the name of the loyal Gawain was chosen for the blue-eyed blabbering bundle that was put in Atticus' arms at the Muggle Hospital where Helena delivered him. Sophus, meaning 'Wisdom', was chosen as a middle name, for wisdom and philosophy were something both Rhydderch Parents treasured.

For them, he was the symbol of their love. For three of the new Grandparents, he became a heart-softener and they eventually forgave their children and started visiting the outcast Rhydderchs regularly. But the fourth Grandparent, Helena's father, refused to even acknowledge Gawain's existence, and only referred to him as "traitor-spawn" or "illegitimate child" when he had to speak of him.

In any case, Gawain grew up well shielded from his toxic maternal grandfather, showered in love and attention by his parents, and frequent visits by his remaining grandparents. Gawain was a Rhydderch both maternally and paternally, and thus, like all Rhydderchs, he inherited aptitude and intellectual skill, and much like his mother, who had become a Chemistry professor at the Muggle University of Glasgow, four year old Gawain showed particular acumen for vials and tubes (and Atticus predicted he would become a great Potioneer one day in the Wizarding World).

At the tender age of eight Gawain ended up causing havoc with his first case of accidental magic, when he accidentally made the front bars of a lion's cage disappear during a family trip to the Zoo. The large, obsidian-maned king of beasts was quickly loose, but the predicament was promptly fixed by the intervention of Atticus, who saved both his son and quite a few Muggles that day from becoming kitty fodder. Muggle memories were altered as they often were in such cases, and all was well that ended well.

Except that it was official: Gawain Rhydderch was meant to be a Wizard.

It did not take long for the news to reach the extended House of Rhydderch that Helena the Squib's blood had not tainted Atticus Rhydderch's progeny in the slightest. For an unprecedented second time in less than a decade, the House of Rhydderch shook to its core.

Again, the Elders assembled. Ancient customs, laws and punishments were discussed, voted and vetoed. A few great-uncles of Gawain (uncles of Atticus and Helena, for their own great-uncles were by now quite gone) suggested that Gawain Rhydderch had nothing to do with the House of Rhydderch, for his father had betrayed their customs and married a Squib. He was not Rhydderch in anything but name.

Some elder distant cousins-x-times-removed reasoned that Gawain Rhydderch had no burden of the 'misdeeds' of his parents; futhermore, he may have inherited the magical talent of his father, Atticus, and his grandfather, Arcturus, so could very well be the next noble and brilliant Rhydderch mind to grace the Wizarding World. In such case scenario, maintaining no connection to him or his father ultimately deprived the House itself.

Other elder distant cousins-x-times-removed - a minority, unfortunately - considered that the Rhydderchs had forgotten the meaning of 'nobility', and that nothing that Atticus or Helena had ever done was a misdeed, and their child deserved neither so much contempt nor such attention as he had not even really done anything at all.

Back over in Muggle Scotland, Atticus ignored his bickering elders as if they did not exist, and focused his attention to earning a living for his wife and son. He told Gawain everything about the Wizarding world, about magic, and about his and Gawain's mother's history and the House of Rhydderch. Gawain was a bright boy, and understood quite a bit, even though the idea of magic both amazed and terrified him. Atticus told him about Hogwarts, and how he would most likely be getting an invite from the School when he was eleven.

Needless to say, having to wait those three years was aggravating for the Rhydderch boy.

Nothing significant ever really happened for those three years in Gawain's life. He knew about magic now, and his father engraved it into his core that he was not to speak of this to another soul, especially not his school-friends. Gawain, naturally, obeyed. Sometimes his father would demonstrate basic spells to him, much to his astonishment, often as a reward for being a high achiever in his Muggle School, a position he studiously and meticulously strove to maintain.

On his tenth birthday, his mother Helena gifted Gawain a kitten, a blue-eyed, chocolate-furred Birman whom he named Sophia. Gawain was ecstatic, for Sophia soon became an important part of his life, an inseparable companion. His Dad had already told him that he would need an adequate animal companion next year at Hogwarts, and Sophia would fill that role nicely.

The next year flew by, during which Gawain topped Muggle fifth grade as expected. The day before his eleventh birthday, his paternal grandfather, Arcturus Rhydderch, came to visit the family. He informed Atticus that the Elders ruled that as Gawain was to attend Hogwarts, if the boy managed to spend a decent seven years there, and bring honor and prestige to the Rhydderch name, then Atticus' status in the House of Rhydderch and among the Pureblood Societies would be restored, his inheritance right would be assured and he would be given the option of dueling his brother Lancelot for the restoration of his Status as Rhydderch Heir. If, on the other hand, Gawain Rhydderch shamed the Rhydderch name by any means, there would be severe consequences. Arcturus had not wished it to be so, for he was fond of both his son and grandson, but the rest of the elders had forced his hand.

That was something the parents kept to themselves, though they did teach Gawain that he must under all circumstances maintain decent behavior while at School. The very next day, Gawain was amazed when an owl - an owl! - brought his Hogwarts letter, supplemented by a book list and the choice of attending optional Summer Camp. Atticus decided that Summer Camp would be an ideal way for Gawain to get used to the Wizarding norms he not grown up in, and so he encouraged Gawain to attend, and Gawain could not wait!

And thus began Gawain Rhydderch's time in Hogwarts...

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Note: This section is optional, and is up to you to complete.

House Request: Leave it up to the hat, though I personally am getting Slytherin or Ravenclaw feels here

Personality:

Not!-A-Dunderhead: The brightest Wizard his age. Well, not really, but that is what the House of Rhydderch expects him to be. Gawain is studious, especially in subjects involving colours, vials and glasswork - Potions comes to mind, his mother's genes strong in the chemical sciences. Yes, Gawain knows that the only difference between Monk's Hood and Wolfsbane is one of spelling. Being bright himself, Gawain views other bright people (fellow nerds) with high regard, and he dislikes it when people take more than ten seconds to put two and two together. Gawain is not merely booksmart; he is perceptive, witty and strategically sharp; in other words, he actually uses his mind, instead of considering it a vestigial remnant of lesser beings like many dunderheads these days. He also appreciates subjects like philosophy, logic, poetry and literature, as his parents often discussed those topics around him - basically, he is wont to like anything that motions the mind and stimulates the senses.

Quick to Annoy: An unfortunate side effect of two Universal facts: a considerable majority of the human race is stupid, and Gawain is not. He quickly picks up that nasal headache that lasts for hours when he sees a dunderhead during something stupid. Gawain is easily annoyed by dunderheads, unfairness - a product of a certain kind of dunderheads - and people who mistreat others - the worst kind of dunderheads. Meaning thereby, Gawain often wonders, why can't people just do what's right? It certainly is common sense to do the right thing. And once annoyed, Gawain begins to rant. And he rants for hours and hours at times, both at human stupidity, and at its byproducts. Sometimes, he thinks, he should've been born a Whomping Willow - just so he could not be Human, and whomp Humans for being stupid and making stupid choices that lead to stupid consequences.

Loving and Loyal: Gawain is quick to form attachments, possessing a naturally tender heart, and once he commits himself to someone as friend or loved one, he is impossible to dissuade, unless that person does something horrific enough to betray Gawain's trust. He himself would rather die than betray his friends or loved ones (even if they were dunderheads), as long as they are on the 'good' or morally upright side, or simply not being stupid. To that effect, he loathes traitors, and it also irks him that his father is considered one for no fathomable reason.

Kind: Gawain and his parents were cast out, and that made them genuinely feel for others. Gawain is soft-hearted, and the kind of person that would go the extra mile for someone else, comfort someone in need, and help anyone wanting. His soft-heartedness is exemplified in his regard for animals - for Gawain would often give milk to stray cats in the alley he grew up in, or take them in for warmth during cold Winter days.

Noble: Another inherited Rhydderch trait, Gawain appreciates nobility, honour, chivalry, striving for moral uprightness and upholding excellent character in all his dealings. This is also because, at the heart of it, being impolite or disregarding the rules is... dunderheaded! It only damages one's own repute and hurts other people in general. So Gawain leans on politeness towards elders, gentleness towards juniors, dislikes breaking rules (unless the nobler approach is to break them, as is often the case when dunderheads make rules to keep dunderheads out of trouble), does not eat like a three-headed canine, performs any chores dutiously, and is generally kind to others. Like his namesake Sir Gawain, who was the best of the Knights of the Round Table though he humbly considered him to be the worst, Gawain is humble in a way - although he dislikes dunderheads with a vengeance, he does not take pride being exceptionally bookish himself, nor does he shove his grades in other people's faces. He would gladly help anyone with their homework, even if they were from other Houses, if only they asked politely. Besides, it is dunderheaded to not be a dunderhead yourself but still let dunderheads be dunderheads when you can do something about it, right?

Selfless: While not exactly the type to rush headlong into danger without paying considerable heed to the consequences like the stereotypical dunderhead (has it been emphasised already during these few paragraphs how much Gawain disapproves of dunderheads?), should he ever find himself in a situation where he had to sacrifice something of value for the greater good or the safety of those he is loyal to, he will do so with perfection and without hesitation. Even if it be with his life.

→ SAMPLE ROLEPLAY.
You come across one of these posts on the site. Please select one & reply as your character. Remember, you can only roleplay your own character's actions, not Evangeline's or Hugh's.

Option I:

(Do note that I wrote this assuming Gawain was sorted into Slytherin)

The dungeons. A place eleven-year-old Gawain was still learning to consider his second home.

It was not an easy thing, mind you, adjusting into the serpentine House. Despite being a Pureblood and thus fitting right in, there were still several issues that stood between Gawain and the rest of his House. For one thing, Gawain never thought too highly of most snakes; for another, most of his housemates were complete dunderheads. It was a word that found its way onto Gawain's tongue often, for it presented quite an accurate description of the vast majority of people he had encountered in his short life - who had cunning and intellect and still failed to use it. In reference to his fellow Slytherins, what was the point of cunning if the only place they were going to put it to good use was finding newer ways to bully Gryffindors and probing for safer (read: inaudible-to-teachers) ways to sludge the word 'mudblood' at some innocent Muggleborn?

Although, in hindsight, silver was his favorite colour, water his favourite element and above all, the Potions classroom was near his Common Room. A Common Room which he actually felt peaceful in, for the viridescent torches and windows seemed to bring him a sense of calm. Perhaps the Sorting Hat had thrown him in Slytherin because he knew of his adeptness and ingenuity when it came to the art of brewing. Although, he was only eleven years old and they had not been in Hogwarts long enough for Gawain to have gained any level of expertise - yet - the Potions Master had taken note of Gawain's natural talent in the craft.

So far, Gawain had found his first few Potions lessons positively enchanting. Cutting roots, stirring cauldrons and putting in the effort to get that perfect shamrock tinge was something that Gawain Sophus Rhydderch found intensely serene and satisfying. He devoted more time to his Potions book than any other subjects, and already had completed his first read of half of the mini-tome, committing the chapter summaries and introductory flowcharts to memory. Unsurprisingly, he outperformed in Potions class because of this pre-reading, and the Potions Master had taken note of his commitment to the subject.

To the extent that said Potions Master had kept him after class today to give him an assignment for extra credit: he had been asked to classify the different kinds of cat's hair - which he had conveniently encountered in a flowchart diagram just two days before in Chapter IX of the Potions text! - and once he had successfully done so, the Potions Master had tasked him with helping him sort through a collection of cat's hair for a certain advanced draught. After which, he was allowed to (quietly and at a safe distance) observe a true Master at work on a potion that was usually restricted to N.E.W.T.-level students.

Needless to say, Gawain had been thrilled.

The blonde, crystal blue-eyed Rhydderch was positively beaming upon his return, as he almost-skipped down the Dungeons towards the Slytherin Common Room, his Potions textbook firmly tugged underneath his armpit and a bag in his other hand. It was at precisely at that moment that his ears caught a trembling voice echoing across the otherwise damp and silent dungeon walls, calling for a certain intangible dead woman.

Gawain froze.

He promptly proceeded to unfreeze himself - wasting more than two seconds being shocked at something like this and not doing anything about it was dunderheaded! - turning around and stalking forth in the general direction of the female voice, making a sharp turn to enter a long corridor. He knew curfew was almost upon them (Potions had been the last class that day, and he had stayed extra on top of that), and he needed to get to the Slytherin Common Room. But the feminine voice, no doubt belonging to someone quite near his age, was by all calculations some Pureblood Slytherin Dunderhead who had lost the way to their Common Room. Gawain had to help, of course, for he couldn't leave his Housemate at the mercy of some dead ghost.

Gawain saw Evangeline. His sharp quick eyes went to her badge, the lion on crimson, then back at her eyes in a moment. He froze.

Of all the dunderheaded...

"And what, pray tell, is a Gryffindor doing near the Slytherin Common Room?"

His voice was calm in his inquiry, but he made sure to lace it with a dangerous tone - or as dangerous as an eleven year old boy's tone could be, but considering the target was an eleven year old girl, it should have sounded threatening enough. Obviously something untoward was going on, and he was determined to report the matter to his Head of House immediately if this girl did not proffer a reasonable and logically coherent explanation within the next ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight...

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