Dashiell Vallen

[Dashiell Vallen]

Application for Hogwarts School

→ CHARACTER INFORMATION.
Name: Dashiell Alric Vallen

Birthday: September 3rd, 1923/24

Hometown: Llantrisant, Wales

Bloodline: Halfblood

Magical Strength (pick one): Divination

Magical Weakness (pick one): Conjuring & Summoning

Year (pick two): Third or Fourth

Biography:
Dashiell Vallen was born at exactly 3 a.m.
His mother, Grace Vallen, would never know her son, for she died giving birth to him, though this was only the first gift Grace's life would bring the boy in his lifetime. His father, James Mamet, would never be aware of his son, for he met seventeen-year-old Grace Vallen at a dance hall on December 31st while he'd been visiting Llantrisant on New Year's leave from New York City, and had checked out of his hotel room the next morning having no idea when the woman with the raven hair and crystal eyes left his side.
It was, after all, probably best that James Mamet did not know of his son. He would have tried to do something foolish, such as bring him back to breed him in America. This would have led him to find out something someone like James Mamet would have found horrifying.
Grace Vallen had been a witch, and her son was to be a warlock.
Poor Grace never told of her affair with a man she'd known to be a muggle. When the time came to announce her growing belly, she told her family she'd fallen in love with a rich French warlock who had been married the whole while during their brief affair. Moira, who had the job of being the young wife of a low ranking Ministry official while Grace transferred to Beauxbatons for her final year of school, had no idea who her sister was friends with to ascertain the validity of this statement. Being the only two children of Samuel Vallen, a straight-laced healer, meant few questions ran in their habitual system. The man was changed; he had lost his wife of five years while she gave birth to Grace and never got over it.
It was, after all, probably best that Samuel Vallen attributed the baby's raven hair and crystal eyes to an overdose of valerian root in his wife's system. He did not know his wife, Elena Ellwood, had been unfaithful to him with David Coulby, the muggle son of the muggle butcher in town, who had died while trying to butcher a strong cow three weeks earlier.
So it came to be that Grace Vallen was to be a raven haired, crystal eyed halfblood raised as if she were a brown haired, hazel eyed pureblood named Vallen instead of Ellwood-Coulby, which would have been the combined blood names of her true parents.
And it further came to be that Dashiell Vallen was a raven haired, crystal eyed quarterblood raised as if he were a brown haired, hazel eyed halfblood named Vallen-unknown instead of Mamet-Ellwood-Coulby, which would have been the combined names of his true lineage, for James Mamet's parents were some of the last in the fashion of cousins marrying each other before it became incestuously glanced at.
Neither Grace nor Dashiell ever knew of their misinterpreted lineage. The Vallens were a family who asked few questions and accepted most truths, and Dashiell was not to be an exception.
Moira and her husband Tomson Ellard took on the responsibility of Dashiell. They named him and bathed him and clothed him. They had one child of their own, Eliza, who was a whole two years older and doted on "dear Dashy" until she became too old and too filled with angst to bother playing with dolls. Dashiell grew up to be famously intelligent within his family, who had always been a family of simple minded individuals. He read every book he could find vivaciously. He adored his aunt and uncle and cousin as if they were of his own flesh and blood. He just knew things about things and people without having to ask questions.
It came as a surprise to find that he was dyspelsic.
Upon entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dashiell became an object of consternation among his teachers when every attempt he made at casting any sort of spell, charm, or incantation fizzled or backfired or stalled. For the first time in his life, Dashiell was truly distraught.
And distraught brings along many things.
Most importantly, questions.
He took solace in the few classes he excelled in, as they were the ones which rarely required him to produce a wand and cast a spell. It baffled him and his teachers. He could read other books and subjects with outstanding enthusiasm and ease. But when faced with a spell, the word mixed itself into "a blur of melting letters" as Dash first described it to his worried House Head.
It became harder for him to make friends as they began to realize his deficiency. And so Dashiell, who held so much love for those around him, grew fiercely shy and distant. The few friends he managed to keep he adored to the point of near obsession, but his quiet personality made this social error difficult for even his closest friends to see.
And Dashiell saw that he was different.
And Dashiell wanted answers.

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

House Request: Ravenclaw or Slytherin

Personality: Quiet, shy, reserved, obsessive, loyal, ambitious

Appearance: Tall for his age; ice-skinned, crystal blue eyes, raven black hair; thin, soft, unimposing

→ SAMPLE ROLEPLAY.
Please reply to one of the Sample Roleplays below.

The moon shone brightly outside, the perfect night to pull on a thick jumper and head to the lake to think. Dash slipped out of the corridor which led to his house commons. He'd passed eleven of his housemates and had been noticed by none as he kept his crystal eyes on the ground and walked as quickly as he could through the common room.
Walk. Verb. To move along at a slow or moderate pace using one's legs.
He'd been asked to practice a spell today in class.
To travel or go on foot.
Even now, hours later, the word appeared as a melted puddle in his thoughts, bits of letter and sound dipping up and down in the gray mass before sinking back into mis-recognition. His heart beat against his cage. He hated Conjuring & Summoning, hated the stain of embarrassment on his cheeks and the prickle of frustration in his eyes that always came on days when the students were asked to be made examples of. His hatred was a burgeoning one. The world was lucky that Dashiell Vallen was naturally disposed to be soft hearted, for his hatred was as black and as inky as the worst of the lot.
To escort or accompany on foot.

He turned into the main corridor with his head down and his eyes walking on the floor.
“Hey!”
The scuttle of feet against the stone floor echoed the next definition he recited in his head: To lead (a dog, etc.) at a walking pace.
“Wait up! It’s for the paper!”
Dashiell turned round the next corner, believing the shouting to be directed at a person behind him he had not noticed. (As of a ghost) to roam.
"What do you think about serving frog legs at lunch? Some say it’s a delicacy, but others think it’s plain gross.
Delicacy. Noun. Fineness or intricacy of structure or texture.
When no response came from the person behind him, Dash cast his crystal gaze behind his shoulder while his feet continued to move. He thought it rude to keep a poor girl chasing… The flush of embarrassment took over his face as Dash realized he was the chased subject. He stopped walking. A girl came tumbling toward him in a mess of legs and arms and hair. Blonde hair. Astrid Bixby. As he knew a lot about words, he knew a lot about people.
"I'm sorry," Dashiell apologized. His voice matched his features, his person, his life. It was soft and quiet, almost as if it was rarely listened to and rarely seen. "I did not realize you were asking…me."
He almost used her name. It had been easy to learn and quick to deduce that it was inappropriate to use a person's name if that person had not been introduced to you personally.
"I did not eat lunch today, but I have eaten frogs legs before. They are surprisingly akin to…to chicken. And most who would be quick to discount it as 'plain gross' do not remember that they are also a common potion ingredient."
The uncertainty of the last sentence rang in Dash's head.

→ ABOUT YOU.

Previous Characters (if applicable): Matilda Gaskell, Marlen Gaskell, Michon Dubois (retired), and Lady Persey de Wimsy

How did you find us?: A recommendation!

[Isabelle Valentine]

Mr. Vallen ,

Congratulations, your application to Hogwarts School has been accepted. Term begins 01 May, 2013. Currently, students have gathered at Camp Loki. Your admission is joint for both the school and Camp Loki, and we encourage you to spend your summer there. Should you choose, you may also visit our Elsewhere board via the Floo Network to visit or purchase school supplies. We look forward to seeing you at the School.

Regards,
Isabelle Valentine,
Head of Ravenclaw