Bernard Deanatole - Application for the position of CoMC

[Prof. Bernard Deanatole]

 CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character name: Bernard Deanatole

Previous and/or Current Character(s) if applicable: Quintin Arcturus Cabrera, Devare Alcott

Character age: 28

Character education: 1962 Beauxbatons Graduate - Concentration in Painting and Drawing; started the club called ‘Soins et Sensibilisation des créatures magiques‘ or Care and Awarness of Magical Creatures which raised the question of whether or not to make the class official at Beauxbatons. However, upon Bernard‘s graduation pressure for the class declined and it is now no longer an issue, the club having been dissolved for not having enough members.

Strength and weaknesses: Strength: Summoning/Conjuring; Weakness: Divination. Bernard has an inexplainable fear of popcorn and will make haste out of any room that contains it.

Physical description: Bernard is a physically fit man as most people with any interest in the care of magical creatures are. He stands at a moderate height of five feet eleven inches and has short brown hair. He walks with a confident, yet careful, stride and prides himself on his wand, applewood with a core of fwooper and phoenix feathers.

Personality: The first image of Bernard people get is one of elegance and propriety. However, that first image couldn‘t be father away from the truth. Bernard is a gruff man that thinks and acts on his toes. He has been known to change his opinion on matters quite frequently which has made him a very difficult person to talk to when the talk revolves around strong principles and especially politics. While in the presence of co-workers and people he respects he turns on his A-game and could not appear to be more refined and proper. However when he gets into his favored field of study, the care of magical creatures, he loses all sense of right and wrong. This is not to be confused with recklessness, as he would never do anything that he felt could harm someone. A good example of what he might do is have his colleges or students cover themselves in mud and wait motionless for several hours waiting for the appearance of magical creatures in a known gathering spot. All said and done, he is kind-hearted and very thoughtful of others feelings and will readily put the blame of minor issues on himself rather than have someone he knows get in trouble.

Hopes and dreams: Bernard has never really been a man of big dreams. He lives for the moment and decides the best course of action as the choices needed to be made. If he had any hope at all it would be create the idea of the importance of magical creatures and caring for them into the young minds that would be able to make a difference later.

Why are you teaching at Hogwarts?: It has always been Bernard’s dream to teach. He had sought employment at Beauxbatons but they were not interested in hiring a Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He had thought he laid the ground work well enough when he was in school. But it seemed that he ten years in the field had changed things, for the worst in his mind. With Beauxbatons out of the equation, the only school left was Hogwarts or Salem. He didn’t want to have to leave Europe so he put all of his hopes into Hogwarts

Biography:

Bernard had never really been a tall child. In fact he wondered if he would ever grow to be over five feet two inches. It was the summer of 1959 and the wind blew in from the west. He had just finished spring classes at Beauxbatons and was getting ready to head back home for vacation when he saw it. Flying toward him from the distance he noticed a small owl, he had always had good eye-sight, and curiosity stopped him in his tracks. The owl arrived shortly after and landed on his suitcase, he untied the letter from it’s leg and fished in his pocket for some feed. He had grown accustomed to keeping food in his pockets, there were all sorts of animals at the academy and he had found out recently that he had a unique connection with them.

The owl ate some of the feed from Bernard’s palm and flew off again into the distance and Bernard looked at the seal of the letter. It was a silver wax with an embellished ‘M’ stamped into it. Bernard knew this to the be ministry’s mark and quickly opened the letter. Time seemed to stop and water started to form in his eyes as he read the letter.



Bernard dropped to his knees a sharp pain shooting throughout his body as the tears rolled down his cheek. There he wept for nearly an hour before a fellow student was able to find him and console with him.

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The waves crashed against the cliff, water and mist shooting into the air to surround Bernard. He had always liked the ocean, there was something about it that made him realize that no mater how powerful he was he was still a student to the power of nature. That was what this outing was all about anyway. It was the fall of 1965, he had graduated three years ago and had since been traveling the globe studying magical creatures. His specialty was in actually drawing and painting them. He had always had a way with the utensils of the artist and his mother had taught him all of the skill necessary to succeed at the skill when he was very young.

He slowly made his way over the edge of the cliff and peered over it. There was the nest of the dreaded beast. It was said that it had killed several other wizards and/or witches, the tales about it had all been mixed to the point where Bernard did not believe them at all anymore. He whispered softly and waved his hand about him, the ground around him seemed to move around and cover him, making his appearance in the area nigh impossible. He had planned ahead and brought enough supplies to last him thirty days, he expected he would be quite sore after that amount of time but it was well worth it. He was nearly finished with his art book “Everything You Though You Knew and Some Things You Didn’t: An artist’s story”. All he needed was this one last picture.

Several days went by without incident, however Bernard knew that he shouldn’t jump to any doubts about his sources information. The beast had been seen here before, there were plenty of records. It was dusk when he heard it, a low rumbling of a lions breathing mixed with the hissing of a snake. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the sound was coming from behind him. He stayed calm and moved his wand reapplying the muffliato enchantment. The beast then leaped past him and into the water, it was majestic. Bernard had a unique ability to capture pictures in his head and he had made sure to do it as the beast flew through the air into the water. As it came up it had a shark in its maw. It slowly made it’s way out of the water onto an outcropping about fifty feet below Bernard. It was amazing! Bernard actually got to witness a Chimera hunting.

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You never how your actions would affect you and this time Bernard was very surprised indeed! It was the December of 1972 and Bernard had just received his letter of denial from Beauxbatons. He was currently extinguishing his thoughts over a night cap of one-hundred year old Glenfidditch scotch. That was his preference these days. He enjoyed the sweet sting as he rolled down the back of his throat. “The academy of Beauxbatons has no need of a teacher for the Care of Magical Creatures.” he spat out vehemently at the fire place before him shortly before tossing the letter into the fire. ”What do they know!” He drank the rest of the of his night cap and set the glass in the kitchen before climbing into bed.

He awoke the next morning to a rapping in his head. Rolling over he moaned in pain as his head throbbed, ”Wait a minute…” he thought to himself, ”I only had a night cap last night I shouldn’t have a hangover.”. The rapping stopped briefly then continued again a bit louder. It was the door! Who would come visit him? And at this hour?!? He rolled over and looked at the clock, it read 11:17... A.M. Groaning slightly he lifted himself from the bed and put on his robe before making his way to the door and opening it.

”Hello. How can I help you?” he said unenthusiastically shortly before he drank from the glass of water he set out to clear his mouth every morning.

”Bernie? Is that you? Come here!” a man said and pulled him into a strong hug.

It was Gregory Smith his old friend. He hadn’t seen him since the 1969 world cup where he had won the world cup for the Falmouth Falcons. ”What was he doing here..” Bernard thought to himself. ”My apologies, do come in. Would you like some tea?”

Gregory let go of his good friend and laughed heartily ”No thanks, I have practice later and there is no telling what your tea will do to me this time” he said jokingly. ”I’ve come to tell you that Hogwarts is looking for a Care of Magical Creatures professor. I already sent word of my recommendation for you. So, you have to apply now or you will dishonor me.”

Gregory was in the ‘Soins et Sensibilisation des créatures magiques’ with Bernard back when they were both in school. Back then Bernard was the head of the club, helping members even two years his senior work with the safe but mysterious creatures the school allowed them to order onto campus. Their friendship went back further than that however. Both of their families had been close for as long as there had been wizarding communities. Bernard imagined that if he had ever had children they too would be as close as Gregory was to Bernard. ”Odd that the families never married though.” he thought to himself. Regardless, his friend had done both something very helpful and annoying at the same time. ”Ohhh? And what if I don’t mind dishonoring you?” he said back to Gregory with a big grin on his face.

”I suppose I would have to trounce you publicly then.” Gregory replied with the skill of an experienced linguist.

It had always been this way with them, Bernard would joke around and then get thoroughly trounced by Gregory. Not physically, but with words. Gregory just had a way with them that stopped people dead in their tracks. ”I guess you coming back to pay your losses to me was too much to hope for.”

”My losses?” Gregory raised an eyebrow ”As far as I recall you still have failed to produce the document I supposedly signed saying that I would date and snog Meredith by the end of our third year.”

It was an old bet between the two, and by Bernard’s count the interest had piled up quite a bit over the years. But it was never something he actually wanted Gregory to pay. Bernard enjoyed bringing up the topic, it always made him smile inside to know that he could beat his friend at something. Meredith ended up going out with him by the end of the third year. They had gone their separate ways once they had graduated though. He wondered how she was doing now…

”You will apply wont you?” Gregory prodded again.

Bernard looked up at him and smiled, ”Yes, yes. Of course I will. Where else can I go? I am getting to old to be living out in the sticks for months at a time now and I find myself wanting to settle down and grow a family as well.”

”Good news then! Hey I also came over to bring you tickets to tonight’s game. I hope you can make it.” Gregory said sounding in a rush. ”I’ll leave the tickets on your table. I need to head out to practice. See you later tonight!”

And just like that he was gone and Bernard was left alone in his flat. The silence surrounded him. He hated that sometimes. Yawning into a stretch he supposed he should get ready to go and apply for the position before the game or who knew what Gregory would do at the after party.

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ROLEPLAYING RESPONSE

Bernard had been waiting patiently in the meeting room prior to his entrance. Tea and delicious treats were strewn about the table in high fashion. He had chosen his best suit for the occasion and had even gone through the trouble to have it pressed and cleaned at one of the ‘muggle’ dry cleaners. It left his suit stiff but quite clean with a faint chemical smell to it. He didn’t mind the smell so much, in fact he was starting to enjoy it more and more recently. After having taken some of the treats and pouring himself some of the tea he sat back and enjoyed pleasantries with some of the other professors while the headmaster was away.

Time passed quickly while in conversation and Bernard began to wonder where the headmaster had run off to. He hoped it was nothing to troublesome. He looked again across the table and found that there was one last piece of the salted licorice and popped it into his mouth. The taste of the candy was something else, they must have had it shipped in from an exquisite candy maker. Just as the last of the candy dissolved in his mouth the headmaster arrived.

”First, it was McStingy and now this! What in the name of Odin happened to my lakrits?”

Bernard reddened quickly. If only he had known he would not have eaten the last one. He stood up from his chair and said ”My apologies professor Tibble. Had I but known I would have surely not eaten the last of them.” He hoped that the professor would not count this against him personally. He knew how difficult the job at hand was already without having his boss dislike him. ”I can arrange for more to be sent to your person if you’d like sir.”