CHARACTER INFORMATIONCharacter name: Sweeney Gillespie
Previous and/or Current Character(s) if applicable: Aubrey Rousseau, et al
Character age: 28
Character education: Hogwarts Class of 1964 (Hufflepuff)
Strength and weaknesses (details please): Sweeney is extremely knowledgeable in the field of history, foreign language, and foreign linguistics. After his time at university, the fact that he wasn’t tied down to anywhere or anyone has only been a useful resource for him. He has spend some time in Greece, Rome, Italy, and other older cultures learning about their past from the inhabitants themselves.
Perhaps Sweeney’s biggest strength is his heart. Despite is past, he is incredibly kind and understanding. Now THOSE are attributes of a true Hufflepuff. Though he likes to perform good deeds, termed “Random Acts of Kindness,” he prefers to achieve them with total anonymity. Sweeney does not enjoy being in the spotlight, so receiving awards and recognition for what he does is not some that he looks for.
Sweeney’s self-confidence issues are and always have been a weakness for him. Though on the outside he comes off as self-assured, it really is a cover up for how empty he feels on the inside.
Also, along with having a fear of touching, Sweeney has issues with becoming extremely close to anyone both physically and socially. His past dictates that this will only end in heartache and disappointment. It’s not that he doesn’t like you, he’s just afraid of getting hurt.
Once Sweeney embraced this idea, he slowly became to overcome his weaknesses. He still displays areas of weakness, especially when it comes to issue of self-confidence.
Magical speaking, Sweeney’s strength lies in divination. Sweeney has always enjoyed the subject; though he prefers the objective forms such as Astrology and horoscope charts to the more subjective forms such as crystal ball readings and tea leaves. Charms would be Sweeney’s magical weakness, which led to his abysmal performance as a duellist. Somehow he managed to score an Exceeds Expectations on his OWLs and NEWTs, but more than likely that came from the written portion of the test and not the performance portion.
Physical description: Sweeney is as tall and thin as the day he left Hogwarts. His eyes are piercing blue, and his hair a short and semi-messy dark brown. He wears a lot of natural colors, but the color green also litters his wardrobe.
Personality (nice, rude, funny etc. Paragraph please.): Sweeney’s personality is one of innocence. Rejected as a child, it may appear at times that Sweeney has never really grown up. Along with this, he is also very sensitive and emotional; especially about his personal space. As discussed above, on top of his phobia he also has issues with his self-confidence.
Hopes and dreams. Why are you teaching at Hogwarts?: Because I don’t fit in any where else, and because I want to give back to a school that gave me so much.
Biography (500 words minimum. There is never such a thing as too much.): In the English language, we have many words that are synonyms of the words love: deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, endearment; devotion, adoration, doting, idolization, worship; passion, ardor, desire, lust, yearning, and infatuation. While none of the synonyms are as strong as the word love, that lovely four-letter word is used way too much in our society. The word love should mean so much, but tends to mean so little.
Greece, especially Ancient Greece, fascinates me; as do all ancient cultures. The Greeks have words for all of the synonyms of love – tenderness = tryferóti̱ta; passion = pathos – but the Greeks insure that no one will ever misuse that simple four letter word as they have five words for our single word of love.
Agapó̱ is the first type of love that I want to look at. Agapó̱ is the type of love that is given where you expect nothing in return. It has nothing to do with physical attraction, love for family, friends, or a lover. This love is all about self-sarcrifice, and is typically more spiritual in nature.
I don’t find that I express this specific type of love, as I am not particularly spiritual.
The next type of love I would like to discuss is what the Greeks like to call “manía.” Manía is not really a love at all. Our word “lust” is not strong enough to relate to this word; I would probably say that “obsession” is a more accurate translation. This type of love tends to drive is possessor to madness (such as kleptomania and pyromania), landing them in St. Mungo’s. Manía is not a type of love that I possess, unless you consider the fact that I am obsessed with my work and a forensic lingistest.
Manía does not cover phobias; it’s almost the polar opposite of phobias really.
Phobias are something that I possess; one specifically anyhow: haphephobia. The name stems from two Greek words: haphe meaning “touch” and phobos meaning “fear.” That’s correct, I have a fear of being touched. Some people with haphephobia claim that they have had it all their lives; I think mine has been created by my past. We will get to that later.
The third type of love is what the Greeks call “éro̱s.” You may be familiar with the fact that the word éro̱s is the root word for “erotic,” but the Greeks did not use the word to describe sexual types of love. The Greeks used it to describe the feeling of love. What I mean is, you know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you are talking to someone that you have feelings for? That is éro̱s, although the feeling can vary from person to person depending upon the situation they are encountering. While éro̱s is generally neutral in nature, it can very easily lead to lust or passion.
I’d like to think that over the course of my life that I have experienced éro̱s and maybe have not recognized it. I have never really had that “butterflies in the pit of my stomach” feeling when talking with another human being, but again I attribute that to my past.
Another word for love in Greek is “philos,” or the type of love that friends share with each other. Unlike éro̱s, which is a love that can come and go like the waves of the ocean, philos is the type of love that starts small and continues to grow over time. This is the reason that close friends who have been separated for a while can sit down to a cup of coffee and “pick up” right where they left off. The only thing that can destroy this type of love is betrayal.
During my time at the orphanage, I didn’t ever make friends. It didn’t make sense, because in the end when your friend got adopted it would only lead to heartache. While I never experienced this, I observed several others who had over the years and as a young child (in an orphanage) it is devastating to watch your friend get adopted and leave you behind. I did, however, get to experience this type of love during my tenure at Hogwarts.
Finally, the last Greek love that I am going to talk about is storgy. This is a type of love that many of you have felt your entire life; but is one that I have yet to feel. This is the type of love that a parent feels for their offspring, or vice versa. I’ve actually felt this love, though not in human contact form; but this is where my story can truly begin.
*****
From the moment I was born, I’ve been rejected. My mother didn’t want me, as I was dropped of at the local children’s orphanage at the tender age of three… days old that is. I don’t remember her face, the soft touch of her skin, or the warmth that radiated from her as she embraced me. I’m not even entirely sure that any of that happened, but for my own piece of mind I believe that she held me, even if it was only for a few moments.
Month after month, year after year, I watched kids all around me get adopted by families. I never understood what wasn’t likable about a blue eyed, dark brown haired little boy. Sure there were some perspective adoptive parents throughout the years, but I always manage some way to screw it up. Perhaps in hindsight, it was for the better - no one to grow attached to; no one to disappoint – but in the back of my mind I always wonder what it would be like to be loved. Not the plutonic type of love like you would love a friend, but the type of love that only a parent and child can share.
At age eleven, I receive a visit from one of the professors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She explained to me that my father had been a wizard as well, and he had hid this for some time from my mother until the day I was born. He knew that there would be some possibility that I could inherit his magical ability, and wanted to let her know up front. My parents were never married, and after this huge blow up separated before my mother ever left the hospital. I’m assuming the possibility of me being a “freak” was too much for her, and that is why she discarded me at the orphanage.
Since my birthday falls early in the year, I still had several months until school started. With the news of my father being a wizard, I was ecstatic at the thought that he and I shared this bond. I thought that after all these years he might actually like to see me; to take me in. For privacy reasons, the professor couldn’t tell me his name, but agreed to contact him on my behalf.
Dear Sweeney,
I recently received a letter from a professor at Hogwarts. First of all, let me be the first to congratulate you on your magical ability. I could not be happier that you have inherited this trait from me. I am extremely excited for you and the path that you are about to embark on.
Now, for the bad news. Although you are my son, I do not think that this is the best time for us to unite. I am newly married and have not yet told my wife about you. Actually, up until I received the letter from the professor at the school, I had no idea where you were or how you were doing. I have not seen or spoke to your mother since the day you were born 11 years ago. For this reason, I am sure meeting up with you will stir up feelings for your mother that I have long since put behind me.
I know that you won’t understand all of this right now and I don’t expect you to. If anything, I expect that you will be furious with me since you have spent the last 11 years of your life in the orphanage. I am sorry for any negative emotions that I may stir up. I do see us meeting in due time, just now is not that time.
Know that I love you, and that I am VERY proud of you!
Love, DadAs negative as this letter may sound, I have kept it all these years. Yet still, even after an additional 17 years, I have yet to meet my father. I am not sure why I keep this letter, as for most it would likely serve as yet another disappointment in a life of let-downs. For me, it serves as a glimmer of hope that someone out there loves me, even if he has a weird way of showing it.
Anyhow, I digress. As you could guess, of course I accepted my place as a student as Hogwarts School. It was my ticket to leaving that horrible orphanage forever. Who cared that I didn’t have a family anymore. Hogwarts would now be my home and family. I would spend summers at camp and the rest of the year in school, and would never again have to worry about the life that I never had.
I began school in the fall of 1957. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, and at the time I thought it showed just how much of a reject I really was to ALL of society. To the sorting hat, I apparently didn’t appear brave or daring enough to be in Gryffindor, smart or witty enough to be in Ravenclaw, or ambitious or cunning enough to be placed into Slytherin. To be honest, at the time I didn’t think that I was just or loyal, I just figured that’s where the sorting hat placed all the people that didn’t belong to the other three houses.
During my time at Hogwarts, I slowly began to realize that the reason I was placed in Hufflepuff was completely the opposite of the reason I perceived. Hufflepuffs aren’t the discarded scraps of the sorting hat; instead the very idea they Hufflepuffs are yesterday’s leftovers is what holds so many of them back. Being placed in Hufflepuff should be a compliment, as they don’t possess just one trait (like the other houses), they possess many traits. They are brave like Gryffindors, smart like Ravenclaws, and cunning like Slytherins.
Though I had many acquaintances during my time at Hogwarts, two of those acquaintances truly became my friends. They showed me what it was like to have people that truly care about you for who you are. They should me the meaning of “philos.” We remain friends to this day, and without them I would never know what it was like to love at all. They have been the only two people I have allowed to get close to me during my entire life and thankfully they have yet to disappoint. After all, that is what the rest of my life in terms of relationships have led to: a series of disappointments and rejection.
During college is when I realized that I suffer from the condition known as haphephobia. I have a fear of being touched, or physical closeness. All my life, with the exception of two people, I’ve been shut out; rejected. Throughout my life, I’ve built up this wall that keeps people out and allows few to enter. I chose a career in Ancient Runes after school because 1) history fascinates me and 2) it would allow me to work in a career field pretty much all by myself with little independence on anyone other than myself. My two friends from school went their own separate ways; though we do see each other from time-to-time to catch up over a cup of coffee.
*****
While I have enjoyed my time as a magical historian, I feel that it is time for a change. While the prospect of being in an environment with others intimidates me beyond expression, the fact remains that I would like to give back to the school that has given me a life; given me purpose. Without Hogwarts who knows where I would be; dead more than likely. I don’t know how I’ll be at this teaching thing, but I’ll try anything once.
SAMPLE ROLEPLAY(Please respond to to this in third person past tense. Do not write the other characters' reactions. Only your own.) The water by the lakeshore rippled, dark under the overcast sky, and thick with moss growth. Ripples grew into small waves, spreading in concentric circles that sloshed against the rocks and sent a small family of mice living in a rotted out log above the waterline scurrying for cover.
And then the lake exploded.
A fountain erupted, splattering muddy water and assorted bits of lake bottom. Something very, very large thrashed and roiled, tentacles slapping wildly at the surface.
Elizabeth despised the squid, and more importantly, she disapproved of it. It was disorderly. Truth be told, she was the sort of woman who disapproved of a great many things, the disorderly ones most particularly. A tall, severe woman in her forties who never smiled, Elizabeth was so parsimonious with praise that it was said that if good will could be saved up she'd be sitting on a pile of it like dragon over a horde. The school's Headmistress was very good at disapproval.
Brown water flowed in a tent around her upraised wand, blocked by an invisible umbrella.
“He has a cold again!” Pythagorea Proud, the school’s much-harried Deputy Headmistress fussed, as she shook a spatter of mud off of her arm. She hadn’t been as quick with her wand work.
“He won’t take his medicine. We’ve been trying all morning. Someone is going to have to deal with him!”Arms folded, the tip of Elizabeth’s pointed black and very sensible shoe tapped against the rocky bank. She glanced over at their newest Professor, her expression thoughtful. “You’ll do,” she offered flatly, her tone leaving little room for argument. This was going to prove to be a very different sort of interview...
Roleplay Response:Sweeney hadn’t been on many interviews, so he wasn’t really sure if walking the school grounds was typical of interviews or not. Not much had change in the decade since he had left the school, just the students and the time. That was the nice thing about Hogwarts, you could always rely on it staying the same year after year, decade after decade.
Sweeney was particularly nervous, as he was not only accompanied by the Deputy Headmistress
Professor Pythagorea Proud (it would take some getting use to calling her by her first name), but also the Headmistress herself, Elizabeth Birch-Hurst. Sweeney recalled her being a professor during his tenure at the school as well, but couldn’t recall if she served the castle in other capacities or not.
Sweeney had just finished telling the two ladies about his time in Rome as they approached the lake. Pythagorea complained about the squid having another cold, and of the fact that he wouldn’t take his medicine.
Yup, some things never change.As Sweeney awaited Elizabeth’s response, he could tell that she knew exactly who was going to take care of this issue. Her words confirmed it; he was going to be playing veterinarian today.
This was not what he had gone to school for. In fact, Sweeney was pretty sure that he had only taken Care of Magical Creatures until he barely received and Acceptable on his OWLs during fifth year. He was pretty sure that the last time he checked, he had applied for the Ancient Runes opening, not Care of Magical Creatures (wasn’t that position filled anyhow?) and he hardly could see the benefit of curing this ailing squid as part of his interview.
What if they already hired an Ancient Runes professor and are desperate for a CoMC teacher? Better to start brushing up on his skills now.
One thing fascinated Sweeney about the squid, however; HE WAS OLD. Sweeney enjoyed everything there was to deal with history, and if anyone was ever able to create a squid translator, this beast would be able to tell him about events dating back to the American Revolution (he had to be about 200 years old, right?). It was in his best interest to preserve the life of this squid so that he (and his students) would be able to learn from him.
Removing his wand from his pocket, Sweeney took aim at the squid. It would be much easier to administer medication to the beast if he was momentarily paralyzed. Sweeney wasn’t sure why Pythagorea hadn’t thought of that fact. “Immobulus!”
But nothing happened.
