The Wilborough Helpers Association [OOC] [Potterverse]

[Ythania]

[dash]GM Notice:
Hello and welcome to The Wilborough Helpers Association OOC page!
The In Character is up now, and sign-ups are officially closed until the next Chapter. I hope you enjoy your stay![/dash]

With the hunt for Sirius Black, then the Quidditch World Cup, and the infiltration of the Death Eaters, the public find themselves unable to turn to the Ministry of Magic for aid like they used to. Small towns and hamlets with magical issuess are unable to receive the help they require and the demand for assistance with magical problems ceaselessly grows, giving rise to various private companies. This is where we come in.

The Wilborough Helpers Association originally started after Dorothy Wilborough retired from being a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts. She's an immensely sweet, run-of-the-mill elderly woman with a love for knitting, gardening, baking and kicking ass. She created a small group of people, either those she knew directly or people she had hired, who address the concerns of the common folk and try to mitigate some of the stress from the Ministry so their attention is focused on quelling the uprising of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. The RP will follow The Helpers as they work their way through increasingly difficult tasks, and just like any other wizard, Lord Voldemort's influence will eventually affect their clients and their goals. They will just as equally help around the house, celebrate birthdays and holidays, and generally go about their daily lives together.

Overview Bedrooms Bathroom Kitchen Dining Room Living Room Garden

• 
  
  
  
  Originally Dorothy's private home, now repurposed to house members of the Wilborough Helpers Association. Every member is given their own room upon joining, usually an average size but the typical wizard inventory tends to take up enough space to make it amicably cozy. Members are expected to tidy their rooms every week (with inspections on Sundays) and generally help out with the chores and the housework in return for free bed and board.
• 
  
  Every member is given their own room upon joining, usually an average size but the typical wizard inventory tends to take up enough space to make it amicably cozy. Members are expected to tidy their rooms every week (with inspections on Sundays) and they are positioned close enough to a small gender-assigned bathroom. Dorothy has kept the only ensuite room for herself and the locking charms on it have, thus far, been too difficult to break.
• 
  
  The décor for the bathrooms are practically identical, but the charms on the sink by the door spray water onto anyone who tries to enter the wrong one. Each member has a little basket where they can put their personal hygiene products, potions and other bathroom items. Knocking on the window three times makes the glass frosted for privacy.
• 
  
  The kitchen is largely Dorothy's domain, but she gratefully accepts the help of fellow cooks or just someone who wants to make a batch of floating fairy cakes every now and again. Thankfully, this is a very low maintenance room - the sheer amount of washing up that would have to be done is impossible, so Dorothy has enchanted cooking utensils to do all of the work for her.
• 
  
  The communal dining room is the only indoors room where you are allowed to eat food; at a stretch the living room but you'd have to clean up the crumbs. It is also where paperwork is done, missions are sorted through and the cushioned windowsill is one of the best reading spots in the entire house.
• 
  
  
  
  Arguably the best room in the house, the sofa being the prime seats to fight over. The armchair belongs to Dorothy, she keeps her self-knitting needles there to guard it. The living room is where all the socialising tends to happen, the relaxing and the celebrations. It is also where they hold impromptu meetings since Dorothy finds the dining room to be too cold and formal.
• 
  
  Almost every herb, magical or otherwise, seems to be able to grow in this garden. A small (unseen) portion of the garden is kept neat and tidy along with a pathway towards the shed at the back where the owls are kept. Garden maintenance is undoubtedly the most laborious job and is generally given to the poor sod who draws the short straw. It's certainly enjoyable to get lost in, but god knows what might be lurking in the waist-deep vegetation. Rumour has it one of the Helpers was almost strangled to death by a patch of Devil's Snare near the pond.

House Rules:
- If you make a mess, clean it up. This goes for magical accidents.
- There is no rota for chores but you must do at least one every day. It occurs on a first-come first-served basis, so essentially it's a rush to avoid garden duty get the best chores done quickly and efficiently. Dorothy will make you re-do it if it's not up to scratch!
- Dorothy's word is final, regardless of the situation. This is her house, and her association - she will not tolerate a lack of respect.
- Lights out at 10pm. There is no curfew, but generally after 9pm any wizard that doesn't sneak in quietly enough will regret it later. Similarly, wake-up call is at 6, and breakfast at 7.
- It is everyone's job to check the wards on the house - daily. If any seem unfamiliar or begin to wear off, you must notify Dorothy immediately.
- There's a swear jar. Type House 5 if you have read these rules.
- Be helpful and polite whenever possible; try to teach your co-workers some new skills!
- Romance is tolerated in this household, but if Dorothy hears any lovemaking she will publicly humiliate you both. At breakfast. In front of everyone.
- No pets. The nature of their job means the house may be empty for weeks on end and Dorothy likes a tidy house.

Mission Rules:
- Dorothy's word is final.
- Do not wander off on your own without telling someone first.
- When you are out on a mission, you are representing Wilborough's finest, so do try to behave. Type in Mission 2 if you have read these rules into the Other section.
- Every Helper must know and be able to apparate themselves and others to a wizarding hospital in case of an emergency.
- Every Helper is required to keep field notes of every mission, just in case things don't seem to add up - there might be something you missed.
- House rules still apply when camping.

OOC Rules:
- GM's word is law, the usual stuff - no metagaming, no mary sues, etc etc.
- If you're bored, upset, uncertain, have an idea, regret something you did...please, please tell me. I'm running this for you. Communication is key.
- I reserve the right to kick anyone from the RP if their behaviour is not up to scratch. Type OOC 9 if you've read these.
- An unexplained lack of activity which threatens RP dormancy (AKA nobody able to post, people lose interest) will result in a kick and your character will be explained out of the RP until further notice.

There's lots to do in the Wilborough Helpers Association - provided you can make up a suitable excuse for your character being a member. A well-rounded cast is essential for these missions however, so if you see a gap in the defences that needs filling, please consider changing your concept to fit it! Here is a vague list of roles that should be filled. You can make up your own if you wish.

- Healer (It's bound to happen, we need someone to help out.) (Unlimited Spaces)
- Curse-breaker (Ancient artifacts, relics, cursed objects that need un-cursing.)
- Fighter (When the going gets tough, the tough get going.) (Unlimited Spaces)
- Magical Creatures Expert (Please don't let us get eaten alive!)
- Potion Brewer (Help in a bottle.)
- Obliviator/Memory Modifier (That's also bound to happen, Muggles crop up in the oddest places.)
- Botanist (Help us eat the right plants.)
- Rune Reader (You'd be surprised how many traps can be avoided with this.)
- Charms Expert (the most versatile magical form, and just as dangerous as curses if used correctly.)

No role is definite but you must only specialise in one aspect. You can be capable of other things but don't steal the limelight - if our healer is trying to fix a spliced arm, don't leap in and offer a cure-all unless they ask for help. I want everyone to have their time to shine!

As suggested by @WitchcraftIsScience, the Fighter/Healer positions now have a ranking system - Greenie, Decent, and Pro. They wear this as a badge of honour - higher ranks are looked upon to tutor and look after the lower ones. Rank is a measure of experience instead of power, but generally the more experienced one happens to be at fighting or healing, the better they are.

In order to join the Wilborough Helpers Association you have to have passed all of your OWLs and NEWTs and have a clean criminal record. Applications are sent in via Owl and reviewed with care and precision. If accepted, an invitation would be sent back - if declined a letter of apology is sent instead. Newcomers join during late spring. You can play as either a Newcomer or a Regular, but I have a requirement of At least 3 Regulars before we start the RP. The age range is 18-40 years and I would like a balanced cast of men and women if possible.

I focus on character quality and equality of skill level in my RPs. I judge your RP skills through your character sheet only, so all of the areas would have to be filled completely. I don't mind keeping things secret but they MUST be sent to me via PM.

I'm aiming for a small cast but high activity, so a few posts per week would be the general idea. If you're not willing to keep up, I would prefer for you to politely notify me so I can work with you to find a happy medium instead of slipping into silence. Be brave, I don't bite often! Character development is always on the top spot for priorities so any situations or events you would like to see should always be sent to me via PM so I can work it into the plot.

A personal request to take into account when making your character is ensuring they are compatible with other people. They have to be able to work well in a group at the very least, since Dorothy can and will deliver a smackdown if someone misbehaves in her goddamn house. Bickering and in-fighting, whilst deliciously profitable for character development, cannot logically be allowed to continue until it gets out of proportion because the group has to be fully functional on their more dangerous missions.

I'm looking at around 5 players at the moment, and only 1 character per player so all of your efforts are focused on developing and interacting with each other instead of amongst your own group of characters.

​

Thank you very much for expressing interest in Wilborough Helpers Association. Before we can let you know if you have been accepted, we would very much like a letter of application. Be as honest as possible dearie, the Helpers are a close-knit family and what you put down in your letter will not be made public without your permission.

Kind Regards,
Dorothy Wilborough

[B][U]Name:[/U][/B] (Full name.)

[B][U]Gender:[/U][/B] (Dorothy does not discriminate, she simply needs to know to give your character a room closest to the correct gender-assigned bathroom.)

[B][U]Age:[/U][/B] (Real age, in years.)

[B][U]Regular or Newcomer?:[/B][/U] (If Regular, how many years?)

[B][U]Specialty:[/U][/B] (Put in what you're best at, please!)

[B][U]Appearance:[/U][/B] (A small description is required, but attach a photographic image or a gif if you want!)

[B][U]Personality:[/U][/B] (Remember: Dorothy's reading this and she's judging you if you lie.)

[B][U]Biography:[/U][/B] (Again, if you lie there's going to be one very angry old woman after you when you arrive. She does background checks! She will find out!)

[B][U]Skills:[/U][/B] (Up to 5 skills. NOTE: NOT EVERYTHING IS COMBAT ORIENTATED. NOT EVERYTHING IS COMBAT ORIENTATED. We still need cooks and cleaners and people who are nice to animals, or maybe you're great at sewing, perhaps you play the piano, literally anything. I can and will find a way to create missions based on your skills!)

[B][U]Weaknesses:[/U][/B] (At least 5 weaknesses. They don't have to balance out your skills, but it'd be nice if they did.)

[B][U]Equipment:[/U][/B] (What would your character always carry in their bag of choice?)

[B][U]Other:[/U][/B] (Put literally anything else in here that you feel Dorothy would need to be warned about or have to know for when you arrive. Allergies or medical conditions? Maybe your character has dietary requirements, or perhaps they're a light sleeper or have a weak bladder? Or maybe you just want to be a sweetie and tell Dorothy how much you want to join? Go wild!)

Your character sheet should be written like a letter of application. Put it in your character's voice, feel free to be informal in it, and remember Dorothy will have these letters in the actual RP and she can refer to them whenever she wants!

If you are planning to make a regular please state how long they have been in the Helpers, the association has existed for 10 years thus far. The current year is Harry's fifth year (order of the phoenix canon plot underway at the moment) and rumours of voldemort returning are being quelled by the ministry.

Below is an example Character Sheet - Dorothy Wilborough herself. It is written as an external report, not a letter of application, so you will get all of the information you require!

Spoiler

Name: Dorothy Wilborough

Gender: Female

Age: Unknown - She has been celebrating her 60th birthday for several years now.

Specialty: N/A

Appearance: 5'3" tall, curly white hair, dark eyes and pierced ears. A love for sweaters and knitted things - never wears skirts aside from in her dressing gown. Most clothes are handmade. Various scars litter her body, a small nick on her nose and jaw. A moving shooting star tattoo can be seen on her inner wrist.

Personality: Dorothy oozes authority. Anyone who knows her will know that the innocent, hobbling, old-fashioned mannerisms that she takes on to assume her 'sweet old lady' persona is sometimes laid on thick to garner sympathy and aid from those around her. In reality, whilst being indeed a very empathetic woman and a good listener, she is very imposing and strict when she needs to be. Never underestimate her intellect; Dorothy has a volatile mixture of experience from age and wily cunning from experience. She dislikes conflict and tries to avoid it whenever necessary but is wise enough to know when it is needed. Couple this with her capabilities and you have a formidable opponent or a powerful ally. She believes in the qualities of hard work and is incredibly protective of the members of her association, taking everyone's opinions into account. She will not tolerate disrespect.

Biography:[/B] Not much is known about Dorothy, her secretive nature caused her to largely keep to herself. Dorothy passed her examinations with flying colours. She comes from a half-blood family and was sorted into Hufflepuff, her determination and devotion to her work allowed her to surpass her colleagues and flourish. It took her 4 tries to qualify for becoming an Auror. During the First Wizarding War it is said that she was forced to detain an old friend of hers who had become a Death Eater and afterwards swore against needless conflict caused by orders from the Ministry. 10 years ago she accepted a position as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts, then quit after disagreeing with some of the professors over her unique teaching methods. She disappeared for a few months before re-appearing to form The Wilborough Helpers Association.

Skills: Cooking, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Camping/Survival, First Aid

Weaknesses: Frailty from Age, Stubborn, too Protective, low tolerance for environment (EG faulters in the cold, weak in the heat), overthinker

Equipment: What wouldn't she bring, honestly? Always her knitting equipment (she uses her wand as a knitting needle sometimes), a couple of books, a first aid kit, Some healing poultices, a week's supply of dried foods, her tent (which, in itself, has enough to create a small and functional room), and a spare pair of boots.

Other: She doesn't like to boast but her knowledge of spellcraft and the potency of her magic is nothing to scoff at. Nobody knows anything about her husband - if she had one - but she does have children and grandchildren. No, we don't know where they managed to crop up from either.

ACCEPTED CHARACTERS:
Hana Beckett || Charms Expert || Newcomer
Emily Wilborough || Fighter (Greenie) || Newcomer
Oleg Nikola Poskovej || Healer (Greenie) || Newcomer
Michelle Rose Ward || Botanist || Newcomer
Luke Winters || Potion Brewer || Regular
Sylvester Crowley || Magical Creatures Expert || Regular
Amarisse Ethelinda Yseult Corell-Beilschmidt || Curse Breaker || Regular

Missions can be short or long depending on the complexity of the task at hand. We start with small one-time tasks and build our way up into longer missions that involve camping, travelling and exploration. Suggestions for missions can always be thrown into the OOC or into a PM, but I'll always have the final say on what goes and what doesn't. As the plot progresses, the Wilborough Helpers Association will start to feel the sting of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. You'll see the missions increase in severity and eventually the whole concept of 'mission' will be turned on its head as a new goal is set for the Association. But we'll find that out as we go along!

Horklump Infestation: Skill level - Easy. Peter Knotts in Kent has a nasty Horklump infestation in his garden. No matter what he tries, he just can't get rid of the little blighters. He's willing to pay for a bit of pest control!

Doxy Nest: Skill level - Easy. Residents of Lukewood way have complained about a particularly large doxy under a fallen log in the back of the park. The challenge is getting rid of them without muggles noticing it.

Gnome Problem: Skill level - Easy. Gnomes are running amok in Sandra Whitworth's allotment and she can't stand it anymore, but she's worried a Jarvey will just end up attacking the muggles. Anyone up for a good gnome-throwing?

CHAPTER 1: TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.
The newcomers arrive after several previous Helpers move on to newer and happier times at the end of their yearly shift. These poor, innocent souls need to learn the ropes, and fast - Dorothy doesn't wait for slowpokes.

CHAPTER 2: ???

28th May 1996 (Sunday) || Weather: Sunny
​

 

[Jessikka]

Dear Granny Wilborough,

Dad suggested I join your business, after having no luck job hunting. So after a little research, I decided to send in my application, I hope it's up to scratch. But I understand if you don't want family ties in your business, or if I'm not up to your standards!

Name: Emily Wilborough

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Regular or Newcomer?: Newcomer

Specialty: Fighting - but that's only because all my spells sort of backfire unless they're ones I've practiced a lot, with all that raw energy behind them.

Appearance:

Spoiler

I have attached a recent picture of me above, but I'm 5'4", about 110 pounds. By now you probably know what I look like, but there you go!

Personality: I'm overall a kind person, who likes people and working in a team. I can get a little clueless and ditzy at times, but that's only because I get a little distracted - but you know that from when we were baking when I was little and I forgot about the Lemon Meringue pie in the grill and it caught on fire. And we both know that I panic easily - from the aftermath of said fire. I vaguely recall a failed water spell flooding the entire kitchen! I'm hoping working in a proper job which actually requires me to use magic will help me calm down and have a better hold of my magic.

Even if it doesn't do this - I imagine it's going to be a whole lot better than the temp-jobs I got working freelance around offices and doing various, very boring internships and apprenticeships with no results. It seems like wherever I go, no one will hire me. Maybe you can give me a shot? I promise I'm not as disappointing as I'm letting on!

Biography: Well, you've been around for most of my life - but here goes. My parents thought me a massive handful thanks to the family strain of magic on my father's side, added to the magic inherited from my mother, as well. They soon found out that if I had any strong reaction toward things, I would express it. Very clearly. I remember my mother telling me of a time she tried to feed me some baby food that I didn't like - so I promptly froze it so it was solid and I didn't have to eat it, just by wailing and kicking my little baby legs.

As I grew up, my father helped me control my magic, as you had taught him. By first attempting to control your emotions, then by learning about controlling magic itself. It was long, and took a lot of practice, and without anyone expecting it, I'd grown scared of what I could do. Which perhaps had undone all the work my father had spent trying to control it, as I'd become antsy and easily frightened. My father settled for this as progress and sent me on my way to Hogwarts, as scares were rare and in between the times where I actually had some form of control.

In my first few years, I'd quickly made a selection of close friends in Hufflepuff. Then as I broke out my shell a little, I'd come to at least become acquainted with everyone in my year. As the years went on, I'd reached out to other houses too and had soon made myself a large network of friends, which really helped keep things in control and I rarely had any magical incidents. My grades suffered slightly from this, as although I was fully capable of performing the required spells, I would either let go and it would backfire, or would be too reserved and the spells would come out weak. But overall I was an average student with decent grades upon graduation.

After graduation, and the loss of a lot of my friends as we either moved away from each other or fell out of contact, my panic induced spells occurred more frequently, so Mum suggested I get a quiet office job. It seemed like a good idea, monotonous work with no surprises to keep my magic in check. However as I took various job positions and internships in all sorts of boring office firms, my attitude toward work dropped immensely. I began to be cynical and short tempered, I lost a lot of sleep under stress of constant work. This attitude then lost me every job I'd gotten and I began wanting to simply give up and remain unemployed. So after I had lost perhaps my fifth job in the past 3 years, I stopped searching. I got kicked out of my apartment and moved back in with my parents. Eventually my parents brought up your business. Well you know the rest I suppose.

Skills: - I'm very musically talented. As a way to distract from my magic, my parents encouraged me to take up as many instruments as I could. I can now play violin, any form of guitar (I'm still battling the Ukulele) and the piano. I dabble in other stringed instruments like the violin but only because they're very similar.
- I am not very strong, but I am certainly agile and quick.
- I was top chaser in my house and played many matches.
- I'm friendly and open to lots and lots of new friends!


Weaknesses: - I am not very strong.
- As you know very well - the magic from your side of the family is hard to control, especially for someone like myself. Spells can backfire, or if I hold back too much, come out weak and not useful.
- I have delicate skin and bruise rather easily, I certainly have a low pain threshold, as well.
- I'm easily frightened, and can be put off activities with simple taunts. This can have effects like accidental spells.
- When I'm not on a broom, I'm rather clumsy, as you know I've already broken many things, and can easily get distracted.


Equipment: I always carry sweets, especially mints. I always have my wand box, just to prevent breaking my wand again, since it's so expensive to replace. I always have my ukulele - I will learn it one day! Its miniature, four stringed form torments me to this day. I always carry a selection of plasters for when I trip over and graze my legs, sometimes it's not worth using magic to fix things, and you have to learn some how.

Other: I'm a light sleeper, as you know! And a little antsy!

Anyway - I hope this is enough information, Granny! In other news, the couple down the street, in House 5 are getting married, it's super cute, I got invited to the hen-do, but don't worry I didn't get too drunk! We went to this amazing night club called OOC 9, they have a special cocktail, it's quite strong but you might like it - I think it was called something really cool... Like Mission 2? I can't remember but I think you might like it!

Lots of love

Emily Wilborough​

 

[Boss Megu]

@Mippu and I will be here soon! gajdkhgajkhdfahsljdkfhlajksdhfljasdklfhasdjhfjasdhf

EXCITED.

 

[Shambles]

Plopping down a note here so I can find this in the morning after breakfast. This is a lovely idea. :)

 

[DANAsaur]

Dear Miss Dorothy Wilborough,

I saw your advertisement posted near Flourish and Blotts and I am deeply interested in being the botanist of the Wilborough Helpers Association.

My name is Michelle Rose Ward, a 23-year-old girl that like plants and botany. You might remember me as Mishy, the Hufflepuff girl who's usually with Emily back in Hogwarts? I used to be your student in Defence Against the Dark Arts ten years ago.

Perhaps the photo attached to this letter can help you remember? I stand at five feet and four inches and weighs 134 pounds. I have long black wavy hair and hazel brown eyes; slender and usually wears preppy clothes when going to Hogsmeade.

Anyway, if you really can't remember me, I completely understand. I can be easily forgotten since I'm not really that remarkable. I am one of those girls who's very ladylike and polite, if not cheerful and loyal. I am described easily as sensible, emotive, friendly, and innocent, coming across as "childlike" in many aspects. I have a very positive demeanor and rarely seems to harbor negative emotions. Contrary to my well-behaved mannerisms, I can become compulsively nosey when intrigued; becoming hyperactive and having a tendency to glare and ignore personal space.

Although easily distracted, I can be very focused on a particular subject, to a point of forgetting anything else not associated with it. I can also be very persistent and stubborn, especially concerning mysteries, as I will not be able to stop thinking about it until I finally help to solve it.

I was born in a powerful wizarding family on the 4th of February in Ireland. My father, Sebastian Ward, is a powerful wizard working at the Ministry of Magic in the Department International Magical Cooperation. My mother, Elise Rose, is a retired herbologist. With their genetics combined, my parents had expected me to do great things (especially in Herbology).

Ever since I was a child, my mother taught me about plants while my father taught me about spells and magic. Everything was fine and dandy until father got busy with work and rarely went home. Because of this, I learned more about plants and developed an obsession towards them. Mother would always teach me in our garden and point out the plants to identify them, sometimes teaching me how to use them and how to defend myself against them.

I was sorted into Hufflepuff House upon my arrival at Hogwarts. I excelled in Herbology as expected and achieved a high graded O.W.L. and N.E.W.T in most of the subjects but had a slightly difficult time in DDA.

After graduation, my mother insisted for me to work in Slugs & Jiggers Apothecary so that my skills won't go to waste but I'm slightly not happy with my job. I mean its great and all but I've always dreamed of using my skills to help others. Thus, that's why I'm writing this letter.

My skills are rather simple. Besides from gardening and able to identify every plant in the muggle and wizarding world, I can bake and cook too. I'm also great at Transfiguration and in Potions.

My weakness is that I'm not physically strong. I lack stamina and endurance. I trust people easily and sometimes this gets me into trouble. I also have an obsession with shopping, Oh, I think my extreme loyalty is a weakness too since even if I know that the person I'm loyal to is wrong, I do nothing about it. I also have a crippling fear to gryndlows. Perhaps you know why. I was the first year student who fell into the Black Lake who was attacked by gryndlows. Since then I developed a trauma.

I usually bring a bag with me with an extension charm. It is filled with leaves, twigs or saplings that I can find around me. I pick them randomly in hopes of it can be useful to create potions or just those that isn't in the garden yet. Of course at the end of the day, I empty the bag out in the garden and throw out the useless ones. The bag also contains some chocolate, scissors, pruning knives and other gardening tools such as dragon-hide gloves and earmuffs.

As for my wand, I rarely use it so it is always in my hair for easy access. My wand is made out of elm wood with a phoenix feather core, 12 1/2 inches in length and with unyielding flexibility.

Other things that you should know about me is that I'm allergic to shellfish and crustaceans. I'm scared of boggarts, dementors, flesh-eating slugs and blast-ended skrewts. You should also know that I'm a bit curious about some things I saw in the ad such as House 5 and Mission 2. Also 00C 9.

I really really want to be your botanist Miss Dorothy. I look forward to speak to you or receive a letter from you.​

Sincerely,
Michelle Rose Ward​

P.S. If you have questions or some things are unclear, do not hesitate to owl and I'll gladly respond as soon as I can.​

 

[Boss Megu]

OMG @DANAsaur that is brill. Like, real brill, it's wicked. Fantasmic even!

@Ythania , how do we go about the letter with the regulars? Can I be really creative and say like, my chara was out for like a week as she went to France and had like submersion learning with the Veela clans for her to reconnect and control that part of her? And possibly networking for the Helpers at the same time? If not, it could be a letter from the past like, when she first applied? Or can I like be creative and make the letter she made in the past along side the new letter from France? IDK. What do you think?

 

[Ythania]

Its be the letter from when you first applied. The has been going on for the past 10 years, it's seen the rise and fall of voldemort and now it's seeing rumours about his return. You should probably specify how long you've been a regular for.

Headaches and eye strain abound, I'll check CS either tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Boss Megu]

I'll do that. Thanks. My chara's not that old but she's old enough. Since she's like...25, could she have been in Ms. Wilborough's class back before she retired, or would my chara be too young for that?

EDIT: @Ythania , do we work for Ms. Wilborough? Or do we have outside jobs too, like the Order of Phoenix, like an organisation and not an employment? I'll edit my entry after you reply. Thanks.

 

[Banana-senpai]

OOC 9; House 5
9 years ago, a familiar owl came with a parcel. It had a letter in a familiar handwriting; the messy scrawl of Chadwick Crowley, the travelling magizoologist. Or that's what he once was until he lost his leg in an accident.

Dear Madame Wilborough,

It's been ages since we last saw each other. Working with your association is part of my best memories now that my adventures have come to a close. I tagged along with you all a few times last year, but those are unforgettable. I'm grateful for the short time that I worked with you.

After the incident, I've decided to set up shop at Diagon Alley and settle down at last. I sell magizoology tools and manage a small pub. I can walk around just fine now, my wife helped me get used to the wooden leg. Drop by sometime, you and your associates are more than welcome. Free drinks for your association! I owe you for my research on phoenixes.

Sylvester, if you remember him, is looking for work related to his speciality. The boy really took after me and has more animal friends than people but he's a good kid who keeps out of trouble. He's 20 now, his grades are all average but he's been travelling with me and Louisa since he was born and we taught him most of what we know. If you need an expert in magical creatures, my son would be grateful to work for you. I included records from when he contributed to our research in Uagadou.

I'll send him over if you'd like. He's in the area, looking into gnomes. He's the splitting image of me when I was his age! Same brown hair and blue eyes, freckly nose. He's about average height, kind of bulky from running around a lot but he's not really that strong. I've told him to get his hair cut before he shows up to you but he keeps it shaggy.

Syl's great at self-transfiguration and tracking in the woods, if I do say so myself. He's just about average in everything else, really. He can't apparate yet, he's taking the exam this year (third try) but he's a pretty good chaser if you're assembling a team! Just don't make him chase underwater creatures, he can't swim. You can't trust him to cook or make potions either since he's queasy around fire from seeing a Burning Day. Actually, he's pretty clumsy and clueless about society but he means well.

Aside from a couple of clothes, some maps, he's bringing the journal I had in my travels. It's his to finish. Aside from that he doesn't have much. Probably a copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

I hope you would consider letting my son become a part of your wonderful group. Thank you for everything again, Madame Dorothy.

Regards.

Chadwick Crowley

Spoiler

Name: Sylvester Crowley

Gender: Male

Age: currently 29 (20 during application, now a REGULAR)

Speciality: Magical Creatures

Appearance: 177cm in height with a slightly heavy built, he's often spotted looking this way and that like a child in a toy store. With the same brown shaggy hair and bright blue eyes as his dad, he's usually smiling to people but this makes him look kind of dense. When he's concentrating on something and when his hands are busy, he looks kind of mean. His broad shoulders are usually slumped, because of his bad posture. His arms, torso and neck have a few scars (and sometimes bruises) from dealing with all sorts of creatures.

Personality: Often with a cheery disposition, he doesn't believe in worrying about things too much and would rather act on solutions than to dwell on the gravity of problems. He's quite affectionate and like doing people small favors and chatting, but that's after his initial shyness. His reluctance in making the first move to make friends stems from his insecurity about not knowing much about the unwritten rules of society. This man-child is very honest and believes in following rules and the power of friendship. He has a habit of staring and he'd bow apologetically when caught. Worldliness and street wisdom is his bet since he wasn't exactly the star student (nor the opposite).

Biography: Sylvester's parents were given a permit by the Ministry of Magic to do their research just after his ninth birthday. With a team of four others, they headquartered at Uagadou, where Sylvester learned self-transfiguration and the basics of animal care. He went back to England to study at Hogwarts but he spent his summers and holidays wherever his parents were. When the team also corresponded with Mahou Gakuen and Ilvermorny, Syl would be with them unless he had school. He was an oddball of a kid, much to the disgust of some and the fondness of others (usually fellow Hufflepuffs). He got into detention once or twice for flying into the Forbidden Forest and over the lake. He joined the Quidditch team during his last year and still can't pass his apparition test. With average grades and a passion for magical creatures, he worked as pest control and as caretaker once.

Skills: beast taming, flying, Quidditch, first aid for animals , tracking, drawing

Weaknesses: can't swim, can't apparate, culturally clueless, clumsy, afraid of fire

Equipment: His father's magizoology journal and a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Other: Mission 2
He was born a Metamorphmagus like his father. He uses this trait to communicate with animals and for disguises. When he has no missions, he wanders about the garden as an owl or a fox.

 

[Ythania]

You work for Dorothy, yeah. I'm going to check CS tomorrow , but I'll be around for questions.

 

[Boss Megu]

I appreciate that, I'll edit my what I'm doing. Thanks. :)

 

[Kythera]

Ooh this sounds awesome! Do you still have space for another? I was thinking of a charms specialist, if that wasn't already taken.

 

[WitchcraftIsScience]

Ohmygawd, HOW DID I NOT NOTICE SUCH A WONDERFUL HP UNIVERSE RP?!
Ahem
I mean, are there any places open? I am planning for a younger healer, which is basically a protege of older healer. Don't know if healer position is taken though...

 

[Boss Megu]

March 31st, 1989​

Dear Madam Dorothy Wilborough,

I hope this letter reaches you in good health. I do not know if you still recall me, but I was once your student when you taught Defence Against the Dark Arts. My name is Amarisse and I was a fourth-year Slytherin when you taught at Hogwarts. You always spoke kindly to me when you were my professor and that stayed with me until today. I attached a little photo my consultant took when I visited him before I left for Cairo. You may know of him, Chadwick Crowley? He mentions of you in all our correspondence and has been bidding me to return back to England. He was the one who mentioned for me to join you. Though, you may remember me better by the moniker they called me, "Slytherin Queen". Does that ring any bells? No?

I have graduated from Hogwarts last spring and am an apprentice Curse Breaker with the goblins of Gringotts currently. They tell me, in their own gruff way, that I'm a rare prodigy of the art, but I think that they say that because I am the only one they can stand in the batch of trainees. I've successfully mastered curse detection and removal, while ward breaking & creation is something I am currently learning hands-on as their senior apprentice. They sent me to one of the wizard tombs in Cairo for a practical, seeing as I am close to my Mastery already.

I know it may sound strange for me to be writing to you out of the blue, Madam. But I heard from Mr. Crowley that your organisation is in need of a Curse-Breaker and that his son was joining this organisation as well. I'm not that good a friend with Sylvester, but we do know each other. I know that there might be more suitable applicants, but I would like to put my name down as a possible candidate. I know I said I am currently with Gringotts but my contract ends in a month and my Curse-Breaking Mastery exam is in the end of the month. After which, I can leave Gringotts as an independent Curse Breaker. I am certain that I will pass, there is no doubt of that.

Enclosed in this letter is a little list that I saw you may need from what Mr. Crowley told me. I'm sorry I couldn't enclose it in this letter itself, but I cannot enter all the necessary information at this time. I'm actually in Cairo at the moment and am on break to write down this letter, I wanted to make sure I wrote something, lest I forget. What I meant to say is that, I've written down everything you'll need at a separate sheet different from this one. Thank you again, Professor Wilborough for your time at Hogwarts. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think. No matter the response, I will look forward to hearing from you again. And if ever you decline my application, please don't be a stranger. You are a friend of mine and feel free to contact me should you need my skills in anyway.​

May your Magic Light your Path
Heiress Amarisse Ethelinda Yseult Corell-Beilschmidt
Of the Ancient and Noble Hearth of Corell & Beilschmidt

+

Spoiler

Name:
(Heiress) Amarisse Ethelinda Yseult Corell-Beilschmidt

Gender:
Female

Age: {NOW A REGULAR}
25 turning 26 (At application, 19 turning 20)
[November 17, 1969]

Specialty:
Curse-Breaker by profession; it involves taking down/making wards and removing/applying curses on objects, in case you wanted a list.

Appearance:
I have platinum blonde locks that is often found braided messily and light blue eyes that often appear grey. I was raised to wear robes and dresses, but during my apprenticeship I grew to appreciate good muggle trousers and dragon scale boots and comfortable tops; sleeveless tops (my brother was scandalised). Though that doesn't stop me from still wearing "proper" robes and gowns and dresses, mostly dresses. But I have a few robes simply for brewing, potions are deadly, filthy and bad for the skin. If I didn't need it, I wouldn't do it.

Personality:
I have a temper, that comes from being half-veela. It was bad when I came into my inheritance early, but now it is...manageable. Slightly. Also, I am unable to transform into the bird-like form my full-blooded kins can, but I can sprout feathers and a beak-like mouth when I'm terribly angry. And yes, I can also create fire when angered without the aid of my wand. You don't need to worry, that is far in between. I am patient, okay, I'm NOT patient but I like to tutor and teach subjects that I am good at, to people who are interested and don't ask STUPID questions. I can get really passionate about the subjects that I love, though I often told that I look cold, uncaring and unapproachable. To a certain point, I may be, but that is the heiress training showing. I am often told that I can be very generous and self-sufficient and caring. I also tend to act a little motherly to children and those younger. And oh! I am also a neat freak and I care about how I look, no matter how much they tell me I'm vain. But over all, I can work with other people (no matter how stupid or plebeian, seeing as I AM friends with Sylvester) and can hold my tongue until I can't. Also, my brother tells me I'm not funny! But I am, my brother is just jealous that he didn't think of them first!
Down below are a few jokes! Do try to spot them if you can!

Biography:
My mama is originally from Magical Prussia and had fallen for a visiting rare male veela. Thinking herself in love, she had slept with him. It was an unfortunate disaster that the man fell for mama's cousin and they eloped together. It was a huge scandal, as he and mama were engaged. A few months later, she discovered herself pregnant.

Now, you need to know that the House of Corell are an actively Dark Family. We have an affinity to Dark magic--don't worry, I don't practice it-- and anything that threatens our "pure" line will be eradicated. They're just as bad or worse than the Blacks of England, since they can actively get away with murdering unborn spawns. But my mama wasn't about to approve of killing an innocent babe (she was oddly the white sheep of the clan) and when the Prussian Ministry offered her a job in England, she took it. For years, we were estranged from the clan, but with grand mama's death, mama was forced to take over as the only living direct child.

During our stay in England, my younger half-brother and I entered Hogwarts as my mama was the Ambassador of Magical Prussia to Britain. My brother and I were sorted into Slytherin. This was to incorporate our magical unity or some other political move I wasn't privy to, but mostly to avoid our paranoid grand mama. Let it be also known that I did not know that I was part-veela until I was 14 (it was my third year), when I came into my inheritance. After nearly causing a riot in Hogwarts, I was sent home for a medical leave and mama was forced to tell the truth. It was during this time that I met Mr. Chadwick Crowley, his wife; Ms. Louisa, and his son; Sylvester. Mr. Chadwick Crowley was my consultant and taught me how to try calming myself to control my Veela Attraction and my temper. He has been incredibly nice with my what my mama calls a "condition". He and his wife; Ms. Louisa, my papa and my little brother have contributed much to me not being ashamed of being what society calls a half-breed. I am forever indebted to that man and his family.

Hogwarts was an exceptional school, despite being abnormally cold during winter. Let me warn you that the Slytherin dormitory is NOT warm enough during this season. It was horrible to get out of bed and walk through the wretchedly cold corridors between classes. That aside, I took courses required for Curse Breaking, a profession Professor Snape encouraged me, seeing my abysmal charms capabilities and my...condition. I hate that term. They all make it sound like a disease, which it definitely isn't!

My OWL results are as follows: 4 O's (Transfiguration, Defense, Runes and Potions), 2 E's (Herbology, Arithmancy) and 3 A's (I absolutely detest History of Magic and Charms, Astronomy was also a total bother). My NEWT results are as follows: 3 O's (Potions, Transfiguration, Defense), 3 E's (Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology) and 2 A's (Charms and Astronomy). I'll ask my brother to owl you the official copies from the ministry to validate my claim.

After I graduated last year, I applied for the Curse Breaker Apprenticeship with Gringotts to get away from my mama's political influence and everyone knows that no one can influence the goblin race and it certainly won't be the pathetic humes. I applied with a fellow year mate of mine; William Weasley. Not that we were friends, he's a Griffindor. I simply needed to point out that out of all the candidates that Hogwarts sent, only he and I were accepted. AND I was made senior apprentice, not him. It goes to show that Slytherins ARE better. Ha HA

While I knew that I like being a Curse Breaker, I'm not entirely sure that being in tombs and catacombs are what I want to do. So when Mr. Chadwick Crowley stated you were looking for a Curse Breaker, I jumped on the opportunity and here I am.

Skills:
Potions is a skill I was forced to pick up, my Veela Attraction Suppressors (or just Suppressors) was a potion. I've adept at potions due to this. Keeps my "charms" (I made a joke!) manageable, and less riots. Does nothing for my temper though.
Transfiguration is also something I am quite good at, making puppies out of rocks or a chair out of a pillow or buttons from beetles. I can do that & more, which is a nifty skill in Curse Breaking.
Silent Casting is something I am able to do, even under pressure.
Runes was something else I needed to take up for Curse Breaking. While I prefer the act of breaking curses & wards, I am no novice with runes.
Politics. My mama is a politician, papa is a Senior Potions Master from the Guild. I'm a Slytherin, where polite conversation can become an elaborate chess match with veiled insults and requests. The term Slytherin Queen is not just because I'm vain.

Weaknesses:
My temperament is not made for Charms. I always either overpower the spell that it explodes in my face or nothing happens at all. It's really just a wonder why I can cast a corporeal patronus. (Guess the animal? I'll give you a hint, it's a pretty bug.)
I may be a half-veela, but I cannot fly. I hate heights. In my first year, I was one of those students that fell off their broom a foot off the ground, and the broom REFUSED to jump to my hand. I don't know why we had to say "UP" when we can pick it UP. (Another joke!)
My spell reservoir is lesser than most due to me not having an affinity with Charms. I may or may not be able to cast them. Though Gringotts had to teach me most complex charms such as; The Thief's Downfall and The Intruder Alarm, with little to less problem. Which I really don't understand why, seeing as this is not something I can use everyday. OFFENSIVE charms come little to not so difficult to me; such as Glacius and the Stunning Spell, along side Scarpin's Revelaspell too. NON-OFFENSIVE CHARMS (which is 90% of the spells) come difficult, such as: LUMOS, Accio, Reducio, Household Charms and etc...
Weakness to cold weather. I get cold really easily. Winter cripples me constantly. Back in Hogwarts, I had layers and layers of clothes and made me look like a stuffed snowman. It's funny for a creature of fire. (Get it? I've got fire in me but I get cold and I had to layer myself to keep the fire going...and I'll stop now...)
Tunnel Vision. If I am working on a task, that's all I ever see. A dragon could roar beside me while I'm breaking a ward and I won't hear it until I'm done or well, dead. (that was a joke too!)

Equipment:
My wand (12 1/2 Cypress and Dragon heart-string, which is slightly springy and good at transfiguration) is always on me, in my wand holster, up my left sleeve.
Wizarding Tent, because a REAL shower is NICE.
A pocket mirror
Rune chalk, a pen, ceremonial dagger, Spellman's Syllabary and strips of paper: all these are for a quick temporary rune ward or decoding/unraveling a ward/curse, in case of trouble.
A Torch, seeing as the Lumos charm will always backfire on me.
A leather journal to jot down all the runes combinations I find/copy whatever ward structure or simply to write in/doodle in

Other:
I am a picky eater. I don't like the taste of fish and I get indigestion when I eat beef. I'm not allergic to anything and am quite partial to anything blueberries and I hate anything with pumpkin. I love sausages and ice cream. I have no idea where House 5 is and what is OOC 9? What is that? And Mission 2, is this where I share my deepest, darkest secret? Do I need to? Oh, alright. I fell inlove with a Greek-French student from Beauxbatons when I visited France with my brother last summer, but I never told him because he wasn't someone my mama would approve. I left France with half my heart. Please don't tell anyone, especially Mr. Crowley! He won't let it rest!

+

Let me know if I need to change anything. Wow, it's 3AM. Need to go to bed. Night!

EDIT: @Ythania, I'm done. Please let me know if it still doesn't work!

 

[Ythania]

Both spots are free, I believe. Well, we always need more healers so that's good, and I don't think anyone want for charms specialist . Hold on. I'm going to nip online now that I feel better.

 

[Ythania]

Okay. Okay.

Let's go.

Read all of the post and learn from other people's errors - it saves me time from repeating myself and saves you time from having to correct something that's been corrected before.

@Jessikka we've chatted about this but NOBODY IS SAFE FROM THE NITPICKING. You seem to flaunt the fact your character has a lot of raw power - Personally I know this to be true because she's Dorothy's granddaughter but in a letter it'd seem self-centred to show it off. To your granny, no less. It's not in your skills because it is in a way a weakness of itself since you're unable to control it, so if you skim through that CS and try to rephrase the "I CONTAIN THE ULTIMATE POWER" bits then it's all good.

Oh and I told you to read the OOC, damnit. You had one job. (For those who don't know, me and Jess are buds, I'm not just ripping into this poor lil' newbie on the internet.)

@Lannister @Kythera @WitchcraftIsScience @You @IntrusivePenDesperateSword (Well kind of not you IPDS my RP is always open for you xoxoxo) @Mippu Character spots are based on a first-come, first-served basis and you need to have an accepted CS to nab one of those spots. This doesn't count for roles, you can reserve specialties until I grow bored of holding them for you. I'm looking at 7 spaces so, if you all apply, you should all get in. (Again IPDS you can jump in after summer so don't worry but it counts for...whichever chapter you join in.)

@DANAsaur WHAT A CUTE CS OMG. Is she a regular or a newcomer?

Ok so the age checks out (23-10=13 you've known Dorothy but remember that was a decade ago), Sheee....kind of reminds me of Emily? a lot? Emily though is based on another character, Mia, who I used to RP with quite frequently and she was a bubbly mess of clumsiness and happiness. If Mishy is a bit more polite, sort of well-to-do type of person then it's all good.

LOTS of powerful wizarding families going on here, guys. What's wrong with muggles? You were all Slytherin I bet.

You know what guys I think I might have to make you all put your skills and weaknesses in bold so I can figure out which bits are which. Can you all do that for me? Please? Thank you very much. It looks like Mishy has 7 - Gardening, Cooking, Sewing, (Maybe take out Chores?) Transfiguration, Charms, Potions. We've got a potions expert AND a charms expert coming up so perhaps you can get rid of the Charms bit? It'd be stupid to take away Potions, you're a herbologist for goodness' sake.

Listing fears doesn't count as weaknesses, sorry. Perhaps if your character has a crippling fear of Grindylows or Dementors I can take that in as a weakness but I'm not going to allow those. Make your character bad at some stuff that isn't manual labour! Wizards are wizards, we find a way past brute force almost all the time! All we need is a Wingardium Leviosa and it's all sorted. OFc you can still be a weedy little thing but I'm going to need some more weaknesses, if you're stuck then I'm sure me and everyone else can throw ideas at you.

I hope she keeps the chocolate in a little satchel or a box or something so it doesn't get mixed in with the dirt and gardening tools. I'm going to allow your inventory...for now...but if I find you repeatedly whipping out precisely the right ingredients needed for all the potions ever then I'll take that bag away from you!

Dorothy's going to flip when she finds out about where Mishy keeps her wand. One wrong move and her head could be blown off! But that can be solved ICly.

Loving the allergies. And I'm glad to see you read the OOC.

@Mippu Let's see how this one turns out first before I judge your metamorphmagus trait.

@Boss Megu At first I was like..."Where's the CS" and then I was all "THERE'S THE CS". I found it. Don't worry. Slytherin Queen? I get the feeling she's a bit vain!

Age checks out, 26-10=16, You knew Dorothy. Personality...does not check out. How can you have a temper but also be patient? 'Tis one or the other, not both. And if you had to pick (which you do I'm afraid) I'd probably go for the temper, it's in Amarisse's genes. Might interfere with the teaching, perhaps she gets a bit snappy when particularly annoying questions are constantly asked, but I also get this...again, it's not really vanity but it's more posh-ness? A hoity-toity aspect which really she wouldn't admit to in her letter but it's there.

I judge your association with a Weasley but I reluctantly accept it based on the fact I know it's not going to interfere at all and it's just a name-drop. Skills check out, no problems there...Guess the animal? Uhh, snake. Bird! Uhm, uhm, Blast-ended Skrewt! am I getting anywhere? Let's see, I'd put the spell reservoir as being "limited spells" and, truly, you HAVE to show that. I want to see you not knowing spells, or being unable to cast some. Dorothy's going certainly going to knock this woman down a couple pegs, especially when it comes to her picky eating, believe you me she's going to get quite the culture shock.

You and Mippu both seem to have an odd trait, and forgive me for being blunt, but you both seem to be pushing as many....unique/rare traits as possible into your characters. Parseltongue and Metamorphmagus, Half-vela on the father's side and noble family; If it's at all possible, could I ask you both to tone it down a bit? Good characters don't need so many rare qualities in them to make them good, the chances of finding those two is less than one in a million - even in the Potterverse. If you're uncertain what to part with, I'd suggest getting rid of the Parseltongue OR the Metamorphmagus in Sylvester, and for Amarisse perhaps make her a traditional half-vela.

In a contained 1v1 setting I would've accepted the uniqueness but based on the fact it's a group RP and I'm trying to keep the cast as equal as possible I'm afraid you'll have to ditch a couple of aspects. I still want her to be half-veela because there's genuine potential in there for some interesting RP and it's a crucial aspect of your character but...yeah.

I'm going to throw in a CS about Dorothy so you're all able to figure out who she is and why she's so amazing.

 

[Jessikka]

I made adjustments accordingly. AND I KNOW YOU EVEN TOLD ME WHAT THEY WERE AND THEN I READ THE RULES AND SAW THEM AGAIN AND I FORGOT THEM A SECOND TIME YOU KNOW MY MEMORY ISSUES ;-;

Also! @DANAsaur I saw that you wrote about Emily and Mishy being school friends, which although was a bit of a surprise, is a wonderful idea! If you'd like, when the RP starts, Emily and Mishy could "Recognise" each other and catch up together, just to get past the awkward first meeting part of RPs. It's your choice, of course, but I thought it'd be a nice idea.

 

[You]

Okay so to be clear, Dorothy left Hogwarts ten years ago and founded the Helpers right after she left? I'm looking to have a regular who applied right out of school, got rejected and then reapplied the very next year. I'd say he's a regular of roughly four years? Also, a general request to everyone (@Ythania can make this official if you want :P) . Would you mind making it explicit if your character is newcomer or a regular? The format of the app kinda confuses me on that point

 

[Ythania]

Ok, I threw Dorothy into the mix. Bear in mind she's powerful because it's my RP and I'm selfish. (Naturally, she won't really use a lot of this power, but since she's half plot-device half character, she needs a bit of...artistic liberty.)

 

[Ythania]

Okay so to be clear, Dorothy left Hogwarts ten years ago and founded the Helpers right after she left? I'm looking to have a regular who applied right out of school, got rejected and then reapplied the very next year. I'd say he's a regular of roughly four years? Also, a general request to everyone (@Ythania can make this official if you want :P) . Would you mind making it explicit if your character is newcomer or a regular? The format of the app kinda confuses me on that point

This. THIS. Let's do that right away shall we?

Mhm, you can make him a regular. That would make him...around 24? I think? Failed it once, joined again, 4 years...mhm.