Valley Nathair, First Year, Gryffindor
Full Name: Valley Madhu Nathair
House: Gryffindor
Age: 11
Wand: 20.1cm, chestnut wood and unicorn hair
School Year: First
Patronus: N/A
Species: Human
History/Background Story: [further down]
Valley is short for his age, just barely scraping in at 132cm (4'3"). He has dusty brown skin, slightly scarred from various mishaps, and round brown eyes. He always seems scuffed and a little dirty.
His dark brown hair is long enough to brush his biceps, so he usually pulls it into a messy bun to keep in out of the way. He never seems to catch all of it, and can often be seen running a frustrated hand through the escaped strands to push them into place.
All of his belongings are second-hand, except for his trunk, wand, and remembrall. Spare bits of fabric, with his name hand-embroidered in careful split stitching, have been sewn onto the hems of his clothing in place of their previous used nametags.
His cauldron is stained at the bottom and has a slight dent in the rim, probably from being dropped; one of his crystal vials is chipped at the lip though the rest look new; his set of copper scales have been splashed with something that discolored them in patches; his pointed hat has a bright pink patch sewn in to fix a fist-sized hole. He seems to either not mind or be used to such things.
When not in robes, it is equally likely to find Valley in a pair of pants as it is to find him in a skirt or dress. He doesn't pay attention to things he finds unimportant, like what sorts of clothes people "should" wear.
Valley is emotional and is often swept up by his feelings. He laughs and cries equally easily, and isn't afraid of shouting at people who he feels deserve it, even if it means making a scene or talking back to a professor -- though he usually only does this while at Hogwarts or otherwise away from his hometown, where he was forced to stay quiet near-constantly in order to stay out of trouble with his father and the townspeople. His value system is something like 'if they hurt you, you get to hurt them back worse, and that's justice'. He's also exceptionally loyal.
Valley tries to be friendly to everyone, especially if he notices that other people are outcasting them, because he knows what it feels like. The thought of knowingly letting another person suffer that makes him feel slimy inside.
He has a habit of not speaking before he thinks -- which often gets him into scuffles and breeds misunderstandings -- as well as a short attention span and a flighty, distracted nature. His grades reflect this, ranging from average to poor in most subjects. He also has a habit of...not disregarding the rules, exactly? More like completely failing to consider if he's allowed to do something before he goes ahead and does it.
- Animals
- His older sister
- Sewing, embroidering
- Skiving off class
- Craps
- Hanging around with his friend Reuben
- Double deckers
- All of nature. Sitting in the grass and raising his face to the sun without the sound of the town around him is something he's always wanted to be able to do
- Adults yelling
- Cleaning, especially doing the dishes
- His hair getting in his face all the time
- Being powerless
- Maltesers
[CW for implications of child abuse, two sentences discussing a suicide in the family, and slight mentions of alcoholism.]
Valley grew up in a small flat with his father and older sister, Matthew and Earnest. His mum, an Indian woman who his father never talks about, left when he was young, though Earnest used to tell him stories about her at bedtime while their father shouted at the telly in the other room.
His father was rough with them both growing up, though initially Valley escaped the worst of it by virtue of being young. Earnest wasn't so lucky.
Earnest taught Valley how to sew, embroider, clean, and cook out of necessity -- there were days when she was too busy with school to do it all, and they both knew their father was...neglectful at best. She was also the person he went to when someone beat him up or said nasty things about him, like his darker skin, his habit of dressing in girl's clothes, or his lack of friends.
Despite only learning because their father wouldn't take care of their needs, Valley came to truly love sewing and embroidery. Handmade clothes and embroidered goods quickly became his most common holiday presents.
But their father's abuse being centered on Earnest took its toll on her. She took her own life when Valley was seven, and he was the one who found her.
His father got noticeably rougher on Valley for a while afterward, but took it down a notch once people started asking awkward questions.
He started running craps games in the streets to make a bit of change and avoid going home after school. Keeping his head down for the most part, not talking to anyone unless it was to charm something out of them, and establishing himself as a fair player became his routine.
While running games Valley made a single friend, Reuben, who was a year older than him and didn't mind the way he dressed. They had similar home situations and grew close quickly. After a few months they started talking about running away together. They planned to save up for a while, get a bit older, a bit better able to defend themselves, and then leave. Sleep rough and hostel hop when they could. Keep each other safe.
But then Valley's Hogwarts letter came.
He told Reuben, of course -- he didn't know he wasn't supposed to, and even if he had known, he would've told. That's just how he and Reuben worked. He then cautiously approached his father about the letter, with Reuben hovering in the next room over in case things got ugly.
Matthew said, "Yeah, your mum was one of them, too," and then blandly told Valley to make his own arrangements, as he wouldn't be taking him anywhere or paying for his things. Valley and Reuben scurried off to pour over maps and transportation options.
They had a short tiff over Valley being willing to abandon Reuben for magic, but sorted it out, figuring that Reuben would just have to come along and live nearby, even if he couldn't go to the school. It wasn't too far off from what they had been planning on doing anyway, they reasoned. They could write, or even sneak off to meet up on weekends.
And so Valley Nathair's magical journey began.
House: Gryffindor
Age: 11
Wand: 20.1cm, chestnut wood and unicorn hair
School Year: First
Patronus: N/A
Species: Human
History/Background Story: [further down]
Appearance
Valley is short for his age, just barely scraping in at 132cm (4'3"). He has dusty brown skin, slightly scarred from various mishaps, and round brown eyes. He always seems scuffed and a little dirty.
His dark brown hair is long enough to brush his biceps, so he usually pulls it into a messy bun to keep in out of the way. He never seems to catch all of it, and can often be seen running a frustrated hand through the escaped strands to push them into place.
All of his belongings are second-hand, except for his trunk, wand, and remembrall. Spare bits of fabric, with his name hand-embroidered in careful split stitching, have been sewn onto the hems of his clothing in place of their previous used nametags.
His cauldron is stained at the bottom and has a slight dent in the rim, probably from being dropped; one of his crystal vials is chipped at the lip though the rest look new; his set of copper scales have been splashed with something that discolored them in patches; his pointed hat has a bright pink patch sewn in to fix a fist-sized hole. He seems to either not mind or be used to such things.
When not in robes, it is equally likely to find Valley in a pair of pants as it is to find him in a skirt or dress. He doesn't pay attention to things he finds unimportant, like what sorts of clothes people "should" wear.
Personality
[Virtues]
Valley is emotional and is often swept up by his feelings. He laughs and cries equally easily, and isn't afraid of shouting at people who he feels deserve it, even if it means making a scene or talking back to a professor -- though he usually only does this while at Hogwarts or otherwise away from his hometown, where he was forced to stay quiet near-constantly in order to stay out of trouble with his father and the townspeople. His value system is something like 'if they hurt you, you get to hurt them back worse, and that's justice'. He's also exceptionally loyal.
Valley tries to be friendly to everyone, especially if he notices that other people are outcasting them, because he knows what it feels like. The thought of knowingly letting another person suffer that makes him feel slimy inside.
[Vices]
He has a habit of not speaking before he thinks -- which often gets him into scuffles and breeds misunderstandings -- as well as a short attention span and a flighty, distracted nature. His grades reflect this, ranging from average to poor in most subjects. He also has a habit of...not disregarding the rules, exactly? More like completely failing to consider if he's allowed to do something before he goes ahead and does it.
Likes
- Animals
- His older sister
- Sewing, embroidering
- Skiving off class
- Craps
- Hanging around with his friend Reuben
- Double deckers
- All of nature. Sitting in the grass and raising his face to the sun without the sound of the town around him is something he's always wanted to be able to do
Dislikes
- Adults yelling
- Cleaning, especially doing the dishes
- His hair getting in his face all the time
- Being powerless
- Maltesers
Pre-Hogwarts History
[CW for implications of child abuse, two sentences discussing a suicide in the family, and slight mentions of alcoholism.]
Valley grew up in a small flat with his father and older sister, Matthew and Earnest. His mum, an Indian woman who his father never talks about, left when he was young, though Earnest used to tell him stories about her at bedtime while their father shouted at the telly in the other room.
His father was rough with them both growing up, though initially Valley escaped the worst of it by virtue of being young. Earnest wasn't so lucky.
Earnest taught Valley how to sew, embroider, clean, and cook out of necessity -- there were days when she was too busy with school to do it all, and they both knew their father was...neglectful at best. She was also the person he went to when someone beat him up or said nasty things about him, like his darker skin, his habit of dressing in girl's clothes, or his lack of friends.
Despite only learning because their father wouldn't take care of their needs, Valley came to truly love sewing and embroidery. Handmade clothes and embroidered goods quickly became his most common holiday presents.
But their father's abuse being centered on Earnest took its toll on her. She took her own life when Valley was seven, and he was the one who found her.
His father got noticeably rougher on Valley for a while afterward, but took it down a notch once people started asking awkward questions.
He started running craps games in the streets to make a bit of change and avoid going home after school. Keeping his head down for the most part, not talking to anyone unless it was to charm something out of them, and establishing himself as a fair player became his routine.
While running games Valley made a single friend, Reuben, who was a year older than him and didn't mind the way he dressed. They had similar home situations and grew close quickly. After a few months they started talking about running away together. They planned to save up for a while, get a bit older, a bit better able to defend themselves, and then leave. Sleep rough and hostel hop when they could. Keep each other safe.
But then Valley's Hogwarts letter came.
He told Reuben, of course -- he didn't know he wasn't supposed to, and even if he had known, he would've told. That's just how he and Reuben worked. He then cautiously approached his father about the letter, with Reuben hovering in the next room over in case things got ugly.
Matthew said, "Yeah, your mum was one of them, too," and then blandly told Valley to make his own arrangements, as he wouldn't be taking him anywhere or paying for his things. Valley and Reuben scurried off to pour over maps and transportation options.
They had a short tiff over Valley being willing to abandon Reuben for magic, but sorted it out, figuring that Reuben would just have to come along and live nearby, even if he couldn't go to the school. It wasn't too far off from what they had been planning on doing anyway, they reasoned. They could write, or even sneak off to meet up on weekends.
And so Valley Nathair's magical journey began.
Last edited by Valley Nathair on 26 Sep 2018, 03:11, edited 5 times in total.
Valley Nathair, First Year, Gryffindor
RPGs
The Sorting Ceremony
Last edited by Valley Nathair on 26 Jul 2018, 22:42, edited 2 times in total.
Valley Nathair, First Year, Gryffindor
Pre-Hogwarts Relationships
Name: Matthew Nathair
Relation: Father
Characteristics: Abusive; apathetic; keeps his hails trimmed short; dresses like a businessman when going out
Status: Alive
Name: Earnest Nathair
Relation: Older sister
Characteristics: Kind; snappish; tired; knowledgeable
Status: Deceased
Name: Reuben
Relation: Best friend
Characteristics: Loyal; cautious; the ride or die friend you always wished you had; got caught shoplifting cans of soup once but was let off with a warning
Status: Alive
Hogwarts Relationships
Name:
Relation:
Characteristics:
Status: