Post by Claire Ryan on May 23, 2009 23:18:01 GMT -5
Accepted! Welcome to Hogwarts.[/font][/size]
NAME, GENDER AND CITIZENSHIP
[ Full Character Name: ] Claire Eilís Ryan
[ Character Gender: ] Female
[ Country of Citizenship: ] Ireland/England (must see History section for clarification)
HOUSE PREFERENCE
OOC: I'm sorry, but this is going to have to be decided based on Claire's history; however, I have included some possibilities since it is almost completely unclear where to place the girl. Apologies on this point, but her unique history has possibilities for any of these houses as a match. - Kelly
[ First House Preference: ] Gryffindor/Slytherin
[ Second House Preference: ] Slytherin/Gryffindor
[ Third House Preference: ] Slytherin/Ravenclaw
[ Fourth House Preference: ] Ravenclaw/Gryffindor
YEAR PREFERENCE
[ First Year Preference: ] 1st
[ Second Year Preference: ] 1st
[ Third Year Preference: ] 2nd
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
[ 1. Physical Character Description: ](Tell what they look like. What they wear, their perks about appearance, their downfalls. Special attributes. Are they plain? Tall? Short?)
Physicality
Claire has shoulder-length auburn hair, a fair complexion, brilliant emerald eyes (which, sometimes, turn grey-green to signify her disapproval or distaste for something or someone); she is not very tall, and isn't likely to grow much more than 66 inches (her family doesn't stand very tall, despite their reputation). She was measured last summer holiday (in Tralee, Co. Kerry at her Great-Grandmother's cottage) at 56 inches. She is well-built (sturdy) for being only ten years old.
Clothing and Style
Claire's clothing and style aren't remarkably different from the next ten year-old. She fancies plaid jumpers and white blouses, but sometimes she'll choose a good set of jeans and a loose-fitting T-shirt. Her favourite colours are most shades of green and lilac, though she'll wear light-coloured blue hues. She likes to leave her hair down, though it grows quickly and, when long, tends to be a bit messy. When she is in her lesson with Mrs. Ryan, she wears an ankle-length white dress with a green sash and black Witch robes with green cuffs and trimming. In the Wizard World, when she is permitted to visit it, Claire wears these robes and a light green cloak. She is rarely seen without Mrs. Ryan, who always acts as her guardian.
Perks and Other Tid-Bits
Modest in her assumptions of herself, Claire is handsome for her age. Much like the other children under the Ryan Family's care, Claire reflects the image of a "finished" young lady (or young sir in the case of the gentlemen in the house). She has been brought up to believe in cleanliness, and as a result, she washes her hair everyday, and she washes her hands after being outside or visiting the world outside of the Ryan Family's Central England home.
[ 2. Personality Character Description: ](Who is your character? What makes them tick?)
Claire Characteristics
Claire has inherited her Irish wit and wisdom from her parents. Though Mrs. Ryan does not cultivate these traits, naturally, she does enjoy some of the remarks that come from her little charge. Claire does inherit her calm reserve from Mrs. Ryan, however, and these traits tend to cast her in a standoffish sort of being; she is not, of course, snobby, but it is difficult to tell whether or not she is nice. An entertainer (to her friends and fellow "siblings" in the Ryan House), Claire likes to hear laughter as a result of something she has said, or long thoughtful pauses as a result of some observation of her making. She tends to be jealous when another person makes an observation or a comment that is more thoughtful or more entertaining than her own, and though she doesn't show it, this really ticks her clock!
Taught best to withhold her emotions, Claire can be like steel towards those she is familiar with, as well as with those she hardly knows. She's a great friend, but only with those who are willing to try to befriend her. She makes it clear that she can operate without anyone else, should the need arise. There is only one person she has ever mentioned being unable to live without, but who that person is, no one has ever been able to discern. Guesswork points to another of the Ryan's charges; Liam Ryan is about her age, though he's really older by three months. Her quiet times have often been spent around him, a scene to which many of the Ryan "children" can attest. Some claim his music melts her coldness, for he plays whatever instrument he finds. Though no direct comment has ever been taken from Liam, one can only assume that their friendship is strong on both sides.
HISTORY SECTION
Disclaimer: The following information has been released under the strictest, most stringent confidentiality, and has been provided for this application with permission from Mrs. Sandra Calliope Ryan, guardian to the aforementioned student, and Madam Rosemary Sibyll Finchley-Ryan, Matron of the House of Ryan. Any reproduction of the following information is prohibited unless granted permission from both of the aforementioned ladies.
Claire's Birth and Early Life
From the pen of Mrs. Sandra C. Ryan:
We learned of Claire from my brother, Lucius Ryan, when he visited Ireland during the Reconstruction period following He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's final defeat at the hands of Harry Potter. Lucius, an ex-Auror at the time, had had the idea of creating the safe house for Muggle-born Witches and Wizards, and we were already looking after several others from families destroyed (needlessly) by the Death Eaters. Lucius stayed with the parents of "Claire" in their cottage near the port of Cobh, Southwestern Ireland, and he observed the infant (she could not be more than a year old) testing her powers. She seemed to have a very strong effect on her parents, more than any Muggle baby, and he offered to adopt her from them. Perhaps a mix of their extreme dislike of the child, which we are more than certain she caused upon them, as well as the sudden affection formed between herself and my brother made the transaction quite easy, and some months later, "Claire" and Lucius returned to England. He had bestowed on her the name which she now uses, though her Irish family had called her something different. We performed the necessary Naming Ceremony to clear any connexions she had formed with the Muggle Family she had left, and Lucius became her surrogate father and guardian, and she took the name granted her by him: Claire.
From the pen of Madam Rosemary Finchley-Ryan:
Claire was easy to train. She had a surrogate brother, whom I had adopted while in Scotland on mission to recover any orphans, so the companionship between Liam and Claire strengthened her ability to be taught. Had Liam not been there, I believe Claire would have spoiled her powers and been unable to control them. She had also formed a connexion with my late son, Lucius David Barabas Ryan, which I did not approve of if he had not been her Name-Giver and Surrogate Parent. I ordained my daughter, Sandra Calliope Ryan, as a co-guardian in the event (seemingly unlikely then) that Lucius should be killed or go missing for any reason. The connexion between Sandra and Claire was not strong, but there was evidence of its existence. I thought she saw Sandra as her mother, and I kept a close watch on both. With Liam as a companion and playmate, Frederick and Anna - my next oldest children - as their mates and Abram - my oldest son - as their idol, I believe all thoughts or disconnected memories of her past life left Claire. I have always promised Sandra and Lucius (until he died) that I would disclose all the information necessary when Claire came of age, and I hold to this still.
The Loss of Lucius, Troubled Times, and Deciding to Send Claire to School
From the pen of Mrs. Sandra C. Ryan:
Lucius had another lead on a family whose parents had borne three Witches and Wizards of five children, and for this the parents had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse and, therefore, were messed up. The children were going to be divided by social services, and it was clear that this was not an arrangement they desired. Much of the details concerning this are fuddled because the family, unlike many of those Lucius had previously investigated, lived in the States. Mother was against bringing international Wizards and Witches into the UK and our home because of the possibility that their magical education was different from ours (that their use and understanding of magic was different and potentially more dangerous), but Lucius wouldn't listen. He disappeared shortly after sending a letter saying that his plans were not working out with Social Services (I believe they call it Welfare in the States) and he was trying to create loopholes. We are not sure what happened, but the children (whose names I will not disclose) were not brought back to the UK, nor was any news of Lucius' whereabouts discerned. Mother left him for dead, which I did not agree with as a responsible decision, and for a while we lived in a house divided.
Eventually, I came to regard her decision as understandable. I did not know she had placed a co-guardianship on me for Claire, so the budding relationship between the girl and myself seemed comforting in our joined loss. I think Mother also understood my arguments, though she never let on that she had acquiesced to them. More troubling issues had presented themselves. I had begun to instruct Claire and Liam in remedial practises for controlling their powers, and both seemed to pick up these instructions quickly. We had reached the extent of my abilities as a tutor about three years ago, and though these lessons ended, their hunger for knowledge was not abated. I allowed them to peruse old spellbooks, though nothing more advanced than first year at any magical institution.
From the pen of Madam Rosemary Finchley-Ryan:
Shortly after Sandra began giving lessons to my Liam and Claire, letters from the Muggle Ministry, channeled through the Ministry of Magic, began to arrive concerning the search for a child named Elizabeth Brady. Disclaimer: This name is never to be repeated in the presence of the child! I tried to ignore them, at first, but I soon realised two things: (1) The Muggle parents of Claire were aware that she was theirs by birth and right, and they were, now, in search of their daughter (which also hints to the "conduct" with which Lucius obtained the girl); and (2) Lucius most certainly must be dead, for the spells he used to coerce the Muggles only lasted while he lived. I felt the need to undergo some magical remodelling in the house as well as in the lives of the children, particularly Claire. I began to try to "vanish" the house from Muggle vision, though my age and wisdom barred me from success past transfiguring the building into a shack. This did not halt the onslaught of letters from the Ministry, and I began to figure a loophole in the situation. If the Muggles chose to come and find their missing child, they would be legally allowed to reclaim her, and nothing could be done. This, in turn, would negatively effect both Claire and Liam. However, if the girl were sent away to school, where Muggles have no chance of accessing her without being inside the school, there was little chance she'd be effected as greatly. Nor Liam either. I began to discuss proper schooling with the girl and with my daughter, and though it pained her to think of leaving the house, I believe she has come to some resolution with this plan. She must never know the true reasons behind this plan; she must always know that my interests are wholly invested in her advancing her magical education. This is an order, not a request.
Here ends the record of the history, thus forth compiled, of the life of Claire Eilís Ryan.
Recorded by Abram Brennard Ryan.
VIRTUES AND VICES
Claire establishes close relationships, or bonds, with people who are her year or age. The best example of this is with her "brother" Liam, with whom she has developed a deep companionship and to whom she has linked herself. She has a natural knack for charming people much in the same way as a person influenced by Felix Felicis (though one ought not go quite as far as comparing her skill to that of You-Know-Who). She is equally skilled in disconnecting, or severing ties or bonds with people who she might have established such close connexions with previously. Her ability to be liked as greatly as she may be disliked weighs as both virtue and vice. Like every young or developing adult, Claire is inconsistent in her moods and emotions and her control over her powers fluctuates with these swings. She firmly reserves her heights and depths of emotional response to those with whom she is most comfortable, and never causes an emotional display, unless influenced by magic, whilst in a public place or surrounded by people she does not know. She has a tendency to be popular, both a virtue and a vice, and she uses this strength to assist both others and herself. She is naturally generous and she identifies the insecurities of others, and tries hard to create a comfortable environment within which they may blossom. Her intentions are not always clear, and sometimes she appears to enact both selfishly and selflessly, though neither with more consistency than the other. In short, Claire is on the verge of becoming a mature and responsible adolescent, however she is still developing a firm opinion of the world and of people, which tends to fluctuate her interactions with them.
WRITING SAMPLE
Claire sauntered down the corridor of the library, located on the second floor of the Ryan's house. She meant to meet Liam here to look for a book on charms, but he had been called away by Frederick, and she could hear them outside chasing the garden gnomes around. She could hear the clumsy re-shelfing job being worked on by the Quarters house elf, Bianca, and the thought struck her that perhaps the elf knew where she ought to begin her research. Two rows down, Claire spotted the clean pink frock and off-white gloves Bianca wore (for she was a free house elf who, like her hero Dobby, had chosen to remain in the service of the Ryan family), and approaching her at a polite speed and offering a polite curtsy, Claire inquired:
'Bianca, where would I be able to find a first year charms spellbook?' to which the house elf smiled and nodded, as she often did.
'You'd be doing yourself a world of good, Miss Clairey, if you looked on the fourth shelf in the second row' she said without the slightest hesitation. Claire thanked the elf and went in search of the second row, fourth shelf. It wasn't difficult to find; in fact, it was only two rows down from where she had been searching, in waiting for her mate outside. Kneeling down to reach the fourth shelf, Claire saw, through the gap between the shelf and the books, Abram sitting, legs apart, in the coziest arm chair by the window. He had a large dusty book open upon his lap, but his head was inclined upward and his eyes looked slightly glazed over; he was thinking on something else. Claire smiled to the book bindings; since Madam Rosemary's announcement of her intent to send Liam and Claire to Magic School, Abram had taken to staring off into the distance more frequently. It charmed Claire to think that he was preparing himself for her departure (well, her's and Liam's) and it also saddened her to think she might not see him as frequently as she had become used to. She loved him like a brother, even though she knew he was not, and she knew he looked on her as a sister, even though he knew she was not. Finding the First-Year Guide to Charms and Spell-Making by Delano Deglio Marcusius (what a mouthful!), Claire pulled the book from the shelf and turned the corner, taking a less cozy armchair near Abram.
'What are you thinking about, Abe?' she asked, softly. He smiled after a slight pause, but there was no joy in the smile.
'Just, life and it's complexities, you know...' he turned and ruffled her hair affectionately, then he looked down at her book. 'Getting a head start on first year charms, eh?'
But Claire didn't quite hear him, for she was suddenly distracted by the heading on the opened page of Abram's book.
'Abram, what does that mean?' she asked, pointing to the title. He followed her finger, then sucked in his breath and held it for a turn before releasing it, blowing away his smile.
'Laws, Treatises and Proceedings Concerning the Snitching of Muggle-Borns' he read aloud. With an echoing thud, he shut the book and sighed once more. 'Well, kiddo,' he began, sounding tired. 'I don't think you're old enough to understand that stuff yet.' And with much hesitation, he stood, tucked the book under his arm and strode toward the door, brushing off Bianca as she offered to re-shelve the book. Claire watched him leave, confused. The "snitching of Muggle-Borns"? Who would do that?
NAME, GENDER AND CITIZENSHIP
[ Full Character Name: ] Claire Eilís Ryan
[ Character Gender: ] Female
[ Country of Citizenship: ] Ireland/England (must see History section for clarification)
HOUSE PREFERENCE
OOC: I'm sorry, but this is going to have to be decided based on Claire's history; however, I have included some possibilities since it is almost completely unclear where to place the girl. Apologies on this point, but her unique history has possibilities for any of these houses as a match. - Kelly
[ First House Preference: ] Gryffindor/Slytherin
[ Second House Preference: ] Slytherin/Gryffindor
[ Third House Preference: ] Slytherin/Ravenclaw
[ Fourth House Preference: ] Ravenclaw/Gryffindor
YEAR PREFERENCE
[ First Year Preference: ] 1st
[ Second Year Preference: ] 1st
[ Third Year Preference: ] 2nd
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
[ 1. Physical Character Description: ](Tell what they look like. What they wear, their perks about appearance, their downfalls. Special attributes. Are they plain? Tall? Short?)
Physicality
Claire has shoulder-length auburn hair, a fair complexion, brilliant emerald eyes (which, sometimes, turn grey-green to signify her disapproval or distaste for something or someone); she is not very tall, and isn't likely to grow much more than 66 inches (her family doesn't stand very tall, despite their reputation). She was measured last summer holiday (in Tralee, Co. Kerry at her Great-Grandmother's cottage) at 56 inches. She is well-built (sturdy) for being only ten years old.
Clothing and Style
Claire's clothing and style aren't remarkably different from the next ten year-old. She fancies plaid jumpers and white blouses, but sometimes she'll choose a good set of jeans and a loose-fitting T-shirt. Her favourite colours are most shades of green and lilac, though she'll wear light-coloured blue hues. She likes to leave her hair down, though it grows quickly and, when long, tends to be a bit messy. When she is in her lesson with Mrs. Ryan, she wears an ankle-length white dress with a green sash and black Witch robes with green cuffs and trimming. In the Wizard World, when she is permitted to visit it, Claire wears these robes and a light green cloak. She is rarely seen without Mrs. Ryan, who always acts as her guardian.
Perks and Other Tid-Bits
Modest in her assumptions of herself, Claire is handsome for her age. Much like the other children under the Ryan Family's care, Claire reflects the image of a "finished" young lady (or young sir in the case of the gentlemen in the house). She has been brought up to believe in cleanliness, and as a result, she washes her hair everyday, and she washes her hands after being outside or visiting the world outside of the Ryan Family's Central England home.
[ 2. Personality Character Description: ](Who is your character? What makes them tick?)
Claire Characteristics
Claire has inherited her Irish wit and wisdom from her parents. Though Mrs. Ryan does not cultivate these traits, naturally, she does enjoy some of the remarks that come from her little charge. Claire does inherit her calm reserve from Mrs. Ryan, however, and these traits tend to cast her in a standoffish sort of being; she is not, of course, snobby, but it is difficult to tell whether or not she is nice. An entertainer (to her friends and fellow "siblings" in the Ryan House), Claire likes to hear laughter as a result of something she has said, or long thoughtful pauses as a result of some observation of her making. She tends to be jealous when another person makes an observation or a comment that is more thoughtful or more entertaining than her own, and though she doesn't show it, this really ticks her clock!
Taught best to withhold her emotions, Claire can be like steel towards those she is familiar with, as well as with those she hardly knows. She's a great friend, but only with those who are willing to try to befriend her. She makes it clear that she can operate without anyone else, should the need arise. There is only one person she has ever mentioned being unable to live without, but who that person is, no one has ever been able to discern. Guesswork points to another of the Ryan's charges; Liam Ryan is about her age, though he's really older by three months. Her quiet times have often been spent around him, a scene to which many of the Ryan "children" can attest. Some claim his music melts her coldness, for he plays whatever instrument he finds. Though no direct comment has ever been taken from Liam, one can only assume that their friendship is strong on both sides.
HISTORY SECTION
Disclaimer: The following information has been released under the strictest, most stringent confidentiality, and has been provided for this application with permission from Mrs. Sandra Calliope Ryan, guardian to the aforementioned student, and Madam Rosemary Sibyll Finchley-Ryan, Matron of the House of Ryan. Any reproduction of the following information is prohibited unless granted permission from both of the aforementioned ladies.
Claire's Birth and Early Life
From the pen of Mrs. Sandra C. Ryan:
We learned of Claire from my brother, Lucius Ryan, when he visited Ireland during the Reconstruction period following He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's final defeat at the hands of Harry Potter. Lucius, an ex-Auror at the time, had had the idea of creating the safe house for Muggle-born Witches and Wizards, and we were already looking after several others from families destroyed (needlessly) by the Death Eaters. Lucius stayed with the parents of "Claire" in their cottage near the port of Cobh, Southwestern Ireland, and he observed the infant (she could not be more than a year old) testing her powers. She seemed to have a very strong effect on her parents, more than any Muggle baby, and he offered to adopt her from them. Perhaps a mix of their extreme dislike of the child, which we are more than certain she caused upon them, as well as the sudden affection formed between herself and my brother made the transaction quite easy, and some months later, "Claire" and Lucius returned to England. He had bestowed on her the name which she now uses, though her Irish family had called her something different. We performed the necessary Naming Ceremony to clear any connexions she had formed with the Muggle Family she had left, and Lucius became her surrogate father and guardian, and she took the name granted her by him: Claire.
From the pen of Madam Rosemary Finchley-Ryan:
Claire was easy to train. She had a surrogate brother, whom I had adopted while in Scotland on mission to recover any orphans, so the companionship between Liam and Claire strengthened her ability to be taught. Had Liam not been there, I believe Claire would have spoiled her powers and been unable to control them. She had also formed a connexion with my late son, Lucius David Barabas Ryan, which I did not approve of if he had not been her Name-Giver and Surrogate Parent. I ordained my daughter, Sandra Calliope Ryan, as a co-guardian in the event (seemingly unlikely then) that Lucius should be killed or go missing for any reason. The connexion between Sandra and Claire was not strong, but there was evidence of its existence. I thought she saw Sandra as her mother, and I kept a close watch on both. With Liam as a companion and playmate, Frederick and Anna - my next oldest children - as their mates and Abram - my oldest son - as their idol, I believe all thoughts or disconnected memories of her past life left Claire. I have always promised Sandra and Lucius (until he died) that I would disclose all the information necessary when Claire came of age, and I hold to this still.
The Loss of Lucius, Troubled Times, and Deciding to Send Claire to School
From the pen of Mrs. Sandra C. Ryan:
Lucius had another lead on a family whose parents had borne three Witches and Wizards of five children, and for this the parents had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse and, therefore, were messed up. The children were going to be divided by social services, and it was clear that this was not an arrangement they desired. Much of the details concerning this are fuddled because the family, unlike many of those Lucius had previously investigated, lived in the States. Mother was against bringing international Wizards and Witches into the UK and our home because of the possibility that their magical education was different from ours (that their use and understanding of magic was different and potentially more dangerous), but Lucius wouldn't listen. He disappeared shortly after sending a letter saying that his plans were not working out with Social Services (I believe they call it Welfare in the States) and he was trying to create loopholes. We are not sure what happened, but the children (whose names I will not disclose) were not brought back to the UK, nor was any news of Lucius' whereabouts discerned. Mother left him for dead, which I did not agree with as a responsible decision, and for a while we lived in a house divided.
Eventually, I came to regard her decision as understandable. I did not know she had placed a co-guardianship on me for Claire, so the budding relationship between the girl and myself seemed comforting in our joined loss. I think Mother also understood my arguments, though she never let on that she had acquiesced to them. More troubling issues had presented themselves. I had begun to instruct Claire and Liam in remedial practises for controlling their powers, and both seemed to pick up these instructions quickly. We had reached the extent of my abilities as a tutor about three years ago, and though these lessons ended, their hunger for knowledge was not abated. I allowed them to peruse old spellbooks, though nothing more advanced than first year at any magical institution.
From the pen of Madam Rosemary Finchley-Ryan:
Shortly after Sandra began giving lessons to my Liam and Claire, letters from the Muggle Ministry, channeled through the Ministry of Magic, began to arrive concerning the search for a child named Elizabeth Brady. Disclaimer: This name is never to be repeated in the presence of the child! I tried to ignore them, at first, but I soon realised two things: (1) The Muggle parents of Claire were aware that she was theirs by birth and right, and they were, now, in search of their daughter (which also hints to the "conduct" with which Lucius obtained the girl); and (2) Lucius most certainly must be dead, for the spells he used to coerce the Muggles only lasted while he lived. I felt the need to undergo some magical remodelling in the house as well as in the lives of the children, particularly Claire. I began to try to "vanish" the house from Muggle vision, though my age and wisdom barred me from success past transfiguring the building into a shack. This did not halt the onslaught of letters from the Ministry, and I began to figure a loophole in the situation. If the Muggles chose to come and find their missing child, they would be legally allowed to reclaim her, and nothing could be done. This, in turn, would negatively effect both Claire and Liam. However, if the girl were sent away to school, where Muggles have no chance of accessing her without being inside the school, there was little chance she'd be effected as greatly. Nor Liam either. I began to discuss proper schooling with the girl and with my daughter, and though it pained her to think of leaving the house, I believe she has come to some resolution with this plan. She must never know the true reasons behind this plan; she must always know that my interests are wholly invested in her advancing her magical education. This is an order, not a request.
Here ends the record of the history, thus forth compiled, of the life of Claire Eilís Ryan.
Recorded by Abram Brennard Ryan.
VIRTUES AND VICES
Claire establishes close relationships, or bonds, with people who are her year or age. The best example of this is with her "brother" Liam, with whom she has developed a deep companionship and to whom she has linked herself. She has a natural knack for charming people much in the same way as a person influenced by Felix Felicis (though one ought not go quite as far as comparing her skill to that of You-Know-Who). She is equally skilled in disconnecting, or severing ties or bonds with people who she might have established such close connexions with previously. Her ability to be liked as greatly as she may be disliked weighs as both virtue and vice. Like every young or developing adult, Claire is inconsistent in her moods and emotions and her control over her powers fluctuates with these swings. She firmly reserves her heights and depths of emotional response to those with whom she is most comfortable, and never causes an emotional display, unless influenced by magic, whilst in a public place or surrounded by people she does not know. She has a tendency to be popular, both a virtue and a vice, and she uses this strength to assist both others and herself. She is naturally generous and she identifies the insecurities of others, and tries hard to create a comfortable environment within which they may blossom. Her intentions are not always clear, and sometimes she appears to enact both selfishly and selflessly, though neither with more consistency than the other. In short, Claire is on the verge of becoming a mature and responsible adolescent, however she is still developing a firm opinion of the world and of people, which tends to fluctuate her interactions with them.
WRITING SAMPLE
Claire sauntered down the corridor of the library, located on the second floor of the Ryan's house. She meant to meet Liam here to look for a book on charms, but he had been called away by Frederick, and she could hear them outside chasing the garden gnomes around. She could hear the clumsy re-shelfing job being worked on by the Quarters house elf, Bianca, and the thought struck her that perhaps the elf knew where she ought to begin her research. Two rows down, Claire spotted the clean pink frock and off-white gloves Bianca wore (for she was a free house elf who, like her hero Dobby, had chosen to remain in the service of the Ryan family), and approaching her at a polite speed and offering a polite curtsy, Claire inquired:
'Bianca, where would I be able to find a first year charms spellbook?' to which the house elf smiled and nodded, as she often did.
'You'd be doing yourself a world of good, Miss Clairey, if you looked on the fourth shelf in the second row' she said without the slightest hesitation. Claire thanked the elf and went in search of the second row, fourth shelf. It wasn't difficult to find; in fact, it was only two rows down from where she had been searching, in waiting for her mate outside. Kneeling down to reach the fourth shelf, Claire saw, through the gap between the shelf and the books, Abram sitting, legs apart, in the coziest arm chair by the window. He had a large dusty book open upon his lap, but his head was inclined upward and his eyes looked slightly glazed over; he was thinking on something else. Claire smiled to the book bindings; since Madam Rosemary's announcement of her intent to send Liam and Claire to Magic School, Abram had taken to staring off into the distance more frequently. It charmed Claire to think that he was preparing himself for her departure (well, her's and Liam's) and it also saddened her to think she might not see him as frequently as she had become used to. She loved him like a brother, even though she knew he was not, and she knew he looked on her as a sister, even though he knew she was not. Finding the First-Year Guide to Charms and Spell-Making by Delano Deglio Marcusius (what a mouthful!), Claire pulled the book from the shelf and turned the corner, taking a less cozy armchair near Abram.
'What are you thinking about, Abe?' she asked, softly. He smiled after a slight pause, but there was no joy in the smile.
'Just, life and it's complexities, you know...' he turned and ruffled her hair affectionately, then he looked down at her book. 'Getting a head start on first year charms, eh?'
But Claire didn't quite hear him, for she was suddenly distracted by the heading on the opened page of Abram's book.
'Abram, what does that mean?' she asked, pointing to the title. He followed her finger, then sucked in his breath and held it for a turn before releasing it, blowing away his smile.
'Laws, Treatises and Proceedings Concerning the Snitching of Muggle-Borns' he read aloud. With an echoing thud, he shut the book and sighed once more. 'Well, kiddo,' he began, sounding tired. 'I don't think you're old enough to understand that stuff yet.' And with much hesitation, he stood, tucked the book under his arm and strode toward the door, brushing off Bianca as she offered to re-shelve the book. Claire watched him leave, confused. The "snitching of Muggle-Borns"? Who would do that?