Character Name: Pandora Kavanaugh
Blood Type: Pureblood
Gender: Female
Age/Year: 17, 7th Year
Family Information: Father -
Fitzgerald Kavanaugh - Earned his money the old-fashioned way; he inherited it. The Kavanaughs comes what you would call "old money," but as is typically the case, the level of the family fortune has meandered up and down over time. When Fitzgerald's father inherited the family estate, he built it up substantially. As such, Fitzgerald was raised in a very priviledged world. His mother spoiled him terribly, and his father did little to counter the effects. After all, he was working to ensure that future generations would not have to put forth such an effort, but he never dreamed his son would throw it all away, either. So, naturally, when the estate finally came to Fitzgerald, he only saw it as a way to live even more extravagantly... a little too much, apparently. He was always fond of extreme luxury, but when he received the inheritance, his frivolity in that respect reached exceptionally stupid heights, which ultimately lead the squandering of both his and his wife's money.
Mother - Marié-Claire D'Aubigne Kavanaugh - Beautiful, charming, and a bit wild, Marié-Claire was the belle of every party and social circle. She was little more than a pretty face, really, but seemed to live an enchanted life. People were quick to warm up to her, and she had scores of friends and associates who could rarely refuse her anything. She loved to dance, laugh, travel the world, and live life more or less on a whim. Having been raised in an old aristocratic wizarding family, she was the epitome of a well-bred lady, and never fell short of that lofty personification, despite her wild (and often defiant) behavior at times. When her father (Pandora's maternal grandfather) passed away, his last will and testiment was so iron-clad, not even her mother (The Grandmother), nor the fact that she'd married Fitzgerald against her parents wishes could revoke the terms. She received a very hefty sum of money, which as stated, Fitzgerald eventually wasted carelessly, along with his own.
The Grandmother- Agnès D'Aubigne. This aristocratic shrew of an old woman is the bane of Pandora's existance. After her father and mother finally accepted the fact that they had no more money, they left their only child and daughter on the woman's doorstep. Having failed to produce her definition of a suitable daughter, she saw Pandora as a second chance to do it the "right" way. To her, that meant raising the girl with very heavy hand.
Hometown: Somewhere north of London.
Wand: Mahogany, 8 inches, core of a Chimaera scale.
Pet(s): Pandora is not allowed to have a pet while living in her grandmother's house, but when she found the fairy
Lorcan during the summer after her fifth year at Hogwarts, she fell in love. Not only is he a comfort to her and a source of entertainment, he knows to hide or fly away whenever The Grandmother shows up. At Hogwarts, he rarely has a reason to stash himself away, unless he's insisted on accompanying her to class.
He's only a few inches tall, so he usually hides in her bag or pocket (but is known to hide is other places as well). His curious nature gets him (and sometimes her) into trouble, and he becomes smitten with every pretty girl he sees. On the flip side of that, he is jealous of any male who pays Pandora the slighest bit of attention.
The only way she can understand him is if he uses the sketchy sort of sign language they've developed, because his form of communication is... weird. He seems to understand humans just fine, though. Well, most of the time, anyway.
Lorcan also helps to reflect the lighter side of Pandora's personality. When life becomes too serious, he reminds her to keep in touch with her playful side. He's also very loyal to her (from what she can gather, he was cast out of his little fairy family for reasons she has yet to figure out), and that's something she really needs.
Broom: None. Her grandmother took away the one she had, and presumably destroyed it.
Physical Description: Panda is rather petite and has a wispy, dainty look about her. She stands at only 5'1" and her weight never gets above 98 pounds, though she will lose weight in times of extreme stress, because she won't eat like she's supposed to. However, her personality clearly contradicts her tiny, delicate appearance.
She has straight, reddish-brown hair that falls midway down her back. She will usually leave it all down, or will pull it up on the sides to get it out of her face. Sometimes, depending on what she's wearing or if she's in the privacy of her dorm room while studying, she will pull it up off her neck to get it completely out of her way.
Her brown eyes appear perpetually sad and haunted, even if she's laughing or smiling. It's as if they've seen far too much for a young lady of her age, and are too tired to hide the secrets that are trapped behind them. Her face in general suits the rest of her, being both delicate and having small, almost childlike features (this is especially true around her nose, mouth, and chin).
Her skin is rather pale and is prone to freckling, so she usually avoids getting out in direct sunlight to prevent this as much as possible. Her grandmother would kill her if she turned up all freckly, as she considers them blemishes rather than the skin's natural defense against harmful UV rays. Pandora's been talked down to in regards to her skin so much, she has an almost obsessive-compulsive morning regimine in which she takes extra precautions to protect her face from the sun and hide any and all blemishes, before putting on her make-up. In regards to the latter, it's always kept very natural and subtle. In other words, you see the effects of the smoothing and shading taking place more so than the cosmetics that make the magic happen.
Pandora is often seen wearing her school uniform (with or without the robes), even when she is not in class. This is because she doesn't have very many other items of clothing, and has to save what she does have for work or going out. Each school term, she works in Hogsmeade to buy her a few things, but at the end of the term, she has to either donate them, give them to someone to keep for her until next term, or toss them out altogether. Unpleasant things have happened as a result of her bringing back items that she shouldn't have been able to afford on the paltry allowance given her by her grandmother, and clothing is the biggest red flag. So, she wears the things she's arranged to be saved (usually, jeans, casual shoes, nicer shirts, etc.), works to buy a few more items (more of the same, really), and then has to turn around and ditch them all again. As stated, the only times she wouldn't be seen wearing her uniform is if she's at work (she has some comfortable jeans and a couple of plain knit tops for that), or if she's out in Hogsmeade to have fun, which is rare. If she's in the castle, or on school grounds, however, she's in her uniform, no matter what time of day it is. Also, she never wears anything that exposes her back. If it falls too far below the nape of her neck, she won't even consider it.
Things that no one will every see (except for Kievan) but are still worth mentioning, are her scars. Her back is covered with big, slashing whelps of scar tissue (see history), and her hands, arms and legs are riddled with small ones as well. The smaller ones she has learned to conceal with Glamour Charms (basically, upgraded beauty spells that she's spent quite a bit of time perfecting over the years as the marks got worse), so the ones on her arms and legs are never visible. Strategically selected clothes hide the ones on her back.
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Personality General Personality: Pandora's personality is a serious case of "more than meets the eye." She only shows a fraction of her true personality to others--namely, the more acceptable facets (see Relationships and Social Skills). However, beneath the surface, things are not so pleasant, and she strives to hide this from the world.
She's quite smart, but she won't turn into a prat if she has to admit that she's wrong or ignorant about something. Naturally, doesn't like being ignorant, and as such, will likely spend the next three days (or more, depending) in the library reading up on a given subject after being shown that she knows too little about it. She's developed a very keen interest in Wizarding Law, and often spends her time pouring over various legal references when not obsessing over her normal studies.
She's very strong her in perspective of right and wrong in the sense that she can recognize an injustice when she sees one, and will be more quick than most to draw it into the light. Unfortunately, this does not always mean that she will play by the most commonly known or accepted set of rules when attempting to rectify it. She looks for loopholes and weak points in every situation, and for good or bad (though her ultimate goals and intentions are usually in the right place), she will use the knowledge that she has to the fullest extent of its power. She has the belief that for those who do not possess the physical strength or magical skills to fend for themselves on that level, then the mind is the only weapon afforded to them. Needless to say, she endeavors to keep hers sharpened to a razor's edge at all times.
She always seems as if she's carrying a great deal of weight on her shoulders. Yet she insists on retaining an air of dignity despite it. Her self-esteem is alarmingly low at times, but she refuses to send out any warnings to others about it. She would rather conceal the fact by pretending that she's perfectly normal, if a bit quiet and self-contained most of the time.
Relationships and Social Skills: She's mildly friendly to those she's met at least once, but is a bit reserved and shy in regards to those who are strangers. However, she often tries to put her reservations aside to be a little more warm and open to anyone she meets for the first time. In the case of those she considers her closest friends, she will show them the brunt of everything that's good about her (caring, understanding, thoughtful, loyal, protective, etc.).
Her boyfriend, Kievan, is the light of her life. The closest she gets to being truly happy is when she's with him. She's very deeply in love with him, and can't imagine life without him. He acts as an anchor in the midst of her stormy sea of innermost emotions and thoughts. During the summer and on holidays, she isn't allowed to receive letters from him (or anyone for that matter), but she risks the odds to send at least one to him. Having him as a focus helps her get through the pain and suffering that comes with living with her grandmother.
Weaknesses: Kievan is a big weakness for her, but that was a given. The way she hides herself and the things she's had to endure can also be considered a weakness, as everytime she does this, it takes away a small part of what little self-esteem she has, while reinforcing the idea that it's something she can't talk about to others.
Another weakness might be the fact that she can stand up and fight for anyone but herself. In her eyes, everyone is deserving of someone who will stick up for them, but considers herself one of those unlucky people who doesn't really have a 'someone' like that. It leaves her with very little hope of having any help with her situation, though she doesn't seem to realize that she can't receive help if she never indicates the seriousness of her situation. In fact, ALL of her hope in this respect lies with being able to run away from it one day, rather than fighting back, as she would be more apt to do for another.
Of course, let's not forget that she's physically weak, too. She would take on someone twice her size, but only if brandishing a wand (or if it's a battle of wits, which doesn't really apply here). While not many of her weaknesses are able to be overcome at present, this is one that can easily be helped, by simply keeping her wand on her at all times, and never being afraid to use it to defend herself physically if necessary. Also, she places a heavy importance on those classes that better her skills with a wand, even though they will not play a significant part in her future goals. In other words, for all she lacks in physical strength she puts forth a concerted effort to make up for in intelligence, and her level of magical skill.
And lastly, but probably most importantly, we have the fact that she is terribly disturbed by her so-called homelife and the things she's been made to endure while under her grandmother's "care". Health-wise, this leads to bouts of depression, general anxiety (which she tries hard to hide), out-of-the-blue panic attacks, and at times (most often when she knows she's about to be forced to go back), more "physical" consequences, such as nausea/vomiting, noticeable loss of weight, lack of energy, restlessness, etc.
Other than that, she kind of sucks at Arithmancy most of the time, which drives her up the wall, and naturally, has more 'frivolous' weaknesses, like chocolate, puppies, and just about anything that's pretty and sparkly.
Strengths: By far, her greatest strenght is her intelligence, and the way she applies herself to her studies. Her performance is not always perfect in any of her classes, nor does she always get good grades, but she works hard to ensure that she
learns and understands what she's studying. In her opinion, the grade doesn't matter so much as the ability to comprehend, interpret, retain, and use the information she's being given from the professors. For example, if she was learning a new charm (presumably advanced for her year level), and she didn't quite catch onto it during class, she would then seek out alternative explanations and/or techniques to help her until she gets it down pat. She simply refuses to accept that she can't do something that requires a certain level of mental skill, and ultimately, that kind of dedicated effort has no choice but to pay off. This leads to a marked improvement in her level of magical skill.
When it comes to her level of skill with a wand, she cannot be considered "powerful" by any means (yet). However, she is well on her way to getting there. Her persistence in honing her mind and putting forth the effort to perfect her ability to cast the spells she learns is seeing to that. Therefore, she cannot be considered inept when weilding a wand, and under the right circumstances (which is usually when there is a threat involved), she will not think twice about proving just how much power and skill she
does possess at this time.
Speaking of threats... contradictory though it may sound given the fact that it's associated with one of her weaknesses, Pandora's willingness to defend others is another strength she possesses. It proves that she has the courage to stand up, and say, "This isn't right, and I'm not going to let it continue," even if she can't do it for herself. And the fact that she backs it up with actions, no matter what form they might take, further indicates just how willful and courageous she can be. Le sigh, if only she could bring herself to focus that strength where it really needs to be directed.
And for the record, all of these qualities, each in their own ways, will eventually give shape to Pandora's destiny (see Outlook).
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Past, Present, and FutureHistory: As stated, Pandora comes from an old wizarding family that was quite wealthy at one time. Her parents (Fitzgerald and Marié-Claire), however, sucked the Kavanaugh account dry by living well beyond their means. The bottom of the barrel had been thoroughly scraped by the time Panda turned 10 years old. When she turned 11, because they could no longer afford to take care of her--let alone send her to Hogwarts--her parents left her in the so-called 'care' of her maternal grandmother, Agnès, who is still very wealthy. Unfortunately, the resentful old woman doesn't like her daughter (or Pandora) very much. At first, it seemed to be an inconvenient (but not intolerable) situation, as Agnès was frequently inclined to biting out scathing remarks to Pandora for nearly every move she made. However, by the time she was fourteen, the conditions at her grandmother's house had deteriorated drastically.
First, she'd been made to live and work like a servant in her grandmother's home. When she isn't at school, she was made to earn her keep and the money required to send her to Hogwarts by serving the household as a common maid. From there, it became more like slavery, as her workload was increased to more than anyone could manage while still having a moment to oneself. Her days at Agnès' (up to her fifth year) were filled with with the same routine: wake, work hard, eat, sleep.
Just before she returned to school to begin her fifth year, she received her first form of physical abuse. Her grandmother found out that she'd been working in Hogsmeade for extra money (the 'allowance' she was given didn't leave room even for emergencies, let alone anything else that could be considered necessary). As punishment for what Agnès deemed 'rebellion', she received more than sixty lashes across her back from the head groundskeeper, Randolph, who seems to have been given a second title as her personal punisher. She still has the scars.
Obviously, the experience left her forever altered, and unfortunately, things only got worse after that. Having learned that leaving visible marks was unwise, the grew more clever in their physical forms of punishment, and began coupling them with other, more psychological forms of discipline: locking her in a closet (something she considers the worst), adding to her workload, emotional and mental abuse, etc. They seem to get more creative with it every time she goes home.
Agnès has made it a personal mission to ensure that Pandora does not turn out to be like her mother, and has apparently adopted an 'any means necessary' mentality about it. Little does she know, she's only fueling Pandora's hatred.
Her only refuge from her situation at Agnès's, though she didn't know it at the time, came in the form of a Gyffindor boy, Kievan Tao Ordlay, whom she met while travelling back to Hogwarts after the Spring holiday during her third year. Almost from the start they seemed destined to belong to one another, as each were both quite taken with the other. For her, it was most likely because of Kievan's Veelan blood and the natural charm associated with it that she was so attracted to him, but as for Kievan, only he can say what it was about her that drew him in. She immediately developed a crush on him, and though it took a little while (and a wee bit of blatant hint-dropping from Pandora herself), they eventually came to their senses and made things official. Since then, what might have started out as mutual infatuation has grown into a very deep bond. They have both shared secrets that are too similar to one another to have escaped such a connection.
Here and Now: Currently, Pandora is getting ready to enter her 7th year at Hogwarts. This is significant for several reasons. Not only is this term going to afford her the ability to focus more sharply on those subjects that will push her further towards her further goals, it will also be the last year she believes she will have to live with Agnès. Because of this, she will be thinking about and planning what is supposed to be her future life. Nearly every move she makes will probably be done with consideration to how it will effect her life in the foreseeable future.
As always, she is still struggling with the effects of her present situation in life. However, you may look for her to be developing more emotional strength over the next term. As stated previously, she thinks she's going to be running away from her grandmother at the end of the term, so that will eventually give her a false sense of security, not to mention false hopes, expectations, and so forth. She will likely end up getting more close to 'normal' than she has since she was a young girl.
Long-term Outlook: There can be no doubt that Pandora will go on to study the law. She wants to become a wizarding attorney, and though she won't admit it out loud, has her eye on a Wizengamot seat much later on in her life/career. Entering into politics isn't out of the question either, but it isn't her life's ambition. She feels it's one thing to be able to make or change the laws (and she definitely knows how important that is), but it's quite another to be able to use the power of them in a court of law when punishing the guilty. She prefers the latter.
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Special Request: Animagus
Reason: Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? She is a virtual slave to her grandmother, so becoming an animagus gives her the serious escape that she needs. Sadly, her animal form was not as grand as she thought it would be. She ended up as a chipmunk.
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RP Sample:In the abandoned room where Pandora had elected to do her out-of-class assignments and studying for the night, there was little more to be found than an old desk situated near a darkened window. A candle, which sat on a small shelf just above the desk, shone down on her pale face, casting a strange shadow on her features. It exaggerated the length of her lashes, and seemed to alter her profile here and there even as it warmed the tone of her skin.
Her eyes were set on a scroll she held in her hand. The top of the desk was littered with them, along with newspapers, folders, books, and of course, the ever-present quill and inkwell. And to this, there was the addition of a small box, inside of which lay Lorcan, curled up with his back to her. He'd been like that for several days now, rarely moving, save for the subtle rise and fall of his little chest as he continued to breathe.
A blue flickering of light beyond the panes of glass illuminated the entire room in an instant, clashing with the warm light of the flame, and revealing the true starkness of the interior. She flinched slightly at the unexpected flash, turning towards the window as a low rumble of thunder followed hard upon the heels of the lightning. A small shiver passed through her, before she calmly returned her attention to the parchment in her hand. She didn't like storms when she wasn't in the mood for them.
She was proofreading the last page of the essay she'd written for her History class, and wanted to be sure she hadn't left anything important out. Every so often, she would check the outline that lay slightly off to the right on top of the cluttered desk. She had to be sure that she had followed it correctly, of course. Upon reading the conclusion of the paper, she cast it aside, and rubbed her eyes as she propped her elbows up on the table.
She sat there, silent in her thoughts as the rain, driven by a howling wind, began to tap on the glass. A peek over at Lorcan showed that he still hadn't moved. The day after she'd brought him home, she'd gone back to every reference she'd ever read on the subject of fairies, only to learn there was nothing she could do. The books had basically told her that he would come around in his own time, and that she should simply be patient. But she couldn't stand seeing him like this. He wasn't starving himself or doing any of the other self-destructive things she'd read about, but just seeing him lay there day after day was bad enough.
She reached into the box, and lifted him out carefully. She held him up to her face she could look at him more closely. "Please talk to me." She said, not too proud to plead with the creature. "Please?" But sadly, her efforts were rewarded as they usually were these days. He just gave her a sad look, and turned over in her hand, presenting her with his back.
