Post by Theo Bowre on Jun 7, 2011 12:13:27 GMT -5
General Information:
Name: Theodore Randolph Bowre
Nicknames/Aliases: Theo, Boon, Boyo, Theos
Age: 35
Birthdate/place: [06-09-1986] Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland, UK
Species: Human Wizard
Gender: Male
Family: Believed to be of a pure bloodline. Adopted son of Ralph and Jean Harkness; adopted brother to Minister Jack Ryan Harkness, Katherine (Kat) Theisen, Jeff Hold, and David Theisen; adopted uncle to Jack Ryan Harness II, Kendra Marie Harkness, George Brian Harkness, and Annie Ellen Harkness. Future uncle-in-law to Matt Black. He knows little of his biological parents (Sean and Ceallach Bowre) but a conversation with his adopted dad once Theo was of age revealed that they weren’t the most moral of people. Theo shares a close friendship with Ralin O'Faerlun, who was an orphan at Harkness House for most of his youth. Theo considers Ralin a younger brother and often introduces him to others as such.
Appearance:
Build/height- Theo is 5’9” with a lean, athletic build.
General Description- Hair Colour: Dark Blonde. Eye Colour: Slate Grey. Theo is an attractive man, known to possess boyish looks but a face that is not shy to the trials of life; he wears his experiences and does so with a respect for the circumstances that brought him here. Theo is relatively small compared to his friends, most of whom surpass the 6’0” mark with reckless abandon. Theo is always very clean cut and his appearance out of match play is impeccably neat. He prefers jeans, boots, t-shirts and sweaters but he owns several tailored suits for professional engagements. Theo has no tattoos but does sport a series of scars from numerous physical encounters, not all of which involved Quidditch.
Possessions- Theo’s possessions are light owing to a life full of work-related travel. He owns professional-grade Quidditch equipment and flies a Nimbus 6000 Squall. He recently sold his flat in Belfast in order to help his adopted family fund an extension to their orphanage.
Personality:
Temperment/Mental Attributes- Theo is a man with a giant heart but a dangerous introversion. He is a reservoir that will fill until it’s beyond capacity and then break in devastating fashion, flooding his sanctity, his relationships and his peace until all he can do is apologize and pick up the pieces. Recently, his usual stalwart calm has been peppered with self-doubt and moments of intense inner frustration. Theo is a patient, loyal and supportive soul who enjoys helping others succeed. This is due in large part to his upbringing in an orphanage and the second chance he was given through the love of his adoptive parents, Ralph and Jean Harkness. Theo is also a very protective person, defending those in need. His guardianship is particularly evident in his interactions with family, orphans and friends. Theo’s self-discipline and fire have helped him succeed in professional Quidditch and his role as a beater is of no surprise to those who know Theo best. He’ll protect you at all costs unless you’re on the wrong side of the bludger. Romance is an area in which Theo struggles greatly. He has never had a relationship and is terrified of intimacy. He would rather fly solo for the rest of his life then face that hurdle. Friends and family stopped trying to set him up years ago.
Alliance- The Harkness Family
Alignment- Neutral Good
Strengths/Weaknesses- Strengths: loyalty, courage, protecting others; Weaknesses: introverted, approaching burnout, romance, tends to trust loved ones unconditionally.
Employment&Education:
-Adults-
Former House- Gryffindor
Job/Employer- Professional Beater for Wales’ National Quidditch Team.
OWLs/NEWTs/Scholastics- Theo was an average student until his 5th year. Being the independent sort and not wishing to rely on his adoptive family for money after school, he learned of a scholarship being offered by the Department of Magical Games and Sports and spent his remaining time at Hogwarts doing little more than studying and training. His most beloved subjects were Flying and Muggle Studies. His least favourite subject was History of Magic. Although he liked Divination, Theo often felt claustrophobic in the drapery-laden classroom and had to sit by the window. He became the student assistant for the Flying Instructor in his final year and helped Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup twice before graduation. Theo was awarded the Hamish MacFarlan Scholarship from the Ministry of Magic and was invited to train for a summer with the Montrose Magpies. Outside of studies and Quidditch, Theo had a few close friends in school. He was not popular and sometimes felt in the shadow of his successful adopted brother, Jack, who would go on to become the Minister of Magic. Theo was a quiet youth who found adolescence awkward. He was bullied by Slytherins and often had physical scraps with older students, including the man who would become his best friend: Reckony Pike.
Other:
Magical Skills- Apparition/Disapparition. He excels at flying and possesses expert skill in this area; the rest of his magical skill is somewhat average.
Patronus- Grey Tabby Cat (According to Theo, “Seemingly capable of freakish aerial ability. Or so I’ve been told.”)
Wand- Driftwood, 12” Core: Iron Pyrite
Goals/Aspirations- To be a good citizen, a better brother and a loyal friend.
Other Information: Relationship with Jack Harkness – Theo’s oldest brother (adopted) is the current Minister of Magic, Jack Harkness. Like everyone in his family, Theo would do anything to help Jack and feels protective of his brother to the point of secretly watching over his home at night. This extreme behaviour started immediately after Jack was voted in to the Ministry and began receiving threats for his less popular decisions. Recently, Theo and Jack’s relationship has suffered for reasons that Theo has not yet been able to decipher. A visit to Jack’s office one evening left Theo feeling as though Jack was being desecrated by his work: his brother seemed withdrawn, defensive and out of touch with reality. He fears that there is more to his brother’s strange behaviour than being overworked and is hoping to glean insight from Jack’s personal assistant, Travert Salt. Theo is extremely close with Jack’s children, especially his niece, Annie. Theo thinks of Jack’s kids as his own siblings and spoils them rotten every chance he gets.
Other Information: Quidditch - Theo's player number on the Welsh National Quidditch Team is 6. His nickname (Boon) comes from his sportsmanlike nature, for which he has received recognition from his teammates and the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Magical Games and Sports. Theo’s style of play has been described as “offensively defensive”: while he provides a solid barrier against the opposing team, his greatest strength lies in strategically thwarting the bludgers from attacking his grateful Chasers and aiding their runs on goal. He has fifteen career injuries but continues to play at the top of his game.
History:
Everything Theo learned about his life before Harkness House came from a conversation he had with his adopted father, Ralph, on the evening of his seventeenth birthday. Theo had always had a difficult time with birthdays, feeling uncomfortable and undeserving of the attention they always brought, especially in the Harkness House where the celebrations could be as big as Christmas. For his seventeenth birthday, Theo only asked for one gift and that was to be allowed to legally change his biological surname Bowre (pronounced B-OW-ree) to Harkness – the surname of the family that saved him from a meek and likely short existence. Ralph took his son aside and said no, asking him to follow him outside where he would try to comfort the devastated youth.
“You have to remember where you came from, boyo.”
“But you’re my real parents. I love you. I want to be a Harkness.”
“And we love you, son. So much. Not a day goes by that your mom and I aren’t thanking the heavens for you kids. But everything you are today, Theo, is because of the journey you have made, starting from before we welcomed you in to our home. We are so proud of you. We are so proud of who you’ve become.”
“I don’t remember that far back. A little, yeah, but just faces.”
Ralph put an arm around his son’s shoulders…
“You were born in Belfast to a young man and young woman who lived above an abandoned warehouse in the roughest area of town. No one with a head on their shoulders dared go through that neighbourhood, but your dad, having grown up there, decided that he would set up his business right in the middle of it. He had no fear and he met your mom who was of similar courage and who had interests in the trade that would make them famous. Your dad’s name was Sean and your mom was Ceallach, and I can tell you, Theo, that they were very much in love.”
“I first became aware of Sean and Ceallach shortly after your mother Jean and I moved the family to Bryn. We had just started to welcome the first orphans through our door when a new friend I had made during our family’s immersion in to this spectacular, magical world came to see me. Tom was a hitwizard by trade but we originally met over a pint at the Three Broomsticks which, incidentally, he owned. Tom’s visit that night, however, was strictly business and when he came to the door looking all taciturn, our first thought was that something had happened to Jack. He was in school at the time and we were already having conniptions every time he wrote home to say he was learning to handle some sort of basilisk brain or Bulgarian unicorn snot. I mean, we were rookies on this magic train. But Tom asked me to accompany him on assignment and after promising your momma Jean that I would be well taken care of, he fitted me with an anti-spell vest and I followed him to Belfast. Tom’s watch was about to arrest a wizard and witch named Sean and Ceallach Bowre, who were running illegal wands and magical weapons across the United Kingdom and were thought to be responsible for several unsolved cases involving missing persons. I had no idea how this involved me until Sean and Ceallach were already in custody. Tom asked me to follow him inside the warehouse.”
“The first time I saw you, Theo, I thought: how does a good kid like this come from such a hard home? You were quiet and thoughtful, not yet able to walk, and you were so affectionate. I picked you up from the corner of your parent’s bedroom and you just hugged me the whole way home. You never cried, never so much as pouted. And you remained that way all through childhood. Your parents hadn’t yet registered your birth so when we went to make you a citizen of Wales and adopt you as our son, we had to name you, give you a proper birthday. It was our decision to have you keep your surname as Bowre, but your first name came from my brother who had passed away as a baby, and your middle name came from Jean’s favourite uncle. It was our way to welcome you in to our family, because we were so happy to have you with us and regardless of your last name, you would always be a Harkness.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Five Years Ago…
“Good evening, Tom.”
“Good evening, Ralph! Come in to my office, please. I’ll have one of my lot bring us some tea. How’s Jean?”
“Excellent. She’s joined a choir. I’ll let you how that’s going after she starts practicing in the house. I may need to move in to the carriage house.”
Tom chuckled warmly and amiably guided the Harkness patriarch in to a sizable yet cozy office, which overlooked a busy London corner and offered un-obscured views of the London Bridge. Warm amber light spilled from a desk lamp, causing the off-white files strewn across the workspace to glow. Ralph could see that the top file had the label BOWRE, Theodore DOB: 06-09-1986 and Tom made no effort to hide it. The hitwizard sighed.
“I know this is awkward but please hear me out.”
“Has my son been arrested?”
“Yes.”
“On what grounds?”
“Theft Over $5,000 Galleons. Ralph…”
“Theft?”
“He confessed to stealing a family heirloom from a chaser on England National.”
Ralph was shell-shocked. He was about to tell his long-time friend that his lawmen had made a grave mistake when he caught the start of Tom’s sentence.
“Confessed? Are you serious? Why on earth would he steal, he has everything he needs. He’s successful, the family is certainly not wanting. Where is he? I’m going to get to the bottom of – ”
“Calm – calm down.” Tom held up his hands, fixing Ralph with a gentle, somewhat bemused gaze. He didn’t continue until his friend visibly relaxed. “My men and I are working on a theory. You should probably hear me out.” A small knock on the door announced the arrival of their afternoon tea. Tom graciously accepted the teapot and raisin scones and poured two cups. “I’ve known Theo forever. In all seriousness, I think of that boy as my nephew. Now that he’s 30, I feel quite old saying that but mind as well call it as it is. Point is, Ralph, I know him. He wears his heart on his sleeve and then points glowing arrows at it. Did Theo steal that artifact? Not a chance in hell. Would he lie to protect someone else? Absolutely. Did he confess to stealing an artifact so that a mate he’s helping to get on the straight and narrow can make a 5 o’clock interview with the manager of my pub? Most definitely. I checked references. Made a few phone calls. My employees can’t tip up a pint without my knowing. We had the original thief in here earlier and I recognized his name from a conversation I had with your son. I think this friend of Theo’s was trying to do the right thing and return it. So I told the chaser we’re not pursuing charges and if he had any inkling to dispute that fact, I had a whole whackload of infractions from his rec-league days that I needed to collect on. He got his artifact back. He’s happy.”
Ralph sighed audibly, bringing his hands to his face and laughing in relief.
“You’ve got a good boy there, Ralph. Just make sure it doesn’t come back to bite him.”
“Where is he, by the way?”
“Well, after the boys booked him they asked if he could show them some moves with the beater bat. It seems they see a cross-training opportunity with their service batons. Last time I looked in on the locker room, Theo was on the bottom of the pile and showing them how to extricate oneself from a mob. Yeah. More tea?”