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katropalis · 7 years ago

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Out of Character // Mun information

Name/Nickname: Katherine Age: 21 Preferred pronouns: she/her Time Zone: UTC+8 Activity Level: 5/10; I’m on semester break and my timezone is probably still not very compatible with everyone else’s, but I’ll do my best to keep up!!! What is the thing that attracted you to this group and/or specific character? Honestly, I couldn’t stay away from this group for long especially with all these new and amazing bios! I felt drawn to Vince because I connect with his ambition and desire to make things better, and I think it’d be super fun to bring out the good and bad sides to such a forceful personality. Are you willing to have at least one ongoing para at all times after being a member for two weeks? Yes, I look forward to it!

In Character // Getting to know your muse

Name: Vincente Mateo Sinclair Valentin

Vincente (veen-SEHN-tay): the Spanish variant of Vincent, means ‘the conqueror’ or ‘to conquer’

Mateo (mat-EH-oh): means ‘of God’

Sinclair: light, clarity

Valentin (val-en-teen): strong, a name of emperors

Gender/Gender Identity: cis male, he/him

Age & Birthday: 22 March, 1958

Astrological sign: Aries

(Taken from The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk)

“The Inner You: You like to be in charge – you want to control your own projects and plans and not be under anyone else’s thumb. You have an intense drive to succeed and put a lot of pressure on yourself. Inside, you’re filled with nervous energy and worry about how you’re going to handle everything. You hate to be bored; you’re always looking for something different – new people and places that promise excitement and adventure. You have very little patience; you need to practice sticking things out. You’re also impatient with people who can’t resolve a problem. You believe in taking action. What you do have are great generosity and enthusiasm. And although you suffer from occasional self-doubt, you know that if you really want to do something, you can!

How Others See You: Your upbeat, magnetic personality pulls people toward you – you bring excitement into their lives. They envy your aggressiveness in meeting a challenge. Whatever the problem, you give the impression that you have an answer ready. You’re also admired for your honesty; you don’t gloss over difficulties. What people don’t like is your tendency towards bossiness and your deserved reputation for being sharp-tongued. They’re afraid to cross you in an argument because they know you can cut them to the quick.”

House & Year: Ravenclaw Alumni

Sexuality: Vince is a man of no boundaries and that includes his sexuality. Everyone in his year knew that he had a rather embarrassing crush on The Grey Lady since his third year, but what he would never tell them is that he also had one on Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington since his first.

Where do they live when not at Hogwarts?

Vince grew up in London just outside of Vauxhall with his dad, Gabriel Emmanuel Sinclair Luna, and his grandmother. Their flat can be described as both comfortable and modest; whenever he thinks about it, the sight of textbooks, the smell of ensamadas, and the memory of a strict but loving family are what always pop into mind.

Despite this though, he moved out the summer of his sixth year. He had always known that he was going to, essentially, choose the magical world over the muggle one, and was the kind of person to ‘go big or go home’. Being an underappreciated and unpaid intern at the Daily Prophet obviously didn’t give him many options, but he managed to convince Tom in the Leaky Cauldron to allow a scrappy and desperate sixteen year old a room above the pub. It’s out of practicality and a genuine love for the Soup Leaky, Leaky that he still lives there now.

Sum your character up in three words: “He’s just non-stop!”

Are you requesting any changes to the bio? I’d like to please request a FC change to Santiago Cabrera. He’s, like, 39 now but his gifs are from when he’s a lot younger haha. But I also don’t think he can necessarily pass as a 19 year old, so if it’s also alright is it possible to bump his age up to 20? Just for gif-age-range this is the youngest he looks in most of them [x] and this [x][x] is the oldest I’ll use. Thank you!

History // On a journey to the past

What are the five most significant events in your characters life?

When Vince was five, he caught his dad staring at a picture that he always kept in his wallet before hastily stuffing it back inside and wiping his eyes. A couple hours after, he asked him what he’d been looking at. Even at that age it wasn’t hard for him to read other people, especially his dad. Sometimes he could’ve sworn that he was able to hear others’ thoughts – nothing clear, but words here and there, as if minds were radios and he’d somehow managed to tune his on the same frequency as someone else’s.

Anyways, he asked who it was and immediately knew that it wasn’t something the older Sinclair wanted to talk about. He expected to be brushed off, maybe even scolded, so it was an immense surprise when his father reached into his back pocket and simply answered ‘your mother’.

Natalia Rose Valentin Pena was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when her son was seven months old, and Vince knows this. She loved to sing, somehow managed to burn arroz caldo, and her favorite color was green. He also knows this. The point here being that his father never once withheld answers, never once lied about who she was and how she was once the center of their worlds. He always got the truth, and, admittedly it didn’t take the loss or pain or sorrow away – however, it didn’t allow them to fester either. It helped them all move on. He always got the truth, and Vince appreciated that. And he learned that he could always get it, if only he were to ask.

ii.

Growing up as an only child sucks. Growing up as an only child with a wild imagination and the ability (but not the permission) to use actual and literal magic was pure torture. At least, it always felt this way to Vince. A highly sociable person, he thrived on the atmosphere of Ravenclaw Tower; the constant flow of information, the calls for creativity, and admittedly poorly thought-out (but still awesome) fact that he had to live with people whose brains were just as starving as his was was right up his alley. Walking into all of this his first year of Hogwarts, Vince couldn’t imagine anything better.

Until his second year.

It’s merely a matter of perspective and that weird bit of egotism one always has at twelve years old, but he really couldn’t help but think that all the first years were so small. They were even smaller when he became a third year. It wasn’t until his fourth year that he really paid any attention to them though, and that only happened because little Eloise Templeton looked like she was about to burst into tears.

It wasn’t the first time the Eagle Knocker reduced a Ravenclaw to this, but Vince had noticed that the younger student hadn’t really even approached the door. When he asked what was stumping her about the riddle, all he got was a jerky shake of the head and a whispered “I’ve, um, never tried before”.

Now, Vince knew all about not wanting to get a question wrong. Hell, in those days he seriously wouldn’t have been surprised if his boggart was actually McGonagall pointing straight at him (and for some reason clutching a rat) declaring ‘wrong, Mr. Sinclair!’. He also knew that if he didn’t get started on his essay on The Effects of a Potion With No Physical Effects then he’d never get it finished, but for some reason watching the anxious way Eloise studied the knocker had compelled something inside him.

He’d stepped up to the doorway and asked its riddle. And then he turned back to Eloise and asked her what she thought the answer was. It was clear that she was surprised, but he smiled at her until she managed an answer. It didn’t satisfy the knocker, but they stayed out there for another six minutes until they finally came up with a solution that worked.

Honestly, Vince didn’t even think about it afterwards until he noticed that the younger Ravenclaw became more and more outspoken, less and less anxious to make noise in the common room. And it made him happy – he got this indescribable swell of pride hearing her talk nonstop and unabashedly share her opinions.

After that, he made it a point to let those younger than him try to solve the riddle first. It was really the only time he ever felt like he didn’t need to be the first one right all the time. And even more, he felt a protective of all those he had to give a little push to – because he understood their anxiety, and he understood that all one really needs is a chance to prove themselves. It was then on that he swore to always give those who needed that chance.

iii.

You know that one class that just creeps on and on and you can literally feel yourself aging closer to death as it does? And you know that one kid who always raises their hand in that class, engaged in the lesson for some reason, and making it seem a little longer? History of Magic was that one class. Vince was that one kid.

He always ignored the groans and filthy looks shot at him whenever he did raise his hand though. Because he was skeptical, goddammit.

Especially when it came to the Goblin Rebellions.

“Wait, what do you mean there are no accounts written about the Goblin Rebellions by goblins in the book?”

“Exactly what I said, Mr. Stewart.”

“Sinclair, sir – but, sir, that doesn’t make sense!”

And on the topic on the Werewolf Code of Conduct:

“Sir, with the advancements in legilimency and apparent legality of veritaserum, why couldn’t the Ministry interview and examine these wizards and see that their temperament only fluctuated towards violence when they were turning and not the days in-between?”

“Mr. Sanchez, please do not stand on your chair.”

“But, sir – the evidence, where is it?!”

It got to the point where Binns simply ignored Vince, steadfastly droning forward with his lectures despite attempted interruptions. That didn’t deter him though. When fifth year came around, he elected to take Ancient Runes as well as picking up Ghoul Studies and Ancient Studies. He was just appalled that the ‘history’ they were learning revolved around all the times wizards oppressed another sentient being and got away with it. He figured that there had to be other sources, other stories untold, and that they would be in places encrypted within foreign pasts.

All this aside though, Vince felt no resentment toward the professor. If anything, he felt bad for him – that even in the afterlife ignorance still plagued. Unlike most of his classmates, he did not drop History of Magic as time went on. In fact, he took it all the way to NEWTs, until it was just him and Binns and a smattering of other students. The curriculum and its censored ‘truths’ frustrated him, but Vince will not deny that he learned the most important lesson in that class. He learned that you couldn’t believe everything you were told – not even in school. He learned that if you want to change the world for the better, it’s not just the future but also the past that needs to be worked on. And he was ready for it.

iv.

Fresh out of Hogwarts, Vince imagined he’d be the next Michael Foot. Instead, he was little more than the doormat that the senior editors wiped their feet on. This didn’t deter him though, if he got anything from his father it was the uncontrollable ability to not stop, and he finally got his break after eavesdropping at the conference room door for weeks.

Barnabas Cuffe, the fairly newly-appointed editor-in-chief had been briefing the other reporters on a story nobody seemed to want, and Vince couldn’t help but barge in declaring “I’ll write it!” before he could finish. It probably should’ve been a bad sign that nobody even really challenged him on it, and that the senior wizard only raised an eyebrow before saying ‘go for it, kid’. As it was, Vince was just ecstatic.

It turns out nobody wanted the story because it required not using magic for a month. And living with goblins.

A goblin named Ragnok the Pigeon-Toed had apparently requested a joint article, wizard and goblin, to be written in order to bridge over animosities. He wanted understanding, open conversation, and to see whether or not the two species could survive together in a one-bedroom flat for 30 days. Vince couldn’t pack his bags fast enough.

It wasn’t easy, but it was rewarding. In the end, he and Ragnok wrote a small novel on the histories, differences, and similarities between wizards and goblins. The Daily Prophet only printed two and a half pages of it.

But from the article Vince was requested to do a piece for the next Politics section, and he still keeps a close correspondence with Ragnok until now. He’d found his niche, and from that day on he continued to carry that momentum with each story that came his way.

It seemed to be an unspoken rule within the Daily Prophet that muggleborns were not allowed to write about the raids. ‘It’ll be too biased’, they’d say – as if integrity was what was at stake. Obviously, Vince didn’t listen to this rule.

As soon as he’d gotten the tip, he apparated to the flat. Although long contained, the telltale signs of stark silence and a peculiar tint of green in the sky made it clear what had happened. The aurors were already there, and when Vince flashed his press pass to gain clearance, all he got was a look of resignation – a look of ‘it’s the same story to tell’.

The bodies were gone. There was no blood, no signs of struggle save for the shattered lamp that had probably been knocked down during an attempt to escape. But it still felt like he’d just walked over someone’s grave.

Vince wrote the article, spent a week interviewing neighbors and friends and tracking down every little bit of information he could find on the victims. He camped outside of his editor’s office for three nights, continuously pressing him to print his story and refusing to let anyone else take it (and threatening to curse anyone who tried). He almost got fired, until he declared that he’d go to Merge Publications and have them run his story instead.

(“And who knows, maybe people will start wanting to read that instead of the three-lined obituaries they usually see in this paper,” he’d snarled, waving the five pages of testimonies in his grasp).

He was given a warning and a 25% cut on his salary, but the story was run. Since then, he’s tried to get to the scene first if he could. He tries to find every little thing about the victims, tries to immortalize them as if they hadn’t died in less time that it took for him to dot his i’s and cross his t’s.

And when Dumbledore showed up outside his door talking about an organization and how he could help, there really wasn’t any other choice for him.

Tools for success // Their magical prowess, etc.

Wand: Chestnut, unicorn tail, 14′‘, reasonably supple

Amortentia:

i. waffles

ii. wet rocks

iii. warm milk

iv. matches that’ve just been struck

Boggart: There’s no tragic backstory to his biggest fear other than they’re just super gross and evil-looking. Rats. Rats are his boggart. More specifically, a hoard of rats or just one abnormally huge one. He hates the way they smell, the fact that they will literally eat through anything if so compelled, their beady little eyes. They’re petrifying.

Best and worst school subject, and why:

best: history of magic and ancient runes; really, it all boils down to what he was most interested in. And finding the truth was what he was most interested in. But more than that, he loved history – loved that what people thought was clear cut and engraved as fact was really a mystery and challenge waiting to be solved. As for Ancient Runes, it was a puzzle. Vince was born for puzzles.

worst: muggle studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts; he took Muggle Studies because he wanted to be sure that they were getting things right. Other than that, he honestly just never turned in his homework for either class. While DADA was fun and a challenge, he found the constant shifting of teachers hard to keep up with and he often shirked his responsibilities in this class to study for another (it’s not like they’d stay at the castle long enough to get a bad impression of him anyways).

Extracurricular activities:

i. ancient runes society

ii. charms club

iii. mock wizengamot debate team

Other:

i. Vince has two pets, a chubby Russian Blue and a weirdly loyal raven. The cat, whose been in his family for years, is named Gus and only responds when spoken to in Spanish. The raven started visiting his window sill after he’d fed it a sausage one day. Vince calls him Pollito (which literally translates to ‘little chicken’), because he’d once woken up and, still groggy, forgot the word ‘raven’ and called it that instead. Never having bothered buying an owl, he sometimes uses Pollito to deliver and pick up posts for him.

ii. Vince learned how to produce a corporeal patronus his seventh year. It takes the form of a buffalo, which was... honestly, it was terrifying the first time it came out. He’s never even seen a buffalo before. He’s grown fond of it by now, but the next big challenge is trying to incorporate Dumbledore’s speaking modification to it. So far, he’s only been able to do so with a non-corporeal form -- which, of course, he’s not entirely satisfied with.

iii. Vince has literally zero clue that anyone’s tampered with his memory. And it’s made him a little arrogant. He takes certain precautions in protecting himself and the information he comes by, but because he’s oblivious he almost scoffs at the idea that he could get caught. To him, the Death Eaters are playground bullies that know nothing but systematic lies. To him, they’re only dangerous as long as they stay hidden and feared. Honestly, he thinks he’s outsmarting the lot of them.

iv. The acerbic, impassioned, and, to some, radical nature of Vince’s writing has earned him more criticism than praise. Biting feedback and responses are not foreign, nor are they new to him. It doesn’t bother him, but it has taken a bit of a toll on his career -- as of right now, the only portion of the Prophet his articles are actually published in is the Evening Prophet (back section). He maintains that as long as the stories are getting out there, the fact that they’re trying to keep him from getting noticed just proves that he’s striking a nerve. Besides, it has also helped him keep his cover for the Order now that he doesn’t have to turn down every bit of ridiculous gossip that is put on his desk.

v. As all underpaid, going-for-an-aesthetic journalists have, Vince totes around a handy dandy messenger bag with him at all times. Inside, you’ll usually find notebooks, a handful of pens, cassettes, and chapstick (spewing knowledge and facts all the time makes your lips super dry). For a lot of interviews, Vince takes his tape recorder. It’s one of the times that he actually loves how clueless wizards can be about muggle technology, as he often keeps it recording when dealing with individuals who like to go back on their words. Plus, he figures that if any Death Eaters or their supporters get a hold of his things, that they wouldn’t know any muggleborns to ask how it works – let alone work it themselves.

vi. Defense Against the Dark Arts was never Vince’s forte. He did well enough in the theoretical lessons, but he soon gave up putting too much effort in the class due to the ever shifting professors and differing teaching styles. Because of this, he’s a little shabby when it comes to dueling. He’s got a few choice spells under his belt in case of emergencies (stupefy, bombarda, protego) but sincerely hopes that Dumbledore wasn’t expecting a warrior when he asked him to join the Order.

vii. Vince has tried to endure the process of becoming an animagus twice. The first in his seventh year, and the other just recently. Both times, he’s swallowed the mandrake leaf trying to refrain himself from commenting on something (wrong) someone was saying.

viii. Before he got a somewhat steady income, Vince was completely in that ‘just out of school and broke’ life. In fact, during his first year working at the Daily Prophet, he had to pick up another job as the Knight Bus conductor to pay the bills. That was fine with him though – he felt it built character – and it actually opened up a lot of connections for him. He met a lot of different, peculiar, and sometimes just downright strange individuals during that time and got to hear so many stories. Sometimes he checks up on a couple of them, and they tell him things he’d never would’ve heard just out on the streets of Diagon Alley.

ix. Even when things got a little more stable, Vince was definitely not living up the high life. Still occupying a room atop The Leaky Cauldron, he often helps Tom clean and close down the pub in exchange for an extension on the rent. It’s a hard knock life being a writer that only wants to write important stories, but the bright side is that the pub is practically the Rome in which all roads of wizarding news and gossip lead to.

x. A third-generation immigrant, Vince has tried his best to re-discover his roots and proudly claim it. It was hard though, given the fact that he also had to establish himself in an entirely different world as well. Despite this, he’s fluent in Spanish because his grandparents weren’t entirely comfortable with English, and he grew up on stories about what it was like in a truly impoverished, unprivileged country. After his grandfather passed a couple years ago, his grandma’s been living with his dad and every Sunday Vince makes an effort to visit home and help her around the garden. Sometimes they’d even come visit him at the Leaky Cauldron, but given the present climate and war (which he’s told them absolutely nothing about) that’s unfortunately something he’s had to skip out on lately.

In the hot seat // Questions to keep you on your toes

1. What is your character’s main motivation in life? What is it that drives everything they do?

As cliche as it is, Vince wants to make the world a better place, whether that be a micro scale or a macro scale. He grew up idolizing his father and his work, always proud that he represented those who couldn’t represent themselves. However, he is utterly uninterested in doing so with the rules currently set in place – to him, becoming a lawyer or auror or politician would just trap him in the web that he’s trying to cut down. Always having been good with words, that‘s why he chose to go into journalism instead.

He fights for stories that he thinks would either go untold or misconstrued if not up to him. Some might call it a hero complex (while others could make a good argument towards arrogance), but he truly believes that he can make a difference. And he won’t let anyone or anything make him think otherwise.

2. What are your characters political views and how do they see the upcoming war?

Find an instance of injustice, and Vince has probably wrote something about it. While he obviously ‘sides’ with the side that’s not killing muggles and muggleborns, he’s also very critical on the way wars between humans always overshadow the plights of other beings. He has a good relationship with them overall, but there are admittedly a good few disgruntled house elves in the Hogwarts kitchens that refuse to make eye-contact with him because he’s tried to get them to attend a couple classes (”to see that you deserve and could be more than this, Plinky!”). He learned gobbledegook and a super slight bit of mermish so that he could properly interview them and get their voices heard.

While he understands the dangers and intensity of the war, he refuses to be scared into doing nothing. After all, it’s much more terrifying to imagine what would happen if nobody was to do anything.

3. What is your character’s family and home life like?

Mr. Sinclair Luna’s parents immigrated from Chile when he was 15 years old. A determined child, he grew up to be a brilliant man that vowed never to forget the hardships his parents had to endure to ensure he didn’t have to experience the same. He married his high school sweetheart, became a defense attorney, and when they got a child he dedicated all his energy into raising him to be a person that was compassionate to discrimination but didn’t have to go through it himself. He would’ve succeeded too, except for the whole ‘so Vince is a wizard’ thing.

Magic did not cause a rift between them, but it did leave them with little to talk about. Despite that though, there was never a time where Vince felt nothing but loved by his dad. Maybe he didn’t quite show it in the whole ‘hey, son, let’s go play catch outside!’ kind of way, but he built a new shelf for all his Hogwarts textbooks, fed the owls carrying letters from his friends, and only sighed in resigned acceptance when his only son told him that he was going to go live on top of a bar so he can follow his dream and ‘fight for the little guys’.

4. Who is/was the most important person in your characters life?

5. What is your character’s best quality?

Vince cares. He cares about the house elves and the goblins and the educational system and the muggleborns. He cares so much that he would gladly let himself be consumed by a life dedicated to giving the silenced a voice. And although he’s not always the best at showing it, he always wants the best for those closest to him. He’s determined and knows how to talk to people, and he tries his best to use that in the most beneficial way possible. He knows how to listen and amplify a thought, all he needs now is way to get people to acknowledge it.

Of the typical Ravenclaw traits, Vince embodies wit and acceptance the most. He just genuinely wants to make hard lives easier.

6. What is your character’s worst quality?

Vince has a bad habit of assuming he’s the only one in the room that did as much research and preparation as himself. It’s gotten him in quite a few heated situations, where he swears he’s not trying to make it out like he’s smarter than everyone else, but, hey, if you’re constantly feeling that way then maybe–

Yeah. While he’s naturally amicable and actually wants to not come off as a jerk, sometimes he just can’t help pointing things out bluntly. The way he sees it, it’d be far worse if he just let someone continue to be wrong.

Also, admittedly, a good portion of his relationships have suffered because of this little trait. His first girlfriend called it ‘mansplaining’ – he really didn’t understand what she was getting at, to be completely honest.

7. What are your character’s bad habits?

Other than the traits above, Vince is very quick to do what he thinks is right. Which might not sound like a bad thing, but it kind of is when he does so without others’ opinions or acceptance involved. He’ll drop everything for a story – anniversaries, dinner plans, a baby (once, when a friend had asked him to hold it but then Pollito swooped in with a memo carrying a tip and he rushed to apparate away). When he’s in the zone, sometimes he doesn’t realize when the questions he’s asking are too far. In addition to that, he often accidentally grills his friends instead of just being there to listen; he doesn’t really know the difference between asking a question because he cares, and interrogating because he cares. They’re both the same thing to him.

8. Describe how your character sees themselves vs. how others see them.

Anything goes // Free section!

A List of ‘Most Popular’ Articles/Columns Written By Vince Sinclair:

- One Goblin, One Wizard, One Roof: What Could Go Wrong

- The Trace: Keeping Pureblood Children Safe and Muggleborns Inhibited

- A Mermaid’s Take on Lake Pollution

- Dementors: Why Are Criminals Watching Over Our Criminals?

- Outrageous Beauty Standards Are Harmful And Need To Be Addressed, Opinions from a Veela

- Not Everyone Can Do It: Slytherin Alumni On Why Being A Housewife Is Ambitious

- “Healing Others Is Ruining My Mental Health”, The Rigorous Life Of a Healer

- ‘There’s A Spell For That!’ – Are Wizards Becoming Too Dependent On Magic?

- Debunked: Contraception Spell A MYTH. Does Hogwarts Need Sex Ed?

Spoken Languages (from best to worst)

Spanish English Gobbledegook

Mermish

Mix #1 (songs on Vince’s most played cassette)

My Generation - The Who [x]

Come Together - The Beatles [x]

Where Did Our Love Go - Supremes [x]

Respect - Aretha Franklin [x]

Stand By Me - Ben E. King [x]

I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher [x]

Shop Around - The Miracles [x]

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potterstagswag · 7 years ago

Text

Out of Character // Mun information

Name/Nickname: Katherine Age: 21 Preferred pronouns: she/her Time Zone: UTC+8 Activity Level: 5/10; I’m on semester break and my timezone is probably still not very compatible with everyone else’s, but I’ll do my best to keep up!!! What is the thing that attracted you to this group and/or specific character? Honestly, I couldn’t stay away from this group for long especially with all these new and amazing bios! I felt drawn to Vince because I connect with his ambition and desire to make things better, and I think it’d be super fun to flesh him out as a character. Are you willing to have at least one ongoing para at all times after being a member for two weeks? Yes, I look forward to it!

In Character // Getting to know your muse

Name: Vincente Mateo Sinclair Valentin

Vincente (veen-SEHN-tay): the Spanish variant of Vincent, means ‘the conqueror’ or ‘to conquer’

Mateo (mat-EH-oh): means ‘of God’

Sinclair: light, clarity

Valentin (val-en-teen): strong, a name of emperors

Gender/Gender Identity: cis male, he/him

Age & Birthday: 22 March, 1958

Astrological sign: Aries

(Taken from The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk)

House & Year: Ravenclaw Alumni

Where do they live when not at Hogwarts?

Vince grew up in London just outside of Vauxhall with his dad, Gabriel Emmanuel Sinclair Luna. Their comfortable yet modest flat can very well be described as a ‘bachelor pad’; whenever he thinks about it, the sight of textbooks, the smell of ensamadas, and the memory of a strict but loving father are what always pop into mind.

Sum your character up in three words: “Yeah, but actually–”

History // On a journey to the past

What are the five most significant events in your characters life?

When Vince was six, he caught his dad staring at a picture that he always kept in his wallet before hastily stuffing it back inside and wiping his eyes. A couple hours after, he asked him what he’d been looking at. Even at that age it wasn’t hard for him to read other people, especially his dad. Sometimes he could’ve sworn that he was able to hear others’ thoughts – nothing clear, but words here and there, as if minds were radios and he’d somehow managed to tune his on the same frequency as someone else’s.

Natalia Rose Valentin Pena was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when her son was seven months old, and Vince knows this. She loved to sing, somehow managed to burn arroz caldo, and her favorite color was green. He also knows this. The point here being that his father never once withheld answers, never once lied about who she was and how she was once the center of their worlds. He always got the truth, and, admittedly it didn’t take the loss or pain or sorrow away – however, it didn’t allow them to fester either. He always got the truth, and Vince appreciated that. And he learned that he could always get it, if only he were to ask.

ii.

Until his second year.

Now, Vince knew all about not wanting to get a question wrong. Hell, in those days he seriously wouldn’t have been surprised if his boggart was actually McGonagall pointing straight at him (and for some reason clutching a mouse) declaring ‘wrong, Mr. Sinclair!’. He also knew that if he didn’t get started on his essay on The Effects of a Potion With No Physical Effects then he’d never get it finished, but for some reason watching the anxious way Eloise studied the knocker had compelled something inside him.

He’d stepped up to the doorway and asked the door its riddle. And then he turned back to Eloise and asked her what she thought the answer was. It was clear that she was surprised, but he smiled at her until she managed an answer. It didn’t satisfy the knocker, but they stayed out there for another six minutes until they finally came up with a solution that worked.

iii.

He always ignored the groans and filthy looks shot at him whenever he did raise his hand though. Because he was skeptical, goddammit.

Especially when it came to the Goblin Rebellions.

“Wait, what do you mean there are no accounts written about the Goblin Rebellions by goblins in the book?”

“Exactly what I said, Mr. Stewart.”

“Sinclair, sir – but, sir, that doesn’t make sense!”

And on the topic on the Werewolf Code of Conduct:

“Mr. Santiago, please do not stand on your chair.”

“But, sir – the evidence, where is it?!”

iv.

It turns out nobody wanted the story because it required not using magic for a month. And living with goblins.

And when Dumbledore showed up outside his door talking about an organization and how he could help, there really wasn’t any other choice for him.

Tools for success // Their magical prowess, etc.

Wand: Cedar, unicorn tail, 14′‘, reasonably supple

Amortentia:

i. waffles

ii. wet rocks

iii. warm milk

iv. matches that’ve just been struck

Best and worst school subject, and why:

worst: muggle studies and transfiguration; he took Muggle Studies because he wanted to be sure that they were getting things right. Other than that, he honestly just never turned in his homework for either class. While Transfiguration was fun and a challenge, he’d never really been good at anatomy – let alone shifting anatomy – and he often shirked his responsibilities in this class to study for another.

Extracurricular activities:

i. ancient runes society

ii. charms club

iii. mock wizengamot debate team

Other:

ii. After once meeting Alastor Moody, Vince decided to take a page out of his book and carry a flask around with him and only drink from that. The contents are very rarely alcoholic, but it seems like a good idea and it also makes him feel cool.

iv. As all underpaid, going-for-an-aesthetic journalists have, Vince totes around a handy dandy messenger bag with him at all times. Inside, you’ll usually find notebooks, a handful of pens, cassettes, and chapstick (spewing knowledge and facts all the time makes your lips super dry).

v. For a lot of interviews, Vince takes his tape recorder. It’s one of the times that he actually loves how clueless wizards can be about muggle technology, as he often keeps it recording when dealing with individuals who like to go back on their words. Plus, he figures that if any Death Eaters or their supporters get a hold of his things, that they wouldn’t know any muggleborns to ask how it works – let alone work it themselves.

vi. Defense Against the Dark Arts was never actually Vince’s forte. He did well enough in the theoretical lessons, but he soon gave up putting too much effort in the class due to the ever shifting professors and differing teaching styles. Because of this, he’s a little shabby when it comes to dueling. He’s got a few choice spells under his belt in case of emergencies (stupefy, bombarda, protego) but sincerely hopes that Dumbledore wasn’t expecting a warrior when he asked him to join the Order.

x. A third-generation immigrant, Vince has tried his best to re-discover his roots and proudly claim it. It was hard though, given the fact that he also had to establish himself in an entirely different world as well. While English wasn’t his first language, it’s the language he’s ‘better’ at and the one all his memories seem to be in – he’ll joke that he’s ‘passively bilingual’, in that he understands Spanish but will often give himself a headache trying to fluently speak it. He has a sneaking suspicion that that might be why his dad let him take Gus to Hogwarts, so he would be forced to practice if he ever wanted his cat to do anything other than be a lump of fur.

In the hot seat // Questions to keep you on your toes

1. What is your character’s main motivation in life? What is it that drives everything they do?

2. What are your characters political views and how do they see the upcoming war?

Find an instance of injustice, and Vince has probably wrote something about it. While he obviously ‘sides’ with the side that’s not killing muggles and muggleborns, he’s also very critical on the way wars between humans always overshadow the plights of other beings. While he has a good relationship with them overall, there are a good few disgruntled house elves in the Hogwarts kitchens that refuse to make eye-contact with him because he’s tried to get them to attend a couple classes (”to see that you deserve and could be more than this, Plinky!”). He learned gobbledegook and a super slight bit of mermish so that he could properly interview them and get their voices heard.

3. What is your character’s family and home life like?

4. Who is/was the most important person in your characters life?

5. What is your character’s best quality?

Of the typical Ravenclaw traits, Vince embodies wit and acceptance the most. He just genuinely wants to make hard lives easier.

6. What is your character’s worst quality?

7. What are your character’s bad habits?

Other than the trait above, Vince is very quick to do what he thinks is right. Which might not sound like a bad thing, but it kind of is when he does so without others’ opinions or acceptance involved. He’ll drop everything for a story – anniversaries, dinner plans, a baby (once, when a friend had asked him to hold it but then Pollito swooped in with a memo carrying a tip and he rushed to apparate away). When he’s in the zone, sometimes he doesn’t realize when the questions he’s asking are ‘too far’. In addition to that, he often accidentally grills his friends instead of just being there to listen; he doesn’t really know the difference between asking a question because he cares, and interrogating because he cares. They’re both the same thing to him.

8. Describe how your character sees themselves vs. how others see them.

Anything goes // Free section!

A List of ‘Most Popular’ Articles/Columns Written By Vince Sinclair:

- One Goblin, One Wizard, One Roof: What Could Go Wrong

- The Trace: Keeping Kids Safe or Keeping Them Contained?

- A Merman’s Take on Lake Pollution

- Dementors: Why Are Criminals Watching Over Our Criminals?

- Outrageous Beauty Standards Are Harmful And Need To Be Addressed, Opinions from a Veela

- Not Everyone Can Do It: Slytherin Alumni On Why Being A Housewife Is Ambitious

- “Healing Others Is Ruining My Mental Health”, The Rigorous Life Of a Healer

- ‘There’s A Spell For That!’ – Are Wizards Becoming Too Dependent On Magic?

- Debunked: Contraception Spell A MYTH. Does Hogwarts Need Sex Ed?