No replies to this topic

[Professor Llwellyn]

The Basics

Full Character Name: Rhodri Merrick Llwellyn
Likes to be called: Rhodri by other professors, Sir by students
Birthdate: April 10th 1730
Age: 63
Residence: Hogwarts castle for the past thirteen years, no home of his own
Blood: Halfblood (wizard mother, muggle father)
Social Class/Status: Father had own small business (owned a fishing boat)

The Personality

Emotional Disposition: Energetic
Core Value: Toughness
Favourite Activities: Quidditch, walking, travelling. Rhodri likes energetic activities, preferably with a hint of danger to them. Also fond of feasting and drinking.
Would do anything to get out of: Meetings- boring and completely unproductive. Also dislikes supervising detentions for the same reason, if he’s in charge you WILL be patrolling the forbidden forest.
Positive Characteristics: Brave and loyal to his friends, Professor Llwellyn will take endless trouble over a student who is putting in sufficient effort. He is willing to try new foods and activities and is generally the most active and innovative member of the senior team. Will speak up to save other staff including house elves from anyone threatening them. His imagination is mostly suppressed by his practical nature but it does occasionally creep out
Negative Characteristics: Has no time at all for students who he doesn’t feel are putting in enough effort- slackers and whiners will not be tolerated unless they have an extremely good excuse. Professor Llwellyn is a physically hard man, happy to work outside in driving snow or stay up until three in the morning and he expects other people to do the same. Impatient, unforgiving and completely unfamiliar with the concept of self analysis although he does admit that he isn’t perfect. He's alsoa  bit of an alcoholic - rarely gets drunk but likes a drink every evening and always reaches for alcohol at teh first sign of trouble or a party.
Interaction: Gregarious- friendly to staff and comparatively warm towards students especially Gryffindors. Although rather fierce on the surface, he is not unapproachable
Habits: Believes in brisk early morning walks, cold showers and plenty of exercise. On the other hand, those who do succeed in sneaking into his office may well catch him daydreaming
Conflict and hardship: Mostly with his fellow professors and the school governors who resent his desire to place more emphasis on character development rather than academics. Gets frustrated with Professor Denman’s barmier moments and his jealousy. Previous hardship was mostly physical, thirty years at sea after leaving Hogwarts has left him immune to cold, foul weather and exhaustion. It’s also distanced him from his family
Motivation, Passion and Drive:  Professor Llwellyn is certainly driven, but it’s not entirely clear what by (and there’s no way he’d stop to think about it). He wants students to achieve as much as they can but failing that, to at least be useful citizens.
Motto or catchphrase: Two men looked out of the prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars
Anything else...: Quite how Professor Llwellyn ended up as a Hogwarts professor is something of a mystery. He left school and went back to sea where he spent thirty years. After three years betting used to life on dry land he secured his initial teaching position through enthusiasm and aspirational ideas. He’s risen through the school thanks to his fierce determination and work ethic despite frequently getting bored and wanting to leave. Fortunately, his current position is sufficient outlet for his energies

The Appearance

First Impression: A man not to be messed around with, Rhodri Llwellyn stands (very straight) over six foot tall and is powerfully built, with short dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His clothes which are never as new or neat as some other people’s reinforce this image
On Second thought..: That impression would be pretty accurate although he’s more human than he looks
Facial Features: Skin reddened by thirty years at sea, short beard always neatly trimmed, black but increasingly (and worryingly) flecked with grey
Body type: Powerful, broad shouldered and muscular but athletic.
Distinguishing features: Nothing stands out but the overall effect is quite imposing making him easy enough to pick out in a crowd
Overall Appearance: Large, slightly fierce, rather important and not to be messed with bloke

Professional Skills

Work Ethic: Basically very determined, is willing to work until three am but only if circumstances demand it. Stands no nonsense from anyone, staff or student. Insists on students working hard in his classes but is quite friendly and relaxed if they do
Work perception: Thinks his job extends beyond academics and is anxious to develop his students as people- practically minded, tough, well educated people
Professional Relationships: Variable. His energy and work ethic impress some staff but deter others. He isn’t very good at compromising and, away from students is happy to engage in blazing rows with anyone and everyone. On the other hand, he’s a good man to have on your side in a crisis
Capabilities: A wide variety of practical skills magic and muggle as well as an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. He isn’t a natural teacher but his enthusiasm, and a healthy dose of fear serve to carry students along, they have the added incentive of trying to wring a story about his past out of him.
Resume: Grew up in a muggle fishing village where he was taught to read and write by his wizarding mother. At the age of five started accompanying his father to sea. At the age of seven he and his father were pressed into a British warship so young Rhodri spent two years travelling the world, visiting the Caribbean and North America. The ship had a schoolmaster as well ensuring that he got a good basic education and a particularly good knowledge of mathematics. Fortunately the ship returned to Britain in time for him to start at Hogwarts where he was sorted into Gryffindor and led a rather dare-devil existence for seven years. After leaving Hogwarts he returned to the sea, voyaging with other wizards to India and Australia and spending some more time in the Navy. At the age of 47 he retired from the sea and worked in the company’s office for three years before accepting the post of astronomy professor at Hogwarts. He held that job for ten years before becoming head of Gryffindor in 1789, deputy headmaster in 1792 and Headmaster in 1794.

The Wizard Information

Discovery: At the age of five, climbed the mat of his father’s fishing vessel, slipped and fell fifteen feet onto the deck landing on his head. Should have died but walked away with a slight headache.
Reaction and Acceptance: Rhodri was a confident child and so expected to be magical like his mother although in his community it was also natural for him to go to sea. Being magical was something that he accepted as normal although he was confused by the fact that so few people in his community had any magical knowledge or ability. Now sees being magical as entirely normal but can imagine what it would be like to be a muggle.
Wand: Oak with a core of dragon heartstring, eleven inches long
Magical Outline/disposition: An adept all round wizard, equally at home with a wand, star chart or handful of bowtruckles, although not outstanding in any sphere. His magic is mostly of a practical nature, scorning fancy tricks and showing off. Very good at predicting what the weather will do although this is based on experience rather than any magical ability
Pet: A barn owl called James who he rather over-indulges

The Family History

Parentage: Mother was a pure-blooded witch called Elizabeth Thomas from a Welsh wizarding family which although old was neither rich nor very pure. She grew up in the fishing village of Llangareth which had a mixed wizard and muggle population and returned there after Hogwarts (she was a Hufflepuff). Within a year of finishing school she had fallen in love with and married Rhys Llwellyn a muggle fisherman who was comfortably well off but worked very hard for his money. Thereafter, he fished and she kept house, raised the children and made extra money by spinning and weaving. Both parents are now dead (old age)
Siblings: An older brother Owain who was in Ravenclaw at Hogwarts and made a career in the department for international magical co-operation. Owain is married and lived in London, his children have long graduated from Hogwarts. Rhodri frequently visits him in the holidays. His sister Cerwys still lives in the village with her muggle blacksmith husband, children and grand children none of whom are magical. Rhodri occasionally visits her but finds the village rather boring and some of the memories it brings up slightly uncomfortable.
Other important figures: As a young boy the other man who worked on his father’s boat Matthew Jones who taught him to tie knots, and the names of the stars and told him stories. He is also grateful to the schoolmaster on the warship John Warbeck who taught him much of the mathematics and education he used in his seafaring career. Both are long dead
Reputation: The Thomas family has a positive reputation amongst other wizards. Although looked down on because of their lack of purity and money, the family is respected for the determination, hard work and achievements of its members. The Llwellyn family is similarly respected in the local community, known for hard work, seagoing skill and canniness.
Secrets: Previously none, now he is kept secret from muggle relatives who believe he is a merchant.
General: Had a childhood of hard work, but basic comforts and loving supportive parents which is reflected in his own character. His own values generally reflect those of his parents.