To apply, please mail your completed application to coldwarmods@whiterose.org. We will respond to all applications in three days. About you: Name: Karen Alfrey Email address: alfrey@spatzel.net AIM/Gtalk: follybard (rarely on; will probably get another AIM handle for the game, but still might not be on much) Age: 18, twice! Previous experience: House of Cards, Shadows Across Arkham, Lunar Ellipse, Celebrity Time-Out (online); Masks (Cthulhu), Power of Threes (Amber), various D&D and GURPS; Cyberway (GM); various other one-shots and short campaigns About your character: Name: Ginevra "Ginny" Molly Weasly Age and birthdate: 26 (11 August 1981) Other family members: Arthur and Molly Prewett Weasley (parents), older brothers Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron Blood status: Pure-blood Schooling: Gryffindor, 1992-2000 (returned to Hogwarts and retook NEWTs after a disastrous 7th year) Occupation: currently (assistant?) potions master and teacher of Potions at Hogwarts; formerly Accidental Magic Reversal Squad Current residence: When not at Hogwarts, she lives in a tiny, rundown flat in Soho, passably livable because she's charmed the closets to be bigger on the inside than the outside Relationship status: Single, seemingly resolutely so; had a string of not-very-serious Muggle boyfriends during her time at the Ministry Description: Red hair (sometimes worn straight, sometimes curled, but always long), small build. Favors hippie-bohemian attire; among Muggles she leans toward what might be considered "airy-fairy witchy wear" (and buys "witchy" things out of New Age shops) because it amuses her to do so. (For example, has been known to drive a beat-up Citroen with a "My other car is a broom" bumper-sticker.) The (secondhand) robes she wears while teaching are patchwork velvet in dark, rich colors. Portrayed-by: Tori Amos (http://www.spatzel.net/alfrey/images/ginnyicon01.jpg) Personality: Smart and funny, kind and friendly, generally emotionally strong and level-headed, although she does have a temper when angered. Can be impulsive and headstrong when she thinks she's right. Still plays fast and loose with the rules when it suits her. Has a bit of a theatrical streak, which makes her classes quite popular. (Has been known to fall into a dead-funny Snape impersonation during Potions leactures, as well as to act out the results of administering an improperly-brewed potion.) Fiercely loyal to those she loves. Not afraid to stand up for what she believes. Social, and can get along well with most people; but feels a particular kinship with the underdog and the outcast, and a particular pull towards the noble and heroic. Can be flirtatious and sensual, but tries to keep that aspect of her personality toned down in the workplace. Sometimes needs to blow off steam with physical action, such as playing Quidditch. Her central conflict is "action vs inaction". Special Magical Abilities: Obliviation Politics: Fought against Voldemort in the war; despises him for killing Harry as well as for what he did to/through her when he possessed her. Vocally a blood-traitor, perhaps in part to disabuse any pure-bloods of the notion that she should be married off to them. Currently she is cautiously in favor of opening the wizarding world to Muggles, and often serves as the voice of reason in debates on the subject; serves as the faculty advisor to a student chapter of SMEL at Hogwarts. Distrusts the New School because she distrusts Umbridge's methods; explicitly wants to help return Hogwarts to its former glory, and is vocal to McGonagall (and anyone else who will listen) about how to make that happen. Less vocal about her thoughts on how to get Umbridge replaced as Minister of Magic, but she's working on some ideas on that, too. Role in the war: Fought alongside Harry, Hermione, and Ron. History (emphasis on the period after 1997): Ginny had toyed with the idea of becoming an Auror, but Harry's death shook her more than she was willing to admit, leading to a fairly disastrous academic performance during her seventh year and on her NEWTs. Took a summer internship in her father's old office and returned to Hogwarts the following year for independent study and a re-take of her NEWTs. Her much better test performance, native talent, and Ministry connections made during her internship helped her land a job in the Department of Magical Catastrophes in late 2000. She worked on the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, where she was deemed "a natural" (with many of her colleagues attributing this knack to her father's peculiar interest in -- and inability to stop talking about -- all things Muggle); however, seeking more of a challenge, she worked her way up toward the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, a position she finally achieved in early 2002. She was in training to become an Obliviator when the "reforms" of 2002 removed many of her colleagues, including her mentor, from the department and replaced them with less-talented (and barely tolerable) Umbridge loyalists. Ginny resigned late that autumn in protest. She spent the winter and early spring tending bar in a Muggle pub (to her father's fascination) near her flat in Soho and trying to get her head on straight. Late one night after reading one too many Daily Prophet articles lauding the planning of the New School -- and imbibing perhaps one too many beers -- she wrote an impassioned letter to McGonagall lamenting the recent challenges at Hogwarts, laying out a strategy for returning it to its former glory, and offering herself as a teacher in any subject for which the school might need her. To her surprise, a few days later she received an owl requesting that she come in for an interview, and soon after she was made (assistant?) Potions master and Professor of Potions. [Note: her exact role here may depend on whether someone else picks up Snape and/or Slughorn. If Snape is in hiding/in Azkaban/etc., Ginny coming to teach/be potions master will allow Slughorn to go back into retirement if he wishes. If Snape is still a player at Hogwarts, he may remain Potions master and teach DADA (or something else) while Ginny picks up the Potions teaching. Or if neither of these things fit with the needs of the plot, I am open to having her assigned to some other teaching post.] She enjoys her role, especially the teaching, but is too social a creature to spend all her time slaving over a cauldron in the dungeon; so she also takes time each week to run Quidditch drills for interested students and to faculty-advise the Hogwarts student chapter of SMEL. Ginny has no serious romantic entanglements; many of her friends and family believe she hasn't gotten over losing Harry, though she insists (on those rare occasions she can be coaxed to talk about it at all) that they were at the end "not a couple, just dear, dear friends." She is generally friendly with most people, but keeps especially in touch with Neville and his daughter. She respects Hermione as both a colleague and a friend, and is not afraid to debate educational theory at length (with Ginny taking a decidedly more practical approach compared to Hermione's bookish one). She is in close touch with most of her family, but especially her parents, the twins, and Ron. Plot hooks and ideas: Anything to do with Hogwarts (particularly Hogwarts vs the New School). Anything to do with her family or close friends. Pureblood-matchmaking attempts (or matchmaking attempts in general). Anything to do with getting Ministry power out of Umbridge's hands and into the hands of someone Ginny actually respects. If she perceives that Umbridge's reforms are making things steadily, oppressively worse, Ginny may come to be viewed as a "ticking time-bomb" looking to take action. One-sentence summary of your character: Ginny is the rock-steady friend, the voice of pragmatism, and the occasional comic relief, often willing to say the thing everyone is thinking but no one dares give voice to. Writing samples: Sample Journal Entry: Happy birthday to me School starts in just a couple of weeks and I should be in that last mad dash to get ready for classes, but Mum convinced me to take a break for a day and come out to the Burrow for a big birthday dinner. Nobody actually came out and SAID "why aren't you married yet and are you even dating anyone seriously?" but I counted three separate mentions of how many children Mum had had by the time she was my age and at least two "so how is your friend Neville?"s thrown in for good measure. I know Mum thinks she wants what's best for me, but I fear that noble desire may be overshadowed by her addiction to the pitter-patter of wee future-wizard feet and that sour-milk smell of wee future-wizard spit-up. I wonder if she bothers Ron like this? I KNOW she doesn't hassle the twins about it; Lord have mercy on all our souls if THEY breed. (I will not set up F&G with P&P no matter how funny it would be. I will not set up F&G with P&P no matter how funny it would be. I will not.... ...but I wonder, would we be able to tell the children apart?) Dad, for his part, seems more philosophical about the whole thing. I think it was with a mixture of disappointment and relief that he asked, "So why don't you ever bring any of those Muggle boyfriends round, then?" He'd love to meet them, sure, but I suspect he's still a bit uncomfortable about the thought of his baby girl dating. (Even if I have been doing so for about half my life now.) Plus, we all know how fast he'd scare them off with his Muggle questions. (I will not explain condoms to him. Ever.) It was nice to see Mum and Dad, though, and hear the latest news from Bill's family, and the latest rumours from the Ministry. (Well, that last bit perhaps wasn't so nice, but I know it makes Dad feel better to get some of it off his chest.) And Mum sent me away with enough brownies to last 'til... well, the first time Hagrid stops by my office, anyway. But they STILL haven't got me a pony. Hmmph. Sample Roleplay: (Third person, past tense. Minimum of 200 words.) 16 July 2005 Ginny entered the shop in a heady mix of trepidation and resolve. She wasn't even certain why she was here -- doing something she could probably manage herself with just a little study of the right charm -- but the earthy Muggle physicality of it all just seemed... right, somehow. The pink-haired girl behind the counter stared at her with bored eyes. "Piercing or ink?" "Er, ink." "Right. Wait here." The girl slipped behind a black curtain and into the back of the shop, leaving Ginny alone in the front room to ponder the racks of body jewelry and the tattered flyers and rock posters adorning the walls, a seedy mix of colour and decay under flickering fluorescent lights. Essence of Muggle London. "Go in," said the pink-haired girl, re-emerging from behind the curtain and holding it open for Ginny. "Isaac'll take care of you." 'Isaac', slouching against an adjustible chair in the back room, turned out to be a tall, dark-eyed, hook-nosed young man with high cheekbones and dark hair in dreadlocks: he could be a Durmstrang, Ginny thought, but without the dress-code or discipline. He smiled at her. "Hullo, love. You know what you want?" "Yeah. I---" Ginny dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, smoothed it against her belly, and handed it over. "I'd like to get that, just... here." She laid her thumb against the base of her spine, a few centimeters below her waistband. "Nice. D'jou do this yourself?" Isaac asked as he inspected the paper. Ginny nodded. "I think," he added as he adjusted the chair, "that we can get you set up. If you could just hop up here and get your--- Yeah, that's right--- And I'll go get my---" He wandered off to gather up equipment and ink while Ginny situated herself prone on the chair, unbuttoned her jeans, and slid them just far enough down her bum to expose the working surface. And waited. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage. And then Isaac returned. His machine buzzed to life, and she felt its sting in the small of her back, like a nest of angry hornets all attacking her tailbone at once. She pressed her forehead to the headrest and breathed deeply in and out, taking strange comfort in the feel and the scent of the leather chair beneath her. She was vaguely aware of the conversation -- Isaac asking her name, and what she did for a living, and did she live in London, and her own answers in pleasant and plausible half-truths -- but her mind kept wandering to the pain: not just this pain against her spine, but all of it, the pain of loss and of helplessness and of biting her tongue and biding her time until... some time far distant when she could finally strike a match and watch it all explode. And then Isaac said something about victims. "I'm sorry, what?" asked Ginny. "--- or Alan Moore. Is it a comic book thing?" He paused, and his voice grew more serious, almost apologetic. "Or did you, ah, know one of them? I thought--- I'm sorry, it's really none of my business, I just thought, after last week, that's what this might be about." Ginny realized the machine had stopped, that Isaac was gently blotting the blood off the design. "Ah. No, I didn't. This is just a... reminder." Of more than just the bombings, she didn't add. The Ministry might not think there'd been any wizarding involvement, but Ginny hadn't been able to stop thinking about it -- or earlier battles, hard-fought and barely won. He finished blotting and held up a mirror. "This all right?" Ginny craned her neck over her shoulder to look at the design: a ball of fire, about the size of a knut, like an explosion in miniature; and beneath it, in small neat letters pocked like old hand-cast typeface: "Gunpowder Treason". "It's perfect," she said gravely. She did not smile. "Fire over the base chakra," Isaac added in an approving tone. "It's like a call to action. Er, I'll not be needing to report you as a terrorist, will I?" Now Ginny did smile. The chakra symbolism hadn't even occurred to her, but like the tattoo itself, it felt right as soon as he said it. "No, nothing like that," she said. "It's a question more than anything. Sometimes the structure can be patched, but sometimes it's better off exploded and rebuilt from the ground up. This is to remind me to make sure I know the difference. And then, yes, take action accordingly." She looked up at Isaac with twinkling eyes. "But if it will make you feel better, I promise not to blow up Parliament." He grinned back at her. "Well, yes, that is a load off. On the other hand, if you decided to blow up Old Trafford, I promise I'd look the other way.... Now, you'll want to keep this covered for the next couple of days---" Ginny listened with half an ear as Isaac described the care and feeding of young ink while gently bandaging her newly-tattooed flesh. It wasn't 'til he asked for her number that she realized he'd gone off-script. "My mobile is still a bit tetchy," she said as she climbed off the chair and carefully re-fastened her jeans, "but I feel certain we'll see each other around. Tonight, for example, if you were to come by the Dog and Duck at half-eight...."