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princessselene126 · 4 years

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TLC Second Generation (Cresswell)

Before getting engaged and married, Cress went off and explored the world herself for a year. She was the one to propose to him. Thorne may or may not have bawled like a baby. Anyway, Cress falls pregnant a month after they get married and completely by accident… and with twins nonetheless. She goes into labor three weeks early on Throne’s birthday while they’re orbiting Earth. Thorne doesn’t want to land because he worried it would hurt her or the babies... so he calls Jacin and asks him how the hell to deliver them. Jacin walks him through it. Despite Cress’s pregnancy being a little rough, delivery was actually a breeze. She’s one of those women that everyone hates because she barely felt a thing.

Artemis “Arti” Selene Thorne Is born on 23 May 134TE

Named after the ancient goddess whose twin brother was Apollo. Also because Artemis was the goddess of the moon. They came up with their name first, then Apollo’s. And their middle name is after Cinder because “she’s my best friend and we’re doing it.” But guess what that also means…. Their name is literally Moon Moon.

They have their mom’s blond hair (but it’s in a pixie cut) and blue eyes. Petite and slender. Looks exactly like her Cress when they’re older which weirds Thorne out sometimes. They’re just a little bit taller than Cress at 5’2”

Nonbi and Pan™

Starts going by they/them around 14-15 years old

They may only be 6 minutes older than Apollo, but they never lets him forget it. Every birthday the twins have they say that Apollo should blow out his candles six minutes after them, but Thorne and Cress tell them that it really doesn’t matter since it’s the same day. Cress thinks they never should have told them that Arti is 6 minutes older, but Thorne thinks it’s hilarious.

Personality wise… they take after their father way too much. Basically a personality carbon copy of him

They’re snarky. Always making snide comments to Apollo, but he comes back with really good ones so it’s fun. Thorne often high fives them (secretly because cress disapproves of encouraging them) for remarks they make.

They’re flirty. This person… they might be worse than their father when he was her age. Any time they dock Arti finds the first person near their age and hits on them until they’re drooling all over them. Arti has many scandalous rendezvous, but as long as they’re safe Cress and Thorne are fine with it.

They’re egotistical. You know how thorne was obsessed with his hair? Yeah, so is Arti. Thorne and Arti use the same expensive shampoos and conditioners and often get excited when they find a new one that’s better than the last. They preen like a peacock when someone compliments them, usually answering with an “I know”

They’re protective. They consider themself older than Apollo therefore he’s their baby bro and they’re protective as HELL over him. If someone fucks with Arti’s brother, their life is over. Arti will steal all their money, they’ll add random and terrible things to their criminal record, they’ll do everything in her power to make the rest of their life absolutely miserable.

Like their mother, Arti’s a hacker, and they’ve been known to get in trouble for it. Online gambling--which they always wins at and then sends the money to people who need it. They get into bank accounts to do the same. They consider themself a robin hood type person--stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Because of all that, Cress tried to start monitoring Arti’s portscreen when they were 12, but the kid put up a firewall that was impossible for even Cress to hack.

Thorne tried teaching them how to pilot a few times but it always ended with a new dent or scratch on the Rampion. They’ll stick to hacking like their mother, thank you very much.

Apollo Dmitri Thorne is born 6 minutes after his sister on 23 May 134TE

Named after the ancient god whose sister was Artemis. Cress immediately knew what to name him after they picked out Artemis’s name.

Also has mother’s blond hair, but his eyes are shockingly green (Cress and Thorne speculate that they come from Cress’s mother). Similar build to Thorne, but a bit more on the lanky side. This boy inherited his mother’s height, he’s only 5’6”

More Bi Than The God He Was Named After™

He takes after Cress more than Thorne, except when it comes to sass. You can’t live on the rampion and not be a smart ass. It’s just not possible.

Apollo is unbelievably shy. He let’s Arti or Thorne do all the talking for him whenever they’re out and about. He’d rather die than start a conversation with a stranger. It might be a bit dramatic, but that’s how he feels. Cress understands and tells him that it’s okay to be shy.

Apollo is melodramatic like his father though. He used to scream bloody murder when he was a child if he so much as got a paper cut. That’s mellowed with age thankfully, but sometimes he still over exaggerates--usually to annoy his sibling

Through he’s dramatic, he’s very level headed. Makes much better choices than Arti and is more of a rule follower than them. His “rebellious phase” was sneaking into the galley in the middle of the night to eat an extra brownie or two.

He’s extremely insightful. People are shocked by the wise words and observations that come out of his mouth. He doesn’t understand why everyone is so surprised, he’s just… always seen the galaxy differently.

He’s a bit of a mama’s boy.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy spending time with his dad though. They like to play card games together. He has a very good poker face, but is terrible at reading others

Frowns on Arti’s behaviour--aka a bit judgemental--but he never goes out of his way to tell their parents when they sneak out to explore the city they’re at so long as they messages him once in a while to let him know they’re okay.

He’s protective too, just as much as Arti is. Someone fucks with them (or any of the rampion fam kids) they better run to the edge of the galaxy because he’ll find them and make them regret ever being born.

He’s a painter. He gets his artistic ability from thorne, but he’s much better than thorne ever was. His parents get him new art supplies for every birthday and holiday that requires presents. And he absolutely loves it. They converted one of the rampion’s rooms into a small studio for him. There’s paint everywhere.

With the exception of his studio, he’s very organized, but not to the extent that Lovell is.

He can hack too, but not as well as Cress and Arti. He’d rather spend his time painting or writing than sitting at a computer screen all day.

However he is a much better pilot than Arti is. There’s something about flying a ship that makes him feel… like he can do anything. He loves the feeling of taking off and landing.

This boy… he’s also the biggest cuddler in the world. When he was little he used to run into his parent's bedroom at night just so he could be squished between them. He didn’t even have that many nightmares, he just wanted to be held. He’s always hugging his mother or any of the other rampion kids. He just loves hugs.

Second Generation Masterlist

#tlc second generation #next generation tlc #tlc next generation #cresswell #cress darnel #cress #thorne #carswell thorne #captain carswell thorne #my headcanon #mine #my post

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shallowgravesrp · 3 years

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“These chains will not hold me down, they'll break and fall to the ground.”

Emmeline Vance

Age: Twenty-Three

House: Ravenclaw

Affiliation: Order Member

Career: Dragonologist

aesthetics: there is no such thing as impossible. perfect precision. dragon scales, a glass of wine, the inability to cook, hope and good intentions, compassion is my middle name, fire breather, piles of books, burgundy tones, chap-stick in every room, extract of genius, party avoider, a field of sunflowers, warm bubble baths, pinkie promises, candles everywhere, a photographic memory, wrinkled nose, chronic nail biter.

what we all know: Emmeline Vance was never going to reach her full potential, she had shoes that were too big to full and it was clear she took the easy way out. Her parents passing left her misfiring with no direction to go but down, without Marcel she wouldn’t be anywhere. It’s evident to everyone that she had no solid ground to stand out without her family... so she went out and made a new one. How long before she loses this one too?

As the daughter of two Aurors with hours that were numerous, Emmeline was taught to be self sufficient from a young age. She was loved, she was well taken care of but with a high pressure career posed by each parent it was easy to see why their daughter was often left on the back burner. Books were what looked after her and she wasn’t seen without one very often. The ones she picked were not stories of princesses nor were they the Tales of Beedle The Bard but instead they were the spell books that belonged to her parents. As a child the spells were nothing more than words on a paper that she was unable to put into motion. Most were far too advanced for a child to comprehend but Emmeline was still willing to read, learning correct pronunciations and the usefulness of magic in the world around her. It was her mother who first realized what she was doing, questioning her and learning of the photographic memory that Emmeline possessed.

The promise of what awaited her at Hogwarts was one that she could hardly hold her excitement with as she boarded the train and found herself faced with the next seven years of her life. With help from her uncanny ability to look at something and recall it with ease there was no wonder why the Ravenclaw excelled in her studies. But no amount of photographic memory could help with her inability to put herself out there to make friends. Her intelligence were off the charts but Emmeline seemed to lack the drive to want to make friends. She hid behind her books much like she had at home. Her Head of House was concerned, expressing worry to her parents that she wouldn’t reach her full potential unless she made friends. For that reason her parents elected to leave her at Hogwarts for Christmas break hopeful it would cause the eleven year old to break out of her comfort zone. It was that lucky event that lead to her meeting Dirk Cresswell, a muggleborn who assisted in breaking through the exterior that Emmeline held, foraging a friendship that would last them for the rest of their lives.

After Hogwarts there was speculation that with a memory like hers and the family background she possessed that she’d follow the family mantle and join the Auror career. The pressure was heavy so instead of a direct answer she took the summer after to travel. The States, Egypt, The Maldives and Spain where ever she could go she did, spending however long she wished in each of the places. Every life has what could be called a defining moment and Emmeline’s came in the form of Romania. It was recommended that she stop in the Dragon Sanctuary there and the moment her eyes fell upon the majestic creatures her heart skipped a beat. She’d read about them in her studies, even wrote an essay or two but nothing could have prepared her for the connection that she felt. Returning home she announced that she was going to become a Dragonologist, a waste of potential the eyes of her father but that was irrelevant given that she knew this was what she was meant to be doing. It was the joy that it brought their daughter that elected for them to give her the money that was needed and from there Vance Dragon Sanctuary was born. Her ability to train the creatures was a marvel, thus leading to many approaching her with hopes of acquiring a dragon from her. but Emmeline didn’t trust easily and for that reason alone she hand picked who would match best with the dragon’s she raised.

While her friend group never expanding much in Hogwarts it would be later after graduation that she would find herself opening to more people. The Order being the first group of people that she considered herself blessed to know, for the first time in her life she succeeded at forging friendships outside of the one she shared with Dirk. She excelled in the structure that the Order gave her and proved to her parents even more with the missions that she took that she should have joined the Auror career. It would be a constant tale of how she never lived up to her potential until the faithful night where everything changed as just a few short months ago on a mission off the record for the Order the Vance Aurors’ walked into a trap set by Death Eaters. The two fought till their last breath but were taken down in the end, the odds not in their favor as it was rumored they were outnumbered heavily. The loss took a toll on Emmeline, devoting herself more to the dragons at her sanctuary, and throwing herself into the Order.

It was clear that Emmeline lacked self-preservation and a question of her mental stability came into question. Had she thrown herself back into missions too quickly? While she succeeded in all she was doing there was the simple fact that the methods she took put not only her life in danger but the lives of those around her. Emmeline was pushed back from missions and instead put on ‘desk duty’ for the Order for her own safety. There was now two holes in her heart, the first empty from the void of no longer having any family and the second caused by the void of purpose. That changed when Marcel came into her focus. It was he that helped her find a reason to live again in spite of the disaster they were currently living through.

A war is brewing around them, something made evident by the pressure it clear her boyfriend feels from his mother--too quiet for either of them to fully relax. They’re constantly looking over their shoulder for the next bad thing, especially now that their daughter made an entrance in the world a year ago. Granted, finding happiness has become a little easier and the holes in her heart have nearly mended thanks to the family she created.

MARCEL MCKINNON - She didn’t see Marcel coming, but isn’t that how the best love stories start? The other person sneaks up on you and takes you by surprise. He’s the love of her life and the father of her daughter. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for him.

DIRK CRESSWELL - Her best friend in every sense of the word, it was Dirk that convinced her to break out of her shell. He’d been her biggest support system through every step of her life.

KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT - When she is lucky enough to get out on Order missions it’s Kingsley that she’s partnered with. He’s level headed and focused on the task at hand--it seems that he is the exact opposite of her. They work well together because of that.

Emmeline Vance is currently a TAKEN role with the faceclaim of Chloe Bennett. She is played by Admin Ash.

#marauders rp #dark rp #lsrp #marauders roleplay #hp rp #emmeline vance #taken #takenf #order #o #mention: marcel mckinnon #mention: dirk cresswell #mention: kingsley shacklebolt

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hymnstoalienstars · 4 years

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building on There Are Rules AU: don’t antagonize voldemort

Don’t antagonize Voldemort was once a rule but it turned out to be an endless fountain of fun and therefore cut from the list.

There was a time, for example, when Riddle thought he was stalked by an entity that could possess bodies. It wasn’t Harry’s fault, really. Was it his fault he kept resurrecting on the battlefield? Was it his fault he didn’t have a minute to adjust his style of dueling? his body language? Was it his fault the bloody Death Eaters kept trying to kill him?

#MAYBE:

#VOLDEMORT'S POV

this is from the prev post

I probably need some actual plot and some info on the First Wizarding War.

i’m just gonna scan the wiki for details (the following is copied from there)

1970 – 31 October, 1981 Cause: Voldemort's return to the United Kingdom in order to begin his first reign of terror Result: Ministry and Order of the Phoenix victory. The disappearance of Voldemort and decline of the Death Eaters. Harry Potter declared the "Boy Who Lived"

1970

29 November: William Arthur Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley

Sometime after Molly graduated, both her brothers were murdered by Death Eaters in the First Wizarding War. (Dolohov)

Arthur was not a member of the first Order of the Phoenix.

Molly: "It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and centre —" Ginny Weasley: "Including you and Dad." — Molly reflecting on her marriage in 1996[src]

1971

The Whomping Willow is planted.

1 September: Individuals that started at Hogwarts

Sirius Black (Gryffindor)[3]

Lily Evans (Gryffindor)[3]

Severus Snape (Slytherin)[3]

Remus Lupin (Gryffindor)[3]

James Potter (Gryffindor)[3]

Peter Pettigrew (Gryffindor)[3]

Adrian (unknown house)[4]

Stebbins (unknown house)[5]

1972

Muggles Who Notice by Blenheim Stalk is published.[1]

Published in 1972, it covered incidents where Muggles noticed elements of the Wizarding world, including the Ilfracombe Incident of 1932 and the story of "Dodgy" Dirk.[1] (a rogue Common Welsh Green dragon attacked a group of sunbathers in Ilfracombe in 1932)

Remus Lupin's friends James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew discover that he is a werewolf, and resolve to learn to become animagi.[2]

1 September: Individuals that started Hogwarts Regulus Black (Slytherin)[4] Dirk Cresswell (unknown)[5] (was a Muggle-born wizard. In the mid-1990s he became Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, in the Ministry of Magic.)

Births 12 December: Charlie Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley.[8]

1973

Events The Ministry of Magic defeats an appeal against house-elf slavery[2]

Individuals that started Hogwarts Bartemius Crouch Jr

1975

Minister for Magic Eugenia Jenkins is seen as inadequate to the challenge of the first rise of Lord Voldemort, and is replaced by the hard-lined Harold Minchum.[2]

Minister Eugenia Jenkins was Minister for Magic between 1968 and 1975. She dealt competently with the pure-blood riots during the Squib Rights marches in the late sixties. However, when confronted with the first rise of Lord Voldemort, she was ousted from office, being deemed inadequate to the challenge.

The Squib Rights marches were an action by a mass group of Squibs in favour of the betterment of the rights of Squibs[2] that took place in 1968 or 1969, during Eugenia Jenkins's term as Minister for Magic. This demonstration was, presumably, unsuccessful, as a group of extremist Pure-bloods broke out in riot while it was taking place.

Minister Harold Minchum was Minister for Magic between 1975 and 1980. He was seen as a hard-liner, and placed even more Dementors around Azkaban. But he was unable to contain what seemed like Voldemort's unstoppable rise to power.

Regulus Black receives his Dark Mark, thus becoming a Death Eater.[8]

Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew create the Marauder's Map.

1976

22 August: Percy Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley[6]

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans and Severus Snape sit their O.W.L. examinations in June. Lily Evans dissolves her friendship with Severus Snape after he calls her a "Mudblood". Sirius Black runs away from home to live with the Potter family[1] Sirius Black sees his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange for the last time before they are both in Azkaban. Sirius Black gets his own place (either in 1976 or 1977) with money he inherited from his uncle Alphard Black.[2]

1977

James Potter and Lily Evans become Head Boy and Girl[1] Sirius Black gets his own place (either in 1976 or 1977) with money he inherited from his uncle Alphard Black.[2] James Potter and Sirius Black are chased by two police men, Fisher and Anderson, as well as three Death Eaters on broomsticks, while riding on Sirius's motorbike. They escape, however, by using magic to lift the police car, causing the three Death Eaters to crash into it.[3] Vernon and Petunia Dursley purchase and move in to 4 Privet Drive.[4] Regulus Black plays for the Slytherin Quidditch team during the 1977 to 1978 school year.

Deaths Dorea Potter née Black[9] Amarillo Lestoat[10] Alphard Black (possibly)[2]

There was some speculation that Dorea Potter was the mother of James Potter and so the paternal grandmother of Harry Potter. However, the actual names of James's parents were revealed to be Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, via Pottermore.[4] In spite of this, it is still more than likely that Dorea was possibly an aunt or a cousin by marriage of James.

It was once presumed that Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, who appeared on the Black family tree, might have been James's parents (since it was known that Charlus and Dorea also had one son). However, J. K. Rowling revealed via Pottermore that that was not the case. It is still more than likely, however, that Charlus Potter is somehow related to Fleamont.

I personally like the idea of Dorea Black being Harry’s grandmother. There’s next to nothing on Euphemia but Dorea Black being bold enough to “run away” with a Potter makes a good story. And it’s a headcanon active in all of my HP stories, I think.

1978

1 April: Twins Fred and George Weasley are born to Arthur and Molly Weasley[3]

Universal Brooms Ltd goes out of business.[1] James Potter, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape leave Hogwarts.

1979

Regulus Blacks dies by drinking the Drink of Despair and gets killed by Inferius while trying to destroy a Horcrux of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The Wedding of James Potter I and Lily Evans took place, with Sirius Black as the Best Man.

Peter Pettigrew begins passing information to Lord Voldemort[3]

Deaths Orion Black[5] Regulus Black[6] Fleamont Potter Euphemia Potter

Births 19 September: Hermione Granger

1980

Professor Sybill Trelawney tells Albus Dumbledore the prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle.[1] Death Eater Igor Karkaroff is captured by Auror Alastor Moody and sent to Azkaban.[2] Millicent Bagnold succeeds Harold Minchum becoming Minister for Magic until her retirement in 1990.[3]

(a lot of birthdays)

Deaths c.1980: Evan Rosier and Wilkes, both known Death Eaters, are killed by Aurors.[8] c.1979-1980: Dean Thomas's father[9]

1981

Marlene McKinnon an Order of the Phoenix member is killed by Lord Voldemort who also wipes out her entire family. Harry Potter's first birthday

September: Sirius Black makes Peter Pettigrew the secret keeper

The Order of the Phoenix was founded by Albus Dumbledore during Lord Voldemort's first rise to power in the 1970s. Dumbledore formed the Order to combat Voldemort's increasing threat and power. Aurors from the Ministry of Magic also joined the Order to participate in more secretive, sudden assaults aimed to crush the Dark Rebellion. Dumbledore created a method of communication among Order members by inventing a way to make Patronuses speak. Although the Death Eaters had been attacking mostly Muggles and Muggle-borns to spread terror, they soon turned to attacking "blood traitors" such as Order members as well. The Order had to work hard, as they were outnumbered by a ratio of 20:1 by the Death Eaters. Fabian and Gideon Prewett were murdered by a group of five Death Eaters led by Antonin Dolohov. Caradoc Dearborn disappeared, the Bones family was almost completely destroyed, Benjy Fenwick was brutally murdered, and Marlene McKinnon and her family were murdered by Death Eaters, including Travers. Even as the Order suffered great losses, they continued to fight, and four of their members — James Potter, Lily Potter, Frank Longbottom, and Alice Longbottom — defied Voldemort himself three times.

First WW notes

"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing... The Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere... panic... confusion... that's how it used to be." —The uncertainty of the first war[src]

Werewolves were a big part of a confict...

Voldemort promised rights to [Dark] Creatures so it was a solid base

Voldemort’s base:

Dark magic - stop the laws that forbid it

that wouldnt be such a thing if all branches were for killing and torturing

like necromancy, for example

or maybe some family magic, blood magic

maybe even random spells or schools of magic... just because people were scared of “the dark”

it probably was the “Light Era”, before the 1970th, Scuib rights, maybe increase in muggleborns and newblood-oldblood marriages

Dark was weaker politically

maybe some bad attitudes towards “dark ws”

Pureblood supremacy

[Dark] creatures’ rights

Now going exclusively by his preferred name "Lord Voldemort", Riddle laid low and travelled around Europe and Asia. Little is known of his activities during this period, though he explored the Dark Arts extensively, studying the most obscure and arcane branches of magic and consorting with an array of dark wizards, who would all turn out to become his followers in the years to come. As a result of unnamed “magical experiments and transformations”, Voldemort underwent several physical and mental changes, which made him more powerful but less human, and was occasionally accompanied by a group of followers he came to call his "Death Eaters". By the time he was a full-fledged adult, around 1968, Riddle donned a hooded cloak (though he physically still did not resemble the montrous creature he would later in his life) which concealed him completely and he began plotting a wizarding coup, claiming that he was greatly dissatisfied with the current state of the Wizarding World and that he would succeed where so many, including Gellert Grindelwald and Salazar Slytherin, had failed. Voldemort convinced his underlings that to truly create a world full of peace and power, the old regime needed to be torn down at any and all costs and only those who shared pure blood, will and idealism would be allowed to live and thrive in it. In truth however, Lord Voldemort had little interest in political idealism himself. He was completely devoted to amassing his own magical power, and in becoming the most powerful and skilled wizard to have ever lived, invincible and eternal.

Though the Death Eaters were generally even less tolerant of them than wizarding society in general, these creatures were receptive of their violent and destructive goals. Dark activity suddenly arose throughout Great Britain, a country that had been totally untouched by dark magic; even during the reign of terror of Gellert Grindelwald; and Voldemort began surreptitiously killing poor and homeless Muggles (whose absences would not be noticed) with his followers so that he could reanimate their corpses with Necromancy until he had created an army of Inferi, a feat no other dark wizard in history had ever done.

In 1962, Minister Of Magic Ignatius Tuft was forced out of office for promising to institute a controversial Dementor breeding programme for Azkaban. He was replaced by Nobby Leach, who became the first Muggle-born ever to hold the Minister position, leading senior members of the Wizengamot to resign in protest. In 1963, Muggle expert Mordicus Egg published The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know, which posited actual theories about why Muggles continued to be unaware of magic. This was a different take on the subject, as it did not assume Muggles to be stupid nor ignorant.

Between 1965 and 1971[9], Dumbledore, who was noted as a social progressive believing strongly in the rights of Muggles as well as Muggle-borns and other oppressed minorities, ascended to the post of Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation Of Wizards [ICW] and Chief Warlock of the Wizenagamot. In these positions of great and influential power, Dumbledore passed extreme legislation to prevent any possible dark forces from threatening overall security around Great Britain

In 1968, Nobby Leach left office for mysterious health reasons, leading to a conspiracy theory that he had been poisoned by his Muggle-prejudice advisor Abraxas Malfoy.

[1970] the Death Eaters and their allies (including the particularly destructive Giants) began openly carrying out attacks on Muggles for sport and to sow chaos. Cleaning up these attacks, healing survivors, modifying memories, searching for the perpetrators, and attempting to prevent future attacks occupied more and more of the Ministry's time and attention. As their confidence grew, the Death Eaters began targeting Muggle-born and blood traitor witches and wizards as well, torturing and sometimes killing their victims, which shocked wizarding society. Other "inferior" magical beings such as house-elves (who were treated like vermin) and Goblins (a family of which was slaughtered) also suffered under their reign of terror.

Voldemort himself personally killed hundreds of wizards, though he tended to only fight those he considered worthy of his attention or too powerful for his followers to defeat. In these encounters, he displayed his extraordinary abilities, many of which were thought impossible, and he very quickly earned the reputation of the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard of all time

[1971]Though the Ministry officially viewed the Order as a renegade outfit, a number of powerful Ministry officials (such as Elphias Doge and Dedalus Diggle; and the famous Aurors Alastor Moody and Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom) joined instantly to participate in more secretive, sudden assaults to crush the dark rebellion.[12] When Dumbledore helped black market trader Mundungus Fletcher out of trouble, he joined the Order and, due to his extensive knowledge of the criminal underworld, proved very useful.

To protect the organisation, Voldemort ensured that Death Eaters did not know the identities of too many of their fellows, and, to society at large, their identities were completely unknown.[13] Increasing the confusion and paranoia even further, Voldemort placed many dozens of innocent victims under the Imperius Curse simulaniously, and forced them to carry out his orders. Even friends and family members were not above suspicion of one another.

Evan Rosier, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Sewlyn, Jerome Jugson, Jugson, Regulus Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Thorfinn Rowle, Gibbon, Augustus Rookwood, Igor Karkaroff, Crabbe, Goyle, Travers, and Antonin Dolohov. Likely at Snape's urging, Voldemort attempted to recruit Lily Evans, whose prodigious talents made up for her status as a Muggle-born

He took only Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange under his personal wing, sharing with them his personal-secret knowledge of the Dark Arts; and inspiring in Bellatrix a delusional-psychotic attraction bordering on loving obsession, which Voldemort never returned

[1980]Shortly afterwards, due to Pettigrew's betrayal, Death Eaters began systematically murdering Order members and the war entered its most desperate phase. Marlene McKinnon was slaughtered alongside her entire family by Travers, Nott, and Mulciber. Edgar Bones, his wife, and their children were murdered by Thorfinn Rowle and Fenrir Greyback. Gideon Prewett and Fabian Prewett both fought bravely but were ultimately killed by Antonin Dolohov, and Dorcas Meadowes was murdered by Voldemort himself. Caradoc Dearborn disappeared and was never found, though he was presumed dead. Benjy Fenwick was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, Evan Rosier, and Julius Jerome; and so brutally mutilated that only bits of him were recovered.[12]

In response to this brutal onslaught, Barty Crouch Snr, who despised Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and the Dark Arts entirely; issued an edict giving Ministry Aurors full permission to employ the use of the Unforgivable Curses against their enemies. A massive Ministry campaign, spearheaded and led by Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shackelbolt, and Frank Longbottom; ensued, immediately turning the tide of the war against the Death Eaters.

28 pureblood family names (sacred 28)

Abbott Avery Black Bulstrode Burke Carrow Crouch Fawley Flint Gaunt Greengrass Lestrange Longbottom Macmillan Malfoy Nott Ollivander Parkinson Prewett Rosier Rowle Selwyn Shacklebolt Shafiq Slughorn Travers Weasley Yaxley

Although the Malfoys were noted as respectable members as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight (a title they are proud of), they did not take the pure-blood supremacy to the point of inbreeding: they were willing to marry half-bloods, many of whom are shown in their family tree.

#outloud worldbuilding #there are rules au

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mystoopidbooks · 4 years

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Top 6 Ships of 1st Half of 2020

1. Séverin and Laila - The Gilded Wolves

These two honestly saved 2020 for me. Their chemistry and storyline is super unique and intense without making it the only thing either of them had going on. In fact, I think that the way that Chokshi fleshed them out and made them independent in a way where they both mesh and clash make Séverin and Laila one of my favorite couples ever. I am so incredibly excited for The Silvered Serpents go see where their story goes.

2. James and Cordelia and Matthew (love triangle) - Chain of Gold

I’m one of the many people who has been excited for The Last Hours for years and speculated with that godforsaken family tree. I was a Jordelia Stan before I read about them, and then I started the book and fell in love with them again.... but I also was really into the idea of Fairstairs. Cassandra Clare has this talent especially when it comes to relationships (because I practically read her books for the romantic and platonic ones by now) that just blows my mind. I can’t wait to see what she does.

3. Celia and Marco - The Night Circus

This was a book I was not expecting to be so phenomenal. I tend not to read romance because I don’t like that taking over any character’s life but to be honest, this book could’ve had a little bit more of them. The scenes that the did have, though, were some of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. Erin Morgenstern is just a lyrical goddess and the setting transported me like no other book I’ve ever read.

4. Audrey Rose and Thomas - Stalking Jack the Ripper

SJTR was my first binge read of quarantine and I really needed it. Specifically, I really needed the romantic Sherlock and Watson that is Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell. I’m going to bandwagon and agree with the general consensus that EFH was the worst of the quartet. My favorite were the first two, both for the storyline and the pining sexual tension between Cressworth. Also can we just freak out over their NAMES!?!

5. Zoya and Nikolai - King of Scars

I am really excited to see where this power couple goes but I feel like everything is going to have to be jam-packed into KOS2. No one in the Grishaverse could ever beat Kanej but these two are definitely my number two.

6. Sam and Evie - The Diviners

This one is unique because these two were the only reason I kept reading The Diviners. I should’ve loved it— the time period, the ensemble cast, the eerie plot— but some part of me just couldn’t connect. But Sam and Evie were just adorable and so sassy. The fact that their minuscule amount of scenes got me through two of the books (I found the rest of it on here) just says a lot.

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theprophet-upinsmoke · 5 years

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CONSPIRACY THEORIES SWEEP IN

May 5, 1980

Following the recent news of Universal Brooms shutting down and the tight lipped response to rumors that they’re selling off to Westenberg Industries, new speculation has emerged implying that Westenberg Industries has indulged in dirty deals in hopes of monopolizing the industry.

Head of the company, Asher Westenberg, hasn’t been reached on this issue, but blame is being assigned to employee Dirk Cresswell due to their long history. Amid implication of dirty deals and Westenberg monopolizing the broommaking business, it’s said that Dirk Cresswell has been responsible for bad bookkeeping and questionable deals, of which Universal Brooms could be the latest victim.

@upinsmoke-rp

#skeleton rpg #hp rpg #harry potter rpg #marauders era rpg #lsrpg

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requiescatinpacerp · 5 years

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“But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.”

Emmeline Vance

Age: Twenty

Affiliation: Order

Blood Status: Pureblood

Career: Dragonologist

Wand: 8', Cedar wood, dragon heart-string, inflexible.

Dragon scales, a glass of wine, the inability to cook, hope and good intentions, compassion is my middle name, fire breather, piles of books, burgundy tones, chap-stick in every room, extract of genius, party avoider, a field of sunflowers, warm bubble baths, pinkie promises, candles everywhere, a photographic memory, wrinkled nose, text don't call, chronic nail biter, a full Netflix queue.

As the daughter of two aurors with hours that were numerous, Emmeline was taught to be self sufficient from a young age. She was loved, she was well taken care of but with a high pressure career posed by each parent it was easy to see why their daughter was often left on the back burner. Books were what looked after her and she wasn’t seen without one very often. The ones she picked were not stories of princesses nor were they the Tales of Beedle The Bard but instead they were the spell books that belonged to her parents. As a child the spells were nothing more than words on a paper that she was unable to put into motion. Most were far too advanced for a child to comprehend but Emmeline was still willing to read, learning correct pronunciations and the usefulness of magic in the world around her. It was her mother who first realized what she was doing, questioning her and learning of the photographic memory that Emmeline possessed. The promise of what awaited her at Hogwarts was one that she could hardly hold her excitement with as she boarded the train and found herself faced with the next seven years of her life. With help from her uncanny ability to look st something and recall it with ease there was no wonder why the Ravenclaw excelled in her studies. But no amount of photographic memory could help with her inability to put herself out there to make friends. Her intelligence were off the charts but Emmeline seemed to lack the drive to want to make friends. She hid behind her books much like she had at home. Her head of house was concerned, expressing worry to her parents that she wouldn’t reach her full potential unless she made friends. For that reason her parents elected to leave her at Hogwarts for Christmas break hopeful it would cause the eleven year old to break out of her comfort zone. It was that lucky event that lead to her meeting Charity Burbage, a muggleborn who assisted in breaking through the exterior that Emmeline held, foraging a friendship that would last them for the rest of their lives. After Hogwarts there was speculation that with a memory like hers and the family background she possessed that she'd follow the family mantle and join the Auror career. The pressure was heavy so instead of a direct answer she took the summer after to travel. The States, Egypt, The Maldives and Spain where ever she could go she did, spending however long she wished in each of the places. Every life has what could be called a defining moment and Emmeline's came in the form of Romania. It was recommended that she stop in the Dragon Sanctuary there and the moment her eyes fell upon the majestic creatures her heart skipped a beat. She'd read about them in her studies, even wrote an essay or two but nothing could have prepared her for the connection that she felt. Returning home she announced that she was going to become a Dragonologist, a waste of potential the eyes of her father but that was irrelevant given that she knew this was what she was meant to be doing. It was the joy that it brought their daughter that elected for them to give her the money that was needed and from there Vance Dragon Sanctuary was born. Her ability to train the creatures was a marvel, thus leading to many approaching her with hopes of acquiring a dragon from her. but Emmeline didn't trust easily and for that reason alone she hand picked who would match best with the dragon's she raised. While her friend group never expanding much in Hogwarts it would be later after graduation that she would find herself opening to more people. The Order being the first group of people that she considered herself blessed to know, for the first time in her life she succeeded at forging friendships outside of the one she shared with Charity. She excelled in the structure that the Order gave her and proved to her parents even more with the missions that she took that she should have joined the Auror career. It would be a constant tale of how she never lived up to her potential until the faithful night where everything changed as just a few short months ago on a mission off the record for the Order the Vance Aurors' walked into a trap set by Death Eaters. The two fought till their last breath but were taken down in the end, the odds not in their favor as it was rumored they were outnumbered heavily. The loss took a toll on Emmeline, devoting herself more to the dragons at her sanctuary, preparing them to be used in battle to add to the advantage that the Order needed, that is if she can convince the others around her that it can be done.

CHARITY BURBAGE -- Her best friend and the woman that she considers a sister. There is little that Emmeline wouldn't do for Charity, wanting nothing but her happiness.

DIRK CRESSWELL & AMELIA BONES –- Dirk and Amelia had a way of coming into her life so sneakily that she didn't even realize it. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without the two, loving them each fiercely, it's a rarity to see one without the other two.

ALASTOR MOODY -- If she could just convince him that she was capable of using the Dragon's in battle Emmeline truly believes it would be easy to convince the others. He's her biggest critic and the one who doubts her the most, she hopes to change that.

Emmeline Vance is an TAKEN character with a FC of Chloe Bennet.

#marauders rp #marauders roleplay #hp rp #harry potter rp #hp rpg #emmeline vance #chloe bennet #taken #takenf #o #order #emmelinevancebio

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spiritusvitaerp · 4 years

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“Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone”

NAME: Dirk Cresswell AGE: 17 HOUSE: Hufflepuff

BIOGRAPHY

dirks life did not begin in a safe and nurturing environment, he was born to people who did not have the resources or capacity to parent but unfortunately took time to realize that. he was four when he was put into foster care and nine when he committed his first crime. it was easy to fall in with the wrong crowd but one officer took the time to talk to him while he waited for his foster dad to pick him up. the interest this man showed in dirk helped the boy understand he was still cared for and necessary and a year later he was fostered by this officer and his young wife. but life had strange plans for him and the officer was taken from him, his wife too heartbroken to continue caring for dirk, he went back into the system.

the experience had both broken and hardened him but his heart was strong and brave, and he wanted to mirror himself after the kindness and courage shown to him however short lived it was. despite being bounced around many homes he retained his good nature and calm sensibility, his circumstances couldn’t define him. but when dirk received his letter he was terrified, how would he attend with no money, without telling all his clearly muggle foster parents about the wizarding world? the school took care of him, and he gratefully promised to do well in return. hogwarts also helped get dirk placed in a home for boys run by a squib and her husband and family, people who would understand and protect him.

so many people in his life have given him so much, his only goal is to be a good person and do good things, to feel he is living up to the charity and kindness shown to him. dirk is not the best student, but he tries so hard to do well enough. he may not be an academic but he tries to help others as much as he can, even if it means sort of embracing his possible seer abilities. when the war was becoming larger and louder he was certainly afraid, most of the people he knew and loved were muggles and he felt rather helpless. with the news he wonders how true it might be and how safe they all really are. his plans to become a healer have not changed, and more than ever this year he wants to be there for everyone, unable to believe this is the end of the war while desperately hoping it is true.

AESTHETIC

lost boy, aliens are real, lack of material possessions, as bright as the color yellow, the necessity of downtime, comfort with quiet, street smarts, the art of the hustle, seeing is believing, a kind heart, morning dew, the crunch of autumn leaves, warm blankets straight from the dryer, superhero band-aids, falling asleep in the sun

TRAITS

+ helpful + cooperative

- mistrustful - docile

CONNECTIONS

1. amelia bones dirk believes he and amelia want the same things, but their approach is entirely different. she has a fire that can only be stoked and he admires that, but can’t match it. his laidback nature really prevents him from displaying that level of passion, he isn’t a loud or aggressive person and while he does what he can to help her when she begins new campaigns or protests he often feels he is falling short of her expectations.

2. amos diggory it’s easy to identify with amos, who while he wants to help seems to struggle with how. dirk tries to encourage amos and support his endeavors but there is an acceptance of laziness in the other boy that dirk does not possess. it is certainly a good example of the privilege many others experience that dirk has not. he isn’t the type to be offended but he does notice the differences between himself and others and he, for the most part, knows why.

3. regulus black dirk never thought he’d be friends with someone like regulus black, someone from such a privileged background and a pureblood to boot. the blacks have a reputation but dirk has realized it is little more than speculation or expectation and it has allowed a good relationship to form between him and regulus. as dirk is not great with a few of his classes he spends plenty of time being tutored by various people but regulus has quickly become the person he is most comfortable with.

this character is OPEN for applications and their board can be found HERE.

#harry potter rp #Marauders RP #marauders era rp #marauders au rp #hp rp #openml #openhuff

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real-business · 4 years

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UK job openings in decline following coronavirus spread

Employment opportunities have been steadily falling since coronavirus took hold in the UK. Job postings on Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites, reveals the biggest decline was at the end of March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak began in the UK. Job openings posted before the 23rd March (the official lock-down date for the UK) retracted 14% compared to the same time a week before and 19% compared to the month before that. Since the country has entered a lockdown period, there has been much speculation about future employment prospects for the nation's workforce. Already, thousands of workers have been either made redundant or have been furloughed as firms struggle to contain the economic fallout as a result of the virus. While a number of businesses have pressed pause on their hiring efforts, there are others that are ramping up their hiring drives, including supermarkets, for which job openings are up 25% month-on-month. This, of course, is a result of the massive upsurge in supermarket sales as consumers flock to bulk buy food products during the lockdown period.

Graphic source: Glassdoor Supermarket giants such as Morrisons and Tesco are just some of the brands expanding their recruitment drives. On the other hand, the worst-hit industries for job openings are businesses in the hospitality industry, including restaurants and bars which are down 40% month-on-month, as well as the travel & tourism industry, where businesses have experienced a 66% slide in job openings. "Companies are taking up government support in the form of furlough, which gives employees both job security and income during the developing global pandemic. For job seekers, or those out of work, however, the outlook is very different with the decline in the UK jobs market speeding up," comments Jo Cresswell, Career Trends Expert at Glassdoor "That said, companies are still hiring. Job seekers may need to be adaptable during the current climate, perhaps considering roles or industries that are outside of their niche in order to find opportunities to progress their career," she adds. Read the full article

#COVID-19 #Hospitality #Supermarkets #UKjobsmarket

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mbtizone · 7 years

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Arthur Weasley (Harry Potter): INTP

Dominant Introverted Thinking [Ti]: Arthur wants to know how things work. He’s fascinated with muggle technology and seeks to understand it. He has a curious mind and likes to ask muggles and those familiar with the muggle world questions about various non-magical items. He wants to know what the function of a rubber duck is. He needs to know how airplanes fly. Arthur enjoys tinkering with things and likes using magic to invent and create. When he finds out that his sons took the car he enchanted out to retrieve Harry all the way from Surrey, his first response was to ask them how the trip went. Arthur is a logical man and doesn’t get caught up in the facts of a situation. Yes, Harry’s wand had had been the one to summon the Dark Mark. And yeah, Winky was found unconscious beside it. The evidence would appear to suggest that Winky was the culprit. But it doesn’t make sense to Arthur, and he believes there’s more to the story. Nobody wants Harry to know about Sirius Black, but Arthur tells him anyway because he thinks that Harry needs to know the truth in order to stay out of trouble, and, even though everyone else has discouraged him, he decides to tell Harry anyway.

Auxiliary Extroverted Intuition [Ne]: New situations excite Arthur. He works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department at the Ministry of Magic because of his fascination with muggles. He sees potential in ordinary items and creatively changes them to his liking. Arthur is full of ideas and enjoys speculating about possibilities. Arthur has good instincts and often comes up with theories about things. He believes that Percy is being promoted for the Ministry to have a spy in the Weasley family. Arthur is the one to suggest that he and Harry leave early for their meeting because he suspected that Fudge may try to change the time in an attempt to make Harry look bad. Arthur is a bit eccentric, which sometimes puts him at odds with his more traditional, grounded wife.

Tertiary Introverted Sensing [Si]: Because he is quite happy with the work that he does, Percy accuses Arthur of lacking ambition. Arthur is perfectly happy where he is and doesn’t want to seek a higher position at the Ministry. When Arthur is eventually promoted, he continues to miss his former job. Arthur is a deeply devoted father and husband. He wants to get the details about things – such as all of the gadgets and gizmos that pique his interest. Arthur is described as reliable and trustworthy. He is hardworking and loyal, particularly to his family, Dumbledore, and the Order of the Phoenix.

Inferior Extroverted Feeling [Fe]: When Molly is displeased with Arthur’s reaction to finding out that the kids had taken the flying car, he quickly catches himself and scolds them in order to make her happy. Arthur is extremely good-natured and laid-back about everything. He cares very deeply for other people and stands up to who he thinks is Albert Runcorn after Runcorn exposed muggle-born Dirk Cresswell for forging wizarding heritage. He’s a champion for muggle-borns and makes his position clear to the Ministry. Arthur helped to write the Muggle Protection Act in order to keep those without magic safe from nefarious wizards. Arthur doesn’t care about what a person’s blood status is. All that matters to him is how they treat other people. He has a warm, congenial disposition and seems to get along with most people, frequently engaging others in pleasant conversation.

Enneagram: 9w1 5w6 2w1 So/Sx

Quotes:

Arthur: They run off eckeltricity, do they? Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs. And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I’m mad, but there you are.

Arthur: [after being informed that his sons took the flying car to Surrey] Did you really? Did it go alright? I — I mean … that — that was very wrong, boys, very wrong indeed…

Arthur: Harry said good-bye to you. Didn’t you hear him? Harry: It doesn’t matter. Honestly, I don’t care. Arthur: You aren’t going to see your nephew till next summer. Surely you’re going to say good-bye? Vernon: Good-bye, then.

Arthur: Now, Harry you must know all about Muggles, tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?

Arthur: Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.

Lucius:: Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they’re paying you overtime. Though judging by the state of this, I’d say not. What’s the use in being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don’t even pay you well for it? Arthur: We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy.

Arthur: …makes no sense not to tell him. Harry’s got a right to know. I’ve tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He’s thirteen years old and – Molly: Arthur, the truth would terrify him! Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven’s sake, he’s happy not knowing! Arthur: I don’t want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard! You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves – they’ve ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn’t do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn’t picked him up, I’m prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him. Molly: But he’s not dead, so what’s the point -” Arthur: Molly, they say Sirius Black’s mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban. It’s been three weeks, and no one’s seen hide nor hair of him, and I don’t care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we’re no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands.

Arthur: Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks killing Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he’s had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that…

Arthur: Harry, there are some within the Ministry who would strongly discourage me from divulging what I’m about to reveal to you, but I think that you need to know the facts. You are in danger. Grave danger. Harry: Has this anything to do with Sirius Black? Arthur: What do you know about Sirius Black, Harry? Harry: Only that he’s escaped from Azkaban. Arthur: Do you know why? Thirteen years ago, when you stopped… Harry: – Voldemort… Arthur: – don’t say his name. Harry: Sorry. Arthur: When you stopped You-Know-Who, Black lost everything. But to this day, he still remains a faithful servant. And his mind you are the only thing that stands in the way of You-Know-Who returning to power. And that is why he has escaped from Azkaban. To find you… Harry: And kill me. Arthur: Harry, I want you to swear to me that whatever you might hear, you won’t go looking for Black. Harry: Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?

Arthur Weasley (Harry Potter): INTP was originally published on MBTI Zone

#Arthur Weasley #Harry Potter #So/Sx #Tritype 952 #INTP #9w1 #Type 9 #enneagram 9 #mbti #mbti types #mbti personality types #fictionalcharactermbti #fictionmbti #enneagram #enneatypes #enneagram type #book mbti #movie mbti

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andromedablackism-blog · 7 years

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losing touch ➤ sept. 1978

The ending of the ball had rippled through nearly all aspects of Andromeda’s life just as rapidly as Dirk Cresswell’s life had been snuffed just beneath their noses. Though the war had long ago begun to taint nearly everything Andromeda saw and heard at St. Mungo’s, it had grown even more prominent in the following week - Healers speculated in hushed tones where the Zabini girl could have gone, patients eyed her warily once catching a glimpse of the surname on her nametag, and the air itself seemed to be thick with a dreadful, tense sort of apprehension that Andromeda could very well be imagining. Regardless, she had grown to look forward to the respite that her flat provided after an exhausting day of work.

The routine of heading home after her shift was second nature by then, to the point where Andromeda was operating on auto-pilot as she gathered her things, changed out of her robes, said goodbye to the greeting witch at the front desk, and spoke aloud the address of her flat only to be she was enveloped with a ‘whoosh’ by one of many fireplaces off of the lobby designated for Floo. Appearing in the fireplace of her living room, she’d gone as far as to dust off the remaining ash from her front and set her bag down before she became very aware that she wasn’t alone.

Instinctually, Andromeda’s hand jumped to the wand in her pocket before her eyes settled on her sister’s silhouette on her couch. She let out a huff, her hand dropping down to her side. “Bella. Must you give me a heart attack every time you invite yourself over to my flat?” she asked dryly. It had been quite some time since Bellatrix had paid her a visit; it was rare for Andy to spend time in the second Lestrange mansion Bella called home currently simply due to her own childish distaste of the residence, and consequently, the most time they spent together lately was at her mother’s dinner table when she insisted upon rounding up each of the sisters together for a meal.

#bellatrix: 01 #c: bellatrix #starter #lets get this fuckin show on the road

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topworldhistory · 4 years

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The Civil War hero left the White House under a cloud, but he also had substantial achievements—like passing the 15th Amendment.

For decades after his death in 1885, Ulysses S. Grant suffered a reputation as one of the nation’s worst presidents, consistently ranking in the bottom 10 in polls of historians. But in more recent years, historians have taken another look at the Civil War hero. Popular biographies, such as Ronald C. White’s American Ulysses (2016) and Ron Chernow’s Grant (2017), have made compelling cases that Grant's presidency merits reexamination, and that his contributions while in office were more substantial than he's been given credit for in previous decades. At a time when the nation was still recovering from the trauma of civil war, he worked to knit together the frayed Union, lift up formerly enslaved people and advocate a humane, if not enlightened, policy regarding Native Americans.

No one might be more surprised by this reputational revival than Grant himself. His autobiography, published in two volumes in 1885, covers some 1,200 pages, beginning with a discussion of his ancestors and ending with his Civil War years. His presidency is hardly mentioned.

Grant’s farewell message to Congress in 1876 shows he sensed that history might judge him harshly. “Mistakes have been made, as all can see and I admit,” he wrote. “But I leave comparisons to history, claiming only that I have acted in every instance from a conscientious desire to do what was right, constitutional, within the law, and for the very best interests of the whole people. Failures have been errors of judgment, not of intent.”

Two years later, the New York Sun put it another way, calling Grant “the most corrupt President who ever sat in the chair of Washington.”

So how good (or bad) president was he? Here is some of the historical evidence.

READ MORE: 10 Things You May Not Know About Ulysses S. Grant

A swirl of scandals

There’s no denying that Grant left office under a very large cloud. From beginning to end, his Administration produced a swirl of scandals. While none rose to the notoriety of a Watergate or Teapot Dome, their sheer numbers must have been dizzying to Americans at the time.

Grant dressed as a trapeze performer holds up corrupt members of his administration in this 1880 political cartoon.

Grant’s attorney general, secretary of war, secretary of the navy and secretary of the interior were all accused of taking bribes. His private secretary was implicated in a conspiracy to cheat the government out of tax revenue from the production of whiskey. The robber barons Jim Fisk and Jay Gould tricked Grant into aiding their scheme to manipulate the gold market, leading to a national financial panic known as Black Friday. Grant’s own brother Orvil, one of many relatives he put on the government payroll, was exposed in a kickback scheme that made the military overpay for provisions.

And that’s just a sampling.

READ MORE: The Whiskey Ring and America's First Special Prosecutor

A victim of his time?

Grant’s defenders, then and now, noted that he hadn’t personally benefitted from any of these crimes and maintained that he was an honest man surrounded by scoundrels—a line of argument that would be revived on behalf of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal a century later.

The ex-general had taken office with little political experience, Hamlin Garland noted in an 1898 biography, and found himself “pitted against the keen, shrewd, practiced manipulators of public affairs.”

“It was a time of speculation, of cupidity, and of corruption,” Garland added. “The war being over, the people had turned their attention to making money, and the corruption that was in private life had...rotted official life. The administration shared the characteristics of the times.”

Chernow, writing from a 21st-century perspective, makes much the same case, also pointing out that Grant “never stopped prosecutions of guilty parties and was often insistent about having them prosecuted.”

Still, Grant might bear some responsibility for the people he chose and the haphazard way he went about it. “He wrongly assumed that the skills that had made him successful in one sphere of life would translate intact into another,” Chernow acknowledges. “He entered into no consultative process, engaged in no methodical vetting of people and sent up no trial balloons to test candidates.”

Grant’s reputation as president would pay the price for many years to come.

WATCH: Grant's Troubled Presidency

Overshadowed achievements

With his election in 1868, Grant inherited from President Andrew Johnson a nation in turmoil. Johnson, who had been impeached by Congress but avoided conviction by a single vote, impeded the Reconstruction of the defeated South and fought attempts to extend the full rights of citizenship to formerly enslaved African Americans. As the first president after the Civil War, writes Elizabeth R. Varon, professor of American history at the University of Virginia, “Johnson did more to extend the period of national strife than he did to heal the wounds of war.”

That job would fall to U.S. Grant. His record would be far from perfect but, according to recent biographers, he deserves credit for several major achievements:

Grant held the Union together.

Cabinet of President Ulysses S. Grant in session. Depicted (L-R) are: Jacob D. Cox; Hamilton Fish; John A. Rawlins; John A.J. Cresswell; President Grant; George S. Boutwell; Adolph E. Borle.

Preserving the Union and preventing a second Civil War were high on Grant’s agenda, and that outcome was by no means assured when he took office. While not as accommodating to Southern interests as Andrew Johnson, Grant oversaw the readmission of the Confederate states into the Union and took a far less punitive approach to the defeated Confederacy than other presidents might have.

In 1869, just months into his presidency, Grant invited his Confederate counterpart, Robert E. Lee, to meet in the White House. By the middle of 1870, all of the former Confederate states had made the required concessions and been readmitted to the Union. In 1872, Grant signed the Amnesty Act, which restored the voting rights and right to hold office of all but a few hundred former Confederates.

Did you know? In March 1872, Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, making Yellowstone the nation’s—and reputedly the world’s—first national park.

Grant fought to protect freed slaves.

While the 13th amendment to the Constitution had granted freedom to the former slaves, and the 14th amendment had recognized them as citizens, roughly 4 million African Americans throughout the South still had little political power or representation when Grant took office. In his inaugural address and from that day forward, Grant pushed for a 15th amendment, which would guarantee federal and state voting rights to all male citizens regardless of “race, color or previous condition of servitude.”

Most dramatically, Grant used both federal troops and the newly established Justice Department to fight terrorism against Southern blacks, particularly by the Ku Klux Klan, which had grown into a large and formidable force in the years after the Civil War. “By 1872, under Grant’s leadership,” Chernow writes, “the Ku Klux Klan had been smashed in the South,” although another group of the same name would emerge in 1915.

“To him, more than to any other man, the Negro owes his enfranchisement,” Frederick Douglass remarked after Grant’s death. “When red-handed violence ran rampant through the South, and freedmen were being hunted down like wild beasts in the night, the moral courage and fidelity of Gen. Grant transcended that of his party.” Chernow concludes that, “Grant deserves an honored place in American history, second only to Lincoln, for what he did for the freed slaves.”

READ MORE: When Did African Americans Get the Right to Vote?

Grant advocated for humane treatment for Native Americans.

Red Cloud, chief of the Oglala Sioux, pays a peace visit to President Grant to accept the capitulation of the US authorities to his demands and to recommend peace between the Sioux and the settlers.

When Frederick Douglass praised Grant’s efforts on behalf of African Americans, he added that “the Indian is indebted [to Grant] for the humane policy adopted toward him.” By the time of Grant’s inauguration, wars between Native Americans, white settlers and the U.S. Army had been going on for decades, particularly in the expanding western U.S. Some prominent politicians and military leaders made no secret of their desire to rid the country of certain tribes by any means necessary. General William Tecumseh Sherman spoke favorably of exterminating the “men, women, children” of the Sioux, and Nevada Congressman Thomas Fitch, in a House floor debate, called for the “extinction” of Apaches.

In an address to Congress in 1869, Grant argued that “a system which looks to the extinction of a race is too horrible for a nation to adopt without entailing upon itself the wrath of all Christendom.” While his proposed solution—“placing all the Indians on large reservations, as rapidly as it can be done”—hardly seems enlightened today, he also insisted on “giving them absolute protection there.”

Grant appointed a Native American, General Ely S. Parker, as his commissioner of Indian Affairs. He also set about to reform the notoriously corrupt system that licensed traders to do business with—and often cheat—the tribes, asking respected religious groups, starting with the Quakers, to nominate worthy candidates for those positions.

As a long-term goal, Grant favored extending full citizenship to Native Americans, an injustice that wouldn’t be addressed until 1924. “Grant saw absorption and assimilation as a benign, peaceful process, not one robbing Indians of their rightful culture,” Chernow writes. “Whatever its shortcomings, Grant’s approach seemed to signal a remarkable advance over the ruthless methods adopted by some earlier administrations.”

Grant helped professionalize government.

Ironically, for a man whose administration was marked by nepotism, cronyism and graft, Grant became a leading voice for reforming the political patronage system. At the time, elected officials could dole out government jobs, regardless of the person’s qualifications, to reward supporters or in return for kickbacks. In 1871, Grant pushed for civil service legislation, and the following year appointed the first Civil Service Commission. Its aim was to replace patronage with competitive exams and other initiatives to ensure that the people who won federal jobs were actually qualified to do them.

Unfortunately, the experiment in good government would last only two years. Many legislators resented having to give up one of their most lucrative perks, so in 1874 Congress failed to fund the commission, ending its work. Some historians now question whether Grant gave up the fight too easily, but George William Curtis, a respected reformer who had chaired the commission, argued that Grant’s capitulation was “the surrender of a champion who had honestly mistaken both the nature and the strength of the adversary and his own power of endurance.”

Grant’s presidential legacy

Grant left the presidency in March 1877. Urged on by his wife, among others, he considered a third term, which would have been unprecedented—but still legal. “Painfully aware of his mistakes as president,” Chernow writes, “Grant fantasized about reentering the White House to correct those errors and redeem his reputation.” However, that was not to be. At the Republican nominating convention in June 1880, Grant narrowly lost to James A. Garfield, who went on to win the presidency.

from Stories - HISTORY https://ift.tt/2ztPDQw April 25, 2020 at 04:35AM

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