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January 12th, 2008
| 09:39 pm - character information
BASICS
Name: Alecto Carrow
Date of birth: November 13, 1959
Played-by: Thora Birch
MINUTIAE
Personality:
All it takes is simply one look at Alecto to realise why the girl is often overlooked, passed off as merely a part of the scenery, or simply unnoticed altogether. Outwardly, the girl is nothing extraordinary or spectacular. Her face is colourless, her wardrobe plain, and rare is the occasion when she would actually speak her mind. When she does choose to offer her input, however, one would come to discover the shrewd, introspective individual she truly is, and only the foolish would continue to underestimate her abilities. Alecto is, by far, the gentler of the Carrow siblings, and has always been the quiet voice of reason for her older brother, offering him advice and support as she continually stands in his shadow.
From the very beginning, the girl has been drawn to the mysterious, the macabre, and the forbidden aspects of the Wizarding world, determined to learn all she can about the dark arts, and it has always been in her hands whether or not she uses her knowledge in the arcane for good or for evil. She has the capacity to be both the hero or the villian, and can embrace all that is good and kind in the world, or the very worst. Because Alecto spends so much of her time observing others rather than interacting with them, the girl is not only uncannily wise, but she also has a good understanding of the human psyche, and will use it to her advantage.
Because nothing ever came easily for her, Alecto is naturally resourceful and relies on her wit and intellect to get by in life. Ambitious and tenacious (sometimes to a fault), she will often known exactly what others would like to hear when holding conversation, and will use this ability to her advantage. All the same, she does secretly yearn for the lives of her wealthier counterparts, the power and status that they hold in society, and would even toy with the romantic notion that some young, rich wizard would come along and whisk her away from the insane chaos that is her life. While she is willing to swallow her pride and following said peers around in an attempt to obtain these well-kept desires, Alecto will not allow herself to become a doormat for others.
On the contrary, while the quiet girl may appear to take in most things with grace and dignity, let it be known that whether it may be a kind act or a cutting remark, the girl never forgets; if she was ever misused or hurt, she is capable of holding a grudge for years. Unlike most people, Alecto has come to know and embraced the darker aspects of her personality, and therefore will not shun others who are of a similar disposition. Because of which, even though Alecto is highly capable of the most terrible things out of intellectual curiosity or for the sake of obtaining power, the girl is still able to bestow the most unexpected kindnesses and forgiveness (in her backhanded way, of course) to those who are most deserving of it.
Magical strengths/weaknesses/peculiarities:
Alecto's strengths rest in her adeptness at transfiguring objects, living or non-living, from one thing to another. Since her days as a student at Hogwarts, the girl is also very skilled when it comes to shield spells and other protective wards; her brother, after all, could not always be there to protect her. However, while she is an asset on the defense, Alecto is not as useful when it comes to attacking spells; the girl would probably be unable to conjure up a reasonably effective torturing curse for the life of her. In order to compensate for this short-coming, she uses the less conventional approach in combat, and will put her knowledge in defense, charms, and transfiguration to good use.
Wand: yew, 11 inches, dragon heartstring, pliable
Wood: yew
The Yew represents direct contact with our past, and the old wisdom which we find deep within ourselves. It also speaks to us of fresh growth arising out of death, perhaps of our old selves, or old ways of thinking. It is a wonderful wood and can be used for contact with ancestors. source
Length: 11 inches
Core: dragon heartstring
Unlike the harvesting of feathers or hair, to collect a dragon heartstring requires the death of the dragon. The number of wands which can be cored with a single heartstring probably varies with the breed of dragon and its age or size. And, coming from an internal organ, some form of preservation is probably required before it can be effectively used.
Because this core type requires a death before it can be harvested, many fanon writers seem to believe that dragon heartstring is the core of choice for Dark wizards. This is unlikely to be the case, although quite a few Dark wizards probably do use wands cored by it. But just as many probably use wands cored by unicorn hair. source
Nature: pliable
The definition of the word 'pliable' can be either 1. supple enough to bend freely or repeatedly without breaking, 2. yielding readily to others, or 3. to be adjustable to varying conditions. Therefore, to be pliable is to have the ability to conform to changes whenever necessary. The nature of the pliable wand thusly complements not only Alecto's skills at transfiguration, but also her ability to adapt and adjust to various situations with her resourceful nature.
Appearance:
Alecto is average in most everything relating to her appearance. She is average in stature, standing at only 5' 6", average in weight, and average in her facial features. The girl is most happiest when she is in the background, and her choice in clothing reflects that trait, for she would often wear the duller colours of the colour spectrum, preferably shades of grey, black, white or earth tones. Her long hair is black and straight, which she wears loose or pulled back in a braid. Her face is quite round, save for her pointed, stubborn chin. Her complexion is very pale, and her large, doeful eyes are grey. Her aristocratic lips are often drawn together in a determined line, often giving her a serious, solemn expression, although the girl can be rather fair and pleasant if she chose to smile more often.
BACKGROUND:
Life in the Carrows household was trying, for the family was neither terribly rich or socially popular - and Mr. Carrows' tendency to bet on the flying ponies did not help improve anything either. With stress overwhelming her, Mrs. Carrows' mood was hardly ever in good spirits, which often led to her assailing Alecto with harsh words whenever the urge struck her. That is not to say that the parents did not care for their children in some way. The Carrows had seen how well-off these other families such as the Blacks and Malfoys were, and being as sharp as tacks, they eventually discovered the link that was shared in common with these families: their ideals. Therefore, in hopes for a better future for their children and themselves, they chose to try and mingle with the higher-up families like the Blacks and Malfoys...with varied success, of course.
While she did not know about Amycus' stance about this, little Alecto did not readily accept the new ideals her parents had adopted. In her mind, the things she overheard her parents talking about were far too radical, and being one who was accustomed to doing most things in moderation, she considered anything that went into the extremes to be rarely ever good. That resulted in one strike against Alecto, and it was not long before she became the black sheep of the family. The girl was not too affected, however, and in her own rebellious, sadistic tendencies, would often engage herself in behaviours or opinions that went against those of her parents', if only to see how far she is able to try their patience.
Significant dates:
November 13, 1959 - Alecto (and Amycus?) is born
September 9, 1970 - Alecto (and Amycus?) starts at Hogwarts; while the Hat toyed with the idea of putting Alecto into Ravenclaw (which could've drastically changed the future for the girl, by far) both siblings were ultimately sorted into Slytherin
Between 1977 and 1997 - somehow avoided being thrown in Azkaban
June 1997 - invaded Hogwarts with the other Death Eaters
1997-1998 - became Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts; la-di-da...power at last
1998 - after the Second Battle of Hogwarts, it is presumed Alecto and her brother are thrown into Azkaban
Alliance and views on purism:
While Alecto might be more observant and cautious when it comes to her allegiences, it is not always easy to be reasonable all the time, especially when the parties involved are family members. She had spent much of her life trying to see the different side of things, refusing to give in to the bigoted remarks she would hear at times from both her father and brother. She had wanted to give everyone a sporting chance, if only to just be rebellious to her family's beliefs. All of that came to an end when on one fateful day, Aurors came and took her father away. Within an instant, he was gone. In actuality, her father was to be brought in by Aurors for questioning, thanks to leads that pinpointed him as a supporter of Voldemort. However, because he resisted and attacked in retaliation, the Aurors arrested him and took him away.
Alecto knew nothing of this, nor would she have wanted to if she had the choice. In her eyes, her father had fought heroically to protect them all. In her eyes, the Aurors came and took her father for no reason, because they can. She had seen this all before, although she had so foolishly refused to accept it. She had seen how the Marauders tormented Severus Snape, and everyone was fine with it. She had seen the privileges some of her peers seemed to have, the ones who seemed to believe that they ruled the school. It was all making sense now. The true injustice was clear. Thus was born her immediate hatred for Aurors, which soon spread to include supporters of Dumbledore, and ultimately played a major role in her decision to join the ranks of the Death Eaters.
Potential relationships:
Amycus Carrow - brother
Character concept:
Resourceful, cunning, and thoughtful, this younger half of the Carrow siblings is not your typical blood purist, for she keeps her opinions and views on the topic well-kept and hidden beneath a stoic and sometimes even relatively pleasant exterior. Overlooked and underestimated by her parents, Alecto was left to form her own thoughts and devices from childhood to adulthood, and as a result, one can say that she moves to a different beat altogether. |
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