Full Name: Bertrand Scrivener
Age: 50
Birthdate: December 29, 1954
Position/Class Taught: Ancient Runes, NEWT level & Department Head
Start of Employment: 2000
History:
Ever since he learned that some applications of magic were taboo or even forbidden, he’s been obsessed with learning as much about them as he can. As a student with limited resources, the difficulty of finding relevant materials posed a challenging puzzle, and there’s few things he enjoys more than a good puzzle. In his youth, he managed to befriend some Slytherins and persuade them to loan or sell him some of their families’ darker books, or at least transcribe the more interesting portions thereof.
One of his favorite pastimes as a student became cataloging and interviewing the castle’s complement of ghosts and its extensive portrait collection, both valuable resources that he felt most students overlooked. This process became significantly more productive once he discovered specialized charms that could compel portraits and ghosts to reveal more than they would otherwise. He took extensive notes from these interviews, occasionally gleaning valuable morsels of knowledge (most of them light or neutral, others not so much). Unfortunately for him, seven years wasn’t enough time to conduct all the interviews he wanted.
He was always reclusive (mostly because of the self-imposed demands on his time from interviewing), but he managed to keep on top of his classes (with the notable exception of divination, which he refused to withdraw from even after it became apparent that he couldn’t master the art, because some of the material was still fascinating and potentially useful).
In his fifth year, he was offered a prefect position, which he accepted solely because it would increase his access to the library’s restricted section.
In his seventh year, he became attracted to a particularly bright Slytherin girl two years his junior, but unfortunately for him, she had already been betrothed. He feels that he missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he regrets having been so reclusive during his youth.
Soon after leaving Hogwarts, he began publishing a book series of heavily-redacted interview transcripts from his notes, and this generated a small revenue stream for him.
He also compiled a treatise on runic alphabets that became the standard introduction for Hogwarts students, and the royalties from this book remains one of his largest sources of income.
Now with passive income, he was able to invest more into his book collection efforts, which have since become somewhat legendary, at least among dealers. He made a habit of patronizing estate auctions and rare book dealers in order to collect grimoires, rare books, scrolls, and palimpsests containing the forbidden knowledge he so desperately sought after. Often, his trained eye would find something seemingly innocuous that others would overlook, and he could then acquire it for a bargain price.
Soon, he expanded his collection efforts to include portraits of knowledgeable and innovative witches and wizards (also mostly from estate auctions). Most of these, he has since sold or donated to Hogwarts, but some he has kept for himself; stored in a private room, he thinks of them as his quorum of advisors, and they offer insight when he needs another perspective on some problem.
Over the following decades, he made a name for himself as one of the preeminent experts in runology. He participated in archaeological efforts involving ancient wizarding settlements (most notably in eastern Europe), and while in those foreign countries, he expanded his collection efforts.
A couple years after the Battle of Hogwarts, he decided to offer his services to the school as a professor. Being a professor gives him an opportunity to complete his interview project (he can also access the portraits in the common rooms of other houses now, at least during the summers), but there are just so many portraits to go through, that it seems a pipe dream to ever actually finish. He can also now borrow rare materials from his colleagues’ personal collections, and visit the restricted section at his complete leisure. He can also recruit young talent to assist him in various efforts.
Through his lifetime of collecting, he’s amassed a considerable list of contacts, and if he doesn’t know where to find a particular book, it’s almost certain that he knows someone else who does. If he knows about an auction taking place on a school day, he’ll either cancel classes or arrange for someone he trusts to bid on his behalf. He’s also known for donating books to the school library, or to his colleagues, or even to his favorite students once he’s fully dissected and analyzed them, provided that they’re not currently banned by the Ministry.
Personality:
He is a well-published scholar with a reputation for being precise, accurate, and insightful in the contexts of ancient writings and ancient rituals.
In his interactions with others, he maintains a calm and contemplative demeanor, always ready to engage anyone in polite conversation. He enjoys making subtle comments to test people’s knowledge without them realizing it.
He appreciates a good game of chess, and will play against anyone he deems interesting or a worthy opponent.
As a professor, he has a certain aloofness as he rarely talks about himself, but he genuinely enjoys teaching curious students, not so much the rest. During each class, he makes it a point to make at least one seemingly-innocuous statement that the right students will latch onto and ask him to elaborate upon, whether in-class or afterward. He’s generally well-liked by his serious students. Any who approach him with interesting questions immediately earn his attention. He’s also more than happy to accommodate anyone who needs extra credit; he’ll give them a suitable assignment that will end up saving himself some work.
Secretly, he’s a dark-leaning wizard who’s exploiting his position at Hogwarts for personal gain. He’s a proficient occlumens, and he knows enough memory charms to deter suspicious people. Occasionally, he recruits talent from his best students to assist him in some way. He rewards them by conducting rituals that will benefit them in some way that can go unnoticed. For example, it’s not uncommon for him to reward his assistants with augmented perception, cognition, strength, or agility, or to alter their appearance in some way.
Unlike Voldemort, who sought control over the population, Scrivener’s goals are much more modest:
1) collect and document rare and obscure knowledge before it’s lost (publish that which can be published)
2) apply that knowledge to become more powerful for the sake of becoming more powerful, not for subjugation
3) recruit young individuals who can assist in #1 and #2
Face Claim: Donald Sutherland
Optional fields that you may find helpful in mapping out your character include:
Basics:
Birthdate: December 29, 1954
Residence: aside from Hogwarts, he has a modest flat near Diagon Alley
Relationship status: single
Blood status: half-blood
Pet: an owl named Archimedes
Wand: yew & hippogriff feather
Patronus: raven
Mirror of Erised Reflection: the 5th-year Slytherin witch he became enamored with when he was a 7th-year
Boggart: TBD (I suppose it would be too cliche for it to be a burning library...)
Certifications/skills: proficient occlumens, accomplished academic writer
Hogwarts
House: Ravenclaw
Years/dates attended: 1966-1973
Quidditch team position: n/a, he has no appreciation for Quidditch
Best and Favorite classes: Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms
Worst and Least-Favorite classes: Divination
Distinctions: Prefect, 1970-72; Head Boy, 1972-73
Appearance
Height/build: 6’4” (based on actor’s reported height on IMDB)
Hair/eye colour: white hair, blue eyes
Trivia
His patronus, a raven, was selected because this particular bird is associated with intelligence.
Bertrand means bright raven
Scivener means scribe or professional writer (I was going for an aptronym like many of Rowlings' canon professors)
(tangential) There is a common misconception that the Ravenclaw mascot should be a raven instead of an eagle. The raven in Ravenclaw refers to the color black, as eagles have black talons.
OOC information:
OOC username: fox
Preferred means of contact: Discord