Full Name: Elyria Siobhan SilverbergAge: 35
Position/class taught: Deputy Headteacher/Charms Professor
History:
Elyria grew up in the Irish city of Kilkenny's wizarding community. Largely surrounded by scholars, her exposure to magic on an academic level began when she was nine. Her mother, Maeve, was a Magical Theoretician, and started history lessons and identifying runes and symbols in this time. With her father, Alexander, being a Ministry employee, Elryia's studies were confined basic to theoretical concepts in preparation for her time at Hogwarts.
Her family was a dynasty of Ravenclaws, so it was no shock when the Sorting Hat shouted the house almost as soon as the hat landed on her head. However, Elyria and her brother, Noah, were total opposites; it was even more evident now the she was attending Hogwarts, too. Where he was the gritty, hands-on Quidditch player, Elyria excelled in casting spells and theory. The big caveat was Flying lessons in her first year. Aside from barely managing to get a broomstick to rise at her command, Elyria quickly discovered her fear of heights as the piece of wood shot through the skies. Her screams, according to witnesses, were so loud that many thought the broom was making them. She never flew on a broomstick again after her first year.
During her first year, she met Ethan Forrester, a fellow Ravenclaw, who became her academic rival and close friend. When she was a third year, her friends talked her into taking Care of Magical Creatures. Her nervousness around the creatures often led to incidents in which the creatures were frightened and acted out. Somehow, she survived the course and quickly dropped it the following year. In her fifth year, Elyria was appointed as a prefect for her house due to her Head of House's confidence in her academic successes. They'd had discussions over the past few years regarding her ambitions to become a professor after graduating form the school. Where she struggled greatly with Flying lessons and Care of Magical Creatures, Elyria displayed great guile in spellcasting in general, and she knew she wanted to teach one of the core classes where she could teach others. Charms, admittedly, was her most favorite of all.
With Elyria's fifth year set up to take a total of ten O.W.L. exams. She'd spent the past two months studying for them and practicing the spells in which those in higher years said were on them. The history of magic in the eighteenth century had been drilled into her mind so much that she could recite the text almost verbatim. Ethan and she spent a lot of time together in preparation, too. It all paid off when she received O's in all subjects, allowing her to pursue N.E.W.T.-level courses for her final two years. During her sixth year, Professor Flitwick gave Ethan and Elyria access to a private study where they spent much of their time practicing and quizzing each other on various subjects. Shortly before the winter ball that year, the two confessed their feelings for each other, but elected not to pursue them until after graduation. It was a decision Elyria had regretted, but didn't want to become a distraction to Ethan because she knew how important his success at Hogwarts was. The agreed to always be the other's date to social events at the school as a solid compromise.
Her seventh year as transformative. Since she started the year at the age of seventeen, she was finally able to enroll in the Apparition course. Also, Elyria was appointed as Head Girl her seventh year, an accomplishment she wore proudly and dutifully, especially, as predicted, Ethan was named Head Boy. In her final push for success and to demonstrate her abilities to be a professor, she managed to earn top marks in all ten N.E.W.T.s she took.
Alas, no position was available when she graduated.
Elyria spent the next three years working for the Ministry of Magic's Experimental Charms committee. Ethan went on to become an Auror. The lack of overlap in their work didn't afford much time for the two. She waited patiently for any position to open at the school. In 1994, she transferred to the Ministry's Department of Magical Education where she reviewed the curriculum set forth by Hogwarts. She was younger than most who did the same job, and it showed when she was a staunch supporter of letting Hogwarts handle what was taught rather than intervene. By 1998, when the Second Wizarding War was in full swing, she still worked for the Ministry and did her best to keep her head down when it was evident that the Dark Lord had his influence. As a pure-blood Elyria had very little to fear, unlike many of her colleagues. Her boyfriend at the time had to go underground, supposedly escaping to America for safety, where he ultimately decided to stay. Quietly, she kept tabs on the goings on and hoped that an end to the madness would come soon. And it did... at a cost.
When the school decided to close, to say her heart was shattered was a gross understatement. It felt as though her dreams of being a professor were over. When the school announced a search for staff in 1999, Elyria submitted her papers as fast she she could. With her experience in the Department of Magical Education, Elyria was appointed as the Charms professor and Deputy Headmistress. As the staff roster began to fill, Elyria quickly contacted Ethan to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Not only was he a great fit for the subject, she also worried about him and the dangers of hunting Dark Wizards. Having him at Hogwarts also allowed the two to spend more time together and fulfill the promise of being together after graduating... with some irony that they were still at Hogwarts albeit as professors now. While other vacancies were being filled, Elyria filled in where she was needed as long as it wasn't Flying Lessons or Care of Magical Creatures, of course. Perhaps her younger age would help revitalize the school and its appearance to the rest of the wizarding world. She had such a history with the school as a student and had the N.E.W.T.s to demonstrate her abilities as a witch. Hogwarts had to succeed by whatever means necessary, and Professor Silverberg was going to see that it did.
Personality:
As Professor Silverberg, Elyria is a firm, but fair professor. It's an expectation she had set for herself from the moment Hogwarts announced it was reopening. When it comes to classes, she strives to see every student succeed, even those who seemed to lack the natural talent for her subject. Her fervent adherence to the rules and her own classroom policies has students considering her strict and a little intimidating at times. Her disciplinary actions are always consistent with the students, from losing House Points over tardiness, or not accepting late work from students who had been in class and just didn't complete it on time. Her face lights up when practical lessons are held and the students get to cast the charms they've been learning. She gets a true joy out of seeing them succeed.
To other professors and adults, her kind demeanor still shows. Elyria is always eager to help those in need, especially when it comes to her colleagues. Over the years this has led to her overwhelming herself with work and teaching her how to say 'no' when necessary... but few have ever heard her refuse to help. When it comes to Hogwarts, there's no denying her loyalty to the institution and her desire to see it thrive, especially after the events that transpired in more recent history. She always strives to see the best in others, but remains guarded when she can't get a good read on a person. In her free time, Elyria still helps with the theoretical concepts of experimental charms, having scholarly discussions with her former colleagues via owl.
Face Claim: Natalie Portman
Basics:
Birthdate: July 7, 1970
Birthplace: Kilkenny, Ireland
Hometown: Kilkenny, Ireland
Residence: Hogwarts & Dublin
Relationship status: In a relationship with Ethan Forrester
Blood status: Pure-blood
Pet: A tuxedo cat named Eabha
Wand: Rowan, fourteen inches , Phoenix Feather, Slightly yielding flexibility
Patronus: Tree Swallow
Boggart: A bed of slithering snakes
Certifications/skills: Apparition, non-verbal and wandless magic
Family Members:
Parents:
- Alexander Silverberg, 65, Unspeakable (retired)
- Moira Silverberg (née O Cleirigh), 62, Magical Theoretician
- Noah Silverberg, 37, Quidditch Keeper
House: Ravenclaw
Years attended: 1981-1988
Best class: Charms and Transfigurations
Worst class: Flying and Care of Magical Creatures
Favourite class: Charms
Least favourite class: Flying
O.W.L. results:
- Transfiguration: O
- Charms: O
- Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
- Potions: O
- Herbology: O
- History of Magic: O
- Astronomy: O
- Arithmancy: O
- Ancient Runes: O
- Magical Studies: O
- Transfiguration: O
- Charms: O
- Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
- Potions: O
- Herbology: O
- History of Magic: O
- Ancient Studies: O
- Astronomy: O
- Arithmancy: O
- Ancient Runes: O
- Magical Studies: O
Height/build: 5'9"/Slender
Hair/eye colour: Brown/Brown
OOC information:
OOC username: Blue
Preferred means of contact: Discord (SopranoBlues#7777)