Catch The Snitch

Basic
Full Name: Kyle Everett Winters
Age: 16-17 (as of 2005)
Birthdate: 28th June 1988
Hometown: Bradford, England
Residence: Bradford, England
Blood: Muggle-born
Wand: Red oak with dragon heartstring core, 12½″, fairly bendy
Patronus: Wolf
Boggart: His deceased best friend being burnt alive
Certifications: Apparition
Skills: Duelling
Occupation: Student (1999–present)
Part-time restaurant staff (2003–present)

Appearance
Height/Build: 1.88m (6′ 2″) / Lean and athletic
Hair/Eye Colour: Dark Blond / Blue
Any unusual physical attributes: Right leg amputated below the knee

Family
Father: Stuart Winters, 46, packing line operator
Mother: Laura Winters (née Everett), 44, administration clerk

Hogwarts
House: Slytherin
Year: 7th (1999–2006)
Quidditch Position: Chaser (1999–present)
Best Class: Charms
Worst Class: History of Magic
Extracurriculars: Duelling Club, Flying

O.W.L.s
Astronomy – P
Care of Magical Creatures – A
Charms – O
Defence Against the Dark Arts – E
Divination – A
Herbology – E
History of Magic – D
Potions – E
Study of Ancient Runes – E
Transfiguration – E

N.EW.T.s
Charms – TBD
Defence Against the Dark Arts – TBD
Divination – TBD
Herbology – TBD
Potions – TBD
Study of Ancient Runes – TBD
Transfiguration – TBD


History

Family and Early Life
Kyle was born and raised in Bradford, a city plagued by economic woes and racial tensions. From a young age, he had been taught to hate and blame the Asians – a significant proportion of the city’s population – for any and all of their problems. Kyle believed everything he was told, of course, because that was what everybody around him was saying. It seemed to be true too, based on what he saw out there on the streets: Asians were regularly stopped and searched by the police, and he reasoned that they must have done something wrong. And just like that, gradually and unknowingly, Kyle learnt to discriminate against others because they were different from him.

On his eleventh birthday he found out that he, too, was different from everyone else around him. A dignified and kindly woman came to his home bearing a letter and a revelation that would change his life. Magic was real, she said, and Kyle would be starting his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in September that very year. The Winters were overjoyed by the news. To Kyle, the wizarding world sounded so new and cool and exciting, and he couldn’t wait to start a new chapter in his life and learn about the wonders of magic. His parents, on the other hand, were glad that their son would be able to grow up in a safer and better environment.

As Kyle’s parents were unfamiliar with the wizarding world, the kindly woman, who turned out to be one of the school’s professors, offered to bring Kyle to a place called Diagon Alley to pick up his school supplies. It was there that Kyle had his first taste of what it was like to be on the receiving end of discrimination. When the professor wasn’t looking, a boy of his age tripped him and sent him sprawling to the ground flat on his face. His assailant then contemptuously spat “mudblood” before striding away calmly to his parents. The bold and unprovoked attack caught him completely by surprise, and though he did not know what the word meant, the vitriol in the other boy’s voice was unmistakable. It reminded him of the way the police in Bradford treated the Asians: harshly, unfairly, and without a single shred of respect.

Much later, after they had gotten everything they needed, he asked the professor: “What’s a mudblood?”

A New Friend
There was no gentle way to explain a discriminatory slur, but it was something the professor had to do. During their short time together, she could tell that Kyle also had his own prejudices against others, and he was not too different from the pureblood scion at Diagon Alley. Both of them were unaware of the depth of their prejudice and the hurt they could cause to others. Right now, one of them was here with her, and she would do her best to guide him onto the right path.

Thus, she told Kyle what a “mudblood” was, and how it was not unlike the racial slurs his father used against the Asians. He flinched as it dawned upon him how blind he had been to his own racism. Though a long-held belief could not be so easily changed in a single day, a seed had been planted, and eventually the importance of inclusivity would grow and take root in Kyle’s mind.

The professor continued to counsel the boy, telling him that there were other children out there who were just as misguided as he was. And there were children who, like him, were hated by others simply for being who they were. She added that there was another boy from Bradford who would be going to Hogwarts too – an Asian boy, to be exact – and she hoped that they could cast aside their preconceptions about each other and become friends.

The other boy’ name was Rohaan, and he was a half-blood wizard who lived with his Muggle uncle and aunt after his parents were killed during the Second Wizarding War. The professor was tasked to help Rohaan prepare for his first year at Hogwarts, and she invited Kyle to come along. Their first meeting was awkward, to say the very least. They didn’t really know what to talk about, but slowly the conversation started to flow, haltingly at first, and more naturally when they got to know each other better. After a while both boys realised they actually had quite a lot in common. They were both from working class families and had similar experiences growing up. They both preferred football over cricket. And they even lived quite near to each other, though they had never crossed paths before because Kyle’s neighbourhood was deemed too dangerous for Asians to venture into.

Coming to Hogwarts
Before long, it was time for Kyle and Rohaan to head to Hogwarts for their first day of school. During the long ride on the Hogwarts Express, they tried to guess which house they would be sorted into. Rohaan was smart, so maybe he’d be a Ravenclaw. On the other hand, Kyle figured wasn’t smart enough to be a Ravenclaw, nor did he feel that he was brave enough to be a Gryffindor. Rohaan opined that maybe Kyle would be a Hufflepuff, to which the latter could only smile wordlessly. Sure, he had one Asian friend, which was great for a white boy from Bradford, but he was still very, very far from being “friendly and fair” to everyone.

One thing was for certain though: they both did not want to end up in Slytherin, for it was said that many Slytherins were pureblood supremacists or followers of the Dark Lord. Rohaan’s parents died fighting against Death Eaters, and Kyle was a Muggle-born, so neither of them would be a good fit for the house.

During the Sorting Ceremony, Rohaan was, as they had predicted, sorted into Ravenclaw. However, the Sorting Hat had a nasty surprise in store for Kyle. No sooner had the raggedy hat brushed against the boy’s hair did the hat loudly declare its decision.

“SLYTHERIN!”

Kyle could hardly believe his ears. He, an underprivileged Muggle-born, in Slytherin? It was the worst possible outcome for him, and he braced himself for what was to come. Indeed, the bullying started almost immediately when he entered the Common Room. For the most part, his peers were surprisingly warm and welcoming, but a minority had decided to torment Kyle for sullying Slytherin’s reputation. And they picked on him constantly: in the Common Room, along the corridors, and even dragged him to the bathroom many times to “teach him a lesson”.

If there was any consolation, Kyle turned out to be a fantastic flyer during the Quidditch tryouts. He was offered a position on the team as a chaser, which irked some members of the team who hated his guts. They were forced to tolerate his presence, however, as the team was in need of his skills. Likewise, while Kyle was under no illusion that the team was especially hard on him, he soldiered on doggedly, hoping that he would one day earn the team’s respect and acceptance.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Rohaan either, who was singled out by some of the other students because of his race. At the very least, they had each other to rely on, and that helped them cope with the stress and pressure somewhat.

The 2001 Bradford Riots
During the summer break after their second year, Kyle and Rohaan returned home to Bradford. Following ethnically-motivated riots in Oldham and Burnley, racial tensions in Bradford had reached fever pitched. Without warning, violence broke out, and soon the eatery ran by Rohaan’s uncle and aunt were being attacked.

Rohaan’s owl flew off on its own to seek Kyle out, not knowing who else it could turn to for help. Upon seeing the owl, Kyle immediately guessed what had happened and followed the owl back to the eatery. Sure enough, he found the front of the eatery smashed and aflame, and besieged by angry rioters. Was Rohaan inside? He didn’t know, and he had to make sure. The back door was the only safe way in, so he sprinted around the block to the back alley. There, he encountered Rohaan’s aunt staggering out of the burning eatery, and Rohaan’s uncle who was trying to go back in to save his nephew, but kept getting forced back by the flames. Without hesitation, Kyle dashed in, taking advantage of his smaller size to duck through the narrow space between the burning beams and pillars, and blasted away any rubble in his path with his magic. There! Rohaan was lying on the ground, unconscious. But just as he was about to assist his friend, a heavy beam crashed down upon him, and he blacked out.

He woke up in a hospital a few days later, with Rohaan’s aunt by his bedside. According to her, help arrived soon after he had dashed into the eatery, and he was extricated from a pile of rubble before the fires reached him. And she apologised for not being able to save his right leg – it was too badly crushed in the accident, and had to be amputated below the knee.

But that was not Kyle’s primary concern. “Where’s Rohaan?” he asked. “Is he alright?”

She teared up and didn’t say anything, and Kyle immediately knew the answer.

Recovery and Return to Hogwarts
Kyle stayed in the hospital for several weeks to recuperate. His physical wounds had healed, but his mental trauma would take a lot more time to recover from. It wasn’t just about losing his closest friend and his leg. It was also the realisation that his father had been among the mob that almost killed him. During the riots, Mr Winters had ben hurling bricks and petrol bombs at the eatery, at Rohann, and at his own son. But instead of feeling guilty, Mr Winters was furious at his "traitorous son" for “siding with the enemy” and “getting what he deserved”. He showed up at the hospital only to verbally abuse Kyle, and never came back to visit again. That sat well with Kyle, who no longer wanted anything to do with his father.

With the care and support from the medical staff and his mother – who had decided to leave her unrepentant husband – Kyle was finally well enough to be discharged and returned to Hogwarts, albeit a couple of weeks after the school year started. Due to his recent amputation he was sidelined from playing Quidditch for a while, and with his best friend gone he found himself with too much time on his hands and too many troubles on his mind. Alone with his thoughts, his feelings of anger and helplessness grew. He wanted so much to lash out against those who picked on Rohaan and him, to blast them with hexes and jinxes as payback for all the bullying they endured… but hate would only be met with more hate, as he had seen back in Bradford.

Badly needing something to occupy himself with, he threw himself into his studies. Later, when he was able to resume his Quidditch training, he played with such ferocity that even his own teammates were afraid of him. This went on for a year until he collapsed from exhaustion, and realised that it wasn’t healthy to just bottle up his frustrations. He needed some way to find closure and move on.

Finding His Way Ahead
Coming to terms with his loss and guilt for not being able to protect his friend was easier said than done, of course. For a while he thought he’d become an Auror, upholding the law and protecting the wizarding world. His professors, however, urged him to keep his options open for the time being, and focus on healing from his own psychological trauma first.

Presently, Kyle is starting his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and he’s still trying to work on his issues. As for what he wants to do in the future, he hasn’t given up his dream of becoming an Auror, although he recognises that he’s still lacking the right attitude for the job. Alternatively, he could continue playing Quidditch, for his disability had no impact on his skills as a chaser.


Personality
Due to his troubled past, Kyle is acutely aware of how far a simple act of goodwill can go. Thus, he treats those around him with kindness and respect, regardless of their background, ethnicity, blood status, and so on. In his attempts to keep the peace and mediate between various parties, he occasionally comes across as being too conflict-avoidant and eager to please, which he admits are his weaknesses. As he got bullied a lot in his first few years at Hogwarts, he can get a bit shy and awkward in social situations. In particular, he is very self-conscious about his disability, and often uses self-deprecating jokes as a coping mechanism.

That said, his gentle demeanour belies a resilient and indomitable spirit. After all, he had somehow managed to survive and eventually thrive despite the odds stacked against him. When he is in his element, such as on the Quidditch pitch, he also reveals a surprisingly competitive and confident side to him that is rarely seen otherwise.

Despite his reputation for being a nice guy, those who manage to draw Kyle’s ire would be in for a rude shock. All bets are off the moment he gets riled up, even if he doesn’t have the upper hand in a confrontation. As a jack-of-all-trades, his versatility, cunning and resourcefulness are his greatest strengths, and he even wields his underdog status as a weapon to make others underestimate him and lower their guard. And if need be, he will not hesitate to employ any means at his disposal, including morally questionable ones, to even the playing field.


Face Claim: Billy Price