Professor Application: Julia Laurence

General Information

Character Name:
Julia Sybil Laurence

Age:
34

Date of Birth:
12 July 1886

Blood Status:
Pureblood

Residence:
Arundel Castle, West Sussex, England

Family:
The House of Laurence is an English Pureblood noble family dating back to the time of the Norman Invasion in 1066. Upon the succession of William the Conqueror, their ancestor Roger de Laurence, whom led one of the largest battles on behalf of the new king, was granted the title 'Duke of Norfolk' and subsequently awarded what became known as Arundel Castle in the area of Sussex. The title is currently (as of 1920) held by the current head of the family, James Laurence. He is expected to be succeeded by his nephew, Benji, unless he and his wife produce a male heir before his death.

As one of the oldest pureblooded noble families in Britain, the Laurences hold powerful sway and influence amongst their sect. They take their lineage and status extremely seriously. They have spent centuries building upon their legacy and reputation, with chess moves, strong alliances and intrigues. Every whisper in every hallway calculated carefully, methodically and patiently. Known for their intelligence and ability to foresee reasonable outcomes, the Laurences have consistently aligned themselves with victors throughout their history. They have thrived, retaining power through wars, usurpations of kings, coups and invasions.

As consistent with many other powerful families, many of their lineage were lost to tyrants, petty civil war and jealous rivals over the centuries. The core of them, however, remained steadfast in their quest for power and domination in the land. They are known amongst their circles as the family to turn to when deals need to be made, alliances need to be won, or rivalries need to be squashed.

Julia's immediate family includes her two children, Benji Henry and Kathryn Elise, as well as her brother James and sister-in-law Amelia and their infant daughter Claire. She also has a widowed sister-in-law and niece from her late brother Edward - Edith and Adira.

Her extended family includes her cousins Arthur and Leo, their wives and children - Rosalie, Matthew and Thomas - and their parents.


Professorship Information

Personality:
Julia has a natural charisma and wit about her that draws people in quickly and easily. She has mastered the subtle art of charming would-be allies and enemies alike with soft words and a sweet, playful demeanor. This ability has been an invaluable tool previously for her late father and now her brother in their political and social ambitions. She is incredibly intelligent and combined with her charisma, she is often able to stay two steps ahead of her opponents (whether they realize they are opponents or not).

Her unyielding and often blind devotion to her family is a weakness she has not yet been able to overcome. Raised in an incredibly patriarchal family, she has been groomed to understand her place as a woman in comparison to that of her brother. She allows him to dictate her almost every move, and she is essentially at his beck-and-call, despite the appearance that she is an independent woman with a career. She will do almost anything the family asks of her, to her own detriment. She is also known to take unnecessary risks on their behalf, and she will drop everything she is doing if they summon her.

The main thing to understand about Julia, is her innate sense of duty and obligation to the people she’s loyal to. She will consistently put the people she loves ahead of herself, every time, without question. One would think this would make her selfless. She is anything but. In many ways, Julia is incredibly selfish, but this selfishness is always rooted in the betterment of her family, status and power. She is not afraid to take what she believes to be rightfully hers, and anyone who gets in her way will be met with her colder side.

Inwardly, Julia is an elitist, though it’s very rare to see her portray this outside of the confines of her family’s home. She is a pureblooded noblewoman, and she’s very aware of the status that provides her.

Outwardly, to everyone who meets her, Julia is soft-spoken, unassuming, a well-brought up noblewoman with impeccable manners and propriety. But behind closed doors, she is absolutely, undeniably cutthroat when it comes to her or her family’s ambitions. She is the type to smile in someone’s face, soothe them, comfort them, all while lighting the match to their pyre. Her loyalty is hard to obtain and harder to keep, but when the woman loves, she loves with an intensity that is unshakeable. Her love of course, being reserved for her family and a few close friends.

On a smaller scale, Julia can be kind, caring and has a soft spot for troubled children.

What subject are you applying for?
Dark Arts & Librarian

IC Reason to Teach:
To put it simply, Julia loves her students, and loves to teach. Following the ousting of the previous Headmaster, she is eager to return and resume her position that she resigned under his leadership. She loves her job at The British Museum, and will likely retain a part-time curator position there.

She deeply believes in the education of the wizarding youth, however she believes in educating children in all aspects. Dark and light. She will follow the Ministry’s regulations in public. Privately will always be another story.

She also recognizes the benefit of connections with Hogwarts’s professors, considering many of them are well-regarded and respected at the higher echelons of society and the Ministry. This can only continue to strengthen her and her family’s place in the country.

It also doesn't hurt that her cousin and son are attending Hogwarts, and she intends to continue to keep a sharp eye on the both of them.

Prompt Response:
Julia savored the rare calm of the afternoon, seated at the staff table with a cup of tea in one hand, a book in the other, and a cucumber sandwich waiting on the plate before her. Mondays were meant to be quiet, at least in theory. The students usually shuffled through the day in a weekend hangover haze, slow and unmotivated, the way teenagers often were after two days of freedom.

It was gloriously peaceful; exactly the way Julia appreciated her lunch hour.

Which, naturally, meant it was about to end.

From the Gryffindor table came a sudden, high-pitched yelp, followed by the unmistakable smack of mashed potatoes meeting face. Julia’s eyes lifted from the page just in time to watch a second volley - a roast chicken leg - arc through the air and bounce harmlessly off a prefect’s shoulder. The prefect, rather than deescalating, scooped up a handful of peas with a grin that promised escalation.

By the time a roll sailed the length of the table, Julia had closed her book and set it neatly beside her plate. She didn’t sigh, as sighing implied defeat and Julia was never defeated, but there was a subtle tightening at the corners of her eyes as the contents of a goblet went flying and a second-year took a custard tart to the ear.

Snapping her book closed, she rose quietly from her seat, knowing that no amount of shouting would get things under control. With a quick flick of her wand, every edible projectile halted in mid-air, stilling the students with a quiet surprise. A second flick of her wrist sent the food neatly back to their respective platters, plates reassembling themselves, goblets righting as though nothing had happened.

Julia’s voice was calm, almost conversational. “I suggest we all remember where we are,” she said, honey-brown eyes sweeping the length of the table with sharp precision. “And what day it is.”

The room was silent. Sufficiently so for her to return to her tea, as though the quiet had never left at all.