First and Last Name: Adrian Ainsley
Bloodline: Muggle-born
Hair Color: Copper-blond
Eye Color: Bottle green
General Build: Petite
Height: Short
Birthplace: Bristol, England
Brief Childhood History:
Adrian was an illegitimate child born from paternal infidelity. As his mother could not take care of him, he was sent to live with his father, who already had a wife and two sons who were both older than Adrian by two years.
Adrian's early life was marked by a lack of familial closeness and attention. His parents, who were ordinary Muggles in all respects, were often too absorbed in their petty arguments to properly look after Adrian. As such, he was left at a young age to fend for himself by the sidelines. His adoptive mother wanted little to do with him as possible. She deemed him a nuisance, for he was a constant reminder of her husband's affair with her co-worker. The preference she showed to her 'own' two sons was more than obvious.
His father paid him slightly more care, but was far more attentive to Adrian's two elder stepbrothers, who seemed to overshadow Adrian in all respects. While Adrian was often ignored by his siblings, they often antagonized him for the sake of provoking a reaction. As such, Adrian's relationship with his stepbrothers was mostly one of rivalry.
Social neglect quickly became a part of everyday normal life for Adrian. As a result of this, he was not as well-socialized as most of the other children his age, and found trouble relating to his classmates. As such, his friends were few in number, and the teachers often described him as being a difficult, uncommunicative child who shunned his peers.
That said, Adrian was encouraged by his teachers to find a healthy outlet for his negative emotions. As such, his early school years saw him putting all his zeal into his schoolwork and sports. His resulting performance earned him praise from his teachers, and along with that ... his first ever feeling of self-worth. From that day forth, he resolved to do his best wherever he could, believing that his parents would someday notice him if he bested everyone else in academics and sports, and that failure was not an option.
When he became nine years of age, Mr Ainsley was given a transfer. As such, the family moved to London, where Adrian had to cope with a new home and a new school.
At the all-boys' private academy, he dealt with the unfamiliarity of his surroundings the way he usually did in uncomfortable situations - by shutting out everyone else. He only spoke with his peers when he was forced to, and even then found such interactions bothersome. Due to his unsociable nature, Adrian became rather unpopular with both classmates and professors alike. He eventually became the target of some mild bullying, nothing too serious, until his status as an illegitimate child was brought up.
What happened to the offender in question was indescribable and without explanation. Either way, at that very moment, there was a peal of thunder, and the bully was sent fleeing the campus in a panic. He was chased off by a small raincloud, floating an inch above his head, which unleashed a torrential monsoon upon him wherever he went. It was bizarre enough that the raincloud seemed literally stuck to his head like a hat, but it followed him even as he tried to escape indoors, upstairs, or downstairs, leaving massive puddles of rainwater wherever he went. Notably, the weather was perfectly sunny in London that day, if one would discount the antics of a rogue raincloud.
Though this was deemed to be a rare meteorological anomaly by experts, Adrian was not suspected of any wrongdoing, and was let off. Besides, the bully sustained no real harm, other than being thoroughly drenched from head to toe, as well as a case of temporary speechlessness attributable to mild shock. That said, despite having no comprehension of the event, he went home that day with an odd sense of satisfaction, feeling that somehow, he had something to do with it.
A few days later, an oddly dressed gentleman arrived, greeting the Ainsley family in a very odd manner and introducing himself as a representative of 'the Ministry of Magic' and using such odd terms as 'Muggles' and 'Hogwarts' and 'Diagon Alley' and 'Blast-Ended Skrewts'. Mr. Ainsley, deeming the whole thing to be some ridiculous and overly-elaborate sales pitch, was about to send the gentleman on his way. However, the stranger in question suddenly made reference to a certain recent meteorological anomaly, one that Adrian was well aware of...
It was then that Adrian finally came to terms with the fact that he, despite being a nobody for the majority of his life, was a wizard.
Strengths (Including Personality and Academic):
Adrian has always possessed a desire to prove himself, and with that eagerness comes pure tenacity and determination. His competitive streak is what drives him to excellence, and he is always looking for the chance to demonstrate his abilities. As a result he sets a high standard for himself academically, and never rests on his laurels. When it comes to a practical standpoint, he is not the sort who will settle for second-place, and has a genuine desire to excel over everyone else.
He is brave enough not to flee whenever a challenge presents himself. To him, it is simply another stepping stone to first place, and a chance to prove his mettle. Adrian does not buckle easily under pressure or hardship, nor does he allow himself to grow complacent from his past achievements.
Being a Muggle-born wizard, Adrian retains an appreciation for all things Muggle-related, especially when it comes to such things as films, technology, culture. While he was still attending a Muggle school, he took up the violin for a number of years, and became reasonably proficient. Though he has since begun to adapt to the culture of the Wizarding community, he still retains his musical taste.
He is not without moral ground, and would rather win over others in a just victory, if only to prove that he does not need resort to low-handed tactics to succeed.
Because of his concentration, and the fact that he enjoys witnessing the immediate, physical manifestations of his efforts, Adrian would be well-suited to classes related to wandwork and practical spell-casting, such as Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Weaknesses (Including Personality and Academic):
Adrian is willing to take great risks to affirm his abilities, which causes him to be reckless at times, often childishly so.
While he is not overtly hostile, Adrian is better making rivals than he is at making friends. He envies those who have the social skills and experience to build connections and friendships wherever they go, for this is something he has trouble with. As such, he finds that the only resort is to detach himself socially, and doesn't know how to build a healthy friendship without being defensive or even antagonistic.
His pride is rather fragile, and the idea of being one-upped or overshadowed is like a bitter pill to him. He is rarely satisfied with his own abilities when he knows that somewhere in the world, possibly nearby, there is always someone better than him.
He lives his life under a cloud of malcontent, as he tends to obsess needlessly over his deficiencies and all the things he is lacking in. He is vulnerable to insults, and is especially sensitive when it comes to topics such as his illegitimate birth and his blood status. (and his height...)
He doesn't tolerate the 'guesswork' that is Divination class, since he is frustrated that the outcome is less a matter of personal effort and more a matter of luck-based 'hits and misses'.
History of Magic would probably bore him, as Adrian would see it as a generic, uninteresting school subject with little practical value whatsoever.
What House You Feel Your Character Belongs In and Why:
Slytherin Muggle-borns, though they have been known to exist, are far and few in between. As such, one from a Muggle family such as Adrian may have difficulty finding a place to belong in a house known for its blood-purist ideals. That said, Adrian possesses traits that perhaps Salazar Slytherin himself would be hard-pressed to overlook, despite his blood status. Ignored by his parents, overshadowed by his siblings, and alienated by his peers, Adrian has had a good eleven years to harbor his pent-up resentment. He has always had the notion that he was destined for better, greater things, and that the existence of his magical abilities only serve to prove this. He is a follower of the old adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained", and is willing to take risks to achieve his ends. While he does not underestimate the power of social connections, Adrian doesn't comprehend the value of friendship beyond being a means to in end, and in fact would rather place all of his trust in his own abilities and resourcefulness. While he does not resort to cheating or sabotage, it does not bother him should the path to success require that others fail as well. He takes his own failures very personally, and has little tolerance for those who would stand in his way.
That said, if the house of Slytherin should turn him aside, Adrian would surely find a place instead with the house of Gryffindor. Due to his pride and competitive streak, he has never been one to run away, or back down from a challenge, and to this extent can be stubborn to the point of being reckless. That said, he is not without a sense of justice. As much as he despises losing, he has a principle against cheating. Furthermore, he'll concede if he feels as though he lost 'fairly', though this will always be up to debate as far as he is concerned.
