Star Dare - 14 - Gryffindor

[Star Dare]

Full Name: Star Dare
Known As: Star
Nicknames: Dare

Current Age: 14
Date of Birth: December 21st, 1981
Place of Birth: London, England
Place of Residence: London, England

Race: Caucasian
Blood Line: Half Blood
Heritage: British/Unknown
Financial Status: Lower middle class

Education/Profession: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ‘99
Rank/Position: Fifth year Gryffindor

Wand Hand: Left.
Wand: Juniper 9 ½ inches, Phoenix Cores
Strongest class: Transfiguration
Additional Abilities:

• Acrobat
  
• Ambidextrous
• Speed reader

Even though she has shot up a bit recently, Star is still quite short by normal standards, standing just below five feet. She has black shoulder length hair, and bright electric dark blue eyes. She wears normal teenage clothes, and has a very old pair of shoes she likes to wear. She also has a trench coat that is about ten times too big on her, and has about a hundred pockets, but that she absolutely adores. Apart from that Star is fairly indistinct, it’s quite easy to lose her in a crowd because she is so small, but she can fold herself into very tight spaces a normal size person would be hard pressed to fit into. She wears no jewelry except for a necklace that was given to her by her father, a simple chain and no more.

Star is not an average fifteen year old. At a very young age she lost both her parents, which forced her to grow up very quickly. She has always been pensive and thoughtful, many mistake her for older than she really is, but she also has a lighter side to her as well. Around adults and strangers she is usually fairly quiet, reserved, but once you get to know her, she opens up and becomes much more talkative and alive. She can be a bit judgmental and very wary of strangers, which is partly a result of her upbringing, but she is aware of this flaw and tries hard not to let it affect her outlook. She is very personal and empathetic, and will always try to help people, whether she knows them or not. She has a kind heart and usually puts the needs of others before herself.

She does have weaknesses though, she can be very rash, and gets angered easily. She often acts without thinking, and has done many things without thinking about the long term consequences. She is a fierce enemy, although she generally tries to give people the benefit of the doubt before taking out her wand. She can also hold a grudge for years, and is not someone to be easily messed with.

Star Dare was born on December 21st, 1982 in London, England. She was the only child of Oliver and Sarah Dare. Oliver was a scientist, a brilliant but eccentric man who was both respected and vindicated for his theories and ideas. Like so many people Sarah and Oliver had a quick one night stand, which was quite complicated by the fact that Sarah contacted Oliver several weeks later with the news she was pregnant.

Sarah was a wonderful woman, but Oliver really felt no connection with her. She had battled depression for the past several years and had lived a very complex and difficult life. Therefore when Sarah left soon after the baby was born, Oliver could only summon a slight amount of surprise and a terrible sense of abandonment.

He named his daughter after the thing he and her mother had both loved: the stars. He was a caring father, doting on his fiery daughter, but unfortunately work snatched away the little time he had with her.

Star has next to no memories of her childhood before her father died. Mostly scattered images, her light blue room, the shelves and shelves of books and papers that overflowed and lay pell-mell around the house, always a tripping hazard for the young girl, who tottered around as soon as she found her legs, always getting into trouble spots, wandering out onto the street to examine the concrete and nearly getting hit by a bus, emptying out the spice cabinet and folding herself inside, only to be found by her frantic father hours later.

It was clear that the young girl was a bright and clever thing, and Oliver was proud of his daughter, he enjoyed watching her learn about the world around her, although he could have never guessed that his daughter was about to discover what a cold and cruel world it could be.
As Oliver’s career continued, he began doing more and more controversial research. He received death threats, angry letters, and even had things thrown at him when he attended a conference in Oxford. Although a smart man, Oliver was terribly naïve about the situation, not paying it the mind he should have.

It happened one afternoon soon after Star’s fourth birthday. Oliver came home very upset, pacing up and down the living room. The girl stared at her father with wide eyes, his anxiety infectious. At a knock on the door Oliver’s body stiffened, and he glanced at his daughter, who watched him with her bright intelligent gaze.

Kneeling and fixing his daughter with what he hoped was a comforting smile, Oliver told the child to go up to her room.

Being the girl she was, Star naturally didn’t obey her father, following him into the hallway after a minute, and slipping into the coat closet where she could watch what was going on through the crack in the door.

Muted voiced and her father’s back was all she gleaned, but she kept her small eye glued to the door, clutching one of her dad’s musky smelling jackets that was hanging in the closet for comfort.

Several minute past and the voices rose, Star’s breath quickened as she saw her father’s back stiffen, but he didn’t look back, didn’t see her. Moments, a blink later really, Star saw her father’s legs buckle. Saw him clutch the door handle and gasp for air. The four year old ran forward to help her father, who had now fallen to the ground and was convulsing. Blood was everywhere.

Star couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t understand. She began to cry, loudly enough that one of their neighbors heard and came over to see if everything was okay. The man instantly saw what had happened and phoned the police, but by the time they arrived it was too late, nothing could be done to save the poor man.

The girl was glassy eyed, kneeling over her dead father, her hands covered with his blood, tears pouring down her cheeks. She finally had to be carried away, as she was unable to walk, complete shock had taken over.

The next few days and weeks were a blur. She was taken to the hospital where she was seen by a psychologist and various doctors, who discovered that while she was shaken badly there was no ‘permanent’ damage. Quickly the matter turned to what would be done with her. She had no living relatives that anyone knew about, Oliver had been an only child, and Sarah was nowhere to be found.

Thus the child became the problem of the state. Now that it’s over, Star prefers not to think back on the years that were undoubtedly the worst and most difficult of her life. She was one of the youngest children to join the orphanage, and kept mostly to herself. She quickly discovered that most children were so scared and upset that they turned in on themselves. It was the older ones, and the ones who had been abandoned who became bitter and cruel.

Trouble didn’t begin for the girl for a good while, not until she was eight and began showing signs of magic. Little things at first, like cuts that vanished as soon as they appeared, or toys that mysteriously appeared ages after they had been lost.

It became noticeable when Star, who had never much liked the dark, was shoved into a closet as a practical joke. The nine year old began hyperventilating, remembering the cramped coat closet, the feel of her father’s jacket against her skin. Closing her eyes she wished she was in a bright light place, that this was all just a dream. Light played against her tightly shut lids, and she peaked through them to see a glowing multi – coloured orb in front of her, lighting up the scary closet.

At that moment the door was yanked open by an adult, and the light flickered and died, but not before everyone, including the children outside, had seen it. Several such incidences followed, each getting progressively more serious, until, in a panic, the adults sat down to decide what to do with this strange child.

Deciding it would be best for everyone if she was shipped off somewhere so tests could be conducted and her mental status evaluated.

Before that could happen, a ministry representative arrived, asking to speak with the young girl privately, he explained to her what it was she could do, and who she was. Surprised, the girl said nothing, processing the information quietly, thinking and analyzing. Had she always known? No, definitely not, but recently she’d suspected something was different about her.

Soon after that she was taken away to Hogwarts, where she changed and grew, although it took a good deal of time for her to come out of her shell. She’d spent such a long time trying to protect herself from anymore pain that she was frightened and suspicious of any would be friends.

Placed into Gryffindor because of her quick wits and fiery personality, Star took the challenges as they came, gaining a reputation as a smart and loyal friend, and a fierce enemy.

It was at the end of her third year that Nicole Martin, the Hogwarts counselor adopted Star, and although it’s taken a good deal of getting used to, Star loved Nicole and has gotten used to the change.

Now entering her fifth year, Star is watching the happenings of the wizarding world with some trepidation. The revelation that Voldemort had returned was not welcome news to the muggle born. Never one to take anything for granted, she’s ready to defend herself and the people she loves in case she has to, although hopefully it won’t come to that.

Patronus: Green Viper Snake
Boggart: Her father’s dead body
Amortentia Scents: The smell of coffee, fresh bread, smoke
Mirror of Erised:
Pet(s): Owl named Mercury
Positive Traits: Confident, kind, understanding, intelligent, quick thinking, empathetic
Negative Traits: Judgmental, impatient, aggressive, mischievous
Interests: Magic, transfiguration
Mastered Languages: British English
Favourite Food:
Favourite Drinks: Coffee, lemonade, tea
Favourite Ice-cream Flavour: Peppermint