you can't bribe the door on your way to the sky

Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 18:15:23 GMT -5

Zacharias J. Smith
37 - Male - Halfblood - 03/07/1980

Charms Professor | Head of Hufflepuff

Appearance and Personality
General Appearance: Zacharias isn't that tall of a man, not really, but he likes to use Sleakeazy's to brush it up a bit. He stands at around five foot seven, which is really not that great... But Sue Li isn't that tall, either, she's only around five foot. So it works. He's got blonde hair and blue eyes, which none of his kids managed to inherit, and a rather weak muscle tone. He used to be able to play quidditch- used to. He likes to dress well; that's what's most important to him. He's well-dressed and not-so-stressed.
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Skills: Networking; he's actually great with that. He learned his lesson when Slughorn didn't invite him to the Slug Club as it was rather embarrassing to not quite make the cut and to see a Weasley get in. Since then he worked tirelessly at making connections when he could. Keeping out of politics; Zacharias is great with telling people absolutely nothing about his stance on things- or telling people what they want to hear. It's how he managed to get into the DA when he really thought Potter was bonkers. Charms!! Only magical type, of course. Not that he isn't charming, but he's... He's pompous. But he's great at Charms. Teaching; he taught at Lufkin, first, and he spent a bit of time teaching abroad as a guest lecturer. Baking, throwing parties, buying presents for his wife. Public speaking; he helped commentate quidditch matches and he thought he was rather good at it. Clearly Ginny Weasley thought otherwise, what with that whole dive-bomb spectacular...
Weaknesses: He isn't witty, that's a major one, so people are usually good at making him look like an idiot. Zacharias can also literally be bought off with a good bottle of champagne. Like, it's not just "oh, his weakness is fine alcohol", he would legit sell off a former friend for a good bottle of champagne. He holds grudges like you wouldn't believe. He has a long list of things that he's bitter about and he waxes on about them quite often. Kids; he actually really likes being around kids. It's why he's a teacher. His family; he says he would be a bad dad if that wasn't included, but he really does love his family more than anything. Dairy; he's lactose intolerant. It's sad. Potions, expensive quills (he hates using them, he just wants to frame them), long essays (he hates grading them), flattery.
Positive Personality Traits: Welcoming, fair, charismatic (occasionally), sensitive, observant, impartial.
Negative Personality Traits: Selfish, annoying, pompous, cowardly, loyal to like four people, underhanded, self-serving, conceited, obnoxious.
Hobbies and Interests: Charms, which he's very good at. Teaching. He likes watching quidditch matches with his friends and he likes throwing parties with Sue. He's also super into Gobstones which kind of ruins the aesthetic of 'cool teacher'.
Character History:

"That Zacharias bloke's a wart." - Ronald Weasley
"You remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the DA?" - Ginny Weasley
"I would pay Satan to take you." - Susan Bones
"What does the 'J' stand for?" - all of the characters in my head.

Zacharias Smith was born on a frigid March morning to Jonathan and Calla Smith, proud parents who had been anxiously expecting their little bundle of joy impatiently. Jonathan and Calla had wanted a child more than anything, so it was with great excitement that they welcomed Zacharias into the world. He wasn't spoiled in the usual way; his parents never gave him more than the other children, not really. He didn't grow up with seventeen house elves (though he actually wishes that he did), just the one for the clan, and although he grew up wearing fancy clothing he didn't really get the option to buy anything all too expensive. But his parents made sure that he knew that he was the most important person in the family, and his grandparents fawned over him as well. It seemed to be something that came with being the first grandson, and he was treasured up until his cousin was born. That was fine by him; he was pretty much satisfied with how everything was going, and he really was only six or seven.

That, of course, did mean that it was more difficult for him to be completely treasured- he had to give up his throne for his cousin, he had to pretend like he really didn't mind. Even at seven, it was difficult. He had wanted to be the apple of everyone's eye without having to do the work. That wasn't like him, not at all. But he had to share the attention, and that was a remarkable point in his life. With the sharing of his grandparents also came the note that his family was important. They liked to point that out quite often. They were important, this was an important group. His grandparents owned stock in random companies so they were well off, and there was some sort of implication that they were related to some Muggle royalty... So Zacharias knew he was important. He was going to inherit some money when his grandparents died and he was going to act like he deserved it.

When he was eleven he got his Hogwarts letter amid laughter and chuckles. His parents had noticed the owl that morning and had called everyone over for Zacharias to open it amid friends and family. He was the first of his generation to go (although it wasn't like there were that many of them: one cousin a few years younger and another yet to be born. His parents, aunt, uncle, and grandparents were all there for him to open the letter up, and everyone toasted his magical prowess (despite, you know, his age). His Diagon shopping trip had been fascinating; he had met Justin Finch-Fletchey there, and he was pretty decent- for a muggleborn. Zacharias had been advised to drop the friendship when he got to school. Subtly, of course. Nobody needed to know that he wasn't the biggest fan of muggleborns. People would comment, saying that he was a halfblood... But the muggle blood in his family was centuries ago. His family had been halfblood for years now, so he thought that they were allowed to make that comment.

His Hogwarts career was pretty standard for someone in school with Harry Potter, meaning that nothing ever got done it and it was all rather annoying. He had been sorted into Hufflepuff which was unshocking for his family, especially since they were quite certain that they were related to Helga. He had tried to make some friends, always sticking to the groups that had a bit more notable things about them, and it was only when he started dating Ginny Weasley that he actually managed to branch out from Hufflepuff. They had bonded over quidditch and feeling vaguely overshadowed, and he had mentioned to her that he was bored of never learning anything from Umbridge. She had taken him to a meeting with Potter, Granger, and Weasley, and it was all rather... annoying. They seemed to be parading Potter about as someone who knew exactly what he was doing and Zacharias knew that wasn't entirely right. That was how the Hufflepuff team acted with their captain. He knew that Potter wasn't perfect.

But he wanted to learn more. It wasn't that learning was a whole thing for him, he just hated the fact that they were being let out of something, especially that year. That was the year that his parents told him to keep his lips shut about politics. They were very clearly on the "Potter is crazy" side, and he knew that Ginny would punch him if he had told her that. So he kept his lips shut, he tried not to mention that the chances of Voldemort being back were very slim just so that he could learn. The rest of his Hogwarts career was pretty much like that. Zacharias kept his head down and his lips shut because everytime that he opened them someone tried to punch him or hex him. Ginny Weasley got him right before they broke up- or, well, while they were breaking up. For that she actually managed to get into the damn Slug Club... He had missed it by a mere moment! It should have been him...

He had a pretty rotten year after that event. He didn't get invited to any Slug Club parties, he got dive-bombed when doing a quidditch match... And then Loony Lovegood insulted him in front of everyone! That wasn't fair, not really, and he had written home to his parents complaining. He and Susan Bones went out for a bit; she was of proper stock... But she was crude and not at all his type. It was all rather funny, in the end... When Potter and Weasley and Granger didn't show up for school the next year, it almost got better. He could talk to the people there without a problem, he didn't have to hide his political views anymore. He could talk candidly to people about his views and he found out he got along well with a few Ravenclaws. The muggles were filth, the muggleborns didn't belong... And, really, Voldemort had the right way of it. He was going to be fine and safe with all of this... And then the battle came, and he had to evacuate, he just had to.

The years after that were difficult rebuilding years. His N.E.W.Ts were great, he went to Lufkin and got a degree in teaching and in Charms, and he traveled abroad so that he could teach and learn all at the same time. It was how he met Sue Li- well, remet. They had known each other in Hogwarts, they had been in Gobstones together. She was apprenticing under one of the best Runes professors that the world had known (in her opinion) and he had gone to Durmstrang to guest lecture for a term. It was after that that the pair traveled to Peru, and then Australia, and then, finally, on to America. They spent a long time there, even getting married in Florida. After coming back to Britain he took up a position at Lufkin and spent a while educating the masses. It was all in good fun, too, he loved teaching, and there were even a few people that he bonded over it with. He had met Sebastian Flint a few times, not enough that they could be friends but enough that the man seemed to... stand it.

They weren't close, not by any means, but Zacharias didn't have anything rude to say about either Flint male so they seemed to get along. He had been teaching at Lufkin for some time when the headmaster had mentioned that the position of Charms professor was open, so he had opted to ask for an interview to see if he would be a good fit at Hogwarts.

i, too, would sell this man to satan for a corn chip.

Plots and Politics
What is your character’s stance on the recent takeover of the Ministry by Death Eaters? So, Zacharias knew that something was coming, he wants to make sure he gets credit for that. He knew that the way that Durant was running the place was going to send someone into a tizzy, and he knew that the Death Eaters weren't going to stand for it. They were a violent group- if only because they didn't see Dark Magic as a 'banned' magic. So it was bound to happen, and he made sure that he was perfectly impartial when it did go down.

Where did your character stand in the treatment of Death Eaters and their families under the late Minister Durant's rule? It was absolutely ridiculous! There was no reason for everyone to be shoved into a camp and work for very little money, and he made his opinion very known about that. You know, after the fact.

How was your character and their family affected by the reign and death of Voldemort? Well, he joined the DA for his own needs, but he fled the Battle of Hogwarts because there was no way he was dealing with a war. There were people who were affected, of course; he had cousins who had managed to insult a bunch of people and were on the run, he lost an uncle... But everyone was dying, it wasn't shocking.

Family

Parents: Jonathan Smith and Calla Smith (nee Applebee)
Siblings: N/A
Children: Delilah Smith, Ephraim Smith, and Benjamin Smith
Partner: Sue Li
Other Relevant Family: Um... Flints, Bones... I think that's pretty much it. They don't have as many kids as the damn Weasleys so it's easier to keep track.
Family History:
Zacharias Smith is descended from the rather pompous Smiths and the less annoying Applebee clan. Calla Applebee is one of three girls, all of which had magic. Unfortunately, Tamara Applebee lost her husband during the War and then went off to America, of all places, and he has another aunt who just dropped off the face of the earth after deciding to marry a Muggle. He isn't quite sure if his grandfather killed her off or not, and he isn't really up to asking. Before his grandfather, though, there was Hezipah Smith, and even further up the line they were related to Helga Hufflepuff. The wealth did start at the top and it slowly trickled down, leaving Zacharias as the one to have to make his own fortune.