Keenan
Healer Without Question
Portrayed by Eric Stoltz
Name: Keenan Nevan O'Shea
Aliases: Keen, Ginger Enigma
Birthday: Mar 15, 1902
Position: Healer
Lineage: Half-Blood

Description

The high forehead, straight nose, strong cleft chin and level brow all have the look of an aristocratic sculpture. Even the beard and moustache, when he actually chooses to shave them properly, would cause one to think he is born of nobility. However, the beard is usually stubble that permanently appears to be a few days old, and the thick red hair screams 'Irish' even before he speaks. There's an almost permanent twinkle to the green eyes, although the meaning changes constantly, from mischievous good humor to burning anger, or that uncomfortable piercing quality when a patient is being difficult.

Background

The sturdy stone cottage of the O'Shea family was always spotlessly clean, and its cottage garden full of colorful flowers and sweet smelling herbs. The women of the village marveled that Eilidh O'Shea somehow managed to keep her cottage neat, her four wild and unruly children clean and their clothes mended, and her garden the envy of the neighborhood. Her husband also bragged that her cooking was unparalleled in the entire island of Howth. And to top it off, the young woman still looked as fresh as a daisy, and not a haggard line or gray hair to show for it.

The secret was, quite simply, that Eilidh MacDiarmarda O'Shea was a witch, from a long line of witches and wizards. She was the granddaughter of Old Man MacDiamarda, who lived across the island, and had captured the heart of young Eamon O'Shea when he delivered an apothecary chest to the old man. One look, and the happily single lad was making the long trip each weekend, with flowers and the occasional hand carved gift for the lass, until he brought her home as his bride. It was not long after their marriage that she gave birth to little Keenan, and he was followed shortly by Niamh, a pair of firecrackers that hit the village with exuberance that only untroubled youth can achieve.

Keenan was soon a ringleader of the children his age, a capable general who led his merry band in fun, and in battle. He had the hot blood of the Irish, and an insult to one of his merry band was an insult to him, and he wouldn't stand for it. Nor would he allow any of his to be bullied, and often marshaled his band to gang up on the evil doer, to give them a drubbing they wouldn't soon forget.

He was a bright young lad, and when his two little brothers, Padraig and Seosiamh arrived, they were quickly added to his band, along with their young friends. It came as no surprise to the villagers that he was accepted to a private school for gifted and talented children, and when his sister followed a year later, no one remarked.

- Hogwarts Years --
Eilidh wasn't surprised when her son was sorted into Gryffindor. He picked up where he left in the village with his fellow firsties, becoming the merry leader of the band. He especially bonded with another Irish Lad, Sloan, who displayed an even readier disposition to 'have a go', and the skill to go with it. Keenan displayed the same 'quick to defend his compatriots' attitude, so that even some firsties from other houses would join his group, to outnumber the bullies when possible. Keenan wasn't just a dumb fist-slinger, he was the wise general, who knew when such methods wouldn't prevail, and often lead sneak raids against the foes of his band. He slayed their enemies with embarrassment as much as blows. They soon became more a source of amusement to the upper class men, rather than malice. The victims who tangled with the young lions often laughed off their fate as much as the rest of the school. When Niamh was sorted into Gryffindor a year later, the merry band grew.

This idyllic life came to a screeching halt during the spring of his third year.

Easter of 1916, Eamon went to visit family in Dublin, little knowing the plans of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
Worried for his pregnant wife and two young sons still at home as the fighting dragged on for a week, despite the advice of his friends, Eamon attempted to go home, trying to skirt around the edge of the city. It was luck that he didn't end up as one of the 254 civilian casualties. As it was, his wounds were not well treated by the English who took him prisoner as a suspected rebel.

The following weeks were tense for the O'Shea family… Eilidh at home in the cottage, Keenan and Niamh away at Hogwarts, all waiting for word as the leaders of Eiri Amach na Casca were subject to Court Martial and executed. Finally, Eamon was released and came home, but he would be forever a changed man. Keenan returned home at the end of the school year to find a crippled and sour man that he no longer recognized as his father.

With the injury to the nerves of his hand, Eamon was no longer able to do the fine carving that he had been known for. He had the pride of the Irish, and could not stand the pity of his fellow villagers, nor did he wish to live on their charity. As a muggle, he was not in favor of the idea of Eilidh returning to work, but the hard truth was that as a Nurse at St. Mungo's, Eilidh could make the money needed for the small family to survive, money made even more important with the baby on the way. Eamon found work at a factory in London but it paid little. It was hard to say which galled him more, the job, or having to depend on his wife's income to make ends meet, or the tiny flat in the dingy boarding home. He became a bitter man, with little joy, the lively and mischievous spark died from his eyes during that first summer in London.

Determined to take up the mantle of man of the family, and rescue his father from the "embarrassment" of the O'Shea's being dependent on a woman, Keenan took a summer job with a muggle grocer as a delivery boy. He started buying his own Hogwarts supplies and school robes and some of Niamh's as well.

When he returned to school. Keenan decided to become a healer, with the secret hope that he could find a cure for his father where muggle medicine had failed. The courses that were needed to achieve this goal were attacked head on, and anything that wouldn't get him there was dropped. He dropped Quidditch, and he relinquished 'leadership' of the Young Lions to his sister, Niamh. At first, his friends tried to 'cheer him up', but attempts to draw him into his usual carousing were put down firmly, although not harshly. By this time, Sloan's reputation had grown so that it only took one look from Keenan's friend and even the pushiest would back down. He drew into himself, instead of running around with a crowd, he spent time only his closest friends, Sloan and Edwarlinda Malfoy, whom he called "Lindy". He had at first refused to call her Eddie just to annoy her, but as their friendship grew, it became more affectionate, although the two never dated. Only rarely did the old Keenan to surface, on a Hogsmeade weekend, or to celebrate a win of the house Quidditch team.

He become more responsible and learned to curb the famous Irish temper, winning internships at Mungos during the summers so that he could earn the Hogwarts money needed for Niamh as well. The new gravity of his demeanor combined with his Irish good looks gave him an air of being mysterious and deep in the eyes of the girls at school. One Hogsmeade Weekend he found the joy of snogging a pretty girl. Somehow, he managed to not offend when snogging didn't turn into a relationship. He still rarely went out on Hogsmeade weekends, but when he did, with a few of his rare dimpled smiles and beguiling Irish eyes, he would find a girl quite happy to snog and snuggle at the back of the Three Broomsticks.

His two younger brothers also received their letters to come to Hogwarts, one was sorted to Hufflepuff, and the other to Ravenclaw.

Eamon seemed unaware of Keenan's diligence and hard work, or was, perhaps, embarrassed to be shown up by the lad taking on his responsibilities. It was clear that somehow, the only solace the older man found was in spoiling Sorcha, the family member unaware of his 'fall from grace', or that there had been a 'better' life before.

- After Hogwarts -
Keenan went straight into the rigorous training program at St. Mungos to become a healer, as planned. During his apprentice years, he learned the heart breaking truth that there are some things a wizard just can't fix… and that sometimes wizard healing just doesn't work on a muggle. He did find, though, that healing was truly what he was called to do. He had a gift for it, and it came naturally to him as if it was an extension of his existence. He decided to specialize in two disciplines, a difficult path, but he tackled it as with everything else, head on and whole hearted. Potion and Plant Poisoning and Spell Damage were two of the most difficult courses of study, and him in Fellowship a year more than most Healers.

Sloan went to the Ministry, and seemed to fling himself almost as whole heartedly into his auror training, and the boys lost track of each other.

Lindy also went into the Ministry to become an Auror, but she found time to have fun, and was one of the few, if not only people, that could drag Keenan out for a night of dancing and/or drinking.

Niamh inherited the MacDiarmada Apothecary, a shop on Diagon Alley that had been in their mother's side of the family for centuries. It came complete with two floors of flats above. One was connected directly to the shop from inside, where Niamh took up residence. Keenan moved into the third floor flat, that had it's own entrance from the outside.

After finishing his studies, Keenan continued on at St. Mungo's, now wearing the lime green robes of the Healer. While he worked primarily in the Spell Damage Ward, he could often be found working in the Plant and Potions Poisoning Ward. He was often seen flirting or working with Clover, but again, though they were close and at times took care of each other, it never became a relationship.
Having lunch with his mother was how he kept in touch with family, and bonded even more closely with her. When she finally retired, he missed these times spent with her.

By the time his father was able to retire by muggle standards, Keenan had saved enough money to buy a cottage in Cornwall on the ocean. With the talents of his younger brother, they were able to subtly enlarge the interior with a little wizarding space, and install a fireplace that hooked to the floo network so all the children could visit easily. The kitchen of the cottage is never cramped, and the table never too small for however many show up for Sunday dinner.

With all the responsibility he had taken on himself, supporting himself and his younger siblings through Hogwarts, taking Sorcha for her first shopping for Hogwarts supplies, Keenan never took time for himself, or a woman. When he needed, he'd go somewhere, and with the same casual charm he'd discovered at Hogsmeade weekends, he'd find a woman to scratch his itch, and go home, alone. He never had the same woman twice, and he never brought any of them home to his flat. The only two women that he was seen in the company of regularly, and showed any fondness, Lindy and Clover, never became more than close friends. He lived a solitary life, but never seemed to have any idea that he should change that.

One night, Sloan appeared at MacDiarmada's Apothecary at closing time, with a wounded companion. Sloan, by now, was an auror working deep undercover, a cover which could have been blown if they went to St. Mungo's for the necessary healing. Keenan healed the man in the back storeroom, and sent him on his way. The incident concerned the healer that Keenan had become. He realized that Sloan's friend might have been left to die or be forever maimed because he was on the wrong side of the law, rather than risk questions at St. Mungo's that might bring the aurors down on him.

He took this dilemma to an old Hogwarts friend who had made herself a comfortable living by seducing men with money for what she wanted. As money was the object for her, some of those men that weren't always on the right side of the law, either. Through her persuasion a lot of seedy money was spent to set up a secret hospital room in the back of the apothecary shop, with only Keenan and Niamh as the secret keepers for the room. She also helped him in another way, spending a good amount of time teaching the honest, forthright Irishman the tricks of deception and misleading, so that he wouldn't give away the secret. So far, there has been 'honor among thieves' as the people that have needed his services are too interested in their own health to put Keenan in jeopardy with the authorities.

Quirks

  • Code of Honor
  • Magnetic
  • Rake
  • Wealth: Comfortable

RP Hooks

  • Eirann go Bragh! - Keenan and his family history are very much entrenched in the political turmoil in Ireland. Do you have something similar or are against such things? Political RP of the more Muggle nature in this is welcomed.
  • Backroom Healer - Keenan has a secret clinic in the back room of his family apothecary. Servicing patients that don't exactly want their injuries reported to the M.L.E. or to become public knowledge. Need a Healer and don't want questions asked?
  • Against UNITY - Unity movement? I'm Irish, we've already been 'Unified' once… not again, thank you.
  • St. Mungo's Healer - Keenan specializes in Potions and Plant Poisoning as well as Spell Damage. If your character has any injury or ailment that falls into these two categories give a tug for a healing scene.

Logs

Logs featuring Keenan Logs that refer to Keenan

Relationships

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Eamon O'Shea
Father - Some things can never be fixed, but perhaps they aren't meant to be.

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Eilidh O'Shea nee MacDiarmarda
Mother - My inspiration and wisdom, time has proved the hope she holds to be right.

Veruca

Veruca
M'fhíorghrá. My wife.
I thought her lost, and she's all the more precious for having been returned. I'll never let her go again.

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Nevina
Mo stóirín. My daughter.
She's perfect.

Niamh

Niamh
Little Sister - The hole in my heart, never forgotten.

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Padraig
Little Brother

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Seosiamh
Little Brother

Sorcha

Sorcha
Baby Sister

Sloan

Sloan
Best. Mate. Ever.

Edwarlinda

Edwarlinda
Best drinking/dancing buddy

Clover

Clover
Mungo's confederate

Gallery

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