Gideon

This character is retired, and is no longer in play. Gideon took a position as Magistrate of Glasgow.

The Hammer
Portrayed by Kevin McKidd
Name: Adamantus Gideon
Aliases: Gid, Adam (among Muggles), "The Hammer"
Birthday: June 4, 1899
Position: Hit Wizard
Lineage: Half-blood

The air in the basement was so thick and musky, it was like wading through a swamp full of sour milk and bitter whiskey. With the first breath I just about lost the haggis I'd had for lunch. It did nothing to help that twisted feeling I'd had in my gut since the moment I read Fat Charlie's note. But that sickly stench was nothing compared to what I saw once I lit up my wand with a whispered, "Lumos". — The memoirs of Adamantus Gideon

Description

A pair of steely blue-grey eyes stare outward with intense scrutiny. Ginger hair and a short, scruffy beard frame a face lined with years of tireless toil and tribulation. Whether standing still or on the move, Gideon looms with a domineering presence, always poised to act, and ready to take control of any situation. He favors simple clothing, typically seen in a longcoat and fedora.

Background

Adamantus Gideon was born in Glasgow to an unwed witch. His father, a wealthy Muggle with a wife and other children, provided them with a modest income (largely to keep them quiet about his extramarital affair), and even saw his bastard son on occasion. As a youth, Adamantus imagined his father to be a great man, convincing himself that one day he would marry his mother and they would be a family. But as he got older, the reality of the situation became more apparent to him. He was a dirty little secret, and while his father may have had some kind of love for him, it was always shrouded by shame.

Growing up in Glasgow wasn't easy. Violence and poverty were a daily struggle. Though the stipend from Adamantus' father arrived promptly on the first of every month, his mother would squander much of it on drink. Adamantus himself was hardened early by the difficult life they lead. He came home bruised and bloodied on many occasions after encounters with local street toughs. But he was a stubborn lad, and refused to back down to such lowlifes. Most of his altercations came about when he would step in to defend those who were smaller and weaker. In time, he was tempered and toughened by these conflicts, and started to earn a reputation as someone not to be tangled with lightly.

Hogwarts

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a severe change for Adamantus. He had difficulty adjusting to an environment that wasn't dog-eat-dog, as he was used to. Although, being sorted into Gryffindor, he naturally found himself mixed up in all of the nastiest confrontations with rival house Slytherin. Whether it was an argument in the halls, a fight in the courtyard, or overzealous competition on the Quidditch pitch, somehow Adamantus was almost always there. If it weren't for the wisdom of one special professor, the boy might have gone down a much darker path.

Wand

Twelve and a half inches, blackthorn, unyielding, with a dragon heartstring core.

Memoirs

Gideon has been going over his journals, and is considering publishing them as his memoirs.

Professor Merrythought saw through Adamantus' frequent detentions and loss of house points, recognizing that his troublesome ways stemmed from a harsh home life and an overzealous sense of justice. She took him under her wing, insisting upon private Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons to give her time to try to reach him. Though he was initially mistrusting and resentful for the extra work being forced on him, her patience and understanding eventually won out. He came to respect her immensely, and in time she was able to show him other ways of channeling his anger and how he could continue to right wrongs without making the situation even worse.

By the end of his fifth year, Adamantus had already decided that he wanted to work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. With Professor Merrythought's help, he passed the necessary O.W.L.s to eventually become a Hit Wizard. Though he briefly considered trying to quality to become an Auror, he felt that was too specialized, and wanted to combat evil in all its forms.

The M.L.E.

Though given direction by Professor Merrythought, Adamantus was still a wizard with a heavy chip on his shoulder. But as a Hit Wizard, he was able to focus his rage toward something productive. He quickly became known as a no-nonsense enforcer of the law, willing to bend (and occasionally break) the rules to see justice done. He has frequently worked alongside Aurors when his cases veer into Dark magic territory, and just as frequently found himself on the receiving end of disciplinary action for overstepping his bounds. Despite his temper, his superiors know that he is dedicated to protecting the innocent, and a man that gets results. His rise through the ranks has been slow, but his reputation has carried him further than a new title ever could.

Lyla

Adamantus and Lyla Gideon
Adamantus and Lyla Gideon

Gideon's career nearly ended in 1931. For several years, he had worked alongside a hit witch called Lyla Davenport. Everyone around them could see the sparks between them long before they did, themselves. But it was inevitable. The two fell in love, and at the 1930 Ministry Christmas Party, he proposed. Eight months later, they were married, and before long, Lyla was expecting.

But agents of the M.L.E. make plenty of enemies, and Adamantus and Lyla were no exception. Piero Montague was a powerful figure in the criminal underworld, and the couple had cost the gangster plenty. Normally, Piero wouldn't dare strike directly against a Hit Wizard. But with Lyla on maternity leave, resting at her family home in the country, it was easy to make the fire look like an accident.

Adamantus was devastated. The one bright point in his life had be snuffed out, with him far away in London, unable to protect his wife and unborn child. He turned in his badge and walked out of the M.L.E., his fighting spirit shattered.

But his Hit Wizard instincts were not so easily smothered. Something about the entire situation gnawed at him. The facts didn't add up. Lyla was an extremely cautious person, not prone to accident, nor to being caught unawares. So he started going to the places where one gets hidden information. It took a few not-so-subtle threats and broken arms, but soon Gideon got the answer he was looking for. It was an assassination, ordered by none other than Piero Montague.

Four months to the day after walking away from law enforcement, Adamantus Gideon was reinstated, and fully prepared to go to war. Now it was personal, and he vowed that Montague would pay dearly for what he took.

Turning Private Eye

Eventually, Gideon found that his efforts to bring Montague to justice were hindered by his position in the Magical Law Enforcement Squad more than they were helped. Bureaucratic red tape and regulations limited what he could do, and Montague knew how to work the system. So, in the spring of 1938, after helping to see the Dark wizard Magnus Troy sent to Azkaban, Gideon turned in his badge, resigning from his position at the Ministry.

But his pursuit of justice wasn't over. He gathered his savings, and put them toward opening a small office of his own in London, and advertised himself to wizards and Muggles both as a private investigator.

Quirks

Relentless Like a dog with a bone, once Gideon's set his mind to something, he doesn't let go.
Steely Gaze Many a spineless criminal has shaken under his intimidating glare.
Soft Spot for Kids Despite his tough exterior, Gideon loves children, and will go out of his way to help them, whether by protecting them from bullies, buying a poor kid a meal, or spending some time with a troubled youth to set them on the straight and narrow.
Hard-Boiled Reputation Gideon was well-known among the Ministry and the criminal element as a tough-as-nails Hit Wizard who doesn't always go by the book. Now he's bringing that reputation to his role as a streetsmart P.I.
Wealth: Comfortable Though the flow of money can be erratic as a private investigator, Gideon's spartan lifestyle helps to keep his costs down.

RP Hooks

  • Are you a victim? He's here to protect and serve.
  • Are you a criminal? He's here to make your life harder.
  • Kids will always come first for him.
  • Can't resist coming to the defense of those in trouble.
  • Glaswegian Scot; speaks in a very noticeable brogue.
  • Amateur musician. He occasionally plays on Friday nights at a quiet little London pub called The Dog and Bone.

Logs

Relationships

Carmichael

Carmichael
People don't get Carmichael. It's obvious he's got pain in his past, and he's got that Scottish fire in his kettle. Some of us simmer under the lid, others boil over. I dinnae know if he'll ever get it under control, so I'd best look out for him to keep him from destroying everything he's built.

Elly

Elly
This bonnie girl's been serving me drinks since she was in school. She's a little too tolerant of grabby customers, so I occasionally need to show them what happens to groping hands. Our relationship veered too close to something she was never prepared for. Frankly, she deserves better (and younger) than me.

Galatea

Galatea
She believed in me when nobody else would. Without her, I'd probably have ended up in Azkaban by now.

Keenan

Keenan
I cannae say my brother-in-law and I have ever really gotten along all that well. I respect what he does, and I think he means well. But leave us near each other too long, and pretty soon it's like cats and dogs.

Niamh

Niamh
Nae since Lyla died did I allow myself to feel something like that for anyone. But Niamh calmed me. She listened, and dinnae demand that I give more than I felt I could. She knew it was dangerous to be associated with me, but she chose to face those risks. I wanted to push her away for her own safety. But I could'nae…and I was nae sure it was my right to. We grew closer over time, steadily, carefully laying the foundation for the future. In time, I made her my wife, and I was happy. But then…it happened again. Fire claimed another bride. Now there is nothing. I am alone, and my fine woman is taken from me.

Sorcha

Sorcha
My sister-in-law is a good girl, and lively. It's been hard getting to know her, but I think a lot of that is a generational gap.

Gallery

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