This character is retired, and is no longer in play.
The Exotic Healer |
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Portrayed by Sonam Kapoor |
Name: | Ranjali Acharya Winterthorne |
Aliases: | (Rahn-jah-lee) Jali |
Birthday: | January 16, 1910 |
Position: | Spell Damage, Memory Charms |
Lineage: | Half-Blood |
Description
Ranjali is a tall, thin woman with the distinctive complexion and features of an Indian woman. Slightly taller than average for her age, she possesses a thin build with slight curves. Her features are wide, her nose almost perfectly straight and her mouth and dark eyes large and expressive. Her hair is the same deep shade of brown as her eyes, and when loose hangs down nearly to her waist in loose curls.
Background
Arthur Aurelius Winterthorne was the middle child of a prestigious British family. Nobility with distant relations to the royal family, the family had a long history of grandeur and tradition. Arthur was sent into the British Army, as the second sons of his family had been for generations. He served well, receiving the honors and awards expected by his parents, and was given leave when his tour ended to visit the home of one of his fellow soldiers in India, and pay respects to the man, who had been wounded in battle saving Arthur. While in India, he met and instantly fell in love with the love of his life. Her name was Sakina Adhoor, and it wasn't until nearly a year after he began courting her that she revealed to him that she was a witch.
Shocked, but too deeply in love to change his mind, Arthur proposed marriage to Sakina. As Sakina's family was also an old and prestigious one, the Winterthornes were only slightly disapproving of his choice of a foreign bride. The Adhoor family, which had been pureblood since as far back as any existing records, was not so forgiving. They threatened everything, including disinheritance, to try and dissuade their daughter. None of it worked. Sakina moved to England with Arthur, and the two were married in a fantastically expensive ceremony of mixed traditions.
Their first child was born two years later. A son with the features of his father and the dark coloring of his mother, Sebastian was loved and admired from the moment he was born. His charm and exotic looks made him wildly popular at Hogwarts, where he was sorted into Gryffindor and joined the Quidditch team as a chaser.
Wand
Ranjali's wand is and 11" Black Walnut wand with a Dragon Heartstring core.
Pet
Ranjali was given large silver-gray cat when she turned eleven, and which she promptly named Anousha
Owl
Thora's owl, Rupert, stayed with Ranjali
Ranjali, three years younger, grew up mostly in her brother's shadow. A more quiet child, she never minded too terribly that he got most of the attention. Sorted into Hufflepuff, she managed to find a place all her own within her house, and learned that she had an affinity for charms, which became her focus as she grew older. She found memory charms especially fascinating, and continued to collect material on the subject throughout her years at Hogwarts. She excelled in potions and herbology as well, and after an accident sent her brother to the hospital wing during a match began to research and move toward using her gifts as a healer.
The Winterthorne children's early teens were strange and rather unique. When it was discovered that they had both been accepted into the school Sakina's parents apparated suddenly in the Winterthorne mansion and announced their intent to be a presence in the children's lives. After an intensely strained conversation with Sakina and Arthur, it was decided that the siblings would spend half of each summer in India with the Sakoor family, learning about their heritage. Bastian wasn't crazy about the 'vacations', he preferred his life in England. Ranjali was at first uncomfortable as well, but she became enchanted eventually with learning about her mother's culture, which had always seemed so mysterious to her. She discovered an interest in dancing, and was allowed to train with a distant aunt who was a highly-respected performer.
At school she began to gain a reputation as Bastian's mysterious sister. She remained quiet, had only a small group of friends, and politely refused the potential suitors who began to approach her. She already had her eye on someone else, after all. A quidditch player. Named Thora Ashwick.
To her complete and utter shock, Thora confessed to returning her affections, and the two began seeing each other discreetly during Ranjali's sixth year. Mindful of the prejudice in her father's world, Ranjali preferred to keep things secret. But after being caught snogging in the halls by a prefect and sent to the nearest professor, who couldn't have cared less about the gender of the snogging couple, she began to see that amongst the wizards she and Thora could have the life that they would be denied in the Muggle world.
The relationship continued after graduation. Ranjali joined the healers of St. Mungo's and the Spell Damage team. Thora was accepted as a keeper of the Wimbourne Wasps in 1928. Initially the couple lived apart, but as it became more and more difficult to see one another when Thora wasn't with the team, they decided to purchase a small flat in London together. For a year they lived in the flat, Thora flying down whenever she could. They lived like newlyweds, and it was truly blissful.
During the summer of the next year, Ranjali was called into St. Mungo's, but not to fill in for someone. There had been an accident while Thora and a teammate were flying down, both arrived in critical condition, but only the teammate survived the night.
For nearly two months Ranjali stayed in the flat, doing only the basics needed to survive. Parents, coworkers and friends tried to coax her outside, but she politely thanked each and sent them on their way. In the end, it was the survivor of the accident who finally brought her back out amongst the living. He had lost some of his memory after the accident, and a meddling witch from St Mungos had decided to send him to Ranjali, suggesting that she might try to help him with a memory charm. The meddling worked, and within another month Ranjali was back at work.
The next years were quiet. Ranjali continued to help the accident's survivor and continued her work. She also began to research and experiment with new kinds of memory charms in her free time, and slowly began to pack away the bulk of Thora's things, making the place her own. Only in the past year or so has she started considering that she might, perhaps, find someone else she could love. Largely, though, the thought has been far too daunting to pursue.
Quirks
- Mistreated Minority: Half-Indian: Usually only an issue in the Muggle world, Ranjali's Indian heritage and coloring definitely make her stand out in a crowd.
- Mistreated Minority: Homosexual: As with her heritage, Ranjali's preference for women is really only an issue in her father's world. Because of this, she is used to keeping it a secret, and has only recently become more willing to speak of it.
- Wealth: Comfortable: Ranjali's brother, Bastian, will inherit the Winterthorne estate. Ranjali has access to the family money, and is given regular gifts from her parents, but for day-to-day living she gets by on her income from St. Mungo's.
- Tragic Past: Ranjali's wife, Thora, died in a broom accident a few years ago. Ranjali hasn't fully overcome her grief, and is quite certain she never really will.
RP Hooks
- St. Mungo's: Injured? Come see me. Work there too? We should get together and share funny patient stories!
- Charms: Ranjali is known professionally for her work with charms, and her recent experiments with memory charms.
- Wife of Famous Quidditch Player: Thora was a Member of the Wimbourne Wasps, and as her wife Ranjali was a fixture at many Quidditch events before Thora's death. She has recently begun to reappear at games and events. Do you play Quidditch? You might know her.
- Class of 1928: Did you graduate that year? We might have known one another
- Hufflepuff: Ranjali was a Hufflepuff, and though she wasn't very outgoing her distinctive looks did make her stand out a bit at school. You might have seen her, or have known her brother, Bastian (the far more outgoing Gryffindor a few years ahead of her)
Logs
Logs featuring Ranjali | Logs that refer to Ranjali |