Variel

This character is retired, and is no longer in play.

Ambition and Anxiety
Portrayed by Stephen Joffe
Name: Variel Ignatius Weasley
Aliases: Varry
Birthday: October 17th, 1922
Position: Student: Gryffindor
Lineage: Pure-Blood

Description

Variel Weasley takes pains with his appearance. He's cleanshaven- not that it takes much work to stay that way- and his red hair carefully groomed, never slicked down or unruly. His blue eyes are sharp, intelligent and constantly appraising the events around him, and his robes and clothing aren't just stylish, they're very well tailored. While lanky, his garments fit him perfectly, close-in where they can emphasize his wiry athleticism and just loose enough in others to avoid drawing attention to the more awkward ways his body finds itself mid-development. Scarlet and gold accent his robes and tie, the latter of which has the Weasley family seal embroidered and prominently on display. As of late, his wardrobe has been of increasingly fine materials, thanks to a few high-profile commissions bringing in enough fabric for a new set of outfits- and all of them accented with the silver Eye Of Truth medallion marking him as a member of the Magijugend.

Background

Variel Weasley was born on October 17th of 1922 to Avitus Morgan Weasley and his wife, Athena nee Mulciber. Their first child, Variel enjoyed the privilege of being a pure-blooded wizard and the disadvantage of being born to a family stretched beyond its means. Though his mother was cheerful and encouraged Variel's drive for success, young Variel was frustrated that, despite his mother's talents as a Healer, their growing family meant they had ever less and less to go around. He grew up convinced that between talent and hard-earned skill, one could- and would- do anything he set himself to accomplish, and while he still loves his father, he harbors a little bitterness at his lack of ambition. While his parents were certainly loving, Variel's growing frustration at how tight things became as more and more siblings found their way into his family led him to develop two beloved talents- fluting and sewing. While he's no slouch with a flute- he's preferential towards the tin whistle, enjoying the energetic, rambunctious Irish songs he's picked up along the way as a means of escape and relaxation, he's also a devoted and accomplished tailor, talented at repairing and improving old clothing to develop new, fashionable outfits that don't expose the wear or quality of the materials. He enjoys the challenge of designing new and interesting clothing from worn, second-hand materials.

When Variel arrived at Hogwarts in 1933, it was a little difficult to know precisely how to react to the boy. He was pure-blooded but didn't come from money, and yet frequently dressed himself remarkably well, his robes and clothing all impeccably tailored. On top of that, he made no bones about making friends with people from all houses, nor lending his talents to their side. When it came out in his third year that he was sewing and tailoring his own clothing, more than a few students took it upon themselves to try to make fun of him- but, unfortunately for them, he'd been doing adjustments and tailoring for students in every house for two years already, and anyone brash enough to make fun of Variel inevitably found themselves at the tail end of some Slytherin-themed pranks. After a few months of this, and the realization that a number of the best-dressed students were having their clothes altered or sewn by Variel, the teasing stopped and the waiting list grew.

An avid student with more ambition than he really knew what to do with, Variel set his sights high and didn't let up. Electing into Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes AND Arithmancy, Variel maintained high marks in Charms, Potions and Transfiguration, though the escalating challenge of complex Charms saw his phenomenal first and second year scores slip slowly as the years went on. A remarkable aptitude for defending against the Dark Arts, however, has left him in the position of offering tutoring lessons- though these are often given around a needle and thread while he works on his latest tailoring tasks. A firm studying discipline helped him manage passable grades in his other courses, leaving him relieved when he passed his O.W.L.s with flying colors. Being passed over for Prefect remains a minor point of contention, but he keeps quiet and focuses on preparing for his future.

As his sixth year dawned, Variel had to abandon most of his free time freelance tailoring and playing his music- to continue the coursework towards consideration as a Gringotts Curse-Breaker, he had to take on a grueling course of five N.E.W.T.s- Potions, Ancient Runes (a course in which he has proven quite talented), Transfiguration, Defense Against The Dark Arts… and Charms. This final course had him nearing quietly-masked panic as he realized he might be in over his head- if he couldn't find a way to wrap his head around the new, complex charms, not only would he be rejected from candidacy as a Curse Breaker… but he wouldn't even qualify to seek a position as an Auror. Ironically, abandoning his hobby in favor of his studies left him no real outlet for the stress, leaving him high-strung and irritable as his drive to succeed made it ever less likely.

Quirks

Intense: Variel doesn't do things in half-measures. Less a lack of control and more a result of his fierce inclinations, whether he's angry, protective or defiant, Variel puts his all into everything he does.
Strong-Willed: You may have an easier time convincing the Whomping Willow to attend a tea party than changing Variel's mind about something he's decided.
Shoot For The Moon: Ambition hardly covers Variel's determination to succeed in big ways. He always aims for the most elusive, prestigious target he can find and goes for it with ferocious passion- even if he doesn't make it there, his attempts are typically impressive.
Disillusioned: The Sykes' bloodbath ruined Variel's sensibilities towards lesser bloods. While he has a few friends in the category already, he's not at all inclined to make more, and he's been vocal about the fact that the status quo isn't good enough- isn't safe enough- as it is.
Wealth: Poor: Athena brings in pretty good money, but there's rather a lot of us kids, and Avitus's magazine doesn't really make up the difference.

RP Hooks

Wand

10 & 3/4 Inches inches, Vine, Pliable, with a Dragon Heartstring core.

Vinewand.jpg

Pet

Clever is Variel's pet grass snake. He found the snake in his backyard and adopted it, much to his family's chagrin. Clever is kept at home for the time being, while Variel figures out how best to get permission to keep his friend at school.

Clever.jpg
  • Local: Variel lives in Hogsmeade, and has his whole life. If you're stuck at school over a holiday, or in town on business, there's a more than decent chance you might run into Variel around town- or mistake him for one of his four siblings!
  • House: Variel doesn't spend overmuch time in the Gryffindor common room, but he's there now and again, usually tailoring one or another article of clothing. Is that Slytherin silver and green he's taking in? Or the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw?
  • Music: Variel has begun playing music again! Easy enough to catch him in one of his relatively rare sessions, though- check the auditorium or the hills near the school.
  • Study Groups: Whether he's leading a group pondering Defense Against the Dark Arts or participating in any of his other NEWT courses, there's plenty of chances to have studied alongside Variel.
  • Charms: Variel has settled in to study with a vengeance. He's caught up with the majority of his classmates, and is determined to do better yet!
  • FASHION!: Though he's accepting far, far less in recent times, Variel still takes on adjustments and tailoring jobs when it suits him- usually for closer friends or to build bridges with acquaintances he's not yet made any real connection with. Feel free to approach him and ask!
  • Politics: Variel is firmly in Grindelwald's camp when it comes to his overarching politics. He sees no reason to mistreat the lesser blooded on a personal level, however, and retains some of his friends from before the Sykes gala- but has little interest in new ones.

Logs

Logs featuring Variel Logs that refer to Variel

Journal

Variel's Journal Entries Others' Journal Entries About Variel

Relationships

Avitus

Avitus
That's Da. He's a good fellow, don't you doubt it for a second- but not much for ambition. I know he thinks the world of all of us kids, but there's kind of a lot of us- wish he'd do a little more to try to help Ma with providing.

Gallery

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