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Handle: dai
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Over 18? yup!
Characters Played: n/a (apping in vax'ildan from critical role)

THE CHARACTER

Character Name: James Potter
Series: Harry Potter
Canon Point: First Wizarding War
Character Age: 21
Background: james potter; hpverse; first wizarding war

Personality:

❝You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart.
Their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;❞

The thing about James Potter that many may not realize (or if they realize they may not understand) is that as much as he may have been sorted into what seems to be his perfect house, it is his house that really, truly, made him the man he lived to be. Died being.

Raised as an only child to two fairly older, relatively wealthy pure blood wizards, James grew up pampered and cocky. Some might even say spoiled, but really it was just a sense of nativity. His parents kept him from the dangers and complexities of wizarding politics, and instead raised to be kind hearted and honest. True. They taught him difference between right and wrong and to always, always do what's right, when you can. And despite his early school years, where James was depicted as being cruel, and quite a bully, it was more out of a misunderstood sense of what he thought he was allowed to do and be, versus what he actually should be. That's no excuse, of course. A bully is a bully and James Potter got carried away with the power trip of it all, but it was not because he was malicious. He was just a boy trying to find his place in a new school, and just missed a step along the way.

James, like most Gryffindors, was known to be loud. Boastful. Out-going. Bold. Daring. Stubborn and at times quite cocky. As far as he was concerned, he was untouchable (relatively) and as long as he wasn't a complete git, he'd be fine. This served him well (but did not serve others well) in his various escapades. Like many schoolboys at his age, James was a fun-seeking troublemaker, and with Sirius at his side, he was quite the menace. He would play pranks on innocent students passing him in the hallway for a good laugh, and was known to set up elaborate jokes much like Fred and George would, for the sake of causing chaos and not much more. He and Sirius were the masterminds behind most of the Marauder pranks, and he loved the thrill of it, the laughter it would bring. Usually it was all in good fun; most of the time, actually, unless it involved Snape. But that was a little more complicated.

The thing about James, the reason he made such connections like his friendships with Sirius and Remus, and his eventual relationship with Lily, is partly because of his absolute and total dedication to those he cares about. Which, for James, tended to extend to quite a few people. He was naturally trusting, and was known for being quite popular - a funny guy that most would consider a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance. And for those who made it past that first level, who bonded with James a little deeper than just 'friends', could be confident in knowing that he accepted them and cared for them wholly and completely. He would do anything he needed to for his friends, would go above and beyond if it meant keeping them safe. Remus' werewolf problem was just one example, where when James and Sirius found out, went out of their way to make sure Remus knew he was still their best friend, and they went on to research an extremely difficult spell just so he wouldn't have to be alone. Because of his parents, who were wonderful people, James grew up being loved and learning how to love. So when he got to school, made friends of his own, it made sense to him to love them as much as he loves his parents. They were his family, after all, and when you're brought up in such an environment as James, things like loving and caring about your friends was as natural as breathing. James could be a little reckless, when it came to caring about people, but it didn't matter. He would jump into the fire if it meant saving someone, even if they weren't particularly close with him, which is probably one of the reasons he was appointed to Head Boy. That unabashed protective streak, and simple ability to care for others.

Like mentioned before, James was a bit of a prideful kid. He liked to show off, and it didn't help that he was actually fairly clever and talented, both in more hands-on spells and Quidditch, and he was known to go out of his way to try and impress those around him - namely, girls. He was clever enough to win over their Head of House, Professor McGonagall, which made sense - James was smart (he just didn't like to put effort into it) and he had a good heart. Quite chivalrous, James Potter, and he had a special side to him reserved for special women - and by that, he of course means Lily Evans (and his favorite professor). James would pull out all the stops if he needed to, and did quite often, even though they were more often than not seen as jokes than serious courting techniques (though he will never NOT have those silly muggle sonnets memorized). He cared about people, was loyal to a fault to his friends, and really quite charming. Endearing. And he grew out of most of his more negative personality traits, mostly his trouble-making and bullying ones, enough to not only become Head Boy but to win over the love of his life, his crush for years, Lily Evans.

And as much as James was a playful, joking friend - he was honest in love. Lily Evans, despite deciding before either was even sorted that she hated him, was the object of James' affections for all seven years, going out of his way to try (and fail) to impress the unbelievably intelligent and snarky redhead. It was, in a way, because she resisted him so that he continued his attempts, making fairly bold moves to try and win her over, and until their later years, each to no end. Thankfully, as he grew up, Lily started to notice the better parts of his personality - the highlights, if you will - and agreed to date him, and later marry him.

Because James, like most people, grew up. He started off school over-confident, cocky and ego-centric. He found friends that he loved, and stuck to them like glue. Realized his talents, his faults, his strengths and his weaknesses and he continued to grow even then. It's hard to imagine life for a boy, who thought he had the whole world on his shoulders, up until his seventeenth year. Within the span of a year and a half, James experienced the death of both his parents, the attempted murder by his best friend, the crumbling of the wizarding world into an inevitable, awful war, wore the Head Boy badge with pride, and was finally able to convince the low of his life to marry him. It was a growth year, and personality-wise James appeared to grow years in the span of that one, but with a war on your doorstep you really don't have any other option. Responsibility has that effect on people. And for someone who always just naturally fell into that leadership role, it meant something a little more to him. It meant the lives of his family, his friends, and the rest of the wizarding world as he knew it.

To put simply, James was a rebellious, mischievous, natural-born leader who was extremely kind-hearted and a loyal friend. But after graduating, he toned down a bit. Matured a little. He stuck to his friends and believed in the good of people, that the good would eventually win this war. And perhaps he was a little too trusting, especially when it concerned his friends, but if asked - James would much rather die because he trusted too much, rather than dying alone.

Powers/Abilities:

>> magic! list of spells in the hpverse can be found here.
>> athleticism. James was a very talented quidditch player, and while it may not be the most incredible set of talents, he does sit at a comfortable 'above average athletic talents'.
>> animagus, in which he can turn himself - at will - into a stag.

Power Nerfs (if applicable): James is a talented wizard, yes, but he's no Chosen One. And he's certainly no Dark Lord. He knows a fair amount of magic and can hold his own, but his powers are nowhere near universe-breaking.

Inventory:

>> wand: mahogany in make, 11 inches, pliable - excellent for transfiguration
>> outfit: slacks, button up shirt, sweater
>> accessories: glasses (round), wedding ring (gold).

Incentives: With the promise that his still-sleeping loved ones will be safe and will remain safe, James will agree to just about anything. Especially if he was able to get confirmation that his son and wife were included in those still sleeping and therefore will remain safe here.

SAMPLES

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