Penwick

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Backstory
Cecilia Forrest grew up in a fully magical English household, surrounded by rolling hills and green grass. As a child, she was repeatedly told things like “Muggles don’t understand art,” “Muggles don’t dress properly,” and “Muggles live terribly dreary lives.” Naturally, she became curious.
After graduating from Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw, she spent years traveling through non-magical communities under increasingly questionable disguises, working temporary jobs, attending garden parties she absolutely was not invited to, and once accidentally becoming the treasurer of a seaside knitting club for nearly six months before quietly disappearing
The more she traveled, the more she became convinced that wizarding society had a terrible habit of flattening entire groups of people into neat little assumptions. Muggles were “boring.” Goblins were “greedy.” Centaurs were “difficult.” Hags were “uncivilized.” Everyone had a story about everyone else, and very few people had actually bothered speaking to them.
By the time Penwick offered her the position of Professor of Non-Wizarding Perspectives, Cecilia had developed both a genuine love for non-magical culture and a deep belief that curiosity was one of the most important traits a person could cultivate.
Unfortunately, she also developed a catastrophically romanticized view of nearly everything.

Appearance
Professor Forrest dresses like she stepped out of a vintage postcard. Wide-brimmed straw hats, fitted dresses, gloves, soft capes, little handbags, polished heels, oversized bows; every outfit is perfectly coordinated and absolutely impractical for the mountains of Snowdonia.
She favors warm creams, soft yellows, pale ginghams, and floral accents. Even her winter clothing somehow looks spring-like. Her dark hair is carefully styled in glossy curls, though the weather constantly attempts to ruin them. With bright lipstick, pearl earrings, and delicate perfume to complete a look, she always looks delighted to be wherever she currently is.

Personality
Cecilia is pure optimism in human form. She approaches the world with relentless warmth, endless curiosity, and the unwavering belief that almost everything can become “a lovely learning experience.”
She is emotionally transparent, easily excited, and genuinely charmed by small things. Rain on windows. Nice handwriting. Pastries. Clever button designs. Little cafés. Dogs in sweaters.
Cecilia also has a tendency to commit very confidently to incorrect assumptions, especially regarding modern Muggle trends. She once spent an entire lesson teaching students that all Muggles “adore jazz clubs,” based entirely on one holiday in France. She means well. Always.

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Where to find Professor Forrest

Non-Wizarding Perspectives Classroom (Very Common)
Cecilia spends much of her free time reorganizing displays, rotating seasonal decorations, making tea, or preparing for future lessons. She has a seemingly unending collection of exotic teas that students are welcome to help themselves to at any time.

Castle Grounds
Often spotted wandering the grounds in impractical shoes and a broad straw hat, usually carrying tea, flowers, or an armful of books. She can be found grading work outdoors when the weather allows.

Brynwell High Street
Particularly during weekends, Cecilia can be found browsing little clothing boutiques, accessory stalls, and antique shops. She has a weakness for ribbons, gloves, hats, handbags, and tiny decorative trinkets that are simply too charming to leave behind.

Avoids:
The Subterranium (as much as she can) and muddy areas.

Teaching Style
Cecilia believes people learn best when they are emotionally engaged, even if that occasionally means her lessons drift slightly off course.

In years one and two, when classes focus on literacy, mathematics and science, lessons tend to be energetic and hands-on. She utilizes worksheets, coloring, and interactive games and activities to help her students learn. Muggle students may feel a bit patronized, but most from the wizarding world find it easy to understand and follow. and everyday life skills. Cecilia treats even the simplest concepts with complete sincerity, which has led to first years receiving passionate lectures on pencils, addition, and the emotional importance of the water cycle.

From the third year onward, as the course shifts towards ecilia approaches these topics with the same warmth and curiosity, encouraging students to examine traditions, conflicts, values, and misunderstandings from multiple angles. She places strong emphasis on empathy and observation, often pushing students to question assumptions they did not realize they held.

While her lessons are often lighthearted, Cecilia becomes quietly disappointed when students dismiss another culture, tradition, or community without genuine effort to understand it. In her view, curiosity is a responsibility, not merely a personality trait.


RP Hooks
1. Professor Forrest always wears a golden pin on her outfits. What could this mean?
2. Holidays and festivals are very important to Cecilia, and will decorate her classroom for each one. Sometimes a bit too much. She's always happy for a helping hand to create decorations, put them up/arrange them, or take them down.
3. Cecilia occasionally becomes convinced that a completely ordinary non-magical object or custom is “deeply symbolic,” and may spend an entire lesson passionately explaining its supposed significance.


Sample Dialogue
“Oh, isn’t that lovely?”
“You’re all being terribly cynical about this.”
“You know, I had a mermaid as a penpal when I was younger.”
“Now, technically this is called a toaster. I, however, like to call them 'sunkissers'.”
“Oh dear, my hat’s gone again.”