Penwick

OVERVIEW

Raised in the dust-choked, sun-bleached lands of Western Australia, Archer Murray is a bright-eyed conversationalist. Though unfamiliar with the Wizarding World, he is ready to experience the dangers and wonders it has to offer.

ARCHER MURRAY

THE BASICS
Name: Archer Oliver Murray
Role: Bright-eyed conversationalist
Gender: Male | He/him pronouns
Age: 11 | Born 13th of August, 2014
Sexuality: Unlabelled
Nationality: Australian
Birthplace: Newman, Western Australia
Residence: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Race: Versatile human
Personality type: ENFP
Alignment: Neutral good
Year: First year
Blood status: Half-blood
House: House Modron
Wand: English oak, 29 centimetres, unicorn hair core, flexible

APPEARANCE
An eleven-year-old Australian boy standing at 144 centimetres (4'9) with a lean, athletic build suggesting a love of outdoor play. He has oval-shaped facial features and warm-beige skin, with a birthmark present on his chest. He has short, ruffled, dirty-blonde hair and average, straight eyebrows. He has wide, rounded champagne-brown eyes, rounded ears, and a hawk nose.

His general demeanour gives off a very bright-eyed, youthful feeling. He is unambiguously cheerful, something that shines through in the charming smile often seen upon his face.

PERSONALITY AND ATTITUDE

An adventurous and active boy, Archer is always on the move; he rarely, if ever, sits still. To him, the Wizarding World is fresh and exciting, compelling him to engage in just about every field available to him. Archer has always been remarkably sociable, making friends easily and having no issues with walking up to strangers and striking up conversations. Back in Australia, he had a reputation for commonly inducting new students—regardless of their year—into his comically large friend group. His bravery cannot be overstated, nor his fervent dedication to his friends. Archer is also known to be accepting, having an open-minded nature that oftentimes leads him to befriending those others deem as 'odd' or 'uncool.' Archer finds such individuals rather engaging, enjoying the conversations he has with them. He believes that humour is *always* appropriate, regardless of the situation at hand. His quick-witted nature allows him to think on his feet, firing out countless jokes sure to leave others weeping from laughter.

While his casual nature may suggest otherwise, Archer has an ambitious side. He seeks to leave a lasting impact—a change in the social sense that will be remembered for centuries to come. To Archer, *everyone* is his friend until they prove themselves an enemy. He addresses complete strangers in the same way he would address long-time companions. While some find this behaviour endearing, some may feel otherwise. Archer has a fondness for discovery, seeing experimental processes as forms of adventure. As such, he will happily aid others in all sorts of inane activities, curious to see the results. Archer has an outspoken side, refusing to sit idly while someone is being bullied or while an authority figure is abusing their power. This sharp tongue has landed him in trouble countless times.

With Archer's interest in others, he finds himself unable to resist the urge to pry into *everything.* Forbidden rooms, rumours, secrets—it's all on the table to him. After all, if it's kept hidden, it must be terribly interesting. Archer's meddlesome nature also gives way to a predilection towards mischief. Like a little imp, he enjoys playing pranks on others, but truly mean-spirited behaviour makes him uncomfortable. Archer's dedication to openness extends to opportunities, too; if he notices an advantage—even a less-than-encouraged one—there is a good chance he'll take it. The boy is also rather pedantic, finding it enjoyable to pick out the flaws in others' words. It's a rather irritating habit of his. Having been in trouble countless times (and likely many more times down the line), it's no surprise that Archer has developed a sense of cunning. If he thinks it's necessary, he will happily lie to get out of trouble.

Quirks
He's a social chameleon, able to blend in with any crowd easily. Archer cannot resist the urge to go places he shouldn't be. He has a joke for every occasion, especially situations where humour is inappropriate. He has a story ready for every occasion. He enjoys talking to unorthodox people.

Bonds
Archer's grandfather, Oliver—from whom he acquired his middle name—was the one who introduced him to the wizarding world. Archer will always be grateful to him for his teachings.

Ideals
Openness. The world is full of so many wonderful ideas, people, and possibilities. To deny them is to deny oneself opportunities to grow, or so Archer believes.

Flaws
Archer is notoriously meddlesome; he sticks his nose into everyone's business. He has no qualms with speaking his mind, even in situations where it's better to hold his tongue. He has a propensity for schemes. He very rarely takes anything seriously.

APTITUDES

Agility | 6
Archer's acrobatic capabilities cannot be overstated. He is an apt climber, a fast runner, and knows a few basic parkour moves. He enjoys being active; he is often in situations that require a strong Agility aptitude.

Charisma | 8
Charisma is unambiguously Archer's greatest strength. He is naturally bright, having a sense of magnetism that makes it easy for him to make friends with others. For Archer, his connections are extremely important.

Intelligence | 4
Archer has never really been all that book-smart or logical. What intelligence he does have comes primarily from his street smarts, but also from his willingness to take in new information. Writing essays will be a challenge for him.

Physique | 5
Archer is an active kid, and his Physique showcases that. He has the build of an adventurous, sporty person who often gets into trouble. He can shake off some cuts and bruises and scuffle if necessary, but he is still growing.

Spirit | 6
Archer has an intrepid, steadfast demeanour and tendency to never give up no matter how bad things get. His Spirit is high; his resolve is great.

Sorcery | 3
Archer is still learning magic, and his Sorcery reflects that. Any uses of magic he has performed have been purely accidental with Archer having no clue of how to replicate them. However, he is very much interested in learning everything he possibly can.

FIRST ACCIDENTAL USE OF MAGIC
Though Archer had many subtle manifestations of magic before the event, his most overt came during a game of Chasey when he was ten years of age. After a conceited decision led to him nearly falling and injuring himself, Archer experienced a magical surge that caused him to float to the ground gently. He still gets excited when he talks about it.

BACKSTORY
Archer Oliver Murray was born on the 13th of August in Newman, Western Australia. Newman was nothing like Perth or Sydney; there were no theme parks or flashy tourist attractions. Archer and the other kids on his street had to find their own fun. Archer himself was a bright, charismatic boy who had little trouble making friends. It seemed like every time he returned from playing, he would say the phrase, "I made a new friend!" much to the delight of his parents.

Much of Archer's younger years were spent outdoors in the blistering Australian sun. He played countless games with his many friends, Chasey always being his favourite. Even in the early days of his youth, Archer felt a sense of undeniable *electricity* within him as he played. It was as if the exhilaration of the games was having additional effects on him—ones different from the usual feelings one would experience. Though Archer enjoyed the company of his friends, there was one person's company he valued most of all: his grandfather, Oliver. Oliver was a storied man. A man who had seen and done it all, now being primed to tell the stories of his life to his wonder-struck grandson.

Archer and his grandfather were extremely close to one another. When the boy wasn't outside playing, he was usually with him listening to story after story. Each one seemed more bizarre than the last, with Oliver telling him of the amazing creatures he defeated using magical spells. Each time Archer dismissed the stories—often with the accompanying phrase, "magic isn't real!"—Oliver would smile. He always told him to *never* give up on wonder.

Aged ten, the peculiarities Archer sometimes felt became more pronounced. Occasionally, as he played with the other kids, it seemed as though he was being carried by the wind. There was a child in his street—nor in his school—who could catch him. Soon enough, however, something truly miraculous happened.

The day started off normally. Archer woke up, got ready for school, and was dropped off forty-five minutes later. His English lesson was tedious, but recess soon arrived to provide its mercy. As per usual, Archer organised a game of Chasey with the other students. He was designated as *it*. Too easy. He caught another boy in a matter of moments. The game continued, Archer outrunning the taggers as he so often did. However, the boy soon became ambitious. Feeling conceited, he climbed the playground equipment—a risky move—and waited. Sure enough, a tagger stuck up on him, approaching from an angle Archer had not foreseen. Desperate to avoid being tagged, he did his best to dodge, but—

He fell.

But before he hit the ground, he felt himself begin to almost *float*. He was like a feather on the wind, gently meeting the ground without so much as a scrape. Archer was utterly dumbfounded. The same day, he approached his grandfather to discuss what had happened. At the mention of the incident, Oliver's eyes lit up and he grinned as though he had just won the lottery.

"You're a bloody wizard!" He shouted, throwing his arms in the air in celebration.

This was the beginning of Archer's introduction to the Wizarding World. Oliver revealed that the stories he told Archer were all true, as he was once a magizoologist before his old age brought him into retirement. He told Archer countless stories to prepare him for what would come next. The boy expected to soon receive a message from a dream visitor for the magic school in Australia. However, something unexpected happened instead: his father received a new job opportunity. However, to take it, the family would have to move to Wales.

And so, Archer would instead be attending Penwick School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... and he could not wait.