- Full Name: Lachlan Judas Rivers
- Nickname(s): Lockie, Lach, Lachie, Lan, Lanny, Lucky, Larks, Locks, Magpie, Maggs, Lockster, Locksie
- Date of birth: July 23rd
- Age: 15
- Gender: Male
- Sexuality: Homosexual (Closeted)
- Nationality: Irish
- Residence: Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland
- Blood status: Half-Blood
- Year: Fifth Year (Transfer Student)
- Origin: Balanced
- House: Mercator (pending sorting)
- Wand: Elm Wood, Phoenix Feather Core, 11", Slightly Springy
- Patronus: Magpie
- Boggart: His private journal being read aloud to a room full of laughing people
- Mirror of Erised: Himself years from now, openly holding the hand of someone he loves while surrounded by people who accept him completely
- Aptitudes:
- Physique - 6
- Agility - 5
- Intelligence - 10
- Charisma - 11
- Spirit - 8
- Sorcery - 6
- Other accounts: N/A
Lachlan is a wiry teenager who often looks younger than he really is. He has pale skin and an expressive face that makes it difficult for him to hide what he's feeling. His dark brown curls are usually messy in a way that somehow still looks intentional, often falling into his eyes when he's distracted. His icy blue eyes are bright and curious, constantly scanning the people around him. Though he isn't particularly athletic, he carries himself with a restless sort of energy. His uniform is usually neat enough to avoid attention, though there is almost always something slightly crooked about it.
- Faceclaim: Robert Sheehan
- Height: 5'8"
- Build: Slim, lean
- Eye Colour: Icy Blue
- Hair Colour: Dark Brown
- Distinguishing Features: Expressive face, unruly curls, pale complexion
Lachlan is the kind of person who can make a room laugh while quietly falling apart himself. He hides insecurity behind humour, exaggeration, and a tendency to make himself the punchline before anyone else can. He is deeply empathetic and often notices when people are upset before they say a word, though he occasionally misreads why they're feeling that way. Though he appears outgoing, much of his confidence is carefully performed. He spends a great deal of time overthinking conversations, relationships, and hypothetical futures. Beneath all the jokes and dramatics is a sensitive, thoughtful boy who desperately wants to be understood.
- Positive Traits: Compassionate, observant, loyal, creative, adaptable
- Negative Traits: Insecure, avoidant, overly self-critical, dishonest about himself, impulsive
- Fatal Flaw: Hides behind humour and false personas rather than facing problems directly
- Greatest Strength: His ability to empathize with and understand other people
- Likes: Rain, flowers, sweet foods, poetry, moonlit nights, stories, writing
- Dislikes: Confrontation, hypocrisy, feeling judged, being vulnerable, Alchemy
- Hobbies: Writing poetry, journaling, reading, collecting pressed flowers, stargazing
- Fears: Rejection, abandonment, loneliness, being exposed, disappointing people, being forgotten
- Favourite Subject: Lore & Language
- Least Favourite Subject: Alchemy
- Elective(s): Divination
- Extracurriculars: Volunteers occasionally at the library
- Academic Performance: Slightly Above Average
- Future Career Aspirations: Author, journalist, or magical historian
- Family: Declan Rivers (muggle, father), Siobhán Rivers née Byrne (witch, mother), Eamonn Byrne (wizard, maternal grandfather), Bríd Byrne (witch, maternal grandmother), Niamh Byrne-Keating (witch, maternal aunt), Ronan Keating (wizard, maternal uncle), Aisling Keating (17-year-old, witch, maternal cousin), Finn Keating (13-year-old, wizard, maternal cousin), Seamus Rivers (muggle, paternal grandfather), and Margaret Rivers (muggle, paternal grandmother)
- Friends: TBD
- Rivals: TBD
- Crushes/Relationships: TBD / N/A
Lachlan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland, to a witch mother and a Muggle father. Growing up, he spent much of his life caught between the magical and non-magical worlds. While his father loved him unconditionally and encouraged his interests, Lachlan often felt out of place around his mother's side of the family. They were not cruel people, nor did they openly look down on Muggles, but they were accomplished, respected witches and wizards with high expectations for themselves and those around them. Surrounded by successful relatives, Lachlan developed the quiet belief that he simply wasn't measuring up. From a young age, he found himself comparing his achievements to those of his family members. While his cousins seemed naturally talented and confident, Lachlan was more interested in writing stories, pressing flowers between the pages of books, and spending rainy afternoons lost in his imagination. Nobody ever told him these interests were lesser, but he couldn't shake the feeling that everyone else had something special about them that he lacked. As a result, he became skilled at hiding his insecurities behind humour, learning that making people laugh was often easier than admitting when he felt inadequate.
As he grew older, another source of anxiety emerged. Lachlan began to realize that his feelings toward other boys weren't something that would simply disappear with time. Though attitudes toward queer people were generally accepting in the magical world around him, Lachlan struggled to believe that acceptance would extend to him personally. The possibility of rejection lingered in the back of his mind, making him increasingly reluctant to let anyone get too close. By the time he reached his teenage years, Lachlan had become an expert at performing confidence. He exaggerated his interest in girls, made jokes at his own expense before anyone else could, and carefully avoided conversations that felt too personal. Most people saw him as cheerful, friendly, and perhaps a little dramatic, but very few realized how much of that was a carefully constructed shield.
Lachlan transferred to Penwick at the start of his fifth year. Officially, the move was due to family circumstances and the opportunities offered by the school. Unofficially, he viewed it as a chance to start over. A new school meant new people, and new people meant nobody knew the things he was trying so hard to hide.
First Instance of Accidental Magic
When Lachlan was six years old, he became upset after a group of older children destroyed a flower patch he had spent weeks caring for. As he cried, the crushed flowers suddenly began to straighten themselves back up. Within moments, the entire patch had returned to perfect health, blooming brighter than before. Neither Lachlan nor the other children understood what had happened, though his mother recognized it immediately as accidental magic brought on by strong emotion.
Additional Information
- Languages: English (fluent), Irish/Gaeilge (conversational)
- Amortentia: Rain on dry earth, vanilla, candle wax
- Theme Song: The Moon Will Sing — The Crane Wives
- Aesthetic: Rain-soaked notebooks, pressed flowers, moonlit walks, library corners, scribbled poetry in margins
- Fun Facts:
• Wants to become a published author more than anything else, but rarely tells people because he's embarrassed by how much it means to him.
• Secretly writes poetry, short stories, and journal entries.
• Uses a pseudonym when writing.
• Frequently writes in the margins of textbooks and notebooks.
• Loves rainy weather and will happily sit outside in the rain for hours.
• Finds rain calming rather than depressing.
• Absolutely adores flowers.
• Presses flowers between the pages of books and journals.
• Loves receiving flowers but would be mortified if anyone found out.
• Has a massive sweet tooth.
• Prefers desserts over most actual meals.
• Loves the moon and often sneaks outside to sit beneath it.
• Particularly likes full moons and finds them comforting.
• Collects interesting quotes, phrases, and bits of conversation in a notebook.
• Remembers small details about people surprisingly well.
• Loves hearing other people's stories.
• Often romanticizes ordinary moments.
• Talks far more when he's nervous.
• Goes unusually quiet when he's genuinely upset.
• Rubs the back of his neck when uncomfortable or embarrassed.
• Scratches his arm when extremely anxious.
• Avoids eye contact when lying.
• His ears turn red when he's embarrassed.
• Twirls his wand when he's thinking.
• Overthinks absolutely everything.
• Can spend days analysing a single conversation.
• Makes jokes before anyone else can make them about him.
• Uses humour as a defence mechanism.
• Exaggerates his attraction to girls so much that most people assume he's joking, or just really that much of a teenage boy.
• Is secretly terrified of being rejected.
• Is afraid people will discover he's gay.
• Is afraid people will discover how insecure he really is.
• Has a tendency to reinvent parts of himself around new people.
• Tries very hard to appear confident even when he isn't.
• Often downplays his own talents.
• Doesn't think he's particularly special compared to his family.
• Constantly compares himself to others.
• Is incredibly empathetic and usually notices when people are upset.
• Sometimes correctly identifies emotions but completely misreads their cause.
• Cannot hold a grudge for the life of him.
• The only exception is if someone hurts a person he loves.
• Deeply values loyalty.
• Is extremely forgiving, sometimes to a fault.
• Wants everyone around him to feel included.
• People-pleases more than he should.
• Often puts other people's needs before his own.
• Loves libraries and quiet reading corners.
• Enjoys collecting little keepsakes that remind him of specific memories.
• Has terrible handwriting despite loving to write.
• Loves old stories, myths, and folklore.
• Is fascinated by people and what motivates them.
• Feels younger than many of his peers emotionally, despite being quite perceptive.
• Dreams of one day being completely open and accepted for who he is.
• Secretly fears being forgotten.
• Secretly fears being ordinary.
• Secretly fears never being truly understood.
• If someone he likes compliments a piece of clothing or an accessory he's wearing, he'll start wearing it constantly.
• Makes friends fairly easily but struggles to let people know the real him.
• Despite appearing outgoing, he is actually a very private person.
• Loves candlelight and the smell of candle wax.
• Terrible at Alchemy.
• Above-average student overall, mostly because he pays attention to people and stories rather than because he's exceptionally academic.
• Has the energy of a boy who accidentally adopts every lonely person he meets, yet is usually the one quietly hoping someone will choose him too. - Quotes: "I've been running around in circles pretending to be myself; why would somebody do that on purpose when they could do something else?"