Mckinnon, Olivia

[olivia beatrice mckinnon]

yellow is the color of my true loves crossbow, yellow is the color of the sun.
black is the color of a strangled rainbow, just the color of my luck.
you are worth your weight in gold, you are worth your weight in sorrow
though you have never known why.

Her name is Olivia Beatrice Mckinnon, though only mum and dad ever call her that. To the rest of the world she's known as Ollie, a much more fitting name for this bundle of tomboy energy. She's not like those dainty girls, and certainly not like the boys either, Ollie is her own brand of seventh year Gryffindor. She's usually noted by the wide range of animal smells permanently attached to her clothing, or the long sometimes blond, sometimes red, sometimes brown hair. She dresses plainly in slacks and sweaters, or the Hogwarts uniform changed a bit to fit her needs. Like she would ever be found in a skirt. Ollie has her female moments, wears make-up like most of the other girls, and enjoys the sweet feeling of romance in the air. However, her feelings drift towards other girls mainly, even if she hasn't made up her mind quite just yet. As she parades down the corridors, drifting from one class to the next, Ollie can usually be found leaving bits of parchment trailing her course. While not being the most organized person in the school, she still manages to keep her grade at at least average if not a little higher. You'll notice, though, that her scores in Care of Magical Creatures are off the charts. Life in the outdoors has always been a passion for the Mckinnons, and Ollie is no different. Raised to be the more traditional female in the household, and certainly the more responsible one, Ollie can't help but feel as if she's let that go a little too far away from her control. She doesn't dance like other girls dance, and she doesn't care for responsibility, until it's the only thing left to do. Things usually don't go particularly well for Ollie, for if she wasn't blessed with bad luck by golly she'd have none at all. She keeps her chin up, even if everything is pushing her down. Emotions become easier to hide as the years roll on, and Ollie is one tough nut now-a-days. As she nears graduation, and the scary real world ahead, Ollie slinks back further into her irresponsible, lazy days of school. Life as she once knew it, will starting changing rapidly, and Ollie won't easily go along for the ride.

---

wand is 12 inches of black walnut with fwooper feather and kelpie hair core. This wand, always at her side, was chosen for her like many wizards and witches at Ollivanders. She's always held her wand tightly in her right hand with great pride. Her core feather, though helpful in charms and care of magical creatures, is often said to be a mark of ill omen. Her core hair from the kelpie is also often temperamental, but Ollie took this to be her own personal challenge. She wields her wand exceptionally so and can be reassured that if it is ever stolen, not many others can make it work.

patronus is a slender fox. Her patronus, though rarely produced, gives off quite a bit of her soul to anyone particularly interested in analyzing it. The fox, known for hiding in order to sneak attack on its prey, is like Ollie in many of her quirky qualities. She is apt at hiding, though perhaps in full view, who she really is and what she really thinks from the rest of the world. In any duel, Ollie can stand her ground, while her mind goes searching for that little weakness. Her marks in school may not be grand, not like her patronus is a lion or anything, but she's a good enough witch to come out on top when it really matters.

boggart is the image of a burning, broken outside world. Ollie enjoys Hogwarts and its grounds, but the growing fear of what she'll have to figure out when that last day of term comes about is eating her up inside. She's afraid that her beloved sky, grass, and dirt will turn into brick, fire, and spikes. She's worried that no animals will ever be frolicking and that the real world is just a terrible monster that we're sheltered from as children. She doesn't know if her magic will be strong enough, or if her hard outer shell can stand thick against the worries and stresses, and part of her wishes that Hogwarts could hold her safe forever.

mirror of erised is Ollie standing in the middle of her own animal emporium The girl who just enjoys animals, to the extent that she'll bring them back to her dormitory for safe keeping, well that girl would be Ollie. Her love of wildlife and the outdoors stretches beyond Care of Magical Creatures to a life long dream of owning her own store in Diagon Alley. At least for now, Ollie would be happy if that's what she could do. Step from Hogwarts to her emporium and life will be good.

Jillian
I've got four years of experience.
You can get a hold of me at [e-mail] (or live.com).
I play Severus Snape, Rita Skeeter, & Kevin Willis

character:
born march 30 1959
light brown hair
hazel eyes

The day had been a long one. Times were strange at Hogwarts school, and many were feeling the tension. Severus was counted among the many, just another student that's taken a blow from the outside world. Things were heating up, and Severus was burning as he collapsed in the Slytherin Common room. His legs were sore from a day of running around to classes and away from James Potter and crew. His hands were shaking from taking notes and slowly falling from sanity. The chair just before the fire was comfortable, but that fire crackled and sounded like laughter, like even the castle was laughing at the slender frame of Severus as he ran from bullies and hid behind his cauldron. Severus stood up from the chair and walked away from the fire, sick of dealing with the things that bugged him. He disappeared into the boys dormitory and took a seat on his bed. It's frame creaked under the added weight, but the room was otherwise silent. Severus combed his fingers through his black hair, and let it linger across his eyes for a moment, thinking all the while about the day that had just nearly ended.

Long was an underestimated word. Severus could barely remember this morning, so much had happened to him. He passed Lily in the corridors and she looked away from him. His eyes forever saw her face on the back of others, like the image was burned into his brain. People pushed him, or ignored him, while James called out the familiar nickname whenever the chance arose. The castle no longer seemed to offer much solace to Severus, and only a few things ever did anymore. His potions were excelling rapidly, but that passion wasn't truly in his heart. It was like second nature now, nothing to make him happy, just a thing to do, a distraction. He sunk into his bed, letting the black sheets encase him in their cool sanctuary. Not many Slytherins cared to bother him, and the dormitory was usually pretty safe, the only place left it seemed to him at that moment. He let his eyes close, feeling the lids relax over his eyes in a long awaited slumber, but he wouldn't be getting much sleep.

Lily clambered into bed with him, in his mind, and she haunted the darkness that came with closed eyes and sleepiness. Severus blinked awake and kept his eyes pried open by the fear. He needed something that would help him let her go, at least for a few hours, so he could sleep. It was always nice when you didn't remember your dreams, when you could fall into a state of nothingness for hours and awake refreshed, like it was really a new day. Severus hadn't gotten that kind of relaxation for so long now. His nights were plagued with nightmares of Lily and James, and that frightfully horrid word plastered all over the castle walls. No matter how long the day, how busy his classes, or how much he tried to forgive himself, insomnia was kicking in. The bed was as hard as a rock and it's coverings seemed deathly cold no matter how much Severus tried to wrap himself in them. He laid there in full school uniform, and kicked his shoes off the end of the bed, letting his feet stretch and moan. Even though he wasn't standing anymore, they still ached. A physical reminder of the problems within.

His wand poked out of his pocket, and instinctively Severus grasped hold of it. Ten and a half inches of birch wood was smooth against his fingers. It twirled and slipped from finger to finger and he mindlessly pointed it at the ceiling of his dorm, mumbling expecto patronum under his breath. His patronous never was quite fully developed in defense against the dark arts, but he was getting the hang of it. Silvery wisps emanated from the tip of his wand, floated towards the sky, and disappeared from view. What a relief to know that no dementors would be lurking around for his soul, though some days he felt they deserved it more than he did. Thoughts of Lily, though pushing him farther from sleep, aided his magical boredom and it wasn't long until his silvery wisps were taking on shape. A four legged, medium sized animal was forming, but it's identity still much of a mystery, and Severus just stared on through at the stone above his head. The bed warmed up ever so slightly, and at the end of this long day, Severus was thinking that maybe life wasn't so bad.

[lily anne evans]