paradisa application
Mar. 9th, 2012 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
incantatiCHARACTER NAME: Albus Dumbledore
FANDOM: Harry Potter
CANON: One year after Ariana's death. He recently began teaching at Hogwarts.
LINK TO PREVIOUS APPLICATION: One, two. I’ll include a new third person sample, though.
PARADISA HISTORY: Albus Dumbledore was taken from his world and brought to Paradisa towards the end of the summer of 1899. For him, life was good. Yes, his mother was dead, his father was in prison, and he had had to shoulder the largely unwanted responsibility of taking care of his smaller brother and sister (the latter forgotten to him, because of Paradisa). However, he also had the companionship of a new friend, the only person that he would've considered to be his intellectual equal, and was in the thick of formulating a plan to better the Wizarding World and put Muggles firmly in their place. Albus Dumbledore, more or less, was quite pleased with himself.
Paradisa would change much of that.
The world fascinated him. He'd never imagined that he would come face to face with a place of such power, and potency. He was not exactly pleased by his incarceration, (because he noted it to be just that) but he was determined to make the most of his time here, learning as much as he could, throwing himself into the events, the mysteries, and the questions.
In Paradisa, he was open about his magic and being a wizard. Keeping it secret seemed a little silly, what with the multitude of different people from different universes present, several of whom had powers that could be defined as magic, and many of whom had had magical experiences. There was also the fact that there was no Statute of Secrecy in place here, and no one to try to put one into effect. The breakdown of the Statute of Secrecy was in fact one of the many things he and Gellert had planned for their world; here was a place where he could sample of bit of what it would be like.
Albus met many people, magical and Muggle alike. Having, as always, a great affinity for people of intellect, he had many an interesting conversation with Raine Sage, the Fifth Doctor, and the Ninth Doctor. He also found himself becoming friendly other supernatural beings, like Crowley and Delirium, and even people who would be described as Muggles, like Akito and Agito, Mai, Jilly, Euphemia, Ken, Nanako, Erica, Zoe and more. Making friends was not something that Albus Dumbledore was very familiar with, but in this setting, where no one knew of his past or of his fame, it became a possibility. He was affable and pleasant with everyone he met, as was his default, but he found that he was also able to let a few people a bit closer in. He did not do so often, but when he did, he found it easier than usual.
In the beginning, he involved himself to quite a large degree in the everyday events and hiccoughs of life in Paradisa, though one would not call him overly committed. He helped wherever he could, not only to give himself something to think about, but also to simply give aid. He rather liked the people in Paradisa, after all.
Even in this other world, far away from his lofty goals, he continued his research on the Deathly Hallows. His thoughts fell on them often, especially the Resurrection Stone. Paradisa's library, with its many tomes, became one of his favourite places; not only to research the Hallows, but to do all sorts of reading on magical theory and spells. He remained voracious in his appetite for knowledge.
Bit by bit, he began to change. Back at home, he had spent almost two months under the spell-binding influence of Gellert Grindelwald; two months constructing their plans of glory and domination. In Paradisa, unhindered by his feelings for Gellert, small seeds of doubt began to take root in Albus' mind. He had always emphasised the need for leniency and control, of course, but now, he began to question the very nature of all of their plans 'for the greater good'. These doubts were only amplified when the Ninth Doctor showed him something very disturbing. Albus gave his friend a few chocolate frogs for Valentine's Day, and was pleased to discover that he was featured on the card, in his old age. Far less pleasing was to learn that he would become famous for his 'defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945'. The discovery shook him, but he resolutely told himself that it could not be his Grindelwald. The doubts lingered, but he pushed them down determinedly.
Life in Paradisa progressed.
Many were the friendly acquaintances that Albus made in Paradisa, but he could not help but sorely miss his best friend. He was therefore overjoyed when Gellert made his entrance into Paradisa in March of 2009. His friend arrived with the complete loss of his magic, thanks to the castle, and quite a few secrets that he refrained from divulging to Albus.
He enjoyed a happy month with Gellert at his side in Paradisa. He shared all of what he knew about the world, while they talked and continued their research on the Deathly Hallows. He slowly found out more things that made him uneasy, and he steadily ignored them all. He was blissful, contented, and in his blindness, wanted to remain that way.
That could not last forever, though. A conversation with a Miss Lily Evans, a young witch from his own world, led him to discover that Gellert was indeed the dark wizard that he was destined to defeat in 1945. Needless to say, he was devastated by the knowledge. Gellert would go on to do horrible things; the things that they had planned and some of which Albus had turned a blind eye to. Gellert would do the monstrous things that Albus had always known, in his heart of hearts, that he was capable of. And Albus would have to be the one to stop him.
During the Jurassic Park plot, they had a confrontation. Somewhere along the way, Albus had found out that his loss was the memory of his sister. Now, he found out exactly what happened to her: he heard it straight from Gellert's mouth.
The knowledge more than hurt him; it shook him to his core. He took many days to think about it, but could come to no clear decision as to what to do. Despite the fact that Gellert had lied to him, and despite all that was to come to pass, he still cared deeply for him. He hated himself for that, and for his weakness.
After a few more strained conversations, and something of an uneasy truce, he resolved to distance himself from Gellert as much as he could. He had proven to himself that he could not trust himself, or his own heart. For others, he maintained the same pleasant facade, but inside, he was a little bit older, a little bit colder. It would remain like that for quite some time. In fact, he often had to remind himself not to get too withdrawn, and too closed in.
Albus inevitably met many more people from his own world, all of whom were from many years in his future. He learnt about the great Wizarding War, about Voldemort, and about Harry Potter. He learnt about his defeat of Gellert, about some of his many feats, even about his own death, a hundred years into the future. In some ways, he needed to learn these things, but the knowledge weighed on him. It was weary, and somewhat tiring, to know almost all the details of his future. Everything seemed... inevitable.
Nevertheless, life went on, as always. He would not let life here destroy him. The occasional run-in with Gellert was inescapable, but he survived them all. And the people from the future did not only bring information; they brought new friendships. He settled into a more or less stable routine in Paradisa. He volunteered at the clinic. He wrote essays and articles. He read. He chatted with his friends. He helped wherever and whenever he could. He tried to better and improve his magic. (All notions of ever conquering death, and mastering the Deathly Hallows, were slowly left at the wayside.)
Many of his experiences and losses in Paradisa marked him or changed him in some way. Being an elementary school teacher in L.A. reinforced his love of children and of teaching. Cabot chilled and hardened him (though he spent much of that time on a loss). In a moment of weakness during Tanabata, he wished that Gellert never became what he became. The wish backfired, of course, and he spent a day as a Muggle-hating wizard extremist. He came out of the experience very shamed, very humbled, and with a reinforced mistrust of Paradisa. After 'Home Sweet Home', he would always remember to never give in, and always be grateful for friends who don't shy away from hitting you over the head with a blunt object for the greater good. (Thank you, Zoe.)
Thanks to Paradisa, he also got a small taste of what it was like to be a father. Kendra, his and Gellert's daughter, was beautiful and charming and incredibly precocious. Despite knowing that she was a created by the castle, he came to care for her very much. He also had to opportunity to make the early acquaintance of the creature destined to be his life-long companion. Fawkes the phoenix came to Albus at Christmas, and remained with him all throughout his stay.
Albus Dumbledore left Paradisa around mid-May of 2010. Almost a year and a half in the strange, ever-changing world had left its mark on him. And he, in return, had left his own small mark on it. Returning to Paradisa will certainly shock him; it has been almost a year, for him, since he left. He will have to relearn a few things, and get to know his old friends anew. Albus will approach it all, undoubtedly, with the quiet determination and unrelenting affability that characterises him.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Paradisa, May, year 5.
“Sit still, Kendra, my dear. There we are… just a few more minutes.”
There was probably a spell that he could use for this. Indeed, if he thought about it for a few seconds, he could very well make up one himself. Cosmetic spells were always a little tricky, but like most things Albus Dumbledore put his mind to, they were conquerable.
He swept the brush through the blonde locks once more, and smiled. Doing this, however, was much more preferable to a wave of his wand. Even as Kendra wiggled from side to side on his lap, he could tell that she was as much soothed by the brushing as he was.
She’d been quite the little scamp all day. After an early breakfast, they’d spent most of the morning in the gardens, playing silly games. The afternoon had been spent chasing her delightedly around the clinic, and seeing to patients when she allowed him a break. Luckily, there’d been nothing to deal with more serious than a couple on a loss, sewn together at the hip. (And he hadn’t been able to help them anyway. He hoped they hadn’t gone through with their plan to manually cut themselves free. That would be dreadful. And messy.)
Once, twice, three more times he pulled the brush through her soft curls. After a bit more wriggling, and some huffed ‘Papa!’s, he was ready to relent.
“Alright, all done. Let’s take a look at you.”
He set her on her feet, and twirled her round, so that she faced him. His daughter was wearing a bright, toothy smile. As always, he was struck, with a pang, by how much she resembled Gellert. He tried not to think of his erstwhile best friend too often, but it was impossible not to, with Kendra here. They had the same unruly curls, the same features, and same mischievous smile.
Her eyes, though, were his own.
“Papa, I’m ready,” she said, tugging on the ends on his robes. Coming back to himself, he feigned ignorance as he scooped her up into his arms.
“Ready for what, my dear?”
It earned him a bop on the nose. Together, they laughed.
“You know. A story!”
“Goodness. Another story? Don’t you ever get tired of them?” he asked, tapping her on the chin. Her response was to wrap her arms around his neck.
“No. I love your stories.”
He felt another pang. It was strange, how much he had come to care for this little girl in such a short span of time. Paradisa was capable of great evil, but looking at Kendra, it was obvious that it was also capable of overwhelming goodness. Albus kissed the top of the blonde head, two times in quick succession.
“Then a story you shall have.”
He set her on her feet, and hand in hand, they walked towards the door to her nursery.
WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY LOST: Albus originally lost all memories of his little sister, Ariana. Though he failed to do right by her during her lifetime, she was still a part of his family, and he cared for her a lot. When he found out about her, it was a source of constant guilt.
SECOND LOSS: Albus will lose all memories of Elphias Doge. Elphias was probably his only true friend at Hogwarts, having neither the inclination to gossip about Albus and his family, or alienate Albus for his brilliance. Losing the memory of that first great friendship will be a substantial blow, as it will change a lot of what he remembers about his experiences at Hogwarts.
FANDOM: Harry Potter
CANON: One year after Ariana's death. He recently began teaching at Hogwarts.
LINK TO PREVIOUS APPLICATION: One, two. I’ll include a new third person sample, though.
PARADISA HISTORY: Albus Dumbledore was taken from his world and brought to Paradisa towards the end of the summer of 1899. For him, life was good. Yes, his mother was dead, his father was in prison, and he had had to shoulder the largely unwanted responsibility of taking care of his smaller brother and sister (the latter forgotten to him, because of Paradisa). However, he also had the companionship of a new friend, the only person that he would've considered to be his intellectual equal, and was in the thick of formulating a plan to better the Wizarding World and put Muggles firmly in their place. Albus Dumbledore, more or less, was quite pleased with himself.
Paradisa would change much of that.
The world fascinated him. He'd never imagined that he would come face to face with a place of such power, and potency. He was not exactly pleased by his incarceration, (because he noted it to be just that) but he was determined to make the most of his time here, learning as much as he could, throwing himself into the events, the mysteries, and the questions.
In Paradisa, he was open about his magic and being a wizard. Keeping it secret seemed a little silly, what with the multitude of different people from different universes present, several of whom had powers that could be defined as magic, and many of whom had had magical experiences. There was also the fact that there was no Statute of Secrecy in place here, and no one to try to put one into effect. The breakdown of the Statute of Secrecy was in fact one of the many things he and Gellert had planned for their world; here was a place where he could sample of bit of what it would be like.
Albus met many people, magical and Muggle alike. Having, as always, a great affinity for people of intellect, he had many an interesting conversation with Raine Sage, the Fifth Doctor, and the Ninth Doctor. He also found himself becoming friendly other supernatural beings, like Crowley and Delirium, and even people who would be described as Muggles, like Akito and Agito, Mai, Jilly, Euphemia, Ken, Nanako, Erica, Zoe and more. Making friends was not something that Albus Dumbledore was very familiar with, but in this setting, where no one knew of his past or of his fame, it became a possibility. He was affable and pleasant with everyone he met, as was his default, but he found that he was also able to let a few people a bit closer in. He did not do so often, but when he did, he found it easier than usual.
In the beginning, he involved himself to quite a large degree in the everyday events and hiccoughs of life in Paradisa, though one would not call him overly committed. He helped wherever he could, not only to give himself something to think about, but also to simply give aid. He rather liked the people in Paradisa, after all.
Even in this other world, far away from his lofty goals, he continued his research on the Deathly Hallows. His thoughts fell on them often, especially the Resurrection Stone. Paradisa's library, with its many tomes, became one of his favourite places; not only to research the Hallows, but to do all sorts of reading on magical theory and spells. He remained voracious in his appetite for knowledge.
Bit by bit, he began to change. Back at home, he had spent almost two months under the spell-binding influence of Gellert Grindelwald; two months constructing their plans of glory and domination. In Paradisa, unhindered by his feelings for Gellert, small seeds of doubt began to take root in Albus' mind. He had always emphasised the need for leniency and control, of course, but now, he began to question the very nature of all of their plans 'for the greater good'. These doubts were only amplified when the Ninth Doctor showed him something very disturbing. Albus gave his friend a few chocolate frogs for Valentine's Day, and was pleased to discover that he was featured on the card, in his old age. Far less pleasing was to learn that he would become famous for his 'defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945'. The discovery shook him, but he resolutely told himself that it could not be his Grindelwald. The doubts lingered, but he pushed them down determinedly.
Life in Paradisa progressed.
Many were the friendly acquaintances that Albus made in Paradisa, but he could not help but sorely miss his best friend. He was therefore overjoyed when Gellert made his entrance into Paradisa in March of 2009. His friend arrived with the complete loss of his magic, thanks to the castle, and quite a few secrets that he refrained from divulging to Albus.
He enjoyed a happy month with Gellert at his side in Paradisa. He shared all of what he knew about the world, while they talked and continued their research on the Deathly Hallows. He slowly found out more things that made him uneasy, and he steadily ignored them all. He was blissful, contented, and in his blindness, wanted to remain that way.
That could not last forever, though. A conversation with a Miss Lily Evans, a young witch from his own world, led him to discover that Gellert was indeed the dark wizard that he was destined to defeat in 1945. Needless to say, he was devastated by the knowledge. Gellert would go on to do horrible things; the things that they had planned and some of which Albus had turned a blind eye to. Gellert would do the monstrous things that Albus had always known, in his heart of hearts, that he was capable of. And Albus would have to be the one to stop him.
During the Jurassic Park plot, they had a confrontation. Somewhere along the way, Albus had found out that his loss was the memory of his sister. Now, he found out exactly what happened to her: he heard it straight from Gellert's mouth.
The knowledge more than hurt him; it shook him to his core. He took many days to think about it, but could come to no clear decision as to what to do. Despite the fact that Gellert had lied to him, and despite all that was to come to pass, he still cared deeply for him. He hated himself for that, and for his weakness.
After a few more strained conversations, and something of an uneasy truce, he resolved to distance himself from Gellert as much as he could. He had proven to himself that he could not trust himself, or his own heart. For others, he maintained the same pleasant facade, but inside, he was a little bit older, a little bit colder. It would remain like that for quite some time. In fact, he often had to remind himself not to get too withdrawn, and too closed in.
Albus inevitably met many more people from his own world, all of whom were from many years in his future. He learnt about the great Wizarding War, about Voldemort, and about Harry Potter. He learnt about his defeat of Gellert, about some of his many feats, even about his own death, a hundred years into the future. In some ways, he needed to learn these things, but the knowledge weighed on him. It was weary, and somewhat tiring, to know almost all the details of his future. Everything seemed... inevitable.
Nevertheless, life went on, as always. He would not let life here destroy him. The occasional run-in with Gellert was inescapable, but he survived them all. And the people from the future did not only bring information; they brought new friendships. He settled into a more or less stable routine in Paradisa. He volunteered at the clinic. He wrote essays and articles. He read. He chatted with his friends. He helped wherever and whenever he could. He tried to better and improve his magic. (All notions of ever conquering death, and mastering the Deathly Hallows, were slowly left at the wayside.)
Many of his experiences and losses in Paradisa marked him or changed him in some way. Being an elementary school teacher in L.A. reinforced his love of children and of teaching. Cabot chilled and hardened him (though he spent much of that time on a loss). In a moment of weakness during Tanabata, he wished that Gellert never became what he became. The wish backfired, of course, and he spent a day as a Muggle-hating wizard extremist. He came out of the experience very shamed, very humbled, and with a reinforced mistrust of Paradisa. After 'Home Sweet Home', he would always remember to never give in, and always be grateful for friends who don't shy away from hitting you over the head with a blunt object for the greater good. (Thank you, Zoe.)
Thanks to Paradisa, he also got a small taste of what it was like to be a father. Kendra, his and Gellert's daughter, was beautiful and charming and incredibly precocious. Despite knowing that she was a created by the castle, he came to care for her very much. He also had to opportunity to make the early acquaintance of the creature destined to be his life-long companion. Fawkes the phoenix came to Albus at Christmas, and remained with him all throughout his stay.
Albus Dumbledore left Paradisa around mid-May of 2010. Almost a year and a half in the strange, ever-changing world had left its mark on him. And he, in return, had left his own small mark on it. Returning to Paradisa will certainly shock him; it has been almost a year, for him, since he left. He will have to relearn a few things, and get to know his old friends anew. Albus will approach it all, undoubtedly, with the quiet determination and unrelenting affability that characterises him.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Paradisa, May, year 5.
“Sit still, Kendra, my dear. There we are… just a few more minutes.”
There was probably a spell that he could use for this. Indeed, if he thought about it for a few seconds, he could very well make up one himself. Cosmetic spells were always a little tricky, but like most things Albus Dumbledore put his mind to, they were conquerable.
He swept the brush through the blonde locks once more, and smiled. Doing this, however, was much more preferable to a wave of his wand. Even as Kendra wiggled from side to side on his lap, he could tell that she was as much soothed by the brushing as he was.
She’d been quite the little scamp all day. After an early breakfast, they’d spent most of the morning in the gardens, playing silly games. The afternoon had been spent chasing her delightedly around the clinic, and seeing to patients when she allowed him a break. Luckily, there’d been nothing to deal with more serious than a couple on a loss, sewn together at the hip. (And he hadn’t been able to help them anyway. He hoped they hadn’t gone through with their plan to manually cut themselves free. That would be dreadful. And messy.)
Once, twice, three more times he pulled the brush through her soft curls. After a bit more wriggling, and some huffed ‘Papa!’s, he was ready to relent.
“Alright, all done. Let’s take a look at you.”
He set her on her feet, and twirled her round, so that she faced him. His daughter was wearing a bright, toothy smile. As always, he was struck, with a pang, by how much she resembled Gellert. He tried not to think of his erstwhile best friend too often, but it was impossible not to, with Kendra here. They had the same unruly curls, the same features, and same mischievous smile.
Her eyes, though, were his own.
“Papa, I’m ready,” she said, tugging on the ends on his robes. Coming back to himself, he feigned ignorance as he scooped her up into his arms.
“Ready for what, my dear?”
It earned him a bop on the nose. Together, they laughed.
“You know. A story!”
“Goodness. Another story? Don’t you ever get tired of them?” he asked, tapping her on the chin. Her response was to wrap her arms around his neck.
“No. I love your stories.”
He felt another pang. It was strange, how much he had come to care for this little girl in such a short span of time. Paradisa was capable of great evil, but looking at Kendra, it was obvious that it was also capable of overwhelming goodness. Albus kissed the top of the blonde head, two times in quick succession.
“Then a story you shall have.”
He set her on her feet, and hand in hand, they walked towards the door to her nursery.
WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY LOST: Albus originally lost all memories of his little sister, Ariana. Though he failed to do right by her during her lifetime, she was still a part of his family, and he cared for her a lot. When he found out about her, it was a source of constant guilt.
SECOND LOSS: Albus will lose all memories of Elphias Doge. Elphias was probably his only true friend at Hogwarts, having neither the inclination to gossip about Albus and his family, or alienate Albus for his brilliance. Losing the memory of that first great friendship will be a substantial blow, as it will change a lot of what he remembers about his experiences at Hogwarts.
