Briony Laurette Wexler-Goden

[Background] [Personality] [Description] [Outfits] [Family]

• Name Meaning
  • Briony: to swell
  • Laurette: laurel crowned
• Birthdate: July 14, 1914
• Role: Wizard Wireless Network Announcer
• Former House: Gryffindor
• Wand: Rigid Yew wood, medium-short, with a pixie wings core
• Pet: Camilla, Little Owl – A primarily diurnal species, the little owl breed of owl is tiny, exceeding little more than twenty-two centimetres in length. Camilla is no different, measuring twenty centemetres, and not likely to grow any more. The owl is tiny, and though its size could pose a disadvantage, she seems to be quite able to carry anything that the larger owls do with relative ease. At first glance, large, white spots become very apparent on most of her gray-brown feathers, which often area fluffed up in an effort to look bigger. Eyes of a bright yellow peer out of the small owl’s face, above a small, but sharp, beak.  The owl can often be seen with blue ribbons tied around her talons, as if these ribbons create an indication of who owns her.

Background

Briony Laurette Wexler was born to Sibyl and Basil Wexler on July 14, 1914 in a small town just outside of London.  The child of young, still inexperienced parents, she started her life off quite comfortable and rather spoiled. By the time she was two years old, however, Briony’s constant flow attention suddenly stopped. She had a baby brother! Alden Harold was born on May 4, 1916. Briony was fascinated by the small child, and often tried to help her mother care for the child by bringing him her toys. Unfortunately, often these toys were things like building blocks and porcelain dolls, which are not good for babies. Briony was hence exiled from helpership when it came to brother, and was instead employed in helping with housecleaning. Just over a year following, Alice Naomi joined the family, on August 12 of 1917. Briony had learned this time not to give her hard toys to her sister, but her mother was still paranoid about her past performance, so Briony was kept rather separate from the babies until they were old enough to toddle around with one another. The three were rather happy children, and Briony was a constant beacon of energy, usurping the other two of attention once again, because of her exhuberant nature.

Magic was very apparent in the Wexler household, and Briony knew quite a bit about her world by the age of seven. It was this very same year that her mother was witness to Briony’s first overt display of magical ability, when she was trying to brush out the little girl’s rather messy hair. Briony had learned over time that the hairbrush only meant pain, and while Sibyl was clever enough to catch the girl and keep her held still, she could not get the wooden hairbrush to her daughter’s head. The object bent almost entirely backward as if it was a piece of heated metal, and was rendered quite useless. Briony was proud of herself, not for being of magical ability (she had always assumed she was), but for getting out of the hair-brushing ritual for once, and even got a cookie for her troubles.

To say that Briony’s childhood was uneventful would be to lie, for Briony being such an energetic child, she was always getting into trouble and making mischeif. At age nine, her mother decided that it might be a good idea to send the girl to her Aunt Eva’s house in Hogsmeade for summer vacations, and her father (begrudgingly) agreed. Briony adored her aunt, thinking her the most wonderful person in the world. She worked in a candy shop, too, which made Briony even happier. It was her tenth summer when Briony met a little boy who lived in the village, who she quickly befriended. Gabriel Goden was the son of a Hogsmeade resident and former Hogwarts student as well, who came often to visit her aunt. The two children often played together, finding all the interesting places in the village, and getting into trouble more often than not. Gabriel, who was one year older, promised his new friend that when she returned the next summer, he would teach her to fly, and they would both be Quidditch masters when they were at Hogwarts. Of course, this never came to be, as Briony’s summer vacation was cut short in Hogsmeade that year. There were many arrangements to be made, as her mother was going to be the school nurse at — where else — Hogwarts! Briony was thrilled that her mother would be there with her, so it would be ‘just like home’.

Much shopping was done in Diagon Alley to prepare the woman and her daughter for their trip to the prestigious school, and Briony managed to talk her father into getting her a kitten while he stopped in to get owls for his wife and himself. The poor black kitten went through at least ten different names before the girl finally decided on Whimsy, at her mother’s suggestion. September could not come soon enough for Briony, who was never known for her patience. It finally did, however, and her excitement could hardly be contained. She was going to Hogwarts, and would learn lots of interesting things! She could hardly wait, and nearly had to be restrained on the trip there by her father, so as not to get careless and injure her siblings or her new kitten. All went relatively smoothly, however, and the girl was loaded onto the train without any drama of which to speak. Briony was on her way to her biggest adventure yet…

Briony’s adventure begun with her being sorted into Gryffindor shortly after her arrival at Hogwarts. Both of her parents were pleased about this, though Basil did fear for his former house, knowing the ins and outs of what Gryffindor House Heads expect from their students. Briony’s energy did not cease to get her into trouble, helping her lose points for Gryffindor more than once. She also had a penchant for prowling about the castle, in search of mysteries to solve. It was for this reason that she and some of her friends formed the Junior Detective League and endeavored to solve all the mysteries of the castle. This league caused her (and several of her mates) to get into trouble for not only prowling, but being out of their commons when they weren’t supposed to be. This did not deterr Briony, however, and she continued to explore all the nooks and crannies of the castle in hopes of solving a big mystery.

The one kink in Briony’s spine to dampen her spirits was the fact that her cousin, Felicity (from her father’s side) was also sorted into the same house, and the two were forced to see one another more often than either would like. The interactions caused a great deal of word and insult slinging, which lead to many hurt feelings over the course of the year. The two made every effort not to have to see one another, because the encounters only lead to tears and grudges, but being in the same house made it difficult for them to be able to avoid each other. Still and all, Briony came out of her first year at Hogwarts relatively unscathed, and looking forward even more to beginning her second year, when she would finally be old enough to try out for Quidditch!

When Briony made the Quidditch team in her second year, the girl could not have been more thrilled. Practices soon showed that despite her enthusiasm, the girl did not have the skill that a practiced Quidditcher might, and even after ample amounts of practice, the girl was riddled by nerves, which often caused problems at games. Gryffindor did not win a match over the course of her second year, a fact which disappointed Briony greatly, though she was able to attend the matches of the other teams and still enjoy the events. During Briony’s second year, she began to have crushes on some of the boys in the school. Her first object of affection was a fourth year Hufflepuff boy by the name of Albert Bryce, younger brother to Gryffindor’s former Quidditch Captain. She asked the boy to the Barefoot Social with much trepidation, and was rewarded when the boy answered affirmatively. Soon after the event, though, her affections shifted to an older Hufflepuff — a sixth year — named Orion Kari, whose charm and grace swept the young girl off her feet. When he asked her to the Governor’s Ball, she was almost dumbstruck though she did manage to answer with a loud ‘yes’ just before he left her presence. The Ball came and went without much consequence, though the girl was very much enamoured with him afterward, much to her parents’ dismay. However, the end of the year raced toward her, and soon it was summertime again, when she would finally be able to move into her new home in Hogsmeade and would be able to spend time with her new baby sister, who her parents had named Felicity Elise.

Briony’s third year began with high excitement. Well, from her, at least. She began the year taking Wizo-Music, Wizo-Art and Divination in addition to the classes she had taken before. At the start of the year, it was announced that there would be tryouts for a replacement Announcer in Quidditch, and Briony tried out and was given the position. Briony’s year was therefore quite busy, as she juggled her classes and electives, Quidditch practices and games, and Announcer practices. The girl had little free time but did occasionally manage to have a bit of fun. She went to the Barefoot Social with Gabriel, though spent the majority of said encounter fawning over Orion Kari, the seventh year Hufflepuff with whom she had gone to the Governor’s Ball the previous year. It was in springtime of that same year that an event came which would change Briony’s perceptions permanently. She was cornered in the hallway by the same Seventh year Hufflepuff who she had grown so fond of over two years of association. Briony was pressed up against the wall, and it was clear that his intentions were entirely dishonorable, and when Felicity happened along, it was only by moments that Briony was saved from “uncertain fate,” as she would put it (though in reality, it was just a kiss), due to Felicity’s intervention. Felicity, then, was in his line of vision and while Briony had the chance to escape, it fell to her to help her cousin out of the jam. Through a series of kicks and physical intervention, both girls managed to get him off of Felicity and ran. The experience changed Briony, though. Somehow, life didn’t seem as easy and safe, and things were a bit more concerning. Briony escaped to the commonroom, and met Gabriel there, to whom she had previously not been speaking. Through comforting and conversation, Briony’s first kiss occurred, with none other than Gabriel. Briony’s summer started oddly for that reason, because the girl did not quite understand the consequences of this. The summer was long and slightly awkward, especially for the times while Gabriel was visiting in Hogsmeade, but Briony still kept her cheerful countenance, even while confusion was stewing inside.

Awkwardness surrounded Briony’s relationship with Gabe for about half of her fourth year. The two weren’t quite sure how to react to one another in the wake of their mutual first kiss. For a good part of the year, she hardly spoke to the boy, though sometime during the middle of the year, the two started to talk to one another again, and were thick as thieves again by the end. When it came to the summer vacation, Briony did not go home to Hogsmeade as usual, instead staying with her Aunt Eva for the entirety of the summer, working at Cordial Confections for some spare spending money, and, as others might have suspected, to get her out of her father’s way for the summer. When it came to the start of her fifth year, Briony was disappointed to find that she had not been made prefect as she was hoping, and this was cause for a bit of sour attitude at the start of the year, which did eventually melt, and none too soon, as the festivities for the newly announced International Academy Quidditch Cup began.

Briony’s fifth year was quite full of Quidditch excitement, though she had little time to enjoy it as OWLs were ever looming closer. After studying hard, Briony managed a score of moderate owls, with Es in Divination, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy and Wizo-Music, with one O in Wizo-Art. The summer after was quite uneventful – except for some covert sneaking around with Gabriel Goden – until she found out that for undisclosed reasons, the previous year’s female prefect had been removed from her post and Briony had been made prefect in her stead.

Briony took her position as Prefect very seriously, taking the time frequently to stop and correct a first year for stopping in the middle of the hallway to tie a shoe, or forgetting to have his or her robes cleaned appropriately. This behavior only lasted a little while however, as the excitement of the newfound role faded a little and she settled into a normal routine in her NEWT classes. She had a moderate load of NEWTs, taking only Astronomy, Wizo-Music, Divination and Magical Art.

Over the summer between Briony’s sixth and seventh year, she and Gabriel got engaged. The engagement, much like the relationship, was kept under strict wraps, and though Briony had a small ring as a token, she kept it on a chain around her neck, or in her pocket, rather than on her finger, so as to diffuse suspicion. That most of her relatives had taken exodus from the school – her mother retiring over the summer and Felicity graduating – helped her mind stay at ease as she looked forward to the new term at Hogwarts, even while she was busily working at Cordial Confections under the watchful and suspicious eye of her Aunt Eva.

Personality

Briony is energetic and enthusiastic, though as she has grown up, she has become somewhat less talkative to those outside of her circle of friends. The girl has a fierce streak of loyalty, and is willing to physically fight anyone who makes threats to those who are precious to her. Briony is otherwise unconcerned with what others think of her behavior or passions. The young woman’s enthusiasm has become more channeled than it was in her younger years, and she is able to sit still and have normal conversation without fidgeting or bursting in with wild and unrelated stories and anecdotes.

Description

Very much a young woman as opposed to the girl of a few years ago, Briony is tall and thin. She has little by way of feminine shape, though the key clues to her being female are, of course, evident. Her skin is slightly tanned, as if to hint that she spends a fair amount of time outside in the sun. She has a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks and over her nose. Her dark blue eyes are framed by brown lashes. Her pink lips frame an oft-seen smile filled with crooked teeth. Her thick, dark blonde hair has become quite long and usually is pulled back out of her face in a ponytail of some sort. Around her neck is a thin, gold chain, on which is a thin ring with a little turquoise colored stone. She also sports a gold bangle in the shape of a dragon on her wrist, which looks rather like the dragon has curled itself around her wrist. She is often seen with dangling snitch-shaped earrings, or else sporting a barrette in the shape of a Quidditch broom.

Outfits

Social Gown, 1927

In her new growth, Briony seems to have been allowed to get something new to wear rather than behing forced to wear something previously worn. The girl has on a orangey-gold coloured dress, with mustard yellow embroidery adorning it in the shape of ferns. The dress has sleeves which hang on her shoulders and come out just to where her arms could be considered to start. A sheer fabric comes down over her arms, hanging loose to the elbows as if she has makeshift sleeves. The neckline of the dress comes to a shallow V just below her neck, showing her collarbone just a little. There is a bit of ruched fabric in the mustard shade just below her meager bustline which just seems to accent where the waist of the dress is. The dress hangs down over her still narrow hips and comes to an almost pleated skirt, which has uneven levels. It is not exactly the most modern fashion or mode, but it sits nicely on the girl’s frame, especially as the skirt flutters while she walks. The skirt comes down to her mid-calves, though the lowest points of the pleats come down to her ankles.

Ball Robes

Briony wears a light blue gown, with a fitted top. The top has beaded details in darker blue dotting it over the front and back, all seeming to be in the shape of a snitch.. The bodice comes to a V-shape at the waist, where it flares out at the girl’s still-small hips. The softer fabric at the hips flows down to the floor, and seems to be many layers, rather than just one layer with some sort of support underneath. The bottom of the dress seems to ruffle and fold over itself as she walks, being of such soft material that it does not hold a ‘bell’ shape on its own while moving. small sleeves made of the same material as the bottom of the dress flow over her shoulders, about three inches wide each, and come out from the bodice at a diagonal angle to cover just the rounded part of her shoulder, rather than her neck as well as her shoulder. Around the girl’s neck is a simple silver necklace with a charm of a snitch on it. Her hair is pulled up into an elaborate up-do, with matching charms in her hair, all of which seem to sparkle of their own accord.

Social Dress

Briony’s dressrobes for the social are a mix of blue and lavendar, swirled together. The dress is just longer than knee-length, a safety precaution for the nature of the social, and the girl is barefoot. On her legs, however, are white stockings, despite her mother’s requests that she not wear them, The dress has a hem at the waist, flaring ever so slightly for the hips not yet much developed, and hangs loosely down to its ruffled hem. From the waist down, a sheer flower print in blue and lavendar overlays the blue and lavendar of the more solid fabric of the skirt. The ruffles are small and smooth. The bodice of the dress comes up to a small V-shape, and no sleeves save the sheer bits of ruffle which match the hemline that cover her arms to the elbow. The half-sleeves are loose and have a blue and lavendar flower print on them, coming to a cuff just above the elbow, in the blue and lavendar shade of fabric which the bodice of the dress is made from.

School Robes

The girl sports a black robe, plain, which just covers her feet, appearing as if she has already had a growth spurt. Sturdy black boots, with pointed toes, peek out from the bottom of the black material, which comes just an inch shy of reaching the floor. Already the bottoms are splattered with a thin layer of mud. On the lefthand side of the robes on the breast, a Hogwarts crest is proudly displayed. The robes show signs of wear, though they are still rather new, and are slightly wrinkled and creased. Upon her head is a tall pointy hat, which also has a Hogwarts crest on it, as well as her name stitched on the inside, for easy retrieval for the many times she is destined to lose the garment.