Chester Alan Blake

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

• Name Meaning
  • Chester: fortified place
  • Alan: little rock or handsome
• Birthdate: August 27, 1918
• Role: Hogwarts Graduated
• Former House: Hufflepuff
• Wand: Supple Redwood, average, with a zircon powder core

Background

Born in 1884, Linford Blake was sorted into Slytherin in his days at Hogwarts. Always in the shadow of his older brother, Conrad, who had been sorted to Hufflepuff four years earlier than Linford, the boy seemed to always overdo everything in an attempt to gain some family notoriety. While his parents never put him down in favor of his older brother’s success, Linford himself couldn’t help but compare his own accomplishments as they went through school. Conrad had been named Prefect in his fifth year, and though he had not made Head Boy, it was enough for Linford, since he was not made Prefect in his own time. It was around his sixth year that he took interest in a certain headstrong, confident fourth year, also in Slytherin, named Sheridan Abbey. While Linford occasionally tried to gain Sheridan’s attention, he never succeeded, and frequently talked himself out of several ploys to win her return affection. He graduated from Hogwarts with mediocre marks without ever having even gained her attention on him once.

Sheridan, too, graduated from Hogwarts in her own time, though she /had/ been made Prefect and Head Girl both. Sheridan immediately headed to the Ministry of Magic, and managed to secure an internship in the Department of International Magic Cooperation. Linford had managed, after a couple of years, to get on at the Daily Prophet, in the World News Division. It was a few years before he would cross Sheridan’s path again. He was assigned to interview a young, up-and-coming Ministry worker who would soon be sent to India as a liaison between the two Wizarding governments. He showed up at the appropriate time, only to find out that the liason would be Sheridan Abbey, the girl he had been so hopelessly besotted over during his time at Hogwarts. He did his best not to betray this to her during the interview, but could not help, at the finish, inquiring after her. While she did not recall him from Hogwarts, Sheridan was quite taken with the somewhat shy man before her, who seemed almost unsure of how to proceed. The two chatted for quite a while, long after Linford had everything he needed, and then some more, for his article. It seemed only natural for Sheridan to suggest that the two of them go out to dinner. Linford gladly accepted, and the two went to a local restaurant. They chatted for hours, to the point where Linford’s mother became slightly concerned at his not returning home, and they were specifically asked to leave the restaurant. This did not end their meeting, howevr, as they chose to walk along paths in a park in London for hours. It was at sunrise that Linford felt he ought to get back home, but just as he was opening his mouth to suggest that they meet again, Sheridan very boldly made her own suggestion. “What say we get married, Linford? I rather like you, and I think you like me. Come along with me to India. Think of the adventure!” She had said this with a sweet smile and grin, and Linford could hardly refuse, given that he had never quite gotten over his crush from his teen years.

The week went on, and both revealed their parents their plans. Neither family liked it very well, but this didn’t deter either party. Sheridan seemed to have her mind very much set on this marriage, and while Linford wasn’t sure about the speed of it, he went along because he was once again smitten with the woman who he had known from a distance in school. The day before Sheridan was slated to leave for India, the two were wed in a small ceremony, where only Sheridan’s younger brother Finbar stood witness, as both sets of parents, as well as Linford’s older brother did not entirely approve of the match and its speedy result. With only this one day’s notice to the Daily Prophet, Linford left for India with Sheridan, to enjoy his new bride’s company in this country so unknown to him.

At first, Linford had a difficult time in India, for he hadn’t been expecting such a change as he had so suddenly received. For a while, Sheridan worked while Linford stayed around the house. He was unsure how to fill his time, and after a fashion, started up some correspondence work with the local British liason’s office, writing little articles about relatively unimportant things. While Linford found this work rather unchallenging and unfufilling, he strangely developed no resentment for Sheridan from it. This is not to say that the two were entirely free from arguments. They fought often and spiritedly, but usually made up within the day of the argument, or at most, within the week. For nine years, they stagnated, attending parties now and then, and spending quite a bit of time alone in their house. Sheridan’s income supported the two of them more than comfortably, and Linford’s meager income made sure that they had no financial difficulties at all. It was only after about eight years that the couple decided that they wanted to begin a family. In September of 1917, Rowan Henry Blake was brought into the family. Since Sheridan was working so hard to be promoted once again (her third since arriving in India), she left primary care of Rowan to Linford. Rowan was only two months old when she fell pregnant again. This had a large hand in delaying Sheridan’s promotion, which, while for a happy reason, frustrated the woman, who was intent on making the next promotion as soon as she could. In August of 1918, Chester Alan Blake was born, merely eleven months after his older brother. Linford held care of both infants at his highest priority, though he did still take in correspondence work, which he would often do while both boys were sleeping.

Life went on mildly for five years, at which time Linford began educating both boys simultaneously, citing their closeness in age for this decision. He couldn’t very well leave Chester out of it, he reasoned and purchased two copies of each of the books he found necessary to provide for the education of his sons. Just after Rowan turned five years old, Sheridan gave birth to a third child: Siscily Adrienne Blake. This would be the couple’s last child, out of choice more than necessity. When Siscily was merely a year old, Sheridan got her final promotion in India, which took the family back to England, where she could take up a more supervisory position in the Ministry of Magic proper.

Confusing though the move was for the children, Linford thought this would be a positive move for their education, which he was very much vested in as being the best possible. Chester, for his own part, did not quite understand what was going on, being only five years old when the move took place. He had only been used to life in India, and found, at first, that life in Glouchestershire, where the family had settled down after a short visit to both Sheridan’s and Linford’s parents, was much colder than that of India. The landscape, though, was inspiration to the boy’s creative tendencies, and after about a year in the ‘new’ country, he began to sketch it with as much fondness as he had India during his time there. His studies progressed naturally, and he was in constant competition with Rowan for who would get more answers correct or finish first in their school work. Siscily often would wander in to distract them, in demand of some trinket or bit of attention from her older brothers, much to Chester’s annoyance. Despite how annoying he found his younger sister, Chester seemed to find it in his own charge to protect the girl from Rowan’s prodding and teasing.

Summers were a source of great annoyance for Chester, in especial, because it was during these summers that his mother arranged for he and his siblings to spend time with their cousins, Tennyson, Bronte, Daphne and Eleanore Blake, children of Linford’s older brother and his wife Diedre (born 1915, 1917, 1919 and 1921, respectively) for the entirety of the summer. Tennyson was Chester’s least favorite summer, as the boy had a tendency to be rather cruel and had a love for picking on his cousins. While he found Bronte to be mildly tolerable, Chester had early come to the conclusion that he did not like any of his cousins.

Years went on like this, with little change, save for one more promotion for Sheridan, until Rowan turned eleven, and Chester was nearly eleven. It was at this point that Linford seemed to realize that the two would be headed off to Hogwarts (for he had no doubt that his children would be put down for the school), and he began to pile harder workloads onto them. Chester did not particularly enjoy this more difficult load, but the child rarely complained except to his siblings and the journal he began keeping shortly after his tenth birthday. His biggest lament was the lack of time he had to sketch and practice the art which had taken hold of his interest even stronger than before.

Chester’s first year was only mildly exciting to him. He was sorted to Hufflepuff, where Rowan was sorted to Gryffindor. Despite the difference in houses, the two spent much of their time insisting that they were not twins. His marks were good, and he forged friendships with a few other boys in his year, though his time was otherwise uneventful. He managed to stay out of trouble and out of any semblance of spotlight, quite intentionally so.

Chester’s second year was not more exciting than his first, though the prospect that in his next year he would be able to take more courses had him looking forward to his third year more than not. His marks in his second year were respectable once again, and he managed to quite successfully avoid his brother. The questions asking if they were twins seemed to die down, save for the newer students or the occasional vindictive classmate. At the close of Chester’s second year, he was quite thrilled to be able to choose courses.  True to his interests, he chose Magical Art first, and then almost as an afterthought, picked Divination, figuring it would be an easy addition to his schedule.

Personality

Chester is a quiet boy, though not terribly shy. He does not often speak out, unless someone he cares about is in a situation he views to be unfair. Chester likes to watch people and situations, and has no issues whatsoever with staring, even if he has often been chastized for it. Through his short years, Chester has proved very little if he has not proved himself to be trustworthy and loyal. Even when he does not like what he is being assigned, he will plod through it until it is finished, and, much to the joy of his parents, always seemed to have his priorities in order, even as a young child. This is not to say, however, that he is completely consistent. Chester can easily be distracted by drawing and art, and will often pause his studies to doodle on his notes when he is suddenly struck by ideas.

Description

Chester is a thin lad, of average height for his age. He has a mop of short, very curly hair atop his head which, despite the most vigorous combing always seems to be unkempt and messy. He has fair skin with very few freckles, though his cheeks always seem to be reddened, as if he is constantly in an embarassed state. He has light blue eyes with dark lashes, which give his face a decidedly feminine feel. His nose is rather small, and crooks a bit to the left at the end, as if it were once broken and not correctly mended.

Outfits

School Robes

The young man wears long black robes with a yellow Hufflepuff badge on the breast. The robes fall all the way to the floor, where the bottoms are a bit ragged from obviously having been stepped on quite a bit. They seem to have seen better days, at any rate, as the ends of the sleeves are a bit frayed as well. There are no holes or patches in his robes, however, and they otherwise look sturdy still. Below his robes, occasionally thick, black boots will peek out, quite obviously in need of a shine but otherwise not scuffed or marked.

Family

• Garrett Mitchell Blake (b. 1851)
  • Celia Giselle (Leigh) Blake (b. 1850)
    • Conrad Alwan Blake (b. 1880)
      • Diedre Janelle (Anderson) Blake (b. 1880)
        • Tennyson Corie Blake (b. 1915)
        • Bronte Hammond Blake (b. 1917)
        • Daphne Julianne Blake (b. 1919)
        • Eleanore Ellen Blake (b. 1921)
    • Linford Macey Blake (b. 1884)
      • Sheridan Geneva (Abbey) Blake (b. 1886)
        • Rowan Henry Blake (b. 1917)
        • Chester Alan Blake (b. 1918)
        • Siscily Adrienne Blake (b. 1922)
• Elliott George Abbey (b. 1861)
  • Leandra Helene (Soffouer) Abbey (b. 1862)
    • Sheridan Geneva (Abbey) Blake (b. 1886)
    • Finbar Hanford Abbey (b. 1889)