Prof. W. Quinn McGriffin / The Lady Winifred Quinn McGriffin
May 21, 2017 15:18:06 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2017 15:18:06 GMT
Concept:
A highly academic mage with dreams of bringing magical society into a new era of cooperation with muggles, of bridging technology and magic, and of achieving a world of true freedom and happiness for all sapients and possible sapients. She is devoted to heroics and service to the world, but considers herself a preference utilitarian, and has been rather paranoid since Vold War II. Quinn is not above using the Unforgivable Curses, dark rituals or any other means necessary to achieve her goals; as long as the end-state is happiness and freedom, she'll see it as a win. Realistically, in the magical world such methods are easy to catch, and she's no true Dark Lady, so she mainly sticks to good old manipulation-with-plausible-deniability. Laconically, a Slytherin-brain with a Gryffindor-heart.
In magical academic circles:
Professor W. Quinn McGriffin is the most recent professor to ascend to Hogwarts mastery, specifically taking over as Astronomy Mistress from the departing Professor Winterbotham. She is notable not only for the requisite knowledge and skill in magical theory, but for having openly studied mundane astronomy and higher mathematics at Cambridge in the mundane world (she has one of those "PhD." thingies that muggles go on about). Before she was hired at Hogwarts, she ran a tuition-free private tutoring organization for magical children (open year-round for pre-Hogwarts students) that focused heavily on mundane science and mathematics, as well as magical/mundane fusion. This organization had among its small number of students the children of DMLE Head Hermione Granger, gaining it some notoriety. Because of this, and especially now that she is at Hogwarts, Prof. McGriffin is considered a prominent advocate of injecting the wisdom (or "wisdom", depending on your politics) of the mundane into the world of magical education. Prominent enough, at least, that Headmistress McGonagall's decision to hire her was markedly well-received in pro-muggle circles and vice versa.
It is known from public statements that her upbringing during the First Voldemort War and her experience fighting in the Second Voldemort War color her politics and educational decisions. Her tutoring organization is still active, though with a much smaller student body, being taught primarily by the McGriffin House Elf.
In non-teaching roles, Prof. McGriffin has patented several invented charms, including a new version of the communications mirror enchantments, and she has researched astral convergences since her Hogwarts days. She is considered a local expert in Magical Britain on the subjects of Astronomy, Magical Theory, and ritual magic (especially astral rituals, but also alchemy and rituals of permanent sacrifice). The Ministry has also called her in to explain how muggles come to know things through their science and natural philosophy, whether they could use those methods to discover the magical world, whether something called "satellite imaging" could reveal hidden places like Hogwarts, and the like.
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In mundane academic circles:
Dr. W. Quinn McGriffin is an astronomer tied to the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge. She only rarely teaches classes or participates in research, but she is kept on the books as an active staff member regardless. It is believed that she is some sort of aristocrat, most likely aiding in the funding of some of the Institute's projects, but uninterested in public acknowledgement. Those who have met her describe her as a perfectly normal astronomer and a vaguely above-average lecturer. Apart from possibly being wealthy, there is not much interesting about her.
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In magical aristocratic circles:
The McGriffins were one of the ancient pureblood families who opposed Voldemort during the Second Voldemort War, and the Lord and Lady were both murdered around the time of that war, presumably by the Death Eaters. Their daughter, though nominally the current "Lady McGriffin", has no husband nor heir, and is not interested in the world of aristocracy. She funds projects and organizations that further her interests, and does little else with her title. She is known to much prefer "Dr." or as of May 2017, "Professor" to "Lady". Her politics are clearly aligned with the pro-muggle and related pro-Harry Potter factions of the Wizengamot, to the point that she has political enemies among the more traditional purebloods. She and her late parents have been called "blood traitors" both behind their backs and to their faces, as the senior McGriffins were prominent pro-muggle activists even before the war.
In addition, the McGriffins have a particular reputation as to the way they treat their House Elves. Multiple times in the past, the family has been investigated for possible use of wands among their elves, though nothing was ever proven. It is known that McGriffin House Elves are given full educations and considered full members of the family, despite their continued role as servants. The current House Elf, Dergal, even tutors children in McGriffin's tutoring organization, something that utterly baffles many pureblood families, but is welcomed by muggle-borns and the like.
A highly academic mage with dreams of bringing magical society into a new era of cooperation with muggles, of bridging technology and magic, and of achieving a world of true freedom and happiness for all sapients and possible sapients. She is devoted to heroics and service to the world, but considers herself a preference utilitarian, and has been rather paranoid since Vold War II. Quinn is not above using the Unforgivable Curses, dark rituals or any other means necessary to achieve her goals; as long as the end-state is happiness and freedom, she'll see it as a win. Realistically, in the magical world such methods are easy to catch, and she's no true Dark Lady, so she mainly sticks to good old manipulation-with-plausible-deniability. Laconically, a Slytherin-brain with a Gryffindor-heart.
In magical academic circles:
Professor W. Quinn McGriffin is the most recent professor to ascend to Hogwarts mastery, specifically taking over as Astronomy Mistress from the departing Professor Winterbotham. She is notable not only for the requisite knowledge and skill in magical theory, but for having openly studied mundane astronomy and higher mathematics at Cambridge in the mundane world (she has one of those "PhD." thingies that muggles go on about). Before she was hired at Hogwarts, she ran a tuition-free private tutoring organization for magical children (open year-round for pre-Hogwarts students) that focused heavily on mundane science and mathematics, as well as magical/mundane fusion. This organization had among its small number of students the children of DMLE Head Hermione Granger, gaining it some notoriety. Because of this, and especially now that she is at Hogwarts, Prof. McGriffin is considered a prominent advocate of injecting the wisdom (or "wisdom", depending on your politics) of the mundane into the world of magical education. Prominent enough, at least, that Headmistress McGonagall's decision to hire her was markedly well-received in pro-muggle circles and vice versa.
It is known from public statements that her upbringing during the First Voldemort War and her experience fighting in the Second Voldemort War color her politics and educational decisions. Her tutoring organization is still active, though with a much smaller student body, being taught primarily by the McGriffin House Elf.
In non-teaching roles, Prof. McGriffin has patented several invented charms, including a new version of the communications mirror enchantments, and she has researched astral convergences since her Hogwarts days. She is considered a local expert in Magical Britain on the subjects of Astronomy, Magical Theory, and ritual magic (especially astral rituals, but also alchemy and rituals of permanent sacrifice). The Ministry has also called her in to explain how muggles come to know things through their science and natural philosophy, whether they could use those methods to discover the magical world, whether something called "satellite imaging" could reveal hidden places like Hogwarts, and the like.
--
In mundane academic circles:
Dr. W. Quinn McGriffin is an astronomer tied to the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge. She only rarely teaches classes or participates in research, but she is kept on the books as an active staff member regardless. It is believed that she is some sort of aristocrat, most likely aiding in the funding of some of the Institute's projects, but uninterested in public acknowledgement. Those who have met her describe her as a perfectly normal astronomer and a vaguely above-average lecturer. Apart from possibly being wealthy, there is not much interesting about her.
--
In magical aristocratic circles:
The McGriffins were one of the ancient pureblood families who opposed Voldemort during the Second Voldemort War, and the Lord and Lady were both murdered around the time of that war, presumably by the Death Eaters. Their daughter, though nominally the current "Lady McGriffin", has no husband nor heir, and is not interested in the world of aristocracy. She funds projects and organizations that further her interests, and does little else with her title. She is known to much prefer "Dr." or as of May 2017, "Professor" to "Lady". Her politics are clearly aligned with the pro-muggle and related pro-Harry Potter factions of the Wizengamot, to the point that she has political enemies among the more traditional purebloods. She and her late parents have been called "blood traitors" both behind their backs and to their faces, as the senior McGriffins were prominent pro-muggle activists even before the war.
In addition, the McGriffins have a particular reputation as to the way they treat their House Elves. Multiple times in the past, the family has been investigated for possible use of wands among their elves, though nothing was ever proven. It is known that McGriffin House Elves are given full educations and considered full members of the family, despite their continued role as servants. The current House Elf, Dergal, even tutors children in McGriffin's tutoring organization, something that utterly baffles many pureblood families, but is welcomed by muggle-borns and the like.