Artia Nora Saoirse.
Twenty-seven.
Artia has very much the physical appearance of a faerie or pixie. She is petite, standing straight at a mere height of 5'3", with a lean, strong body. Her many years of physical activity shaped her well and have kept her incredibly capable and increasingly self-sufficient. Artia's eyes are bright and intelligent, being a clear, pale green; often those who meet her gaze find it difficult to look away, though uncomfortable to hold. Freckles are splashed across her nose and cheeks, as though painted on with the flick of a brush. Her vibrant red hair falls in thick, wavy curtains around her, and she often has to brush it out of her face, which she finds irritating, as it sometimes gets in the way when she works with creatures.
Her everyday attire is a product of her work. Her boots reach halfway up her calf, and are of a hardy, protective leather that has softened with age; the heel is small, allowing her to make no noise when crossing fields or running through forests. Her leggings are of a similar make, being fitted throughout, but of a flexible hide that allows her to move quickly and with ease, should the need arise. Her leather tunic is tailored in such a way that it emphasizes her boyish figure. She can frequently be found with a stiff leather wrist brace on her right forearm as protection for her writing hand. At her hip is a tiny leather pouch, the entire contents of which nobody is certain. Artia can be seen fidgeting with it when she gets bored.
When it is required of her to dress formally, such as for the welcome feast in the Great Hall, she wears robes of a deep indigo, which further enhance her naturally mesmerizing eyes. Though her skirts just brush the ground, they are wide and flowing, allowing for the freedom to move. If she doesn't feel able to run and jump in her clothing, she feels constrained. The neck of her bodice is wide and low, showcasing her porcelain skin, and her sleeves are fitted to a point on her hand so as not to be in her way.
She speaks with a confident voice, one that simply states the facts and leaves little room to argue. To some, she comes across as being very harsh, with a sharp tongue. Her Scottish accent becomes more pronounced the louder she speaks, making her, at times, difficult to understand, especially when she is outside teaching students on a windy day.
/ Think Ygritte from Game of Thrones. /
Artia is passionate, although she keeps a shield in place to protect herself from those she is not familiar with, or whom she deems untrustworthy. She can, at times, be short with people, because she finds humans rather boring in comparison to other beings and creatures, and they often fail to keep her attention. She is often considered short-tempered, as she has little patience for those who are a bother to her.
She is independent, and at times defiant, preferring to do things of her own choice rather than always listening to the advice of those around her. She is intelligent, though this only shows in subjects that truly captivate her. She is highly curious, but usually her curiosity is focused on subjects that she is interested in. She is known not to take anyone else's disrespect, though she can appreciate a good prank.
Artia is near impossible to motivate when the subject does not peak her interest, to the point where she, at times, seems attention deficit. She also finds herself easily frustrated and angered by simple things, and can be a bit too fiery for some people’s taste. When in a debate, she does not back down from whatever side she believes to be correct. She sometimes comes off as opinionated, though she does not force her opinion on others.
Artia was born in Scotland in April, to a magizoologist father who specialized in researching dragons and a mother who worked at St Mungo’s as a healer. Her father named her for the Celtic goddess of wilderness, because even in her newborn eyes, he caught a glimpse of the ferocity he often saw in the magical creatures he dealt with daily. Her blood is pure, though that is of little to no importance to her.
Artia had always been close to her mother; growing up in a secluded area to protect their wizard identity with three older brothers, her mother was the only female she really knew. That being said, she had been raised in a house full of testosterone, and so was exposed to activities such as archery, climbing, and riding her horse around her family’s land. Even with her mother’s feminine influence, Artia was never fond of the typical activities of a young lady, such as playing with dolls, and imagining life with things other than dragons and magical duels.
She often thought to herself that, had she been born in a different time, she would definitely have found a way to become a knight, if her petite body would permit it. If anything, she could have used her talent in archery to take part in competitions. Her father always assured her that she would have been a knight, but seeing as she was born in present day, she would have to make do with being a talented and successful young witch.
But when she was seven, her mother was murdered by the notorious Daniel Frost. While out wandering the forests surrounding their house one day, Artia and her mother had become separated, but only for a moment. When she had called numerous times for her mother and there was no reply, she knew something was wrong. Something had happened. When Artia’s family discovered what had happened to her mother, they were devastated. Her only female role model had disappeared, right before her eyes. To this day, she regrets ever wanting to wander off, away from her mother, without giving her a last glance as her name was called.
Artia became closed-off after her mother was killed, and was guarded around most everyone she met. She had been raised to never purposefully harm another creature or human, and thought that people had betrayed her by not abiding by that rule, and she had betrayed herself by not doing everything in her power to protect her mother. She began to seek the company of fantastic beasts and beings instead, because she knew they did not kill for sport.
She received her Hogwarts letter and attended the school in the fall of 2032, with Ithilwen as the Headmistress. Artia was sure her spiteful nature would cause tension between the two of them, she has never felt Ithilwen's rage, which astonished her. Artia finds her own frustrations incredibly difficult to control or hide, which is why she chooses her friends carefully, and avoids those with traits she recognizes as being an irritation for her. However, the friends she did make in her years at Hogwarts know her better than sometimes she knows herself, and have remained steadfast throughout the years.
Although the only class she thought she would exceed in was Care of Magical Creatures, she found herself to be quite successful in Defence Against the Dark Arts as well - a subject she had definitely not counted on excelling in. When mentioning this to her father, he explained, quite simply, that her inner fire burned so strongly that nothing stood a chance against her. The thought brings a small smile to her lips, because it is the same saying her father would repeat after her mother was killed to remind her to stay strong.
Her father had taught her everything she had ever wanted to know, and more, about many magical creatures, so she was not surprised to find herself receiving an 'O' on practically every assignment given in Care of Magical Creatures. However, she did not truly consider studying magical creatures as a profession until her fourth year, when a new professor took up the position of ‘Creature Teacher’, as Artia referred to people like her father.
Professor Montgomery was the first woman, besides her mother, Artia had ever been honest and open with, and she looked up to the woman as a motherly figure, and a role model. Montgomery inspired not only a softer form of Artia to showcase itself, but for Artia to study to become an animagus as well. She finally felt she had a mother figure in her life again.
Having achieved admirable grades in her OWL and NEWT subjects and in her final year at Hogwarts, Artia decided to travel the globe to begin her studies of creatures. She began her journey in Asia, where she found such creatures as the baku and the griffin. She then continued on to the Mediterranean, where she came across unicorns, six-legged salamanders, and hippocampi. She even ventured to South America, where she studied amphitheres.
After a little over a year spent travelling, she decided she was ready to focus on dragons. However, she knew she would need time to prepare for such a journey, and she would need to rest before taking off once more. Promptly after returning to her home in Scotland, Artia received a visit from Montgomery, who agreed to mentor Artia in the process of becoming an animagus. It took three months of dedication and endless practice for her to be able to transform freely. Of course, adjusting to racing through the forests of Ireland as a fox took some adjusting, but she quickly found she enjoyed the experience.
Before setting out once more to continue her studies and begin her focus on dragons, Artia knew she would need to gather a team to help her in her quest. She became great friends with the group of four others she launched her journey with when she was 21.
The group became incredibly tight-knit, until Artia was offered the position of Care of Magical Creatures professor, as the most recent one had retired to 'spend more time with his remaining limbs'. Although the thought of leaving the group saddened her, Artia was ecstatic to take up the position. She now felt she had the knowledge to effectively educate others about the most endearing creatures in the world. The group promised to keep in touch as they continued without her, traipsing through mountain ranges and forests.
This year is Artia's third as the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts, and her first as the Head of Gryffindor house.
Her wand is made of English Oak, with an Augurey tail feather core, and is described as inflexible. The wand is smooth, and has a raised ivy pattern climbing up from the base, a feature that fits her hands perfectly.
Artia greatly enjoyed Seeking for Quidditch, as her small size made her naturally nimble. In her seventh year, she even became the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Due to where she was raised, she greatly enjoys being outside and active in any way possible. She finds solace in archery, climbing, and horseback riding, although due to her position as a professor she finds it difficult to fine-tune her skills.
Her adoration for creatures and beasts alike led to her desire to care for and raise many animals, one of which is her Friesian gelding Fallyn, who is kept at her home in Ireland while she is at Hogwarts. She also has a Verreaux's Eagle-Owl named Adair, who stays in the Hogwarts Owlery while she is teaching, though he is often out hunting.
A red fox. Her animagus form is the same, though somewhat smaller, whose hair and eyes parallel her own.
