► BELLAMIE, Claire

CLAIRE ARTOIS BELLAMIE
played by: Chelsea

THE PLAYER
Your Online Name: Chels!
Do you have any other characters? None yet
What are your contacts? PM it cool by me!

THE BASICS
Full Name: Claire Artois Bellamie
Nicknames: Professor Bellamie. Claire.
Date of Birth and Age: May 23, 1982. Thirty.
Position: Charms Professor/Charms Club Sponsor
Former House: Beauxbatons

THE APPEARANCE

Face Claim: Zoey Deschanel
Other notable features: --

THE PERSONALITY
Personality:

As her last name would imply, Claire is nothing if not a trustworthy, loyal friend. She prides herself on this fact and makes a point to be friendly to as many people as she can. Whether it be someone dropping papers in the hallway or being bullied in the Great Hall, Claire manages to always lend a helping hand and do what is right. Her personality is often described as charismatic, vivacious, and adventurous. It would not be uncommon to find Claire trying her hand at many new things at once, with a variety of tasks such as knitting, scuba diving, or creating new games and sports for others to participate in. She enjoys living life to the fullest, and she feels experiencing all aspects of life is one of many ways to do just that. Claire finds people who are systematic and those that stick to routines boring and dull. People who don't laugh easy or are excessively flat in affect are an anomaly to her. Those who take things with such deathly seriousness make her insides squirm in an annoyed fashion. Life is to be enjoyed, not analyzed or despised; at least, in her humble opinion.

This isn't to say that Claire can't be calm and focused when necessary. She is talented at being hard-working and determined when the time calls for her to be. This is how Claire became such the astonishing witch that she is today: rigorous magical exercises and a tough work ethic. It's not likely that one would discover Claire spending her free time sleeping or lazing about. It's just not her style. She never wastes time and enjoys bettering herself and her talents. However, Claire is hardly serious, even in these times. She thoroughly enjoys laboring for whatever fruits life may offer her. Accomplishments are truly the spice of life for her, and she realizes that all good things truly need to be sought. They are rarely simply handed to the recipient. Her hard work has paid off in the past and she sometimes enjoys bragging about what she has done with herself. Talking is one of her strong points as well; Claire can get any one to smile or laugh with relative ease. People find her to be a good listener and come to her with personal problems on a daily basis, divulging their deepest secrets and looking for guidance or advice.

That said, Claire has some difficulty truly opening up to people. Closeness is not something she enjoys because closeness has lead to hurt in her past on numerous occasions. People at times believe her to be a simple, shallow person with little more to offer than what is at the surface. They truly couldn't be more incorrect. Claire simply does not let people in past the front gate, to put it simply. Many claim to know her quite well, and Claire secretly enjoys knowing that many of these people really don't know her at all. Her sense of humor is as much a defense as an offense. When people try to prod too deeply or get to know her too intimately, Claire is quick to roll her eyes and make light of the situation before expertly changing the subject. Her mastery of this skill is so keen that people rarely realize she's even doing it. Despite her necessity to keep most people at arms length, Claire does have one or two close friends that she has shared her difficult past with and that help her get through the tasks of daily life. However, because of her inability to allow people to connect with her, Claire has never really had a serious significant other. She has had flings in the past, sure. But when it came for the time to go big or go home, Claire was already out the door without a backwards glance.

Though Claire would never admit it aloud, there is a darker side to her; a subconscious mental process so ingrained that she rarely realizes that it's happening. Claire - despite her adamant denials of the fact - has some anti-Muggle tendancies and a mentality that has stuck with her since childhood. Her parents, though they were pureblooded, were all for equality of the wizarding and non-wizarding populations. Claire remembers having these same viewpoints as a child, but at some point that thinking changed. Before she knew it, Claire was secretly convinced that Muggles and wizarding folk could never truly live together in harmony. While at Beauxbatons, she frequently wrote off other witches shortcomings or attributed their successes to their blood lineages. The better part of her hates these thoughts and regularly tries to suppress them. However, she can't help but feel the way she feels. It's not as though she wants to murder all Muggles or do anything extreme of that nature. She simply would prefer that things be kept the way they are: with the wizarding community and the Muggle community separated. When it comes to students, Claire does her best to never find out the blood status of her students in order to avoid any bias that this knowledge may incur.

Despite this lifelong battle in her head - her forward thinking self versus her outdated mentality - Claire is quite intelligent. Many people are actually quite surprised by this fact, as Claire is generally thought of as too socially skilled or perpetually giddy to be truly intellectual. However, the contrary is quite true. Claire learned much of what she knows today through reading and studying. Her vast knowledge of multiple subjects would seem to come from some sort of trivia question show. Claire's mind is simply able to encompass many facets of life and lock away information that many people would forget or allow to fade from memory. Claire doesn't find it as odd or unbelievable as other people. When people ask how she got to be so knowledgeable on a subject, Claire merely shrugs and lets the library take all the credit. However, it is no secret among those who know her that Claire is a smart, talented witch who uses her talents for good and helping others. Most of the time, anyway.

FAMILY & HISTORY
Family Members: Laurent Bellamie (father) and Musette Bellamie (mother); presumed deceased
Any other family member of importance: --
Place of Birth: Rouen, France
Social Class: Middle class

History:
Claire was born to Laurent and Musette Bellamie in the small French village of Rouen. Her father was a wizard of extraordinary talent, his skills with magic seeming to come effortlessly to him. He used these talents for the betterment of many at le ministère de Magie in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was known for his lively discussions of prowess in his field and was frequently traversing the country, meeting with other wizards of his magical magnitude and collecting rare species along the way. Claire's mother was a witch who was fascinated with herbology, spending hours wrist deep in her garden and enjoying the fresh air that came along with it. In fact, it was only after Claire was born that her mother took much time at all away from her greenhouse. Musette doted upon her one and only daughter and helped Claire grow as well as she had done for many plants beforehand.

Claire was a firecracker from the beginning, at least according to Musette. Her mother's passion for the outdoors was certainly not lost on Claire. Her days were spent pounding the cobblestones of her home town, examining bugs, climbing trees, and being a tomboy by and large. There were relatively few children in the sleepy town, so her presence was well-known and genuinely enjoyed by the other citizens. Claire was the leader of the small pack of kids, coming up with ideas of what to do and plans for how to do them. Her laughter was always echoing around the buildings of Rouen, and her parents were quite proud of how their daughter was growing. Claire's fun-loving personality was only rivaled by her intense loyalty to those who were in her company, standing up to bullies despite her small stature and using her wits to help friends and family whenever possible.

However, the magical community in Rouen was relatively small. There were only two other families within the town that were aware of the wizarding community and they were rather elderly with children who had grown up and moved away some time ago. Claire was the only young witch in the area, and her Muggle companions began to notice that there were differences with Claire; more than just her bold personality and “home-schooling” from her parents. Claire knew that her magical heritage was to be kept a complete and utter secret, and she played the part of a normal child quite well. However, accidents did happen from time to time and Claire was no exception. Claire's first show of magic had happened ages ago, behind the closed doors of her parents home (she had caused her mother's terrarium to explode rather violently, resulting in much grief from Musette). Her magical capabilities usually became apparent when Claire was angry or upset, and this time was an example of just such an instance.

Claire was nine and outside playing with her two best (and only) friends, Aurore and Dianne. Two teenage boys who frequently came to trouble them – Claude and Benoit – rode up to the trio on their bicycles, purposefully kicking up gravel at the girls and being a nuisance. The situation progressed rapidly, as Claire recalls. The boys mocked their make-believe play, mimicked their high-pitched voices, and enclosed them in a tight circle by riding their bikes around them. The girls attempted to escape and fight back against their tormentors, but to no avail. Claire, despite her best efforts, did have a bit of a temper on her. Before she knew what was happening, she and the boys on their bikes were levitating a few feet off the ground. Claude and Benoit made pitiful attempts to regain control of themselves, pedaling madly in the air. Claire was hardly aware that the levitation was coming from her own power source. The bikes tires swiftly removed themselves and their chains snapped like twigs. As soon as it had started, it was over. Claire, Claude, and Benoit all fell to the ground (Claire landing on her feet) next to the remains of the bicycles.

Claude and Benoit quickly ran off, screaming about devil-worshipping and their destroyed possessions. Aurore and Dianne were beyond frightened and confused, slipping away from Claire wordlessly with wide-eyes and hair on end. Claire attempted to remove herself from the event, claiming to be an innocent victim as well. No one believed her. Tear-stained and distraught, Claire returned home and told her mother and father what had happened. Their matching expressions of concern did little to comfort the girl. ”Muggles...ils ne comprennent pas de la magie! Tu dois contrôler ta colère.” Her mother's repeated words didn't help the situation. Claire was never viewed as “normal” again. She spent the next two years of her life friendless, save for her mother and father. Because of this, she spent much time learning from her parents and reading their vast collection of books. When her letter of acceptance to Beauxbatons came, Claire was more than ready to leave. She was excited to be among other children of magical abilities, silently yearning to be rid of the Muggles she interacted with on a daily basis.

Beauxbatons did great things for Claire. Despite a long hiatus, Claire's slightly spontaneous and friendly personality surged back to the surface, as if being released after years of captivity. The women of the institution groomed her in many ways, preparing her for world ahead of her. Pairing these facts with her new-found love of knowledge and learning, Claire became rather popular with her classmates as well as her professors. She was top of the class in nearly every course she took (save for Muggle Studies, which she detested and nearly failed despite her vast knowledge on the topic). Her true passion was in Charms. Her professors marveled at her capabilities as they grew by leaps and bounds. “C'est la châtaigne.” Many of her professors would claim, jokingly attempting to prod her pride. “C'est bon pour les charmes, non?” Claire paid them no attention. She knew her skills with magic came from hours of practice and determination. She graduated with honors and professors practically throwing recommendations at her. Many job offers came her way, but one in particular shocked her.

Claire figured they must have truly been desperate. Dark wizards from England – whom she had heard much about in the news – owled her. They claimed that they knew who Claire was and that her capabilities were something to be admired. They somehow knew of her aversion to Muggles and claimed that her viewpoints on their ignorance and inability to accept magical beings were right. They wrote that they wanted to stop persecution of witches and wizards all over the world, starting in Europe. They needed her to help them start the movement in France. They wanted her to message them back immediately for plans to meet up and begin work in her new position. Claire was incapable of comprehending what they were asking her. The author – who didn't sign their name – seemed to be under the impression that she had already accepted his request. However, it was the last lines of the letter that sent a chill down her spine. ”Should you choose not to respond, be aware that we know where you live and can come find you if the need be. We know that you value your school, friends, and family. We wouldn't want to come between you and those that you love.” As she read the last words, the paper burst into cold flames and destroyed itself, leaving nothing but cinders on Claire's shaking hands.

Claire's heart and mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do. In the blink of an eye, she was practically beating down the door of the charms professor and her mentor, Professor Bellefleur. Upon answering it, Professor Bellefleur found a sobbing mess of a girl not yet eighteen. Claire choked on her words as she attempted to explain the strange correspondence she had just received. With each word, Professor Bellefleur's face grew more and more serious. When Claire had finished, the professor rose to her feet and began to stride back and forth, formulating a plan. Claire, who had just finished her final examinations and packing her possessions, watched with an expression of fear and helplessness. Professor Bellefleur immediately stopped on the spot, turning to Claire and telling her to stay calm and in the room. With that, she walked to her fireplace, reached into the small container on the mantle, and threw the contents into the flames. They burst into a brilliant green as she entered and spoke the words “Kenwood Manor!” With that, she was gone. Claire sat in silence, wondering how her world had turned upside so quickly and whether or not she should have mentioned that she briefly considered their offer.

After a few minutes, Professor Bellefleur returned in the same dazzling flash of emerald, covered in bits of soot and looking relieved. She informed Claire that she had a safe place for her to go for the time being. The Kenwoods were Professor Bellefleur's relatives in the United States. They were very understanding of the situation and agreed to house Claire until her family could be contacted, relocated, and things had settled down. Claire shook her head, not willing to go halfway around the world without her family. Professor Bellefleur quickly reminded her that she really had no choice. The Deatheaters were already watching her family and time was of the essence if their safety was to be ensured. Fighting back tears that threatened to reemerge, Claire bit her lip and nodded. Professor Bellefleur promised that she would only be there for a short time; Claire would get word when it was safe to return. Claire willed herself to quickly return to her dorm, gather her things, and race back to Professor Bellefleur's office. With a shaky hand, Claire took a dash of Floo Powder, tossed it into the fire, and murmured ”Kenwood Manor.” before stepping in and saying goodbye to everything she once knew.

That was over a decade ago. Claire spent the first few weeks of her time in the United States being thoroughly depressed, worried, and anxious about the wizarding war in Europe. She read and investigated everything she could get her hands on, hoping for a bit of comfort from what she found. After eight long months with no word from her family or professor despite their attempts to reach them, the Kenwoods began suggesting she seek employment somewhere within the community. Furious, Claire berated them for giving up hope so quickly. She wanted to go look for them, to locate those she had lost, but the Kenwoods refused. She was their responsibility and they weren't about to allow her to go back to war-torn Europe. She couldn't believe their lack of faith in Madame Bellefleur and her parents. But in her heart, she knew they were right. The war was still raging in Europe and no word was probably not good news. Claire – who knew only conversational English at the time – felt somewhat relieved that the Kenwoods lived in Louisiana, where French was practically a second language to many citizens. However her intense depression over the loss of her family made her job search a lengthy one. For a time, she worked as a clerk in a local book store, but the presence of Muggles on a daily basis only reminded her of her unhappy childhood. And her childhood reminded her quickly of her surely deceased parents. Claire quit the job within the month.

After what felt like endless weeks of sleeping and lazing about the Kenwood Manor, Kent (Mister Kenwood) brought her the daily newspaper with a help wanted ad circled in red ink. It was for the position of a Charms instructor at a local wizarding academy. Claire, despite her young age, met and exceeded the qualifications they had listed in the ad. Upon owling in her resume, she was pleasantly surprised that they quickly invited her in for an interview. Her displays of magic seemed to please them greatly, and another professor agreed she may be the perfect candidate to train up for the position. Claire, who was nearly twenty at the time, was shocked that these elderly and wizened wizards were so quick to offer her employment, but she accepted all the same. For the next four years, she trained under the watchful eye of that diligent professor. Claire learned the necessity of patience for students and how to properly instill a love of magic and learning within each one of them. She learned the proper way of filing paperwork, grading homework assignments, and how to be a dedicated and helpful staff member. Before long, she was deemed ready to lead the Charms department on her own, and took the reins from her master. Claire has worked solo at l'Academie des Seiseux sorciers et sorcieres for the past eight years, and each year her Charms grades have been better than the past. The department has been doing well under her watchful eye, and she intends to keep it that way.

CHARMS
A new person! -cheers- You just joined us at a very awesome time, Chelsea! The Senate is under attack! Miss Bellamie is quite welcome to join us in round 2 if you feel comfortable. If you don't but still want to join the event, you can post an open thread in the attack forum or have her attend the ceremony. We have several students there in need of guidance! I can assure you that her anti-muggle personality will come into play in the future as that is part of a twist our main villain is going to bring! I'll send him over to you when he joins. :) That being said, I absolutely adore her background and her reason for coming to America. I think she'll fit in swell with our adult characters here!

Before I forget - we also have a Renaissance Festival going as well! In fact, we have an adult only bar fight going on if she feels disinclined to join or yell at the men in it. To add on to that, it's a lot I know, we also have a love potions staff/student mixer going on. We can set her up with someone if you wish!


Welcome to l'Académie des Seiseux sorciers et sorcières. Please sign up for your face claim and who's who. Afterwards, feel free to introduce yourself! Want to start roleplaying right away? Head over to our character fun section for plotting and threading goodies! Good luck and have fun! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to message this account.