Graham Ryleigh
From Incantatem
Graham Ryleigh (gray-em rye-lee) is an auror who is temporarily stationed at Hogwarts School. He is a character in the RPG Incantatem.
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Description
The Short of it
Age: 36
Birthday: June 13, 1954
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 167 lbs
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Light Blue
Nationality: English.
Blood: Muggle-Born
Occupation: Auror
Appearance
Gray is only thirty-six years old, but boy, does he look older. He has a gruff appearance that tends to make him look dirty, even if he is squeaky clean, which he so often is. His face is drawn and haggard, his eyes droop subtly and when (if) he smiles, deep lines form at the corners of his crystal blue eyes. His hair is thin and short, a dark shade of blond, and it’s always combed neatly. Despite his need to keep himself neat, he rarely finds the time to shave, and is sometimes found with stubble
Graham tidiness extends to the way he dresses. He prefers monotones, but there are a few blue and greens in his wardrobe. Sticking to formalwear most of the time, he wears blazers and slacks basically everywhere, and to do anything. He reserves casual dress like jeans and a t-shirt for time spent alone, or with good friends.
Gray is portrayed by Daniel Craig.
Personality
Snarky could be Graham’s middle name. He’s very cynical, and admits graciously that he has an attitude problem. He enjoys making people, often strangers, uncomfortable with sarcastic or sometimes rude remarks, but really it’s all in good fun. In truth, he’s only trying to lighten a bad situation, and he gets into them a lot in his line of work.
That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t take his job seriously. In fact, he regards his work as a matter of utmost importance. The only thing is that, well, he hates being employed. He hates working for the Ministry of Magic with all of his being, and rebels against his orders at every turn. Graham only stays because without the Ministry’s resources, he’d be unable to ‘fight the good fight’. He maintains that he does his job for the greater good, but people find that hard to believe coming from someone so disillusioned by humanity. They would be right. He has his own reasons to eradicate dark wizards from society.
Gray doesn’t shun his social life, but he doesn’t immerse himself in it either. He can be quite charming, and finds it easy to make ‘five-minute friends’- people who he chats up for a short period of time, but whose relationship with him goes no further. Graham is just fine with this- people are disposable to him. He doesn’t like to use people, but he will if that’s what it takes. In that way, Graham is morally gray. He feels unabashedly that the ends justify the means. When it comes to bravery, Graham is so willing to risk his life for the cause that it’s idiotic, and certainly unhealthy.
When he does happen across a true friend, he is still very reserved around them. Revealing little about his own problems, Gray is more content to listen to those of others, believe it or not. This is when his humor shines, when he tries his hardest to cheer his friends up. If he can’t fix his own life, he figures, he can help someone else he cares about. It can be tough for him to stay upbeat, because everything he used to enjoy in life has lost its luster in the years since he lost his true love.
Pre-Incantatem History
Graham Ryleigh was born on June 13, 1954, the male half of a set of twins born to two muggle parents, Joseph and Katherina. His childhood was not dissimilar to most experienced by any muggle. When he was nine, his parents divorced, and his sister, Harriet, followed his mother, while he chose to live full-time with his father, a math teacher. Gray performed better than average in muggle school, thanks to his father’s incessant pushing. During that period of his life, Graham dreamed of becoming a doctor. He wanted to help people, but most of all, he wanted to make his father proud.
When he got his letter, his ambitions were obviously questioned. Both Gray and his father couldn’t even imagine that what they were reading could be true, and so, the first few letters were discarded. However, the headmaster at the time was persistent, and followed up with letter after letter until finally the family was convinced. But still, what to do? Joseph knew little about this ‘wizarding world’ and was loath to see his son waste his life in magic and frivolity at ‘Hogwarts’. Gray saw it as quite the opposite. He felt like not attending the school would be the same as not realizing his full potential. Joseph saw the eleven-year-old’s surprisingly convincing argument, and relented.
Life in Hogwarts was much different than that which he imagined. He never pictured a place called “Hogwarts” being so awfully serious, and he thought learning magic would be fun, but it turned out to be hard work. Gray found himself sorted into Ravenclaw, and deservedly so. He was ecstatic to know that even with a magical education, he could still be a doctor, or rather, a healer. He studied relentlessly and got only the best marks.
Even with his devotion to school, he made time for Quidditch- a sport that fascinated him. It was as beater for Ravenclaw in his sixth year that he met Aurelia Boden, the fifth year keeper for Hufflepuff. The two had a whirlwind romance, and within months they were inseparable.
On his graduation day, Graham proposed to Aurelia. She was unsure at first, because she was so young, but the man won her over in the end, promising her that he would give her anything, and everything. Soon after that day, Graham began studying to become a healer, while living at home, and paying visits to his darling Aurelia regularly. Their wedding was originally planned for the summer that she graduated; however, Graham’s relentless studying and devotion to his career pushed their wedding date farther and farther into the future, six years in fact.
Now twenty-four, and after becoming fully certified as a healer, Graham found the time to plan their wedding. They chose summer once again, but unfortunately, Aurelia wouldn’t live to see that spring. As a mixed blood, she was targeted by a fledgling group known as the ‘Death Eaters’. She was abducted one night while Graham was working at St. Mungo’s, and after three agonizing days, her corpse was found.
This tragedy sent Graham spiraling into grief. His father had long since passed away, and he had lost contact with his mother and sister ages ago. He found himself with no one; Aurelia had been everything to him, and now she was gone. Lost, Gray was just going through the motions at the hospital when he learned of a group that was being formed by the Ministry to combat the growing threat of the Death Eaters. Without hesitation, Gray signed himself up, and began training. He was relentless in his actions against Voldemort and his followers and almost too willing to lay his life on the line in every situation. If he died, he knew he’d be taking one of them with him.
Twelve years later, and Graham’s death wish has only intensified, along with his cynicism and passion for destroying Voldemort’s regime.
Plot
Everyone loves it.
Role in Incantatem Plot
- Graham is a Muggle-Born, and obviously opposed to Voldemort, seeing as he is an auror.
- Graham is currently stationed at Hogwarts, because the Ministry of Magic thinks that will keep him from doing anything stupid.
Minor/Personal Plot
- Graham's entire existence seems to be driven by revenge on the group responsible for Aurelia's death.
- Adrik Sergo a vampire and Death Eater, is the man who murdered her, but Graham doesn't know that yet.
Other Misc./Interesting Facts
Wand
Size: 11 inches
Wood: Hawthorne
Core: Dragon Heartstring
Gray's wand is very sturdy and slightly thicker than most wands.
O.W.L. Results
Astronomy: E
Divination: A
Charms: E
DADA: O
Herbology: E
History of Magic: A
Potions: O
Transfiguration: O
Ancient Runes: E
Other
- His patronus is an owl, though he doesn't know that, because he has never cast one o.O
- He is an animagus, taking the form of a Golden Eagle.
- He can apparate.
Played By
Graham Ryleigh is played by Rachel, aka iheartar
