THORNTON, Benjamin

[Benjamin Thornton]

|{ About The MEMBER }

NAME: Penny
AGE: 16
TIME ZONE: Australian Eastern
HOW OFTEN WILL YOU BE ON?: Yep
WHERE DID YOU FIND US?: ...
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU?: PM's good
OTHER CHARACTER(S): Amos Diggory, Jude Howard, Alexander Thomas, Rabastan Lestrange, Alistair Daniels, Julian Cartwright.

{ About The CHARACTER }

x
Benjamin James Percival Thornton
"Benjy"

CANNON OR ORIGINAL: Original
YEAR: Seventh
AGE: Eighteen
DOB: March 4th
RACE: Caucasian (British)
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Heterosexual
WAND: Eleven and a half inches, maple, flexible and pliable. A core of dragon heartstring. The wand is extremely useful for offensive and fire-related spells in particular.
BROOM: The newest Cleansweep model
PET: A handsome grey owl by the name of Pericles

APPEARANCE:
Tall, dark and handsome- never was this definition more applicable to anyone than it is to Benjamin Thornton. It is perhaps the only inherited trait that he possesses which he is thankful for...not that he pays enough attention to the way he looks to be thankful for his genetic composition. Standing at 6'4" he is easily taller than most of the other boys in the school, although there are some of his peers wandering around at even greater heights. This sheer body length on Ben's part should make him lanky, but contrary to being slender and gangly, he is of a lean and athletic build, his stomach and arm muscles in particular being rather well defined. His parents were never great patrons of outdoor sports, though (with the exception of horseback polo, the rigorous training for which has lent Ben the well-proportioned musculature that he calls his own today), and so he's only got a slight tan.

This tan, gained from polo and Quidditch, if it can even be called a tan, is just enough that people don't think he is a recluse who spends all his time indoors. Despite his height and build, constant and humiliating ballroom dancing lessons throughout his youth, forced on him by pureblood expectations, have given him an almost unfair amount of grace when he moves- so much so that he never even stumbles over his own large feet unless he's extremely fatigued, or simply inebriated. He takes very much more after his notoriously handsome father than after his mother, which is probably a good thing, given the fact that as a guy he'd feel slightly discomfited to be told all the time that he has his mother's bone structure. Ben's hair ranges from light to dark brown in colour, so much so that some people simply can't tell (which annoys him) and whilst his haircut is never severely short, it is certainly not ever really in danger of covering his eyes or making it difficult for him to see.

His facial bone structure is masculine, and he is possessed of a strong jaw and straight nose, but these are nondescript when his eyes come into the equation. Their particular shade of blue isn't extremely eye-catching in itself, but the intensity of his eyes is apparently what draws attention, as he has been known to give a rather disconcertingly probing gaze. His mouth is affixed in a firmly neutral position normally, but when he smiles it is, admittedly, a rather roguish and cheeky expression that lends a cheerfulness to his demeanor, which can otherwise come across as being haughty. In terms of clothing, Ben prefers to dress in neutral, earthy and plain colours. This does not necessarily mean that he dresses badly, though- quite the contrary. One can always find his uniform immaculately pressed and not even a tiny bit out of place. Out of school robes, the boy favours well-cut suits and shined leather shoes, almost always offset by a perfectly knotted tie unless he's feeling particularly casual.

Brown, black, white and grey serve him rather well (though he also favours blue as it brings out his eyes) and compliment his good looks to no end, and besides, these are the colours of most tuxedos which his parents force him into for occasions and so he's used to them anyway. Occasionally he's been known to throw splashes of colour or random pieces of clothing into his wardrobe, but it's usually when he's in an exuberant mood or something of the nature.
FACE CLAIM: Andrew Cooper

PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION:
Benjamin Thornton is, if anything, an enigma. Often he wonders why anyone would bother trying to solve him, because unlike your average Agatha Christie or Nancy Drew mystery, he has no remotely discernible solution. Like the novels, however, he is full of twists and is, essentially, unpredictable. He is not, by default, very sociable- not because he cannot get along well with people, but rather because he feels no motivation to go out of his way so as to befriend his peers. This, instead of detracting from his general likeability, though, adds to the air of mystique that his dark looks lend him and often moves people to try to speak to him.

When this occurs, he is not unfriendly- he actually makes an effort to be genial and amicable, and this is not difficult for him. He is naturally extremely charismatic, as a matter of fact, and fitting into even the most awkward of conversations provides little challenge for him. This in itself is a bit of a contradiction- why would someone with such potential to be popular and well liked shun this opportunity? The answer is that he just can't be bothered, basically. He has a bad habit of being aloof sometimes, choosing to socialize only with people who 'capture his interest', so to speak.

On the occasion that he actually takes to someone enough to get to know them well, he is an exemplary friend. Loyal and fierce, he is willing to fight tooth and nail to protect anything and anyone that he cares about, and his saviour complex has gotten him into tight situations more than enough times. This obviously hints towards his independence and self-reliance, as there is nothing that he cannot do for himself, whether it be to study or even to support himself financially. In fact, he is so capable and self-sufficient that he finds it second nature to take other people's wellbeing into his priorities, too.

In all actuality, this protective side of him often surprises people, as he doesn't really seem the caring sort at first glance. Depending on how much he cares about someone, he can even become over-protective, which is, to his mind, bad, because he does not enjoy smothering others. Understandably, his willingness to look after others is reflected in his temper- he is not quick to anger, not by any means at all. In fact, he is so calm normally and difficult to ruffle that it is almost unsettling, but when the rare spark of anger is lit, he cannot be stopped.

Of course, when he is only mildly irked he does not show it even a little, but on the off chance that he ever gets enraged, he becomes rash- irrational, even, and does regrettable things. Thankfully for him, though, this has only ever happened once or twice and was quickly made up for with copious amounts of charm and apologizing. When it comes to academics, he is proficient- not outstanding, but he manages to get by and does enjoy a good book every now and then. Really, though, he is most fascinated with spellwork and the practical applications of magic, learning and ceaselessly practising everything from counter-curses to hexes.

Given both his Pureblood parents' histories in Slytherin (and not spotlessly clean ones either) and substantial encouragement in the matter, he has looked into the technique involved in spells of the Dark Arts, but frankly finds them to be, whilst interesting, a little morbid. A passionate musician, Ben has been playing the piano since he was a little boy, as his parents believed that it would be a 'noble' way of being creative, or something of the nature. Secretly though, in his second year at Hogwarts, he took up guitar and has been rather more involved in it than piano ever since, although he can certainly still produce a nice tune (well, he's practically a virtuoso) on the piano.

In occasional acts of spontaneity, he chooses to rebel against his parents and their pureblood ideologies (such as with the case of the guitar), but one can't spend eighteen years around people and not gain some traits. The one that shows most prominently with Benjamin is his determination and slight competitive streak. What he wants, he gets, no matter what the personal cost. In addition to this, he has to be the best at his endeavours, although he manages to be a good sportsman nonetheless, simply as part of his nature. Still, he always finds a way to express his sarcastic wit and easygoing sense of humour, sometimes coming across as being devilishly flirtatious depending on his mood. Being in the shadow of his 'perfect' older brother has had an interesting effect on him, giving him a certain amount of freedom to do as he wishes.

BOGGART: Someone he cares about dead (the identity of the person changes with his feelings, naturally).
PATRONUS: Wedge-Tailed Eagle
HOPES FOR THE FUTURE: High-ranking Ministry position.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: N/A...well, except for the fact that he plays piano and guitar exceptionally well.
BLOOD: Pureblood
BIRTHPLACE: Sussex, England
MY FAMILY:

James Thornton- Father
Lavinia Thornton [nee. Winston]- Mother
William Thornton- Older Brother

WHATS IN THE PAST:
James Thornton first met Lavinia Winston on the very first day of their first year at Hogwarts. Theirs was not a particularly interesting or whirlwind romance, but more one of convenience- they were both purebloods, both Slytherins, and shared a few common interests. A rather casual courtship began, which culminated in the two getting married shortly after leaving Hogwarts. Two years of galas and parties and whatnot later, Lavinia gave birth to William Thornton, and both parents were thrilled (James especially) at the thought of their firstborn being a boy. He became their everything, doted upon to the extreme and saddled with the hopes of the generations of gentle breeding (though Ben would later come to have a different word for this term). James and Lavinia were quite content with the joys of one child and did not plan on having another, so when Ben came along it was actually a 'mistake' of sorts (though James and Lavinia would never risk admitting that to him).

So it was that on the 4th of March, 1959, that Benjamin James Percival Thornton was born. At first, James and Lavinia saw, to some extent, the virtues in having a second son, but as he grew a little, it seemed that Ben would not be as obedient and helpful as his older brother. In fact, he seemed quite intent on doing the opposite. Unable to deal with the 'strange' behaviour of their second son, James and Lavinia resumed their care of William, ultimately teaching Benjamin the virtues of independence and self reliance, even from a relatively early age. The only things that his parents pressed upon him were piano and horseback polo (though when he started it was more ponyback polo), and as a young boy he took to these challenges anyway. When Ben turned seven, however, William was off to Hogwarts and his parents were stuck with the son who was markedly less than prodigal. Slight upheaval occurred when William was sorted into Ravenclaw, as opposed to Slytherin like his parents had been expecting.

Of course, James and Lavinia were upset, but after all, William was William and all was forgiven. Left to his own devices, Ben's sense of freedom grew and he began contenting himself with trying to learn basic magical theory- though since he was a nine year old at a time it was slightly difficult. He did manage to grasp the defining line between the Dark Arts and normal magic, though, but had to make do with random outbursts of wandless and spontaneous magic whilst his parents did Merlin-only-knew what. When Ben turned eleven, his Hogwarts letter arrived and he felt very little grief about parting ways with his parents for the most famous wizarding school in the country. After arriving and being promptly sorted, Ben found that his freedom was somewhat limited by the presence of a domineering older brother and the looming threat of school rules and Argus Filch.

He, understandably, got in trouble during his first couple of years, both from his parents and from the school, but once William graduated, Ben regained a semblance of his previous existence again and began to turn his attention to spellwork, practising for the role of Quidditch Keeper, and playing the guitar. Towards the end of his sixth year, encouraged by his parents, he even dabbled slightly in the theories involved with the Dark Arts, but found them to be too cruel and malevolent for his liking and thus quickly stopped their usage.

|{ OTHER INFO }

RP EXAMPLE:
As Rabastan Lestrange:
Another day amongst the dregs of society. Rabastan wasn¡¯t sure what was worse ¨C the fact that he had to put up with it, or the fact that he somewhat enjoyed it to a certain extent. Sitting in front of the fire, which blazed disgustingly cheerfully, he was tempted to roll his eyes at nothing in particular. Just for the fun of it.

This was before he noticed a group of underclassmen loitering about him though, attempting discreetly not to openly stare at him. So instead, he converted the eye-roll that almost was into an ingratiating and openly charming smile, which he hoped satisfied them. He wasn¡¯t willing to give any more when he was in such a black mood.

He had rather ungraciously propped his feet up on a coffee table, and was currently sitting in one of the plush green divans that surrounded the fire. A movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him to the large spider that was crawling over one of his hand-tooled black leather boots.

Narrowing his eyes at the offending arachnid, he pulled out his yew wand and took careful aim.
¡°Wingardium leviosa.¡± he murmured, lifting the spider to a safe distance away from his feet. He considered setting it down to roam around the common room, but decided against it and threw it out the window with a careless flick of his wand, a negligent expression on his attractive face the entire time.

He considered the book about Animagi that lay before him, wondering whether he should bother to continue studying about them. He almost decided against it, but remembered it was necessary if he were ever to become an Animagus himself. Sighing resentfully, he opened the heavy tome to the page he was up to and continued reading, his upper lip curled derisively.
ANSWER: Whole book's shocking. Blah.
OTHER:

|{ CODE OF CONDUCT }

I, Penny have read the rules of the site and accept to comply with them and their modifications. I understand that this is a mature site with mature matters. I understand that I must be open minded about it and will not complain, since it was stated in the rules I read. I will treat all members and staff alike and with respect. I understand that the staff has the power to delete and/or ban me for whatever reason they see fit.

[Lan Dawkins]

ACCEPTED BY LINDSEY

[SORTING HAT]

[Alexandria Perret]

I'd actually say Gryffindor... but anyways

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