1880 - 1882 | Callum was born in 1880 as the first and only son/heir to the Finnigan line. Fourth generation Irish, Callum is born into a rather politically motivated family. They are “new money” that came onto the upper class scene only recently; Traolach Finnegan works in banking and built a successful empire he hopes Callum will one day inherit and expand. The family’s politics are aligned with the socialist movement that has started to rumble across Ireland, and Traolach is an increasingly interested member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. (Over the years this flavors Callum’s view of England and manifests very young as fanaticism for the Ballycastle Bats.)
In his own respect, Cal was never a particularly wild child. He cried primarily when he was put down, but was rather unfussy so long as he felt included in things. His first burst of magic was in his second year and a rather tame one at that. He managed to float a toy from its place on the mantle where Sílbhe or nanny had placed it away from him. The item levitated, then dropped to the floor just within reach.
1883 - 1892 | Most of Cal’s childhood thereafter was rather ordinary. The Finnigans lived in a large estate house (Loughanmore) in the Irish countryside just near a small village outside Dublin. As being primarily anglican was of great concern to Traolach’s business interests, Sílbhe insisted Callum have a governess teach him French, Latin and German and insisted upon a ‘proper English upbringing’ whenever possible despite Traolach’s grumbling. She taught Callum her own native Irish dialect as a source of pride to root him in his heritage, and the anglican upbringing never dissuaded Callum from falling hopelessly in love with his home country altogether.
To him, the rolling green was always a symbol of home. The landscape, the culture, the easiness and familiarity of it all... It gave him miles and miles in which to think, scribble, and play. Cal developed a consuming interest in quidditch fairly early on, always begging Traolach to teach him how to ride a broom. Around the age of seven he finally managed to convince both his parents to let him learn. Sílbhe was [i]very[/i] protective however, and so he was always very closely supervised while flying. (She’s terrified of his joining a house team in his second year, if given the opportunity.)
He made friends with the local children in the village over the years, most notably one of the tenant’s sons: a boy named Charlie. Charlie was one of five brothers and sisters and Cal always liked the hustle and bustle, the cheeriness of his large family. At age ten Cal broke his arm trying to catch the youngest of Charlie’s sisters from falling out of a tree. He’s always considered them almost like his own family.
Last year, Cal started stealing Traolach’s broom and sneaking out to play some mock-version of Quidditch with the local boys. He has a natural knack for it, and the feeling of flying is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. He flies to calm his mind, to quiet the running thoughts that sometimes get away from him. (If there is no broom available, then he writes.)
Summer, 1892 | This year Callum is both anxiously looking forward to Hogwarts and nervous. He can’t wait to be allowed to try out for his house quidditch team one day, but the idea of making new friends worries him a touch. He’s always been used to Charlie and the others from the village; he’s never actually had to make friends with those in his own class and the thought alarms him. Compound the alarm with the fact that most of them will be English and, well, he’s a touch justified.
