1867 | Callum James Spinnet is born the second child, and second son, to his parents. His father is the current custodian of a small farm that has been in the family for six generations, near the small hamlet of Hogsmeade. His mother is a midwife. |
1870 - 1874 | A daughter, Annabel joins the family. Later, a second daughter, Fiona, marks the final addition after a traumatic delivery makes it patently unwise for Romilda to bear further children. Seven years old, Cal is of course unaware of most of the details, but knows that his mother’s labour was not an easy one. |
1875 | Cal’s first act of magic sees a trio of pumpkins in his proximity rapidly mature—though also begin to rot. He is kept out of the fields for the remainder of the growing season, just in case. |
1877 | Duncan concludes his first and only year at Hogwarts and returns home to begin learning farming in earnest. This proves fortuitous, as this is also the year that Hogsmeade’s population begins to explode following… muggles finding out about magic? But also not? Cal is rather vague on the details, even today, but happy to have his brother home. He is also fascinated by the variety of new people in the village (which is fast growing into a town) when he accompanies father and brother to market. |
1878 | One year. Callum knows that’s all he’ll have at Hogwarts, and so is determined to make the most of it.
The first year is sorted into Slytherin, and while he is not exactly dedicated to his studies, he does enjoy the more practical learning to be found in his spellwork classes and potions. As though his earliest acts of magic were portentous, he proves abysmal at herbology. |
1879 | Even were his parents inclined for him to remain at school, Cal does not do himself any favours in this regard: in May, he is caught with a dormmate's pocketwatch—a rather expensive one. Mind, he hadn’t actually taken it or ever even touched it, but hadn’t gotten along with the other boy all year so no one believes him when he insists he has been framed. Given there is less than two weeks remaining in term, he is simply asked not to come back the following autumn. |
1879 - 1884 | Still with something of a black thumb, Cal’s role around the farm is focused upon livestock tending, which he takes to surprisingly well. After all, animals don’t have ulterior motives or class structures, making them innately easy to get along with and understand. During this time, Annabel begins at Hogwarts, and manages to garner a scholarship to remain beyond her first year. |
1884 | The entire family is stricken by the Laughing Plague, but it is only James who succumbs to his illness. The sons jointly inherit the farm, but it was never a life that Callum wanted for himself. He signs over his shares for far less than they are worth—just enough to get him started in the now-rebuilding town.
Callum finds work as a Wellingtonshire stablehand, and his employers are impressed by how good he is with the horses—both conventional and the winged variety. |
1887 - 1890 | His employers sponsor him to attend the Blishwick School of Domestic Magic with an eye on having him serve as footman. He is part of the inaugural class, and appreciates having further opportunity to formally learn magic (though wishes it was a bit more… showy). |
1891 | His employer gets what no one wanted for Christmas: a pregnant, unmarried daughter and a footman who spoiled her. (Cal maintains that she was ‘spoiled’ before he got to her, but that is neither here nor there.)
The young lady is married off in a hurry to a much older man, and Callum is swiftly let go, though is given a good reference in exchange for his silence on the circumstances surrounding the daughter.
|
1892 - Present- | Leaving Wellingtonshire, Cal takes up shared accommodation in Pennyworth. Rather than seek a new household, he becomes an extra body—a trained footman brought in by various employers for an assortment of events. This life, he finds, is a bit more stimulating, but also affords opportunity to get into trouble. After all, idle hands are the Devil’s playthings, and Cal finds himself uniquely positioned to help broker deals for certain goods. |