In-Character
Full Name: Terence HiggsNicknames:
Birthdate: May 11, 1847
Current Age: 44
Gender: Male
Occupation: Arts Instructor
Reputation: 10
Residence: Wellingtonshire
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff (y. 1858-1865)
Wand: Birch, 12 1/2", flexible, dragon heartstring
Blood Status: Muggleborn
Social Class: Upper
Family:
Gulliver Higgs | Brother | Muggleborn | 1842
Theodora Higgs née ____ | Sister in Law | Halfblood | 18xx
Hector Higgs | Nephew | 1867
Morris Higgs| Nephew | 1869
Eloquence Higgs | Niece | 1869
Quentin Higgs | Nephew | 1872
Appearance:
Terence is about 5’11” but often mistaken for being much taller due to his slim build and how he carries himself. Typically he wears close fitting clothing tailored to fit his frame with comfort and allowing him to move freely. Even wizard robes are close fitting and add to the illusion he’s several inches taller.
He keeps his black tightly curly hair cut short or even sports a partial or fully shaven head, especially during the warmer months. What he always has is a short thin moustache which he carefully styles and trims as needed. His eyes are a rich dark brown which go well against his dark skin. Overall his head is teardrop shaped with a slightly square chin which gives him a bit of a feminine look, especially when he’s relaxed and not focusing on anything particular.
Terence enjoys wearing expensive clothing, custom tailored and not always in line with current fashions. He prefers his own fashion but not outlandishly so. He favours both dark and rich colours as well as more neutral blacks, browns and ‘metallic’ colours.
What makes Terence stand out the most besides his clothing and dark skin is the intensity of his gaze when he’s fixates on somebody or something. There are times he simply stops doing whatever he is doing, whether it’s simply walking along the street, or teaching a class and he stares, unblinking for several minutes, sometimes longer depending on just how fascinated he is with whatever caught his attention. During these times he is still aware of what goes around him and he will react if danger approaches or if somebody touches him. However he will rarely respond to any questions till he comes out of his fixation on his own.
History: Highlight important events. Hogsmeade was established in 1877.
The Higgs family never expected it to happen more than once among their children but it did. First it was Gulliver who was born a wizard then nearly 5 years later came Terence who also turned out to be a wizard. Having an older brother who was a wizard did make things a little easier for Terence once Gulliver received his Hogwarts letter and somebody from the Ministry explained what magic was all about. Terence was only six when he learned about magic and there was a certain amount of envy. Then Gulliver was gone for the school year leaving Terence wondering just what magic truly was. It wasn’t till he was nearly ten when Terence started suspecting he may be a wizard too and shortly after it was confirmed when Terence received his letter from Hogwarts.
Terence was quiet as a child, spending much of his time alone lost in his own world. He wasn’t shy however, having no trouble speaking to strangers of any age; he just preferred observing and listening than talking. What his family didn’t know was he wasn’t a typical wizard, having a very unusual gift to see auras around people. Since he was a very young child he had seen faint auras around people, especially in low light. It never occurred to Terence to talk about what he could see as he assumed it was natural. Only later on in life did he realize it was an extremely rare gift. When he realized he was a wizard he assumed it was a wizard trait but soon after he discovered that wasn’t the case either.
In the summer of 1858 he received his Hogwarts letter, just as his brother Gulliver did. Though still a surprise his parents weren’t as shocked or confused as they had been the first time. Arriving at the school his brother had spent 5 years attending up to this point, Terence noticed right away auras were much stronger and more varied among his fellow wizards and witches. For the first several months he was often distracted, staring at random people in a way most students found strange and disconcerting. It resulted in several students, especially older ones to pick on him. In time Terence learned to ignore the auras he could see, doing his best to focus on learning magic and paying attention in class. It didn’t work all the time but he did his best.
He was sorted into Hufflepuff after a few moments of speculation by the Sorting Hat. Terence was indifferent to which one he ended up in, possibly because he didn’t really understand the whole House concept. It was a good home for the years he spent at Hogwarts and he made several good friends among his fellow Hufflepuffs.
The year he took art as an optional class was the year he truly found his calling. He had enjoyed drawing and doing things with his hands as a child but never truly had the opportunity to express himself as fully as he did when he took art at Hogwarts. Perhaps it was because he was taught not just Muggle art but magical art as well. Art quickly became the one thing he embraced fully while at school to the point his other grades started to suffer. When his father learned about his grades sliding he made it clear during the Christmas break. Not liking confrontation Terence forced himself to spend sufficient time on his other grades to ensure he wouldn’t be forced to drop art as his father threatened. His grades didn’t improve dramatically but he did manage to obtain enough OWLS to continue NEWT years and appease his father.
Once he graduated from Hogwarts, he took some time off to travel, as was common enough among young men of well-to-do families. Unlike some he wasn’t just going to spend time abroad enjoying leisurely pursuits, instead he sought out the largest artistic cultures he could fine. He spent several years studying art in various countries, including Italy, Poland then later was drawn to France where he studied various styles. He found Symbolism and Impressionism the styles he could relate to the best.
During his time aboard he tried his hand at various mediums but found painting, illustration and print-making his preferred mediums. So consumed by the art world he totally missed the dissatisfaction his family felt about his activities. When his father threatened to cut him off from all funds Terence was confused. Eventually he figured out why his father wasn’t happy but decided he was making sufficient money selling paintings and other works of art he could manage without the family fortune.
He was still a relatively young man at this point and didn’t realize just what it would mean to be cut off from the family funds. By the time he learned the truth it was too late to make amends. Terence spent the next few years struggling to consolidate his earnings and balance out his more lavish artist lifestyle into one he could afford. It was a struggle and meant making excuses to his friends but he found a way to manage.
By the time he reached his early forties, Terence was financially stable though nowhere near as well-to-do as his parents and siblings were. He wasn’t dissatisfied with his life nor did he feel resentment towards his family, in fact he rather missed them and decided to return to Britain and try to re-establish better relations with his father and siblings. He was surprised to learn his father wasn’t as angry at him anymore and did make funds available to him upon his return. It turned out by managing to support himself and maintain a lifestyle sufficiently upper class made his father proud of him. Terence was glad his father had grown to understand just how important Art was to him, or so he thought.
In 1891 he applied for a teaching job at Hogwarts for the vacant Arts Teacher position, feeling his experience and knowledge in the area would be more than sufficient. He was hired not long after and moved to the school to start the next stage of his life. Terence kept his small flat in so he would have a place to stay and work during the holidays and summer months, especially once he learned his career choice didn’t meet with his father’s approval. Given what he was however, Terence just couldn’t see himself joining the Navy even if the Higgs name would guarantee he would be an officer.
Personality:
Terence is quiet and thoughtful in general, comfortable being alone but also in company. He is open and friendly enough to converse with any who wish it, often initiating conversation himself if he feels conversation is what is needed. He is not a shy man by any definition, just more prone to introspection over verbal speculation.
He is very interested in the world around him but more from an artist’s point of view than historical. Often he will sit and observe humanity, Muggle and magical alike, observing their expressions, letting it inspire him in his art. Some may find him rather eccentric, even spooky in the way he fixes his gaze on something or someone. He often speaks in a clipped faintly accented style reminiscent of either French or Italian, likely due to how much time he spent among the artists of both France and Italy. Terence typically is polite and well spoken, willing to talk freely with strangers especially when talking about a subject he is passionate about. However, he will often switch from talkative to quiet and vice versa, even with people he considers friends. At times his words can be cruel, cold or heartless, but not intentionally. Terence has a bad habit of speaking what he feels or thinks without thinking about his words could hurt another's feelings.
Other: Terence can see auras as he calls them. The ability is more like empathy perceived as colours which surround a person in a constantly moving swirl.
Fluent in French, Italian, passible in German
Higgs quote: “The reviews of my work talk of my work as being masterful, sublime, a window into our soul, into the wizard condition…and as it is for all artists, the negative…dreadful, meaningless splashes of paint, signs of a demented mind, the heart of the dark wizard. I do not care what they think; good or bad, I paint for me. I sell some of my works, commission others, but I do not care if they like it. I paint what comes from within. If it’s dark, evil, depraved or sinister then better I purge it from my soul onto canvas than express it on flesh.”
Out-of-Character
Name: LdyPayneAge: Mature
Contact: PM (also on Discord, PM for info)
Other Characters: Walter Staghart
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