InsaneJournal

the basics
NAME: Marlene Cadence McKinnon
NICKNAME(S): Marly
AGE: 16
BIRTHDAY: 6 July 1959
HOUSE: Gryffindor
YEAR: Seventh
BLOOD: Pureblood
SEXUAL ORIENTATION:
PETS: Masked owl named Hippocrates, persian kitten named Lucy.
WAND: 10”, Hazel with unicorn hair. Quite rigid.
BOGGART: Herself - blindfolded, bound, and gagged (helpless).
PATRONUS: Meerkat
CLUBS & AFFILIATIONS Quidditch (Chaser), volunteer in the hospital wing.
CLASSES: Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, DADA.

family
FATHER: Alasdair McKinnon, former Gryffindor (class of 1953)
MOTHER: Kathryn McKinnon, neé Ogden, former Ravenclaw (class of 1954)
BROTHER: Malcolm McKinnon, former Gryffindor (class of 1974, died in Ministry attack, December 1976)
SISTER: Maisie McKinnon, 4th year Ravenclaw

history
Marlene McKinnon was born on the Isle of Tiree, one of the smaller islands of the Inner Hebrides. Known by muggles for its fertile farmland and excellent windsurfing, low-lying Tiree is also home to a small-but-thriving wizarding community, Craobh Àrd. A newer community, at least by wizarding standards, Craobh Àrd was founded in the mid-eighteenth century by Jameson Liddle, an Aberdonian apothecary and herbologist.

Mr Liddle, who for many years owned a small shop in Hogsmeade, maintained that it was nothing less than fate that brought him to Tiree. While exploring the island’s largely-uninhabited interior, he discovered dense populations of both wormwood and sopophorous beans. Upon further investigation, he discovered that Tiree was the unlikely home to a number of common (and some rather uncommon) magical plants. Leaving the Hogsmeade store in the care of his nephew, Mr Liddle and his family left Aberdeen and settled on Tiree.

Over the years, the community grew and prospered. Marlene’s great-great-grandfather, Ian McKinnon, moved to the island in 1836. A young healer, he was drawn by the prospect of a new wizarding community in which to establish a practice. It was a good move on his part. Craobh Àrd was in dire need of a healer, and Ian was in need of a wife. Soon after settling on Tiree, Ian met and fell in love with one of Jameson Liddle's many granddaughters. Shortly after they were wed, Marlene's great-grandfather, Duncan, was born.

From then on, the Isle of Tiree was home to many McKinnons. By the time Marlene's father was born in 1935, the McKinnons were one of the largest families in Craobh Àrd.

Like generations before him, Alasdair McKinnon attended Hogwarts. It was there that he met his future wife, Kate Ogden. Kate was the granddaughter of Bartleby Ogden, founder of the Ogden's Old firewhisky distillery. By they time Kate and Alasdair met, Old Bartleby had retired, leaving day-to-day operations in the hands of her father, Murray.

It was love at first sight (or so they'd have you believe) for Kate and Alasdair, and they married soon after she graduated in 1955. They settled on Tiree, and Alasdair soon found work in the old apothecary. In 1957, their first child, Malcolm, was born. Marlene was born in 1959, followed by Maisie in 1962.

Even as a young child, Marlene showed great promise as a healer. The McKinnons' modest house was often home to sick or injured animals, creatures found in the village and nearby forest by Marlene or her siblings. Marlene's attempts to heal the animals were often met with great success. Sometimes, however, even her best ministrations couldn't restore a fading life. With surprising maturity for one so young, she tried to view each failed attempt as a learning experience - identifying and storing alternate courses of action in her mind for future use.

Marlene's maternal grandfather passed away when she was eight. Ownership of Ogden's Old was bestowed upon Kate's older brother, who immediately asked his sister and brother-in-law to come help run the family business. It was a hard decision, but Kate and Alasdair eventually agreed, relocating the young family to Edinburgh.

Marlene missed Tiree (and her many cousins) terribly, but she eventually grew accustomed to life in the city. She was fascinated by the sights, sounds, and smells of the small metropolis, and soon developed a keen interest in muggles and muggle culture.

Her propensity and love for healing is just as strong now as it was as a young girl; she still nurses animals in need (her friends and housemates have grown quite used to this by now) and often works with Madame Bonnesante in the hospital wing. This year, she will be sitting N.E.W.T.s in transfiguration, charms, potions, herbology, and DADA, and plans to pursue a career in mediwizardry.

personality
Those who don't know Marlene might mistake her quiet, instrospective nature as snobbish or cold, but her close friends and family know that still waters run deep. She isn't one to speak just for the sake of hearing her own voice; she is just as content sharing a comfortable silence as she is spending an evening chatting with friends. Extremely bright and inquisitive, she can often be found reading in the Common Room, enjoying the group atmosphere as she peruses the latest potions or medical journals.

Just because Marlene is relatively quiet and even-tempered doesn't mean she is without passion. She will talk at great length about topics that interest her - especially wizard and muggle medicine, the pros and cons of each, and her theories on blending the two. Obviously, the wizarding world has many advantages, but Marlene feels that muggles more than make up for their magical shortcomings with creativity and innovation.

miscellaneous
VIEWS
ON VOLDEMORT: A bigot and a murderer. Marlene is well-informed enough to know that everything for which he stands is in complete conflict with her own values. Usually, she can respect the opinions of others, but this is different. To turn a blind eye would be to condone hatred and genocide, and she knows that she will do anything she can to help stop this madman from rising further in power.
ON BLOOD PURITY: Rubbish. Even though she is a pureblood herself, she believes that half-bloods, muggleborns and even muggles have much to offer the wizarding world, and the purity of one's blood has nothing to do with ability and merit. Also, she knows enough about genetics to realize that level of inbreeding that occurs in the some of the purest "Most Ancient and Noble" lines is worrisome, and she thinks this will be a problem for future generations.

LIKES: Healing, learning, writing, Quidditch, reading, espresso, cleanliness, her family, firewhisky (naturally), animals, muggles, bittersweet chocolate, clementines, cashmere jumpers and strong hands.
DISLIKES: Bigots, seeing others in pain, heights, accordion music, butterbeer.

TALENTS: Has a photographic memory, plays the fiddle.
FLAWS: Can be overly sensitive, slightly obsessive-compulsive, sometimes talks down to people without intending to.

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer
Cancer is the fourth sign of the Zodiac and governs the breast and the stomach. Positive traits include loyalty, a love of home and family, the ability to express emotion, intensity, a great sense of humour, a sense of initiative, tenaciousness, a gift with finances, compassion, shrewdness, and intuition. Negative traits are self-indulgence, moodiness, clinging to other people, bossiness, emotional manipulation, and oversentimentality.

This is an odd sign for Ravenclaw wizards to be born under, but it happens. You'll see them wandering the halls, muttering to themselves or lost in daydreams. Some great Ravenclaw astrologers have been born under this sign. Any magic which involves moonlight and intricate calculations, actually, will attract the Ravenclaw Cancer. They may also be prone to collecting and enchanting white stones that remind them of the moon - pearls, moonstones, opals... These wizards have an extremely dry sense of humour, and are prone to making trenchant observations of the world around them. (taken from birds of a feather)

FUTURE: Marlene, an early member of the Order of the Phoenix, will be murdered by Death Eaters sometime before October of 1981.

Random Fact: Marlene is bilingual, fluent in both English and Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic). While it's strictly English at school, it's not unusual for her slip into Gàidhlig (or some combination of Gàidhlig and English) while home for the holidays.

PLAYED BY: Indiana Evans
JOURNAL: healingmercies