Poppy Earp

Backstory

Hi, my name is Poppy Earp and I am a first year Ravenclaw of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It came as no surprise when I was sorted into this unique and intuitive house, as I knew I didn't quite fit anywhere else: I wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor, cunning enough for Slytherin or patient enough for Hufflepuff. The sorting hat knew this also and sorted me into Ravenclaw almost immediately after being placed on my loosely-braided brunette head. At first I thought Ravenclaw was about being smart, but I learnt from my first few days, in this beautiful castle, that Ravenclaw is about being different. Not bad, outcast different, but quirky and talented and completely open-minded. I'm proud to say I was sorted into this house. Although I signed up for five out of seven, first year courses, transfiguration has to be my favourite. It is both challenging and fascinating and I really enjoy that. Although its not my favourite, I do quite well in History of Magic. This might be related to my love of reading, as I love to hear new stories, therefore enjoy learning the tales of the past. I am quite strong minded and will speak my opinions regularly, which sometimes makes me annoying to other students or professors, but that's just part of me, I guess. I chose not to take herbology and astronomy, as I knew that I wouldn't find these courses interesting enough to pay attention to. My favourite place in Hogwarts is my dorm. I like to sit on my bed by the window, with the heavy curtains pulled closed, to isolate myself, and listen to the sound of the rain, while reading my favourite book. The cover of this fairy tale was once covered in pictures of white roses and delicate handwriting, until my ink stained hands rubbed off on it overtime, making it even more precious to me. It was given to me as a gift from my twin sister, Daisy, for our fifth birthday, seven days before she died. I'm a half blood, you see. Mom was a muggle and Dad a wizard. They met before Dad went to Hogwarts and they met up again each summer, year after year, until he graduated and they got married. Daisy and I were raised in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, in muggle England. We knew Dad was different, but we were never taught about magic, not even when I started turning my blue Biro pink or when I pulled two bowls of ice cream from thin air. I didn't have many friends anyway, but I had non at all when people started noticing I was special. A freak. Daisy never judged me. Even though she didn't have the same curse as me, she still treated me exactly the same. Unbeknown to us, Dad had got into some trouble at the Ministry of Magic and was on the way home from work to warn us, when evil-looking monsters, whom I now know as death eaters, attacked the cottage and killed my mother. Daisy and I hid under our beds and tried to keep as quiet as possible, but they found Daisy. I remember her face disappearing from next to mine and her screams filling my whole being and suddenly a piercing green light shot from my body in all directions and I passed out. When I woke up, in a magical hospital, Dad explained how he was a wizard and how I had accidentally killed my twin, with my own magic. I don't think I ever processed that information, I just buried it under self hatred and denial. Dad wasn't the same after that. I ended up spending a lot of time with my older cousin Lottie and her daughter Emma. Until I got my letter for Hogwarts. Although I knew I wasn't evil, there was a slight doubt buried inside my brain that after what I did to Daisy, I would become a monster, like the people who attacked my home. Lottie and Emma were really supportive of my acceptance to Hogwarts and even brought me a pet cat, named Midnight, to bring with me. Dad didn't speak to me about the subject, but then again he doesn't talk to me about any subject anymore. When I'm missing Daisy, or Mom, or Dad, or Lottie, or Emma, I tend to study. It serves as a great distraction and increases my academic knowledge, so I like it a lot. Even more so when I eat my newly discovered weakness; ginger newts. My biggest flaws are addiction and my pride. I get addicted to a book, person, course, phase etc, because it is a way to escape my own mind and sometimes people don't understand that. My pride won't let me ask for help. I'm supposed to be smart enough, I'm supposed to be strong enough, to do it by myself. Because I have to. People who help me, love me, care for me, always get hurt, or hurt me and I don't think I can handle more of that. My life in Hogwarts was a huge adjustment, but it seems to be getting easier. I have made friends both in my house and in other houses and i'm starting to feel like I finally belong. All I want is to become a professor at Hogwarts and use my magic to help others and prove my fears wrong. Prove that I won't fail, prove that I am a decent person and prove that I can do something worth while in my life. If not for myself, then for Daisy.