Valeria O’Byrne

Backstory

There was a time during the 1920’s, once when a great yet very dark wizard was rising to power, very well known as Grindelwald, when families were torn apart, and those who refused to follow were chased, my family, a very ancient pure blood Irish family, was broken apart. Thanks to the fact of purity, we had certain level of immunity (I’d say it was more for the riches than the blood status rubbish), and some of the members were very unsure of the choice the family should take, half were to give up to Grindelwald and joining him, the others were to run and hide where we could not be found. Once the man arrived to Ireland, the pressure was tearing the nerves, so the family, in a painful good bye, decided to pick their sides. The ones who stayed, lived happily under the wing of Grindelwald, and managed to be free from charge once he was defeated, the ones who left, started a new life in the beautiful lands of South America, where the magical community was perfectly hidden and had no contact with muggles nor it was at the reach of Grindelwald.

The following generations were educated in Castelobruxo, a beautiful castle, tribe-like architecture, and an amazing witchcraft and wizardry school. The family grew itself a name once more, and established near by the Amazonian rainforest, where a precious clearing magnifies the O’Byrne manor, a gorgeous place with handsome greenhouses with flora and nature with fauna all around, where everyone grew safe and comfortable. I’m the new generation of the family, at the present time our manor is inhabited by my grandparents, my mother and myself, (Dad’s a wizard too, but he has his own place, you know sometimes it doesn’t work). I grew in a very healthy environment, educated on family history and tradition, and inherited the ancient rings we’ve been using ever since we broke apart, (guessed right, it has the Slytherin snake engraved, accompanied by the family crest), to keep safely in contact with those who stayed behind. “Those who love us never really leave us” - Sirius Black
My grandmother is the caretaker of the greenhouses, she’s an amazing witch and talented at Herbology, she grew me a patch of Valerian springs, in honor of my name.

My studies of 3 years in Castelobruxo have been amazing, but there is something about the famous Hogwarts that calls my attention in ways I can’t find to explain, so when I got this unique chance to exchange I took it without a doubt. It was hard at first, even tho I got sorted into the great house of Slytherin where my family has been in for centuries, yet leaving meant forgetting the comfort of the manor and the closeness to home, as well as now only being able to visit during summer break, but I go to my Irish relatives for the Christmas and Easter holidays, the manor they own is a magnificent and elegant Victorian place, surrounded by green and sphinx that guard the entrance. They are half Slytherins and half Ravenclaws, so I get very well fed with amazing knowledge and how to use it. Lucky we are not of those with 20rh century mentality tho, blood purity isn’t important to us! I’d love to meet muggleborns and learn of them too, they’re incredibly rare at Bruxo...

My exchange to Hogwarts will take 2 years, since I will be taking my 6th year at Beauxbaton academy of magic, to feed in the arts and literature and elegance of the French, to end for my final year I shall head back, so I can graduate at Castelobruxo and begin my studies with ancient “brujos” in the arts of moving canvas painting!

Meanwhile, I will keep practicing my art, learning from this peculiar culture Europeans have, keep taking care of my Valerian spring at the dorm, and getting to know my other side of the family better.
Contact me if you’re in the mood to be my muse, I love sketching people :)