Populating a World - The Characters in Sweetie Belle - Hogwarts Exchange Student · 4:13am Nov 27th, 2019
When writing a crossover, one of the hardest things is to keep the characters straight. If you’re one of my editors, you will notice a scratchpad of info fragments that keeps getting pushed down the writing surface as I add things, but for larger and more populated stories, I have to make a separate document with characters, event timing, etc… I’d say “Just like JK Rowling” only she’s a much more prolific writer and can draw.
Since I know I’m going to get questions, I’m going to put my ‘Character Bible’ right here and you can throw rocks or add constructive comments as the case may be. Spoilers for Sweetie Belle - Hogwarts Exchange Student apply, nach. Warning, these are *rough* notes. I don’t normally get too detailed before I start because it’s handy to be able to ex post facto in things as I go.
Entry class - First Years
Eustice “Sparrow” Lilley - G
Wycliffe Nott - G (hatstall)
Sweetie Belle - G (hat, I see here you’ve met Starswirl recently. So how is the old geezer?)
Daphne Moorhead - (female) Hufflepuff (Jeeves) red-headed as in Scooby Doo
Harold “Stinker” Pinker - (male) Sl. (Jeeves) scrawny and spotty
Alfred Cattermole - (male) Ravenclaw (HP) Poor guy. Only male First Year in Ravenclaw, only brother with 2 younger sisters.
Agitha Volant -(female) Sl. (named after JKR’s grandfather) well-padded, rich
Florence Craye - (female)Ravenclaw (Jeeves) technically a Lady, aristocratic, snob
Evelyn Carnarvon - (female) Ravenclaw (famous egyptologist) intensely ordinary, crystal blue darting eyes
Mortimer Little - (male) Hufflepuff (J) knobby and awkward but always smiling happy
Claude Figg - (male) Hufflepuff (arabella’s great-nephew) Handsome for 11yr old
Hildegarde “Lady” Rose - (female) Hufflepuff (original) drop dead beautiful (for 11)
Francis Helpenstall - (male) Hufflepuff (J - modified) Son of Methodist minister (visits for the Protestent services on Sundays) wizard, thin, darting eyes
George Chuffnell - (male) Gryffindor (from J) hefty and black hair, has a braid. Chuffy
Zenobia Worplesdon - (female) Ravenclaw (from J more or less) exotic dark hint DARK eyes
Kim Byng - (female) Gryffindor Chinese looking, Cockney South London sounding
Jill Wyvern - (female) Ravenclaw who almost got put into Gryffindor - twitchy, nervous
(17 students) 5 ravenclaw, 2 slytherin, 5 Hufflepuff, 5 Gryffindor (7 male, 10 female)
See about putting a mid-year addition in ?
-Emmett Snetsinger (male) Hufflepuff - grandmother Phoebe Snetsinger was famous middle-aged critterwatcher (delayed because it was (birdname) migration season in (foreign country)) (9,700 known bird species) From Websters Grove, Missouri, Mis-our-uh (Tossled unmanageable hair, distracted by every bird, slender)
-Moria Ratcarrow (SNL) - (female) Hufflepuff home taught, muggle mother
Quick note on Prefects/Head Boy/Girl which will probably come back to bite me.
Fifth year classes and up have one boy and one girl Prefect. Each House has a Head Boy and Head Girl, who have authority over the Prefects, and are normally picked from the Prefects but not always. Since some Seventh Year students are repeating this year, this gives Gryffindor (to the best of my guesses)
Associate Head of House - Percy Weasley
Head Boy - Dean Thomas
Head Girl - Katie Bell
Seventh Year Prefects: Ginny Weasley and ____
Sixth Year Prefects: ___
side characters
Balthasar Bulstrode - Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot chubby to the point of hefty, used to be a Beater in Hufflepuff
Starswirl the Bearded - Gets to visit Hogwarts when Sweetie spots an error in Bins’ lecture. Brings over the ultimate authority. (scoffs) The old fool. Unicorns don’t have burning uncompleted tasks that keep them from the afterlife.
Donna Selkirk - great-niece to Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, widowed. use ‘Miss Selkirk’ instead of Mrs
.
Harry is on chocolate frog card
Quibbler is still producing copies After HP.
George Weasly (artificial ear, hairy, tall, wriggles)
Aberforth - Still at Hogs Head in Hogsmeade next to school
http://harryalbuspotter.wikia.com/wiki/Rolf_Scamander
(started second year of HP)
The "Hogwart's Express" locomotive portrayed in this film, a 1937 4-6-0 "Hall" class steam engine number 5972, originally belonged to the Great Western Railway and went under the name of "Olton Hall"
Dennis Creevey (Assistant Prefect) (notch below head boy) (three years behind Harry, younger brother of the dead photographer, would be a 4th year where prefects are 5th year) Not small, just condensed trouble.
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dennis_Creevey
Harry Potter timeline
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Muggles%27_Guide_to_Harry_Potter/Timeline
Katie Bell - THIRD attempt to get through last year of Hogwarts. Swears. Off Quiddich, due to it having knocked her back a few times. Going to take the NEWTS if it kills her. Head Girl Gryffindor (authority over the Gryffindor Prefects) for the girls. Expects to have it taken away when Hermione comes back in a few weeks. (quite surprised when it is not, turns out because Hermione vanishes for weeks at a time during term and nobody will say where she goes)
Minerva Mcgonagall gold watch 12 hands inherited from dumbledore
Percy Weasley - In charge of the Hogwarts train, at the platform, worrying himself into a frazzle. Winds up Associate Head of House in Gryffindor as Minerva’s ‘assistant’ from the Ministry, she decides to use him like a tissue and throws him full into the job. Amazed that he swims instead of sinking. (Of course I knew I could do the job. Have you met my family?)
Ginny Weasley - Every weekend vanishes to Hogsmeade, shows back up before bed check Sunday night, won’t talk about it. Leaves right after quidditch practices on Sat.AM. Has respectable rivalry with Percy. Fairly quiet. Taking high level classes but doesn’t want to pursue an academic career. Pet Pygmy Puff (Arnold) Prefect (Seventh year) of Gryffindor
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Ginevra_Weasley
Dean Thomas (black) returning for last year, Head Boy Gryffindor (has authority over prefects), muggle mother, missing father, good relations with goblins, tall, long neck, artistic, “Lost my girlfriend to the Chosen One. Not a bad thing, once you think about it. I mean it’s better than being tossed for a rubbish collector.” perpetually upbeat,
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dean_Thomas (One of JK’s favorites)
Wilhimena grubby-plank care of magical creatures teacher assisting Hagrid and keeping him stable.
Quidditch
Chudley Cannons - hopeless team, really hopeless.
Quidditch World Cup takes place with Ministry guiding it, head blank on name
Sparrow : beater. “I can hit the ball as hard as I want and nobody complains? Awesome!”
Sweetie: chaser. “Five goals in a row. I don’t know how she did it. She can barely hold onto the broom, and she’s constantly bouncing off other players. Even her own team.” “Have you noticed they’re all boys?” “Actually, now that you mention it.”
Wycliffe: “You said all I had to do was fly around above the game and look like a Seeker. You didn’t say I had to go chase the snitch.” Ginny: “If you see the snitch, CHASE IT!” “Very well then. (takes off to the other end of the field) (later) “What do you mean, you didn’t want to catch it.” “I was afraid I’d hurt it. They’re very delicate.”
Note: Build a working Griff. quidditch team for the story
Ginny Weasley (7th yr)- Team Captain (Ginerva real name) Seeker/Chaser
Dean Thomas (7th yr-Returning, missed a year)- Chaser
So you can tell, I've got a *lot* of work ahead of me as our characters board the Hogwarts Express and head off to school, so please don't be afraid to pass along any advice you have. (Other than "You're crazy" which I already know)
What's is Jeeves in this context?
5160916 Wooster and Jeeves by PG Woodehouse, a most wonderful source of British humor.
Ah, you're using names from Woodehouse. I see.
Your notes appear to use the term “Best” Boy and Girl several times when the context implies that you mean “Head.” Also Katie and Ginny are both listed as being in that role.
5160931 Fixed the first (late night typo tonight) and the second... Am I missing something? Ginnie's a Prefect, Katie's Head Girl.
5160932
Maybe I’m losing my mind but I was 100% certain it said Best Girl by Ginny earlier
Some of my notes have more than 100k words. I don't have a problem, you have a problem!
"Is he still seeing that belled tart? I told him no good would come of her."
At first I misread "Sl" as "Self-insert" and got very confused by the second one. Ah well, the only one who needs to understand notes is the one who wrote them.
I should hope so!
Intriguing...
In terms of Quidditch, aside from needing to assemble teams for the other houses—I'm sure you're already aware of and dreading that—I can't help but imagine Katie getting dragged in as unofficial House coach. She's really trying not to get involved, but she just can't help herself. I imagine Sweetie might give her a prod in the special talent. Also, if Hermione's back, I assume Ron is as well, which may give the team a Keeper... provided that he doesn't disappear for weeks at a time.
I don't know why the thought bothers me that you, as a writer, might just be Making Things Up; I am oddly comforted to know that you have a Plan.
5160917
Monty Python would like a word with you.
Monty Python: Cabbages.
Thank you, Monty.
(Am I doing British Humour right? I'd assume so, given that the first Harry Potter book used basically the same joke, but...)
Looks good! I can't wait to see what
blows uphappens next!Though I wonder: what would happen if/when Sweetie encounters Centaurs.
I might be confused, but does the sorting hat decide that Moria Ratcarrow becomes a junior castmember on SNL? Because that would be awesome.