Branson Archer

Branson Archer

bookworm; good-natured; literary agent
 
Messages
1,231
OOC First Name
Emzies
Blood Status
Mixed Blood
Relationship Status
Seeing Somebody
Wand
Knotted 16 1/2" Sturdy Black Walnut Wand with Basilisk Skin Core
Age
5/2041 (20)
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I walk into the dead of night ,
Where my monsters like to hide ,

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Say Hello to
Branson Moon Archer!


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Chaos feels so good inside
I lost control again ,

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FULL NAME
Branson Moon Archer


MEANING
Branson - The name Branson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of the raven"
Moon - Moon' derives from 'moone' or 'mone. These words, inturn, originated from Old English term 'mona'.
Archer - Archer is the transferred use of an English surname originating as an occupation name to signify one who made a profession out of being a bowman. The word comes directly from the Old French “archier” from the Latin “arcus” meaning “bow”.


WHY
Branson is named after his great uncle who died shortly before his birth. It was a name that for his parents made the most amount of sense. It reminded them of who they had lost while also introducing them to a whole new, independent person. Branson knows from the way his parents speak how pivotal the man was in the latter years of his life to his father. Branson does like his name, it feels occasionally a little old fashioned but he does like it and he feels like it is a good name for him. Being named after someone who was important is a nice feeling. The middle and last names are connected being his mother’s maiden name and his father’s surname respectively, his parents thought it would be important that he carry both of them in his name because they were both playing a role in raising him and his siblings. Branson enjoys his whole name, he has some mixed feelings about his surname, or his father’s name, he loves his father and is proud of it, but he knows that the Archer name has some implications, for him specifically, so he is somewhat ambiguous about it. He likes having both names and is overall very pleased with his name. He likes being Branson Moon Archer.


NICKNAMES
Branson’s first name is often shortened down to Bran, whether by his parents or his siblings. It’s just an easy way to shorten his name down and definitely isn’t something that he would mind in the slightest. He likes having the nickname, it’s just a short version of his name, it rolls of the tongue easier, it tends to indicate that someone knows him well. It is something that he has begun introducing himself as as he meets new people. It used to only be his family but he thinks it might be cool to have a nickname and for people to call him that. He isn’t sure it’ll stick, he’s seen other people’s nicknames come and go with time, with who they are around but he just thinks it would be neater to be known as Bran than Branson.


AGE
Currently Branson is 1 years old. His family are a quiet and close knit bunch but given that they are somewhat in the magical world they don’t interact with their muggle neighbours or classmates all that much, meaning that a good number of his birthdays are just him and his family with some cake. Though he does think it would be cool to have a full out party or invite loads of people, he actually really enjoys being able to just relax and spend time with his family, there’s no drama, there’s no stress, it doesn’t cost anything and he has always been a family boy. He loves his parents and his sisters so he would happily spend his birthday with them. Even while at school he is definitely still keen to spend his birthday with his dad, which he’ll be able to do while at school, since his dad will be there. Branson likes going to other people’s big birthday bashes but would ultimately really dislike it for himself.


D.O.B.
7 May 2041. Branson was born at St. Mungo’s hospital without too many issues. He was to term and a healthy size. His parents were very cautious with him and the pregnancy but he was a healthy baby. He was immediately surrounded by family and was loved deeply by his parents from that first moment.
Thread



FAMILY

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Name: Kate Archer
DOB: may 2015
Relationship: Mother
Occupation: teacher
Blood status: muggleborn

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Name: Stefan Archer
DOB: april 2015
Relationship: Father
Occupation: librarian
Blood status: muggleborn

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Name: Rosie Archer
DOB: december 2043
Relationship: Sister
Occupation: n/a
Blood status: mixed blood

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Name: Aurora Archer
DOB: december 2043
Relationship: Sister
Occupation: n/a
Blood status: mixed blood

FATHER
Stefan Archer, muggle borns wizard, librarian at Hogwarts New Zealand.
Stefan was born and raised in New Zealand, he was the only child of his parents. His mother died when he was about two years old and he was left with his father who succumbed to his grief and was often very violent towards both Stefan and the household. Stefan didn’t have any friends, didn’t go to school, and was largely kept isolated from the world. Eventually it was discovered he had magic and he was brought to Hogwarts where he was sorted into Slytherin. His time at school was rocky, caused in part by the fact he always had to go home to his father and with a lack of social skills since he was really able to develop them. He didn’t even in part realise that he wasn’t supposed to be treat how he was until later. Stefan’s father died when he was in fifth year and was left to fend for himself. He dropped out of school and focused on trying to get things together. Beginning to work at a local bookstore. He eventually came back to school for his seventh year and graduated. He continued to work at the bookshop and during this time got together with Branson’s mother, Kate. He eventually started working at Hogwarts in the library which was flexible as he soon had three child with his wife. He is now the head librarian at the school.
Stefan’s Bio


MOTHER
Kate “Moon” Archer, muggleborn wizard, primary teacher.
Kate Moon was born and raised in Ireland before the move to New Zealand. She has a twin and two other siblings. She went to Hogwarts New Zealand along with Stefan. She had scattered grades but eventually in her seventh year was head girl. She is currently a primary school teacher at a local primary school - though not the one that her children do attend.
Kate’s Bio


SIBLING(S)
Aurora Moon Archer, younger sister
aurora’s bio
Rosie Moon Archer, younger sister
rosie’s bio


OTHER
Branson has no grandparents on his father’s side, but he does have an uncle Tybalt Archer who is married to Rhiannon Archer formerly McGowan, and an aunt Lydia Warrick, who is married to Felix Warrick and they have one child, Mason Warrick. One the other side, he still has both grandparents, and an aunt Sara Moon.


RELATIONSHIP TO FAMILY
Branson is exceedingly close to his family, and closest to his father. Being the first born child in the family, he spent the most amount of time alone with his father. He loves him dearly and they get along well. Bran spends a lot of time with his father whenever he’s home from work. They spend a lot of time together reading, and his father has helped him a lot. He spends a lot of time reading different books with him. Bran knows theres something about their family that his father has never mentioned but he’s also too afraid to ever ask. He is also still very close to his mother, he has learned a great deal from her and knows how good to be to people. He is also very close to both of his sisters, he’s exceedingly protective of them both. They are younger than him, and he wants nothing more for them to always be safe and happy. They are an exceedingly close knit family.


PET(S)
There are no pets in the Archer household, but he has asked for an owl for when he goes to school, even though his father is at the school with him, to be able to at least write back to his sisters.


BLOOD STATUS
Mixed blood - Both of his parents are muggleborns


THOUGHTS ON BLOOD STATUS
Branson knows there are problems in the magical world with blood, but Bran has not ever really cared about that sort of thing. He likes his family, and likes who he spends the time with regardless of status. It helps that his family, has been very careful to teach him about status and teaching with everyone with respect and his family doesn’t have much of a status or much money so he’s never put much into having a high status.


HOMETOWN
Bran has lived in the same place his whole life, it’s a little country house, big enough for the whole family but far from anything. He doesn’t know exactly where it is, but he loves it regardless.


CURRENT RESIDENCE
Branson has never moved, but he loves his house. He loves how big the grounds are, he loves being able to go outside, practice quidditch, have magical plants and flowers from the who time. He loves the house entirely.


THE PLACE TO LIVE
Branson really likes Brightstone. He’d love to live there, as much as he enjoys the quiet and space of his current house, he would love to live closer to where all of the action is. He likes going to book shops and spending time in new places. He likes seeing things and just being able to go out whenever he wants.


PREVIOUS HOMES
Bran has never lived anywhere else.


SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Hetrosexual - though he has been unsure and doesn't struggle to call men attractive, he is not himself attracted to men.


CURRENT RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Currently Seeing Blair Bianchi, they got together in his second last year of school after flirting a lot.


CRUSHES PAST AND PRESENT
None

FIRST KISS
With Blair at the yuleball, a full six months before they started dating.

PAST RELATIONSHIPS
None

FLINGS
Branson is uninterested in flings.

THE FIRST TIME
Too young

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Never said I was an angel ,
I am damaged all the way

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HAIR STYLE
In his appearance Branson takes after his father a whole lot, it’s the same shade of dark brown hair, that his father has. Branson’s hair is more unruly and is kept much longer. He likes having it go all over the place and likes when it looks like he just got electrocuted. He doesn’t let it grow out too long, but long enough that it can get in the way. His sisters love to play with his hair and he never really minds when it does things that are a little erratic in his hair, or when his sisters put glitter in it, or anyrhing like that. He doesn’t mind his hair as it is, and is okay with how people treat it. He would never shaved it off, but he’d do dozens of other things to it.


HAIR HAS BEEN DYED
Branson has never is unlikely to ever dye his hair. He likes his hair as is.


EYE COLOUR
Again, much like with his hair, Branson has a near identical eye colour as his father. It is a deep blue colour. The same as all of the men of his archer family. It is certainly just a dominate trait within them. He doesn’t really see the colour, his mother is the one who always tells him how beautiful they are. His sisters too, specifically because Aurora has eyes that are somewhat close to his, according to her. He does like that he shares that with his father and his uncle. It helps him feel a part of that family. He also knows that his great uncle who he is named after also had the same colour of eyes as him. It helps him connect to all of that. He sometimes wears glasses which do sometimes dull his eyes a little.


BIRTHMARKS/FRECKLES/SCARS
Branson has a small birthmark on the bottom of his neck. He has several freckles around his face, with one prominent under his lips. He doesn’t have any visible scars, while he enjoys a lot of what life has to offer him, he is quite a careful person, or at least he tries to be, he is a little clumsy and tends to trip over things that aren’t there, but he always tries to be careful. He has seen his father’s scars and would just much rather never have anything like that in his life. Branson doesn’t mind the freckles or birthmarks as much, he knows they are just a part of who he is.


BODY TYPE
Branson is not a particularly athletic person, he’ll take part in the odd game but he hasn’t yet joined any sports teams. He doesn’t feel the need to either. Branson has a slim build, he eats well and eats pretty healthy too. He does spend a lot of time reading, and is often with a book. He’s just not that much of a sports person.


BLOOD TYPE
O (+ve)
They learned this shortly after he was born, because of the muggle part of the family, his parents had decided they would let themselves be sure of blood type and allergies just in case he was injured or something happened under their care where they wouldn’t immediately be able to use magic.


WHICH HAND?
Left Handed
His dominant hand, has always been his left. He picked up a pencil with it, pretend he was holding his first wand with it. He isn’t particularly good at using his right hand for much, his handwriting comes out as much scrawnier and more difficult to read. He’s happy with his left hand being the dominant one.


VOICE
Much like his father, and most of his peers, Branson has a kiwi accent. He has been raised amongst both Irish and Kiwi people so he perhaps has a slight twang to it than others might have, but he has a kiwi voice.


LANGUAGES
Branson speaks two languages, he speaks english fluently, since it’s the language of the country he’s in. He is conversational in Irish, he doesn’t know how to read it particularly well, and can’t really write it, but he can speak it and understand it. He has learned a very small amount of maori from his school, but not a whole lot.


ALLERGIES
Branson has no known allergies


PERSONAL STYLE
Branson mostly wears the clothes his mother buys for him. Currently he doesn’t have a distinct style, he wears jeans a lot, will wear the odd baggy t-shirt or jumper. They don’t have a whole lot of money in the family, but his clothes fit in the manner they’re supposed to and he always get what he needs, if he needs it.


CURRENT PLAYBY
Axel Auriant


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Don't see myself inside ,
Why can't I get it right ,

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CHARACTER LIKES
Branson loves books, he loves reading them and much like his father he does also gain a lot of satisfaction from just sorting them. Branson likes warm weather, he likes quidditch and flying. He likes spending time with his friends, going to museums and getting ice cream. Branson enjoys spending time with his family and loves playing board games with them.


CHARACTER DISLIKES
Branson dislikes dark spaces, he doesn’t particularly enjoy night time and he finds sleeping in pitch black difficult. Branson dislikes those who think reading is dumb, he doesn’t like spending time with people who’ll make fun of others for reading. He doesn’t like storms and he doesn’t like when theres lot of wind.


GOALS
Branson isn’t sure what he wants to do with his life, he likes books and reading but he isn’t sure that’ll be something that he can do anything with. He isn’t sure he’d be able to work in a library because too often all he’d want to do is read the books inside it, he likes writing but doesn’t think he would ever do that. He doesn’t think he’d be good enough at it. Mostly he’s just happy and would be happy at a good life, if he made good friends, had a family of his own down the line. He wants to live comfortably.


BOGGART
For branson it would take the form of one of two things. One it would take the form of any of his family hurt or dead, with him being unable to come to their aid. He is loyal to a fault to his family, keen to make sure they are okay and wanting to always make sure that they don’t have to suffer at any point. He would hate to see any of them come to harm and he would be terrified if he didn’t know how to help him. He’s a reader, not usually an entirely practical person. The other thing he would possible see would be an impossibly dark space, where he’d be unable to see anything and the walls would be closing in. He isn’t normally claustrophobic but if he can’t see the walls and can only feel at them he usually will start to panic.


PATRONUS
Hedgehog - largely because he loves them.


PATRONUS MEMORY
Branson has a lot of good and happy memories, afterall he was raised in a house of love and stability. He has always had what he wanted in life and he is very grateful for everything that he has. Branson has a lot of memories which fill him with an all encompassing joy that he would feel he could create a patronus. Currently he might use his 8th birthday. His dad took him out, taking the day off specifically so that they would be able to spend the day together, they went to a few book stores, went to a museum and got ice cream before heading home to dinner with his mother and sisters. It is something his father does often, just specifically take him or his sisters out alone or together, making sure that they have more than just whole family time. It was nice because the twins were older by this point and he was feeling a little lonely, so his father taking him out to spend time alone and just have fun on his birthday before the usual birthday dinner was really nice.


DEMENTOR
From the moment his sisters were born he was very protective over them. He was young at the time but he felt very responsible for them and very keen to make sure that no harm came to them. This was a little difficult for him when he was younger, but he’s always strived for it. WHen he was young, and the twins younger, he would stick by his mother trying to help out with them. His mother turned to deal with Rosie at one point in changing them, and Aurora who’d always been an active baby was moving so much she fell off the changing table. Branson was quick to act and caught her before she hit the ground. It was a terrifying moment for him and where he re-decided that he was going to push hard to always protect his family, to always protect his sisters and be able to always prevent harm from getting to them. His greatest fear is to lose any part of his family. After that incident, it took hours for Branson to let go of her, and even longer to let the twins out of his sight.


VERITISERUM
Branson loves his family but he would admit with the potion that he is somewhat lonely and jealous of his sisters. THey have each other, everyone in his family has someone else to turn to but him. He kind of would’ve wanted a younger brother that he could connect with, or he would’ve wanted a twin himself. A cousin even that just balanced him out like everyone else in his family gets. He knows it’s out of his control but he is jealous and it does mean that at times he can be somewhat lonely having no one else and sometimes being a little self isolating. He would likely also admit that he knows something was up about his parent school experiences and that theres something a little up with his father’s childhood. He has these scars that Bran can’t think of what might’ve caused them. But he would never admit that.


MIRROR OF ERISED
Branson is a pretty happy boy, he was raised in a stable home, with two parents who provided him with stability and emotional support. His desires in the mirror would reflect back his family where they perhaps just had fractionally more money without them needing to work quite as much. They work fairly standard jobs with standard hours, but he just thinks it would be really nice to spend a little more time with them. He would likely also see an over abundance of books behind him, he would see friends and he would just be a fairly popular, well liked person with more books to read. Branson doesn’t have many great desires or wants, he just likes reading and he just likes spending time with friends and family. He doesn’t read books and want to be a part of the world in any sense because he likes his life. He’s never been one for grandeur or one who desires for his life to be that different from what it currently is.


AMORENTIA
Currently the only smell it would be is a new book. He just likes going to a book shop, whether a big brand one, a small independent one or a second hand one, he just loves the smell of a new book. It’s such a sweet smell to him. The would be the strongest smell, overpowering just about everything else that he would be able to smell in it. His greatest enjoyment is a new book.


I LOOK UP TO
Branson looks up to his father, the boy has figured out that his father’s life wasn’t particularly good at points, he knows nothing about his father’s parents and very little about his time at school. But, he can see how caring his father is towards him and his sisters, he can see how much he loves his work, how good he is with his mother, how much love he seems to have and he just hopes that one day when he’s old enough he can have as calm a life as that, with so much love and so much happiness in his work. He also shares in his passion for books, and loves that his father has just never expressed a desire to do more than what he is doing who doesn’t think down or let others think down upon him for his choice. He knows that could have more money if his father did something else, but is happy that they are comfortable and that his father follows what he is actually passionate about.


RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Given that Branson was raised in a magical household, he wasn’t raised with any religious beliefs. He isn’t sure if his mother held any particular beliefs prior to being magical, but he knows his father never, since it is something he has brought up in the past. During his time at muggle school Branson has learnt about other religions, he has learned about a lot of different elements of them and what the beliefs and practices are. Partly due to his magical upbringing and no one in the house hold practicing, Branson has never been one to believe. He likes reading about it, he likes reading about stories set in those words where it is all as real as his magic but he’s never read it and thought that that religion is suddenly for him. It's just cool to read about. Cool to compare them. There’s some cool things to him that have come from it that wouldn’t be possible if they hadn’t had some of it. Though he is not oblivious to the real world harms which have happened in its name.



ZODIAC SIGN
Taurus

ZODIAC DESCRIPTION
Underneath their cool, calm and collected exterior, Taureans differ greatly from all the other signs of the zodiac. Taureans manage to discreetly stay apart from the crowd, even though they have a well-earned reputation for being socialisers. They will let others get close, but only so close as they want them. Some claim that trying to get your point across to a Taurean, should they not want to hear you, is rather similar to talking to the trees - they simply won't budge. And, there is no such thing as an open-book Taurean. Their feelings, fears and desires often run far deeper than anyone around them would guess. Like the butterfly that chooses to remain hidden in its cocoon until it is ready and prepared to emerge, so the true Taurean spirit remains hidden behind a veneer of day-to-day activities. That's why Taureans are sometimes regarded as snobby, withdrawn, boring, or even sulky. The truth is, when Taureans manage to operate very adequately on their own form of automatic pilot, they can switch off from the world around them very efficiently. And when they do switch off, they are actually gathering in their inner reserves to deal with the outside pressures. This sign is also very closely connected to 'feeling good'. Most Taureans like their creature comforts and hate change because it takes them out of their automatic pilot condition of separating themselves from the world around them. Because they hate to be put in jeopardy of any kind, this is the sign that strives to create tomorrow in advance, rather than leave it to fate. In love, Taureans are regarded as extremely sensual beings. An earth sign, they deal well with the personal, physical senses and consequently all the pleasures associated with what they can see, touch, smell and taste, add up to a special delight to them. Often nature and pet lovers, Taureans are closely associated with all things off the earth and nature.
Source

BASIC PERSONALITY
Branson is a quiet and shy person, he is not too outwardly outgoing but amongst friends he’ll certainly become more outgoing. He is a reader, and tends to have his head in a book. He is loyal to his family and those he counts as friends. Branson can be quite nervous and tends to shy away in new situations, he can become friends with people but definitely struggles in the beginning and will always be the first to shy away if there are too many people. He is a happy person, who does always aim to help others feel better, he is protective over those he cares about and knows at least with his sisters if anyone were to ever hurt them, he’d tear them apart. He is a clumsy sort of person, and does sometimes in his nervousness or shyness trip up over things and just not always look where he is going. He can be quite curious, usually he’ll be careful about how he follows the thread, but sometimes he’ll ask once and if reject just let it fester.

PINTEREST AESTHETIC
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FAUX INSTAGRAM
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You're always watching me fall,
Why do I feel so small ,

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OTHER SCHOOLS ATTENDED
Tapawera Primary School - it is the school in the neighbouring town. It is not the school which his mother teaches at, they were very keen to not have that be the case. While he would’ve liked to go to the school where his mother worked, they made the decision to not, It would be easier to answer questions about where he went after he moved to Hogwarts if he wasn’t at the school where his mother taught and where she would know a lot more of the secondary teachers at the school. Bran didn’t mind it nor did he mind going to school, it was something to keep him busy.


YEARS OF ATTENDANCE
He attended from age 4 and will attend until he turned 11. With the way that the semesters worked out, he finished muggle primary school and then didn’t have to go to school for a couple of months which suited him perfectly. It was time to explore areas of the magical world and spend more time learning about HOgwarts. It certainly made his sisters very jealous.


HOUSE (IF APPLICABLE)
The school is not big enough for houses. Nor has he noticed that its that common for them to have it. But he knows that his school just simply wasn’t big enough to merit houses and he was pretty okay with this. He wants the houses to be a hogwarts thing and not an every school he goes to thing.


FIRST THOUGHTS
Branson had been quite nervous, not quite getting at the time why he couldn’t just go to the school his mother taught at. He knew he would enjoy that way more than anything else. The school itself wasn’t that bad, he managed to make some quick friends and most of them seemed to very nice. A lot of these friendships he’s held on to right through the school. It certainly helps that there weren’t that many of them, so becoming friends with everyone was quite necessary. He enjoyed his first day, he had gone obviously alone without a sibling like his sister’s would but it did help him with others. He had to at least be friendly with them. He did end up spending a lot of time during his first day in the reading area.


GRADES ACHIEVED
Branson didn’t have perfect grades, nor was he top of the class, but he did always work very hard and he achieved quite highly. From his first year at the school to the last. THough of course the closer he got to hogwarts the less interested he became in subjects they were teaching, it didn’t bother him too much not having perfect grades and he didn’t mind not being top, he always passed very well, his teachers never had a negative thing to say about him and he knew it would at least mean he came to school with some knowledge of how things work and it wasn’t a complete loss to him.


FAVOURITE CLASS
Branson really likes English, he enjoys reading, so it’s usually a win win for him. He also does enjoy some aspects of writing, but he’s much more of a reader. He just likes being able to go into an entirely new world every so often. One thing branson does really enjoy writing is poetry. Not surprising with his father a librarian, Branson has a deep love of books and anything written, he’ll never rush a book but savour every page. It means he’s not as quick a read as someone might expect but he just likes to take his time with it.


LEAST FAVOURITE CLASS
Maths, he just can’t wrap his head around it most of the time and is looking forward to not having to do it any more. There were just some things in school that he wasn’t good at, maths was largely why he never got the top grades in the class and the one class he always dreaded. He could read and comprehend the theory but putting it into practice was occasionally hard for him. He would get it with time but it would take a great deal of time for Bran to get things. He would’ve continued with maths had he been at muggle school, kept going until he truly flunked out of it, but he’s glad he doesn’t have to.


SKIPPING CLASS?
Both of his parents work full time, so he would’ve never skipped school. They lived a bit too far away for him to walk back himself without it being super tiring. He also liked school, not all of the elements of it, and he certainly got bored of it the older but he would’ve never skipped out on it. On a few occasions his uncle Tybalt would come to the school and take him or him and his sisters out for a day, he seemed to always forget that school was a thing but he didn’t mind it. Usually they did something magic related so he wouldn’t count it as skipping school, though often he was missing out on lessons to go. But aside from that, Branson didn’t skip any classes and he barely missed a day. He had liked learning. Even if he wouldn’t do much with what he did at muggle school beyond it.


SCHOOL CLUBS
Branson was not a part of very many clubs. He lined them up for when either of his parents would work late anyway. He was part of the creative writing club, the book club and he joined in his last year at the primary school the outdoor gardening club. He was never a part of any sports because he didn’t particularly like any sports. He likes quidditch. But he was keen to do other things at the school. He was quite good at both and definitely found them a good use of his time.


POSITIONS ACHIEVED
There were no positions to really gain in his school, it was a small and well staffed place that had a secondary near by. There was no need for Branson to have any responsibility and no need for him to achieve any positions so he is quite happy to have not gotten any.


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Shadows, they like my wall ,
I don't know ,

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WAND
Knotted 16 1/2 Inch Sturdy Black Walnut Wand with Basilisk Skin Core

WAND DESCRIPTION
Length: A little on the longer side of things, wands of this length are slightly more uncommon and not easily forgotten by others.

Style: The knots of this wand's original wood remain clearly visible - earthy, this style of wand is perhaps most traditional and closest to nature.
Wood: Black Walnut wands are especially aware of self deception and may not perform as expected for a witch or wizard in a state of inner conflict. Self-aware and assured wizards will have found a powerful and loyal companion, however.
Core: Because of the unusual circumstances necessary to create a Basilisk and the ban placed on breeding this creature, most wandmakers are reluctant to admit owning wands with this core. The core itself is particularly useful at producing wands that will be strong at defensive and offensive magic. Additionally, parselmouths and dark wizards seem to be particularly fond of wands with this core. Due to a Basilisk's fear of roosters, these wands have been known to behave unpredictably on or near farms.
Flexibility: Sturdy: A solid wand for any witch or wizard - easy to use, and highly dependable.


THOUGHTS ABOUT WAND
Branson was quite nervous about getting a wand, he just really wanted a good wand, and though of course it’s difficult to ever say what is a good wand versus what is a bad wand, he just thought it would be cool to have like a unique enough wand. He knew that it was the wand that would pick him and he was just worried that he would see really cool wands and none of them would want him. His wand though is something he finds very cool, it is a little longer than most and has a certain earthiness to it which he likes, something which is not unlike his father’s wand. He’s been told it has a very sleek black colour to it because of the type of wood that was used. The core is fairly unique, some have difficulties with it given how rare the creature is. He knows that he probably should avoid farms but that was not likely to be a problem. Overall, the wand to Branson is amazing. It is sleek, it is unique, it is beautiful. It has an interesting wood and an interesting core. It is a good wand for him to have and he is definitely going to take exceedingly good care of it.

SCHOOL
Hogwarts New Zealand

FIRST THOUGHTS
Branson had heard a lot about Hogwarts, he is surrounded with people who have been to the school and one who is still there. He has seen pictures and heard stories about the different places, so while eager and excited he was very worried that it just wouldn’t actually live up to what he had built in his head. THat he would end up being completely underwhelmed by what he actually saw. However, he was in awe from the first moment, seeing the castle just brought those stories to life for him, they like completed them, like he’d always been missing a part of the stories which helped them feel more real and cool and just it was amazing. He had never in his life seen something like that, neither on the scale nor grandeur, he could understand why all of the people in his family would gush so much about it, he could understand why his father was so happy to work there. Everything just became perfectly clear and he was so happy to finally be there and at school. He wouldn’t and couldn’t be underwhelmed by any part of it, it was just amazing to him in every single way and though he is not much of an adventurer, he was deeply keen to explore every single part of the school, definitely beginning with the library.

HOUSE
Ravenclaw

THOUGHTS WHILE BEING SORTED
Branson wasn’t really sure where he was going to end up, he was kind of keen on Ravenclaw, but he knew it wouldn’t really matter, that he would be just fine anywhere. He was from a family of mixed houses and he was sure that it wouldn’t matter where he ended up, but it helped to only make him more nervous because if any of them would be fine then would he ever feel completely comfortable. He wanted Ravenclaw because he thought that would suit him best, he liked reading and learning and he wasn’t the most creative but he was sure he could learn to be the most creative. He was nervous and he was worried it would take too long, but being at the top of the alphabet, meant he was one of the first to get sorted. He had to push aside a lot of his worries as he went to the hat. He was sure it would turn out just fine, and mostly he knew that no matter where he ended up it wouldn’t change him. He would always remain the sort of person that he was. Whether in Slytherin or Gryffindor definitely the first place he would explore would be the library. People could be more than their house of course. He was place much to his joy in Ravenclaw, it was a house that he had really wanted and believed he would do well in.

SORTING POST

Branson could believe he was finally about to be sorted, he had been waiting for this moment for years, since he had really come to know what magic was, where it was learned and everything else. He had been relieved to finally get his letter, it had never really been in doubt but that hadn’t helped him feel calm about it. But, he’d gotten it and he had ridden nervously all the way to school. He had wanted, somewhat childishly, to stick close to his dad, and just go like his dad did, but both of his parents had pressed to him how important it was to go on the train, no matter how backwards it could sometimes feel. Bran knew he wouldn’t see his dad immediately, he thought he might try and come along to sorting, but Bran wasn’t sure. He kind of half hoped he didn’t. Neither of his parents minded where he ended up, their whole family was a scattering of houses, but what if he would be disappointed with his placing? What if his mum would be disappointed with it. He had spotted a few friends or well, people he knew in the crowd of first years but hadn’t approached any. For the first time in a while, actually missing his two little sisters. Though they were closer to each other than to him, they were always nice to have around, between them there was always a conversation to be had. It would matter if it was a little inane.

Branson followed the other first years as they made their way into the hall, and all of the worries began to melt away as he took in the school. It was pretty amazing. He couldn’t believe this would be his school for the next few years. He was unable to keep his focus on any one thing, curious about it all and knowing that the vast school library was bound to have so much for him to read and learn about. So much that he was curious about and so much that would keep him busy as the world was busy around him. Branson stopped with the other students and looked towards the sorting hat. It then occurred to him that he would be one of the first students to be called forward. Archer. What a cursed name. He would end up being one of the first. He would enjoy not having to watch everyone else be sorted before him, but perhaps just having more than a small handful would be good too. He listened to the hat’s song, absorbing the words and knowing he’d want to try to remember it later. He knew it was probably the same song every year but that didn’t stop it being interesting to him. He looked at the head mistress, noting she was like how his father had described, stern but with a certain friendliness. Branson’s name was then of course one of the first to be called. He stepped forward through the crowd and went to the stool. His hands were sweating and he was a little nervous but he was more just eager. There was so much he wanted to do and learn, so much in this place he was looking forward to, it wouldn’t matter where he ended up.



CURRENT YEAR
graduate

PREVIOUS YEARS
(Y37) First Year: branson hadn't been sure what to expect in his first year of school but it went well in his mind. he managed to make a few friends and spent a lot of time in the library. Not always with his dad but in the library, in amongst the books. He worked hard throughout the year and began working on his quidditch too. He has plans to one day get on the team but knows that currently he's a bit too young. He went to the yuleball with Lily Harbour, his best friend, and went to the valentines dance completely alone - but had a good time regardless. He knows he needs to work harder to get more friends and be able to have more people to spend time with but he doesn't regret how he spent his first year.
Yearbook Picture - Halloween - Mad Scientist - Yuleball Picture - Profile Y37 S1
(Y38) Second Year: Branson was eager to come back to school after his break, it was nice to get away but he was happy to be able to finally get back to it. He did once again spend a lot of time in the library. He couldn't seem to find Lily to spend time with her but he became friendly with other people especially with a hufflepuff, Jordie. Jordie did admit to having a crush on him but they've managed to keep their friendship good. He joined the ravenclaw team as an alternate chaser and has been enjoying playing, he has continued to write articles for the HM absolutely enjoying it when it happens. Overall he had a good year.
Yearbook Picture
(Y39) Third Year: Branson's third year started well, he came back to school spending a lot of time int he library reading and doing a lot of his new classes, which were very enjoyable to him, he had been looking forward to divination in particular and loved doing it. He began a full chaser on the team and was spending a lot of time working on his quidditch in between his articles for the Monthly. He went to all of the school events and made friends with a girl called Blair whom he developed an immediate and close bond, so much so he began spending time with her between years.
(Y40) Fourth Year: After spending some time with his new friend Blair over the holiday he quicky came to the relisation that he really liked her, she ws very pretty and always really nice to him. He went to the yuleball with her and they had a good time, sharing a kiss and then neither brought it up again, which left him in the year feeling pretty out of it. He worked hard though continued with his writing, continued with quidditch frustrated that came really close to winning the cup and then didn't. He is nervous now about his OWLs, as studying was a bit difficult.
(Y41) Fifth Year: Branson was very nervous about his OWLS, they were in his mind super important exams that would completely decide everything. he hadn't yet failed anything at school and yet was completely sure he would fail all of the exams that he had. Because of that he worked really hard throughout the year, more so than any other year. He also only did one article for the monthly, and only in the first semester when he had most time. He like it. It was a good year for him, he and Blair finally got together and Branson is feeling good about it. Branson also continued to work on hard the quidditch team and generally had a good year.
(Y42) Sixth Year: Branson entered sixth year feeling pretty good. He'd managed to do well in his OWLs, and he was on the team, doing well with his articles and spenidng time with his girlfriend. It was a good year for him. Branson worked hard on the team, worked hard on his classes and had a good year all round. He was also made a prefect in his sixth year which he was very proud about but hadn't been expecting in the slightest.
(Y43) Seventh Year: Branson knew that this was his most important year at the school, and though he wasn't settled on what he'd like to do after school, he knew it was important to still actually try to do well. He was also missing Blair. She being a year older had already graduated. It helped somewhat that she was in Russia, so super far away, he missed her, and without her at the dances he was a little lonely. But it was also good for him to be able to focus on his exams, and on graduating with half decent grades. Branson did well in his NEWTs, he continued for a final year with quidditch and then worked well in the monthly. Overall, having a good year.



YEAR OF GRADUATION
2059


THOUGHTS DURING GRADUATION
N/ABranson was eager for his graduation, though he is sad to leave hogwarts behind he had been looking forward to graduating, to spending time with Blair and more time with his mum. He thought it went well, though he struggles to know how a graduation could go poorly. It was nice to hear his friends speak during it too, knowing both were the best for the job. His biggest complaint was that it all went too fast, it was over in a blink.


GRADUATION POST

Branson had been looking forward to this, in a very bittersweet way. he had worked hard in his classes, he had done a lot of things in his schooling that he was proud of. He was just happy with how things had gone and now it was over. Due to end after this. Part of him wished for a couple more years, for the structure and education this school would provide to continue. But he knew that this was just because of his worry about the world outside. He didn't need to worry really, he would be fine, he would manage just fine. He had the skills now. Branson was in his finest robes sitting amongst the people he had known for the last seven years and ready to graduate, his family was at the celebration. He was glad to have them here. He would've invited Blair but it was a lot for just an afternoon and he didn't have enough spare tickets for both his sisters, mother and her.

Branson took a moment to look at them in the crowd and then glanced towards the front where the headmaster got things started. He applauded for both the head boy and girl and what they said. He had been to a graduation before, since he had been a prefect in the last year, and it had been interesting to hear what people had to say then, but now, now it was personal. Jordie was someone Bran had known from early in his school years, Indi too. They were the people he knew. Branson was proud of them both, thinking that Indi deserved to be the head girl, and Jordie to be head boy. He was one of the first to cross the stage, a luxury of his surname and he proudly walked on the stage taking a moment to wave at his family before he shook the headmaster's hand and took his school diploma. Bran was proud of himself. Glad of all he had achieved in his schooling, and ready to go into the world and do more.



POSITIONS ACHIEVED
Branson has given himself the title - Library Helper - someone who helps in the library despite his father saying he absolutely didn’t need to be helping out in the library at all. Branson joined the Hogwarts Monthly team in his first year and has remained on the team for the whole of his schooling, he is now a staff writer. In his second year he joined the quidditch team as an alt. chaser. In his third year, Branson became a full member of the quidditch team. In his sixth year, he became a prefect.

HM ARTICLES
"Name one hero who was happy"
My biggest passion is reading as anyone who knows me will be able to tell you. So for my articles in the Monthly, I’m going to be reviewing a book each semester. This semester unfortunately no one will be able to read along with me, but in future ones I’ll always include the next book, so you can read along with me and give some thoughts it you would like.

In my first ever book club at Hogwarts, I deeply wondered which book I would cover, but upon my first journeys into the great Hogwarts library which has many muggle and magical non-fiction novels, I found a muggle book written in 2011 (which is a LONG time ago) called The Song of Achilles by muggle author Madeline Miller. It is an old book which recounts an even older story. The book is in part a retelling of the even older story of the Iliad. The story is written from the perspective of Patroclus who was Achilles’ life long companion. It follows them from when they are young boys until unfortunately both of their deaths. Anyone familiar with the Iliad will be familiar with this aspect of the original story and thus this one. Knowing that the characters will die at the end doesn’t detract from the story only adding the heartache of both the characters and the readers. I won’t spoil anything in regards to the plot, but people familiar with the Iliad will know what's coming, but the novel is at its core a love story.

Two of my favourite parts of the story are when Achilles to Patroclus laments his divine lineage and the fact he has to be a hero of the greek people saying, “Name one hero who was happy." and he says to Patroclus in that moment that he will be the first hero to be happy, though as this book is a tragedy, as the reader you know he wont’. But you feel his youthful desire, to follow his path of a hero and to be happy as he does so. The second is near the end of the novel where Patrolces writes, “I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.” just showing the depth of their love and their bond. It is a wonderful book, written in a wonderful manner and though a tragedy, the love story is one for the ages.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy greek myths, romance and don’t mind a little tragedy. Next time we’ll be reading City of Ghosts, which is another muggle book. There are a few copies in the library and plenty of time to read it before the next issue. For now I will leave you with one last quote from the Song of Achilles.

“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”

Until next time, book club!
A Ghostly City!
In this Branson’s Book Club, we’ll be taking a step back from the love story of Song of Achilles and instead looking at a young adult ghost story. City of Ghost is the first book in a series by Victoria Schwab. It is about a girl and her family, her parents are relatively famous paranormal investigators and have been given an opportunity to film a muggle television show in Edinburgh, supposedly one of the most haunted cities in the world. The daughter, our protagonist, is not so keen on going, but is of course brought along for the ride, the important thing about our main character is that she can for some reason see and interact with ghosts. Where the last story was a deeply complex and tragic love story, this is a fun, short, easy read for any level of reader. It’s not that scary for us wizards, since we know ghosts are real and everywhere. But it has a nice story and is a good novel by the writer who wrote a number of novels in her time.

City of Ghosts is an interesting read with lots of details about the new city that we are discovering alongside the main character, the flow of the novel follows around the city, leaving you with an idea of how the place would look even without going. Our main character obviously doesn’t just spend the novel looking around Edinburgh at ghosts, but without ruining the story for those who haven’t maybe finished it, something is amiss and causing a disruption with the ghosts in Edinburgh. While I wouldn’t rate this novel more highly than the last, it’s a good read, it’s a couple of hours of a nice easy to follow book with an engaging enough plot. If you’re looking for a little downtime, or something to read before bed that won’t keep you up all night this is the book.

Now, in saying all of this, it’s not that the novel has nothing to say, a notably quote for me was, “Stories have power,......So long as you believe them.” which in the context of the novel makes a great deal of sense, but also for us in our daily lives. And perhaps a quote that would be better suited to the muggles of our world rather than us, but with an equally good messages to wizards and witches of our world too, is “...when it comes to the strange and unexplained, it's important to keep an open mind.” Reminding us that sometimes you as we learn new and varied things at school to keep an open mind about what we're learning, who from and our classmates around us.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people, it’s a light and easy read, with plenty of things to say. The next book we’ll read is “The Unwritten Library,”. Until next time bookclub!
"Nothing burns up humanity as thoroughly as eternity."
Welcome back everyone to another book report. This time around I took the time to read, The Library of the Unwritten, a muggle novel by A. J. Hackwith. This book piqued my interest when I found out it was about a library, and not just any library but a library in hell, a neutral space of hell. The library doesn’t store traditional books but it holds unwritten books, ideas that never get fully written down, fleshed out or finished. It is a very interesting premise with an interesting idea. The protagonist of the book minds the library and keeps everything in control. Sometimes characters from these unwritten novels manage to escape and often try to go into the living world. This is how we find our main character, racing into the living world to stop an unwritten character from speaking to their creator.

Library of the Unwritten is a fast paced and really interesting novel, it explores really interesting themes overall is a really fun read. It is definitely a more engaging read than the last book we covered and though it doesn’t really delve much into romance is not a book lacking in strong supporting characters. Everything is really clear and easy to follow. It shows a world that is pretty different from our magical one and stays more than interesting the whole time. I don’t want to give anything away from the plot of the novel, it’s a really fun book, definitely won’t take up too much time and deals with really interesting things, so I’d definitely recommend that everyone go check it out.

This perhaps a rather short book report, but mostly it is because I believe most would benefit from just having a read at this book. But I will leave you with my favourite quote from it, speaking to the way not every idea that a person has for a book can end up becoming something:

“Stories can die. Of course they can. Ask any author who's had an idea wither in their head, fail to thrive and bear fruit. Or a book that spoke to you as a child but upon revisiting it was silent and empty. Stories can die from neglect, from abuse, from rot. Even war, as Shakespeare warned, can turn books to graves.
We seek to preserve the books, of course. But we forget the flip side of that duty: treasure what we have. Honor the stories that speak to you, that give you something you need to keep going. Cherish stories while they are here. There's a reason the unwritten live on something as fragile as paper.”


Next semester we will look at the apparently very sad novel, On the Beach by Nevil Shute. But until then happy reading everyone!
On the Beach – Nevil Shute
Welcome back gang, to this semester’s book. Unfortunately this semester we’ve read a deeply sad novel. On the Beach was written in 1957 by Nevil Shute and features muggle life in the Melbourne area of Australia, one of the last pocket of the world that is not consumed by nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning. The book follows a small group of people within the town and their daily lives as the poisonous nuclear/radiation gas cloud approaches. It was written at a time where people didn’t entirely understand the implications of nuclear bombs or their power.

The books centres around a core few characters, Peter Holmes, a navel liaison, his wife and their young daughter. An American navy general, Commander Dwight Towers and his romantic interest Moira Davidson and a scientist, Professor John Osborne. The American Navy general with Peter Holmes and the professor all set out a few times in the American submarine docked in Australia to explore the west coast of America attempting to make contact with others since they picked up an odd radio signal. The story revolves around these people and their lives, following the interactions with others and with each other and their attempts to locate other untouched areas.

The desire for normality of some kind, to be a little oblivious to the world, to just keep moving forward were all present in the characters. The delusions that some characters have over how long it’ll go on for, or that it’s not that bad, or think maybe it won’t affect them are reflective of the world we experience were all very real.

I found the book to be deeply engaging and though it was not a happy story, that didn’t detract from the story. I read the book in one sitting, unable to stop. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in reading that sort of thing, but do go into it knowing that it is not a happy story.

Next semester we'll read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Welcome everyone! Welcome back to another Branson’s Bookclub. In my last report I had said we would cover the old book, the Da Vinci code, but in the meantime I’ve read a much better book for us to cover. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Written in 2010s this book centres around the the main character narrating his life, from the point of his mother’s death to where we find him at the very beginning of the story in a hotel in Amsterdam. The story was well received upon publication and I would say that the author has a real way with building a story, it is difficult to cover a story which spans so many years but it’s a good story. There are many twists and turns on what you would expect to happen especially as the beginning of the novel is also the end of the novel.

Our main character is Theodore Decker and the painting, the Goldfinch, painted in 1654. If you have a chance to look up the painting do, it’s quite a nice painting. The painting is integral to the plot and the why of what happens but obviously as a painting it is not a character unto itself. The other main character is a boy around Theodore’s age called Boris. Some elements of this novel younger students should be wary of, but overall it’s an interesting story with interesting elements of mystery and it is a story that certainly pays off. It has a most linear narrative but the retelling of it by the main character is well put together. It’s a longer read but it is a good read and is absolutely worth it.

My favourite quote from the novel is; “I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe.” Which is just a very sweet turn of phrase about laughter.

I would highly recommend that people go read this novel and get engrossed in the story it was telling and I know too that if you like that book you’ll probably like the others that Donna Tartt has written and you’ll enjoy what we’ll cover next time...The Kite Runner.
Welcome back folks to another Branson’s bookclub, we took a bit of a break after the last issue, but we’re back at it again. Today I wanted to cover Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It was a book released in 1959 and while being a good and interesting read definitely has some language of its time. Flowers for Algernon has a simple premise, it is written in first person from the perspective of the main character, Charlie Gordon. Charlie is writing a series of reportings following a medical experiment that is supposed to enhance his intelligence. Algernon is the mouse which had the same procedure done on them before Charlie. The novel started its life as a short story which eventually expanded out into a full story.

The novel is interesting, following a character whose IQ is pitch as very low and watching his slow progression with intelligence. It features a lot of interesting concepts and changes to the main character which could be attributed to the experiment or leave you wondering if he was always like that just unable to. This story can be a little difficult at times, and personally i found some of its portrayals of intelligence to be difficult. Everyone is different and can approach things in a multitude of ways as well as being a little overly critical too of highly intelligent people. But all of these things create a narrative which works and asks us to consider how we value intelligence and whether intelligence is a key to happiness and a fulfilling life.

My favourite quote of the book is “I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.” A very interesting way of looking at perspectives and the way people approach life.

I would recommend this book to everyone reading this, but do proceed with a little caution and be prepared for a little sorrow too. Next time we’ll be looking at Raybear by Jordan Ifueko.
Welcome everyone! This is another Branson’s bookclub and this time we’re dabbling into fantasy. The fantasy genre is often quite European centric but this book, Raybearer takes a look at a fantasy African continent and basis it story there. The book, Raybearer was written and published by Jordan Ifueko in 2020. The book follows the life of the main character, Tarisai, who is born to a genie father and very powerful mother. Tarisai’s mother has bound her only child with a wish and the book centres around this conflict of Tarisai wanting to follow her own path or following the desires of her mother.

The novel is a fantastic example of interesting and engaging world building - some of the early chapters could be seen as a little slow as the world is introduced but as the novel moves along all the elements of this world not like our own are given the time that they need to be able to understand it. The world is rich and involved. It’s also a really nice coming of age story which though a common element of fantasy novels has a really interesting take. I don’t want to say too much more, as this is a book I’d definitely recommend checking out for yourself and going on the fun ride the story presents yourself. I would recommend this for all the books I read, but this one in particular is really worth your time.

My favourite quote from the book is probably “Only one thing is more powerful than a wish, and that is a purpose.” Which in the context of the novel is a very powerful quote, but also easily applicable to everyday life.

Hopefully everyone has a great time reading this - there are only a couple of copies in the library so folks might have to wait, but it is worth it. Until next time readers!
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

With OWLs right around the corner for me, reading has been a little tricky. I’ve always been the sort of person to do a lot of reading, and prioritise reading over other hobbies, but it has been a difficult time to pick up a book and be able to focus on it with the slight guilt over feeling like I should actually be studying. It is possibly why of all the books to study I have gone for a very fantastical novel of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. This was the second book of hers released in the late 2010s. So another oldie!

The Starless Sea is a book probably especially loved by people like me, who like books, libraries and bookstores. It was a book I found in Flourish and Blotts in amongst the muggle book section, and enticed immediately, if only because the start of the book features the main character discovering a book in amongst a stack of books. From there the main character of Zachary Ezra Rawlins is led into an adventure which finds him in a secret underground world. The novel features romance and suspense, has a rich tapestry of an underground world. The author really did an excellent job of building the world around the main character. Where I felt the book had a bit of odd pacing in places and made a number of references to long dead muggle media, the world was so rich, that it felt a little like honey. Which is a good analogy as the bee is a running motif in the novel.

I feel this book would be of real interest to people who like myself have been raised on novels, on stories, on libraries and bookshops, who find pleasure in being in a world and learning about stories within stories. The author so rightly puts in her work: ““Strange, isn’t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are. It’s nice to finally have someone read stories I know so intimately.”” The love of a novel and the desire for others to share in that love is one I know well. To feel like you know the characters in a book, to want to read more of it is something the book handles.

While I enjoyed this novel, I do get the feeling it wouldn’t be enjoyed by all, the plot of the novel can be tricky to follow at times, and it is a little full of itself at times, but I enjoyed it and will leave you with one last quote from it. This is likely the only review I will do this year, given OWLS, so make the most of it.

“We are all stardust and stories”
Welcome back, all, to Branson’s Book club. The book this semester that I would like to discuss is the early 2000s classic, House of Leaves. This is a bit of an odd book for me for reasons I'll explain, but it is excellent. For one, it is technically a horror. I’ve never dabbled much into horror, but this was a good entry into it. It is not an all out horror, I would say, but has a good amount of scare to it and built suspense really effectively. Creating a gripping and chilling atmosphere from the very beginning.

House of Leaves was written by Mark Z. Danielewski and was released in the year 2000. It centres around a man writing about another man and his new house, this house seemingly keeps changing in size, getting bigger where it shouldn’t. The book itself is rather large and quite long, and thus can feel a little daunting. In fact, when I first picked it up, I was sure it was meant to be a textbook rather than a novel. But everything in this novel has a purpose, the size of the book and every page inside of it.

This is what makes House of Leaves a fascinating and excellent novel, the writer uses the medium of the physical book with a talent I haven’t seen before, everything is…purposeful. There are pages which feature lists that go on and on onto other pages, but are essentially a footnote. There are footnotes which don’t exist, there are pages which appear on both sides of the paper but one normal and the backside backwards. There are bits which are upside down or have to be read backwards. The book itself is fundamentally about space (not like astronomy) but spatial awareness and using the space to make things have a deeper meaning. I know that this might be a little complicated, but once you’ve read the novel, you’ll absolutely see what I mean. It is an exquisite novel with an interest horror backdrop and a more interesting story telling method.

Writers do not often use the printing medium to its full effect, and this novel excelled in it. Of course, it was in part because that was what the book was about, but it was clever. My favourite quote from the novel was:

“Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer. “

Do not be dissuaded from this if you are not a fan of horror. It is more than just a ghost story or a spooky story, it is far, far more.

A short one this time, but I hope people will definitely go ahead and read this to understand what I mean.
The Da Vinci Code
By: Branson Archer

Folks, this will be the last Branson’s Book club I do. There will be so much NEWT work for me to do that I have decided this will be the last one. While I could for this last book pick some epic that has resounded through the centuries, I decided I would revisit a novel that I once said we would do and feels a little apt to the fact that I will be graduating. So, today we’re covering the Da Vinci Code. This book was written by Dan Brown in the early 2000s and was a massive success. With its own muggle movie and stage adaptations. It is not the best written book, and is rather simple, but I re-read it recently, and given that I am about to step into the unknown world of adulthood, I felt a good amount of nostalgia and appreciation for this novel.

The Da Vinci Code is a thriller which follows cryptologist Robert Langdon as he gets wrapped up in an age-old mystery around the muggle religion of Christianity and a secret plot to keep secrets hidden. It is a decent enough thriller, though a simple read, not overly complex and something that you should switch your mind off to. The plot itself contains a number of twists and turns, as do most thriller mysteries. It is an adventure taken by the titular character in which he faces foes that have been fighting for centuries. It is a fast-paced novel, any decent reader can likely finish this book relatively quickly, even despite its length. The main crux of mystery does leave a little to be desired, but really, sometimes it’s good to switch off and just engage in a story at that level.

Though this is in part why I think I enjoyed it. In the midst of my NEWTs, picking up any book which is simple and doesn’t require my already overworked brain to function. It is not a school or educational book, and it is a simple and enjoyable book.

As NEWT students we can get lost in what is required of us with classes, homework, and revision. We only have time for one or two elements outside of that, but it’s important even in all of this, to not lose sight of who we are, to not only become revision and studying. Our NEWTs will end, and we can pick everything back up.

I think, too, that the story asks us to lean into the mystery to absurdity of some plot elements, and I think this element as seventh years face their adulthood outside of a place they know for seven years is good. Lean in, let yourself enjoy things, find passions and interest and do what brings you joy. If that’s uncovering long forgotten secrets, then that’s what it should be.

There hasn’t been a lot of discussion about the book itself, and a lot of people will consider this review of the book a bit of an easy one for me, and dislike the book entirely. That’s fine. Books, media in general mean different things to different people and on different days, depending on our moods or where we are in life. Books are an excellent escape from modern pressures of the world, especially when you can just switch off and read.

This is Branson, signing off from the Branson Bookclub for the last time!


GRADES ACHIEVED
First Year Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: OFlying: O

Second Year Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: O


Third Year Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: ODivination: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O

Fourth Year Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: ODivination: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O


Sixth Year Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: ODivination: O
Care of Magical Creatures: OApparition: Pass

OWLs & NEWTs

OWL Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: ODivination: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O

NEWT Grades
Potions: OHistory of Magic: ODADA: OCharms: O
Transfiguration: OAstronomy: OHerbology: ODivination: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O


BEST CLASS
THough his classes haven’t started, Branson expects and is sure that his best and favourite classes will be history of magic and astronomy, both of these are theory heavy classes that he’ll enjoy the reading of, he’s studied some history before but never magical history and he’s never studied astronomy before. Both of them he’s expecting will be engaging for him and he’s looking forward to being able to read and learn about things that he hadn’t before. Look in subjects he hasn’t before and just generally expand his knowledge on the subject matter.



WORST CLASS
Potions - though there is a lot of theory work for potions he definitely thinks that his knowledge of theory won’t help him in a lot of aspects of the class where they have practical work. Work that requires them to make potions. He knows you just have to follow steps as if cooking but he can be distracted and often mixes things up so would be likely to accidentally put in at the wrong thing at the wrong time, or not notice in his stirring that he’s at certain points in the instructions. He is hoping there’s enough theory work that he’ll be able to balance out his grades but he’s not sure.


------------------------------------------------------------
I lost control again ,
Always do the same and I'm to blame
------------------------------------------------------------

DREAM JOB
Branson would like to work with books, he's not sure what he would do, but he would work with books. It wouldn't matter to him if he was writing them, editing them, or just like his father being a librarian, there is nothing in his mind more wonderful than writing books.

PROFESSION

Student - Branson is too young to be anything but a student


SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT
In the winter break before his fifth year, Branson started working at Flourish and Blotts.

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employeed

CURRENT POSITION
Assistant at Flourish and Blotts

THOUGHTS
Branson likes it, it is a good position and he likes being around books

LENGTH OF TIME IN POST
2 years

WORK LIFE BALANCE
Up until now he has only worked during the breaks, so he hasn't needed to consider having too much of a balance.

WORK ATTENDANCE
N/A

CO-WORKERS
N/A

PAST EMPLOYMENT
N/A


------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know who I am ,
I lost control again
------------------------------------------------------------


Bio written by me, picture credit to google
Lyrics: lost control by alan walker
 
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