Please read this before going and making a profile only to have it rejected. These are just some things I have noticed with profiles or people from the sites I have been on or have looked at.


ABUSE
I know it happens and not refuting the fact. However I have some rules that need to be followed if you are going to work it into your character and/or plot.

• Please be subtle, tactful, and discreet about it. You don't need to beat someone over the head with excessive repeated descriptions. No one wants to be reminded of things if they are treated such a way. And remember what your character is like as well.
  

Okay:
Alex glanced at his friend babbling on about the summer he'd had while the two were in the train, and that he missed Lexi and wished he'd come with him. The now second year shrugged lightly in reply, shifting in his seat. "Father didn't think I should leave home this summer," he said simply, his hand tugging his jacket better over his wrist as he smiled apologetically at Basil. "I got rather ill towards the end, so he insisted I wear long sleeves because I get chilled right now."

Not Okay:
Alex gave a whimper as he clutched at his bruised and broken arm, giving his best friend a scared look as if he knew the older boy would figure him out. "I-It's nothing! Dad just went overboard," he lied, shifting away and flinching as he looked again at Basil.

Why one is okay and the other not:

• Alex is a Slytherin. He does not like being/feeling weak. So he's not about to let on that he get's hit at home. The first post shows how he would react. The second is not. It would go against the character's personality.
  
  
• There is enough information in the first post that lets you know that Alex is being hurt. It's indicated that his wrist or lower arm would have marks and is why Alex is trying to hide it. There is also the excuse.
  
  
• The second post is hitting you over the head and not really how someone would react if they were an abuse victim.
  
  
• Please remember that most abuse victims try and hide and play off their injuries as if they were nothing. They wouldn't try and draw attention to their hurts.
  

• Just because you are a child of a 'dark' Pureblood family does not mean you get tortured. It does not mean you are forced to watch torture. Purebloods are supposed to be superior and seem to have one or two children (Weasleys are the exception not the rule). If you are abused at all it would likely be neglect or emotional.
  
• Repeated abuse while at Hogwarts. Why this would not work.
  - Prefects, Headboy & Head Girl patrols
  - Teachers roaming about
  - Ghosts are everywhere and see what goes on in the castle
  - The portraits who see everything and report to the adults
  Not saying it doesn't happen because this IS a boarding school and stuff happens. Sometimes teachers look the other way but please be realistic yes?
  

CELEBRITY
Having a famous/influential relative. I get wanting your person to be someone, but not everyone is going to be the nephew of 'a famous auror'. Or the niece of an up and coming rock star. Please do not put such things.

• Please do not put your sibling as a prefect or head boy/girl. Unless they are on the board as such.
  
• If your 'parents' work for the Ministry or St.Mungo's please only state that. IF they are on board and have actual jobs then you may say so. Otherwise keep it vague. Not all Ministry workers are Aurors.
  
• All head jobs of places such as Ministry, St.Mungo's, Hogwarts, etc. will be listed.
  

POWER/MAGIC
This is one that people seem to go overboard with. While people can be talented in magic in various areas you have to remember:

• Your magic and what you can do with them depend on your age and knowledge. A 1st year will not be able to do a 7th year spell.
  
• The more advanced magic you use the more it will exhaust you.
  
• Magic is like a muscle. You have to exercise it for it to work. It like your stamina will drain the more you use it.
  
• You are not the next Merlin, Dumbledore, or Voldemort.
  

TYPECASTING
This I think is one of the things that irritates me the most.

• SLYTHERINS
  - Are not all evil or bad. Being Slytherin does not equate cruelty and sadism. Professor Slughorn was a Slytherin because he was ambitious. Look at his Slug Club!
  - According to JKR, Merlin himself was a Slytherin. He was cunning!
  
• GRYFFINDORS
  - Are not all goody goody. Look at Peter Pettigrew! Or how Sirius and James acted toward young Severus.
  - Are not all short tempered, pranksters, and daredevils (Neville Longbottom anyone?).
  
• RAVENCLAWS
  - Are not all bookworms
  - Wit is defined as:
  1.mental sharpness and inventiveness; keen intelligence.
  2.a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor.
  
• HUFFLEPUFFS
  - Is not the house you get dumped into because you fit nowhere else
  - Are not all nice (Ernie Macmillan anyone)
  

Yet please be realistic when it comes to placing your characters. You won't find very many carefree pranksters in Slytherin, there pranks are usually of a cruel sort and likely for revenge.

MERLIN'S PRIMARY ACADEMIE OF MAGIC
It was founded roughly twenty years ago. Therefore anyone the ages of 26 and younger would have attended. While it is possible that in the early days some muggleborns might have slipped through the cracks, its not likely now. So please be aware of that. Just as before it would be up to the pureblood parents to determine if their child went to Merlin's or not, all muggleborns and those halfbloods who lived in the muggle world would have been had to attend Merlin's. It would be too dangerous to allow wizard children to go to primary school with muggle children when emotions run so high. It is a day school so would be going back to their homes at the conclusion of the school day.

DEATH EATERS AND VOLDEMORT
If you've read the story and plot line you will realize that things will be done differently here. First off Voldemort disappeared in 1981. As far as the wizarding world knows baby Potter killed the Dark Lord and ended up dying as well. In the subsequent months the Death Eaters were gathered and imprisoned like the Lestranges or pardoned like Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. There have been NO new Death Eaters since 1981.

Tom Marvolo Riddle came back in 1992 but didn't let ANYONE know. He was quiet and didn't use his name. When he re-emerged it was as the Lord Peverell. No one whom Lord Peverell hasn't told would know he and Tom/Voldemort were one and the same. Until you talk to Tom/Voldemort/Lord Peverell please do NOT mention him or say that you/your family were close to him and such. The only ones claim that they were in the know would be Lucius, Narcissa, and possibly Draco Malfoy and I'm sure that they would know better then to go blathering it about. And while Draco may have known Voldemort was back he might not have known that he became Lord Peverell.