Hogwarts

Athelmund Queldryk—an assumed name of one Harold Wainsbridge—grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, living with his grandmother after his parents died in an automobile accident. As a young, poor, black man in Glasgow, Queldryk was saved from a life of racist oppression and hopelessness by the combination of neighbours worse off than him—orks and dwarves, mostly—and a singular skill—some would say a gift—left to him by his parents. Queldryk displayed great intelligence and a flare for inventive theatrics from a young age, as well as a rare ability to do things that would have seemed utterly impossible to his grandmother’s generation in their youth: magic. Queldryk’s ability to manipulate mana caught the attention of one of his less unbenighted teachers at public school, who arranged for him to apply to Oxford University’s bursary programme, for which he was accepted.

At Oxford, one thing led to another, and Queldryk left his barren borough long behind him, returning only briefly when his grandmother finally died during his first year at school. He cultivated a circle of friends in the magic programme, who, in joking reference to Harold’s name and poor orphan upbringing, nicknamed him “Hogwarts.” Queldryk cultivated also a reputation among his friends for his knack for illusion and spectacle, not to mention his unrestrained sartorial sensibility. In second year, Queldryk met Johnny Feng, a senior student enrolled in business, and began with him a passionate romance that bound the two in marriage by the time Queldryk was ready to graduate.

Although showing sufficient promise to continue in magical studies, Queldryk chose to move with Johnny when he was offered a posting in Seattle following his MBA. Since then, Queldryk has had a tough time acclimatizing to the new cultural milieu, missing his friends and their penchants for fire, leather, wine, and theatre. Johnny’s sudden fall from corporate grace has not helped matters for Queldryk, who, after a cold night in the van, is finding himself less than willing to return to the life of poverty from which he had extricated himself. Quickly Queldryk is learning that he will do what he has to in order to safeguard the life he has built for himself.