Gaellen Tate
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Supple 11" cherry wand with phoenix feather core |
Gaellen Tate is a former Headmaster at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland, UK. His family is Welsh, although the status of his birth parents is unknown. Tate is 6'2" and broad shouldered, with dark hair and eyes. His birth certificate states DOB as 1 September, 2034; actual birthdate is unknown.
Early History[]
Gaellen "Casey" Tate is the youngest son of Madog and Miriam Tate by more than a few years. His three older brothers, Keifer, Brandon, and Patrick, were out of the house by the time he came along, leaving Tate to be the amusing afterthought for two older parents. His dark looks and broad build are a significant departure from the fair, slim Tates; it has always been obvious that Casey is adopted. His mother was fond and affectionate; his father was willing to put up with her whims and treated Casey with amused detachment.
At Hogwarts, Casey was a bit of a troublemaker and much more interested in enjoying his time at school than in really learning anything. He was a known prankster, although his broad Gryffindor streak kept him from actively bullying anyone. It was at Hogwarts he developed a clear sense of right and wrong (which he interpreted loosely for himself) and a broad streak of fatalism.
After Hogwarts[]
After school, Casey's father paid for his son to follow in the family tradition of spending a year abroad in an attempt to get to 'know himself'. One year turned into two, but in due time, Casey found himself training for the International Wizarding Convention's Special Services, a highly regarded security detail. The job was not at all what his parents had envisioned for Casey, but he found it a heck of a lot more interesting than any desk jobs.
After only 5 years at IWC, Casey was recruited by the International Task Force, an elite international law enforcement body with a broad review. He started at the bottom rung, on Yeti patrol in Tibet, but after only a few years, he garnered a sweet assignment in Europe. As late as spring 2070, Casey was Field Commander, overseeing the team seeking Voldemortist. Unfortunately, due to some political fallout, Case had to choose between a demotion to Northern Canada as what is fondly known as a "Sasquatch Sitter" or acting as handler for Voldemortist at Hogwarts the next year.
Personality[]
For the most part, Casey has retained his good-natured and playful ways. He can still be a jokester, although he has a better sense for when it is welcome. After his time in law enforcement, however, Casey is very task-oriented and all good feelings disappear when there is important work to be done. He can go very quickly from being your chum and buddy to pulling rank when it is called for, and he has a very clear sense for structuring the hierarchy of leadership. He is ultimately thick-skinned and doesn't take most things personally, but Casey is also loyal to a fault and will beat your face in if you look askance as someone he feels protective of.
In his past jobs, and now at Hogwarts, Casey feels clear boundaries for making what is work work and leaving play out of it. He has definite opinions about relationships with those you work with, and about on-duty behavior, and those reflect in his interactions with his staff and with the students. Part of his Gryffindor streak includes a certain stubbornness and belief in his own infallibility, although he is generally amused by those who are truly excellent at their job and know it. His leadership style relies strongly upon surrounding himself with the best of the best, especially as he often feels his own lack of training as an educator.
Personal Relationships[]
Tate is significantly younger than his siblings and does not maintain a close relationship with any of them, although being closer in age to some of his nieces and nephews has left him feeling an older brother protectiveness for many of them. He has a particular fondness for his niece Caedwyn Tate Howard, daughter of brother Patrick, who married Tate's ITF colleague at a very young age.
During his time abroad in his early post-Hogwarts years, Tate had a very short lived relationship with an Italian witch named Margarita Silvetti. They parted on good terms before Tate resumed his travels, and it wasn't until he was long gone that Margarita discovered she was pregnant. Margarita owled Tate the news of his son shortly following the birth of Giuseppe, but her family was a proud old line with little interest in Tate's involvement in the boy's life. Tate was as much a father as he was able, but Giuseppe grew up a continent away and with the impression his father was disinterested. It was important to Tate to continue trying to be around, but the relationship with his son was rocky until he reached adulthood. They've become very close in recent years.
Upon taking the position at Hogwarts, Tate found himself embroiled in Ministry and school politics regarding the 'sacking' of Professor Ethan Truebridge. One of Truebridge's proponents was the Hogwarts Healer Caroline Avalon, who had resigned in protest of the History of Magic professor's dismissal. Although initially amused by the lengthy tirade from the brunette Healer, Tate's attentions soon grew to admiration and outright attraction. The courtship process was a lengthy one with Tate in Scotland and Avalon's training taking her to Poland for a year, but the couple reunited for good and married in the summer of 2075. They have one child - Geneva (November 1, 2076).