Post by etainmctiernan on Dec 9, 2008 23:26:21 GMT -5
Name: Etain Maeve Rioghnach Shannon McTiernan nee O’Donnell
Age: 67
Sex:Female
Nationality:Irish
Speech:English, plus conversational Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, German and Italian. Can also read the Old & Middle forms of all these languages, due to her education background.
Blood:Pureblood
Father: Mihail Aidan Ruadh Niamh O’Donnell
Mother: Kathleen Rachel Anna Helen Young
Siblings:Adain, Cianan, Garran, Islene, Kaitlin, Morna, Odell & Roane
Other Family: Regan O’Donnell (grandfather), Diana Jones O’Donnell (grandmother), William Young (grandfather), Elizabeth Adams Young (grandmother), Tierney O’Donnell Connor (aunt), George Connor (uncle), Deborah Young (aunt), plus too many cousins and relatives who married into the family to list!
Her own family: Carnell Stephen Belarius McTiernan (husband, deceased), James McTiernan (son), Fiona McTiernan (daughter), Alexander McTiernan (son), Kirstie McTiernan (daughter), Andrew McTiernan (son), plus the various sons- & daughters-in-law and 13 grandchildren!
Family Interactions:
Etain’s birth family is as large and as varied as the wildflowers in a meadow. The O’Donnells have inhabited all four houses at Hogwarts over the generations. Some have been Prefects, others not. Some were into Quidditch, others into books, and others into power. But whatever the focus, they did what they did well. The family was rich and powerful, with several family members either in Ministry positions or serving as Aurors. Given that their ancient Muggle relations were often Irish kings and queens, it was no wonder they were a proud family.
Etain’s family encouraged education with all of the O’Donnell children going through Hogwarts. Etain had to tolerate her brothers’ watchful eyes at Hogwarts, but she gave as good as she got when it came to their verbal teasing. At home, her family was the center of their social circle, often throwing elaborate balls and parties, so Etain was well-versed in etiquette and socializing from a young age. Etain’s home, Ruad Taryn, was an imposing pile of red-brown stone on an emerald hill in an Unplottable site in the wilds of Ireland.
Etain’s family expected a lot of her and because of their unwavering support, Etain gave it to them. When Etain went to Hogwarts, she worked hard, got good grades, and found that she loved tutoring the other students who came to her for assistance. At home, she blossomed, given that she had developed the necessary talents and skills required of a high-born daughter of a Wizarding family. Her Hogwarts years passed in a whirlwind of awards, being a Prefect and then Head Girl, and a double handful of OWLS and NEWTs. Etain graduated with honors, and began her teaching career. She was an exceptional student because she expected to be, having been raised to aim high and to succeed.
When Etain had decided to work towards becoming a teacher, her family was supportive. Her father and mother knew she didn’t have the stomach for the higher levels of the Ministry or an Auror position due to her peaceful nature, and her obvious love of and gift for teaching and tutoring could not be denied. With her family’s blessing, Etain went off to teach, a proper profession for a young pureblood Witch of the times. She lived at Ruad Taryn in her own tower while she gained experience as a teacher of young Wizards and Witches, and until her marriage to her husband, Carnell.
Etain’s husband and children were supportive of her education career. Etain was the “queen of the household”, a strong wife and mother. She supported her husband’s career as much as he supported hers. They were obviously much in love through all their lives together, and their children’s marriages and families reflect this love and strength. Their ancestral home, Tair Athdara, is a gorgeous castle, sunlight and rainbows captured in golden stone and stained glass.
Etain mourned her husband’s death deeply, as they were much in love throughout their time together. His untimely death due to a riding accident sent a shock wave through both the McTiernan and the O’Donnell families. Etain has become a graceful widow, the dowager matriarch of the McTiernan line, as well as an heir to part of the O’Donnell family fortune. She doesn’t have to work, but enjoys teaching and helping young witches and wizards so much that she simply cannot give up her job.
Height:5’6”
Weight:135 pounds
Hair:Very long and black with a growing amount of silver
Eyes:Amethyst with violet rings around the irises
Skin Colour: Creamy tan
Clothing style: Formal and definitely high-end Wizarding, usually embroidered robes in shades that compliment her coloring
Accessories: Etain often has her hair braided up elaborately, and uses hair sticks and other accessories to do so. She wears her platinum wedding ring on her left ring finger. She wears an dark amethyst heart framed in platinum on a chain of the same around her neck. She also wears elegant earrings with small gemstones. On formal occasions, she’ll pull out all the stops though!
Other: Etain wears shoes with low heels, which give her a bit of added height (about an inch or so).
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“My Elegance and Etiquette on two feet,” was how Etain’s husband Carnell once described her. From her erect carriage to her graceful movements, Etain is the epitome of the high-class Wizarding family’s hopes for a daughter. Her robes are tastefully embroidered and always immaculate, her manners are near perfect, and her speech is measured and pleasant. Etain knows the effect she has on people, and uses it wisely, and only as a weapon when she has to.
Etain is not tall, but she somehow seems to tower over people, even those much bigger. She has a presence that is unmistakable, calming to little children and cowering to those who behave badly, adult or child. She keeps her hair up in elaborate styles held together with elegant hair ornaments. Even when she is ready for sleep, she will be dressed in a silk sleeping robe and gown with soft slippers, her hair in one long neat braid. Etain tends to wear darker colors, as she is still in formal mourning for Carnell.
Etain’s violet eyes give people pause, given their striking color and the dark amethyst rings around her irises. Her eyebrows are upswept and elegant, and her lashes still long and full. She has a hawkish but aristocratic nose and a full mouth that usually smiles. Her nails are long and manicured, and her skin is near flawless. Her hair is raven black with two large streaks of silver, one gracing each temple, and several other strands through her hair.
Personality:
Etain is a proper Witch, with the grace, elegance and training to go along with it. She smiles warmly, acts politely, and has a sharp wit to back up a formidable knowledge base of Wizarding lore, history and traditions. She loves children, and is an excellent educator, with the right mix of sharpness and love to steer younglings through the Wizarding world. She has a warm maternal personality that makes animals and small children love her immediately. She is a cautious optimist, given that she and her extended family survived three Wizarding Wars (Grindewald’s in her parents’/grandparents’ generation and the two Voldemort’s in hers) relatively intact. She does occasionally get a “case of the blacks”, usually from something that jogs her memories of the years Voldemort was in power and threatening her family.
Etain also has a sense of humor, and a vast reservoir of understanding for the foibles of the young. Given that she’s been a teacher or tutor for almost fifty years, it’s no wonder she is more forgiving than most. If she gives out a detention, there’s a very good reason for it! However, she is not a pushover, and breaches of good behavior will get her ire up and invoke a gentle but stinging rebuke almost immediately. She is a Slytherin in that she can monitor eddies and flows in power almost effortlessly, and then point them out to her charges in a lesson. Etain lacks the cutthroat way of undercutting others that so many pin on those who have graduated from Slytherin. This is a bit of a weakness, in that she does not enjoy the “schmoozing” and politics of that her position at her old school or as an advisor to the Ministry required. She’d rather be tutoring children than courting politicians and this sometimes makes her come across as aloof or snobbish among adults. The kids understand her though!
History:
Etain Maeve Rioghnach Shannon O’Donnell was born to Mihail and Kathleen O’Donnell on February 2, 1952. She was the youngest of her family, and cosseted by her brothers, who adored her. She was educated well and early, showing a love of learning and a grasp of the human psyche that was astonishing in a youngster. By the time she was eight she could manage a conversation with her father about simple political issues, and hold intelligent discussions with the adults at her family’s parties. Her brothers treated her like one of the boys, in that they respected her formidable intellect.
Home schooled and tutored extensively, Etain was raised to be the epitome of a Pureblood Family’s daughter. She learned everything from languages to history to politics to how to throw a party for three dozen guests. Her mother was quite the socialite, and reveled in having a daughter to help her with all the Balls and Revels the family held. Etain plays the harp, knows both knitting and embroidery, can converse in several languages, and knows how to keep her fingers on the pulse of the Wizarding world, thanks to her upbringing.
Her siblings Adain and Islene were in Gryffindor, her brothers Cianan, Odell and Garran in Hufflepuff and her bookish siblings Morna, Kaitlin and Roane in Ravenclaw. Given her daring, it was assumed she’d be in Gryffindor, and it was a bit of a shock when she was sorted into Slytherin. When later asked about it, Etain calmly replied that “my ambition and my drive got me here, and that’s how I’ll survive here”. Although it’s a bit rough and tumble at alumni gatherings, the siblings get along and only tease each other verbally about their disparate House assignments.
Etain’s first year was awhirl with classes and making friends. She did well both socially and educationally, with her Head of House, Horace Slughorn noting her ability with tutoring when she helped one of her fellow first years pass a tough examination in History of Magic. Etain was at the top of her House in grades by mid-winter, and at the top of her Class in grades by the end of that first year. She was also snagged by Horace Slughorn for his little circle of students known as the “Slug Club” (although not to their faces). Considering that her family eventually ended up fighting against Voldemort during both Wars, it was the height of irony that she made friends with Bellatrix Black, a fellow Slytherin.
In her second year, Etain started showing a flair for school in general. Although she did very well in all her classes, she did not seem to have any particular classes that were her favorites. No, she liked them all. She became even closer friends with Bellatrix. The two girls were noted for studying hard, guessing each other’s future husbands, and planning their futures together by the fire in the Slytherin Dungeons, as well as for high-spirited and gentle pranks on the other Slytherins, especially the snobbish girls. After all, why shouldn’t they bring down those nose-in-the-airs a peg or two?
Third year was another chance to hone her mind against the subjects at Hogwarts. Etain added Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Muggle Studies to her list of classes, and went to work. She made yet another friend among her Housemates, Lucius Malfoy, two years her junior. Lucius got her into the Dueling Club, and to her delighted surprise, Etain discovered that she was a rather wicked duelist. Clever, knowledgeable and fast, Etain won more matches than she lost. Even her fellow Slytherins learned not to challenge her or her 13” ebony and dragon heartstring wand. The year went by in a blur of social events, hard work and fun with Bella, Lucius and Etain all becoming close friends.
Etain was introduced to Bellatrix’s sister, Narcissa, when the youngest Black was Sorted into Slytherin in Etain’s fourth year. The three girls became fast friends, and often joined up with Andromeda, the one Black sister who had not been Sorted into Slytherin, when they were out on the Grounds or in the Library. The four girls stayed friends throughout the rest of their years at Hogwarts. It was Andromeda and Narcissa who introduced Etain to her future husband, Carnell McTiernan. Carnell had transferred into Etain’s year and was Sorted into Ravenclaw, coming from Durmstrang when his ambassador parents returned from a diplomatic stay there. Their first public date was at the Hogwarts Yule Ball in December 1966, and their courtship was to last for three happy years.
Etain was appointed Prefect of her House the summer before her fifth year. She went back to school and slaved over the books, intent on acing her OWL examinations. Her parents invited the Malfoys, the Blacks and the McTiernans to their Yule Ball in 1967, and the party was a smashing success. The younger set enjoyed themselves immensely, playing Quidditch in the snow and feasting and dancing the evenings away. Carnell was old-fashioned enough that after receiving Etain’s permission to pay her court, he also garnered her father’s approval. After returning to Hogwarts and completing the second term, Etain conquered her OWL exams in style, earning ten OWLs.
Sixth year was a whirlwind of duties. Etain was a model student, a Prefect, a tutor, a leader in the Dueling Club, and part of Slughorn’s little circle. She had decided on being a teacher of young wizards and witches. A new school was opening in the Irish hills, and Etain had already received a recruiting packet and an offer from the Headmistress there. Once she graduated, she would be off to teaching, the job she’d always dreamed of. She would be the Charms & Etiquette instructor at the Lamfadha Academy.
Her final year was the jewel in Etain’s crown. She was named Head Girl of the school. She was named a Youth Representative to the Ministry of Magic’s Education Division. Carnell proposed to her at Etain’s Family’s Yuletide Ball, and with her family’s blessing, Etain accepted. Etain worked like a woman possessed on passing all her NEWT examinations, and did so, to no one’s surprise but her own. She was the class valedictorian. The Leaving Feast and Ball were a celebration for all of Slytherin, everyone sorry that their time together was over.
Carnell and Etain were happily married six months after graduation. Carnell became a hard-working and well-liked official in the Ministry, with a promising future in law and an eye on becoming a judge. Etain went off to her job at Lamfadha Academy in Ireland. But trouble was brewing in the Wizarding world. Voldemort and his collection of Death Eaters were on the rise, their evil ascendancy just taking hold. The two young wizards used the O’Donnell and McTiernan family connections to stay out of the Death Eaters and out of harm’s way. They also moved to Ireland for a time, with Carnell leaving the Ministry and going into private practice as a Wizarding barrister in Ireland.
Carnell and Etain privately supported and helped finance the Order of the Phoenix in its first incarnation in the 1970’s. Appalled by the Death Eaters and by Voldemort, the couple quietly helped the Order, while publicly pretending to be on the other side. They passed what information they could to the Order’s members, and helped smuggle folk to safety when they could assist. Both Carnell and Etain would have gone through fire or flood for Albus Dumbledore, the man who had been their Headmaster at Hogwarts.
It broke Etain’s heart to be on the opposite side from Lucius, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Breaking her ties with the women was even more devastating. She’d been in their weddings, for the love of Merlin! And when she saw what happened to Andromeda after she married her sweetheart Theodore Tonks, Etain grew angrier than ever. It was those bleak hard days that cemented Etain’s negative view on Voldemort and on the growing pureblood mania, and turned her and Carnell into blood traitors in the eyes of their former friends.
Their oldest two children, James and Fiona, were born during Voldemort’s reign of horrors, but their third child Alexander was born not long after Harry Potter’s near miraculous slaying of the Death Lord. The couple’s two youngest, Kirstie and Andrew, were born into a world where Voldemort was a name mentioned only in the histories. Etain breathed a sigh of relief, and focused on raising her children, keeping her home, and working as a teacher, a job she adored almost as much as being with her family.
But then Voldemort returned, and the Wizarding world went mad.
All five of Etain’s children were at Hogwarts at some point during Voldemort’s second reign of terror. James, Fiona and Alexander were all older than Harry Potter, while Kirstie and Andrew were younger. The only good thing about the whole situation was that all of them were in Houses other than Slytherin, so none of the siblings ended up facing each other across the sides of the War. The McTiernan family once again threw their money and efforts into aiding the Order, mostly in secret.
But somehow, Voldemort found out who Etain was, and that she and her husband were helping the Order. Voldemort sent Death Eaters to kidnap Etain and to try to kill Carnell as a message to all their family. Etain and Carnell joined forces and dueled the three Death Eaters sent to take them down. Carnell was knocked unconscious and Etain captured, although she kept the Death Eaters from killing her husband. She was tortured for information, but gave nothing away, despite being Crucio’ed for hours by the Death Eaters. Her enraged family eventually rescued her, the older O’Donnells and McTiernans coming to the rescue and killing her abductors. It took two months in St. Mungo’s, but once recovered Etain hated Voldemort and his followers all the more.
The entire family down to young Andrew joined in on the last battle of the Second War at Hogwarts, Etain and Carnell helping to defend not only their family, but their alma mater. They rejoiced in Voldemort’s eventual downfall. However, Etain and Carnell deeply mourned the loss of Albus Dumbledore along with all the others lost in the War. Life eventually went back to normal, but Etain never forgot her torture or the horrors of the War. The family moved home from Ireland due to Carnell inheriting the McTiernan castle, Tair Athdara, and life settled down as her children graduated and went onto jobs in the Ministry, as Aurors and as teachers.
Etain and Carnell lived in Tair Athdara’s many-towered halls among the oaks and birches of the woods until Carnell’s untimely death in June of 2018. His sudden death due to a riding accident has left the whole family wondering, especially since Carnell was an expert horseman. The extended McTiernan family now resides on the grounds of the castle, with the eldest child James now taking on the responsibilities of Head of the McTiernan line. Etain advises him, as the Dowager Lady of the line, but lets his very capable wife Elizabeth handle the duties of the Family. When home visiting, she stays in her elegant suite of rooms in the Dowager’s Tower.
Etain has won many an award for her teaching over the years. She received an Outstanding Wizarding Instructor Award for several years running, winning each year from 1970-1977 and again from 1990-1997. She also won a Wyrmling Award for Outstanding School Leadership for seven years (2011-2017) and served as both the Deputy Minister, Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, Lower Schools Division, (2007-2012) and the Minister, Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, Lower Schools Division (2013-2018). All those awards gave her immense professional satisfaction, since they’ve been earned helping children to grow in both magic and knowledge.
She was twice awarded the Order of Merlin along with Carnell, for their assisting the Order of the Phoenix in both the 1970’s (Second Class) and 1990’s (First Class). Etain is still a member of the Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, still serves a Wyrmling Award Judge, and is a Ministry advisor for the Education Legislation & Planning Division. Etain has also become famous for writing simple and precise books on Wizarding etiquette for both younger and older Wizards and Witches, the “Lady Sophie Series”. She pens an etiquette column for the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler under the pseudonym “Lady Sophie”. She loves to embroider and knit, and has been known to knit even when meeting with students.
(Please note that all canon character references have been checked against the timelines posted at www.hp-lexicon.org for accuracy in dates. Her association with Bellatrix Black as a classmate assumes that Bellatrix was born late in 1951 and thus they ended up as classmates since Bellatrix would turn 11 too far after the start of the term to be a year ahead of her. I liked the sad irony of having her close friends with people she eventually ends up opposing.)
Codewords: [purple]A D M I N EDIT[/PURPLE]
Age: 67
Sex:Female
Nationality:Irish
Speech:English, plus conversational Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, German and Italian. Can also read the Old & Middle forms of all these languages, due to her education background.
Blood:Pureblood
Father: Mihail Aidan Ruadh Niamh O’Donnell
Mother: Kathleen Rachel Anna Helen Young
Siblings:Adain, Cianan, Garran, Islene, Kaitlin, Morna, Odell & Roane
Other Family: Regan O’Donnell (grandfather), Diana Jones O’Donnell (grandmother), William Young (grandfather), Elizabeth Adams Young (grandmother), Tierney O’Donnell Connor (aunt), George Connor (uncle), Deborah Young (aunt), plus too many cousins and relatives who married into the family to list!
Her own family: Carnell Stephen Belarius McTiernan (husband, deceased), James McTiernan (son), Fiona McTiernan (daughter), Alexander McTiernan (son), Kirstie McTiernan (daughter), Andrew McTiernan (son), plus the various sons- & daughters-in-law and 13 grandchildren!
Family Interactions:
Etain’s birth family is as large and as varied as the wildflowers in a meadow. The O’Donnells have inhabited all four houses at Hogwarts over the generations. Some have been Prefects, others not. Some were into Quidditch, others into books, and others into power. But whatever the focus, they did what they did well. The family was rich and powerful, with several family members either in Ministry positions or serving as Aurors. Given that their ancient Muggle relations were often Irish kings and queens, it was no wonder they were a proud family.
Etain’s family encouraged education with all of the O’Donnell children going through Hogwarts. Etain had to tolerate her brothers’ watchful eyes at Hogwarts, but she gave as good as she got when it came to their verbal teasing. At home, her family was the center of their social circle, often throwing elaborate balls and parties, so Etain was well-versed in etiquette and socializing from a young age. Etain’s home, Ruad Taryn, was an imposing pile of red-brown stone on an emerald hill in an Unplottable site in the wilds of Ireland.
Etain’s family expected a lot of her and because of their unwavering support, Etain gave it to them. When Etain went to Hogwarts, she worked hard, got good grades, and found that she loved tutoring the other students who came to her for assistance. At home, she blossomed, given that she had developed the necessary talents and skills required of a high-born daughter of a Wizarding family. Her Hogwarts years passed in a whirlwind of awards, being a Prefect and then Head Girl, and a double handful of OWLS and NEWTs. Etain graduated with honors, and began her teaching career. She was an exceptional student because she expected to be, having been raised to aim high and to succeed.
When Etain had decided to work towards becoming a teacher, her family was supportive. Her father and mother knew she didn’t have the stomach for the higher levels of the Ministry or an Auror position due to her peaceful nature, and her obvious love of and gift for teaching and tutoring could not be denied. With her family’s blessing, Etain went off to teach, a proper profession for a young pureblood Witch of the times. She lived at Ruad Taryn in her own tower while she gained experience as a teacher of young Wizards and Witches, and until her marriage to her husband, Carnell.
Etain’s husband and children were supportive of her education career. Etain was the “queen of the household”, a strong wife and mother. She supported her husband’s career as much as he supported hers. They were obviously much in love through all their lives together, and their children’s marriages and families reflect this love and strength. Their ancestral home, Tair Athdara, is a gorgeous castle, sunlight and rainbows captured in golden stone and stained glass.
Etain mourned her husband’s death deeply, as they were much in love throughout their time together. His untimely death due to a riding accident sent a shock wave through both the McTiernan and the O’Donnell families. Etain has become a graceful widow, the dowager matriarch of the McTiernan line, as well as an heir to part of the O’Donnell family fortune. She doesn’t have to work, but enjoys teaching and helping young witches and wizards so much that she simply cannot give up her job.
Height:5’6”
Weight:135 pounds
Hair:Very long and black with a growing amount of silver
Eyes:Amethyst with violet rings around the irises
Skin Colour: Creamy tan
Clothing style: Formal and definitely high-end Wizarding, usually embroidered robes in shades that compliment her coloring
Accessories: Etain often has her hair braided up elaborately, and uses hair sticks and other accessories to do so. She wears her platinum wedding ring on her left ring finger. She wears an dark amethyst heart framed in platinum on a chain of the same around her neck. She also wears elegant earrings with small gemstones. On formal occasions, she’ll pull out all the stops though!
Other: Etain wears shoes with low heels, which give her a bit of added height (about an inch or so).
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“My Elegance and Etiquette on two feet,” was how Etain’s husband Carnell once described her. From her erect carriage to her graceful movements, Etain is the epitome of the high-class Wizarding family’s hopes for a daughter. Her robes are tastefully embroidered and always immaculate, her manners are near perfect, and her speech is measured and pleasant. Etain knows the effect she has on people, and uses it wisely, and only as a weapon when she has to.
Etain is not tall, but she somehow seems to tower over people, even those much bigger. She has a presence that is unmistakable, calming to little children and cowering to those who behave badly, adult or child. She keeps her hair up in elaborate styles held together with elegant hair ornaments. Even when she is ready for sleep, she will be dressed in a silk sleeping robe and gown with soft slippers, her hair in one long neat braid. Etain tends to wear darker colors, as she is still in formal mourning for Carnell.
Etain’s violet eyes give people pause, given their striking color and the dark amethyst rings around her irises. Her eyebrows are upswept and elegant, and her lashes still long and full. She has a hawkish but aristocratic nose and a full mouth that usually smiles. Her nails are long and manicured, and her skin is near flawless. Her hair is raven black with two large streaks of silver, one gracing each temple, and several other strands through her hair.
Personality:
Etain is a proper Witch, with the grace, elegance and training to go along with it. She smiles warmly, acts politely, and has a sharp wit to back up a formidable knowledge base of Wizarding lore, history and traditions. She loves children, and is an excellent educator, with the right mix of sharpness and love to steer younglings through the Wizarding world. She has a warm maternal personality that makes animals and small children love her immediately. She is a cautious optimist, given that she and her extended family survived three Wizarding Wars (Grindewald’s in her parents’/grandparents’ generation and the two Voldemort’s in hers) relatively intact. She does occasionally get a “case of the blacks”, usually from something that jogs her memories of the years Voldemort was in power and threatening her family.
Etain also has a sense of humor, and a vast reservoir of understanding for the foibles of the young. Given that she’s been a teacher or tutor for almost fifty years, it’s no wonder she is more forgiving than most. If she gives out a detention, there’s a very good reason for it! However, she is not a pushover, and breaches of good behavior will get her ire up and invoke a gentle but stinging rebuke almost immediately. She is a Slytherin in that she can monitor eddies and flows in power almost effortlessly, and then point them out to her charges in a lesson. Etain lacks the cutthroat way of undercutting others that so many pin on those who have graduated from Slytherin. This is a bit of a weakness, in that she does not enjoy the “schmoozing” and politics of that her position at her old school or as an advisor to the Ministry required. She’d rather be tutoring children than courting politicians and this sometimes makes her come across as aloof or snobbish among adults. The kids understand her though!
History:
Etain Maeve Rioghnach Shannon O’Donnell was born to Mihail and Kathleen O’Donnell on February 2, 1952. She was the youngest of her family, and cosseted by her brothers, who adored her. She was educated well and early, showing a love of learning and a grasp of the human psyche that was astonishing in a youngster. By the time she was eight she could manage a conversation with her father about simple political issues, and hold intelligent discussions with the adults at her family’s parties. Her brothers treated her like one of the boys, in that they respected her formidable intellect.
Home schooled and tutored extensively, Etain was raised to be the epitome of a Pureblood Family’s daughter. She learned everything from languages to history to politics to how to throw a party for three dozen guests. Her mother was quite the socialite, and reveled in having a daughter to help her with all the Balls and Revels the family held. Etain plays the harp, knows both knitting and embroidery, can converse in several languages, and knows how to keep her fingers on the pulse of the Wizarding world, thanks to her upbringing.
Her siblings Adain and Islene were in Gryffindor, her brothers Cianan, Odell and Garran in Hufflepuff and her bookish siblings Morna, Kaitlin and Roane in Ravenclaw. Given her daring, it was assumed she’d be in Gryffindor, and it was a bit of a shock when she was sorted into Slytherin. When later asked about it, Etain calmly replied that “my ambition and my drive got me here, and that’s how I’ll survive here”. Although it’s a bit rough and tumble at alumni gatherings, the siblings get along and only tease each other verbally about their disparate House assignments.
Etain’s first year was awhirl with classes and making friends. She did well both socially and educationally, with her Head of House, Horace Slughorn noting her ability with tutoring when she helped one of her fellow first years pass a tough examination in History of Magic. Etain was at the top of her House in grades by mid-winter, and at the top of her Class in grades by the end of that first year. She was also snagged by Horace Slughorn for his little circle of students known as the “Slug Club” (although not to their faces). Considering that her family eventually ended up fighting against Voldemort during both Wars, it was the height of irony that she made friends with Bellatrix Black, a fellow Slytherin.
In her second year, Etain started showing a flair for school in general. Although she did very well in all her classes, she did not seem to have any particular classes that were her favorites. No, she liked them all. She became even closer friends with Bellatrix. The two girls were noted for studying hard, guessing each other’s future husbands, and planning their futures together by the fire in the Slytherin Dungeons, as well as for high-spirited and gentle pranks on the other Slytherins, especially the snobbish girls. After all, why shouldn’t they bring down those nose-in-the-airs a peg or two?
Third year was another chance to hone her mind against the subjects at Hogwarts. Etain added Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Muggle Studies to her list of classes, and went to work. She made yet another friend among her Housemates, Lucius Malfoy, two years her junior. Lucius got her into the Dueling Club, and to her delighted surprise, Etain discovered that she was a rather wicked duelist. Clever, knowledgeable and fast, Etain won more matches than she lost. Even her fellow Slytherins learned not to challenge her or her 13” ebony and dragon heartstring wand. The year went by in a blur of social events, hard work and fun with Bella, Lucius and Etain all becoming close friends.
Etain was introduced to Bellatrix’s sister, Narcissa, when the youngest Black was Sorted into Slytherin in Etain’s fourth year. The three girls became fast friends, and often joined up with Andromeda, the one Black sister who had not been Sorted into Slytherin, when they were out on the Grounds or in the Library. The four girls stayed friends throughout the rest of their years at Hogwarts. It was Andromeda and Narcissa who introduced Etain to her future husband, Carnell McTiernan. Carnell had transferred into Etain’s year and was Sorted into Ravenclaw, coming from Durmstrang when his ambassador parents returned from a diplomatic stay there. Their first public date was at the Hogwarts Yule Ball in December 1966, and their courtship was to last for three happy years.
Etain was appointed Prefect of her House the summer before her fifth year. She went back to school and slaved over the books, intent on acing her OWL examinations. Her parents invited the Malfoys, the Blacks and the McTiernans to their Yule Ball in 1967, and the party was a smashing success. The younger set enjoyed themselves immensely, playing Quidditch in the snow and feasting and dancing the evenings away. Carnell was old-fashioned enough that after receiving Etain’s permission to pay her court, he also garnered her father’s approval. After returning to Hogwarts and completing the second term, Etain conquered her OWL exams in style, earning ten OWLs.
Sixth year was a whirlwind of duties. Etain was a model student, a Prefect, a tutor, a leader in the Dueling Club, and part of Slughorn’s little circle. She had decided on being a teacher of young wizards and witches. A new school was opening in the Irish hills, and Etain had already received a recruiting packet and an offer from the Headmistress there. Once she graduated, she would be off to teaching, the job she’d always dreamed of. She would be the Charms & Etiquette instructor at the Lamfadha Academy.
Her final year was the jewel in Etain’s crown. She was named Head Girl of the school. She was named a Youth Representative to the Ministry of Magic’s Education Division. Carnell proposed to her at Etain’s Family’s Yuletide Ball, and with her family’s blessing, Etain accepted. Etain worked like a woman possessed on passing all her NEWT examinations, and did so, to no one’s surprise but her own. She was the class valedictorian. The Leaving Feast and Ball were a celebration for all of Slytherin, everyone sorry that their time together was over.
Carnell and Etain were happily married six months after graduation. Carnell became a hard-working and well-liked official in the Ministry, with a promising future in law and an eye on becoming a judge. Etain went off to her job at Lamfadha Academy in Ireland. But trouble was brewing in the Wizarding world. Voldemort and his collection of Death Eaters were on the rise, their evil ascendancy just taking hold. The two young wizards used the O’Donnell and McTiernan family connections to stay out of the Death Eaters and out of harm’s way. They also moved to Ireland for a time, with Carnell leaving the Ministry and going into private practice as a Wizarding barrister in Ireland.
Carnell and Etain privately supported and helped finance the Order of the Phoenix in its first incarnation in the 1970’s. Appalled by the Death Eaters and by Voldemort, the couple quietly helped the Order, while publicly pretending to be on the other side. They passed what information they could to the Order’s members, and helped smuggle folk to safety when they could assist. Both Carnell and Etain would have gone through fire or flood for Albus Dumbledore, the man who had been their Headmaster at Hogwarts.
It broke Etain’s heart to be on the opposite side from Lucius, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Breaking her ties with the women was even more devastating. She’d been in their weddings, for the love of Merlin! And when she saw what happened to Andromeda after she married her sweetheart Theodore Tonks, Etain grew angrier than ever. It was those bleak hard days that cemented Etain’s negative view on Voldemort and on the growing pureblood mania, and turned her and Carnell into blood traitors in the eyes of their former friends.
Their oldest two children, James and Fiona, were born during Voldemort’s reign of horrors, but their third child Alexander was born not long after Harry Potter’s near miraculous slaying of the Death Lord. The couple’s two youngest, Kirstie and Andrew, were born into a world where Voldemort was a name mentioned only in the histories. Etain breathed a sigh of relief, and focused on raising her children, keeping her home, and working as a teacher, a job she adored almost as much as being with her family.
But then Voldemort returned, and the Wizarding world went mad.
All five of Etain’s children were at Hogwarts at some point during Voldemort’s second reign of terror. James, Fiona and Alexander were all older than Harry Potter, while Kirstie and Andrew were younger. The only good thing about the whole situation was that all of them were in Houses other than Slytherin, so none of the siblings ended up facing each other across the sides of the War. The McTiernan family once again threw their money and efforts into aiding the Order, mostly in secret.
But somehow, Voldemort found out who Etain was, and that she and her husband were helping the Order. Voldemort sent Death Eaters to kidnap Etain and to try to kill Carnell as a message to all their family. Etain and Carnell joined forces and dueled the three Death Eaters sent to take them down. Carnell was knocked unconscious and Etain captured, although she kept the Death Eaters from killing her husband. She was tortured for information, but gave nothing away, despite being Crucio’ed for hours by the Death Eaters. Her enraged family eventually rescued her, the older O’Donnells and McTiernans coming to the rescue and killing her abductors. It took two months in St. Mungo’s, but once recovered Etain hated Voldemort and his followers all the more.
The entire family down to young Andrew joined in on the last battle of the Second War at Hogwarts, Etain and Carnell helping to defend not only their family, but their alma mater. They rejoiced in Voldemort’s eventual downfall. However, Etain and Carnell deeply mourned the loss of Albus Dumbledore along with all the others lost in the War. Life eventually went back to normal, but Etain never forgot her torture or the horrors of the War. The family moved home from Ireland due to Carnell inheriting the McTiernan castle, Tair Athdara, and life settled down as her children graduated and went onto jobs in the Ministry, as Aurors and as teachers.
Etain and Carnell lived in Tair Athdara’s many-towered halls among the oaks and birches of the woods until Carnell’s untimely death in June of 2018. His sudden death due to a riding accident has left the whole family wondering, especially since Carnell was an expert horseman. The extended McTiernan family now resides on the grounds of the castle, with the eldest child James now taking on the responsibilities of Head of the McTiernan line. Etain advises him, as the Dowager Lady of the line, but lets his very capable wife Elizabeth handle the duties of the Family. When home visiting, she stays in her elegant suite of rooms in the Dowager’s Tower.
Etain has won many an award for her teaching over the years. She received an Outstanding Wizarding Instructor Award for several years running, winning each year from 1970-1977 and again from 1990-1997. She also won a Wyrmling Award for Outstanding School Leadership for seven years (2011-2017) and served as both the Deputy Minister, Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, Lower Schools Division, (2007-2012) and the Minister, Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, Lower Schools Division (2013-2018). All those awards gave her immense professional satisfaction, since they’ve been earned helping children to grow in both magic and knowledge.
She was twice awarded the Order of Merlin along with Carnell, for their assisting the Order of the Phoenix in both the 1970’s (Second Class) and 1990’s (First Class). Etain is still a member of the Union of Headmasters & Headmistresses, still serves a Wyrmling Award Judge, and is a Ministry advisor for the Education Legislation & Planning Division. Etain has also become famous for writing simple and precise books on Wizarding etiquette for both younger and older Wizards and Witches, the “Lady Sophie Series”. She pens an etiquette column for the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler under the pseudonym “Lady Sophie”. She loves to embroider and knit, and has been known to knit even when meeting with students.
(Please note that all canon character references have been checked against the timelines posted at www.hp-lexicon.org for accuracy in dates. Her association with Bellatrix Black as a classmate assumes that Bellatrix was born late in 1951 and thus they ended up as classmates since Bellatrix would turn 11 too far after the start of the term to be a year ahead of her. I liked the sad irony of having her close friends with people she eventually ends up opposing.)
Codewords: [purple]A D M I N EDIT[/PURPLE]
