Trelawney
trelawney1.jpg
Portrayed By Emma Thompson
House Ravenclaw
Year Graduated 1969
Position Divination Profesor
Sex Female
Race Half-Blood
Age 44
Place of Birth London, England
Date of Birth March 13, 1951
Mother Pauline Trelawney
Father Bart Trelawney
Siblings None
Marital Status Single
Children None
First Appearance Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Last Appearance

Character History:

Perhaps when you're born says everything about you. Sybill Trelawney was born on the 13th of March, a Tuesday, in 1951. Later, she would insist it was Friday the 13th, not Tuesday the 13th, and a very stormy, dramatic night.

There were no omens before Sybill was born. No, Cassandra was dead by then, and there had not been another Seer in the Trelawney line since her. No, the only portent of Sybill's birth was the subtle swelling of her mother's stomach.

The day of her birth was frightfully bland. The sun was obscured by clouds, and the sky was a half-hearted grey. It was as if the weather couldn't quite decide what to be, resulting in a mix of humidity and chilly breezes.

Pauline and Bart Trelawney decided to continue to the tradition of Greek mythology names onto Sybill - perhaps she would turn into something they couldn't be, or couldn't even imagine being.

Personality

Creative: To be taken seriously as a Seer and as a Teacher, Sybill has often tried to prove herself. She does this by making small predictions, half of which turn out badly. However, she is very good at using the tools at hand to make things up on the spot.

Illogical: In essence, logic is the form Trelawney's boggart would take, if it had a definite form. Sybill works with intuition, with creativity, with a gut reaction and what she instinctually feels is right. Logic is not a weapon at her disposal, and as a result, she hates it with a passion. Why be logical when there is no black and white, only grey?

Perceptive: While she doesn't get enough credit for it - for, in fact, she doesn't really know it herself - Sybill is quite perceptive. She can pick up social and verbal cues, and make judgments and predictions from there that have a chance of being accurate.

Recluse: Physically and emotionally fragile, Sybill spends little time outside of her classroom. She is trying to get better at this, but it's just easier for her to remain in the environment she finds to be familiar, and familiar is safe.

Studious: Sybill was not born knowing much at all. She's had to work for every bit of respect, acclaim, and status she got. As a result, she's spent a great deal of her time studying the occult. Symbolism doesn't escape her, superstition is second nature to her, but she must often brush up on her knowledge. She can't fall behind.

Superstitious: Everything has some sort of meaning to Sybill. Everything is symbolic, everything has a second and a third meaning, if people only bother to stop and interpret it. Living life with superstition isn't easy, for there is always a specific routine to everyday living, a way to do it Just Right. Nothing is without its underlying meaning, one only has to look to find layers of meaning in just about everything.

Description:

This woman's stature is unimpressive. It's not that she's particularly short, but she tends to carry herself poorly. Her shoulders are hunched, her spine is rarely straight, her limbs are thin and as a whole, she doesn't cut a particularly impressive figure.

Her wavy hair - not quite brown, not quite blonde - is usually frizzy, left free to hang down upon her shoulders. The most notable accessory is a pair of black-rimmed glasses, the lenses so thick that her eyes - a vaguely grey-brown colour - appear to be gigantic.

She favors sequins, this is clear, and rather misty, gauzy clothing. Layered over a shimmering gown of an indistinguishable colour is a shimmering silvery shawl, with sequins hanging down from it. On top of all of that is a cloak, grey-black and also embroidered with sequins in swirling designs. On her wrists are a collection of bangles, no two the same, and from her ears dangle earrings shaped like dream catchers. Every single finger has a ring, some have more than one.

Timeline

Other Information

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