Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

Aidan Ó Cuinn is a half-blood druid from Hy-Brasil. He is currently an apprentice veterinarian at Magical Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Hogsmeade.

## Personality

Settled & Secure: There comes a day // When you're gonna look around //And realize happiness is // Where you are. He’s already there! Aidan has everything in life he could ever want in Hy-Brasil – his family, his people, and his future. He doesn’t have many more aspirations nor does he feel there is anything lacking. He knows how to find happiness in what he has and joy in every moment. Aidan can’t wait for the day that he can return to Hy-Brasil and never leave again.

Family-Oriented: Family comes first. Always. Aidan constantly has his family’s wellbeing in mind, and their opinions and praise matter intensely to him. If they disapprove of an action, he won’t even consider it. If they push him in a certain direction, he’ll follow. The boy knows that his family knows best, and every action taken is always for them. If his sister is unhappy, then he is as well – he wants to do everything he can to show her that happiness is everything they already have.

Naïve: Hy-Brasil is a very insulated place. Aidan was never raised to be suspicious (except of outsiders, of course), so he is a naturally trusting person. He will generally accept what he is told as true, and that everything he has grown up with is also to be believed and trusted. It makes him an easy target for people with less-than-pure intentions, because he is a genuine person and therefore believes the same of everyone around him. He’s gullible, and easily persuaded, and won’t question what people tell him.

Druids, What’s Not to Like?: Aidan is proud to be a druid. The island is paradise and the druids have unlocked the secret to happiness and fulfillment. The boy loves to hear the stories and history of his people, and does not take kindly to those who suggest that the druids are somehow backwards or limited or naïve in their world view. And the outsiders’ treatment of druids…despicable. Truly one of the only things that can anger him. His family’s very traditionalist, which means Aidan is as well. Family knows best!

Clueless: Aidan is not…the brightest star in the sky. First off, he’s never been the academic sort – he bases his actions on feeling, not thought, and therefore will live his life doing what feels right. And he’s not particularly sharp-witted or perceptive. He’ll misunderstand, misconstrue, and misinterpret anything until it’s explained directly and simply (especially little things like humor, subtlety, sarcasm). But most things just go over his head anyway.

Gentle: Aidan is a sensitive soul at heart. He has a special reverence for life and cannot abide to see a creature in pain. He cannot stand by if there is something he can offer to help someone, and although it pains him greatly to see creatures who need healing he continues to seek it out because it heals his heart to help. It’s easy to shut yourself off from the world and pretend not to care – Aidan sees a strength in acknowledging what you feel and allowing yourself to be open to the world and others. It can lead to hurt and pain – but also to spiritual strength and growth.

Calm: Slow to anger, quick to forgive. He doesn’t take things personally. If someone insults him, or does something that could be perceived as offensive, Aidan doesn’t let it work him up. Honestly, he probably won’t even notice it was meant to be an insult anyway. But, he knows that everybody is fighting their own battles, and that means patience is required with people. So if you insult him? It’s probably stemming from an issue you need to confront – neglect, insecurity, unprocessed emotions. He’d be more interested in addressing that than the insult itself.

Dutiful/Faithful: Aidan won’t abandon you. Not if you’ve proven to be someone worthy of his faith. Be it a member of his family, or even the Druid community as a whole, Aidan doesn’t believe in abandoning the cause. No person is past the point of no return, and even the worst of the worst (like Dark magic users) can be redeemed. Or so he believes.

Genuine: Being genuine doesn’t mean that he never lies. He will sometimes for his own reasons. It just means that Aidan knows who he is, and he’s unapologetic about it. Some people will like him, some won’t, and that’s okay. The boy craves the approval of his family, but it ends there – he won’t let the judgment or perception of others stop him from doing what he believes is the right thing. He’s most happy where he belongs, with other druids, but he has learned how to be satisfied in whatever moment he is in. Aidan has a strong sense of self, and he wants others to have that too. No secret agenda here.

Childlike: This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Aidan savors every new experience as something wonderful and he knows how to simply be present in the moment and enjoy it. But it also means he has a fairly undeveloped view of the world. He still believes in ‘fairness’, and in all the little things we teach children – it’s not good to lie, it’s important to be orderly, and good things will happen to good people (after all, shouldn’t it be that if you do something that deserves a reward, you’ll get one?). He’s idealistic, and has a fairly uncomplicated worldview.

## History

His path forward has always made sense. There are those who are born uncertain of what they want from life, or unsure of what the future holds for them. Aidan has never faced any such thing.

Hy-Brasil is paradise. Aidan has always been certain of this from a young age. His family is a long line of traditionalists, from the Elder in his family until him, several generations later. His blood is not quite pure, however…a few generations back, an outsider came to Hy-Brasil. She was a Muggleborn witch, interested in studying the Druids’ mastery of herbology, and she caused quite a stir when she converted and married the grandson of an Elder. The family has not forgotten the controversy, even as her non-pure blood has been diluted through the generations.

Aidan’s primary influence always came from his family. He has always done everything in his power to be the perfect son, to soak in all their instructions and knowledge and expertise. The Ó Cuinn clan boasts some talented botanists, herbologists, and farmers, and while magical plants never quite captured Aidan’s sense of wonder, he dutifully followed his parents’ teachings. That meant sitting by Abria’s chair to hear her stories, following Bedwyr around the island to watch him work, and promising his mother that he would really try harder to pay attention in class (although it was clear early on that this was a lost cause). And it would be for the best that Aidan was so dedicated to fulfilling his family’s wishes when it became apparent his younger sister was the rebellious sort…

His love for creatures manifested itself early. He never kept any pets – Aidan couldn’t bear to subject one creature to even semi-captivity while all its peers ran free – so he spent many long hours simply watching dragons nest or crups tussle together. And the first time he noticed a murtlap with an injured leg at the tender young age of 6, he ran crying to his father to heal the poor thing. Healing was the first branch of magic he began to learn at home, despite his family’s background in plants and farming. His father showed him how to mend broken bones, and his mother taught him about herbs and other natural remedies. Classes on magical creatures during school were the only new additions that could actively catch his attention, and he became well-known for wandering the island in search of creatures who needed assistance.

He never imagined he would ever leave the island more than than the absolutely necessary. Aidan had no particularly grand or ambitious schemes – he just wanted to look after the island’s creatures, live in his ancestral home, and be a good father to his children when it came time to marry and start a family. But his parents were worried about their son’s apparent lack of real-world experience. He was always an idealist, head off in the clouds with the abraxans, and he was too trusting for his own good. He'd left Hy-Brasil before as needed -- to take his OWLs and NEWTs, perhaps the occasional family trip with his mother to the mainland -- but never more than necessary, and never truly alone. He'd learned English young, but never practiced -- why should he when he only ever spoke with other druids?

So, although Aidan begged to stay home, his parents insisted he travel to the mainland soon after taking his NEWTs to understand how the rest of the wizarding world functioned (in order to better appreciate everything he had at home). So he left. Choosing the nature reserve near Hogsmeade seemed as natural as breathing – full of creatures who needed care and attention – and Aidan could send some of his salary home to his parents (druids had little need for sickles and galleons, but it was good to have all the same). It’s been 2 years since he relocated to the UK, and Aidan is desperate to go home. But first he needs to prove himself ready to his family.

Aidan cares very little about what happens outside Hy-Brasil. He was never really one to subscribe to newspapers or follow current events, and he remains blissfully unaware of many of the dangers in the world (to the continued concern of his family). Some of the events have trickled through, albeit in odd ways. During the dragon attack in Hogsmeade, Aidan wondered – what happened to the dragons? Are they alright now? But he doesn’t much care what happens to non-druids either way. As long as his people are safe, that’s all Aidan needs to know. Because other wizards never cared about the treatment of druids anyway, right? So everything happening now is the Ministry’s problem, not his.