Professor Guinevere Winthrop

## Academic and Professional Career

Being the youngest of five siblings, Gwen thought she knew exactly what to expect when coming to Hogwarts, but Hogwarts has a way of surprising even the most knowledgeable students.

Her older sister, a Gryffindor named Calliope, was a hero to Gwen and she wanted to be sorted into the same house. But the sorting hat insisted on Slytherin. Unfortunately, Gwen’s other sister, Cordelia, who exhibited all the stereotypical traits of that much maligned house, had never gotten along with Gwen. Disappointed but not defeated, Gwen decided to make the best of a bad situation and eventually ended up liking her house in spite of its ‘flaws’.

As Gwen was getting accustomed to House Slytherin she met a boy who helped her acclimate to her new house and eventually the two started dating. This bothered Gwen’s parents, who promptly forbade her from dating him, crushing young Gwen. She briefly considered dating him anyway but in the end broke off the relationship. Later, she discovered the boy had been cheating on her and was grateful to her parents for sparing her that pain.

Her second relationship was to go far better than her first, for it would be a far stronger love than the first. Indeed, it would go all the way to marriage. Beau, a gryffindor, was a fine young man in every way. He did well in school and was kind hearted. Beau and Gwen were inseparable almost immediately. They were even voted ‘best couple’ their last year at Hogwarts, and the love they shared was the envy of the entire school.

Always interested in using his impressive wizarding skills to defend others, Beau entered the Auror training program right after graduation. But before starting the program, he and Gwen were married. To Gwen, this was a dream come true. Gwen had always been close to her mother and she greatly desired to have a big family of her own, a desire shared by her husband.

Unfortunately, there were difficulties. Gwen got pregnant twice but both ended in miscarriages. This devastated the young couple and their hopes of having a family started to falter. Her third pregnancy was going much better when Beau got the order. Being a high ranking Auror he had been assigned a top secret mission- a mission rated highly dangerous. Gwen had a horrible feeling about the whole thing and begged her husband to stay. But he left, doing what little he could to assuage her fears. She never saw him again. There was an accident, and Beau, the love of her life, died in the line of duty.

Devastated, Gwen shut the world out, refusing to see even her mother, and entered a severe state of depression. Her life seemed dull and grey, as if all light and color had been banished from her world. Her only hope was the tiny life growing inside her- the last thing she had of Beau. Realizing she had to be strong for the child, she decided to fight the growing darkness inside her mind. She would persevere if for no other reason than to let this child know what a great father and husband Beau had been. Color slowly started seeping back into her life, and hope began to bloom. But the unthinkable happened- she lost the child.

There are depths of despair few humans ever experience, nor would any desire to, but Gwen Winthrop now tread those dark hollow paths- an emptiness of soul so bleak it swallows the sun, yet still hungers for more. Fewer still are those who have clawed their way, inch by inch, out of that infernal abyss. But Gwen did. One agonizing step at a time; one thousand tears at a time.

Still in a state of severe depression, but having left the worst of it behind, Gwen decided she was going to make up for all that Beau would have done for the world. A tribute, of sorts, to the man who could  have done so much more. Hearing this, her family immediately called in some favors and had the Hogwarts headmaster contact Gwen regarding a position teaching at the school. This is exactly what Gwen had been hoping for, and she took the job immediately.

## Personal Life

Professor Winthrop was raised in a very rural environment. The family business, a tree farm, provides high quality materials for wand and broom making all over the world. Started by her grandparents, Phineas and Alice, the business has done well over the decades and expanded considerably. It is now operated by her Uncle Joseph.

While not directly involved in operating the family business, both of Gwen’s parents use materials made by the farm. Her dad, Phineas the Second, is a wand maker and her mom, Astrid, is a broom engineer.

Gwen’s Uncle was a Slytherin Death Eater who died during the Battle of Hogwarts fighting for Voldemort. Because of this Gwen’s parents, who are generally very open-minded when it comes Hogwarts houses, have a strong distaste for Slytherin.

Gwen is the youngest of five children. The oldest, Cordelia, is married and works at the Ministry. Her brother, Atticus, is a Healer at St. Mungos. The third child, Calliope, is a keeper for a professional quidditch team, the Holy Harpies, and is quite famous. Phineas the Third, the second youngest, is a deaf wizard who works as a therapist for deaf wizards.