#1960 to 1961

[unravellingsilencehq]

“Oh, Merlin, tell me, does THE HANGED MAN get what he deserves?” He is in THE DEATH EATERS & CLOSED to finding out. 

— he walks through the world as ;

name → regulus black pronouns → he/him identification → cis male year of birth → september 1960 - september 1961 face claim → ryan potter blood status → pure-blood  sexual orientation → pansexual occupation → associate barrister at the department of defence for the ministry of magic future information → traitor to the death eaters

— he is best described as ;

Complete CONTROL. The PERFECT son for any family member, or PERSPECTIVE HUSBAND for any young sorcerer. He is TAILORED. From his IMMACULATE dress robes to his PERSONALISED stationery he proudly carries under one arm. He is the scent of NEW PARCHMENT & the sign off on an OFFICIAL LETTER, written in PERFECT inked penmanship. COLD & IMPERSONALE but all the more MYSTERIOUS because of it.

— his story starts with ;

tw: death

Famous since the day he was born, Regulus has often felt the weight of the Black family legacy firmly on his shoulders. The youngest child of ORION BLACK [father] and WALBURGA BLACK [mother], Regulus was their golden son. The one who was seen and not heard. Who did as he was told and felt comfort in the routine that this expectation offered him. Whilst most children kick against authority in some way, Regulus found the act of disobeying one's parents to be an unnecessary one and regularly struggled to find any form of common ground with his elder brother SIRIUS BLACK [sibling] because of this. Curiously, Sirius had always been more interested in the world outside their own. It was a peculiar prospect to him that someone from such a high station as theirs would give a fraction of a thought to how muggles listened to music or what they learned at school. To Regulus, much like his family, muggles were a necessary nuisance, like the bitter cold in winter or the heavy rain just after a storm; something to take note of and not worth considering much thereafter. 

He would like to say that looking back through his life, that his earlier years at home were peaceful ones, and in many ways perhaps they were. At 12 Grimmauld Place, Regulus developed his love for reading and his love for various loose leaf teas and learned how easy it was to drown out the shouting matches between his mother and brother, from the window seat at the back corner of his father’s study. Hogwarts offered Regulus some true peace, the Slytherin dormitories were a happy place for him, chatting about school work by the fire with his cousin ANDROMEDA BLACK [cousin] and taking tea in their favourite green velvet chairs with his other cousin NARCISSA BLACK [cousin] as she mooned over the prospect of finding her perfect husband. Regulus proved popular amongst his fellow Slytherins, due to the notorious nature of his house, his connections and his skill as Seeker for their house team. His closest friends were from his own year, VICTOR YAXLEY [best friend/potential love interest] was his best friend and a fellow younger son from a notable family, they became close with their doormates AMIR GIBBON [best friend] and WYATT JUGSON [best friend] who rounded off their group of four.

Victor had always been his favourite. His intellectual equal and sparring partner, he knew what it was like to be related to a long and complicated family with elder siblings that were often hard to love. He was the first person that Regulus had ever loved outside of his family, though beyond a kind word and the softness of an occasional touch he had never acted on it out of fear of losing his best and oldest friend. The life of a teenager is complicated enough, figuring out oneself and one’s way in the world; though Regulus would argue in the pages of his diary that he had it harder than most. When he was fifteen his brother was officially ostracised from their family, leaving Regulus as the only son and their legacy. With Sirius finally out of the house, he felt the walls cave in. Their home was no longer theirs, it became a meeting spot for his father’s friends who whispered long into the evening with his eldest cousin BELLATRIX BLACK [cousin]. Open doors were now closed and from his bedroom on the first floor he could hear his name occasionally mentioned in raised voices by his cousin and the importance of his role in the coming months.

By sixteen Regulus had been given the tattoo on his arm that Bellatrix called “an honour”. The first at Hogwarts to receive such a gift, it was his task to spread the word of THE DARK LORD [leader] to his peers in whispers and recruit those who would strengthen his following. Regulus didn’t know much about The Dark Lord; other than his politics and that he had the backing of the figureheads of the most prominent families in society. The Dark Lord believed that those of pure heritage should be raised above the rest, and as someone who saw himself in government one day Regulus readily embraced him and was eager to carry out his message if meant keeping the good word of his family and securing a prominent seat at the table. Recruitment was easy, the sons and daughters of the noble families. His own friends and notable Twenty-Eight alumni PERSEPHONE WILKES [close friend] was a welcomed additions, which made his father and cousin incredibly pleased. Upon leaving school, Regulus secured a position as a researcher for his cousin Andromeda and her boss RODOLPHUS LESTRANGE [boss] working at The Department of Defence for The Ministry of Magic. 

His role was important for two reasons, his own personal interests in law and power- and Bellatrix had expressed great desire to know what was going on from inside the office and the allegiance of her sister and Rodolphus. It was The Dark Lord’s wish that all respected members of The Sacred Twenty-Eight pledge their loyalty to him and those with important standing in government or society were important to procure. In the beginning the work was easy, until Regulus began to have more knowledge on the cases than the people he was working with. The death of the Minister’s son, BOOKER BAGNOLD [person of interest] was the turning point in Regulus’ career, in the dark until the moment Bellatrix had been arrested for his murder, his death began a game of playing dumb to Andromeda and Rodolphus letting them know what information The Death Eaters wanted them to know and when it was best to reveal it. Years of hard work sabotage enough behind the scenes and helping them win cases as and when it was appropriate soon earned Regulus the title of associate barrister to Andromeda. Regulus was climbing the ranks at work and had established himself as a loyal servant to The Dark Lord. 

His family loved and respected them and besides Andromeda they had no secrets, which would all be soon rectified in time. In society he was a popular eligible bachelor, with only his mother standing in the way of him being snapped up by an eligible witch or wizard.  Although focused on his career, Regulus believed that he deserved the very best and ADRASTEIA GREENGRASS [acquaintance/potential love interest] had beauty and grace that rivalled even that of a veela. Regulus often finds himself enjoying polite conversation with her at functions, but not knowing where the political allegiances lie of herself and her brother ARISTAEUS GREENGRASS [acquaintance] he is careful to pursue her until he knows more. The biggest thorn in Regulus’ side however is neither his job nor the marriage market. Recently, Regulus has noticed his estranged brother watching him, after years of silence on both their parts. Curious by his sudden keenness, Regulus has been keeping an eye on Sirius whilst digging into his background, without mentioning it to his family. With whispers in the alleys that a rival group is forming to challenge The Dark Lord, Regulus has his suspicions that someone as stupid as Sirius would be likely to put themselves in danger and join a ridiculous organisation that might get him killed and their name disgraced. 

— he is a LEVEL 5 WIZARD & readied for war ;

[vintagewildlife]

Cat carrying her kitten By: General Press Agency From: Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats 1961

[oddwomen]

LIFE (December 15, 1961)

[weirdlookindog]

The Nightmare at Elm Manor (1961)

[20th-century-man]

Marilyn Monroe / photo by Douglas Kirkland, November 17, 1961.

[infinitemarilynmonroe]

Marilyn Monroe, 1961.

[velvet4510]

Note: this list references the 1961 version of West Side Story and the 1954 version of A Star Is Born.

[thecinamonroe]

Marilyn Monroe leaving Columbia Presbyterian hospital where she received psychiatric care for over a month, New York on March 5, 1961.

[dozydawn]

Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Photographed by Wilbur E. Garrett.

10 October 1961.

[normasshearer]

What shall I say when my lord comes a calling? What shall I say when he knocks on my door? What shall I say when his feet enter softly? Leaving the marks of his grave on my floor. Enter my lord. Come from your prison. Come from your grave, for the moon is a risen. Welcome, my lord.

THE INNOCENTS 1961, dir. Jack Clayton

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

Ukrainian women playing the bandura in Maribor, Slovenia. 1961.

[unravellingsilencehq]

“Oh, Merlin, tell me, does THE SHADOW get what he deserves?” He is NEUTRAL & OPEN to finding out. 

— he walks through the world as ;

name → quirinus quirrell  pronouns → he/him identification → cis-male year of birth → september 1960 - september 1961 face claim → aramis knight blood status → half-blood sexual orientation → up to applicant occupation → researcher  for the daily prophet  future information → member of the death eaters, defence against the dark arts teacher at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry

— he is best described as ;

MYSTERIOUS, he is quiet. The kind of person who doesn’t SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO, though there is a FIRE in his eyes when he speaks with CONVICTION that would make the most unassuming SIT UP & TAKE NOTE. His scent is DARK yet EXOTIC & CHANGES each time you see him, a hallmark of his time spent TRAVELLING, but there always lingers the scent of OLD PAGES & INK as he furiously scribbles in the margins of his books he’ll not even let those closest to him read.

— his story starts with ;

tw: death

Quirinus Quirrell is a name not many care to recall despite its uniqueness, possibly because the wizard who holds it has faded into the background for most of his life. The youngest child of Janani Quirrel and her husband Cyril Quirrel, Quirinius felt like he had a great deal to live up to. His mother had held a position as a well respected barrister for The Ministry of Magic, whilst his father had worked in finance for The Department of Magical Sports and Games before they both retired. A good few years his senior, Quirinius’ brother and sister were impressive also, with Maira Quirrell, a Chaser for The Holyhead Harpies in her youth and his brother Tadeen Quirrell, a respected teacher at Ilvermony. Sitting amongst them, Quirinus felt as though he too would be destined for great things, it did after all run in his family. Much younger than Maira and Tadeen, Quirinius recalls his childhood as him always struggling to be heard above the noise. It was always in a moment Quirinius, after dinner Quirinius, I have a meeting Quirinius, isn’t it so wonderful your sister made the Hufflepuff team Quirinius! 

Whatever he accomplished was never quite important enough for his parents to pay much attention to. The day his letter to Hogwarts arrived was also overpowered by the ridiculous news his brother was getting married, which had happened to arrive on the same day; which his brother to this day swears was an accident. School felt like the first opportunity to set himself apart from his family legacy. A departure from the Quirrell family legacy, he was sorted into Ravenclaw, and breathed a sigh of relief he may finally be around more like minded folk. To his horror he found that whilst people in Ravenclaw did value reading books and cleverness, they did also value showing off and throwing other people under the Knight Bus in order to get the attention they so craved. The worst offender by far was GILDEROY LOCKHART [rival/boss], a boy who Quirinius might have felt sorry for if he hadn’t been so bloody irritating. Whilst Quirinius was intent on making a name for himself at Hogwarts, Gilderoy seemingly had the same intentions and preferred to do it all by making people feel as annoyed by him as possible. 

Each year working on the school newspaper Quirinius would be subjected to writing about the time breakfast was cancelled because Gilderoy was sent hundreds of Valentine’s cards, or how he took someone to the prefect's bathroom and flooded it with so many bubbles they spilled into the corridor. He had first assumed RITA SKEETER [colleague] handed him the pieces because he could execute them well through his hatred of Gilderoy, but having gotten to know her better later in life he now considers it was a wicked form of entertainment for her. One of the silver linings about working on “The Gilderoy Show” as he’d come to call it was the entertainment it also brought is best friend and fellow journalist IRIS HOOKUM [best friend/housemate] who enjoyed making jokes about Gilderoy he was always too self-obsessed to pick up on. Quirinius main friends came from working at The Hogwarts Gazette, including the beginnings of firmer friendships with EMILIA GREY [close friend/housemate/colleague], EDWARD TONKS [close friend/housemate/colleague], BENEDICT MISSLETHORPE [close friend/housemate/colleague] and ELIZABETH BRAITHWAITE [close friend/housemate/colleague], but everyone knew Quirinius enjoyed time to himself and he spent it on his passion project. 

Like any young wizard who grew up reading The Tales of Beedle The Bard and other such stories, Quirinius had very clear ideas about light and dark magic; which is why The Dark Arts became such a fascinating subject for him. At first his interest in it was most likely to establish himself above others, people who were known to perform well in Defence Against the Dark Arts were well liked and often became fine sorcerers working for The Ministry immortalised in print. By the time he had graduated, Quirinius had learned just about all there was to know about the Dark Arts, considering himself somewhat of an expert on the topic from a purely theoretical and academic perspective. Whilst his abilities and grades certainly qualified him for a job at the Auror’s Office, Quirinius interests lay in academia and he longed for the world to sit up and notice him due to his interests and talents. Straight out of the gate, Quirinius went travelling, learning all there was to know about the Dark Arts from various corners of the globe. He was gone for almost five years and was both shocked and appalled when publishers did not want to print his findings upon him returning back to Britain. 

Out of money and refusing to get a menial job or move back in with his parents, Quirinus took the spare room in Elizabeth’s house and tried to get a job working at The Daily Prophet with the rest of his friends. Due to his lack of experience due to travelling for all that time, the best he could land was a researcher's position working to Rita Skeeter, which was to him humiliating. Quirinius watched as Rita tried to pitch ideas for pieces which were inevitably handed over to ELIAS SPENSER-MOON [colleague] and his team, keeping her in her lane and him firmly in his also. Quirinius big break came finally when of all people, his former nemesis Gideroy Lockhart joined the paper as a contributing editor, with his head even larger than it had been before. Quirinius had been begrudgingly tracking Gilderoy’s success over the years, silently wondering how someone he remembered with not a great talent for defensive magic had managed to defeat so many evil creatures. Rivalry aside, Quirinius has breathed a sigh of relief to be away from gossip and finally on some real journalism, working on a special project trying to find the origins of the one they called The Dark Lord. 

He had been wondering about The Dark Lord for some time, silently researching and keeping notes, partly out of curiosity, partly out of that unacknowledged desire for importance. At the very least, Quirinius fantasised that he could be the man who tracked him down and wondered about what he might learn from him, or what story he could sell on him at the very least. Upon being ordered to work with Gilderoy, thanks to what he assumed was Benedict trying to be kind and mentioning he had done the research in the first place, Quirinius turned over everything he had worked on over the past two years, including why he considered the death of BOOKER BAGNOLD [person of interest] to have been caused by a spell rather than a werewolf attack as The Ministry had claimed. It was something he had pondered for a while, before being told by Rita to drop it, but upon reflection it now seemed more important. Now under the irritating and interfering gaze of Gilderoy, Quirinius is trying is best to find out all he can about the mysterious new wizard in town and is starting by attempting to get to know the people who are likely in his opinion to know something - the Black family, who always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

— he is a LEVEL 5 WIZARD & readied for war ;

[vintagewildlife]

Kitten in a bucket By: General Press Agency Ltd. From: Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats 1961

[harrisonarchive]

George photographed by Jürgen Vollmer in Hamburg, spring of 1961.

“He was such a sweet and charming little boy. But he also had this melancholy feeling that I identified with. I didn’t have much contact with Paul, and I was always a little afraid of John because he could be arrogant and overly ironic. But George didn’t have a mean streak in him.” - Jürgen Vollmer, Harrison (2002) (x)

[weirdlookindog]

[20th-century-man]

Sophia Loren / during production of Christian-Jaque's Madame Sans-Gêne (1961)