Idara Ferrari
| File:Idara 01 285x285 2.png | |
| Idara Ferrari | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Born | 13 September 1971, 46 |
| City of Birth | Venice, Italy |
| Current City | Greater London, England |
| Residence | Olwyn Plas |
| Blood status | Half-breed |
| Physical Information | |
| Species | Part Veela |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5’6 (with heels, 5’10) |
| Hair Colour | Dark Gold |
| Eye Colour | Blue |
| Skin Colour | Fair |
| Relationships | |
| Father | Matteo Ferrari |
| Mother | Vareena Ferrari |
| Siblings |
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| Children |
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| Education | |
| School/House | Unknown House or School |
| Class of | 1990 |
| Occupation | |
| Sly | |
- Name: Idara Whitman née Ferrari
- Age: September 13, 1971 (38)
- Position: Senior Curator and Artifact Appraiser of the National Museum of Wizarding History, and Spokeswoman for the Veela Heritage Preservation Society
- Play-By: Louise Lombard
Regal, urbane, and ruthlessly intelligent, Idara is clearly a witch of priorities; it is only a matter of knowing what they are, as she is not immediately forthcoming about them. Primarily they go by a 'need-to-know' basis, and most people, it seems, do not need to know.
After a very brief incident with a cursed artifact, she looks older than she, a half-Veela, normally would. But she's taken it in stride, using it to her advantage; while she has few qualms about using her Charm, she finds dependency upon it rather ungraceful, and her new looks provide a more than an adequate alternative.
History
September 13, 1971; Venice, Italy.
Due to her mother's desire to keep her independence, Idara's childhood was quite fatherless for some time. By the time Matteo officially joined their family, Idara was nearly of age, old enough to begin her schooling.
But until then, Idara was well loved and looked after—happy, if not always content. And, honestly, their life was quaint, if somewhat rustic for Idara's tastes. Having a father figure would be a novelty, but a welcome one nonetheless. In general, her memories are remarkably pleasant.
But her time at Beauxbatons couldn't start soon enough. And when it finally did, she would discover how sheltered her life had been.
At the Academy, Idara found herself in the curious, unenviable position of being difficult to class. With her father hailing from an old family but disowned, and her mother a Being famed for its glamorous beauty but a Creature nonetheless, Idara was an oddity. Exotic. In a place where great value is placed on beauty and reputation, her fortunes could sway either way. If she wasn't careful, Beauxbatons would eat her alive.
But Idara was clever. Determined to have them sway in her favor, she was quick to use her more outstanding qualities to her advantage and climb the ranks of her peers. She was gracious, witty, and charming. Even when her opinions differed from those of her peers, she remained diplomatic. She became an active member in several groups, and thought highly by her teachers. She forged connections with anyone worth connecting. When graduation came, she did so with honors—and a wealth of connections.
Although she had a clear ability in Potions and Herbology, Idara pursued another passion: history. Or rather, wizarding history. Utilizing a close friendship with one of her professors, she gained an apprenticeship with a famous historian, Femelle Bienarré, at the Musée d'Bienarré. There, she studied for years, learning the ropes of curating as she did. Eventually she transferred to the The National Museum of Wizarding History, and married Gareth Whitman, with whom she had a son.
During the Second Wizarding War, she and Gareth moved to Paris, where they were well insulated from the chaos. It was a comfortable existence, but they were eager to return home. A month later, Madeleine was born, seemingly marking a new chapter in their lives.
Unfortunately, there was little to insulate them from their own troubles. With Theo growing increasingly... difficult, they were reluctant to leave the children alone. But their options were few—fewer still if they wanted to keep things quiet. And with every incident, they were running out of time. Finally, they sent him away.
Idara had her doubts; more importantly, he was still her little boy. Against her better sense she harbored some hope that this wasn't truly necessary. But it was—or at least, it seemed effective. Hardly a year had passed before Theo came home, and in him there was a marked improvement. Her darling boy had been put to rights.
Still, Idara was not fool enough to think all was perfect; work kept her away. There was little time to bond with her children, and when there was, she found herself at a loss. Theo was charming as ever, but closed off.
But the children had each other, and the Museum needed her. Once Madeleine was a little older, Idara returned to work.
Then, while Theo was away, Madeleine was kidnapped. For two terrible, frightful weeks, Gareth and Idara searched, drawing on their connections to find her. Both even took a leave of absence to better focus on their search. When Madeleine was finally found and a Memory Charm had been placed to help her cope, Idara, at least, took more time off to be with her children, of whom she saw very little to begin with.
Much to her dismay, it would not be so easy. Although Madeleine was still quite young, she showed an obvious preference for her brother, who was even more distant than before. It was difficult to become close with either of them. Perhaps for the first time ever, Idara encountered relationships that weren't so easily fostered. And as years passed, things only grew more difficult, not less. Though he never grew any less polite – never regressed to his old self – Theo developed a way of maintaining his own distance; meanwhile, Madeleine grew increasingly rebellious.
Finally Idara realized this was largely in part due to Theo's subtle interference, and when she did, she did what she could to mitigate things. Yet her efforts went unappreciated. No matter what she did, Theo proved unresponsive.
Now, things are... somewhat better, but for the most part Idara has resigned herself to the fact that her son has grown up without her—confronting her with the truth of their less-than-perfect family. Now she focuses most of her energies on repairing her relationship with her daughter, and work.
Veela Heritage Preservation Society
Idara is an active member of the Veela Heritage Preservation Society. Despite having children with a human man herself, she is concerned about the preservation of her heritage, especially as their numbers grows increasingly diluted. Within the Society, she is in charge of keeping track of their lore and traditions, as well as assisting new Veelas in integrating within human society and offering lessons to young ones.
As one of the founding members, Idara maintains a delicate balance between its interests and those of the Museum. On the occasion she holds a press conference, she takes care to disclaim any official affiliation to or condonement by either institution to the other when pressed, but remains one of the faces of the Society. When she isn't appraising new acquisitions, organizing upcoming events, or gently prying new pieces from their previous owners' hands, she is holding seminars, exhibitions, and counselling sessions. When an official comment is wanted, she is often the one to turn to.
Wizarding Museum of Natural History
Another interest of hers is art, which keeps her very busy; as a senior curator and nonhuman artifact appraiser at The National Museum of Wizarding History, her duties include the supervision of the Nonhuman Wing and its contents. With her fine eye for detail and general expertise, she is in charge of obtaining new artifacts and exhibits (as well as designing layouts for the latter). As a result she travels frequently, and for long periods of time.
A beautiful, youthful and feminine young woman when she first began her career, it did not go as smoothly as one might have expected; there was prejudice, especially when it grew swiftly apparent that she had long embraced what she was. But with that very same cause and sheer personality, she inevitably overcame her obstacles, becoming the highly respected – envied – curator she is today.
Veela Charm and Relationships
Unfortunately, the individual successes of she and Gareth were not without their price: relationships with their children. Now, Theo is amicable – calm – but pointedly self-sufficient; Maddie, outright defiant. Idara has been doing what she can to make amends, but both children have been resistant. Her sister, Naila Ferrari, has been quite gracious about her failings.
Fortunately, Idara's non-familial relationships continue to thrive. To her friends, contacts and colleague (whom many of which are all three), the woman is the esteemed, urbane witch she's always been, with connections seemingly everywhere—an impression easily supported by her Veela Charm. Her enemies are few and far between.
Because of her mastery over her Charm, Idara does not doubt that it has played a significant part in attaining her connections; in fact, she relies on it. But instead of seeing it as a separate entity, she sees it as a part of herself – as so many part Veelas don't – and instead of using it to keep her friendships, she relies on sheer personality – thereby allaying any moral doubts or angst that she might otherwise have.
Trivia
- She is fluent in over eight languages, including French, German, Arabic, and Gobbledygook (Italian being her first).
- She has had several successful dealings with Goblins.
- Allegedly she is the inspiration behind The Woman, a centerpiece of the Wizarding Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen.
