Character Applied for: Kingsley Shacklebolt

Description of Character's Personality:

Kingsley Shacklebolt is, first and foremost, an Auror. He's been an Auror, or in 
training to be an Auror, since shortly after he left Hogwarts, and it's all he 
knows at this point. His friends are Order members or other Aurors, and between 
his work with the Order and his Ministry work, he's had little time for a life. 
However, he's quite content with this, as he knows the work that he's doing to 
rid Britain of Dark wizards is worth any amount of personal sacrifice. It is, in 
fact, worth doing <i>anything</i> for - after this many years, he's grown to 
believe that the end justifies the means.

His living quarters are always kept very Spartan - little in the way of personal 
ornamentation. There are books, and a handful of family photographs, but that's 
about all in the way of personalization. He's rarely home anyway, so he doesn't 
care much.

This is not to say that he's antisocial. He doesn't get terribly close to 
people, but he is a pleasant conversationalist, with a good sense of humor, and 
he's easygoing when his work isn't concerned. He enjoys going out for a pint 
with his co-workers, and so on - he's just in a job where he doesn't have much 
free time. 

Important Backstory, if any:

Shacklebolt was too young to be part of the original Order - he was in his 
seventh year at Hogwarts when Voldemort was defeated. However, he vaguely knows 
the Marauders and those of that era from school - though since he was younger, 
they don't always remember him. 

He has always had an intense respect for Albus Dumbledore, verging on hero-
worship. After the events at the end of OotP, however, it has taken a bit of a 
beating - the halo is a little tarnished. However, when Dumbledore asked him to 
take the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, he did not hesitate; he knows how 
important this subject will be for the children he teaches. 

Sample Journal Entry:

Even after six weeks or so, it still feels odd to be once again at Hogwarts. 
Professor Flitwick still has the ability to make me feel like a grubby little 
second year who forgot to do his homework - and yet I'm fixing a new set of 
grubby second years with the same sort of disapproving stares.

The younger children are so very difficult to work with. The older ones at least 
understand how important this is - my sixth and seventh years, particularly, are 
quite serious, and I understand that the sixth year NEWT class is the largest in 
over fifteen years - but the first years, particularly the Muggleborn first 
years, just cannot seem to comprehend that their very lives, and the lives of 
everyone they hold dear, may depend on what they learn in my classroom. On what 
they can do, on what they're *willing* to do, to protect themselves.

I can see why Albus worries about them so much.