Elias Lâu

Played by Godfrey Gao (link)
DESCRIPTION: If anyone was ever born to be a wizard or magician, it was Elias. At 32, he has presence, mystique and an aura of distinct power, at least when pacing determinedly down a hall or easily charming others. In his younger days he was cute, and then attractive, but he will now assure you that he is gorgeous, thanks very much, and most people would agree. He affects an air of casual insouciance, interspersed with flashes of brilliance, but thinks and feels more than anyone might guess. Outwardly, though, he is a very pretty, handsomely dressed man with a penchant for eyeliner and a faraway look in his eyes when nobody's watching.




POSITIVE TRAITS: Charming, loyal, intuitive, thinks before he speaks, master of the sassy phrase, erudite, knowledgeable, patient with students, devoted to taking care of those he cares about, in love with the stars and knows a lot about them (both Muggle and magical), excellent at reading people, very inventive, theatrical presence, talented at nonverbal spells, very romantic (secretly), knack for Charms, knows himself very well and is very introspective, analytical, focused, and of course, fabulous.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Appears to be sincere 100% of the time but is in fact a master of concealing his feelings behind a witty remark, spends too much time in the shower in the morning, has a tendency to walk around looking at the stars and nearly fall off of the Astronomy tower, guards his heart like you wouldn't believe, sometimes takes standing up for his students a little too far, has no patience for people who are cruel or stupid, can get totally immersed in the pursuit of his goals, doesn't believe he's worth much.

LIKES: His cat (le Comtesse d'Mew), the stars, the heavens, the moon (he could go on...), cool stone and warm fireplaces, the colour green, forests - especially after a rain, hair products, eyeliner, people who are passionate about life or some aspect thereof, blue eyes, sincerity, creativity.
DISLIKES: Vanilla, guilt trips, pressure, people who take him for granted, people who use him to get what they want, colours he doesn't look good in, feeling vulnerable, when people can actually figure out what he's thinking, country music, people who think they're good at something and aren't, but brag about it anyways...
HOBBIES: Stargazing, fashion, cat care, reading, drinking entirely too much tea with too much sugar, drinking entirely too much champagne with too many bad decisions, flirtation, keeping himself to himself, maligning his ex wife.

GENERAL PERSONALITY: Elias is an enigma. Charming to a fault, and appearing flamboyant, stylish and often flirtatious, he is also a master of the mask and concealing his own feelings. There is, of course, some truth in the mask - just as in any good lie - and he does like looking his best and making people smile from his flirtations and charm (though that isn't the only purpose they serve, not by a long shot), but the core of his persona is a knowledgeable, wise and patient wizard with a vulnerable side and a wall around his heart 10 feet tall. He has a strong sense of morality and also a healthy sense of self-preservation, which often conflict. He is often like the stars that he loves so much - sparkly and brilliant, but far away from the rest of the world.



Parents: Mei-lin Zhao (57) and Christopher (Qiang) Lâu (60)
Siblings: Ruby (Xiulan) Lâu (26)
Partner: None
Children: Nope
Other Family: His family is mainly in China and Taiwan, but his parents and paternal grandparents live in England.

Character History:
Elias had a standard upbringing... for a child whose accidental magic started early, and whose parents never saw each other due to their demanding jobs. Mei-lin, a halfblood witch who'd gone into Muggle business, and Christopher, a surgical nurse, worked incredibly hard to build a life for themselves, their parents, and their children from the moment they were married. They instilled this ethic into their children - Elias first, and then Ruby 6 years later. Though the two can be heard to tease their parents about those years, they are both incredibly grateful to them. At the time, perhaps, Elias wasn't pleased that he had no attention (between one parent or the other always working and then the smaller child taking the spotlight), but as he grew he learned better ways to get attention than throwing dramatic pouts and sighs in his parents' direction.

With both parents magical, merely working in the Muggle world, Elias received a thorough education in both worlds. He learned his parents' language and English at the same time as he was told about the Statute of Secrecy, and so he was well prepared, even eagerly anticipating, his Hogwarts letter. Entrenched in Muggle life, his parents managed to slide under the radar of the first wizarding war - barely - and so all was right in the world once more by the time Elias gazed upon the towers of Hogwarts.

His tenure at the school was relatively unremarkable, particularly in comparison to the Golden trio who would follow a decade later, but it did have a few key highlights that would affect how he viewed the world and the rest of his life. Firstly, he was sorted into Slytherin, and discovered that they weren't quite so awful and Dark as people would tend to believe (not that there weren't the last bastions of Dark houses sprinkled among them...). He also discovered, after a very long fall down the stairs caused by an overenthusiastic Gryffindor, that his House had his back, even if that meant the Gryffindor was in the hospital wing right next to him. After that, Elias learned House loyalty - and caution.

Secondly, after spending most of his young life with his family, he was introduced to a massive variety of individuals - men and women from different backgrounds, of different temperaments, and particularly of different opinions. Elias, after a few encounters with would-be bullies and irritating prefects, started to build a persona for himself, much like those with their Pureblood aristocrat shields - except his shield was charm, dry wit and world-weariness. It came in useful, even if the world-weariness sat a bit oddly on a teenager, and Elias settled in behind his shield to wait out the sea of hormones, drama and frantic studying. He was openly bisexual, and openly flirtatious, but also notoriously unavailable. He left quite the reputation behind for his little sister to discover - thank goodness she was a Ravenclaw.

Finally, he discovered a passion for the stars. He was an excellent Charms student as well as having a knack for Arithmancy, but it was Astronomy that captured his attention. With an appreciation for Muggle science as well as a great enjoyment in all kinds of magic, the heavens were alluring, and Elias poured extra time into his work and treks up to the Astronomy tower. His classmates might call him a bit crazy for lying on the cold stone making notes about the sky, but that was where he felt the most at peace. When he graduated school, Elias (in the grand tradition of his family) managed to simultaneously work a part-time job and obtain a bachelor's degree in Astronomy. Discovering he liked research, he applied for a position, and then cancelled it when he realized he couldn't work only in the Muggle world. It was for his parents, not for him - he missed magic, and the sense of belonging one got from that permeating what seemed like the very air in the Wizarding world. Elias apologized to his family and got on a plane for China the next day.

For the next few years, from when he was about 23 to about 26, Elias traveled the world. He didn't stay in one place for long - he stayed longest with his relatives in China, and then moved on - but instead briefly integrated himself into various magical communities for a time, charming the socks off of everyone figuratively and literally. As he went, he learned from those around him, always focusing on the stars but not objecting to learning local Charmwork or helping out with problems like sewing or house pests. It was a good experience for him, and Elias felt the shield of his younger days melting slightly, showing a more sincere and less theatrical man than he'd been before (though he still really did appreciate eyeliner).

That was until he stopped in France on his way home and met Elodié Champláin, the lovely youngest daughter of a French astronomer whom he had asked to learn from. Elodié was lovely, understanding and very smart, and the newly open Elias fell for her very quickly. They had a brief, passionate fling up until he received a fearful message from his family to come home, because muggleborns and those associated with them were being rounded up and they were scared. Elias did, but not before he proposed to Elodié one romantic night, vowing his love eternal. She said yes, and that she would come to England, and so Elias left France frightened for his family but looking forward to a happy future.

The state of England astounded him. It was October of 1998 when he returned, and his sister (who had been working for the Ministry) had been sent for questioning. Elias was barred from seeing her or watching the questioning, but she came out shaking - and wandless. They'd taken it while they were "determining her worthiness as a witch", and they were going to find their mother next. Nothing good could come of this, for certain, and the Lâus took advantage of the Ministry's lack of knowledge of Muggle air travel to flee to China as soon as they could.

Elias stayed behind. His excuse was to keep an eye on the house and the country; he claimed that he would be safe as he had only just returned to England and nobody knew he was there. Really, he was waiting for Elodié. He sent her an owl full of romantic promises and wishes as soon as he heard from his parents, but there was no reply. Then he sent more. Finally, he traveled to France in April to find her, worried sick. But Elodié was just fine - in fact, she was betrothed to another, and to hear her tell it, had been betrothed to the other man since before Elias came along. Devastated, Elias returned to England lost in his moping, and ran into a group of Snatchers near his home. Though an accomplished wizard, he was taken by surprise by the large group, and dragged to the Ministry to await judgement.

What saved him wasn't his own skills, but the fact that the Dark Lord was defeated in early May. He was released soon after that, battered and bruised but whole, even regaining his original wand. Bitter and seeking a new beginning, Elias applied for the Astronomy position at Hogwarts and received the title in time for Hogwarts to reopen, settling into lodgings there with a new resolve to watch his back and focus only on academia. His family returned the following March, and he settled into a routine, not speaking of the past and disarming many with his renewed charming facade. In 2001, after Horace Slughorn's unfortunate demise, he was approached for the Slytherin head of House position and accepted. He is a good fit for the position - any student may seek him out for help, as he has a surprisingly soft heart. It's just hidden, for now.



Wand: 13", Willow, Demiguise Hair, Pliant.
Former House: Elias stalled the Hat for a solid 4 minutes as it dithered between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Eventually it settled on Slytherin. Only Elias knows why.
Affiliation: Other
Amortentia: The night air, glitter, bergamot, sleepy cats, lightning/electricity.
Magical Abilities: The most attractive man ever to wear sparkly eyeliner.




FINALLY DONE