David Alexander Gudgeon Jr. was born and raised in the city of London, in Westminster, to working parents who were completely oblivious to his world. He had never liked going by David, preferring Davey instead. It was his fatherâs name, and Davey thought it too formal and stuffy. And, if there was anything that he did not want to be, it was anything resembling his father. David Alexander Gudgeon Sr. was a mid-level manager in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Specifically, he headed the International Magical Trading Standards Body. What did he do exactly? Well, Davey couldnât tell you. He nearly went to sleep every time his father opened his mouth to talk about it. When David Sr. was a young intern, first beginning his career, he met a witch, who went by the name of Gabourey. It was a tale as old as time, which in Daveyâs opinion, made it very, very boring. Paper-pusher meets Obliviator, and the rest was history. From there, three children were born; First Davey, then his little brother and sister, Galvin and Gladys. From a young age, Davey proved to be different from his siblings. He was loud where Galvin was quiet, and destructive where Gladys was charming. It felt like all of his conversations with his parents were defined by what he had done wrong, how things could be fixed, and what he could do better.
The craziest thing about Davey was that many of his tricks and hijinxs had nothing to do with magic. Heâd never been afraid to push the limits, something that was clear to all from the moment he first began to walk. He had very little regard for consequence, and rarely thought things through: it was all part of his desire for instant gratification. He had never been a very patient boy, and he spent years counting down the days until he would receive his Hogwarts letter. The day it arrived was one of his most favorite memories. One letter, one trip to Diagon Alley, and then he was riding off to Hogwarts with a trunk full of spellbooks and wand tucked neatly into the sleeve of his brand new robes.
His family used to tell him for years that the Sorting Hat would hardly blink in his direction before sorting him into Gryffindor. Most of his family went into Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw occasionally. But Davey? He was different. He was loud, and headstrong, and brave to a fault. Just as they had predicted, the hat hardly even touched his head before he was sent to the table of crimson and gold. As school geared into motion, Davey quickly discovered that academia was not all he thought it would be. He quickly learned which classes he hated: Transfiguration, and Potions. He also learned which of those he liked: Care of Magical Creatures, and Herbology. He made friends with his roommates -- Remus, and James, and Gideon alike -- but his truest friend that year was easily the boy in the bed next over. As first years, Andrei Draganov and Davey Gudgeon had attached themselves to one another. Partners in class, and partners in crime. Too bad that didnât last into second year.
While at school, Davey developed a bit of a reputation. There were few people who could match Davey in sheer courage and nerve. That being said, there were fewer still who could match him in stupidity, except Gideon Prewett perhaps. He had a naturally bright -- or rather, innovative might be the correct word -- mind, giving him a tendency to act without thinking. It was always one act of valor and mischief after another, and he was easily encouraged by the people around him. For example, midway through his first year, Davey found himself at the behest of his friend Andrei, who foolishly dared him to touch the brand new, fighting tree, the Whomping Willow. Davey got close -- far closer than most first years dared -- before the tree smashed him so hard that he found himself a new home in the Hospital Wing for the next two months. Heâd nearly lost an eye!
Something always questioned about Davey was whether he was exceptionally brave, or just terribly stupid. If one were to ask his mother and father, they would choose the latter option. Heâd been on the receiving end of many a howler, forced to listen to his parents lecture and nag him to be better, to be fit to bear the Gudgeon name. Didnât they realize that he didnât want their name? He wanted his own name, his own legacy. His stunts made him stand out. Being different was a normality for Davey and he happily brought this with him to Hogwarts. He was weird, and loud, and in oneâs face, and he was damn proud of it! He didnât understand what was wrong with wanting a little bit of attention? Galvin was the good one, the one that made his parents proud, and Gladys snatched every bit of spotlight up for herself, leaving none for anyone else. Being near his family reminded Davey of his black-sheep position. So, to avoid that, he tried to stay away from them. He was the eldest, but he had never been very great at assuming the role of protector. For their part, his siblings didnât seem to need him to. Thatâs what it looked like from his perspective, anyways. Galvin and Gladys had always looked out for one another, and that suited Davey just fine. It was better this way. Daveyâs relationship with Gladys was alright, if distant. It was his relationship with his brother that really drove the point home. Davey had always had a temper as hot and uncontrollable as his personality, and that had never mixed well with the softness emanating from Galvin.
As his time in Hogwarts drew to a close, there were a great many things that Davey needed to think about. It was no secret that he wasnât cut out for a Ministry job. That was his fatherâs domain, and maybe Galvinâs too. Never Daveyâs. He would rather die than spend the rest of his life doing something so boring. He wanted action, and he wanted adventure. He wanted stories that would make his blood pump just by remembering them. He wanted dragons, and he wanted fire. He wanted to show off, to be admired by those who heard his tales. Davey Gudgeon was a proud peacock who would go to the ends of the earth if it meant impressing someone. To his credit, he tried not to be arrogant. But it was so difficult when everything he did was so much more exciting than what everyone else seemed to be doing. Even when he was sent to the hospital wing for the disastrous Whomping Willow fiasco, he rejoiced in the laughter and easily ignored the judgmental stares.
When the time came to make a choice, it was easy. Come graduation, Davey would be heading off to Sweden to work on one of the dragon reservations up in the mountains. It would be a dangerous job, but that was just how he liked it.
Recently, another choice presented itself to Davey. Even someone as good at distracting himself as he, could not ignore what was happening at home. Death, violence, and blood supremacy ran rampant all around. When an opportunity to join The Order of the Phoenix presented itself, he said yes before they could even finish their sentence. His bravery had always been tested at an extremely shallow level---- but this would be his chance to do something real. So as the school year comes to a close, Davey prepared for what would be waiting for him outside of those walls. A dragon, with hot flames pouring from its snout. The disappointment from his parents when they heard what he intended to do. And most importantly, masked dangers that would prove to be his most exciting adventure of all.
