Gryffindor: Clan Granger

 Granger

"until all are free"

Sam Bosma

Sigil: an open book, white on violet.

Skills: Charms (advanced) | Curses (advanced) | Transfiguration (advanced) 

+1 to Wisdom

Although their bloodline is of comparatively recent vintage (indeed, some heralds of the great wizarding houses claim that they are merely another cadet branch of Clan Weasley), the Grangers are strong, wealthy, and popular... at least among their neighbors and dependents (magical or otherwise). Their rule is bolstered by the largest collection of magical books in England and their fields and farms prosper under the blessing of the wood and field-elves, with whom the Grangers have long made alliance.

Inspired Action – The History & Practice of English Magic

You can spend Inspiration to wrack your brain and your copy of the family almanac to uncover the answer to any question pertaining to magic or magical history. This ability can only answer questions about the past. 

Flaw – Wearisome

When an ally fails a roll you can offer advice on their technique, backed by your years of scholarship. Oddly, the recipient of your wisdom receives no benefit, and indeed gains +1 Fatigue. You, however, gain Inspiration.

 

Starting Equipment –pick two–

1. Elf-made boots – leave no tracks & ignore difficult terrain
2. Enchanted knitting needles & ball of yarn – work on their own (ud6)
3. Enchanted handbag –  holds up to 4 inventory. Takes a round of searching to find anything stored inside.
4. Jar of bluebell flames – burns without fuel, can be carried or manipulated without burning you (will burn other people however)
5. Rain-proof cloak – always stay dry under the cloak, rain always stays out of your eyes
6. Elf-token – you can request a favor from the free-elves in any forest or field. The elves will usually request a favor in return.

 

Names

1. Herman

2. Rowland

3. Solomon

4. Dorothy

5. Natalie

6. Phoebe

Design Notes: obviously the Granger character type had to be both wise and annoying (I was especially tickled when I realized I could make the pun of their flaw work mechanically). Their fantasy gloss is about being elf-friends - the prefix in house-elf implies that there could be other kinds of elves, although we never see any in the books. Maybe they're the descendants of house-elves who were freed following this setting's magical apocalypse at the end of Deathly Hallows. Either way, Rowling's treatment of Hermione's advocacy for elf rights is a particularly sour and nasty note in the books (up there with Dudley almost choking to death on the tongue-swelling toffee), so here's my own little piece of transformative fan-fiction.

Names: bit of a mix, but mostly taken from characters known for their wisdom. "Herman" is of course a masculinized take on "Hermione," and Dorothy is a nod to her being a normal girl drawn into a magical world.