Philippa Dobbs

OOC

Game	Journal	Portrayed By
Confundo	truthoutthere	Vanessa Hudgens

Basic Stats

Full Name: Philippa Mary Dobbs
Nickname(s): Pip or Pippa, never Phil
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Date of Birth: May 30, 1961
Zodiac: Gemini
Sexuality: Straight
Relationship Status: Single
Bloodline: Halfblood
Hometown: London, England
House & Year: Hufflepuff 6th
Extracurriculars: Book club; chess club; journalism club
Wand: 9 in, ash, dragon heartstring
Pet: None

Family

Father: Godrey Patrick Dobbs (wizard; Ravenclaw 1946; programming director: WWN)
Mother: Elizabeth Mary Dobbs (née Brown; witch; Hufflepuff 1948; voice actress: Timeturner Tales on WWN)
Brother: Edward Patrick Dobbs (wizard; Ravenclaw 6th; b. May 30, 1961)

History

Godfrey Dobbs and Elizabeth Brown both attended Hogwarts around pretty much the same time. Godfrey was in Ravenclaw two years ahead of Elizabeth in Hufflepuff, so their paths didn't cross much in the five years that they were both there, mostly due to the fact that they had different social circles. After Godfrey finished school, he got a fairly low-level job at the WWN, mostly just fetching coffee and such for the bigwigs. But he began climbing his way to the top, his eyes set on a cushy job where he would be able to order underlings around. It was during his climb to the top that he really met Elizabeth, who had happened to also secure a job at the WWN upon finishing school: the role of newcomer Katherine Parker on the popular serial "Timeturner Tales." As Katherine caught the eye of Richard Sprecher, the serial's resident aethonon breeder, Elizabeth caught Godfrey's eye. One date turned into two, a week turned into a month, and before long, Godfrey and Elizabeth were in love. Not long after the wedding of Katherine to Richard on the serial, Godfrey and Elizabeth imitated art and were married in 1950.

Due to their busy schedules with work, and simply a desire to spend time together just the two of them, it was eleven years before they had children, and then they had two at once: twins Edward and Philippa, born in 1961 and named after their grandfathers (Edward Dobbs and Philip Brown), who had both passed away over the previous year. When the twins were three, Godfrey was promoted to Programming Director at the WWN, in charge of determining which shows went on the air and when. When this promotion came, the family moved to an upper-class area of London, and the quality of the clothing, toys, and food for the children greatly increased. Katherine remained a popular character on "Timeturner Tales," so Elizabeth's job was secure, was well. Edward and Philippa were homeschooled, and mostly kept out of the limelight that came from their mother's success as a voice actress.

As a child, Pippa was a happy little girl who wanted for little. She had the attention of her parents, and they were making enough money that they were able to live comfortably. She was a friendly, cheerful child, and very well-behaved. Her parents often brought her into the WWN offices, and Pippa would go up to everyone and say hi with a nice big smile. She wasn't shy about greeting other people. In fact, Pippa has never been really described as shy. She has her quiet moments, but quiet does not necessarily equate shy; if anything, her quiet moments are more calculating than anything else. She enjoyed sitting in on the newsroom at the WWN, watching the reporters read their stories. She became more interested in the news side of things at the WWN than in the entertainment programming side of things that her parents worked in. While she acknowledged that entertainment was important and valuable, knowledge was invaluable and powerful. Pippa became determined to do all she could to set herself on that side of things, to bring knowledge to the people.

In 1972, shortly after their eleventh birthday, Edward and Pippa received their Hogwarts letters. Godfrey and Elizabeth were quick to regale their children with stories of their time at Hogwarts, on the houses and what they thought of them. Edward was clearly hoping for Ravenclaw, while Pippa wasn't sure where she would fit. On the first of September, they boarded the train with all the other students and began their Hogwarts journey. Because his name came first, alphabetically, Edward was sorted before Pippa that night, and he was quickly placed in their father's former house of Ravenclaw. When Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Pippa's head, it took much longer to find a place for her. Like Pippa herself, the Hat was unsure of where she fit in. She would do well in Ravenclaw with her brother, or in Hufflepuff, or even Slytherin. Ultimately, Pippa asked the Hat to put her into Hufflepuff: Ravenclaw could be her brother's domain, and while she knew she had the ambition of a Slytherin, she felt that the perceived-soft house of Hufflepuff could use some backbone.

From the start, Pippa did better in classes of theory and discussion, and she enjoyed digging around for the true meaning of everything. Fancy wandwork was outside of her interests, so she only did well enough in those sorts of classes to pass. In her fourth year, wanting to make her own voice heard, and that of her like-minded classmates, she started up a new club: the Journalism Club, for students who wanted to go into journalism, whether in print or over the wireless. The idea was to give the students their own voice: a student-run newspaper to distribute through the school. The students in the group would decide what to report upon, and would do all their own research, format the paper, and distribute it around the school.

Fifth year brought the OWLs, and they passed in much the way that Pippa had expected they would: she didn't do extraordinarily well, but she passed all her classes, and did better in the theory ones than the fancy wandwork ones. As her sixth year began, she opted to continue in only five classes. By this point, however, her classes were mostly just to get grades and keep her busy during the day: she didn't particularly see any of them as overly useful in her future as a reporter, other than to help expand her mind.

Personality

Like two sides of a coin, Pippa and Edward can be easily described both in terms of what each is, as well as in terms of what the one is that the other isn't. Where Edward sees everything in stark blacks and whites, Pippa sees the shades of gray in everything, the varying degrees and levels of truths and lies. Edward is stubborn and pig-headed, while Pippa's own determination is just a little quieter and more subtle.

In truth, the Sorting Hat debated on Pippa. It could see in her head trademarks of three of the four houses: the hard-workingness and loyalty of a Hufflepuff, the desire for truth and knowledge of a Ravenclaw, the drive and ambition of a Slytherin. The Hat felt that Pippa would grow and thrive differently in each separate environment. It was Pippa's own request of Hufflepuff that made the Hat's decision for it, and it was a knowledgeable choice on Pippa part. Edward had already been sorted into Ravenclaw, and she wanted to leave that as his domain, which left Hufflepuff and Slytherin for her. From the things her parents had said of Hufflepuff, it sounded as though everyone underestimated the house of the yellow and black, and Pippa wanted to prove that Hufflepuffs were just as worthy of attention as any other students in the other houses.

Pippa has the heart and head of a future reporter: she's not satisfied with just what she's told: she needs proof, or she won't believe it. And the proof better be from a reliable and credible source. She started the Journalism Club in her fourth year to provide like-minded students the opportunity to investigate for themselves and find the truth that is hidden in the things they are told and in what they see.

One thing that Pippa absolutely cannot stand is gossip. It's the poor man's version of reporting, and a distasteful one, at that. It's nothing more than fallible eye-witness accounts that can't be backed-up and is passed around from person to person, becoming more convoluted as it travels. The only interest that gossip holds to Pippa is in studying how it moves and changes, and in trying to trace it back to the source.

With her aspirations of becoming a reporter, Pippa takes loyalty very seriously. Whenever researching a piece for the Journalism Club's paper, she refuses to divulge her sources, no matter who's asking or what they're threatening her with if she doesn't. And, of course, she fully intends to continue following through with that once she's a full and proper reporter, paid for her work.

Questions

What is your idea of perfect happiness?: Knowing that I did my best in getting the truth to the masses.
What is your greatest fear?: The day that the government takes full control of the press and the only "truth" that is widely known is what the government wants known.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?: Ready belief in everything they're told, even without proof.
What do you do when you get nervous?: I tap my teeth together. Tap tap clack clack.
What do you do when you get angry?: I yell. A lot.
What do you do when you get happy?: Um … I smile? Laugh?
What do you do when you are sad?: Ok, I'll admit it. I'll sometimes cry. I try not to indulge too much sadness, though.
Do you have any interesting habits? If so, please list them.: I learned how to walk a coin over my fingers, and I do that whenever I'm thinking.
On what occasion do you lie?: I try to avoid concealing the truth. People deserve to know the whole truth. It's rarely in a person's best interests to sugar coat things or hide the truth from them.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?: I'd love to be just a little bit taller.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?: Starting up the Journalism Club. I hope it continues after I'm gone.
What is your greatest regret?: I'm only sixteen, I don't think I'm old enough for a lot of regrets yet.
What is your motto?: Seek the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.