NAME: James "Jimmy" Alexander Peakes
AGE: 15 / 15 March 1981
HOUSE/YEAR: Gryffindor / 11th year
SOCIAL STATUS: As the son of a fire fighter with the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the owner of an antiques shop, the Peakes family has never made it out from the lower middle class, but they are proud of their history and heritage. The family is very frugal and conscious of the fact that at any time, an economic depression could hit and the area could suffer again - or that Jimmy's father, Simon, could be injured on the job. Both children grew up with responsibility to the family as their number one priority, whether that be doing their chores or getting part-time jobs or being successful in school so that they could bring the family out of the situation they are in. This means Jimmy is usually behind the times when it comes to fashion and popular culture, and he gets assistance towards his education with a partial sports scholarship.
SEXUALITY: Straight
APPEARANCE: Jimmy's brown hair is nothing special: a plain boring brand of brown in his opinion, a couple inches long all over and tends to flip up in the back and around his ears when it gets too long. His face is round, still possessing a lot of baby-fat despite his athleticism. His two distinctive features (in his opinion) are his eyes: large, round, and a deep brown. There are times his eyes appear to be all pupil and no iris - particularly when he's on the field and concentrating hard on something. His deep-set eyes crinkle easily at the edges and he generally has a sweet-looking face. The only problem he has with that area of his face is his under-eye area: it generally looks like he has bags under his eyes, that he's tired or whatever when he's really not. Other than that, he really has no complaints. He's also (luckily) free from acne. So far, he is completely incapable of growing facial hair, making him look very much his age or even slightly younger - if it were not for his height. He checks mirrors daily for any sign of hair and has been known, on occasion, to shave anyway in hopes that something would grow in.

Previously described as "short but broad-chested," Jimmy is still broad-chested and stocky (no where near as broad as, say, Cormac McLaggen, but broad enough for his age), but not as short as he used to be due to several growth spurts over the last few years, leaving him struggling to find clothes that actually fit. T-shirts, polo shirts, jeans, khaki trousers, ratty hand-knit jumpers and old cricket and lacrosse jerseys are what Jimmy is usually found in. He doesn't stand out much in any way, but looks generally unassuming and the sort of boy who would blend into the background if he wasn't so tall and broad for his age.

DESIRED PB: Michael Seater

PERSONALITY: The most notable aspect of Jimmy's personality is his love for sports, specifically lacrosse and cricket, though his love for physical activities extends to most other things, provided he can actually run around. He's very competitive on the field and, following losses, can get very moody and despondent. Jimmy knows that he is not the smartest student all-around, so whenever someone beats him in anything, it emphasizes the fact that he might just not belong at Hogwarts at all. He tries not to let it get to him, and most of the time, it doesn't bother him; he knows that there are plenty of students (Jack Sloper, Cormac McLaggen, for two examples) who are not as smart as he is (and plenty who are smarter). Still, Jimmy hates being beaten. He likes to win and likes the attention he gets when the team wins, even if everyone pays more attention to the older students. Some attention is better than none, right?

Jimmy is also very sensitive to wealth; he knows how little he has compared with how much some students have, and he reacts poorly when the difference between himself (or any of his favourite Gryffindors, including Ron & Ginny Weasley, and Demelza Robins to name a few) and the rest of the school is pointed out. He has a difficult time controlling his anger and will mope about when the time calls for it. This isn't to say he won't be friends with someone different than he is; it would be near impossible for him to get by at Hogwarts if he was that picky. Jimmy will befriend anyone, and will remain friends despite different social standings - provided the other people don't talk down to him because of his ill-fitting, old clothing or because he doesn't have the latest gadgets. Respect is big in the Peakes household. Ultimately, they are all students at Hogwarts, regardless of how much money they have or how expensive their clothes are. Jimmy's parents taught him to value other things in life (though he might contest some of that now that he's older). He values honesty because he's an open book himself; no matter how he's feeling, his mood is expressed on his face and in his body language. No matter how hard he's tried to hide his feelings, he's completely incapable of it. He's proud of who he is and sod the fool who tries to tell him he's not good enough; Jimmy knows he can kick most people's arses in something, even if they might not value it as much as he does. The fact that he can do it at all means something to him.

Much like some of the older Gryffindors, Jimmy is all smiles most of the time. He's easy-going and welcoming - as long as his team hasn't recently lost. He likes to talk and likes to be around people; he doesn't really like to study and needs an extra push in some areas, but he does well enough to get by. He has no problem asking questions if he needs help with a school computer or his homework. Jimmy is also surprisingly frugal, much like his parents, which is good because he doesn't really have any money to spare for the odd expenses. He had actually never left the country before the recent holiday excursion to France, and had never left his hometown and the neighbouring areas before attending Hogwarts. Because of that, he's slow to criticise the school; he's smart enough to realise that it has given him an incredible opportunity to make something of himself and help his family.

Because of his age, Jimmy can be immature, ill-mannered and rebellious - within limits. He doesn't smoke and has never had a drink of alcohol (except at home), but he'll challenge you to a burping contest. He's completely unafraid to talk to people from different houses and socioeconomic statuses because, though he knows they are different, he doesn't think of them as better. They're all people, in the end. His age has also influenced him in other ways: Jimmy is very keen on learning about pop culture, music, whatever, if someone better off than he is or someone more popular says something is brilliant. Oh, there's a new Blur album out? It's absolutely mind-boggling brilliant? Jimmy will ask to borrow it so he can catch up and at least appear knowledgeable. That knowledge is usually only skin-deep. He'll act as though he's a big fan of whatever band is popular of the moment, but these likes are sort of passing fancies to make him feel like he belongs too. This makes him seem often scatter-brained and all over the place, which is completely legitimate. He jumps from topic to topic easily and is quite forgetful, too.

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS: Jimmy likes to think of himself as a Special and Very Unique Boy, and he is in some ways! The boy is very athletic and takes his sports very seriously. He will be the first person on the field for lacrosse or cricket practices or games, the last one to leave the field, the first one organizing practices during the Michaelmas term, someone to depend upon to be part of a cheering section for Gryffindor in most sports (not the poncey ones like badminton or archery or golf). He's also not artistic or musical, completely incapable of drawing anything other than stick-figures and completely tone-deaf, but he's handy when it comes to building things: from forts during his childhood to Lego houses, castles, anything. He doesn't consider it anything special or artistic at all, but he does have some vision. Mostly, he stands apart because he's interested in lacrosse and cricket over some of the more popular sports at the school (tennis, football, rugby).

He's also Not Gay.

But more seriously for a second, Jimmy is also - despite being proud of where he came from - struggling to figure out who he is and where, exactly, he fits in with the rest of the world. He drifts between wanting to stick out because he doesn't care what anyone thinks to trying to fit in so people take him seriously. He doesn't want to be seen as betraying his family in some way, but at the same time, he wants to take advantage of the situation he's in. It's a complicated life for a 15 year old who would rather just run around outside.

LIKES: LEGO, lacrosse, cricket, sheep, North Wales, the countryside (wide open spaces), his grandfather's stories about being a coal-miner, starting (controlled) fires, Ron Weasley, gingers, knowing how to put out fires, the smell of his grandfather's cigarettes, telling dramatic stories about his father's "heroism"
DISLIKES: philosophy, hair salons, whatever it is that that weird Hufflepuff girl does, girls who care about designer labels, nerds, geeks, people who are smarter than he is, computers, the assumption that he wants to be a fire fighter like his father, antiques, smoking, being forced to go to chapel, the countryside (not as much to do), waiting for school computers to be free

INSIDE SCOOP: Jimmy set fire to the kitchen when he was 11; the incident happened while both of his parents were at work and required his father's brigade to come put it out. It was an accident-- or, well, the size of the fire was accidental and supremely embarrassing for Jimmy because his father's coworkers had to put the fire out. He doesn't think his father has ever forgotten or forgiven him for it.

He also set fire to a bush last spring. It was completely unintentional and he put it out immediately, but the fact is, it happened. Most people don't realise how proficient he is in building a fire. It certainly isn't something he advertises, nor is he really something he sees as useful. Luckily, he also knows how to put fires out.

He collects LEGOs. And builds reenactments with them: anything from the Trojan War to the Bible to various popular movies and books. It's a hobby, nothing more.

Last, but certainly not least, Jimmy really has a thing for gingers. Red-heads. What have you. He sort of worships the ground Ron Weasley walks on - mostly because, well, Harry gets a lot of attention in his own right, so what about Ron too? Doesn't he deserve it? He also has a major crush on Ginny - but again, who doesn't? The girl is feisty and kind at the same time, which is admirable. It doesn't help that back home, Jimmy has a "girlfriend" of sorts. They'd grown up together, and began experimenting with each other when they were 14. They had to learn how to kiss and... other stuff... somehow, right?

HISTORY: Simon Peakes and Catherine Morris met while in primary school in Wrexham, Wales. They were not the best of friends during their childhoods; instead, Simon spent most of his time tormenting Catherine and her friends by chasing them around and trying to kiss them just to annoy them. They did not attend the same secondary schools, but remained in touch through random run-ins, parties and group dates with friends. The friendship slowly evolved into love, and the couple became the quintessential "high school sweethearts." Their parents never expected the relationship to last after secondary school, despite the fact that both sets of parents married young and remained married happily. When, at the young age of 21, the couple announced their engagement, it was met with both happiness and skepticism. Simon was in training to become a firefighter and Catherine was working full-time at one of the shops in downtown Wrexham in order to pay to go to nearby University College Chester one day. Their parents were also worried about their futures in terms of careers, having hoped for something a little more stable and higher-paying, but their children were happy and unwilling to take no for an answer. In the end, the couple was married one year later - while Catherine was two months pregnant with their first child, a girl they named Holly.

The young family settled into Simon's parents' house because they could not afford to buy a house on their own. The house was full, made even more full by the time Jimmy (the name James is on his birth certificate, named for his grandfather, but he most often goes by Jimmy) was born. When he was two years old, his parents finally managed to find a (small) house of their own in Wrexham. It was only a two bedroom, which worked well for Holly and Jimmy until she turned ten, when suddenly she expressed a desire (often through tantrums) to have a room of her own. Simon and a few of his friends who had training as contractors and carpenters set out to remodel the house on their own. It took about two years to finish, but it was worth it. Once Jimmy was born, the couple was 25 years old and Catherine, though she had been managing the small clothing shop on her own for years, expressed interest in returning to school to get a business degree. With their mothers helping Simon care for the young children, Catherine was able to travel to the nearby Chester. After receiving her degree, she was able to open up her own antiques shop - one that became rather popular and successful. Even between the two incomes, the family has never managed to make it out from hovering between the lower and middle classes. The shop has its good days, good years and bad days, bad years, but at least Simon's income was always steady - and a very respectable career, too. By the time Jimmy was ten years old, Simon had been promoted; he wasn't the commander of the local brigade, but he was second-in-command due to his resourcefulness, his leadership qualities, his passion for the field.

Growing up, Jimmy never had much to call his own. The family often lived paycheck to paycheck during his early childhood years, but he was surrounded by loving relatives and never really knew what he was missing out on. Simon, in his free time, taught his son how to play football, cricket (using sticks from the backyard, or planks that he fashioned into bats himself). A hands-on father, Simon made sure that his children loved and taken care of. If both he and Catherine had to go to work, the children were dropped off with their grandparents - to hear stories of Simon's father's years working in the coal mines, or to help Catherine's parents with the animals on their farm. It was not an extravagant existence, but they got by. Jimmy spent a lot of time creating games for himself, building forts in the living room or in the back yard, entertaining himself because there weren't all that many children around and his sister often refused to get dirty with him. One of his favourite activities involved dragging box after box full of Lego bricks out of storage to play with. The interest started when his father gave him a small box that he'd had as a child; ever since then, the relatively inexpensive toy (compared to video games and computersJimmy turned out to be a very active and athletic child, quick on his feet despite his stocky build, hard to bring down in tackles because of that, with sharp hand-eye coordination. When the opportunity arose for him to attend Hogwarts, the family jumped at it; they hadn't been able to afford it for their daughter (and she was already settled into her school), but because of a sudden boom in business at Catherine's shop and in the area in general as part of a revitalization plan (and because Jimmy was a better-than-decent cricket player), they shipped him off to the elite boarding school. Over the years, with more and more business and life coming to the area, the Peakes family is climbing slowly out of the socioeconomic status they used to enjoy - but retaining many of their values all the same.

There, Jimmy found... a lot of students who were far better off than he was. Or at least, a lot of students who had more things. His family wasn't exactly poor (they could afford to send him away, after all), but his parents had grown up in the working class and that had influenced Jimmy's outlook on life. He doesn't know the difference between designer goods and doesn't see why anyone else should know or care. He doesn't really get the inner workings of the world, seeing things through rosy-tinted glasses because that's all he knows. Hard work and being good at sports and being a good person, honouring thy father and mother, among other things -- those were the important things in the Peakes family, not the latest video games or fancy technological bits or clothes. A religious family (Presbyterians), Simon and Catherine have attempted to instill strong values in their children; they aren't evangelists or bible-thumpers or anything. They're more quietly religious and spiritual. Of the children, Holly is the more religious child, but Jimmy knows enough to pass off and keep his grandparents happy. He regularly attends chapel, knows (some of) the passages in the Bible and knows most of the general story, but can't usually cite anything without looking it up. It is far from the most important thing to him and, with loads of rather intense religious fanatics around him, he has trouble caring about religion if it means he'll be anything like them. It's sort of boring, anyway. He'd much rather spend his Sundays practicing lacrosse or cricket or even kicking a football around.

A stocky and, for many years, short boy, Jimmy wasn't the most likely choice for the Gryffindor lacrosse and cricket teams, but he proved himself time and time again as a fierce competitor on the field, quick to pick up new skills and abilities, a full-blown team player. There always seemed to be more competition for the football team, so instead of trying for that one, Jimmy went out for other teams in hopes that it would be easier for him to gain a starting position. So far, he's doing well for himself: making friends (particularly with his team-mates and other Gryffindors), studying, the usual. He really admires and relates to the Weasleys, surprisingly enough, for coming from a similarly poor background and doing their own thing, sod what the rich folks say. The main difference is that the Peakes family never had a name for themselves outside of their community in North Wales. They haven't "fallen from grace" as some legacy families have; they're going places, Jimmy says. Maybe. Eventually. It starts with his sister, Holly, now 19 and a student at the University of Manchester. Jimmy doesn't know where he'll end up, and he can't decide if he really wants to leave home or if it's really not so bad. He certainly doesn't want to become a firefighter like his father, that's for sure.