Character Profile: Portia Bernice

Name: Portia Bernice (previously Islad)

Alma Mater: Hogwarts, Hufflepuff

Marital Status: in a relationship with Nadia

Children: none of her own

Career: When she first got to Rainveil she made money as a live performer for the local bar and the farmer’s market. She is now the voice and piano teacher of the village. She still performs at the bar every Thursday and she still writes in her spare time.

Passion: She’s passionate about her growth! She is still a quiet person living a quiet life, but she has found her voice. She has a community that sees her value and has welcomed her in a way that makes her more extroverted and free of inner judgements. She loves volunteering for community events, like decorating and performing for the annual Hallow’s Eve play and Pussywillow Art Festival.

The last 15 years in a nut-shell: Once Portia graduated Hogwarts she moved to London to get out under the thumb of her powerful, bigoted, pureblood family. She took what she could from her portion of the family fortune, changed her name, and built her way up to writing a column for a muggle magazine. She met Leo and started her first serious relationship. Everything seemed to be going fine, but of course life happened. Her relationship was not fulfilling, she was tempted to stray by a certain someone, and the magazine went bankrupt. An eventful winter made her realize that - as much as she wanted to estrange herself from her family and everyone who knows the great Islad name - she did not want to keep hiding. She didn't want to be a ghost in a big city and pretend to care about the latest fashions or hottest new venue. She didn’t want to keep disguising her magic or denying her queerness. She moved out of London into a queer co-op in a magic village, where she met Nadia. They taught her how to cook and she taught them how to garden. Now they’re living the dream in an idyllic, rural cottage with three chickens and a cat.

Anything else? Her partner is genderfluid and goes by they/them pronouns, although they are femme presenting. Nadia is a nurse at St. Mungos' child care wing.

Last time she saw Abby in person was a couple of years ago, the day after one of her brother’s funeral. He got himself into a stupid deadly duel and her parents threw her out when she showed up with Nadia. Abbi was lovely moral support, but she was so mortified hasn’t visited since.

What keeps them up at night? This wedding! She is decidedly not the same person that graduated Hogwarts and, surely, her classmates aren't either. Seeing them all will be a bit nerve-racking. She just hopes they have enough memories and things in common to last them through the night.

Here are some more Portia pictures!