User Profile

"I make ACTION THIS DAY. And about time.
Carry this through in some order, armatured
At the salute. Even if it kills me."
-Geoffrey Hill-



Name: Rufus Scrimgeour
Bloodline: Half-blood
Attendence at Hogwarts: 1953-1960, Slytherin
Wand: Elm - Dragon heartstring - 13 inches
Affiliation: What in the hell do you think? Ministry of Magic since 1996
Date of Birth: January 18th, 1942 (As such, he is a Capricorn, and does fit a number of the traits listed under the lists found at Harry Potter Astrology. “The traits emphasized here will be ambition, determination, discipline, and pragmatism… While not flamboyant or showy about it, Capricorns still tend to be obsessive overachievers, a common trait in House Slytherin. Too, wizards born under the sign of Capricorn are good at being discreet, secretive, and diplomatic… the Capricorn's diplomacy is based on the knowledge that being on good terms with people is extremely useful in getting one's way or finding out sensitive information.”)


Appearance: Although his build is not particularly large—is, in fact, far closer to wiry—Rufus manages to give an impression of imposing power, a harsh strength accompanied by a sense of dignity. He stands at just over six foot two.

His eyes are a somewhat unnatural yellow, often containing a flash of warning, and often bloodshot (whether from a tendency to skimp on sleep or from alcohol). Rufus’s hair is thick, somewhat longer than shoulder-length. Color-wise, it is reddish and streaked with grey.

Rufus sports a number of scars, courtesy of his position as an Auror. Most, especially the visual ones, aren’t particularly imposing, though their image when collected serves to enforce his image of toughness. The most marked, easily visible scar cuts across the back of his left hand. However, it is his right leg that appears the worst of all, marked by numerous scars and somewhat contorted on account of an attack that occurred after the first war’s end.

Owing to his injured leg, Rufus walks with a sharply marked limp, generally with the aid of a cane. While he is able to walk without the cane, it is a more painful process, and one that is not entirely guaranteed to be a success. Despite the limp and its accompanying pain, Rufus holds himself well, posture almost disconcertingly straight, retaining most of his height even when using his cane.





Personality: Willing to do whatever he must in order to keep the people fairly quiet and to continue onward. He’ll take the very Slytherin tactic of “by whatever means,” and has learned to lose little sleep over such matters; the ends justify the means. He knows that there are those who would protest against his methods, or other methods that he supports. He thinks of such people as shortsighted and soft.

His very thoughts tend to be methodical; he often sets up systems or plans to follow them, and does indeed follow through. The planning combined with a drive to succeed has taken him far. Connected to this, his view of what must be achieved is typically very clear to him. Not easily persuaded to see otherwise. Accepts that not everyone will agree, but will attempt to persuade if necessary.

Rufus actively analyses all situations that he finds himself in. He tries not to let onto this, just as he tries to keep himself from examining people of importance as closely as he would like; he knows that this can lead to great discomfort. He also, however, does like to be able to analyze expressions, to begin to dig at what an individual might be planning.

Rufus likes to be in control, preferring the position of dominance. As soon as he feels that someone is attempting to lord over him (or, Lord forbid, succeeding at doing so), he becomes angry and unpleasant, and fights to take back the high ground. Will not rest until he has said ground.
In some ways, torn between crassness and class. He understands the ins and outs of upper-crust society, and knows that as a visible political figure he must follow them as much as possible. He also sees these rules as ridiculous, however, and will consciously buck them from time to time.
He is not lacking in a sense of etiquette, nor civility, and he utilizes both often while working. He understands the importance of acting carefully in society, and of showing respect to those who deserve it. When others demonstrate flagrant disrespect, he becomes somewhat to very angry. His own civility can become strained under stressful circumstances. Much as he tries, Rufus cannot entirely control his anger.

Speech-wise, he is to-the-point, with an appropriate amount of gloss. Rufus has also learned to keep most of is comments to himself. In fact, he developed this abiltiy while in school. He still has a tendency among certain company, however, to pull snarky remarks about a good many people. Additionally, Rufus does curse profusely, but only when he thinks himself away from the public eye.
Much of his personal code of behavior is determined by that which will work best in the real world; lying is permissable in most situations, so long as the problem is overcome or at least dealty with peaceably. Out of this set of guidelines, Rufus has also developed a strong sense of honor. To breach his honor is to piss him off. (Never, never suggest that he’s taken a bribe.)

Rufus is indeed chiefly a man of his own creation, driven by his will and a burning desire to attain the highest level of control. In the main, he represents house Slytherin well through his combination of, again, drive and an agile mind. He understands and makes use of the policy: “by whatever means.”

Rufus is no fool, and sees his currently situation quite clearly. He is a Minister for a time of war, his methods are somewhat questions, his mannerisms rough. Peace time would leave him restless. He knows that he will not last beyond the war, and he knows as well that he will end where he began. While he realizes that different methods might ensure further time in office, he refuses to use them. He sees his own methods as the clearest and quickest path to an end. What does it matter that some people might be inconvenienced by these methods? In the end, he sees them as useful to the whole, and therefore worthwhile.

Yes, he will have basically innocent individuals kept under lock and key. Yes, he will keep information from the public, will deceive them with false tales. One of the most necessary points of keeping the country strong lies in keeping the people happy. As Scrimgeour himself says, "...it’s what people believe that’s important". Indeed, people must feel informed, but must not necessarily know the truth.

While Rufus enjoys the long hours and involved work that his office in the Ministry requires, a part of him very genuiniely desires to take a vacation, even if only a brief one. He will not take one, will not even seriously consider taking one, however; he prefers to keep himself dedicated to the work at hand.

Rufus takes more solace in alcohol than he cares to admit. He does not drink in the morning, rarely drinks during the day; when he does, it is wine rather than the preferred firewhiskey, and in small quantities. He has never missed a day of work on account of alcohol; he did, however, managed to show up for work with a large hangover from time to time while working as an Auror. Happily for Rufus, he was able to hide the fact very adeptly. He is a workaholic; focuses on the task at hand. Only in extreme circumstances will he take something of a break. Doesn’t like anyone who lacks dedication.

And--though this often remains hidden--there is a certain nobility to Rufus’s character that works beyond politics and his own ambition.





On Relationships With Others: Happily for Rufus, he no longer has to deal with many close relationships. His carefully acquired circle of relations has begun to strain and fall away now that he has attained the position of Minister; that is, they exist as men who work for him rather than men whom he either feigns friendliness with or genuinely finds tolerable, even enjoyable. Seeing his duties to be as weighty as he does, Rufus has found that his time for relationships is limited. Besides, other people tend only to get in the way of what must be done; it is far more efficient to have acquaintances and employees than actual friends. This discrepancy also allows him to better keep his proverbial cards to himself.

Towards most people, Rufus attempts to present the welcoming and even concerned face of the Minister. He is civil, as polite as he is able while retaining always at least some small amount of control.

That said, there are a few men whom he considers to be friends or, at the very least, closer to him than business associates. There are, for instances, a few members of the Auror division—Robards being the foremost—whom he rather respects and may hold an almost earnest conversation with. His respect for Robards may be seen in the fact that he regularly consults Robards as division head, rather than simply enforcing (or attempting to enforce) his own law upon the Aurors.

The somewhat trickier and undoubtedly deeper friendship may be found between Scrimgeour and Alastor Moody, a friendship that has only recently been re-established. Though close through their schoolyears and even through their early years of employment at the Ministry, their companionship was broken through a number of severe disagreements—pertaining to method in both politics and battles, among other issues. For years, they did not see or speak to one another, avoiding the fireworks that seemed inevitable. Yet they could not remain so rifted, and having met coincidentally, found some unshaken basis on which to rebuild a tenative companionship. Both are still somewhat shaky on the matter. Rufus feels that he needs this ear, more than any other, as the one that might understand and to whom he might most honestly speak.
Rufus has not contacted his family, and does not intend to do so.

Attracted to the ladies, though he has become less and less interested in sex with the passing of the years. At present, he finds little interest in women, directing most all of his energy as he does toward work. He has had very few women friends, and prefers his situation to remain as such. Truth be told, he’s always been somewhat awkward with women, though he learned quickly to keep them from seeing this. This wariness, having combined with his decreasing interest in the act of sex, has led to a very low level of interest in women. This isn’t to say that some enterprising reporter or other won’t scrape together utterly unconnected fragments to make up some sort of ‘love life’; in reality, however, he entertains no such affairs.

His past relationships tended to be short, often cut off by whatever women he happened to have fallen in with. If the iniative to were left to him, Rufus tended to simply ignore or even forget about it; he had better things to do than worry about a silly little girl here and there. He had business to take care of. Whatever the girls might tell him, Rufus almost always refused to speak of his own affairs. His language with them tended toward the brusque; whatever tact he had developed for use in politics didn’t seem to apply in relationships. Such treatment earned him any number of slaps and indignant huffs, but Rufus nevertheless managed to get his piece of ass every when needed, which seemed a fair balance.





This is one of those crazy RP journals. You know what that means? This is fictional. I don't own Rufus. I am not Rufus. I don't own anything connected to Harry Potter. I'm, ah, I'm not John Glover, either. Yeah, the hell. Life's just FUNNY like that, isn't it? Aaaaaand... More info to come when time is nice and becomes available. For now, er, there you are.

For anyone who might be INTERESTED in knowing, will be (unless otherwise noted) playing Rufus nearabouts as the situation exists at the end of HBP, keeping future events in me-own mind. So, yes, he is the Minister for Magic. No, he is not yet dead. Thank you, and thank you.