SUSAN BONES
SUSAN BONES
History
Susan Bones was part of a family firmly associated with the light, her aunt Amelia (whom raised her after her parents’ death in the first Wizarding War) being well known as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Though it wasn’t always that. The Bones family was never bad, but they have a secret that in the past when it was more well known they were considered dark. The Bones family specialized in necromantic magic. They have strong magic related to death. Though they hid this aspect and even stopped using it over the generations. Almost to the point the family itself forgot they had the power.
Until Susan. There is a differences between different ghosts and spirits. Some are automatically visible, others aren’t. Susan always had a way to see the otherwise unseen spirits without the need of special spells. She also was able to touch ghosts, which is normally not possible without specialized gear. Susan had her family magic.
Amelia was worried about what the world would think of her niece, but she needed training as it could be dangerous if it isn’t controlled so she reluctantly pulled out the Bones family tome to help her control it.
Susan did her best to hide this side of herself with only her aunt knowing it. However, she revealed her powers by accident when she animated the Dragon Skeleton in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Death magic is normally considered dark magic.
However, Susan found that her friends still stuck by her. They said that as several of them had creature heritage it would be hypocritical of them to judge her for it. Furthermore, it’s not only creatures that they try to raise awareness for, also more ancient and forgotten magics whom were thought were evil but can actually be used for good.
It didn’t prevent people at the ministry from trying to have Amelia (whom is way too eager to sniff out Death Eaters among their ranks) discredited. However, Dumbledore was able to point out that death magics of themselves aren’t forbidden, they are just forbidden from being used to harm people, they are not Unforgivables. It was actually never outlawed, merely looked down upon and faded into obscurity, the document forbidden necromantic rituals had never been properly processed.
The fact Susan once used her power to save the souls devoured by a Dementor whom went out of control and attacked innocents also kind of made her a hero in her own right and people wouldn’t want to convict the girl whom did that. And there would be Amelia collectively castrating the Wizengamot of they tried that. If the relatives of the people she returned souls to didn’t beat her to it.
Appearance
Susan used to be pudgy in her early years of Hogwarts, but as puberty set in she has become tall, athletic and puberty decided to be really generous. She has fiery red hair which she normally wears in plaid style.
When performing some of her more death magics, her hair becomes white, her eyes black with white pupils and her skin grayish blue. It seems the more she uses her magic, the longer she’ll have this transformed state until it becomes permanent. She no longer fears her powers so she is fine with that.
Once her new skin and hair color has set in, for rituals she tattoos Welsh Death Runes on her body, which become visible as she is casting, and a skull pattern appears on her face.
Powers and abilities
Susan has, due to living with her aunt, a good grasp on a variety of charms and spells that are used for defensive magic and combat dark magic. She is probably only a close second to Harry in defensive magics.
She has death magics as a natural born Necromancer. It allows her to communicate, summon or exorcise spirits. Working together with Hermione, they are able to readily deal with Horcruxes.
She can reanimate the dead as Inferi but they don’t have a soul of their own and are more like machines following orders. She can also create constructs using the bodyparts of different corpses if they aren’t intact.
While her constructs have no soul or true life she can instill a sort of spark of unlife into them so they can develop thoughts and personalities to a certain degree. It is limited to the intelligence of clever pets at best.
Her magic can empower ghosts, allowing ghosts for a limited time to have sensations, like touch solid object and taste foods (it doesn’t do nothing and the chewed food passes under them and end up on the ground but still). Sometimes these ghosts depending on how much magic she infuses in them gain a special power as well, depending on how powerful the ghost is in life or how long they’ve been ghosts.
She can manipulate ghostly flames or will-o-wisps that hurt people spiritually. It causes pain on the living beings and if they are allowed to be burned by it long enough, it is the equivalent of a Dementor’s kiss. Ghostly beings like Gytrashes also are badly hurt by these flames.
Her powers have little effect on Dementors, as they are not really spirit beings but her power can reach the souls they have devoured inside of them.
Trivia
- I am not sure if necromancer qualifies as creature but it allowed me to do something with Susan Bones whom doesn’t get to do much in canon. Her family name is a bit on the nose now.
- The Dragon skeleton from DADA she animated has been shrunken down and Susan has been keeping it as a pet. His intelligence and personality is described as ‘being a dog with wings). She calls it Marrow.
- She and her best friend Hannah Abbott are in a polycule with Neville Longbottom.
- Her favorite food includes ripe cheeses and mushrooms. It is probably her death magic that makes her crave foods that embody rot.
- In hers seventy year during a final battle of Hogwarts, her powers had evolved to the point she was able to reanimate the skeleton of Slytherin’s basilisk as an undead ally.
- Her Patronus takes on the form of a Death Head’s Hawkmoth.