Professor Aspen

Backstory

Name: Matthew Aspen

Nickname: “Matt”

Age: 36 (born on 9^th February, 1988)

Birthplace: London, England

Blood Status: Half-Blood

School Attended: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Occupation on HiH: Herbology Professor

Occupation outside HiH:  Running a private healing clinic

Office: A very natural room, full of plants and flowers, behind Greenhouse 2.

Wand details

-13 inches

-Aspen wood

-Unicorn Hair core

-Pliant

Patronus: Heron

Early Life

Matthew was born in the UK, London, within a family of half-bloods. His mother is a public worker in the Muggle world (she is a Muggle), and his father runs a local apothecary in Diagon Alley (he is a wizard). Matthew spent all his childhood surrounded by plants, helping his parents in tending and caring the various greenhouses they have at home, as his father is one of the apothecaries in Diagon Alley who only relies on his personal supply of plants for sale. Matthew has always been careful when dealing with plants, observing all the details and proper conditions they require. Being highly stubborn sometimes, leading to severe discussions with his parents, Matthew would spend endless hours in the greenhouses as a child, talking to plants and trying to relax among them. When he was 9, his magical nature was revealed when one of the plants he was tending to suddenly burst into flames without any explanation. Fortunately, due to his desperation of keeping the plant alive, the fire was put out and the plant remained intact, as if nothing had happened. Matthew’s parents were incredibly happy with this event, and made all arrangements for him to attend Hogwarts.

Educational Background

When the time came, Matthew attended Hogwarts for his magical education. He had problems for socializing at first, and some of his classmates used to seclude him, calling him “plant-freak”. He would spend endless hours working in the greenhouses of the school, having contact with countless plant specimens. As time went by, he met two of his most beloved friends: Jessica and Paul. They were incredibly interested in his knowledge regarding plants, defining Matthew as the person who “understood plants better than anyone else”. He was sorted into Gryffindor, apparently for his bravery, which he believed didn’t have, but found out after an accident in one of the greenhouses, where he protected fiercely most plant specimens from the attack of some students who were trying to use plants in pranks.

Matthew excelled in Herbology, Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, and he also took up Alchemy as an elective because this would expand his knowledge about plants usage. He also obtained excellent grades in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, allowing to obtain his N.E.W.T. levels on all of these subjects.

Work Background

Upon graduation, Matthew applied for a position within the Department of Health and Safety in the Ministry of Magic, obtaining it quite fast due to his higher grades in Herbology. Soon after, his actions spoke for himself, being offered a position within the Herbology High Commission, where he interacted with other specialists in the field of Herbology, helping them register and work behind a desk in the organization of the Herbology world in the magical community. However, Matthew was not happy with this position, as he wanted a more practical outcome regarding Herbology, which, after two years of working in the Ministry, he was granted a permanent positon in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. In there, he specialized in natural care and environmental sustainability, taking care of the rarest plant specimens of the magical world.

When he was 25, he thought that he could be a more active asset to the community. He had outstanding grades in most subjects required for healing, and while he was working part-time in the HGB, he enrolled in Healing Studies and soon became a magical doctor. Soon after, he was offered a full-time position within the floor treating Creature-Induced Injuries in St. Mungo's, which he accepted without any doubts, sadly leaving the HGB. While working in St. Mungo’s, he could save some money and started running a clinic with his two Hogwarts friends. In there, each with their own specialization, both Matthew and his friends spent hours helping others with their magical and mundane injuries, illnesses, and concerns.

However, Matthew missed being in direct contact with plants. As such, one of his friends told him that a position at Hogwarts for Herbology Professor was being offered, and Matthew did not hesitate in applying for it. A few months later, he received a letter accepting him as the new Herbology Professor at Hogwarts. He had always wanted to share his knowledge and fascination about plants, and so he was going to have the opportunity to do it. Being encouraged to come back to Hogwarts by his friends, who would stay and run the clinic full-time in his absence, Matthew moved to Hogwarts to teach Herbology to a new generation of students.