Maximo Salvatore

Male, age 8

Hair - red brown; Eyes - blue; Skin Tone - olive

Preferred Clothing - a mix of modern, Portugese local, and raver-stylin stage-magician.

Specialties - Dueling has always fascinated (read: it's aaaawsome!) Maximo. From the moment he first picked up a wand (at much too young an age) it was clear that he was bound to be one of the world's premier duelists. He has a mind capable of understanding words so well that he can mix up charms and spells on the fly - any Charm he's learned can have a special 'Maximo Twist' to it. Never expect the same charm or effect twice.

Weaknesses - While he likes reading up on the duelists and battles of some historical figures, that's where Maximo's knowledge of history ends. He's dismal at remembering basic dates or numbers - in fact he's lousy with math too but then he's only eight years old, and can hardly be expected to understand higher maths just yet.

Wand - 13 inch (very long) Alder - elemental control/banishment wood with a Kelpie mane hair core (charm/illusion)

Familiar - none yet

Unusual Studies - If Maximo doesn't become a duelist - a spectacular traveling show-off really - one might think he'd be good to go as a Charms professor. However with his propensity to alter spells every time he uses them, this seems a bit unlikely.

***

Maximo's family loved him dearly, which was why they were so relieved to know that House Domina would take him on at a younger age than other magic schools. He and his brother Fausto did everything together anyway, and he already owned a wand.

That was a story in itself, of course... But suffice to say that it was very unusual for even a Portugese witch to be allowed a wand before entering schooling for its use! It's likely he'll grow into his long slender wand, he already holds it as a master would, no bumbling around.

Because Maximo wants to be a duelist, he knows that style is important. Perhaps even more important than actually knowing proper spells. He does know, and can recite spells easily back in class. But whenever he actually goes to use them - he rarely uses them the same way twice. What he learns as a 'feet flopper' hex might turn into a 'nose flair' next time, and a 'lollygag tongue' the next. He's quite skilled that way.

Of course, he also very rarely writes his new spells down. There are some third and fourth-year students apt to follow him around taking notes, and practicing his spontaneous spell casting on each other to see if they've done it right.

They keep the infirmary in business, you know.

But then Maximo just doesn't understand why he needs to know the eight reasons why the wizards and trolls went to war in the third century. There weren't any duelists back then - at least, none who've gotten any press today. That would be the only method of interesting him in history: by inserting popular dueling and quidditch figures into it.

As for flying, Maximo hasn't yet been allowed to properly ride a broom. He's much too young, even for Zora and her professors to allow it, they'd get into trouble with the Ministry. They have utmost confidence for when he does fly, of course, but for the moment Maximo is stuck on the ground. At least, when he's not leviosa'ing himself off the ground in charms class...

***

He still spoke with a charming accent, at least all the kids in House Domina told him he was cute when he said something in that Portugese way instead of English. But they couldn't fault him at all when he was busy pronouncing the pseudo-Latin involved in spellcasting. Fausto his older brother always was willing to help him out with the classes that were just over his head, those math and astronomy courses at least could wait until he was second-year. And Maximo enjoyed giving his brother advice about how to swipe the wand through the air when using a hex.

When Fausto was dragged away by that wintery spirit girl, Jesi, Maximo felt left out and sad. The others in his dorm room tried to help him be less glum but he was still a bit put off about it. "Everyone else gets to go," he said. He always used that term - 'everyone else' to mean his brother Fausto.

"Well you'll go soon enough," said Lenore, who was just about to knock on their door when it opened at his behest. Her hand was still poised to knock, but she just giggled. "Come along boys, there are more dragons!"

They followed her, and saw her pair of disparate green and red fluffy dragons on the quidditch patch which meant only one thing: they were ready to take people elsewhere to find a dragon bond of their own!

Excited, and pleased that he wasn't going to be left far behind his brother, Maximo thrust his hand into the air when they were asked who wanted to find a dragon. Of course, everyone else did too. Except that one boy, but he was weird.

This time, Lenore was to help get them where they needed to go, and she was fond of the young Salvatore boy. Perhaps she saw in him what she'd had the potential for and was denied for another six years? He was lucky, at eight, to have a family that cared at all to send him somewhere. Hers practically ignored the fact that they themselves were mages.

So Maximo was put on the back of the red dragon, while Lenore mounted the green, and they vanished away into another world.

***

Elessadia was the world that they landed upon, near a complicated mess of ruins and newer buildings, with...

"Dragons! Flying!" Maximo cheerfully pointed out, as though it weren't obvious enough by their presence nearby. Their colors were mixed, bright, and their flight was sure and fast. They landed in a courtyard and Lenore introduced them to the locals.

"It's Maximo, not myself," Lenore said, "I've already got these two troublemakers," she indicated the red and green who snipped at each other vocally while they sat there.

"Then let us get you fixed up, there are a reasonable number of eggs. There might be more people on their way, don't be disappointed if you don't find a dragon bond the first time. And, and they must bond at birth. So be prepared to come immediately on call."

Maximo nodded once. He was quite good at appearing on time. He was actually quite good at Apparating - but don't tell anyone that. He was almost ten years too young to learn that spell!

He learned over the course of a couple hours, the biological needs of the dragons, and why they were forced to bond. Maximo was pretty certain he'd be able to handle the drain of a newborn dragon bonding him, after all his mother always said he was just a ball of energy!

***

It seemed like some of the dragons around didn't much care for humans. Had Maximo understood the history of this world he might have grasped that a little better. But he was a wizard after all, and they're different from plain muggle people, right?

Apparently, to the sap-shaded green female that waddled up to him, that was pretty much right on.

She said in a bright cheery voice, "Ooh! Oooh, let me try! Lumos! Umm.... Wingardium Leviosa? Nope, guess not."

Maximo laughed, "but you're a dragon, why would you need to cast Wingardium?" He pushed some dirt off of her wing, "you've got wings, you'll fly soon enough!"

He was so excited, nothing could compare to this. He felt the tingling sensation of his bond with the dragoness, and knew that if he were to try even a simple spell - like Lumos - he might very well pass out with the effort!

"I'm sorry," Illusion said, "that's me, isn't it?"

"Sorry for what?" Maximo said, as they headed off to the feeding chambers, and into the dorms. "It's not your fault, and besides, if you didn't have me you might have died! I don't think I could bear that!"

She butted her head into his hand, and then eagerly dug into the first meal of her life.

***

When Maximo and their new friend Delas (and his dragon!) were brought back to House Domina they were pleased to see a roster of events and training courses already lined up for new riders like themselves. Lenore chuckled, "well I see they've got me doing multitasking and multiples," and wandered off to find out what she'd be needing to actually do for those bits.

"Let me show you around the school," Maximo said to Delas. "You're too old to be a student, but I bet there'll be things to do for you."

Delas nodded, and eventually would find his way into a big dusty room - filled with books... that became his domain rather quickly.

Maximo and Illusion on the other hand decided to head up the DragonQuid game - in theory a lot like Quidditch but now with dragons, they had to find a slightly larger playing field...