Jack Jones. (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} workthecase) wrote,@ 2020-12-05 23:32:00 |
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| Entry tags: | !biography |
BIOGRAPHY // dtw_mods
“No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it."
-Theodore Roosevelt
OOC INFORMATION Name: Laura THE BASICS Full Name: Jack Henry Charles Jones Age and Birthday: 48 / 10 August 1932 House and Graduation Year: Hufflepuff 1950 [Prefect 1948-1950] Current Location: a two bedroom house in Notting Hill, London, England Blood Status: Halfblood Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual Marital Status: In a relationship with Charlotte Hart Family: Father: Henry Jones, Muggleborn, Hufflepuff 1930 GAME INVOLVEMENT Current Job: Chief Ministry Prosecutor. Jack has held this position for going on eight years, having been appointed in 1973 after nearly two decades of work in the Office of Ministry Prosecution. Typically, Jack hands over the lesser cases to one of the other prosecutors in the office -- anything from theft, assault, disorderly conduct, trespassing, and so on. The more serious crimes he handles himself, with one or two assistant prosecutors on hand. Political Group: N/A Political Knowledge: I’d say he knows about Edmund Dolohov, Sebastian Wilkes -- i.e. anyone who has been arrested for crimes that would link him/her to terrorist activity -- but I’m not sure on the details about those arrests and if it was clear somehow that they were Death Eaters. He would, at least, know about their involvement in whatever incident they were arrested for. Beyond that, he’s as clueless as the next person. Skills: Jack’s skills in dueling and Defense Against the Dark Arts should have landed him a strong spot among the Auror ranks -- and it would have, if he’d finished training. He only saw two years through before he decided that being in the midst of all that action wasn’t for him. No, his calling was elsewhere, where his strong organisational skills and his ability to spin words would be more useful than in the field. He’s kept up with his wand skills, of course; in this day and age, it would be foolish of him not to. As reserved as he is outside of the courtroom, Jack comes alive within the walls of justice. He has an incredibly strong memory and has no fear of public speaking anymore. He’s cool, calm and collected in front of the Wizengamot and other such juries, and defendants are quick to discover that he is a formidable foe. He’s particularly powerful during cross-examination, utilising his many years of experience at reading people’s faces and postures. Politics: Unsurprisingly, Jack is a man of the law -- and, by extension, a Ministry man through-and-through. The actions of the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix infuriate him (although he’s careful to avoid publicly criticising either group). He could not and would not ever condone the violent tactics that the groups employ to get what they want done, and a considerable amount of his time over the last decade has been spent prosecuting individuals who have broken the law in some way. He cannot condone the murder and torture committed at the hands of the Death Eaters, and as far as he’s concerned, the Order of the Phoenix has only gotten in the way of the very capable members of the DMLE (and, by extension, his office). Should the Order ever find a more productive and legal route, he would be slightly more sympathetic to their cause. Publicly, no one would know just how much he frowns upon the actions of these terrorist groups. It wouldn’t be hard to guess -- he is, after all, the chief prosecutor for the Ministry and the one in charge of bringing criminals to justice -- but Jack doesn’t talk about his opinions to anyone. He’s very careful that way. His job is very risky as it is, and he knows it, so he tries very hard not to bring any more attention to himself by being outspoken either way. As far as the public is concerned, Jack comes down hard on the side of the law, no matter who you are, no matter what background you came from, no matter how wealthy you are. No one would know if there’s a policy he disagrees with; what they would know, however, is that Jack believes the Ministry is looking out for everyone’s well-being. He sides with the Wrackspurt Party more often than not, including the general consensus regarding Muggles. He’s hardly prejudiced towards them; in fact, he strongly believes in equality for Muggleborn individuals and in other opinions of the Justinians. Muggles themselves, however, he believes might cause a problem for witches and wizards. He doesn’t believe they’re evil, or that they’re lesser beings. He simply worries for the safety of wizardkind, should Muggles find out about them. He’s also intensely worried about the safety of Muggles after what has been going on in recent years. They’re human beings too, and under the letter of the law, they deserve the same treatment as witches and wizards do. That is why he’s dedicated his life to punishing those responsible for the injuries and deaths of victims have faced over the last decade. It doesn’t matter to him who the victim was; ultimately, he’s there to bring their assailant to justice. Past War Involvement: 14 FEBRUARY 1973: Jack’s brother, Colin, ws among those killed on Bloody Valentine’s Day. Colin’s long-time boyfriend, also in attendance, was also present. 2 MARCH, 1979: following the arrest of Edmund Dolohov, Jack led the prosecution of Dolohov for a variety of charges, including terrorism. 10 JULY, 1980: following the arrest of Sebastian Wilkes, Jack again led the prosecution of Wilkes. After both cases came to a close, Jack received threatening mail in the post, suggesting that his own life might be at stake if he continued on his current path. Undeterred, Jack simply turned both letters over to the DMLE. War Effort: N/A DETAILS 20 Word Sentence Describing Your Character: Defendants beware: Chief Prosecutor Jack Jones is determined to take you down in court... or die trying. Personal History: Growing up as the oldest of 5 in rural Stropshire, Jack was always saddled with more responsibility than the rest (save for his oldest sister, Mary). Their parents worked long hours as farmers, which didn’t pay very well (although it did mean they never went hungry), and once the two oldest Jones children to reached an age where they could tend to the younger children and help out outdoors, they did as well. To supplement their income, their mother worked odd jobs in the wizarding world as well, everything from clothing alterations to tending for children. He didn’t realise the difference between himself and other children at the time; the local children were just as down-and-out, though they were Muggles and as a result, Jack wasn’t allowed to associate much with them. It wasn’t until he left for Hogwarts that he realised exactly where his family was in the pecking order, so to speak. Until then, however, he only knew what he experienced, and that was a busy household and a lot of love even if there wasn’t a lot of wealth. He was responsible for the care of his younger siblings while his parents were out, and even from a young age, he knew not to disappoint his parents by letting his brothers and sisters run too wild. They had their fun, of course, but Jack was very careful that they all returned home uninjured, that they were all fed and clean and clothed. It tore him up to leave them all behind when he left for Hogwarts, but that train ride was only the first step in changing his life. Once he arrived at Hogwarts and was sorted (into Hufflepuff, to no surprise), he was faced with a variety of new people -- many of whom were from wealthier backgrounds than his own. It was troubling, at first, and Jack went through several years where he was deeply ashamed of his own home. He loved his parents, that much never wavered. It was only that he was young, and that he couldn’t yet see that where he came from made him who he was. For half of his years at Hogwarts, none of his friends were invited home over the holidays. Instead, he went to them. What he was doing was fairly transparent to his parents and his siblings. Jack was attempting to be someone he wasn’t while at school. Upsetting as it was, neither of his parents blamed him (although they did punish him accordingly when he acted out of line or disrespected him). It was only towards the tail end of his years at school did he come to be more comfortable (and only after his first serious girlfriend pulled it out of him). His strong marks on his NEWTs landed him a chance to apply for the Auror programme, which he did, in a vain attempt to secure a more stable (and therefore better) future for himself than he’d been given. Idealistic, the young Jack also wanted to actively participate in making the world a better place -- a noble thought process for a teenager, but misguided nonetheless. Aurors were well-respected, and he'd be able to provide for his family. It was during this time in his life that he came to realise he’d had a good life, that he didn't need to make it better, and that he’d actually been taught quite a lot about life, right and wrong, and how to be a good person. Jack only lasted two years before he realised that Auror training wasn’t where he was meant to be. Skilled as he thought he was with a wand, the charm of being a hero on the field wasn’t all it was cracked up to be -- or maybe he was just impatient. Unsure of where to go next, he applied for a job as an intern with the Office of Ministry Prosecution, where he’s remained ever since. Jack’s dedication and sharp mind paid off as he rose through the ranks quickly, first as an intern and then as a paralegal before being officially recognised as a prosecutor. It was the best day of his life to date, and the first thing he did was rush home to his parents to share the good news. The grunt work expected of him during those early years was met in stride, like everything else in his life. Jack had been rolling with life’s punches since he was young, with a resilience that his parents instilled in all of their children. He never wavered once he’d settled into his stride, and as he progressed in the field, he slowly came out of his shell. Easy to smile and laugh at home, Jack was never the most charming person in the office, even in his early twenties. He was always more focused on his career rather than on having a bit of fun, leading him to receive a bit of a stuffy reputation (which was honestly far from the truth). In truth, Jack does know how to have a good time; he’s just more selective with his company than he should be. In the office, even years ago, he was no-nonsense. He wanted to get the job as efficiently as possible, and that hasn’t changed at all. His dedication to his career didn’t leave him much room for a social life, nor a love life (much to the disappointment of his mother, who wanted nothing more than to see him happily settled down). Luckily, her other children weren’t nearly so single-minded, and Jack has gladly settled into the role of uncle. While a part of him wonders if he missed the boat, so to speak, when it comes to a wife and children, he doesn’t feel the itch too often. He’s too busy -- and, to be honest, he’s too concerned that as the war becomes more intense, his job has created too dangerous of an environment that he wouldn’t want to raise children in. As the years progressed and Jack found his footing in the courtroom, he’s made plenty of enemies, particularly the family members of a few specific defendants. He expected that, honestly. A prosecutor was never going to be everyone’s best friend because it was up to him to send loved ones to Azkaban. While he can sympathise (to a point), Jack has remained steadfast in his convictions. No one will get away with a crime, as long as he’s working for the Ministry. Of that much he’s certain. It might not have come as much of a surprise to his colleagues, but his appointment to Chief Prosecutor was a surprise to Jack. He’d made a name for himself as a formidable opponent in the courtroom, as a staunch defender of justice and upholder of laws. His strength of conviction when it came to going after people from all walks of life made him a natural choice as successor when the previous Chief retired. To Jack, it was an honour he was glad to accept (and one he wasn’t sure he deserved just yet). Since his appointment in 1973, the direction of the Office of Ministry Prosecution has only become more focused: they will fight tooth and nail to bring justice for the victims of any terrorist attack, no matter who the terrorists are. This attitude -- and Jack’s involvement in several cases where he prosecuted Death Eaters -- has continued to cause him trouble in certain circles. He is not a stranger to death threats, unfortunately, and has taken considerable efforts to secure his own safety and that of his family from any retaliation. It’s a tough job, but Jack wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Every night he goes home knowing that he’s helping make the world a better place bit by bit, and that’s something he can be proud of. Though his love life was something that suffered in order for Jack to reach his goals as far as his career was concerned, things have started to look up for him in that department. A long-time friend turned into something more in August of 1980, although if someone asked him, he would have said his own feelings went back much farther than that. In the aftermath of the trial of Sebastian Wilkes, he found himself talking to Charlotte Hart more and more. They'd known each other for years, but it wasn't until he confided in her about the threatening mail he'd been receiving and about his concerns that their friendship turned into something more. They're both work-a-holics, and her job in particular doesn't leave them much time for each other, but Jack's all right with that. He understands her position -- and she understands his as well. He's willing to be patient for her, and he's looking forward to the end of the war so that they might be able to see where this could take them. One important thing to note is that he hasn’t forgotten his roots, though you wouldn’t guess at first glance that he grew up with hardly anything to his name. In this day and age, he doesn’t like to talk about it because he isn’t sure he would be taken seriously by certain sects of the population who find status, class and money to be of importance. As a result, there’s a vague sense of discomfort that follows him around when he’s in his dress robes. He feels like he’s being false, and it makes him intensely ashamed that it’s come to this. OTHER STUFF Canon Information: None, aside from the game canon found on the Ministry of Magic document! Quote: “No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it” -Theodore Roosevelt PB: Thomas Gibson SAMPLES First Person: Warded Private: Another letter asking - no, demanding that I remove myself from office before I find myself forcibly removed. Do they think this will stop me? I have not spent my entire life building up to this point, only to give up when it means so much more? Warded to the Office of Ministry Prosecution: Just a reminder than I expect to see all of you in the conference room at 8 am sharp tomorrow morning. This is important. Don't be late. Warded to Charlotte: We never got around to going on that date we had to cancel last week. Any chance you'll be free for a few hours in the immediate future? Third Person: Hey, Kate, remember this? SAD TIMES. |
