Lacey Ackerman Lacey Elizabeth Ackerman
Gender: Female
Birthday: July 23, 2005
Age: 11 years
Blood: Muggleborn
Birth Place: London, English
Nationality: Half English, Half Irish
Family: The Ackerman family were an upper middle class family that owned a private medical practice. Both Haymitch and his wife Maggie Jones worked as doctors and headed up the few dozen employees that worked under them. Among the community, they were both respected and highly sought after for any ill that might befall the populace. Having no children, and family that lived in areas of the UK and America, Haymitch and Maggie were more of less on their own, but that didn’t stop them from living happily and staying in touch with the others of the Ackerman and Jones families.
History: Lacey Elizabeth was born on a calm July evening in 2005 in the very hospital her parents ran. Longing for a child of their own, the Ackermans set out to expand their family. After years of little luck, Maggie opted for one last try before they you simply give up. That last ditch effort resulted in the birth of their baby girl, and while this even was happy, it also proved to be bittersweet.
For all intents and purposes, Lacey was a normal infant, perfectly healthy, and apparently very happy. However, soon Maggie and Haymitch both noticed that where other babies would track light and look at things, whether they could make them out or not, Lacey did not. She tracked sounds she heard and touches she felt, but never light. After running a few tests on their daughter, who was only a few weeks old, the Ackermans discovered their daughter was completely blind. The news fell on the couple like the world crashing to pieces around them, but their spirits were soon lifted when they looked at just how happy and content their daughter was, sight or not. It was then that they decided that being blind was not going to stop Lacey from living, and they were going to do everything in their power to make sure she got to do just that.
When Lacey was around 5 years of age, she began Primary School with a white and red cane to help her navigate through the halls and the world around her. A very outgoing child, Lacey made a few close friends who didn’t care that she was unable to see like they were. Lacey was just another young friend to play with. Things seemed perfect for the Ackermans, but, as the fates would have it, all that perfection came to a screeching halt only 10 months later...
Being a family run practice, and being two of the top most desirable practitioners in London, spots in their patient list were hard to come by at peek times of the year. Most prospective patients were happy to try and then move on when they were respectfully turned away due to the doctor couple not seeing new patients. However, one night in September, a knock rattled the Ackerman’s door. Haymitch instructed Maggie to stay with Lacey in the sitting room while he took care of whoever was calling at that time of night. As he approached the door, the knocks came with more and more urgency, until it was simply one continuous series of knocks by the time Haymitch reached the door. Upon opening it, Haymitch found himself face to face with a potential patient he had been forced to turn away only a month earlier, not only because his and his wife’s slots were full, but because the man’s file was littered with signs of heavy psychosis, that of which they were not qualified to treat.
The man forced his way into the Ackerman home and demanded that they do something for him as they were doctors. When both Maggie and Haymitch tried to reason and talk to the man, who was clearly in the middle of a psychotic break, the man seemed to calm down but a passing car honking its horn broke his focus, causing him to lash out at the couple. Using whatever he could find, the man ended the lives of Maggie and Haymitch Ackerman, leaving only Lacey alive, thanks to her mother’s quick thinking of tucking her away in the cupboard next to the grandfather clock at the far end of the sitting room. Lacey might not have seen what happened, but she heard everything that was said along with the acts that took her parents’ lives.
When the authorities arrived at the house, following several phone calls about what happened in the house, Lacey was no where to be found until one police officer found her huddled away, trembling and crying softly, in the cupboard where she was told to stay. The man who lashed out and murdered her parents was found only a block away ranting about the devils in the Ackerman house and how those demons took the lives of the doctors. He had no idea that it was, in fact, his own hands that had done the deed. Days later, the Ackerman’s living will was read and all next of kin were notified, including a cousin and his wife who were to take Lacey should anything happen to them. Outwardly, they were more than happy to take her, but inwardly, the couple was seething at having this handicapped girl dumped on them. How were they to know that something would actually happen to her parents? They were good respectable people who ran a good respectable practice...
Per the arrangement made by Maggie and Haymitch, when Lacey turned 7, she was to get a seeing eye dog to aid her as she grew up with her lack of sight. Not wishing to wait until then, her new family got her a striking white German Shepard at a discounted price due to its seemingly stubborn nature and lack of being willing to bond with anyone in need of the help these special dogs offered. Regardless, they fulfilled Lacey’s parents’ final wish for her. Try as they might to adjust to having a blind child in the house with their four other perfectly normal children, well, they called it try, Lacey just didn’t fit with their family dynamic. Which left them with only one option, or so they believed wholeheartedly. At the end of the week, Lacey was taken to the childrens’ home on Baker Street on the opposite side of Londaon where she grew up and attended school...
Abandoned by her family safe for her dog, Shinra, and the relentless teasing of the other children about her lack of any ability to see, Lacey became more and more withdrawn, eventually becoming a painfully shy shadow of her former self. Lacey went about her days at the orphanage, trying to keep her spirits bright and remember better days where things made sense and she had a family that cared about her. Even though she was a charming girl, not many families took notice of her as the matron was not about to showcase a blind girl to those looking for their perfect new addition. In her eyes, Lacey would grow up and eventually get some sort of job somewhere and be out of her hair for good. Until then, she simply had to make due.
When Lacey’s letter of acceptance to Hogwarts arrived, even more buzz began to surround the already freakish girl, as she was labeled by the other children. Not aware of what this school was or why she was accepted there, Lacey did as was instructed and went to King’s Cross with all her things stored in one small pack. Her letter, oddly enough mentioned that all the supplies she would need, including her uniform, would be waiting for her once she arrived at the school. Happy to be rid of the blind girl, the matron took her to King’s Cross herself, and sent her on her way, not even waiting to see if she and Shinra found their way.
But find their way, they did... And here, their story at Hogwarts begins...
Appearance: Lacey is average height with a slight build. Her blonde hair generally brushes the upper to middle part of her back, and is often worn down, in a ponytail, or pinned up at the sides. Even though she is blind, one would never know it to look into her sea green eyes that show no sign of her inability to see. Rarely seen without her white German Shepard, Shinra, Lacey does sometimes opt to use her red and white cane when it could be more convenient. However, more often than not, Shinra is her companion and guide. When not in uniform, Lacey is a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl with the occasional sundress or skirt in there somewhere.
Personality: Once a very open and carefree child, the extreme hardships that life dealt her so early on took a significant toll on Lacey. Now much more withdrawn and painfully shy, it takes a lot or something very special to bring out the inner her that still longs to shine. If given the chance, and enough time, Lacey is quite the open-minded, gentle soul that will do anything for those she cares for. Not having anyone other than Shinra, Lacey holds friends and friends that are like family very dearly and is highly loyal to them. Due to her hard part, Lacey does not trust or open up easy, and often takes the easy way out of simply removing herself from the situation rather than trying to talk to others. Be that as it may, she does long for friends and people to talk to. She just needs the opportunity to do so with someone patient enough to let her move at her own pace.
Being without sight has its limits, but Lacey has learned to make do and push the limits of what she can do. Having a slightly heightened sense of hearing and touch to compensate for her lack of sight gives her a slight edge over the average person. Having learned to listen and take care with what she touches, she has developed quite the skill of being about to tell you about what she hears and touches with extreme accuracy. She does, however, still struggle with things those who can see take for granted such as finding sure footing, getting confused when the placement of things gets changed, etc.
Lacey loves to read! A personal favorite is anything with a happy family at the center or a loving relationship between several or two characters. Even though she is unable to enjoy the sunshine through sight, she can, and does, through touch. If she can't be found in the library, she will often be outside, with Shinra, reading in the sunshine. Even without knowing how to swim, Lacey finds peace near the water where she can listen to it and perhaps walk in the shallows.
Not having much to call her own from her time growing up at the orphanage, Lacey has a small collection of keys she keeps in a small, smooth wooden box. Usless to most, Lacey enjoys 'seeing' them through touch and thinking about just what they might unlock, if given the chance. These keys also show that it's the simple treasures that are the real treasures in life.
"Come on, Shinra!" Lacey called as she slowly mss her way down the small set of stairs that lead to a favorite tree on the grounds of Hogwarts. The great white shephard followed happily, not really next to or behind the blonde, ready to spring into action should she need him.
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... Lacey counted in her mind as she walked, hand outstretched, away from the stairs until she reached twenty and her hand gently touched the trunck of the tree she sought.
Smiling to herself, Lacey reached a hand out and rand her fingers through her seeing eye dog's soft fur. Shinra lead her around to the base of the tree that faced into the sun and took a silent seat as Lacey joined him. Satisfied that she was settled, Shinra lay down and rested his head against his girl's leg as she opened her book. "Do you remember where we left off?" she asked. Shrina gave a small sigh, slightly colored with a whine, and Lacey laughed. "Of course! How could I forget... 'With a wave of her hand over her bubbling cauldron, the seawitch cast a powerful spell on the mermaids that longed only to walk and run along side her prince she had saved only a few days prior...'" Lackey read out loud, her fingers running expertly over the raised bumps of brail marked on the pure white page of her book.
This was the easy part. Being alone with the only friend and family she had, no one passing by would think or dare to believe this little thing was the same Lacey Ackerman who spoke to no one and kept to herself even in a school filled with witches and wizards who would happily befriend her...
