Defense Against the Dark Arts
The history of our current Headmaster is a most unusual one. He is the youngest Headmaster on record for Avistrum, or any wizarding institution. Recognized throughout the wizarding world, his roots are surprising to many. A student of Enigmus House, many are shocked to learn that Professor Dowling, (unlike the vast majority of former Headmasters) was neither a Head Boy, nor a Prefect for his house! A classmate and partner of Clark’s, Kenji Chapa (renowned Auror and Dark Creature Hunter) described the Headmaster as being “very laid back in school. He was always joking around in class.” Mr. Chapa’s eyes light up, seemingly reliving some favorite memories. “Even though he didn’t do all of his work, he aced exams and received good grades. The teachers had a hard time punishing him.” A grin creeps across his face as Chapa notes, “Man did that ever frustrate our Professors. Especially for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not one of us could touch him in that class. Heck, sometimes it seemed Professor Godwin was a step or two behind Clark. There was one other class he really loved, History of Magic. Him and his archaeology. He did so much outside studying for those two classes, we finally saw why he was sorted into Enigmus. We were all convinced for awhile that a mistake had been made. But man, did he have some skills on a broom.”
Indeed he did. Dowling played Seeker for Enigmus, helping to capture the Quidditch Cup and House Cup twice, and winning MVP in his 4th year. That year was among the best ever seen at Avistrum. This of course included the fabled wars on the field amongst Kraven Bloodthorne, Sachiko Kobiyashi, Polonius Aberfoyle, Dowling himself and fellow Enigmus star, Tyler Ward.
After graduating from Avistrum, Dowling stayed with his strengths and went into Auror training. Rising quickly through the ranks, he earned a spot on the Warlock V.I.C.E. Squad. While on the Squad, he started to show a particular aptitude for hunting dangerous criminals, dark creatures and beasts, so much so that he was given his own S.W.A.T. Team to lead, specializing in the apprehension of dangerous beasts and dark wizards. He eventually took that SWAT unit and founded the legendary Dark Hunters. The Dark Hunters separated officially from wizard government employ when their tactics required stepping outside the law to get things done. (Although the Secretary of Magic still hired them regularly.)
Dowling’s other passion of archaeology inevitably crept into his work. While chasing notorious Dark Wizard Nikolai Matado, Clark discovered Nikolai was after the Holy Grail. Employing his years of study, Clark raced Matado to the ancient relic. Matado is currently serving a lifetime sentence in prison, and the Grail is rumored to be under the direct watch of Dowling himself. Clark then turned his attention to other rare and powerful artifacts throughout the world. He’s now on an endless journey, discovering the various relics not for personal gain, but merely to protect them. Rumors abound as to what objects are in his office; it is a favorite topic amongst history buffs, and would-be theorists sitting at your local pub.
It wasn’t long before Dowling’s achievements made him a wizarding household name. Between the high-profile arrests and acquisitions of rare magical artifacts, it was impossible for him to stay under the radar. He became a hero to children with his capture of the infamous Bogeyman. Many young witches’ and wizards’ rooms are adorned with a poster featuring Clark’s likeness and the legend: “This room protected by Clark Dowling.”
These credentials led the previous Headmaster of Avistrum, Professor Valenciar, to ask Dowling to fill in as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in 2003. The following year, Headmaster Valenciar was ready for retirement. In a shocking move, Valenciar stunned much of the community by naming Dowling his choice as successor. This allegedly caused some dissension amongst certain staff members of Avistrum, especially one Professor, although the reports could not be confirmed. The Parents of Avistrum students are unanimous in their support of Valenciar’s choice. Joan Nuanes, parent of current 6th year student Denise says: “I am very confident with a wizard like Clark Dowling protecting our students. I haven’t spoken to one other parent who doesn’t feel the same.” We are now heading into our fifth year with Headmaster Dowling leading the way, with the students, parents and the staff (at least most of them), firmly behind him.
