Norman is the only child of Eudora, a magical shopkeeper, and Gordon, a muggle police officer. As a child, he idolized his father and knew from a young age that he wanted to protect and serve, just like his dad. That dream became even more important to him at the age of eight when his father was killed in the line of duty. Following Gordon’s passing, Eudora took a second job to provide for her young son. While the extra work hours kept the small family afloat, it also meant Norman spent a lot of time on his own.

Like his mother, Norman attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was chosen by Thunderbird and Horned Serpent but chose Horned Serpent as his house. Although he excelled in most of his studies, he was most passionate about Transfiguration and Defensive Studies. While at Ilvermorny, he met and fell in love with Cherie Maine, a sweet but rebellious girl from a wealthy Southern family. After graduation, the two married and relocated to Salem so they could attend university together.

Norman majored in Human Transfiguration and took a job at a magical equipment repair shop to put himself through university. During his final year, his mother took ill; Eudora lived long enough to see Norman graduate from university but not to see him accepted into the Auror training program. Following four years in training, Norman finally achieved his dream of becoming an Auror. He and Cherie moved to Charlotte, NC (Cherie’s hometown) in hopes of starting a family together, but it was not to be.

In the fall of 2088, Norman was tasked with apprehending a particularly violent dark wizard. Although he was ultimately successful in his mission, he was gravely injured in the fight. After spending months in a hospital recovering from his injuries, he returned home expecting to find Cherie waiting for him, only to learn that she died while he was away. Unbeknownst to Norman at the time, Cherie left behind a daughter named Normandie in his honor (spelled with - ie instead of -y so people wouldn’t think she was named for the region in France).

With Cherie dead and his Auror career effectively ended by his injuries, there was nothing left in the States for Norman. He moved to the UK to escape the memories of all he’d lost and rekindled his passion for transfiguration. After a few months working various odd jobs, he landed steady employment with a vanishing cabinet maker. He and his boss got along well, and it’s thanks to his boss that Norman discovered his talent for teaching. After hearing his boss complain that his son was struggling in transfiguration, Norman offered to help the boy, which led to a job as a private tutor. At his former boss’s encouragement, he later applied for a teaching position at WU Edinburgh where he remained employed for nine years, first as a teaching assistant then as a professor of Human Transfiguration.

It was during his time teaching at WU Edinburgh that Norman found out about his daughter through a chance encounter. He contacted Normandie’s guardian, sending documentation to back his claim, and a paternity test confirmed that he was Normandie’s father. After learning that Normandie wanted a relationship with him but did not want to move to Scotland, it was agreed that Normandie would stay with her guardian so she could keep attending Ilvermorny and visit her father during the summer and holiday breaks. It was because of Normandie that Norman applied for the position of Hogwarts transfiguration professor, as he felt the younger generation could benefit from his knowledge. Now he is eager to start a new and hopefully brighter chapter in his life.