Norman is the only child of Eudora, a magical shopkeeper, and Gordon, a No-maj 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 Although a withdrawn and socially awkward child, he excelled in academics (though he tended to lose interest in subjective, emotionally-driven subjects like Divination). He was most passionate about Transfiguration and Defensive Studies. While at Ilvermorny, he gained a reputation as the go-to guy for homework help. That was how he met the love of his life, Cherie Maine.

Cherie was a sweet but rebellious girl from a wealthy Southern family. Although she and Norman were different in almost every way, their opposite personalities complemented each other. She brought him out of his shell, and he kept her grounded. Cherie’s family, on the other hand, disliked Norman at first sight. His introverted, practical nature and “low class” (their words, not his) background clashed with their lavish yet superficial lifestyle. Things reached a breaking point at Cherie’s graduation party, where Norman overheard several members of the family insult his non-magical father. In a rare instance of losing his cool, he told them off, humiliating them in front of their guests. The Maines gave Cherie an ultimatum: choose them or him.

Despite Norman’s pleas not to throw her life away for him, Cherie left with him, and the family disowned her. They eloped and relocated to Salem to attend university. Norman majored in Human Transfiguration and took a job at a magical equipment repair shop to put himself through school. Unlike the Maines, Eudora Carton welcomed her daughter-in-law with open arms and did all she could to help the couple until she took ill during Norman’s final year at university. She lived long enough to see her son graduate but not to see him accepted into MACUSA’s Auror training program. Following four years in training, Norman finally achieved his dream of becoming an Auror. During that time, Cherie missed her hometown (but not her family). While Norman was content to never go back, he put his feelings aside and agreed to move to Charlotte, NC.

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 and, due to a miscommunication on MACUSA’s part, misidentified and falsely declared dead. After spending many 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).

Of all the losses Norman had known in life, the loss of his wife came closest to breaking him. Cherie’s death caused him to harden his heart and close himself off to others. With his wife dead and his Auror career effectively ended by his injuries, there was nothing left in the States for him. 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 foster mother, sending documentation to back his claim, and a paternity test confirmed that he was Normandie’s father. In the process of obtaining the proof he needed, Norman learned that his former in-laws not only knew about Normandie; they also knew all along that Norman had survived and had a hand in the miscommunication that erroneously declared him dead. After learning that Normandie wanted a relationship with him but did not want to leave Ilvermorny, it was agreed that Normandie would live with her foster family and visit her father during the summer and holiday breaks.

Becoming a father forced Norman to do what he swore he never would, open his heart. The problem was that he’d spent so many years alone that he didn’t know how. It was because of Normandie that Norman applied for the position of Hogwarts transfiguration professor. He believed his knowledge could help the younger generation and that teaching that age bracket could help him understand his daughter.

Norman’s first official day at Hogwarts was marked by the Neo-Alliance takeover. He realized two things early on: His Auror background and past experiences made him better equipped to handle the situation, and any attempt to make a stand would get him killed and leave the students with one less protector. He begrudgingly complied and played the part of a Rosier supporter while secretly trying to prepare the students for an eventual battle, using his lessons to teach transfigurations spells that could be useful in the fight. As the term progressed, Norman began to question if he was doing the right thing by placating the Neo-Alliance, especially when all the students with non-magical heritage (many of whom halfbloods like himself) were rounded up and held in a room below the school. He began showing subtle defiance, like giving candy as a prize to all students in his class, not just the purebloods. On the night of May 9, 2104, he guarded the spare office on the sixth floor long enough for the students to be evacuated there and led the students in conjuring birds to attack the Neo-Alliance.

Norman did not consider his actions heroic, Although he would never show how the events of that term affected him, he secretly harbored a lot of guilt and regret over waiting so long to act. Determined not to repeat his mistake, he resolved to work harder to protect his students and remain at Hogwarts at least until all of the students who witnessed the Neo-Alliance takeover graduated.