Darby was born on All Hallow's Eve, 1978 to an affluent and respected wizarding family from just outside London proper, the younger of two children. Her father, Emmett, held an important job with the Ministry of Magic, working high up in the Department of Magical Transportation. Family money from her mother's side moved the family up the social ladder - from upper-middle class to true upper class. And long lines of wizard ancestors - of high repute - on both sides of the family tree assure the purity of wizard blood in Darby's veins.

When Darby was all but 8 months, and her older brother, Dylan, just under two years old, their mother, Banon, was killed under mysterious circumstances, during the height of Voldemort's reign - the exact nature of the murder, or even whether it truly was a case of one, Darby does not know, though she has many theories on the matter. The two Higgins children were raised by their father, alone, aside from a host of hired help - nannies came and went, as did butlers, house-keepers, cooks, and maids. Nothing was constant in Darby's young life, but her father and brother.

The young Darby retreated into her own mind, making up stories and writing them down. As she grew, she began writing poetry and songs - anything she could use to express herself through words. She became quiet and introverted, although with a deep love of her brother and father. A tad melodramatic and cynical, Darby loved being by herself, writing, and always carried a beautiful old leather-bound notebook around with her should an occasion arise.

A few months after Dylan left for his first year of Hogwarts - a full term before Darby would be beginning her career as a student there - Emmett met another woman, a beautiful lady named Greer, 22 years younger than the widower. Darby hated her from the outset. Dylan and her father just attributed this to Darby taking issue with her mother being replaced.

But truth was, Darby never trusted Greer. The young girl seemed to see a sinister side to the beautiful lady that neither of the males in her life could see. While Dylan and Greer were never close, they got along well enough. Darby and Greer, on the other hand, could barely stand each other. Greer, of course, would always act as sweet as sugar when the pair were around anyone else, but when alone, the new Mrs. Higgins quickly reverted back to evil step-mother form.

Her letter could not come soon enough, especially since Greer was expecting her first child. Darby was thrilled to be getting away from her childhood home, since it no longer offered much in comfort to her. During the short time with Greer, Darby's father was no longer the same man she had known and loved. He was completely under her step-mother's thumb, able to offer up no resistance to the woman, and not even realizing it.

So, with her trunk packed, and her beloved notebook under her arm, Darby headed out to Hogwarts, bringing along the eagle owl, Gavina, whom she'd inherited from her mother. She had a natural aptitude for learning and could write essays on most any topic with ease, but her real passion lay in creating her own works. She was always easily in the top half of her classes, but never really put any effort into it. A bit of a coaster, really, but a natural Ravenclaw, it was certain, just like her parents before her.

Too busy being wrapped up in her own fictional worlds, Darby only seemed to take a passing notice of the turbulent times from her second year onwards. However, only those sneaking a peak at her notebook would know that her poetry, already bleak enough as it is, has always shifted to reflect her true feelings about such things, which are similar to those shared by most of the school: fear, anxiety, dread. And yet, her outward appearance always remained largely unchanged. At Professor Umbridge's arrival, she barely even seemed to notice. Not one for overly drawing attention to herself, she remained clear off of the High Inquisitor's radar and was glad to keep it so.

Now seventeen and entering her seventh year, Darby is well adjusted to her life at Hogwarts. She has two younger siblings at home, a half-brother, named Blake, now five, and a half-sister, Claire, only three. The young Higgins look nothing like the raven-haired Darby and Dylan; Blake and Claire both inherited their mother's curly blonde hair and icy blue eyes, and her inability to get along with Darby. She's somewhat dreading her graduation, since she has no idea what she wants to do with her life after Hogwarts, and she most certainly does not want to return home to live with her father and Greer and her two unruly half-siblings. Her father and Greer have forbade her to become a writer by profession, which is about the only thing she truly wants to do; Emmett has threatened to get her a post in his ministry if she doesn't find something practical and appropriate for herself before graduation.