@Bethany Hawke was born 9:11 Dragon is Hawke's younger sister and @Carver Hawke's fraternal twin. An apostate mage, she received her magical training from her father Malcolm Hawke, who was also an apostate.
Bethany's magic manifested when she was nine, when she threw a local bully across a field without touching him. Her family was forced to move in all haste, eventually settling on the outskirts of Lothering. While she was noted for her curiosity about religious stories, she mostly stayed hidden away at home. This was, of course, because of her arcane talents. A traveler identified as only 'Sade' visited the Hawke family after the onset of Bethany's gifts, describing her as 'reveling in the stories of the far and away' and 'masterfully reserved'. Once, when she and a childhood friend of the Hawke siblings, Ebrin 'Peaches' Janith, were being chased by a wild dog, Bethany accidentally made it go to sleep. After this incident, Bethany kept herself in even more secrecy. The friend did not betray her to the templars because 'she was too nice to be magic.' @Leliana frequently interacted with Bethany as part of her duties and activities in the Lothering chantry. As Lothering is overrun with Darkspawn, Bethany is forced to flee with her family.
Even growing up as an apostate has not dimmed Bethany's faith and sunny nature, though it has colored her view of the world. Bethany wishes above all else to be "normal." She appreciates the trouble her family took to keep her out of the Circle, but the running, hiding, and constant fear have taken their toll. Though she would never admit so to her mother @Leandra Amell --not after all she sacrificed to protect her--Bethany sometimes wonders whether she would be better off in the Circle. At least there she would be with other mages, confident she'd be serving the will of the Maker and not defying a millennium of religious teachings. Still, her first loyalty is to her family; despite her doubts, she gladly embraces her magic if it keeps them safe. She has a teasing rivalry with her twin, @Carver Hawke, and greatly respects Hawke.