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May. 16th, 2006 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mari4212I'll update with the meme I've been tagged by and useless details about my life later today, but for now I wanted to get this up.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jadeites_lady, I finished my application. I'm putting it up here to get a read through before I post it on the sorting comm. 11 pages in Microsoft Word, that's quite a bit longer than my H_E app went.
Name: Margaret Clinch
Age: 20
Where did you find out about us?jadeites_lady’s Userinfo had a section on you, and I thought the sorting application sounded interesting.
What Wizarding World profession/occupation would you choose and why?
Probably healer, I like to make people feel better, and Healers most closely correspond to my career plans here in real life. I can’t stand to see people hurt or suffering and not want to help them, ease their pain. In real life, that’s what motivated me to study to become a physical therapist, because for me, that was a career where I could help.
What Hogwart’s subject would you like to teach and why?
Charms. In the books, it seems like Charms class teaches the most diverse spells, and is the most practical for the everyday witch or wizard. The diversity and scope of the class would challenge me, and the practicality suits the pragmatist in me. Besides, it always seems like that’s the class where the Muggle-borns realize that they really can do magic, and I’d love to be the teacher that gives them that experience.
What would your animagus form be, if you had a say in the matter, and why?
I was debating between Fruit-bat and Duck-Billed Platypus, before I decided. Fruit-bat, definitely. First off, I’d be able to fly! Who wouldn’t want that? Okay, yes, someone who is acrophobic would, but you can’t please everyone. Second, fruitbats are native to my home country, so I’d be less obviously an animagus. As a matter of practicality, it’s better to be an animal that avoids suspicion if you’re going to be wandering around in your animagus form in front of muggles. And finally, there’s sentimentality behind my decision. One of my favorite books when I was a little girl was Stellaluna, a story about a fruit-bat that grew up in a family of birds. I’ve always liked that story, and always identified with Stellaluna.
What HP character do you identify with most and why?
This question gave me the most pause for thought, actually. There are several characters that I resemble in some ways, but then there was always a part of me that felt that it wasn’t quite right. I even asked my friendslist, and they came up with about ten different answers. Finally, I was left with one who, while she doesn’t fit any one aspect of my personality perfectly, reflects more of the facets of me than anyone else. So my answer is Lily Potter. She’s intelligent, which is something that I see strongly in myself, but more than that, she’s compassionate. She tried to intervine to save Snape when James and Sirius were attacking him, because she believed that no one should be targeted and bullied like that. That’s something that I understand and agree with completely. And that is what makes me identify so well with Lily.
What do you think you would see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Right now? I’d see myself, in a few years, with my college diploma in hand and my family and friends smiling. I’ve had a hard time with school this year, between getting sick and problems connecting with my adviser and other school personnel. If I get my degree, it’ll mean I’ve put in a lot of work and achieved my goals, and it will mean that I’m set to go on to the next part of my life.
If you were could invent one spell/potion/charm, what would it do, how would you use it, and what would it be called?
I’d invent a charm to put on your mug of tea or coffee to keep it warm until you’ve finished drinking it. Nothing’s more annoying than taking a sip and realizing your drink’s gone cold and nasty. I’d name it the dragon’s breath charm, from the steam that would continue to be emitted by the drink.
If given the chance, would you put your name in the Goblet of Fire to compete as a Triwizard Champion? Why or why not?
This is, of course, assuming that I’d be old enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament at the time? I probably wouldn’t enter, actually. I’m not that competitive, and I don’t need to prove that I’m better than others to be happy, so why bother with all the stress and pressure that goes along with being a Champion?
If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
The problem with this question is that my biggest fear is of large crowds of people in too small of a space, something that would be hard for a boggart to reproduce. So we’ll go with my second biggest fear, that of a large, aggressive dog coming after me. And the Riddikulus spell would give the dog a poodle cut, dye it pink, and muzzle it.
12. What do you look for in a friend?
I look for a lot of things, actually. Open-mindedness is the first thing that comes to mind, a willingness to consider the world from an alternate viewpoint. Next comes intelligence, a sense of humor, passion, and a willingness to be odd. Beyond that, it’s indefinable. Something happens, we start talking, and all of a sudden it’s three hours later and we’re both wondering where the time went and we’re best friends.
What trait most annoys you about other people?
I’d say that what annoys me most in others is a lack of awareness of other people. When someone isn’t aware of how their actions affect others, they tend to be rude and inconsiderate at best, and get worse from there.
What trait most annoys you about yourself?
My tendency to take things too seriously. Not always, but just often enough to annoy me, I miss the fact that people are joking, and take a comment literally, which ends with me getting upset over nothing. I’m pretty good about not letting others see that I’ve taken it personally, but it doesn’t stop it from hurting.
What do you think are your top four abilities or qualities?
Idealism. I believe very deeply in possibilities, and in humanity’s potential. I am the starry eyed kid who really does think that people are good, and that if you give them a chance, people will do the right thing. I believe in the ideal of good, and try to live my life by the ideals I say I have.
Compassion. I’m a soft touch. I mentioned above that if I lived in the Wizarding world I’d be a healer, and it goes back to my compassion. I can’t stand to see people hurt and not want to help them. That same compassion is the reason that I’m known as the shoulder to cry on in my circle of friends.
Intelligent. I normally don’t think about my intelligence, but it is a large part of me. I do pick up on things faster than many other people around me, and I can’t stand to not learn and think about things. I do believe, as Socrates said, that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Loyal. If you have earned my loyalty, if I care about you, I am there for you for life. You’d have to betray me first for me to even think about giving up on you.
What do you think are your top four weaknesses or worst qualities?
Selectively Motivated. If I don’t care about something, it takes a lot to get me working on it, even if intellectually, I understand that I need to do it. Once I do get motivated, of course, I’ll work my tail off on it, as you can probably see from this application.
Procrastinator. This goes along with the motivation problem. I tend to start something, then drop it until right before it’s due. Luckily, then I get motivated and get it done, but I get annoyed with myself for not working steadily on it.
Naïve. Don’t ask me how I managed it, but I survived a year in marching band and a season of stage crew and still managed to be naïve and innocent, even when it can be a handicap for me. But I still tend to take people as they present themselves, and believe the best in them. Part of that’s my idealism taken to a bad extreme.
Avoidant. If something upsets me, I’m most likely to try to get away from it and then pretend it doesn’t exist. I don’t want to confront it, normally. I hate confrontation, in any form.
You were just given a pensieve as a gift, what memories would you choose to place in it and why?
Are you asking this from the perspective that placing memories inside the pensieve takes them out of your mind, so that you no longer remember them unless you are looking in the pensieve, or that the pensieve simply contains a copy of your memories? What canon we have doesn’t really explain how pensieves work. I’ll assume that it’s the former, that you forget at least the specifics of the memory when you have placed it into the pensieve, for the purposes of this question. And my answer is, none. While, yes, I have bad memories, things that I might not want to remember, they are a part of who I am. Forgetting that I was teased in second grade might be pleasant, but would it change how I interacted with people? Little though I liked it at the time, that memory has caused me to be more compassionate towards others. My memories have shaped who I am, and I don’t want to stop being me to get rid of a few bad experiences.
What are your feelings on the Dark Arts? Are you for it, against it, or indifferent about it?
How are you defining Dark Arts? This is sort of a grey area in the books, because we’ve got characters like Remus, who is technically dark because he’s a werewolf, and abilities like being a parselmouth, which are so linked to the Dark Arts that anyone with those abilities is automatically under suspicion. If those attributes are placed under the heading of Dark Arts, then my answer is necessarily complicated. However, if you define Dark Arts as being those acts of magic fueled by hatred and a desire to harm, and which are used to injure, kill, or otherwise attack innocents, then I am very definitely against the Dark Arts.
Which character from Harry Potter is your favorite and why?
Don’t laugh, but my favorite character is Neville Longbottom. When we first meet him, he is quiet, unsure of himself, and comes across as something of a dork. He’s every bully’s favorite victim, and a teacher’s worst nightmare. Not exactly the heroic Gryffindor ideal. But not all bravery is seen in brash, reckless behavior. Neville’s bravery is found in his stoic endurance. Retrospectively, looking back from the perspective of the fifth book, we know that he regularly goes to see his parents, who have been tortured into insanity. They don’t even seem to recognize him. That is a painful loss, and quite probably harder to deal with than their outright deaths. He is raised by a grandmother that he seems to be very intimidated by, and who seems to spend a large portion of her time yelling at him. While I am sure she loves him, she doesn’t seem to know how to interact with him. And yet he loves her, loves his parents, and tries to make them proud.
As it stands, he is alone among the Gryffindors. Dean and Seamus spend their time together, as do Lavender and Parvati. And of course, so do Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He seems closest to the trio, and yet he is definitely not one of them. He spends most of his time alone, and yet in the first book he is willing to make his isolation complete by alienating Harry, Ron and Hermione by standing up to them. There is no way he could actually stop them going, but still he makes the attempt. Truly, that is bravery, and one of the most heroic acts of the series.
Which character from Harry Potter is your LEAST favorite and why (You may not say Voldemort, Umbridge, or any known Death Eaters since they are written with the intention of dislike)?
I find that my least favorite character in the series is Ron Weasley. And I think that much of my dislike of Ron is that he’s someone that is so real. I care about him enough to actually dislike him. If I didn’t have anything invested in him, I wouldn’t care what he was like.
He is a typical teenage boy, more concerned with sports than homework, with his friends and relationships than his classes. He is primarily focused on the mundane, the ordinary facts of life. And he rubs me entirely the wrong way. I don’t really deal well with teenagers, even when I was one myself. Ron reminds me of too many of my former classmates. He is rude without meaning to be so, insulting without thought. The line in Prisoner of Azkaban about his calling Hermione a know-it-all once a week comes to mind, as does his casual insults of Slytherins in most of the books. He spends a lot of the time putting his foot firmly into his mouth. In other words, he acts like a normal person most of the time. He obsesses about Quidditch, both playing and watching. Never being a sports person myself, I don’t understand the appeal, or at least not to that extent. I’m also a terrible bookworm, so his casual disregard for education and reading in general just irritates me.
Another problem that I have with the character is that he tends to be prejudiced. From the first time we see him, on the train to Hogwarts, he mentions that he doesn’t like Slytherins. An entire group of people, just casually slammed in a conversation with another boy. And his basic perception of them doesn’t change throughout the books. In Order of the Phoenix, whenever the idea of inter-house unity comes up, he responds with a variant on “Work with Slytherins? Never.” Admittedly, we aren’t given many canonical examples of a good Slytherin, but it still irks me to hear the constant digs he gets in against them.
As a student at Hogwarts, how would you spend your free time?
I’d probably spend my time in much the same way I do here, reading books that I’m interested in, talking to friends, studying, participating in a few clubs that spark my interest. Okay, so I’d lose the major timewaster of the ‘net, and I’d go nuts missing my music collection, but really, I’d still love reading and being with my friends even at Hogwarts.
Which class do you think you would do well in? Why?
I think I’d do very well in Herbology, actually. I enjoy working with plants, there’s a lot to learn and understand, and the teacher is capable, understanding, and I’d relate well to her teaching style.
Which class do you think you wouldn't do well in and why?
I’d go nuts in History of Magic. I’d hate what Professor Binns does to such an interesting subject, and I hate not being encouraged to think about my subject. And if he doesn’t teach well, but then expects students to have learned intricate details, he’s not a fair teacher and I hate that in teachers.
If you were on your house Quidditch team what position would you LIKE to play and why?
What if I don’t like sports at all and wouldn’t want to play at all? What then? I mentioned before that I’m not competative, this is where that comes into play. I don’t see the point in sports, I wouldn’t want to play on the Quidditch team in the first place, and therefore this question is based on a false premise.
And I know I’m being a pain in the neck for not just swallowing my antipathy towards sports and choosing a position, but that wouldn’t give you the truth, and it wouldn’t show you what you really need to know from this question.
If you were on your house Quidditch team what position do you think you SHOULD play and why?
*bites tongue to stop a similar rant* Okay, what in terms of my personality and abilities would most benefit my house if I had to be on the team, you mean? Then I’d probably say Chaser. I’m good at working in concert with people, and I wouldn’t be the only person in the position, which means that there wouldn’t be as much pressure on me to preform well. I don’t respond well to that kind of pressure. Ask me to do something, I’ll bend over backwards doing it for you. Demand it of me and I’ll fight it with all my strength just because I don’t like being bullied.
Which of the Harry Potter books was your favorite and why?
My favorite remains Prisoner of Azkaban, for multiple reasons.
First, it is just so well written. Every time I re-read the book I pick up on more nuances. Descriptions of events, people’s faces, tone of voice, all of these things add to the complexity of the storyline. Harry gradually learns more about his parents, about the situation he finds himself in, and it’s done well, with every new fact integrated into what we already learned.
Second, the book as a whole is a curious mix of innocence and knowledge. Harry, Ron and Hermione are at turning places in their lives. Up through this book, they believe a lot of what adults tell them. Harry accepts that Sirius is after him because that is what he is told. He trusts that the Minister will obey the laws, specifically the Restriction of Underage Magic, and is surprised when he isn’t punished. It is in this book that he starts thinking about the various stories and ‘truths’ that adults tell him. He hears what most people believe through his eavesdropping on Fudge’s conversation with his teachers, and then he hears Black’s version of the story, and he makes a decision over which truth to believe. Hermione also reaches several turning points in this book. She starts the book taking every course she can, so that she doesn’t miss anything. On one level this is admirable, as she truly wants to learn all she can. But by taking everything, she has no time, and she rapidly approaches an academic burnout normally only achieved by college students. It is in this book that she first seems to accept that she cannot do everything. She begins to understand her own limits. Also interesting is how she accepts Lupin being a werewolf. She figures it out on her own, realizes that if she lets it out he will suffer, and keeps the secret, even from her best friends. This is a year of secrecy for Hermione, with both the time turner and Lupin’s problem. Finally, she takes a huge risk this year in placing her concern for her friend’s life over their continuing friendship. This is a girl who spent the first two months of her first year at Hogwarts alone and miserable. For her to risk her friendship with Harry demonstrates her loyalty and love of him.
Finally, this book also introduces one of my favorite adults of the series, Professor Lupin. Rereading the book recently, I was amazed at the strength and endurance he must have. He has been dealt several harsh blows in his life, and I don’t believe being a werewolf was the worst of them. Far harder to deal with must have been the loss of two friends and the betrayal of the third. It must have been the cruelest cut of all. And then, twelve years later, after he’s had a chance to move on, he is forced to relive it all. The newspaper displays Sirius’ face everywhere, everyone is discussing the story of what happened to Peter, and he is teaching someone who looks almost exactly like James. Add in Snape’s sniping and suspicions, and Harry’s mentions of what he sees from the dementors, and this could not have been an easy year for Remus. Quite frankly, if I were him I’d be having hysterics, not dealing calmly and rationally with people.
Which Harry Potter book was your least favorite and why?
I didn’t like Half Blood Prince that much, because I wasn’t fond of how the main characters related to each other. It wasn’t that I thought it was unrealistic, but I didn’t like who several of the characters became. I didn’t like the petty jealousies and how both Ron and Hermione used others to make the other person jealous.
Which Harry Potter movie was your favorite and why?
I didn’t really like any of the movies that much, but Prisoner of Azkaban was the best for me. I liked the transitions, and many of the substitutions and alterations at least made sense, storywise. Someone really did need to fire the costuming department though, or at least point out that at Hogwarts people wear the uniform, not pink hoodies.
Which Harry Potter movie was your least favorite and why?
Goblet of Fire was the one that really annoyed me. I spent most of it wondering who’d abducted Dumbledore, and why had no one noticed the abrupt personality change. The line “Eternal glory” still makes me wince, because it’s such a destruction of Dumbledore’s character.
If you could change ONE thing in the series, what would it be and why?
This is hard, because so much of the series is dependent on every other part, so taking out one bit would change everything. I think I would change the lack of knowledge we have about the other houses, therefore. So much of what we know about those houses is speculation, gleaned from reinterpreting Harry’s rather unreliable narration. He’s not interested in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, and rather biased against Slytherin, and this makes it so hard to understand what the rest of Hogwarts is doing and feeling throughout the series.
I think it is safe to say that Harry Potter is full of symbolism, so to go along with that, please click on the specified links and follow the directions.
31. Go to this site: Symbolism: Colors
Pick the color that most appeals to you and copy and paste what it says about you: Silver/Grey
Silver/Grey symbolizes security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, maturity, conservative, old age, sadness, and boring.
Do you agree?
The sadness bit has me giggling, and I don’t consider myself old or boring, much less conservative. The rest feels rather accurate though.
Go to this site: Symbolism: Elements
Pick the element that appeals to you most and copy and paste what it says about you: Void (Spirit)
Void is the non-tangable aspect of humans. It is the element that enables us to be inclined magically, and that separates us from non-living matter. A soul if you will.
Do you agree?
Yes, actually. I’ve always been fascinated by religion and the soul, and this felt right.
Go to this site: Zodiac
Click on your Zodiac sign and copy and paste what it says about you: Capricorn
Ruler: Saturn / Element: Earth / Mode: Cardinal
Pole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective
Spirit's attempt to bring about the perfect society, to create heaven on earth; making practical, efficient connections with others on the physical plane; ambitious, feels pride in accomplishments; concern with truth, reality, "hard facts"; relationship to authority.
Serious, determined, disciplined, focused; needs to play more; fathering, disciplining love; authority figures; seeks certainties in life, wants things "cast in concrete"; the Businessman, concerned with the practical relationships to support yourself within society; not interested in "blue sky" ideas, needs to bring theory into concrete reality; "knowing the rules and playing the game"; making a niche in the world.
Do you agree?
No. Frankly, most of it is just flat out inaccurate, and the few parts that are accurate have the wrong reasoning behind them. This is not me.
Go to this site: Choose your wand.
Pick your wand and then paste what the site says about your wand:
Good Potions work! Your wand can brew up potions any time, for you will be great in this area!
Let’s do a little word association here (you may go over one word, but please keep it concise). When you hear the following words you immediately think…
Courage: Bravery, foolhardiness, strength of conviction.
Loyalty: Trustworthy, honest, friendship
Intelligence: Understanding, curiosity, inquisitiveness
Ambition: Drive, determination, goal-oriented
Name a person, alive, dead or even a character from a movie or book, that you most admire. Why do you admire this person?
I admire my Grandfather. He was amazingly compassionate, incredibly intelligent, and he had such a strong sense of the ridiculous that he could laugh at anything. A month before he died, he’d had to get an electric wheelchair, and the first family dinner we had after he’d gotten it, he chased my brother around the table for ten minutes while the rest of us laughed hysterically. He was a navy doctor, and he was often posted in foreign countries. He’d always learn the native language of that country, so that he could comfort the children who he was taking care of in their own language. By the time he died, he spoke seven languages fluently, and was working on his eighth. He was just a strong, good man, who never gave up on people and never lost his love of life and his laughter, and I respect him so much for that.
If you could own any magical creature, what would it be?
A Kneazle. I love cats, so why wouldn’t I go for the magical version, with all of the good attributes of Muggle cats plus a few new abilities?
What is the worst quality you believe that a person, any person, can possess?
Bigotry. I just cannot respect anyone who can hate blindly, and who can believe that it’s okay to hate someone for any one attribute, regardless of what else that person may be.
Which house do you feel you belong in and why?
Hufflepuff. It’s where I feel most at home, and the house that most reflects my own values. Fairness, justice, loyalty, those are key for me, and they’re the qualities I want to possess and be known for, even if it is hard work at times.
What house do you think you WOULDN'T belong in and why?
I just don’t share the mindset to work well in Slytherin, I think. The Slytherin worldview just doesn’t make sense to me, it’s contrary to my most basic assumptions about what the universe is like.
Why do you want to be part of this community? Will you remain active in the sub-communities and voting after you've been stamped in a house?
I want to be a part of this community because I’ve heard that it’s a smaller, closer-knit community, and I think I’d really enjoy it. I also promisedjadeites_lady that I’d apply, and a promise is a promise. If I am sorted, I will remain active. It’s only fair after you all took the time out of your busy schedules to read through this behemoth and sort me.
jadeites_lady, I finished my application. I'm putting it up here to get a read through before I post it on the sorting comm. 11 pages in Microsoft Word, that's quite a bit longer than my H_E app went.Name: Margaret Clinch
Age: 20
Where did you find out about us?
jadeites_lady’s Userinfo had a section on you, and I thought the sorting application sounded interesting.What Wizarding World profession/occupation would you choose and why?
Probably healer, I like to make people feel better, and Healers most closely correspond to my career plans here in real life. I can’t stand to see people hurt or suffering and not want to help them, ease their pain. In real life, that’s what motivated me to study to become a physical therapist, because for me, that was a career where I could help.
What Hogwart’s subject would you like to teach and why?
Charms. In the books, it seems like Charms class teaches the most diverse spells, and is the most practical for the everyday witch or wizard. The diversity and scope of the class would challenge me, and the practicality suits the pragmatist in me. Besides, it always seems like that’s the class where the Muggle-borns realize that they really can do magic, and I’d love to be the teacher that gives them that experience.
What would your animagus form be, if you had a say in the matter, and why?
I was debating between Fruit-bat and Duck-Billed Platypus, before I decided. Fruit-bat, definitely. First off, I’d be able to fly! Who wouldn’t want that? Okay, yes, someone who is acrophobic would, but you can’t please everyone. Second, fruitbats are native to my home country, so I’d be less obviously an animagus. As a matter of practicality, it’s better to be an animal that avoids suspicion if you’re going to be wandering around in your animagus form in front of muggles. And finally, there’s sentimentality behind my decision. One of my favorite books when I was a little girl was Stellaluna, a story about a fruit-bat that grew up in a family of birds. I’ve always liked that story, and always identified with Stellaluna.
What HP character do you identify with most and why?
This question gave me the most pause for thought, actually. There are several characters that I resemble in some ways, but then there was always a part of me that felt that it wasn’t quite right. I even asked my friendslist, and they came up with about ten different answers. Finally, I was left with one who, while she doesn’t fit any one aspect of my personality perfectly, reflects more of the facets of me than anyone else. So my answer is Lily Potter. She’s intelligent, which is something that I see strongly in myself, but more than that, she’s compassionate. She tried to intervine to save Snape when James and Sirius were attacking him, because she believed that no one should be targeted and bullied like that. That’s something that I understand and agree with completely. And that is what makes me identify so well with Lily.
What do you think you would see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Right now? I’d see myself, in a few years, with my college diploma in hand and my family and friends smiling. I’ve had a hard time with school this year, between getting sick and problems connecting with my adviser and other school personnel. If I get my degree, it’ll mean I’ve put in a lot of work and achieved my goals, and it will mean that I’m set to go on to the next part of my life.
If you were could invent one spell/potion/charm, what would it do, how would you use it, and what would it be called?
I’d invent a charm to put on your mug of tea or coffee to keep it warm until you’ve finished drinking it. Nothing’s more annoying than taking a sip and realizing your drink’s gone cold and nasty. I’d name it the dragon’s breath charm, from the steam that would continue to be emitted by the drink.
If given the chance, would you put your name in the Goblet of Fire to compete as a Triwizard Champion? Why or why not?
This is, of course, assuming that I’d be old enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament at the time? I probably wouldn’t enter, actually. I’m not that competitive, and I don’t need to prove that I’m better than others to be happy, so why bother with all the stress and pressure that goes along with being a Champion?
If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
The problem with this question is that my biggest fear is of large crowds of people in too small of a space, something that would be hard for a boggart to reproduce. So we’ll go with my second biggest fear, that of a large, aggressive dog coming after me. And the Riddikulus spell would give the dog a poodle cut, dye it pink, and muzzle it.
12. What do you look for in a friend?
I look for a lot of things, actually. Open-mindedness is the first thing that comes to mind, a willingness to consider the world from an alternate viewpoint. Next comes intelligence, a sense of humor, passion, and a willingness to be odd. Beyond that, it’s indefinable. Something happens, we start talking, and all of a sudden it’s three hours later and we’re both wondering where the time went and we’re best friends.
What trait most annoys you about other people?
I’d say that what annoys me most in others is a lack of awareness of other people. When someone isn’t aware of how their actions affect others, they tend to be rude and inconsiderate at best, and get worse from there.
What trait most annoys you about yourself?
My tendency to take things too seriously. Not always, but just often enough to annoy me, I miss the fact that people are joking, and take a comment literally, which ends with me getting upset over nothing. I’m pretty good about not letting others see that I’ve taken it personally, but it doesn’t stop it from hurting.
What do you think are your top four abilities or qualities?
Idealism. I believe very deeply in possibilities, and in humanity’s potential. I am the starry eyed kid who really does think that people are good, and that if you give them a chance, people will do the right thing. I believe in the ideal of good, and try to live my life by the ideals I say I have.
Compassion. I’m a soft touch. I mentioned above that if I lived in the Wizarding world I’d be a healer, and it goes back to my compassion. I can’t stand to see people hurt and not want to help them. That same compassion is the reason that I’m known as the shoulder to cry on in my circle of friends.
Intelligent. I normally don’t think about my intelligence, but it is a large part of me. I do pick up on things faster than many other people around me, and I can’t stand to not learn and think about things. I do believe, as Socrates said, that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Loyal. If you have earned my loyalty, if I care about you, I am there for you for life. You’d have to betray me first for me to even think about giving up on you.
What do you think are your top four weaknesses or worst qualities?
Selectively Motivated. If I don’t care about something, it takes a lot to get me working on it, even if intellectually, I understand that I need to do it. Once I do get motivated, of course, I’ll work my tail off on it, as you can probably see from this application.
Procrastinator. This goes along with the motivation problem. I tend to start something, then drop it until right before it’s due. Luckily, then I get motivated and get it done, but I get annoyed with myself for not working steadily on it.
Naïve. Don’t ask me how I managed it, but I survived a year in marching band and a season of stage crew and still managed to be naïve and innocent, even when it can be a handicap for me. But I still tend to take people as they present themselves, and believe the best in them. Part of that’s my idealism taken to a bad extreme.
Avoidant. If something upsets me, I’m most likely to try to get away from it and then pretend it doesn’t exist. I don’t want to confront it, normally. I hate confrontation, in any form.
You were just given a pensieve as a gift, what memories would you choose to place in it and why?
Are you asking this from the perspective that placing memories inside the pensieve takes them out of your mind, so that you no longer remember them unless you are looking in the pensieve, or that the pensieve simply contains a copy of your memories? What canon we have doesn’t really explain how pensieves work. I’ll assume that it’s the former, that you forget at least the specifics of the memory when you have placed it into the pensieve, for the purposes of this question. And my answer is, none. While, yes, I have bad memories, things that I might not want to remember, they are a part of who I am. Forgetting that I was teased in second grade might be pleasant, but would it change how I interacted with people? Little though I liked it at the time, that memory has caused me to be more compassionate towards others. My memories have shaped who I am, and I don’t want to stop being me to get rid of a few bad experiences.
What are your feelings on the Dark Arts? Are you for it, against it, or indifferent about it?
How are you defining Dark Arts? This is sort of a grey area in the books, because we’ve got characters like Remus, who is technically dark because he’s a werewolf, and abilities like being a parselmouth, which are so linked to the Dark Arts that anyone with those abilities is automatically under suspicion. If those attributes are placed under the heading of Dark Arts, then my answer is necessarily complicated. However, if you define Dark Arts as being those acts of magic fueled by hatred and a desire to harm, and which are used to injure, kill, or otherwise attack innocents, then I am very definitely against the Dark Arts.
Which character from Harry Potter is your favorite and why?
Don’t laugh, but my favorite character is Neville Longbottom. When we first meet him, he is quiet, unsure of himself, and comes across as something of a dork. He’s every bully’s favorite victim, and a teacher’s worst nightmare. Not exactly the heroic Gryffindor ideal. But not all bravery is seen in brash, reckless behavior. Neville’s bravery is found in his stoic endurance. Retrospectively, looking back from the perspective of the fifth book, we know that he regularly goes to see his parents, who have been tortured into insanity. They don’t even seem to recognize him. That is a painful loss, and quite probably harder to deal with than their outright deaths. He is raised by a grandmother that he seems to be very intimidated by, and who seems to spend a large portion of her time yelling at him. While I am sure she loves him, she doesn’t seem to know how to interact with him. And yet he loves her, loves his parents, and tries to make them proud.
As it stands, he is alone among the Gryffindors. Dean and Seamus spend their time together, as do Lavender and Parvati. And of course, so do Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He seems closest to the trio, and yet he is definitely not one of them. He spends most of his time alone, and yet in the first book he is willing to make his isolation complete by alienating Harry, Ron and Hermione by standing up to them. There is no way he could actually stop them going, but still he makes the attempt. Truly, that is bravery, and one of the most heroic acts of the series.
Which character from Harry Potter is your LEAST favorite and why (You may not say Voldemort, Umbridge, or any known Death Eaters since they are written with the intention of dislike)?
I find that my least favorite character in the series is Ron Weasley. And I think that much of my dislike of Ron is that he’s someone that is so real. I care about him enough to actually dislike him. If I didn’t have anything invested in him, I wouldn’t care what he was like.
He is a typical teenage boy, more concerned with sports than homework, with his friends and relationships than his classes. He is primarily focused on the mundane, the ordinary facts of life. And he rubs me entirely the wrong way. I don’t really deal well with teenagers, even when I was one myself. Ron reminds me of too many of my former classmates. He is rude without meaning to be so, insulting without thought. The line in Prisoner of Azkaban about his calling Hermione a know-it-all once a week comes to mind, as does his casual insults of Slytherins in most of the books. He spends a lot of the time putting his foot firmly into his mouth. In other words, he acts like a normal person most of the time. He obsesses about Quidditch, both playing and watching. Never being a sports person myself, I don’t understand the appeal, or at least not to that extent. I’m also a terrible bookworm, so his casual disregard for education and reading in general just irritates me.
Another problem that I have with the character is that he tends to be prejudiced. From the first time we see him, on the train to Hogwarts, he mentions that he doesn’t like Slytherins. An entire group of people, just casually slammed in a conversation with another boy. And his basic perception of them doesn’t change throughout the books. In Order of the Phoenix, whenever the idea of inter-house unity comes up, he responds with a variant on “Work with Slytherins? Never.” Admittedly, we aren’t given many canonical examples of a good Slytherin, but it still irks me to hear the constant digs he gets in against them.
As a student at Hogwarts, how would you spend your free time?
I’d probably spend my time in much the same way I do here, reading books that I’m interested in, talking to friends, studying, participating in a few clubs that spark my interest. Okay, so I’d lose the major timewaster of the ‘net, and I’d go nuts missing my music collection, but really, I’d still love reading and being with my friends even at Hogwarts.
Which class do you think you would do well in? Why?
I think I’d do very well in Herbology, actually. I enjoy working with plants, there’s a lot to learn and understand, and the teacher is capable, understanding, and I’d relate well to her teaching style.
Which class do you think you wouldn't do well in and why?
I’d go nuts in History of Magic. I’d hate what Professor Binns does to such an interesting subject, and I hate not being encouraged to think about my subject. And if he doesn’t teach well, but then expects students to have learned intricate details, he’s not a fair teacher and I hate that in teachers.
If you were on your house Quidditch team what position would you LIKE to play and why?
What if I don’t like sports at all and wouldn’t want to play at all? What then? I mentioned before that I’m not competative, this is where that comes into play. I don’t see the point in sports, I wouldn’t want to play on the Quidditch team in the first place, and therefore this question is based on a false premise.
And I know I’m being a pain in the neck for not just swallowing my antipathy towards sports and choosing a position, but that wouldn’t give you the truth, and it wouldn’t show you what you really need to know from this question.
If you were on your house Quidditch team what position do you think you SHOULD play and why?
*bites tongue to stop a similar rant* Okay, what in terms of my personality and abilities would most benefit my house if I had to be on the team, you mean? Then I’d probably say Chaser. I’m good at working in concert with people, and I wouldn’t be the only person in the position, which means that there wouldn’t be as much pressure on me to preform well. I don’t respond well to that kind of pressure. Ask me to do something, I’ll bend over backwards doing it for you. Demand it of me and I’ll fight it with all my strength just because I don’t like being bullied.
Which of the Harry Potter books was your favorite and why?
My favorite remains Prisoner of Azkaban, for multiple reasons.
First, it is just so well written. Every time I re-read the book I pick up on more nuances. Descriptions of events, people’s faces, tone of voice, all of these things add to the complexity of the storyline. Harry gradually learns more about his parents, about the situation he finds himself in, and it’s done well, with every new fact integrated into what we already learned.
Second, the book as a whole is a curious mix of innocence and knowledge. Harry, Ron and Hermione are at turning places in their lives. Up through this book, they believe a lot of what adults tell them. Harry accepts that Sirius is after him because that is what he is told. He trusts that the Minister will obey the laws, specifically the Restriction of Underage Magic, and is surprised when he isn’t punished. It is in this book that he starts thinking about the various stories and ‘truths’ that adults tell him. He hears what most people believe through his eavesdropping on Fudge’s conversation with his teachers, and then he hears Black’s version of the story, and he makes a decision over which truth to believe. Hermione also reaches several turning points in this book. She starts the book taking every course she can, so that she doesn’t miss anything. On one level this is admirable, as she truly wants to learn all she can. But by taking everything, she has no time, and she rapidly approaches an academic burnout normally only achieved by college students. It is in this book that she first seems to accept that she cannot do everything. She begins to understand her own limits. Also interesting is how she accepts Lupin being a werewolf. She figures it out on her own, realizes that if she lets it out he will suffer, and keeps the secret, even from her best friends. This is a year of secrecy for Hermione, with both the time turner and Lupin’s problem. Finally, she takes a huge risk this year in placing her concern for her friend’s life over their continuing friendship. This is a girl who spent the first two months of her first year at Hogwarts alone and miserable. For her to risk her friendship with Harry demonstrates her loyalty and love of him.
Finally, this book also introduces one of my favorite adults of the series, Professor Lupin. Rereading the book recently, I was amazed at the strength and endurance he must have. He has been dealt several harsh blows in his life, and I don’t believe being a werewolf was the worst of them. Far harder to deal with must have been the loss of two friends and the betrayal of the third. It must have been the cruelest cut of all. And then, twelve years later, after he’s had a chance to move on, he is forced to relive it all. The newspaper displays Sirius’ face everywhere, everyone is discussing the story of what happened to Peter, and he is teaching someone who looks almost exactly like James. Add in Snape’s sniping and suspicions, and Harry’s mentions of what he sees from the dementors, and this could not have been an easy year for Remus. Quite frankly, if I were him I’d be having hysterics, not dealing calmly and rationally with people.
Which Harry Potter book was your least favorite and why?
I didn’t like Half Blood Prince that much, because I wasn’t fond of how the main characters related to each other. It wasn’t that I thought it was unrealistic, but I didn’t like who several of the characters became. I didn’t like the petty jealousies and how both Ron and Hermione used others to make the other person jealous.
Which Harry Potter movie was your favorite and why?
I didn’t really like any of the movies that much, but Prisoner of Azkaban was the best for me. I liked the transitions, and many of the substitutions and alterations at least made sense, storywise. Someone really did need to fire the costuming department though, or at least point out that at Hogwarts people wear the uniform, not pink hoodies.
Which Harry Potter movie was your least favorite and why?
Goblet of Fire was the one that really annoyed me. I spent most of it wondering who’d abducted Dumbledore, and why had no one noticed the abrupt personality change. The line “Eternal glory” still makes me wince, because it’s such a destruction of Dumbledore’s character.
If you could change ONE thing in the series, what would it be and why?
This is hard, because so much of the series is dependent on every other part, so taking out one bit would change everything. I think I would change the lack of knowledge we have about the other houses, therefore. So much of what we know about those houses is speculation, gleaned from reinterpreting Harry’s rather unreliable narration. He’s not interested in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, and rather biased against Slytherin, and this makes it so hard to understand what the rest of Hogwarts is doing and feeling throughout the series.
I think it is safe to say that Harry Potter is full of symbolism, so to go along with that, please click on the specified links and follow the directions.
31. Go to this site: Symbolism: Colors
Pick the color that most appeals to you and copy and paste what it says about you: Silver/Grey
Silver/Grey symbolizes security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, maturity, conservative, old age, sadness, and boring.
Do you agree?
The sadness bit has me giggling, and I don’t consider myself old or boring, much less conservative. The rest feels rather accurate though.
Go to this site: Symbolism: Elements
Pick the element that appeals to you most and copy and paste what it says about you: Void (Spirit)
Void is the non-tangable aspect of humans. It is the element that enables us to be inclined magically, and that separates us from non-living matter. A soul if you will.
Do you agree?
Yes, actually. I’ve always been fascinated by religion and the soul, and this felt right.
Go to this site: Zodiac
Click on your Zodiac sign and copy and paste what it says about you: Capricorn
Ruler: Saturn / Element: Earth / Mode: Cardinal
Pole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective
Spirit's attempt to bring about the perfect society, to create heaven on earth; making practical, efficient connections with others on the physical plane; ambitious, feels pride in accomplishments; concern with truth, reality, "hard facts"; relationship to authority.
Serious, determined, disciplined, focused; needs to play more; fathering, disciplining love; authority figures; seeks certainties in life, wants things "cast in concrete"; the Businessman, concerned with the practical relationships to support yourself within society; not interested in "blue sky" ideas, needs to bring theory into concrete reality; "knowing the rules and playing the game"; making a niche in the world.
Do you agree?
No. Frankly, most of it is just flat out inaccurate, and the few parts that are accurate have the wrong reasoning behind them. This is not me.
Go to this site: Choose your wand.
Pick your wand and then paste what the site says about your wand:
Good Potions work! Your wand can brew up potions any time, for you will be great in this area!
Let’s do a little word association here (you may go over one word, but please keep it concise). When you hear the following words you immediately think…
Courage: Bravery, foolhardiness, strength of conviction.
Loyalty: Trustworthy, honest, friendship
Intelligence: Understanding, curiosity, inquisitiveness
Ambition: Drive, determination, goal-oriented
Name a person, alive, dead or even a character from a movie or book, that you most admire. Why do you admire this person?
I admire my Grandfather. He was amazingly compassionate, incredibly intelligent, and he had such a strong sense of the ridiculous that he could laugh at anything. A month before he died, he’d had to get an electric wheelchair, and the first family dinner we had after he’d gotten it, he chased my brother around the table for ten minutes while the rest of us laughed hysterically. He was a navy doctor, and he was often posted in foreign countries. He’d always learn the native language of that country, so that he could comfort the children who he was taking care of in their own language. By the time he died, he spoke seven languages fluently, and was working on his eighth. He was just a strong, good man, who never gave up on people and never lost his love of life and his laughter, and I respect him so much for that.
If you could own any magical creature, what would it be?
A Kneazle. I love cats, so why wouldn’t I go for the magical version, with all of the good attributes of Muggle cats plus a few new abilities?
What is the worst quality you believe that a person, any person, can possess?
Bigotry. I just cannot respect anyone who can hate blindly, and who can believe that it’s okay to hate someone for any one attribute, regardless of what else that person may be.
Which house do you feel you belong in and why?
Hufflepuff. It’s where I feel most at home, and the house that most reflects my own values. Fairness, justice, loyalty, those are key for me, and they’re the qualities I want to possess and be known for, even if it is hard work at times.
What house do you think you WOULDN'T belong in and why?
I just don’t share the mindset to work well in Slytherin, I think. The Slytherin worldview just doesn’t make sense to me, it’s contrary to my most basic assumptions about what the universe is like.
Why do you want to be part of this community? Will you remain active in the sub-communities and voting after you've been stamped in a house?
I want to be a part of this community because I’ve heard that it’s a smaller, closer-knit community, and I think I’d really enjoy it. I also promised
jadeites_lady that I’d apply, and a promise is a promise. If I am sorted, I will remain active. It’s only fair after you all took the time out of your busy schedules to read through this behemoth and sort me.
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Date: 2006-05-16 10:58 pm (UTC)and you didn't have to promise me to apply :) I thought you just said you were 'thinking' about it. (as 'thinking' doesn't always equal 'doing') *cringe* I didn't want to put any pressure on you. *sniff
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Date: 2006-05-16 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-16 11:13 pm (UTC)ah! I put pressure on myself all the time ;) so I know where you're coming from. :)
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