The potions master ensnares my senses.
Name: Laurie
Age: 18
AIM Screename ( if you have one ): armandospeaks
Who referred you here - username and house, if possible: miss_padfoot and jane85 both of Slytherclaw.
1. Which of the Harry Potter books have you read? Which did you enjoy most?
I have certainly read all six books, and multiple times each. My favorite would have to be a tie between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. I like the way they are both very dark. In GoF, I really enjoyed the ending plot twists, and I thought the TriWizard Tournament was wonderful. I loved getting to meet members from foreign wizarding schools. The tasks were brilliant, and it was fun to see all the different things the champions ended up having to do, especially in the maze. I also liked the final scene between Harry and Voldemort. I think Voldemort is a great villain, and like to see Harry and him interact. The reason OotP ties for my favorite is because of the character development. There are new characters from multiple houses introduced, not just Gryffindor and Slytherin, in Dumbledore's Army. I also like how the good parts seemed so much better because of the repressive influence of the Ministry of Magic (i.e. Dumbledore's Army, the Weasley twins' escape). The obsessive studying for O.W.L.s was something I could relate so easily to, having spent all last year preparing for SATs, ACTs, and AP exams. I liked how the "evil" in the book (Umbridge, Fudge, most of the rest of the Ministry) was masquerading as the good guys.
2. How do you feel about Voldemort as a character? (Not as a person.)
I feel that Voldemort is a wonderfully crafted character. He's rather awe-inspiring when you think about his prowess in the field of magic, and his immense intelligence regarding the Dark Arts. He is an interesting character because so much can be done with his backstory. It's incredibly interesting to read about how he turned into such a malicious and evil person. He is immensely powerful, but he also has a gigantic weakness, which is a sign of a good character. His weakness is that he cannot love, and so he cannot understand Harry. He cannot predict what Harry will do, the lengths he will go to in order to save the world. He also will never be able to possess the magic that comes along with love.
3. Which Harry Potter character can you most relate to? (In the sense of personality, intelligence, character traits, etc.)
Remus Lupin is the character that I identify with most. I am an overachiever, and I would strive my hardest to be a prefect and such like Remus seems to have done in his early Hogwarts years. I do, however, have a wild side, a side of me that likes to rebel and play pranks and just fight the Man. This is why I have friends that are prominent trouble-makers, friends none of the teachers expect to see top-of-the-class Laurie with. I am a perfectionist, but I like to be imperfect sometimes, if that makes any sense. And the only character I really feel has that same type of attitude is Lupin. I could talk about how I feel like an outcast sometimes and Lupin is an outcast, but that's really overused, so I won't go into it.
4. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? Least favorite?
My favorite character is Neville Longbottom. He is very different from the slightly Mary Sue-ish characters who are always brave, always plunging headfirst into danger. He is so sweet, and has such a kind heart. However, he DOES have courage, and he will fight. I like to see him thrive in Herbology, and in Dumbledore's Army. He is such an intelligent boy, if he could just get over his confidence issues. But the confidence issues make him an even more interesting character. His backstory is also very intriguing and sad, with his parents being in St. Mungo's unable to even recognize him. I think he will have an important part to play in the last book, because the prophecy could just as well have been meant for him. And I can't help but think that is something important. Neville is my woobie. He can do no wrong.
My least favorite character is Ron Weasley. I find it hard to describe why I dislike him so much. He just bores me to no end. His comments can be amusing sometimes, but he's such a... petty teenage boy. I'm not a big fan of your normal teenage boy. He is overly jealous, and covets material possessions too much. He's too quick to anger, too quick to embarass, too quick to demean. He makes it so EASY for the Slytherins to bait him and get under his skin. I can't stand the type of person who doesn't really believe in himself. I find him very unworthy of being Harry Potter's best friend, and triply unworthy of any relationship with Hermione. They are both far too good for him. The fact that he hangs around with people so much better than himself only makes him seem even worse. Sort of like Peter Pettigrew. Ron can also just be mean and malicious towards people, like girls that aren't very pretty.
5. What thing, event, or person has had the most impact in your life? (Please don't use yourself because you can't think of someone/something else. Think hard!)
The death of my grandfather had the most impact on my life. Prior to his death, I was very unstable emotionally. I was overly dependent on others for my happiness, I gave people these huge openings to hurt me. I wasn't happy with myself, and I didn't really know who I was. His death caused me to break psychologically. I went through this period of intense depression where I could barely get out of bed. Finally, I started seeing a psychologist, and the talk therapy changed my life. My psychologist helped me learn how to control the depression, and turn it into happiness. I finally had the mental energy to get to know myself, and I realized that myself was someone I really loved. If my grandfather hadn't died, I might have gone on living so unhappily for far too long.
6. What makes a friendship valuable to you?
I don't have very many friendships, as I'm more of a loner, but the few I do have are very valuable. I value the loyalty in the relationship, the fact that they would stand beside me thorugh everything, and I would do the same for them. I value a person who is not dependent on me, because that almost always causes the friendship to backfire. The understanding in a relationship is valuable. The person really knows me, and knows when to be comforting, or give me tough love, or tell me to just snap out of it. Understanding is also key because I get into moods where I need to be alone for a few weeks, and I need friends who understand that this has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with me. Love makes a friendship valuable. It's so wonderful to know you are loved, and to love someone back.
7. If you had a hero (real or literary) who would it be? (Please keep in mind that we're asking IF you had one, and again please don't use yourself because you can't think of someone else. Be creative!)
My hero is Stargirl from the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. She is everything I wish I could be. She spreads love and peace like highly contagious diseases. She loves everyone, no matter who they are, and she is not afraid to show it. She is not afraid to be herself, no matter how different and outlandish that self is. She does the smallest acts of kindness, but they make people so incredibly happy, like remembering every person's birthday and playing a song on her ukelele for them. I wish I could be as completely selfless as Stargirl, spending all my time helping other people in need.
8. What are your personal aspirations for your future?
First, I need to pick a college. I've gotten in eveywhere I want to go, but I can't seem to pick. I have no idea what I want to major in. Eventually, I would like to have worked in the Peace Corps in French-speaking Africa. I want to do something to help the people suffering from AIDS and TB. I'm considering going into med school and joining Doctors Without Borders. I would also like to work for women's rights around the world, possibly with NOW. On a less altruistic note, I want to see whales in their natural habitat. I want to travel to every place that is home to whales in the world and see them. Oh, how I love whales! Also, I want to spend a whole season in Greenland without the sun. My life is going to be rather full.
9. What are your most prominent personality traits, good or bad? Which one do you feel best defines who you are as a person?
Intelligence: I love being able to keep a clear head and really think things through, especially while debating. I love to learn, and so I enjoy classes more than most other people. I take all the most challenging courses at my school even though I don't need to to graduate or even get into college. I just love for my mind to be challenged.
Creativity: I enjoy thinking outside of the box, and thinking of completely new and different things. Making up stories is my favorite past-time, and I find I will tell anyone my ridiculous stories of aliens and flesh-eating boogers. If I cannot create for long periods of time, I fall into terrible melancholy moods. Creating new worlds is a form of release for me.
Liberalism: I wouldn't trade being a liberal for anything. I love working hard for gay rights and for women's rights and for animal rights. If I didn't have these liberal causes I would feel very purposeless. I like to be liberal, progressive. I like to change things.
Messiah complex: I feel that I, by myself, can and must fix the problems of the world. It makes me very frustrated when I can't. I don't like to be able to see the problems of the world so completely, and then not be able to fix them. This is a prominent personality trait that I don't really enjoy at all.
Eccentricity: My mind works very differently from the way most people's minds work, and I can think of innovative and new ideas because of this. My eccentricity also makes it very easy to amuse myself just with my mind, and this is a good quality to have while in the immense boringness that is high school.
My eccentricity best defines me as a person, because it's pretty much who I am. I don't blend into any crowd, because I don't want to. I want to be completely Laurie, without a label that means I belong to a certain group.
10. What house combination do you feel you're most like? Least like? (This is not pushing. It shows whether or not you are self-aware and may not have an influence on the voting process.)
I think I am most like a Ravendor. I have the thinking faculties of a Ravenclaw, and I tend to keep my temper and feelings under control. I think rationally most of the time, and don't give a rat's ass what other people think of me. However, there is a part of me that is completely irrational, the part of me that thinks she can fix the problems in the world. The alruistic, quixotic side of Laurie. That is definitely Gryffindor. I think I am least like a Slytherclaw. I have too much passion for my fellow human, and the world around me. Slytherclaw just makes me think of a cold, rational person, who will always get what he or she wants. I'm not that person. I've got this crazy fire burning in me that makes me want to help other people a lot.
11. Why should we not squib you?
You should not squib me because I spent a rather long time on this application. Also, I didn't push, because I love all houses equally. I don't really care which one I get into. I'd be happy anywhere, I think. Also, I will be very active in the community if I am accepted, and that's always a good thing.