Why, potions, of course!

[___evanesco]

Name: Sara-Jane
Age: 15
AIM Screename ( if you have one ): strawberrysporks
Who referred you here - username and house, if possible: I was surfing through journals, and I found a link on deppistsavvy's user info, but I don't believe she is here any longer.

1. Which of the Harry Potter books have you read? Which did you enjoy most?

I have read all of the books, countless times. Personally, I think it's hard to pick just one to be your favorite, because they are all so equally amazing. Nonetheless, I have found that each book tops the previous book, and my current favorite would have to be Half Blood Prince. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I found it extremely compelling and hilarious, it takes a lot for me to laugh aloud while reading and with this book, and I laughed many, many times. Along with the frequent laughter, I found myself crying at Dumbledore's funeral. I suppose that along with the terrible wait for book six and the emotions that came along with knowing that this was the sixth book and that the next book was the last book made me rather emotional. I found these characters to be like actual people who I conversed with every day, and when they died (Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore and even Florean Fortescue, the ice cream shop owner in Diagon Alley), I was distraught.

I also enjoyed how many of the characters that were previously blank canvases were now elaborated on. Not only was this extremely interesting (Particularly in Voldemort's case), but it also made a lot more sense. HBP really tied up a lot of loose ends that were previously completely unknown. For example, now we know why the Defense against the Dark Arts job is cursed, about Voldemort's childhood, and even some of Snape's history. It's like the jigsaw is finished…now we have to see what frame JKR is going to put it in. Half Blood Prince was more of the climax of the whole series, because now Harry not only knows where he's going in his journey but also how to defeat Voldemort. One thing I can complain about, it the fact that we were left on such a cliffhanger. Although we're left on a cliffhanger in every book, this one is even more tremendous. What's going to happen to Hogwarts? How is Harry in whole going to cope with Dumbledore? Ron/Hermione? Now book seven is more anticipated than ever before.

2. How do you feel about Voldemort as a character? (Not as a person.)

Frankly, I despise Voldemort just like the next person. But, I respect him in the aspect of being a character. He is a fantastic villain, and an interesting character. Despite wanting to turn the wizarding world upside down, he has faults just like any other person. No, I'm not saying that Voldemort's normal, because he isn’t by any means. But, he is an amazing character. There's so much to be learnt from his habits, history and current life. He is extremely interesting in all aspects of looking at it. Particularly, I found it interesting to see a glimpse into his childhood, through Dumbledore's memories in the pensieve; we could see why he is like he is today. From birth Voldemort was looked upon as a nuisance, he just learned now to put it in his favor. Through this, Voldemort took no friends, became quite selfish--in the way of only taking steps forward if it would help him to take a larger tem steps forward. He uses people like puppets, (even those that aren't under the Imperius), to do his dirty work. He is quite clever, that Voldemort, and I can see why he has come into power like he has. I believe that the only way that Voldemort can be defeated is if Harry becomes as clever and sharp-minded as Voldemort, or else he will always have the better end of the deal. Therefore, I appreciate Voldemort's affect on the story, I mean, there wouldn't be a Harry Potter series without him. Personally, I think that anyone who has read the books in their entirety will have to come to appreciate him in every way, simply because he in whole is the backbone of the story. Without Voldemort, every single character would lead completely different lives. No one in the Wizarding world had ever seen such a powerful person, to the extent that wizards are afraid to even speak his name. Without Voldemort, this story would have never been told.

3. Which Harry Potter character can you most relate to? (In the sense of personality, intelligence, character traits, etc.)

I've been told by stamped_hp I'm a Weasley twin; although I hadn't seen it before, looking back at that application I see it now. But, looking into myself, I see me more as Ginny Weasley. But, really, when you look at Ginny she's a more discreet version of Fred and George…and in girl version, to boot. Offline, I suppose I'm well liked (I hate saying that--it makes me feel conceited.). I have a lot of acquaintances, but I only have a few really good friends...although I am a quite open person, it takes a lot for me to trust someone, simply because I've been betrayed before--sort of like how Ginny was betrayed by Tom Riddle. I have a lot of different friends, much like Ginny, and I appreciate them all because they all bring different aspects to the situation. Ginny also sees people for who they are, and not what they are made up to be. For example, the Yule Ball in GoF, like any other girl I'd love to go with someone extremely good-looking--but looks aren't everything, and someone like Neville, who is a genuinely good person would not embarrass me or make me feel inferior. My friends appreciate my ability to tell them the truth and be blunt about everything, which is something I've always found Ginny notorious for--even with her brothers, simply because she has to be. I'm always there for my friends and family, and throughout the years, my friends have really just become an extended version of my family. I love them more than anything, and would do anything for them, which is something Ginny is really known for. All in all, I've always found Ginny to be someone I could be friends with in real life, because she seems to be one of the realest characters of the bunch.

4. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? Least favorite?

Two years ago, I would have told you--plain and simple, Hermione. But, now, as the books have continued on and we've learnt a lot more about the characters, I still respect Hermione, but she's no longer my exact favorite. Now, I have to say I'm really partial to the Weasley twins. Not only do they keep me rolling on the floor, but they have fantastic drive to do what they want in life, and that is extremely admirable. They have gone against the grain, it seems, their whole life. They enjoy nothing better than terrorizing their parents with little jokes and pranks. The twins also always seem to bring a breath of fresh air when it is most needed, they aren't serious about things like others are--for example, in the case of Chamber of Secrets, they joked about the "Prince of Slytherin" whilst everyone else was staying as far away as possible from Harry. The twins are EXTREMELY confident, not to the point of cockiness (Ahem, Lockhart), but to the place where they can be confident in everything they do. After all, they have a right to--they're practically geniuses in the way of the joke business. In short, the twins are really the comic relief in the whole series, without them, there would just be the dry humor from other characters that is just as funny, but, it doesn't hurt to laugh at their goofiness.

As for a least favorite, I'm pretty unsure. JKR's given us characters that we are taught to hate through the other character's response to them (Snape, Umbridge, etc), and without these characters the books would be completely different. So, I suppose that my least favorite character isn't a normal one, because I've never seen anyone put Ludo Bagman as their least favorite character, but to me, he is. JKR is notorious for having wonderful, round, well thought-out characters. Now, I'm not saying Ludo isn't one. But, to me, he's just a flat, ex-quidditch player, "fire whiskey" gut, with no other intentions in life besides pleasing people and being a gambling slime ball. Perhaps that was harsh...but, I just don't like him. He seems like someone who would betray someone they've known for years to gain another buck, and it's hard for me to respect someone like that.

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!)

My grandparents have always had a distinct effect on my life, I sort of feel bad for being partial to one set and not the other, but that's how my life has always been. My Granny and Papa have been through a lot together, my Grandfather was a major college baseball coach for 28 years, and my Grandmother has been through so much in her life--hip replacements, brain aneurisms, strokes, just to name a few. Without them, I would not be where I am today. They live right down the street--so I guess that's where my attachment and their influence come from. They'll always have an enormous impact on my life, and they will continue to for the rest of my life.

As for a specific event--I have to say being apart of plays in the past year or so has changed my life tremendously. Without being able to go out and be as crazy and uninhibited on stage as I was in the plays and musicals I was in, I don't think I would be nearly as open and as free-spirited as I am today. There's so much sweat and work that goes into being apart of something like that, and it really showed me how to be completely committed to something--to the extent of going to school with 102 degree fevers just so I wouldn't miss a practice. All in all, being apart of something that involved so much work changed my whole aspect of life and how I should live it, simply because what you do in short effects what you do in the long run. I loved the way that everything we had worked so hard for came into play right when the curtains opened, and that I had made so many amazing friends and had gained so much from it, it really was life changing, and I definitely wouldn't be the person I am today without those experiences on stage and behind the scenes.

6. What makes a friendship valuable to you?

Friends have always been a big part of my life, and I've always had someone who I can count on to be there for me through things that others can't help with.

Trust. Throughout my life, I've had a lot of untrustworthy friends. Maybe I was just naive--but somehow, I'd always be the one hurting in the end. So, having loyal, trustworthy friends are extremely important to me, because that's how I feel I am to my friends. Treat as you want to be treated, right? Besides, without trust in a friendship, the friendship is merely a fake one. In the series, that's a one of the themes of the series--a good friendship is one where you can literally trust your life in the hands of that person.

Laughter is the best medicine in a friendship. Without laughter to come in on those tense times that happen, we'd all be stressed out. That's when laughter in a friendship comes in--to break the ice. If my friends didn't keep my laughing all the day through, I don't think I'd have any. I really enjoy being goofy and laughing, and my friends have to be like that too. I can't have stuffy, serious friends--they just make everything boring. I have to have inside jokes with them, just because nothing is better than crying from laughing so hard.

I have to be comfortable. I'm a really open person, and I have to be able to be comfortable with my friends--even to the point of being able to burp around them. I want to be able to not feel judged around my friends, because I hate judgment. I don't want to feel like I have to get all dressed up to go to the movies just so they'll keep some twisted perspective of me in their mind. I want to be able to be myself--and I have as many flaws as the next person. As I've said, I see my friends as my family. I'm comfortable with my family, and I've found through the years that I'm just as comfortable with my friends as I am with my family.

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!)

Ever since my seventh grade "Hero" project, my hero has been Audrey Hepburn. Maybe it's just the fact that she was the epitome of a classic lady and a great example of a wonderful humanitarian. Being a "thespian", I've always appreciated her acting ability and the fact that Audrey went from dancer to actress seamlessly. She also had flaws--although not exactly open to the public. She was extremely private about her life (something I'm not--I tend to be too open, so, I admire the fact that she was not.) Audrey was more than just a pretty face--she has had such an effect on the movie industry, and in a way of being quirky but classic. Audrey had such amazing morals, and stuck to them, unlike others. She put others before herself, unlike the diva attitude that many actors and actresses hold close today. She worked for charities, namely UNICEF, and really tried to change the world. Audrey had such drive in life, coming from Belgium during World War II where she struggled with malnutrition, to the United Kingdom where she ultimately made it. Audrey was one of the only people who won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Whereas other actresses have just faded into the dark, Audrey made a lasting mark on the world and hopefully will never be forgotten--at least not to me.

8. What are your personal aspirations for your future?

Honestly? I really don't know. I'm kind of comfortable with whatever way it ends up--except it wouldn't be so comfortable to end up living in a ditch. I have drive, sure, but I'm just not sure where I'm going right now. I used to be fond of the whole teacher thing, but I really don't have the patience to deal with children/teenagers for the rest of my life--plus, I tend to muck up the cross from thinking to words, which can confuse people. So, no, not teaching. I definitely want to go to college--NYU, UT or Columbia. But, I have no clue what my major is going to be.

It would be amazing for me to major in Broadcast Journalism and become an "Anchorwoman" somewhere, because I have so many different interests and through journalism you can tackle anything that comes your way, and that's several different things. I would love to become the next Barbara Walters…but who knows, I'm only fifteen, after all. Of course in three years I'm going to be deciding where I'm going with my life, but, basically, I'm prepared to go where my life takes me--good or bad. One thing that I do hope will be present in my future is a family, and with a few children. I'd also love to travel the whole world, and be on every continent once, except for Antarctica (Although that would be amazing...) Ultimately, I want to have a family, a good job and live somewhere that I love, preferably NYC. I love to travel, and when I was there two years ago it was like stepping into hundreds of cultures all at once, it's like visiting the world--but on one tiny island. There's so much to see, do, and, there are so many opportunities. I love it there, and would enjoy spending my life there--however, if that didn't work out, I'd be comfortable staying here, in Texas, near my family and friends in case they ever needed me. But, as I said, I'm comfortable with wherever I end up--as long as I enjoy what I'm doing.

9. What are your most prominent personality traits, good or bad? Which one do you feel best defines who you are as a person?

Honest and Blunt - My friends tend to appreciate the fact that I can tell them any advice they need without sugar coating--I also like that about myself because it also means I can be honest with myself. I know when I've done something wrong, and although I don't really regard it, it tends to stay in my conscience. I admire people who can be guilty, because I tend to be a little too carefree. I am blunt to everyone I know, simply because it's the only attitude I know, along with being blunt and honest in the aspects of personality, my body language is also honest. You can tell when I'm bothered or unhappy--it shows on my face.

Personable and Extraverted - I could pretty much make conversation with a rock if I wanted to badly enough. I guess you could say that I have a lot of friends--but I find myself with more acquaintances than friends. I'm perfectly fine with that, because I appreciate my true friends more than anyone. I'm constantly talking and laughing, and I have no guilt or inhibitions, which sometimes gets the best of me, because I can't keep anything in...At all. As embarrassing as it is, I'm perfectly comfortable with being loud and obnoxious around complete strangers, but I wasn't always like this, because during childhood I was really the shyest child around.

Random and a complete Procrastinator - Most people pride themselves on their randomness, but I don't. It gets me in the worst moments, to where I can't even concentrate on what I'm doing and start doing something completely different--this is especially bad in group settings, I always get completely off topic and it isn't good for the group or for me. I also procrastinate like CRAZY, which goes hand and hand with being random. However, when it comes down to it, I always get it done...I guess you could say I'm a procrastinating perfectionist, because at the last minute I'm gluing borders onto my science project (like tonight, for example.) I guess you could say I work best under complete stress; the adrenaline rush of only having a few hours to get something done really puts the ambition in me to get it done.

Cheerful and Optimistic - I am a constant optimist, and believe me, the glass is almost always half full. I don't let a lot of things get me down, and usually just move on from them. Although moments in my life do affect me, I don't allow many petty things to. I never really appreciate people who are pessimistic, simply because I feel like they're just wasting their lives. I'm also an extremely happy, cheerful person. As I've said, I have an awful lot of acquaintances, mostly because I can mold myself to fit in with them and make conversation. I'm always smiling--not to the point of being obnoxious (that's just annoying.) Of course, like anyone I have my bad days. I tend to go from one extreme to another, when I'm pissed off, I'm pissed off, and when I'm happy, I'm happy. But, I'm usually in a very good mood every day...because, as cheesy as it sounds, I love life, and I've lived a lucky one so far.

Stubborn and Hardheaded - I want my way. I guess you could view that as self centered, but I don't. I tend to win arguments because I don't give up...at all. At the same time, I'm in a rush to say I'm sorry, because in the long run I want everyone to just be friends. Nonetheless, I'm confident in things I shouldn't be, simply because I think I'm always right. And...I'm not always right, in fact, a lot of times I'm wrong. This goes along with the ditzy factor that I’m not so proud of. I am completely comfortable with standing up for what I believe is right, because I'm not about to be one of those who just sits there. I am determined to get what I want, and once I set my mind on someone, something, anything in general, it stays that way. I'm very big on first impressions--however, someone can redeem themselves if they do something I find...worthy.

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.)

If I had to choose, I think I'm most like Gryffinpuff (this is after much deliberation and taking a quiz that showed results of 81% Gryffindor and 79% Hufflepuff.) I have many traits from Gryffindor, like being stubborn and outgoing. I have intellect, sure, but I do not have the discipline that a house like Ravenclaw has, and I've always seen the normal Gryffindor as being sort of like that. I go in head first when it comes to standing up for what i believe in, but sometimes find myself fighting the alligators. Gryffindors are said to be daring, adventurous and true to their friends. Even if I’m not the most daring or adventurous person, I can still relate this. I love adventure as much as the next person; to be able to trek into the unknown and find the way out with the best outcomes has always been fun to me. As said earlier in my application, friendship is very important to me, and being true to my friends -and vice versa- is something i cherish more than almost anything else. Some people say you can count on a Gryffindor if you're in a crisis, and i think this is true for me too. Although i might not be the person heading the relief, I’ll always be there for people to lean on when they need me. People who show even the littlest bit of courage are held high in my eyes. If one person speaks out over a topic they feel strong about, regardless if I agree/disagree with the topic, I’ll respect them for being courageous and speaking out about it.

I also have the hospitality, optimism, good-nature and cheer that Hufflepuffs do. I take anyone in to be my friend, and I am usually friends with them for long amounts of time--I still say hi to people I was friends with in second grade. As I said above I'm easy to forgive, although extremely opinionated. Hufflepuffs are known as caring, good people and that's also an attribute of myself. If you know about the characteristics of this house's animal, the badger, you'll know that they seem mild-mannered, but when feeling threatened or backed into a corner, they will defend themselves. I fight for what i believe in, this going parallel with the hardheadedness i said about before. I'm a determined person; I’ll admit i like to win things. I'll exhaust every outcome, minus cheating; to try and win or complete the task I've been given. Hufflepuffs aren't ones to share in on the limelight, but they keep their sense of decency and fair play because they have integrity. As mentioned in my hero answer, i hold these things very near and dear to my heart. Although I'm not patient, I see a lot of myself in Hufflepuff. In the aspect of both houses, I see myself as extremely loyal to my family and friends.

However, I don't see myself as being a Slytherclaw, simply because I do not have outward ambition and disapline that I see Ravenclaws and Slytherins as having. Ravenclaws are drawn to understand the theory of magic, and may spend hours unraveling the mysteries of the world. This doesn't seem to define me simply because i would get too bored just thinking without doing. I'm more about using what i learned to make it into something that works for me, and more so making it work better than it was taught to me. The tendencies of Ravenclaws sometimes make it hard for them to make friends outside of their respected house. I'm not sure if I could just stick to friends from one house, or group in real life. Same goes for Slytherin. Being the house JKR made purposely for being disliked due to their reputation, they too tend to only mingle with their own kind. Some seem too pompous or proud to associate with other people, and some ravenclaws seem to think they are too intelligent to give the time of day to others. Slytherins are known as ambitious, which i can confess i am a bit too, but i will not use any means necessary to get what I want. Cheating to me is something unthinkable, and a very low thing to do. I think they generally like having their way. I know there's not one person in the world who hasn't wanted their way at least one time in their life, but to me slithering think it's 'their way or the highway'. However, in recent searches I found a website that shows attributes from zodiac to house, and I found myself lacking in Ravenclaw, but one thing from the Slytherin side really stood out to me "Temporary failure is not humiliating to the Sagittarius Slytherin, merely a temporary setback in pursuit of a goal. They can laugh at themselves even when other people are laughing at them, and of course that turns the joke on the idiots who came up with it in the first place." In the long run, I see myself in every house and respect every house pairing, but Gryffinpuff is what sticks out the most for me.

11. Why should we not squib you?

Well, I have to say, I put in a lot into this application--so I certainly hope it shows my personality. I also really like this community, and the people who are involved. Even when I was squibbed, everyone here was so incredibly nice about it, and it helped me realize what I needed to work on and such. This is my revised application, and I worked extremely hard on it, I searched inside myself a lot more this time around and gave more in depth answers to make my self a little more open to the outside. Before, even as I read the answers, I realized that they were not enough, and I hope that now the sorting is easier and more evident. And, even though I was squibbed, I felt the need to reapply simply because I really like this community.