Sort me, please!
Name: Is smirking_muse okay?
Age: 22
Location:Currently in the US attending a graduate program
Hobbies/Interests: I adore reading, and it takes up a lot of my time. I had a big problem with reading too much (you say, you can never read too much? Well, I would read while doing chores and almost got my cat in the vacuum. My mother would ground me from books as punishment when I was still at home). I also play ice hockey and row (crew), both of which I love. There is nothing prettier than rivers in the morning as the sun comes up. I do enjoy being around water (both semi-water sports). I am also a fan of noise. Honestly. I grew up in a large family and was not used to having private space or quiet. Now that I am on my own, I fill in the gaps with music or the tele. As long as something is making some noise, I am content. I am an agony aunt on the side, which I also enjoy. People send in some interesting questions, and I do have a deep seeded passion for telling people what to do (oldest child syndrome possibly).
1. If you were to attend Hogwarts, what would be your favorite classes and why? Potions. I love cooking and chemistry (my chosen profession relates very much to chemistry). There is something relaxing about mixing things together and something altogether amazing about knowing what will happen when you do so. I enjoy a mental challenge and demonstrating my knowledge. It seems as though Potions is in large part about how ingredients will react, and there is a great deal of skill involved in creating and experimenting with them. On the other hand, if Trelawney was teaching Divinations, I might enjoy that class simply for the laughs (she seems like an absolute character).
2. Without bashing any particular house, where do you feel like you least belong? Why? Hufflepuff. I compromise very little to keep the peace. In fact, I often thrive on confrontation. I think that Hufflepuff is more of a compassionate/cooperative house, and I am highly competitive and stubborn, which often gets in the way of interpersonal relationships. Sadly, I am just not nice enough (I can be empathetic and compassionate- I'm not trying to say that, but for instance, if someone says something ridiculous, I am probably one of the first to call them on it). I am more of the type to have a few very good friends instead of many fairly good ones.
3. Who are your favorite major and minor characters in the series? Why? Dumbledore. The man is a walking enigma. He seems to have infinite wisdom and understanding, and yet there are so many levels to his character that no one can peg him as exactly anything but himself. He's also highly successful, just being "Dumbledore," and I think there's a lot to be said for that. Minor character would have to be Pansy Parkinson. She rarely appears and is one of JKR's least favorite, seen as a bully. I think that there are many levels to her too- she was excited about the unicorns and anyone so excited about unicorns can't be all bad, right? I think there are a lot of facets to her that don't come out in her interactions with the main characters. I see her as someone who is passionate and intense in her friendships and beliefs.
4. Which character do you most identify with and why? Draco Malfoy. He is bound by his familial duties and often misunderstood- I am often bound by my family but would not have it any other way. I think he gets painted as the villian, but that there is a lot more to his character- he is as much a victim to the situations as everyone else. He is very proud and passionate. He makes mistakes, but he still holds his own. People often see me as rude or aloof when they first meet me, but I, like Draco, can make friends and have a softer, compassionate side that strangers do not get to see.
5. What makes a person respectable in your eyes? I respect people who know what they want and work to acheive their goals. I am extremely irritated by people who say they want something and then sit back to hope it will happen. People need drive and ambition to thrive. Even if the thing they desire most is learning to stand on their head- if they are working towards that goal and trying their hardest, I applaud them. No matter what the object, the effort is the important thing.
6. If you were an animagus, what would you transfigure into and why? Ideally, I would be a chameleon. The ability to change colour can be seen as defensive or offensive depending on the situation, and I think that I vary my attitude by situation- taking time to evaluate and "change my colours." They can blend into situations/places easily, and I find that I can suit any occasion.
7. You are looking at the Mirror of Erised. What do you see? A Nobel Prize. My family and friends around me. Respect and my own acheivements.
8. You are faced with a boggart, what form does it take? Ladybugs. This may seem absolutely ridiculous, but there is something about ladybugs that really creeps me out, gets my adrenaline pumping and cause my heart to go into palpitations when they land on me. I flip out whenever they are near me. Spiders are fine, snakes are fine, it's the ladybugs that get to me. Perhaps because when I was running a high fever with the flu on a vacation when I was younger, I woke up in bed surrounded by ladybugs. Apparently, they come in through that cabin window every night for warmth and my bed was right next to it.
9. Give a quote from the books and explain why you picked it. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back." Ron (Chamber of Secrets) Sometimes, I feel like I have the worst luck. For instance, last week, I had my wallet stolen, lost a $25 non-replacable ticket, and got a sinus infection. These sorts of things never happen, but I understand exactly how it feels to have your luck turned around on you. I like that every now and again, the wonder trio have some pitfalls- and this line just cracks me up.
10. Speaking of quotes, what do you think of this one? "There is no good and evil in this world, only power and those too weak to seek it." -Quirrellmort. I have to disagree on this point. There is more than power and ambition. There is intent. I believe that the intention behind actions can make for "good" and "evil," but I also think that there is a lot of gray space there. People's motivations will distinguish whether they are "evil" or not. For instance, murderers who kill purely to see someone at their mercy and delight in death are seeking power perhaps, but I would also consider their motives fundamentally "bad." There are also people who seek power in positive ways, through proactive change that would have "good" motives.
11.If you could have a dinner party and invite any 3 other people, dead, alive, or fictional, who would they be and why? I was asked this question at one of my college interviews, and I absolutely hated it. Only three people? That's such a tough one- there are so many possibilities and so many excellent choices. I would invite Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, let them duel it out without pistols this time. It should be entertaining enough, especially with my third guest, Oscar Wilde, with whom I could share many laughs and egocenticities.
12. Which is thicker, friendship or blood? Blood. You will never get another family- they are the only ones you have. Friendships can be made and broken.
13. Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? Yes. In the case of protecting loved ones for instance, I could see using an Unforgivable. I may also be slightly vindictive at times, and if someone cast an Unforgivable on say, my sister, I would probably not hesitate to use it upon them in return in the heat of the moment.
14. Would you put your name in the Goblet of Fire for the Tri-Wizard Tournament? Why or why not? No. I am not a hero. I do not seek glory through success at somewhat foolish and risky deeds.
15.True or False: Rules are meant to be broken. Explain. False. They are clearly not made with the intent that they should be broken. Sometimes, in extraordinary circumstances, one must break the rules, but they were not created with that purpose. Rules are often made to maintain safety and decrease entropy, but in some cases, they are not serving their purpose and should be broken.
16. Anything else you'd like us to take into consideration? Not that I can think of, but if there is anything else anyone wants to know, please do not hesitate to ask.
17. We often use AIM as a way to get together and chat about HP and the community. If you have an AIM screenname, please let us know here: I don't, I'm sorry. I am highly reachable by email though.
18. How did you hear about us? If it was through a specific person's recommendation or through a post he/she made, please give the username of that person. Tari Sue from Ravenclaw's post