twilight, pride and prejudice, the fountainhead, anne of green gables
Name: Maggie
Age: 17
Gender: Female
1. Give us reasons for and against your being sorted into each house.
a. Gryffindor
For: I never really saw myself as a Gryffindor--at all--until this year. I couldn't see any bravery or courage or fearlessness in myself. I couldn't see any self-confidence. I couldn't see any kindness or willingness to stand up for what I believe in. I didn't really believe in much, though. But this year, I've grown up a little bit, and I think now I can see a huge amount of Gryffindor qualities in myself. I am extremely brave, and self-confident, and kind, and most definitely willing to stand up for my opinions (and, with the support of my best friends, I'm willing to have opinions). I let nothing (not fear, or peer pressure, or conformity) stand in my way. I was lost for awhile, but I think the fact that I was able to find myself without giving up entirely is also Gryffindor. I'm stubborn and brutally honest and determined.
Against: I can't make decisions to save my life, so there is definitely no rashness about my decision-making. I don't get angry easily; I have an easy-going temper and I'm way more willing to talk something out with someone than to start a fight. I'm fairly confrontational, but not in an attacking sort of way, if that makes sense. I'm really not chivalrous, by which I mean I take care of myself before I take care of others.
b. Slytherin
For: You know those people who you go to for advice, and walk away from knowing exactly what you're going to do. That's me. For some reason, I have... a lot of subtle control over other people. I've somehow persuaded my friends that I'm "always right," according to them, and that "whatever I say goes," even though sometimes they "don't even know" I'm convincing them to do anything. That's all in the words of my best friend Erica, but it's actually really accurate. I'm persuasive (and in control), but I'm not obvious about it. I think that ability of mine to persuade others to my way of thinking without making them angry or defensive is a Slytherin trait. I've persuaded friends to change their entire class schedules around so they'll be in classes with me, and they end up thinking all they ever wanted was to take the classes I told them to. Slightly manipulative, I'll grant you :D
I'm also really ambitious. I have a lot of goals (many of them revolving around school and college at the moment) and I'll stop at nothing to achieve them (there's a super funny story I really want to tell about this side of my personality, but I don't know if I should :D). I believe that the ends justify the means, and where you end up is more important than where you've come from.
Against: I'm not resourceful, and I actually really hate that about myself. I panic in stressful situations, and it's hard for me to make the best out of what I have available without worrying about what I don't have. I'm also not competitive, unless it's against myself. I couldn't care less about what other people are doing. I want to be the best... but the best only by my own definition, not someone else's.
c. Hufflepuff
For: I'm very hard-working. There are a lot of things I want to get accomplished, and I obviously realize how hard I have to work if I want to get them. I'm the girl who takes honors math because I want more honors classes, even if it means I'm going to have to struggle and cry over my homework every night. I'm the girl who, for the same reasons as the math, took Honors Anatomy this year after literally swearing to myself that I would never take that class--and the girl who got one of five A's in the class because I was willing to work for it. I also took Ceramics this year (a GIANT mistake) and it was basically the class from hell for me, due to some confrontations with my teacher and the fact that I'm apparently TERRIBLE at Ceramics, but I ended up with a super high grade in the class because I put the work in on the projects and on convincing my teacher to love me :D
Against: I'm not fair. It's a problem. And I'm not loyal by any stretch of the imagination. I definitely expect people to be loyal to me (and if they aren't, I get upset), but I don't return the favor, and I really, really hate that about myself. I'm working on it, though. But that's an example of how not fair I am too. I want what I want, and I'll get it without being fair to anyone but myself; I'm relatively selfish and ethics don't bother me, and being fair to everyone is not high on my priorities list. Getting stuff done is more important, and sometimes you can't be fair if you want to be efficient. I'm also RIDICULOUSLY impatient :P
d. Ravenclaw
For: Okay, well, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm intelligent. I'm not really that street-smart, but I have school-smarts in spades. I don't like talking about it very much because it feels like bragging, something of which I'm not a big fan. But I love school, I love learning, I love finding out new things. I have my preferences (for example, I hate hate hate science, but I love government and English and languages) and of course I'm more likely to be passionate and work hard in classes I like, but I'm also able to find something to love about learning science and math. I'm always reading and studying and talking about what I've learned.
I'm also fairly creative. I love to write, and I have a kind of facility with language. I'm very close with my AP Lit teacher, and she tells me (way too often; I never know how to react to compliments) that I'm the best writer in the class. I also like visual art, and sometimes my projects turn out better than others. Ceramics, for example, was a complete failure, and drawing is definitely not my forte, but I make pretty collages, I like journaling, and I love taking pictures.
Against: I'm not wise, but I guess that wisdom comes with age. At 17, I'm not quite qualified to be wise yet. I think it will come. I'm also a little less confident about my math abilities. A lot of learning-related things come super easily to me, but math doesn't at all. Sometimes (mkay a lot of times :D) I don't do my homework because I get too bored.
2. If you had access to a Time Turner, and did not have to worry about any restrictions, nor about whether you were going to return or not, what would you use it for and why?
I've been thinking and thinking for awhile now, and I honestly cannot come up with a reason I would use a Time Turner. I don't want to go back anywhere. I considered going back to the start of high school so I could do it right, but I don't actually want to relive the past three years. I considered going back to before September 11 or another crisis, but then... what the hell could one 17 year old girl do to stop anything? I considered going back to some happy time I spent with my friends, and of course that would be nice and pleasant, but... I know there will be a lot more happy times in my future and I don't need to relive the past. I'm all about moving forward. It's not about where I've been, but where I'm headed and where I'll end up.
3. Under what circumstances would you use an Unforgivable Curse?
None. I would never be able to use one. I have extreme empathy for people, and I cannot inflict death or pain of any kind on someone else without feeling it myself. It's too hard for me to even imagine any sort of circumstances in which I would even consider using one. I wish I could say, "Oh, yeah, I'd do it for my family and my friends," especially since I know I have friends who would do it for me if necessary, but... I can't. It's not in my nature.
4. Under what circumstances would you work for Voldemort?
I would work for Voldemort only if we could take the Unforgiveable Curses out of the equation and if his whole campaign wasn't about prejudice. I admire his power and what he is able to inspire in others (loyalty and intimidation), but the only circumstances under which I would work for him were if he used his abilities for good =D Aaand... I also think I would be bothered by being just his subordinate. I'm a little bit of a control freak.
5. What class do you think you would excel in at Hogwarts? What do you think would be your favorite?
My favorite class and the class I would excel at would be History of Magic. It's no problem for me to deal with a bad or boring teacher; I've been through both and came out fine. I just really love history, and I'm good at understanding it. It's interesting to me.
6. You have to make five Horcruxes. What significant objects would you choose, and why? Why are these objects so important to you, that you would be willing to stick your soul into them?
I'm going to preface this answer by saying that I'm really not materialistic, and I don't set a lot of store in objects. So I don't have a lot of significant objects from which to choose.
1. Purry. Purry is this tiny little stuffed animal cat that my grandma got me when I was very little. Purry is kind of a symbol of my childhood. For a long time I never went anywhere without that cat. She saw as much of my life as I did. My grandma died soon after giving me Purry, and so Purry is also a symbol of the love she gave me.
2. A bowl I made in Ceramics. Yes, it's kind of fragile and easily breakable, but I'm just so gosh darn proud of it :D We made bowls on the wheel, which is, you know, hell on earth. I was terrible at throwing on the wheel. Trust me, it's not as easy as it looks. But on the last day, I finally made a decent looking bowl, and now I think it's just about the most gorgeous thing. It took so much effort and time, but it turned out perfectly, and I love that.
3. My cell phone. I'm that typical, annoying teenage girl who never stops texting and basically has her phone glued to the side of her head. I love staying in contact with everyone, and my cell phone is the way to do it. I have a really close-knit group of friends, and we're all always on the phone with each other, so my cell is a symbol of that closeness which is so important to me.
4. Some one of my CDs. I go back and forth on which artist/band I'm obsessing over every week, but when it came time to make the Horcrux I think I would be able to pick one :D The purpose of using a CD would be to show my love of music. Music has a giant impact on my life. I can't go anywhere without it. I talk about bands and songs with my friends all day long, I have to do homework with music on in the background, I collect song lyrics, I literally need music when I'm driving, and I even have to fall asleep to music.
5. My class ring. It's a symbol of how far I've grown up during high school. Things haven't been easy (who are they easy for, though!) and I'm really proud of myself for not giving up. The ring reminds me where I've been and how much better things look from this end of it. I know I've mentioned before that I don't like to consider the past, and I don't, I think it's pointless, but it's still nice to reflect a little bit--and my high school experience is definitely something that needs reflecting on.
7. What would your Boggart form be? Why?
It would definitely be a spider. I'm ridiculously scared of spiders. I hate them with a passion. Their legs are so wiggly and they move so fast and they have awkward hair. They're just repulsive to me. I typically have a panic attack if I even glimpse one, which is embarrassing. One of the most memorable days of my life, I went out to get the mail, and I was gone for half an hour before my mom noticed and came to check on me. She found me just standing in front of the mailbox, crying my eyes out and paralyzed with fear.
8. You can only store one memory into your Pensieve to visit over and over again. Which one would it be? Why?
A month ago, I went on this religious retreat for school called Kairos. What happens on Kairos is a big secret that I'm not really allowed to talk about, but the memory I want to visit again and again comes from after Kairos. The thing about Kairos is that it brings you closer to everyone--people you attend the retreat with, your family, and your friends. So when I got back from Kairos, my friends were all waiting for me, and it just became this gigantic hug fest :D I hugged people for at least half an hour, crying, and telling them how much I love them. One person in particular was really important, and that was Dana. Dana and I have been friends for almost 9 weeks :D We hated each other for the first three years of high school, and only this year did we realize how much we have in common and how much we can help each other. She's been there for me through so much this year, and I've been there for her through a lot of issues with her friends. We talked so much that I learned her whole life story in about 2 weeks of sitting next to her in Theology class :D We've hung out basically every weekend since then. But when I got back from Kairos, Dana's hug was the one that meant the most to me, for reasons I can't talk about because of the whole secret thing, and that is the memory I would want to revisit over and over and over again.
9. You have stumbled across the Mirror of Erised. What is it that you see? Why?
I see myself, looking relatively attractive, with my college diploma on the wall and a pile of books at my feet, showing that I'm a successful author. I have a loving family all around me and my best friends by my side. What I want most from life is to graduate from college (and possibly grad school too), have a career as a novelist (however unlikely that is :D), keep up my friendships and make new friendships that are just as close, and get married and have kids.
10. What are your hobbies/interests? How do these activities contribute to your personality?
Hmm... writing, reading a huge amount, journaling, watching a ton of TV, shopping!, seeing movies... What I read and watch contributes to my personality because some part of everything I read and see goes into my brain and shapes me and what I think and believe. I read fantasy books because I love the triumph of good over evil and seeing how hard the heroes and heroines have to work, without giving up, to win. I watch House and Grey's Anatomy because I love the drama and the relationships, and I watch Bones because I like the relationships between characters and the mysteries. Journaling is my release. I don't really write actual words very often. Usually I'll pick a quote and then make a collage or paint with watercolors or do some silly doodle to match my mood. Sometimes I'll briefly write what I'm feeling, or give an explanation of how the quote is relating to my life. But when I actually write, which is also a release of emotions for me, I write for hours, usually a stream of conciousness type of thing. And the shopping is just what my friends and I do, so it's more about the social aspect of my personality. We shop. We never buy anything, but we like to try clothes on and take pictures :D
11. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I would change how judgmental people are. Everyone has a story, and until we know someone's story, we shouldn't pass judgments. But we do. I'm personally very guilty of being judgmental, and it's something I'm trying to change in my personality. I can recognize when other people are being judgmental and call them on it, but I have trouble recognizing it in myself; I'm going to assume that's how it is with a lot of other people. If we could somehow get rid of the need to judge, I think a lot of people would be much happier and much more self-confident.
12. List three major qualities you look for in a friend. Why are these qualities important to you?
1. First of all, I need a friend who is self-confident enough to stand up to me. I get to be very controlling, and if I'm around people who just let me lead and never challenge me, I start to feel like I'm being a mean person and ordering everyone around. I need friends who are confident enough to tell me--and I'm usually the most self-confident person in the room--to shut up.
2. I need friends who are relatively intelligent and can carry on a decent conversation. I don't want to talk about how much you drank last night or what skanky thing you did with your boyfriend--although, sometimes that stuff is okay; I do like gossip a lot :D But I also need to talk about smart things: politics, books, people, life... interesting, mature topics. It's okay to be fun and nonserious and happy, of course, but not all the time. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but I tried :D
3. And I need friends with a good sense of humor. I'm constantly laughing, and I really like it when people get my jokes :D My friends have to be willing to laugh a lot too, but they also need to be willing to understand when I'm not in such a good mood. And... a couple of weeks ago, this girl told me that the reason I laugh so much is because it's a defense mechanism. I know what she means, but that's not true. Things are just funny to me. So I need friends who can understand that without thinking I'm totally crazy :D
13. Who is one person, real or fictional, that inspires you? Why?
My friend Dana, who I mentioned before. She's... just amazing. We've only been friends for about nine weeks, because the past three years of high school, we didn't like each other. She tells me she disliked me; my problem with that is that I out and out hated her. I was a bit jealous, shall we say? :D She was jealous of me too, though. We were each other's competition. But this year we've both toned down and become more easy-going, and I'm so happy we were thrown together this year so we could get to know each other. It's such a great thing. I love her because whe's strong and self-confident, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. She is willing to talk about herself and her problems, and she's also a great listener. She takes care of other people. And she's taking care of me. The best part of it is, that I know I inspire her, too. She tells me :D I think it's why we get along so well now! Mutual inspiration :D
14. Outside of Harry Potter, what book has had an impact on your life and why?
I read A LOT, so there have been many books that have impacted me. But the first book that comes to mind is Secret Sacrament by Sherryl Jordan. I first read this book when I was in 8th grade, and I've read it at least once a year every year since then. The book is about a boy who basically grows up to realize that he's the person about whom a certain prophecy is talking. In the end he has to make a choice whether to sacrifice himself or not... I don't really want to spoil it, though :D I'm always absolutely weeping by the time I get to the end of the book. The story impacted my life because it's inspirational, without meaning to be inspirational, and it shows me exactly how big of a deal someone's choices are. Also, this relates to question 18, but it's the book that taught me to believe in free will over fate--and the book that showed me fate doesn't really exist. I mean, you would think the book was all about fate, since it deals with a prophecy... but it's all about choices. It's cool :D
15. What excites you most out of life? What is it that makes you feel so fulfilled and enlightened about it?
There are two things, really. The first is my goals. I like waking up every morning knowing that I'm getting one step closer to where I want to be. The second is my loved ones, my friends and family. They make my life happy and full. It's really a great thing to have so many people I can trust. It hasn't always been that way for me, and life was a lot less exciting and fulfilling when I felt like I couldn't trust anyone. I know it could get that way again, so I cherish my friends and family right now.
16. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?
1. I have a good sense of humor. I like to laugh and I like to have fun, and I can usually find the humor (even if it's dark humor) in every situation. My sense of humor can be sarcastic and a littly bitchy, but for the most part people understand and just think it's funny. It helps me lighten up darker situations, and I'm good at cheering people up!
2. I'm honest, sometimes brutally. I tell it like it is, not caring what people will think of me for it, but people respect me for that.
3. I'm open. I can talk to anyone about anything, and I'm not scared to tell people things about myself. I don't hide my real personality.
4. I'm relaxed and easy-going. Things don't usually make me mad; I usually find everything funny, and I go along with whatever's happening. I deal pretty well with stress--meaning, I get way stressed and I start feeling negative, but it doesn't take much to get me back to feeling okay.
5. I'm nice =) Usually I have to have my friends convince me that I'm a nice person because I can start to feel like I'm not, but I really do take care of people and I try not to hurt anyone.
17. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?
1. I'm overly emotional. I cry and I get mad easily. I know better than to always show my emotions, but they start to control my decision-making, and that's not good. I wish I could be a little more rational in situations pertaining to myself. I can be rational about other people and advice I give to them, but not about myself.
2. I'm very judgmental. I make immediate judgments about people without knowing their stories, without knowing why they act the way they do, and then it's hard for me to revise my original judgment when I've learned the truth.
3. I'm cynical. I have a pessimistic attitude towards everyone and everything, and it takes a lot for me to have a little more optimism. I'm distrustful of other people, and I don't understand so-called "self-less" acts.
4. I'm controlling. And aggressive. I take charge of every situation and sometimes I start to just order people around. I know that it's super annoying and obnoxious, and I'm grateful when my friends are willing to tell me I'm being bitchy.
5. I'm selfish. I make everything about me, and I sometimes find myself thinking that everything should be my way. I guess it's a teenager-y thing to do, but it bothers me. I wish I could be more selfless. I do (sometimes) take care of other people, but usually it's for some reason that benefits me. Unfortunately =/
18. Do you believe in fate or free will?
I believe in free will. Believing in fate is a cop-out, to me; it's like saying that nothing is our fault, everything was brought to us, and we're not to blame for anything that goes wrong. Um, okay. We're definitely to blame, and we need to take responsibility. Free will is taking responsibility for your own actions. You choose the things that happen to you, or at least you choose how you react to them. Fate does not exist for me. There are times I wish I could have said, "Oh, damn, fate was interfering again," but that's only because I didn't want to admit that it was my stupid choice that made something bad happen. I feel like believing in free will is a negative kind of world view, but I'm not the most positive person anyway.
19. If someone close to you was in danger, what would you do to save them? This could be anything.
First of all, my secret ambition is to learn how airplanes stay up =)
I think if someone close to me was in physical danger, I would have a hard time doing anything to help them. I just wouldn't know what to do. Of course I would do anything I could possibly think of, but I get sort of panicked in a crisis where I have to act. I'm... passive. I definitely wouldn't be able to kill anyone, and I'm not sure I would be up for physically sacrificing myself to save someone else. On the other hand, if someone close to me was in a mental or emotional kind of danger, I would be more useful. I can give advice and talk friends and family through things, and people listen to me. I'm good at making rational decisions when it's something I can think about, and then it's easy for me to convince friends and family to go with the decision I've come to that keeps them from harm. I'm willing to make sacrifices to get my point across.
20. What is one important life lesson you have learned so far? What did it take out of you to realize this?
The lesson I've learned, in the form of a Gilmore Girls quote: "You need to decide what you want and what you're willing to give up to get it. And then you've got to be okay with that." Sophomore year of high school was... difficult, mainly because I lost a lot of friends and I was struggling heavily to make new ones. I felt like no one liked me, and I didn't like myself very much. I tried to change to fit in with the people around me. I tried to act differently, and I hated myself for it. As unhappy as I'd been without friends, I was more unhappy trying to force myself to be friends with people who changed me. One night, as I was lying in bed feeling sorry for myself, I made the conscious decision that I was way willing to give up friends in order to become friends with myself. I needed to love myself again, and I decided that that was what I was going to do, no matter what it cost me. It ended up not costing me much--at least after that dreadful sophomore year was over. Junior year I slowly made friends again--I think because people could now recognize that I was my own person and I cared about myself. And now, after all the struggles I went through, I have five amazing best friends who accept me for who I am. Anyway, the way that whole story fits with the quote is because I decided what I wanted, I decided I would give up friends to get it, and everything turned out perfectly fine. That was an important lesson to learn, and I've applied it to many more situations since then.
21. You have stumbled across five magical wells. One is the Well of Common Sense and Logic, the second is the Well of Creativity, the third is the Well of Optimism, the fourth is the Well of Physical Strength, and the fifth is the Well of Beauty. You can only drink from one well, but once you do you will be endowed with that ability for the rest of your life. Which well do you think you would definitely not need, and which do you think you would want to drink from?
The well I definitely wouldn't need the Well of Physical Strength--or really, I just don't want it. I'm strong enough, as strong as I need to be physically. So it's not necessary for me to add to what physical strength I already have; plus I don't want to look like a body builder. However, I think the well I might need to drink from would be the Well of Optimism. I tend to be pessimistic and sarcastic. I see the glass half-empty everywhere. I pretend to be enthusiastic and excited because I know people would think I was crazy if I said all the negative things that I'm always thinking. Sometimes I say them, but I know when to keep my mouth shut. I wish, though, that I didn't have to always pretend to be optimistic. If I could have some genuine optimism, that would be nice.
22. How did you find out about hogwarts_unity? (If you remember a certain person tell us so we can award points.)
Petra and I talked about it on facebook a couple weeks ago :D