application for sorting starrysummer
LUMOS SORTING APPLICATION
Name:
Robin
Age (13 or up; we stick to LJ rules):
22, but I'll be 23 in about five hours. Eeee.
Location:
New York City, The Center of the Universe
Where did you hear about this community? (Please tell us which lj user recommended you for he/she shall be given a point.)
emeraldserpent. Other friends have mentioned it, but Medi has urged me to apply repeatedly.
How much time are you willing to invest in this community?
It varies day to day. I work full time (but occasionally browse LJ from work), and my energy for going online varies during the week. So anywhere from an hour a day on weekends to a few minutes to check what's going on after work.
PART 1 - Canon
1. Have you read all the books?
Of course! Well, not HBP, but I have a copy with my name on it at Books of Wonder (OMG YAY) and I can't wait. I'm currently re-reading them (just finished PS/SS) in hopes to get a full or partial reread in by the time I get my hands on HBP.
2. Give us your personal interpretation of each Hogwarts house (in terms of atmosphere, mentality, intra-house relationships et cetera - these are just a few examples).
One thing I think is clear to me is that most people - on their own - do not fit neatly into one house or another. Bravery, Love of Knowledge, Diligence, and Ambition are not the be-all and end-all of characteristics and when looked at objectively, aren't even four poles of the same issue. But when these kids are put there at 11 and placed with people similar to them the majority of the time for seven years, and told why they're similar and what the pillars of their house are, it makes sense that they mold to those roles (which, IMO, is not that great of a thing in many cases).
Gryffindor, to me, is the house of the fighter. Malcolm Reynolds, from Firefly, would be the ultimate Gryffindor. Not only does he have a sense of nobility and chivalry despite the fact that he's been to hell and back and has a more-than-healthy dose of cynicism to temper it, but he acts, acts, acts. When his friends are in danger, when his ship is in danger, when he's going up against an enemy far more powerful and prepared, he goes, and hopes he can suceed before he dies. There's an admirability to it, even if sometimes you want to smack him upside the head.
I'm somewhat puzzled by the portrayal of Ravenclaws in the book, as I don't see the characters we've met who are in that house don't seem to fit the key qualities of the house. Luna, to some extent does, in the sense that she's always thinking, always has her head on thoguhts and never on concrete reality as others see it, yet she's painted as an outsider even in her own house. Cho, on the other hand, while I like her, seems to be always with a group of giggling girls, and seems to fit the traditional mold of a sixteen year old girl well, which I don't see as being very Ravenclaw. No, the Ravenclaw is someone who has a desire for knowledge, a drive to ask why, to get beyond the life he or she is living and question it. There's books and studying, yes, but not out of any desire to please or do what's expected, but to know.
If the portayal of Ravenclaw dismays me somewhat in canon, I *desepise* the way she characterizes Hufflepuff House even while Hufflepuff has provided some of the best supporting characters. Ernie and his pompous manner, Hannah fainting before exams, Zacharias refusing to follow the DA and the trio blindly, Susan who just strikes me as incredibly, incredibly fair-minded. Love them. Yet even Hagrid refers to the house as being seen as a "bunch of duffers." Really! Just because Helga Hufflepuff would accept anyone, regardless of intellegence, bloodline, or bravery, does not mean her house is for the rejects. She accepted anyone who would work hard and there are lots and lots of people out there who won't. Not only is enjoying hard work and seeking it out something admirable, but it's something that serves the few who posess it well in life. The way I see it, Hufflepuff are the salt of the earth. Even those who (quite wrongly, IMO) put them down want them, and need them, on their side when they need to work with others.
And Slytherin, last not just alphabetically and in terms of the favor they seem to be given in the books (yeah, everyone trashes Hufflepuff, but at least the characters we get disprove that to some degree). It seems like Slytherin's always the one set aside, always the one who no one else wants to play with. As much as I hate the "Hufflepuffs are morons" stereotype, the "Slytherins are slimy and evil" is probably a lot more dangerous. How many 11 year olds are evil? Most seem to just want to please the bigger kids and maybe still the adults in their life. It also drives me nuts that ambition and cunning are seen as bad things. Yes, some bad things have been done by justifying the means to the get to the end, but some great things have happened as well. As much as democracy is a great tenet and so preferable to any other governing system, as a libertarian, I realize that making those in power reliant on their continued re-election makes it very, very hard for some much-preferable changes to occur. No, Slytherins are not all evil. Yes, they may have different ideals and see the world from a different perspective (and see a lot of paths that others won't acknowledge), but that's only equivelent with evil when we start telling people from the age of 11 that it is.
3. What would be your favourite flavour of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and why (note: as the name implies, all possible flavours exist)?
Er... it'd probably, actually, be garlic. I LOVE garlic. I've been known to say it's my favorite food. Probably not quite the case, as my favorite food is really things that you can easily put garlic on (like mmm speghetti with good marinara and fake meat). But guh, can never get enough garlic. Except when I start seeping garlic from my pores and no one wants to be around me - that's when it occurs to me that I may have had enough.
Between that and the not eating red meat, I'm quite obviously not a vampire...
4. If you were on your House’s Quidditch Team, which position would you preferably play and why?
Beater! I played volleyball in high school and my motto was "the floor is your friend." I may not have been the most talented or even the most hard-working player on the team, but I was the one who didn't mind (loved, actually) having the speeding serve coming at me, diving to my knees to get it. When it comes to playing physical sports, I'm the one jumping up and down, saying we should make it tackle (tackle basketball, tackle softball...) even when I'm five one and probably the one who's going to get tackled. The idea of just riding around, hitting these crazy bludgers at the other team as hard as I can sounds like so much fun.
Even if I do think Quidditch is a poorly designed sport, what with the actions of one team member so likely to negate the hours of play by the other six.
5. (Optional) What HP conspiracy theory do you hold true unless it is textually proven otherwise? (i.e. Snape is a vampire, Ron is Dumbledore, etc. -there are loads of these theories. Feel free to contribute
your own)?
That Dumbledore is really a manipulating, conniving, sneaky dude. And that Ginny is going to turn into a Death Eater, helped along by the memory of what she did while posessed by Tom Riddle in her first year. I have a bit of a thing for turning characters dark, and will believe in my own pet characterizations until shown definitively otherwise. Also, I don't really believe any of the pet theories, mostly because I'm hoping that JKR will spring something totally unseen on us that we haven't guessed and spoiled for ourselves, leaving us all to go OH! and then realize where the twist had been set up all along.
6. (Optional. If you can't answer #5, make sure you answer this one.) What is your favorite book aside from HP and why?
Easy. It's actually a series of three (eventually seven) books, though... A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. I love it because it's fantasy, but the focus isn't on the magic, the focus is on the struggle for power, the warring factions for the throne. There's about fifty major characters all of whom are fascinating. People are painted in shades of gray, with very few people wholly good or wholly bad. The story never goes where you expect it to go. Not only do I have no idea which faction I think will perservere, I don't know which I want to come out on top. Oh, so much love. Beyond love, obsession, pretty much.
7. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
Apart from it looking exactly like Hagrid's Hut... it would probably have a big bed in it because I LOVE to sleep. But maybe also some attractive members of the opposite (and same) sex in it, for after I wake up. There would be food, especially fake meat because I love it so much more than real meat and it's harder to find. Mmm, yes. Big bed, silk sheets, mirrors on the ceilings, pink champagne on ice (Eagles music), attractive and willing sexual partners and a self-cooking kitchen stocked with plenty of pasta and textured vegetable protein. Garlic and hot pepper, but no salt. Oh, and all seven books of both Harry Potter and ASOIAF and Serenity, so that I can find out what happens dammit.
8. Describe your wand and tell us why you picked that design.
I think a dark, longish wand would be very nice for waving around and looking intimidating. FDR said to speak softly and carry a big stick. I speak pretty damn loudly, but I'd still like a big stick. Probably because I'm little and want to compensate, but shh. As for the core, the three that we're given in canon don't seem to provide that much variety and none truly intrigue me. Maybe a bit of squid tentacle as I have an unhealthy obsession with Hogwarts' giant squid...
PART 2 - You
Please go here and fill out the short Myers-Briggs test.
9. Paste the URL of your results (TOP 5) including its description
here.
Your #1 Match: ENTJ
The Executive
You are a natural leader - with confidence and strength that inspires others.
Driven to succeed, you are always looking for ways to gain, power, knowledge, and expertise.
Sometimes you aren't the most considerate person, especially to those who are a bit slow.
You are not easily intimidated - and you have a commanding, awe-inspiring presence.
You would make a great CEO, entrepreneur, or consultant.
Your #2 Match: ESTJ
The Guardian
You're a natural leader and quick, logical decision maker.
Goals are important in your life, and you take many steps to acheive them.
You enjoy interacting with others, mostly through work related activities.
Your high energy level means you are great at getting things done!
You would make a great teacher, judge, or police detective.
Your #3 Match: ENTP
The Visionary
You are charming, outgoing, friendly. You make a good first impression.
You possess good negotiating skills and can convince anyone of anything.
Happy to be the center of attention, you love to tell stories and show off.
You're very clever, but not disciplined enough to do well in structured environments.
You would make a great entrpreneur, marketing executive, or actor.
Your #4 Match: ESTP
The Doer
You are adventurous and risk taking. You act first, think second.
You love being the center of attention. Chances are you were the class clown.
Competitive, charming, and charasmatic - you have your own code of honor.
You live a flexible life, bouncing between a series of activies that interest you.
You would make a great salesperson, marketing director, or entrepreneur.
Your #5 Match: ENFJ
The Giver
You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed.
Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections.
Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down.
You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine.
You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.
What's Your Personality Type?
10. Who is your role model and why?
My dad. I know it sounds cheesy and cliche, but if you knew my dad, you'd realize it isn't at all. My dad is brilliant and driven, but has never let go of the things he's enjoyed. He doesn't suffer fools gladly and generally doesn't suffer them at all. He Gets Things Done and has no patience for unproductive people who are more concerned with their own image than their results. He's scathingly funny and clever and mean when he needs to be, but very kind of those who deserve it. But, really, I admire my dad immensely because he's incredibly successful yet still knows how to have fun.
11. What would you like to have accomplished at the end of your life?
I've always wanted to be the sort of person who's remembered by many, even those who didn't know her personally, after I died. Though as I've gotten older, I've realized that that's kind of a silly ambition as I'll be dead and I won't really get to enjoy it. But I do want to leave a mark through things I've accomplished. To me remembered and live on without necessarily having had children, and to know that I've done enough to leave a mark before I'm dead and rotting and all that rot.
12. Would you sooner commit a crime against your kin or your countrymen?
Depends on the kin... depends on the countrymen. Depends on the crime, too, I suppose. When it comes to my immediate family, my Mother, my Father, my Brother (my dog??), I wouldn't want to do anything ever to hurt them. Well, to really hurt them. I give them crap all the time, but we're like that. It doesn't come from being related to them, though, it comes from the fact that they're great people whom I adore and who mean an incredible amount to me. I didn't just pop into the world and say "whoa, these are relatives, I must love them." They've earned my love.
As for my countrymen... most of them are dumb and piss me off. Please do not get on the six train in the morning if you are a moron or if you cannot handle having someone packed in next to you like sardines. Yeah, some of those countrymen I'd love to toss into the subway.
13. What would your animagus be and why?
A robin! Not only because that's my time and because I'd really really want to have an animagus form that can fly (I mean, what's the point of having one otherwise), but because they go down south and avoid the winter. I want to avoid the winter. I moved to Los Angeles for college, and that was good, but it was all sprawl and suburbs and that pissed me off, so I came back to New York. But I still want to fly south come October.
14. What would your patronus be and why?
I always have trouble coming up with this one, especially right after the Animagus, which seems so natural and fitting, if a bit cheesy. How about a cute little puppy who suddenly opens his mouth and bares his teeth, scaring all the bad guys away. That seems fitting, as I'm the cute and harmless, friendly and adorable type until I start sharing way too much information way too loudly, and I scare people off.
15. What career would you consider if you were indeed part of the wizarding world and why?
I've always felt like the wizarding world seemed rather limited in terms of careers. I think that's partly because it's seen from a kid's POV who doesn't have to work, partly because it's smaller, and partly because wizard don't need so many of the sorts of jobs as we do, since stuff can be done by magic. I'm not quite sure where I'd fit, as I'm a creative person, but also a very Type A person who likes the whole corporate environment with externally generated rewards. Maybe I'd be a programmer or promoter for the Wizarding Wireless or the Quidditch World Cup or some other large entertainment venue. Or a liaison of some sort coordinating logistics between Gringotts and the Ministry. I love logistics. And statistics. Hmmm, I wonder what Wizards use instead of Excel...