(no subject)

[rainbow_fish]

1. What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why? I’m a scientist in my Muggle life, so I assume I would also choose a science-y Wizarding World profession as well. Unfortunately, I feel like our knowledge of wizarding professions is severely lacking. Magical folk tend to either be shopkeepers (And you would only get me to do retail again by turning me into an Inferius first), professors (I am not a child person, so that’s out), Ministry employees (The Ministry of Magic seems pretty incompetent, to tell you the truth. So I’m not sure that’s where my future lies, either), or Healers. Choosing to be a Healer would be closest to my ‘IRL’ career path, but while I love science, I’m not as big on the whole ‘dealing with patients’ aspect.
   
   That all being said, I do imagine that I would work at St. Mungo’s, or in the Department of Mysteries, specifically in the Brain Room. I’ve always imagined that the Brain Room in the Department of Mysteries was used primarily as a way to study the function and processes of the human brain, and Neuroscience has always been my first love. I’ve always thought that if we could figure out how to utilize parts of the brain that are mostly unused that great and amazing things would be possible. Barring that, I’d be the wizarding equivalent of a Pathologist at St. Mungo’s.
   
   
2. You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one Harry Potter character other than Hagrid and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you'd want with you. To be perfectly honest, my first thought was to pick Voldemort. No creature in its right mind would mess with the two of us, would it? I mean, Voldemort has the kind of power, skill, and reputation that I think would be quite useful for a trip into the Forbidden Forest. Unfortunately, I think it would end up being a race to see who which one of us would try to leave the other for dead first. Voldemort is nothing if not completely self-serving, and if push came to shove, he’d totally push me into Aragog’s den without hesitation… and I would do the same to him. And if I’m being forced into the Forbidden Forest, I already have enough to worry about, thank you very much.
   
   So, that eliminates Voldie. In lieu of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, I would pick Dumbledore. He’s also extremely powerful, and I think he often maintains a reasonably good relationship with many of the Forest’s creatures. Plus, he also has the necessary skills, power, and reputation of greatness. With Dumbledore, I don’t think too many things would mess with us. And if they did, I would clearly have my broom with me so that I could make a quick get-away if I needed to. It is the Forbidden Forest, after all.
   
   
3. If you had the opportunity to live forever, but your family and friends did not, what would you choose? And if you did choose to live forever, what would you do with eternity? I’m only 23, but sometimes I feel, even now, that I’m running out of time. There are so many things I want to do and accomplish, but none of them are particularly quick. I want to earn my PhD in Epidemiology, and I want to be considered the leading expert in my chosen field. I want to come far enough that the government and other agencies (like the UN, for example) use my expertise when making important decisions regarding health codes and disaster scenarios. I want to be one of those awesome people that are interviewed for the specials on the science channel. I want to travel the world giving lectures and I want to make a scientific discovery, or develop a methodology that stands the test of time. I want read all the of the Great Books, I want to be fluent in way too many languages to list. I want to visit all the continents and see all the great wonders of the world.
   
   Because I actually want to do each and every one of those things, I’m often scared that I won’t have the time to actually accomplish all of them. I mean… It takes time to make a lasting scientific discovery. Obviously then, eternal life is quite tempting. I could do so much, the world would be my oyster, and I would be able to see so much. But…. I don’t think I could actually follow through with any kind of lasting decision to become immortal. A spell or potion that allowed me to extend my life? I’m all over that. But eternal life? I don’t think I could actually take the plunge.
   
   Sigh, even just thinking about this makes me sad. But I think I would pick mortality over immortality. And then probably regret it for the rest of my life. Even though, if given the same choice again, I would probably still pick mortality.
   
   
4. If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why? I’ve always found Russian history fascinating. Most of all, I think I would love to visit 19th century Russia, and recite Pushkin over meals and drinks with Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. We would discuss classic literature and politics and drink and participate in general debauchery. Granted, Tolstoy would be way more willing to have fun than Dostoevsky, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ve just always been fascinated by that world, and my Russian Literature classes were always my favorite in college.
   
   
5. What HP character do you identify with most and why? Because we are told the story through Harry’s eyes, we often miss out on understanding other characters’ motivations and thought processes. We also miss out on seeing them at all unless Harry is with them, and I think this sometimes makes it hard to truly understand characters other than Ron, Hermione, and Harry. However, based on what we have seen and what we’re seeing on Pottermore, I would say that I most closely identify with McGonagall.
   
   I think I have a lot McGonagall’s dry sense of humor in me. I think she’s sassy yet appropriate; she has this way of making her point perfectly clear. When I think about the things about myself that I like and appreciate, the list resonates most with traits I associate with Minerva- Witty, strong, independent, articulate, capable, self-sufficient, intelligent.
   
   
6. What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised? I think I would see myself and I would just know that I had done well for myself. I would have accomplished my goals and I would be content and independent. Sometimes I worry that because there is so much I want to do with my life that I won’t ever able to find contentment and actually start to enjoy the life I’ve created. So if I looked in the Mirror of Erised I think I would have accomplished my goals, but I wouldn’t be so caught up with the little things that I forget to enjoy myself. I might have a long term partner, but we wouldn’t be married. I think marriage would stifle my need for freedom. I would be financially stable enough to travel and experience new cultures and places. At the crux of this is my desire to see myself as enough and live up to my own standards for myself.
   
   
7. Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create? I’m not sure I know what ‘moral action’ means? For the sake of answering the question, I’m going to executively decide that it means that an individual makes a decision based off of his or her own personal morals.
   
   I think it would be incorrect to view these concepts as mutually exclusive. I don’t think the truly awful and devastating outcomes should be forgiven simply because the intent was good. Nor do I think that malicious and horrible intentions should wholly makeup for a good outcome. Although, when thinking about it, I will admit that I see it as… significantly more okay if bad intentions result in positive outcomes than if positive intentions result in negative outcomes. For example, let’s say a citizen poisons a really horrible dictator. Let’s say he’s part of a rebel movement and it’s been all planned out. Well, societal ethics (and again, I’ll argue that this individual’s personal ethics are against murder as well, but he’s also aware of horrible atrocities under this dictator) tell us that murder is wrong. But, if the deposition and death of a dictator means freedom for a whole country of people....I’m certainly not going to be the person to lock that individual up.
   
   Alternatively, if you set out to set animals free from a laboratory, but you accidently ended up blowing it up, killing all of the animals and people inside…. Well… I’d be more than happy to throw the book at you.
   
   
8. What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now? When I was little, I dreamed of being an author -a famous author who wrote the book to end all books. I wanted to be the best author in the whole world. But the older I got, the more I realized how much a pipe dream that was. And how poor I was setting myself up to be. And so I turned to my other love- science. Since I was little, I always pictured myself in a lab coat, even when I wanted to write full time. I was a vet, doctor, physicist, surgeon, chemist, zoologist- if ‘it’ got to wear a lab coat, I probably wanted to be ‘it’ at some point or another during the course of my childhood. In college, when I bought my very first lab coat, I was so SO stoked. My ideal job now isn’t far off from my ideal job as a kid. In fact, if I had known about my current path as a child, I might have pursued it earlier. Currently, I just got my degree in medical technology, so I’m working on finding a job in a hospital lab. Basically anytime a doctor takes a sample from you (blood, urine, CSF, tissue, etc) it goes to the lab. And the laboratorians then have to process and run tests. The tests we run and the work we do takes a lot of skill and attention to detail. You cannot be sloppy, and you have to know your information. And trust me, there is tons and tons of information you have to know. We’re behind the scenes, but we’re hugely important to health care.
   
   
9. If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it, and what would you call it? I think I would invent a motivation potion. It would counteract feelings of laziness and procrastination. Kind of like a cup of coffee, but better. Sometimes I think procrastination and laziness are my biggest negative traits. And I don’t mean laziness at work , because I’ve always prided myself on being an excellent worker. Rather, sometimes I just don’t plain feel like doing something. And while I have the inherent motivation to do things properly, sometimes I just get all ‘meh’. So I think a motivation potion would give me that extra little kick to get stuff done. Plus, I imagine that it would be very useful around finals and tax season.
   
   Oh I almost forgot to name the darn thing. Can I name it the ‘Get-Yo’self-Together’ potion? Alternatively known as the ‘You-Got-Shit-To-Do-Today’ potion?
   
   
10. If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus? It might turn into me, honestly. But I’d be married, crying, with like 6 children all tugging at my dress (oh and the boggart’s dress is really ugly in this scenario) with another baby on the way. My hair would be haggard and uncombed, and there’d be stains on my socks. Oh, and I’d be holding a bible. So I would basically see myself but I would have turned into the very thing I fought so hard to escape from. And to make it funny? The children would turn into balloons and I would pop them!
    
    
11. What do you look for in a friend? I look for people who are self-assured and intelligent. I look for someone that I can respect, and who respects me in return. It helps to have similar interests, but it’s not always necessary. I like it when my friends can challenge me on an intellectual level. People who do what they say they’re going to do- they show up on time, they follow through on plans and appointments they make, etc. People that I can laugh easily with- which means they can’t take things too seriously all the time. Certain parts of life are serious enough without us taking them seriously all the time, especially in private.
    
    
12. What trait most annoys you about other people? People who are inept and incompetent, yet do nothing to fix their situation. To be clear, I don’t hate it when people don’t know how to do something. We all have start somewhere. But if you don’t know how to do something, and you don’t rectify that situation, I really won’t feel sorry for you when someone calls you on it or it gets you into trouble. I absolutely abhor it when people complain about things they have the ability to change. And I’m always annoyed by people who aren’t self-aware enough to accept or change their weaknesses. For example, I honestly just cannot with people who get a pet yet know they don’t have the time, money, or knowledge to deal with the reality of pet ownership. Pets are a big responsibility. If you want to go out and party every night and you have class all day, getting a high energy, emotionally dependent dog is probably not the best life choice.
    
    
13. What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
    
    01. I'm quick on my feet, and I have good intuition about people. I was captain of my high school debate team, and have no problem speaking off the top of my head. I'm rarely tongue-tied, I'm articulate and I often do well at appearing impartial when I need to. Part of being in debater in high school taught me to read my judges' body language, and to pick up on clues that might be missed by someone without that kind of experience. My quick wit and experience allow me to almost never be wrong about people and I'll admit that I'm often able to discern a lot about people fairly quickly.
    
    02. I have a dry (but hilarious, I'm told) sense of humor. I'm always trying to get others to laugh. I love when something genuinely funny happens that causes authentic smiles and laughter. A neighbor of my mother's was asking about me to my mom recently. I haven't seen this woman in years. But she told my mom, "Rainbow_Fish has got to be one of the funniest people I have ever met in my entire life." I have no problem poking fun at myself to get laughter from other people. I'm excellent at deadpan humor. I can keep a straight face through almost anything.
    
    03. I'm extremely adventurous. I love that about myself because it makes it easy for me to go on adventures that other people would be too scared to go on, and I think that if I weren't as adventurous I would have missed out on some of my favorite life experiences. I love to throw myself into new situations and places. I love to travel and learn about different cultures. And I’m adventurous enough that I don't need anyone to hold my hand while I'm doing it. I have no problem going on adventures alone, and wouldn't let being alone stop me from experiencing something exciting.
    
    04. I'm self-sufficient and resilient. I don't need to rely on other people to do things for me. I do things on my own terms, my own way, and I think I'm a better person for it. I'm strong and secure enough in myself that I keep fighting for what I want even if it's hard, and even if I make fumbles along the way. I'm independent, almost to a fault, but I think I work better that way. Don't get me wrong, I have friends that enjoy the company of, but I don't often think I need them. I love them, sure. But it's... I choose to enjoy their company because I enjoy them rather than feel needy of them.
    
    05. I love to learn. I love school. I love bettering myself. The reason I know I'll be in school forever is that I simply can't picture myself out of school. If I weren't learning something new, what would be the point? There are constantly innovations, new discoveries, languages, and new theories to discover. And I want to know as much as I can while I'm alive. I worked at a bookstore one winter, and I remember the saddest part of the job being that I would never be able to read all the books I wanted to read in one lifetime.
    
    
14. What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
    01. Remember in Clueless when Tai says "You're a virgin who can't drive" and Cher says "That was way harsh, Tai." Well, I can be Tai sometimes- way harsh. Sometimes I do that thing where I don't let up when I'm upset or angry. I have a bad temper, and when I'm on a rampage, it's... not good. I will say the thing that I know will hurt the person the most. Trust me, I'm not proud of this. But sometimes, unfortunately, my anger gets the better of me. Hell, Cher was a virgin who couldn't drive but it shouldn't have been said to her that way. And I shouldn't drop to that level when I’m angry. Not a glowing facet of my personality, but there's a reason it's my number one negative trait, I guess.
    
    02. I'm arrogant. I have a tendency to think I'm more skilled, and cleverer than other people. For example, I didn't have the top GPA within my major. However, I was one of the best, if not the best at practical application of knowledge. And I do honestly believe that this will make me better at my profession than other people in my graduating class. Which is silly because others are good too, and might even be my equal. But I'm an arrogant brat, so there you go.
    
    03. I can be flighty and somewhat hard to know. I have the ability to appear extremely social and outgoing, but in reality I'm more of a loner and prefer to do things on my own. My mother claims I'm a charmer who doesn't appreciate most people I meet, but leaves them with a positive impression of myself. As such, I think I give off a warm and open exterior, but most people don't know me on a deeper and more personal level. This sometimes this leads to people needing me on a level that I simply can’t handle. I can’t stand when people are needy of me. To be clear, I’m not at all quiet or shy (in fact I’m vivacious) but I have a hard time trusting other people enough to really open up to them.
    
    04. On the flip side of that, I want to know everything about other people. I am nosy. Seriously, I'm one of the nosiest busy-bodied people you have ever met in your life. But I'm not a person who will turn around and spew information…I just hang onto it. I'm like Gretchen Wieners- my hair's so big because it's full of secrets. I'm good at getting people to divulge information to me, either about themselves, or about other people. I often find things out about people that I'm not supposed to know, or that they would rather I not know. A friend of mine once told me that I missed my calling as a private detective because I always have dirt on everyone, even and especially when they don't know I have it. It comes in handy, though. I'm never in the awful "And I was the last person to know" predicament, even though I'm not sure it would be considered a morally sound hobby or attribute.
    
    05. I am horrible procrastinator, which I addressed above. I will procrastinate until the last minute, and then cram, or just throw something together. I sometimes wait until the last minute to get ready for stuff (but I'm never late, either!), and I generally just get lazy and don't want to follow through on my obligations so I wait until the last possible moment. Hell, I should be studying now, but I'm filling this out! :)
    
    
15. Define in your own words the following key traits:
    
    • Courage: Real courage is understanding that you’re probably going to lose, but fighting a battle anyway because it is a cause that you feel is important. I think it’s easier to be courageous when the odds are in your favor, but it’s far more difficult to be courageous when it seems like you might lose, might be made fun of, or might be ostracized. And so I think it’s standing up for what you believe in even, and almost especially in the face of insurmountable odds.
      
      
    • Loyalty: Loyalty is trusting in and protecting someone even if you don’t agree with all their decisions, and even if they don’t know you’re loyal and protective. I think true loyalty is based on things deeper than actions, and it’s a matter of believing in someone’s heart and maybe even recognizing that sometimes someone needs protection and a person in their corner, even if the person doesn’t realize it themselves.
      
      
    • Intelligence: Intelligence is thought. It’s not about the amount of trivia you know, or how many books you’ve read. It’s not about grades. It’s about the way you think. Having the ability to reason and have rational thought is the true mark of intelligence. The scientist and the professional pick-pocket both have the ability to think about things , to play to their strengths. To develop a technique, practice it, refine it, think about it rationally and look at it objectively. I’m a firm believer that there are different ‘kinds’ of intelligence- book smart vs street smart, etc. But in the end, I think it boils down to the simple fact that intelligent people have upper level thought processes.
      
      
    • Ambition: You don’t have to have dreams of world domination to be ambitious. I think being ambitious simply boils down to wanting to be the best whatever it is you’re choosing to do. Ambitious people come in many shapes and forms, but in the end, I think that ambition boils down to the desire to achieve success. Hard work and participation do not have their own merit for the ambitious among us. Hard work and participation are a means to an end. While some may enjoy an activity for that activity' sake, ambitious people have the innate desire to use such things as a mechanism for later success.
      
      
    
    
16. Name: Sunny
    
17. Age: 23
    
18. Where did you find out about us? I can’t remember where I first came across it (it was ages and ages ago), but it was probably because I was creepin, not even gonna lie.
    
19. Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? Yes.
    

A couple of things were edited a couple of times for clarity, and I removed a Pottermore spoiler because I don't want to spoil things for people who hadn't received their e-mails or had the chance to register.