Nothing rhymes with Horcrux, except... poor trucks?
01. Name: Hayley
02. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? I used to be a member. My original S_E application was on 7 February 2005, I believe, when I was 17. (Man I feel old!) I got the go ahead to get sorted again by phuck ”phuck” here. My reason for submitting a new application is that I feel I am a very different person in many ways to who I was then. Some long-time members may remember which house I was in - I won’t reveal it for fear of biasing your decisions - and while I would be more than happy to go back there, I am interested to see if you wonderful people feel differently about where I should go this time around. PS - I cannot be squibbed (see the headmaster’s comment above), though I hope no one wants to squib me anyway!
||MIRROR OF ERISED||
03. What do you wish to accomplish in life?
If you had asked me this a few years ago, I would have given you an answer that involved ambitions and a career, and much more exciting and high-reaching that the answer I’m going to give now: I want to be happy. I want to make my loved ones happy. I want to own a nice home that isn’t cripplingly expensive. I want to travel (especially to America, New Zealand, Canada and Japan). I want to become more fluent in French. I want to have enough space and free time to write, paint, arrange flowers and sew. I want to have a family and teach my kids all the things that I think are wonderful about life. Most of all, though, I want to die happy, surrounded by my loved ones. I have realised in the past few years that being surrounded by people whom you love and who love you is the only truly important thing beyond basic shelter and food. Everything else is just an added bonus.
04. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #03.)
When I first read The Philosopher’s Stone I was about 12 and the poignancy of Harry’s vision in the Mirror of Erised didn’t quite reach me. Indeed, the themes of death and loss and grief throughout the series were lost on me. Now I have suffered my own losses, I feel all too keenly the deep sadness which underlines the entire series, and I think I must agree with JKR and Harry and what they would see in the Mirror: my entire family together, alive, healthy, and smiling. I too think I could get lost in the vision but I know that given a chance to look into the Mirror, I would - for better or worse.
05. What makes a person deserving of your respect?
Respect gains respect, in my opinion. People who are highly skilled, talented or intelligent impress me or make me envious, and brave people like policemen, soldiers, nurses and doctors fill me with awe; I reserve true respect, however, for the respectful. Politeness, courtesy, tactfulness, diplomacy and selflessness are, to me, the most important and impressive qualities a person can have, because they are so simple (especially politeness, which, to paraphrase an old saying, costs nothing) and yet so often overlooked. The world would be so much more pleasant if everyone was, well, pleasant to each other. People who can turn the other cheek in the face of hostility; people who protest against injustice peacefully; people who help others without thinking of - indeed, at a detriment to - themselves; people performing random acts of kindness and charity, even just a compliment to a stranger or a smile in the street - these people brighten my day, and gain my respect. Everyone is fighting their own battle, and those who realise this and try their hardest to make another person’s day that little bit easier - they deserve respect.
06. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Wilful ignorance. Ignorance is the source of so many problems in the world, big and small. From racism and homophobia and many other prejudices to playground bullying, if people were less ignorant of others there would be much less conflict. I reserve special hatred for wilful ignorance, however - people who purposefully, proudly claim that they don’t want to learn. Learning, to me, is the first step towards acceptance; learning about an issue, person, or cause leads to understanding and perspective, which can in turn lead towards compromise or tolerance. I simply cannot comprehend why anyone would be proud to avoid expanding their mind and or happy to cling onto the past and its prejudices with no thought to the many people who may be suffering as a result. I cannot stand people who are 100% confident that not only are they completely right in everything they believe, but that everyone who doesn’t wholly agree is somehow lesser and deserves punishment or oppression because of it.
07. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I was more motivated. I have a slightly self-destructive voice in my head which seems to hold me back from doing things I know will benefit me in the long term, but which seem immediately arduous or difficult. I am a master procrastinator (I am writing my draft of this application at work to avoid writing a report, for example) and I simply cannot work effectively without the pressure of an impending deadline. I am lucky that I do not have an addictive personality; I have problems with eating or sleeping too much and spending too much time on the internet so I know that if I was more prone to indulging in alcohol or drugs etc. I would find it very difficult to pull myself out of an addiction. I think it’s partly a fear of failure; I have never tried hard at anything, really, because I am lucky that with very little effort I have cruised through academic and real life. I seem to subconsciously live by a perverse logic which figures that if I try and I fail, it would be infinitely worse than not trying and failing; at least if I don’t try I can reassure myself that lack of effort led to failure, not lack of competence on my part. I know deep down that not trying is failure in itself, and yet I don’t seem to do anything about it. Many failed diets, writing projects, to-do lists and cleaning resolutions lie behind me as proof that I need to push myself more.
08. If you could do any one thing and suffer no consequences, what would it be?
I’d eat all day and all night. One of the most irritating little injustices in my life is that food contains calories and exercise requires effort. I would love to be able to eat whatever I like, whenever I like, and not have to worry about the health implications or my jeans feeling too tight.
09. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?
01. The ability to keep calm in a crisis - I am generally quite an anxious person, though I like to think of myself as a realist rather than a pessimist. The strange thing is that while I worry every day about many, many things, big and small, as soon as something genuinely important and serious occurs, I seem to be able to keep calm and cope extraordinarily well. I tend to stay very calm in arguments with anyone but those very close to me (because siblings and parents are always the best at pushing your beserk buttons, aren’t they? Yet even then I rarely lose my temper) and I can generally go into ‘sensible mode’ very quickly if something urgently needs to be done.
02. The ability to apologise - I am proud that I am nearly always the first to apologise and I never hold a grudge; I think it is usually better to forgive and forget. As I’ve gotten older I have been able to put myself in others’ shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt even if I feel they are in the wrong; as I mentioned before, everyone is fighting their own battle. I am also getting much better at the ‘forgetting’ part of ‘forgive and forget’ - I’m not particularly resentful but I still do have moments of anger which I’m finding it easier to let go; life is far too short.
03. The ability to see the wonder in the world - even in the bleakest times in my life I have been able to appreciate that there are so many things to be grateful for. I’m not religious; if anything I suppose I am a humanist, but I think that there is just as much if not more wonder to be seen in the world if you believe that it has happened by a sort of chance than be design. I think that the good things people do outweigh all the bad things, and all the beauty in nature outweighs all the destruction, even though it is sometimes difficult to see it.
04. Love of learning - I really, really like picking things up. Random bits of trivia, etymologies of words, definitions of words I’ve never heard of - it’s all good. I think expanding one’s mind is one of the most special things we as humans can do, and there is so much to see and do and hear that you’ve got to just dive in there and try and take something in. Wikipedia is just brilliant, as are all other websites which tell you more - IMDB, TV Tropes, and any and all wikis and news sites ad blogs are like delicious food for my mind. I think geekiness is something to be proud of, and I’m not ashamed that I like quizzes and riddles and tests in my spare time (the closest I am to my brother is when we’re competing over who can name all 50 American states and their capitals in the fastest time).
05. Imagination - I like my imagination. While I’m not particularly good at getting my ideas out successfully (see Question 7), I am quite content to daydream long, elaborate and richly-detailed scenarios and stories whenever I am on my own. As a consequence of this I enjoy spending a little bit of time on my own and while I like being with friends and in social situations a great deal, my own company can be quite fun.
10. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?
01. Laziness - See Question 7. I think my lack of motivation is a real barrier which prevents me from achieving what I want to achieve sometimes. The worse thing is that I know it is my issue and mine alone, and one I can resolve... if I can motivate myself to do so...
02. Envy - I can be very envious of other people. I’m not big on my own self-esteem so I consider practically everyone else to be better looking, more intelligent, more talented, more popular, healthier, wealthier, better dressed... etc. etc. than me. I don’t resent people for this; I tend to internalise it and beat myself up for not being better. I know this is silly and unhealthy and I wish I could be more content with all the lovely things I do have.
03. Lack of willpower - linked in with laziness, I give in to temptation very easily, particularly if it means an easy life. If food is in front of me, I will eat it. If someone gives me an easy option, I will take it. Despite being able to clearly see the benefits of ‘being good’ and the negative outcome of ‘being bad’ I still find it very difficult to do what I should.
04. Low self-confidence - I am fairly confident in certain aspects of myself - my beliefs, for example. I struggle with a lot of the rest of me, though. I constantly compare myself to others and come up wanting. This not a healthy way to think.
05. Anxiety - I worry A LOT. I worry about missing a train, crashing my car, whether I’ll burn dinner, whether all my family and friends will die, whether I have cancer, whether nuclear war will occur, whether I’m wasting paper... let’s just say I’m quite anxious! I tend to worry about abstract things though rather than real, tangible problems - as I mentioned previously I tend to be quite logical and realistic when it comes to an actual, existing problem - it’s the threat of a problem which seems to scare me. Not sure why! My life would be much easier if I didn’t worry so much about nothing.
||HOGWARTS, A HISTORY||
11. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
My last answer was Dumbledore; having read all seven books, I have revised this to Professor McGonagall. She is stern and tough yet has a playful, competitive side (for example, making Harry try out for the quidditch team in his first year rather than punishing him for flying unattended and letting him and Ron off for crashing into the Whomping Willow in a car in their second year, despite Harry’s cheeky comments). She is a very strong female character. I was lucky enough to read a the background on McGonagall on Pottermore and I was glad that JKR gave her such a detailed backstory (which I won’t reveal just in case people haven’t read it!) which revealed a bit of vulnerability yet took away none of her dignity or potency. She overcame a childhood which was not without difficulty with grace and she has a rather heartbreaking love story in her past. She may not be as whimsical as Dumbledore but she is also not as dangerous; she is powerful and a force to be reckoned with but she is not unpredictable or arrogant in the way that Dumbledore revealed himself to be in his treatment of Harry (not that I don’t love Dumbledore too!). She showed bravery in being a member of both Orders of the Phoenix and in opposing Umbridge in book 5; she showed compassion and humanity in protecting Hogwarts students while they were under the tyranny of the Carrows in book 7. She was also an Animagus, which is pretty darn awesome.
12. Who is your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
Grawp. I felt his presence was completely unnecessary to the plot and his entire storyline overwraught and inane. I don’t mind Hagrid, though I did find parts of his character somewhat irritating - for example, his blind love for dangerous animals which was sweet but extremely dangerous and caused problems for many other characters as well as himself. However, I feel no sentimentality towards his half-brother. Whenever a scene contained Grawp I felt the entire plot slowed to a crawl and I felt like I was reading a children’s book (which of course is what the entire HP series is, but a very unusual and sophisticated example, save for these occasional scenes). I know that there are more evil or irritating characters, but I feel like JKR purposefully wrote most of those characters that way; Grawp, I feel, is just badly written and pointless.
13. What was your favorite plot or character revelation in the Harry Potter series?
My favourite scene/character revelation was quite a subtle one in Deathly Hallows, where the Trio went to the Lovegood’s house and went into Luna’s bedroom. The sweet description of Luna’s portraits of her companions lovingly painted on the wall and the words ‘friends’ was so heartbreaking and such a beautiful look into a secondary character’s psyche. Luna is such an interesting, individual character and I nearly chose her as my favourite. While she is a relatively minor influence on the plot, her impact upon Harry and the rest of the trio is quite profound and I believe this scene really underlines that. It’s all the more sad when you learn that despite the desperate lies of her father, Luna is not at home and has indeed been captured by Death Eaters, her life in grave danger. Poor Luna!
14. Describe the canon qualities for each house that accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: I think bravery is very much to be commended and I remain fiercely loyal to a cause when I feel strongly about it, which I believe are prominent Gryffindor traits. I stand up for what I believe in and those who cannot stand up for themselves.
• Slytherin: I can be a bit manipulative; I don’t like to see anyone hurt but if I feel that I can control a situation for my own benefit without disadvantaging others I generally do.
• Ravenclaw: My aforementioned love of learning new things and expanding my horizons would fit in well with Ravenclaw, I think. I also like to analyse things and find out how they work - not necessarily objects or processes but often other people. I like to wonder what makes people tick and I think that this curiosity is very much a Ravenclaw trait.
• Hufflepuff: I really, really don’t like to see others in pain or discomfort - even on television, I find it really difficult to watch anything where someone is embarrassed. The quickest way to get me to cry while watching a movie is not to have a character die, but to have them be humiliated in some way. As such I try really hard to be as nice as I can to other people - ‘do unto others’, and all that. I think that’s quite a prominent Hufflepuff trait.
15. Describe the canon qualities for each house that do not accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: I think being a Gryffindor can involve a lot of pride (in being who you are, in being part of your group or house, etc.), and I don’t think of myself as a particularly proud person. Pride can be a good and deserved thing - when someone has made an achievement they should rightly feel proud of themselves, or proud of their team/group - but pride can lead to arrogance. I think pride can also be excluding; it’s all very well to be proud of being a certain way, or have certain attributes or beliefs, but excessive pride can suggest that anyone who is not part of one’s group is inferior, and this can lead to conflict if two factions are both too proud.
• Slytherin: I’m not particularly ambitious, and I don’t like to see others hurt or upset - I’d rather stick to the status quo than achieve something at the expense of someone else, whereas I see a stereotypical canon Slytherin as being somewhat self-interested, or at least willing to take an opportunity to better themselves which may disadvantage, or be better deserved by, another person.
• Ravenclaw: I am not particularly studious; I have a fairly high regard for academic achievement, and indeed have done very well myself in my academic life, but this has not been through pride in my work; rather it is down to being lucky enough to be able to cruise through most academic disciplines fairly easily. I don’t think this attitude reflects a typical Ravenclaw, who I would see as finding joy in dedicating every moment to their chosen field and exhausting all their energies in an effort to be the best.
• Hufflepuff: The ‘unafraid of toil’ part of the Sorting Hat’s songs about Hufflepuff house does not represent me very well at all. I’m not completely afraid of hard work; I have been known to inconvenience myself to get something done (usually for other people or as part of a team, and not for myself) but generally I’m not great at knuckling down - certainly of my own accord, anyway. I don’t like to let people down so I tend to try when I’m doing things for others but if a task benefits no one in particular, or just me, I don’t tend to put much effort in.
||HOGWARTS EXPRESS||
16. Age: 25 (Oh god, 8 years since my last application?)
02. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? I used to be a member. My original S_E application was on 7 February 2005, I believe, when I was 17. (Man I feel old!) I got the go ahead to get sorted again by phuck ”phuck” here. My reason for submitting a new application is that I feel I am a very different person in many ways to who I was then. Some long-time members may remember which house I was in - I won’t reveal it for fear of biasing your decisions - and while I would be more than happy to go back there, I am interested to see if you wonderful people feel differently about where I should go this time around. PS - I cannot be squibbed (see the headmaster’s comment above), though I hope no one wants to squib me anyway!
||MIRROR OF ERISED||
03. What do you wish to accomplish in life?
If you had asked me this a few years ago, I would have given you an answer that involved ambitions and a career, and much more exciting and high-reaching that the answer I’m going to give now: I want to be happy. I want to make my loved ones happy. I want to own a nice home that isn’t cripplingly expensive. I want to travel (especially to America, New Zealand, Canada and Japan). I want to become more fluent in French. I want to have enough space and free time to write, paint, arrange flowers and sew. I want to have a family and teach my kids all the things that I think are wonderful about life. Most of all, though, I want to die happy, surrounded by my loved ones. I have realised in the past few years that being surrounded by people whom you love and who love you is the only truly important thing beyond basic shelter and food. Everything else is just an added bonus.
04. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #03.)
When I first read The Philosopher’s Stone I was about 12 and the poignancy of Harry’s vision in the Mirror of Erised didn’t quite reach me. Indeed, the themes of death and loss and grief throughout the series were lost on me. Now I have suffered my own losses, I feel all too keenly the deep sadness which underlines the entire series, and I think I must agree with JKR and Harry and what they would see in the Mirror: my entire family together, alive, healthy, and smiling. I too think I could get lost in the vision but I know that given a chance to look into the Mirror, I would - for better or worse.
05. What makes a person deserving of your respect?
Respect gains respect, in my opinion. People who are highly skilled, talented or intelligent impress me or make me envious, and brave people like policemen, soldiers, nurses and doctors fill me with awe; I reserve true respect, however, for the respectful. Politeness, courtesy, tactfulness, diplomacy and selflessness are, to me, the most important and impressive qualities a person can have, because they are so simple (especially politeness, which, to paraphrase an old saying, costs nothing) and yet so often overlooked. The world would be so much more pleasant if everyone was, well, pleasant to each other. People who can turn the other cheek in the face of hostility; people who protest against injustice peacefully; people who help others without thinking of - indeed, at a detriment to - themselves; people performing random acts of kindness and charity, even just a compliment to a stranger or a smile in the street - these people brighten my day, and gain my respect. Everyone is fighting their own battle, and those who realise this and try their hardest to make another person’s day that little bit easier - they deserve respect.
06. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Wilful ignorance. Ignorance is the source of so many problems in the world, big and small. From racism and homophobia and many other prejudices to playground bullying, if people were less ignorant of others there would be much less conflict. I reserve special hatred for wilful ignorance, however - people who purposefully, proudly claim that they don’t want to learn. Learning, to me, is the first step towards acceptance; learning about an issue, person, or cause leads to understanding and perspective, which can in turn lead towards compromise or tolerance. I simply cannot comprehend why anyone would be proud to avoid expanding their mind and or happy to cling onto the past and its prejudices with no thought to the many people who may be suffering as a result. I cannot stand people who are 100% confident that not only are they completely right in everything they believe, but that everyone who doesn’t wholly agree is somehow lesser and deserves punishment or oppression because of it.
07. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I was more motivated. I have a slightly self-destructive voice in my head which seems to hold me back from doing things I know will benefit me in the long term, but which seem immediately arduous or difficult. I am a master procrastinator (I am writing my draft of this application at work to avoid writing a report, for example) and I simply cannot work effectively without the pressure of an impending deadline. I am lucky that I do not have an addictive personality; I have problems with eating or sleeping too much and spending too much time on the internet so I know that if I was more prone to indulging in alcohol or drugs etc. I would find it very difficult to pull myself out of an addiction. I think it’s partly a fear of failure; I have never tried hard at anything, really, because I am lucky that with very little effort I have cruised through academic and real life. I seem to subconsciously live by a perverse logic which figures that if I try and I fail, it would be infinitely worse than not trying and failing; at least if I don’t try I can reassure myself that lack of effort led to failure, not lack of competence on my part. I know deep down that not trying is failure in itself, and yet I don’t seem to do anything about it. Many failed diets, writing projects, to-do lists and cleaning resolutions lie behind me as proof that I need to push myself more.
08. If you could do any one thing and suffer no consequences, what would it be?
I’d eat all day and all night. One of the most irritating little injustices in my life is that food contains calories and exercise requires effort. I would love to be able to eat whatever I like, whenever I like, and not have to worry about the health implications or my jeans feeling too tight.
09. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?
01. The ability to keep calm in a crisis - I am generally quite an anxious person, though I like to think of myself as a realist rather than a pessimist. The strange thing is that while I worry every day about many, many things, big and small, as soon as something genuinely important and serious occurs, I seem to be able to keep calm and cope extraordinarily well. I tend to stay very calm in arguments with anyone but those very close to me (because siblings and parents are always the best at pushing your beserk buttons, aren’t they? Yet even then I rarely lose my temper) and I can generally go into ‘sensible mode’ very quickly if something urgently needs to be done.
02. The ability to apologise - I am proud that I am nearly always the first to apologise and I never hold a grudge; I think it is usually better to forgive and forget. As I’ve gotten older I have been able to put myself in others’ shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt even if I feel they are in the wrong; as I mentioned before, everyone is fighting their own battle. I am also getting much better at the ‘forgetting’ part of ‘forgive and forget’ - I’m not particularly resentful but I still do have moments of anger which I’m finding it easier to let go; life is far too short.
03. The ability to see the wonder in the world - even in the bleakest times in my life I have been able to appreciate that there are so many things to be grateful for. I’m not religious; if anything I suppose I am a humanist, but I think that there is just as much if not more wonder to be seen in the world if you believe that it has happened by a sort of chance than be design. I think that the good things people do outweigh all the bad things, and all the beauty in nature outweighs all the destruction, even though it is sometimes difficult to see it.
04. Love of learning - I really, really like picking things up. Random bits of trivia, etymologies of words, definitions of words I’ve never heard of - it’s all good. I think expanding one’s mind is one of the most special things we as humans can do, and there is so much to see and do and hear that you’ve got to just dive in there and try and take something in. Wikipedia is just brilliant, as are all other websites which tell you more - IMDB, TV Tropes, and any and all wikis and news sites ad blogs are like delicious food for my mind. I think geekiness is something to be proud of, and I’m not ashamed that I like quizzes and riddles and tests in my spare time (the closest I am to my brother is when we’re competing over who can name all 50 American states and their capitals in the fastest time).
05. Imagination - I like my imagination. While I’m not particularly good at getting my ideas out successfully (see Question 7), I am quite content to daydream long, elaborate and richly-detailed scenarios and stories whenever I am on my own. As a consequence of this I enjoy spending a little bit of time on my own and while I like being with friends and in social situations a great deal, my own company can be quite fun.
10. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?
01. Laziness - See Question 7. I think my lack of motivation is a real barrier which prevents me from achieving what I want to achieve sometimes. The worse thing is that I know it is my issue and mine alone, and one I can resolve... if I can motivate myself to do so...
02. Envy - I can be very envious of other people. I’m not big on my own self-esteem so I consider practically everyone else to be better looking, more intelligent, more talented, more popular, healthier, wealthier, better dressed... etc. etc. than me. I don’t resent people for this; I tend to internalise it and beat myself up for not being better. I know this is silly and unhealthy and I wish I could be more content with all the lovely things I do have.
03. Lack of willpower - linked in with laziness, I give in to temptation very easily, particularly if it means an easy life. If food is in front of me, I will eat it. If someone gives me an easy option, I will take it. Despite being able to clearly see the benefits of ‘being good’ and the negative outcome of ‘being bad’ I still find it very difficult to do what I should.
04. Low self-confidence - I am fairly confident in certain aspects of myself - my beliefs, for example. I struggle with a lot of the rest of me, though. I constantly compare myself to others and come up wanting. This not a healthy way to think.
05. Anxiety - I worry A LOT. I worry about missing a train, crashing my car, whether I’ll burn dinner, whether all my family and friends will die, whether I have cancer, whether nuclear war will occur, whether I’m wasting paper... let’s just say I’m quite anxious! I tend to worry about abstract things though rather than real, tangible problems - as I mentioned previously I tend to be quite logical and realistic when it comes to an actual, existing problem - it’s the threat of a problem which seems to scare me. Not sure why! My life would be much easier if I didn’t worry so much about nothing.
||HOGWARTS, A HISTORY||
11. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
My last answer was Dumbledore; having read all seven books, I have revised this to Professor McGonagall. She is stern and tough yet has a playful, competitive side (for example, making Harry try out for the quidditch team in his first year rather than punishing him for flying unattended and letting him and Ron off for crashing into the Whomping Willow in a car in their second year, despite Harry’s cheeky comments). She is a very strong female character. I was lucky enough to read a the background on McGonagall on Pottermore and I was glad that JKR gave her such a detailed backstory (which I won’t reveal just in case people haven’t read it!) which revealed a bit of vulnerability yet took away none of her dignity or potency. She overcame a childhood which was not without difficulty with grace and she has a rather heartbreaking love story in her past. She may not be as whimsical as Dumbledore but she is also not as dangerous; she is powerful and a force to be reckoned with but she is not unpredictable or arrogant in the way that Dumbledore revealed himself to be in his treatment of Harry (not that I don’t love Dumbledore too!). She showed bravery in being a member of both Orders of the Phoenix and in opposing Umbridge in book 5; she showed compassion and humanity in protecting Hogwarts students while they were under the tyranny of the Carrows in book 7. She was also an Animagus, which is pretty darn awesome.
12. Who is your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
Grawp. I felt his presence was completely unnecessary to the plot and his entire storyline overwraught and inane. I don’t mind Hagrid, though I did find parts of his character somewhat irritating - for example, his blind love for dangerous animals which was sweet but extremely dangerous and caused problems for many other characters as well as himself. However, I feel no sentimentality towards his half-brother. Whenever a scene contained Grawp I felt the entire plot slowed to a crawl and I felt like I was reading a children’s book (which of course is what the entire HP series is, but a very unusual and sophisticated example, save for these occasional scenes). I know that there are more evil or irritating characters, but I feel like JKR purposefully wrote most of those characters that way; Grawp, I feel, is just badly written and pointless.
13. What was your favorite plot or character revelation in the Harry Potter series?
My favourite scene/character revelation was quite a subtle one in Deathly Hallows, where the Trio went to the Lovegood’s house and went into Luna’s bedroom. The sweet description of Luna’s portraits of her companions lovingly painted on the wall and the words ‘friends’ was so heartbreaking and such a beautiful look into a secondary character’s psyche. Luna is such an interesting, individual character and I nearly chose her as my favourite. While she is a relatively minor influence on the plot, her impact upon Harry and the rest of the trio is quite profound and I believe this scene really underlines that. It’s all the more sad when you learn that despite the desperate lies of her father, Luna is not at home and has indeed been captured by Death Eaters, her life in grave danger. Poor Luna!
14. Describe the canon qualities for each house that accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: I think bravery is very much to be commended and I remain fiercely loyal to a cause when I feel strongly about it, which I believe are prominent Gryffindor traits. I stand up for what I believe in and those who cannot stand up for themselves.
• Slytherin: I can be a bit manipulative; I don’t like to see anyone hurt but if I feel that I can control a situation for my own benefit without disadvantaging others I generally do.
• Ravenclaw: My aforementioned love of learning new things and expanding my horizons would fit in well with Ravenclaw, I think. I also like to analyse things and find out how they work - not necessarily objects or processes but often other people. I like to wonder what makes people tick and I think that this curiosity is very much a Ravenclaw trait.
• Hufflepuff: I really, really don’t like to see others in pain or discomfort - even on television, I find it really difficult to watch anything where someone is embarrassed. The quickest way to get me to cry while watching a movie is not to have a character die, but to have them be humiliated in some way. As such I try really hard to be as nice as I can to other people - ‘do unto others’, and all that. I think that’s quite a prominent Hufflepuff trait.
15. Describe the canon qualities for each house that do not accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: I think being a Gryffindor can involve a lot of pride (in being who you are, in being part of your group or house, etc.), and I don’t think of myself as a particularly proud person. Pride can be a good and deserved thing - when someone has made an achievement they should rightly feel proud of themselves, or proud of their team/group - but pride can lead to arrogance. I think pride can also be excluding; it’s all very well to be proud of being a certain way, or have certain attributes or beliefs, but excessive pride can suggest that anyone who is not part of one’s group is inferior, and this can lead to conflict if two factions are both too proud.
• Slytherin: I’m not particularly ambitious, and I don’t like to see others hurt or upset - I’d rather stick to the status quo than achieve something at the expense of someone else, whereas I see a stereotypical canon Slytherin as being somewhat self-interested, or at least willing to take an opportunity to better themselves which may disadvantage, or be better deserved by, another person.
• Ravenclaw: I am not particularly studious; I have a fairly high regard for academic achievement, and indeed have done very well myself in my academic life, but this has not been through pride in my work; rather it is down to being lucky enough to be able to cruise through most academic disciplines fairly easily. I don’t think this attitude reflects a typical Ravenclaw, who I would see as finding joy in dedicating every moment to their chosen field and exhausting all their energies in an effort to be the best.
• Hufflepuff: The ‘unafraid of toil’ part of the Sorting Hat’s songs about Hufflepuff house does not represent me very well at all. I’m not completely afraid of hard work; I have been known to inconvenience myself to get something done (usually for other people or as part of a team, and not for myself) but generally I’m not great at knuckling down - certainly of my own accord, anyway. I don’t like to let people down so I tend to try when I’m doing things for others but if a task benefits no one in particular, or just me, I don’t tend to put much effort in.
||HOGWARTS EXPRESS||
16. Age: 25 (Oh god, 8 years since my last application?)