Horcrux, Horcrux, Horcrux!

[pearldrop]

Name: Bethany
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Referred By (if applies): obscurevibrance and musicgeekgirl26

1. What is/was your favorite subject in school and why?
In high school it was always English. I love reading, and I love analyzing text. I also sincerely enjoy discussing characters and motivations and metaphors and all of the things that come along with English courses. What’s more, I’m very good at it. Which makes it even more enjoyable, I didn’t have to work that hard to excel and my teachers liked me because I was good about participating and coming up with unique ideas.

Now that I’m in college I find it’s still very much the case. I love my English classes, specifically courses focusing on Renaissance lit and drama, but I find that my enjoyment of them is magnified by class I’m taking for my major, International Studies. I really love my courses on world politics, but they do not come nearly as easy for me. I don’t get the same joy on reading political texts as I do reading my English assignments - as wonderful and engaging as Franz Fanon is, he doesn’t hold the same fascination for me as Kit Marlowe does. But I’ve found that my studies in political science enhance my reading of literature. A recent example would be that I had two paper assignments for my Ren Drama class, and I pulled extensively from my Revolutions, Violence, and Terrorism course in the process of working on those papers.

So I suppose to sum up my ramblings, I would have to say that English is, strictly speaking, my favorite subject, but my enjoyment of it is enhanced by my love of my Political Science courses.

2. What would be your favorite subject at Hogwarts and why?
Possibly History of Magic or Muggle Studies. I tend to do well in subjects that are theoretical and involve analysis. I always enjoyed history in high school as well, and I imagine muggle studies would include learning about how muggles governed themselves with a comparison to the Wizarding political system. I imagine I would find that incredibly interesting and would rhapsodize for inches of parchment upon inches of parchment on the plus and minuses of Muggle politics.

3. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I was better at interacting with people. When I’m around people I don’t know, I tend to be withdrawn and shy. I have difficulty figuring out what to say, and often times end up saying nothing at all. I’ve had people tell me that I come off as a snob, since I’m so quiet and only speak when I know I’m right. And it’s not that I’m a snob, I’m just so scared I will say something that will tarnish some-one's opinion of me. Often time I won’t talk, because I worry that others around me have no desire to hear me speak or spend time with me. I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown and become more assertive, but it’s still an issue I fight with.

4. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Fox News would not exist. It’s a small change, but I think its effects would be widely felt.

Ok, if I could change anything I would obviously put an end to political turmoil and hatred and there would be world peace and everyone would have food, shelter, clean water, and the opportunity to pursue happiness. While this would pretty much eliminate many career opportunities, I think we can all agree that small negative is far outweighed by the positives.

5. Which Harry Potter character can you relate to the most and why?
Most is very much a key word, since I don’t really have a personality match as far as main characters go. I fell a similarity to Hermione in that I often feel as though I have different priorities than my friends, but I still love them dearly and when were are together I can be very silly. Like Hermione, I also can be am a Know-it-all. In high school I was that kid who would wave their hand excitedly until the teacher would call on me. I sympathized with Hermione’s S.P.E.W. efforts. I’m involved with my school’s chapter of Amnesty International, so I know all about letter writing and rights-based activism.

I wish I was more like Hermione in terms of drive, though. I am a very dedicated worker when the subject interests me, but if I’m not into it, well. You can forget it. I don’t feel about grades the way Hermione does. But I have had similar nightmares, about failing all my exams. So my grade anxiety isn’t quite to the level, but I understand Hermione’s need to achieve and be admired for her intellect and her work.

6. Which non-Harry Potter character can you relate to the most and why?
You know, I really wish I could say I was a Buffy Summers, but I’m much more of a Willow Rosenberg. For many of the same reasons why I said I feel a connection with Hermione, Willow in High School was very much like I was in high school. A little shy, very snarky when with friends, entirely too geeky for her own good, and lives in the library. Of course, I had fewer monsters and didn’t date a guitarist, but I’m sure we can look at that as a metaphor. I fought many metaphorical monsters in my teen years. Like Willow, since college I’ve come out of my shell a bit. I think we both grew a lot just being away from home and, to a degree, being on our own.

7. Pick one quality from each of the four houses that you possess and explain why.

Well for Ravenclaw (wit and love of learning) I may think I’m witty, but often times I’m really, really not. Bethany, is my name, bad puns are my game! Woohoo! But I am intelligent. I’ve always done well in school and I pride myself on being able to reason well. I have a great love of learning. I’m in college right now and I love it so much. Part of me wishes I could be a student forever; I really do get enjoyment just out of attending class. I take classes I don’t even need to take for my major or for any requirements, just because I want to learn more about the subject.

Gryffindors are known for their courage. Well, I don’t know if I can be considered brave in the conventional sense. I am a total wimp when it comes to things like spiders… and confrontations. I will put up with someone treating me badly for a long time, simply because I don’t want the trouble of saying something about it. However, I will not put up with someone treating someone else badly. I will say something if someone is being mean or has simply stepped out of line. I also have the courage to stick to my convictions. I have beliefs and opinions and will only change them if someone can show me cold, hard facts.

It is said that Slytherins are cunning and ambitious. I’m not so sure about cunning, but I certainly have ambitions. I want to enter a fairly competitive field, and I want to do well. I want to be known as someone who is reliable and powerful and efficient. I don’t have a very good sense of what is expected of me, and I think that allows me to ambitious. I can put my hopes into going a good school, going abroad, moving to New York, all of that, because I believe I deserve it. No one ever told me differently. I think that’s helped shaped my ambitions and how I go for them today.

And last, but not least, Hufflepuff! Home to the loyal, patient, and hardworking. Loyalty I can do. I’m very close to my family, and despite their squabbles and differences, I remain on good terms with all of them. Because they’re my family, and even if they do at times do incredibly stupid things, I love them. It takes me a little while to trust someone, but once I do, I stick by them. I have a wide circle of friends, but only a very few close ones. The ones I let in are my lifelines. I would do anything for them. Plus, brand loyalty! I am a commercial kid. I like my coke, not my Pepsi, and my Verizon phone service (nooo, iPhone!) and my PC, not a Mac! …Although iPods are heaven sent.

8. Which house do you think you belong in and why?
I’ve always considered myself a mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I feel as though I have the pragmatic sensibilities of a Slytherin, but a Ravenclaw’s love for learning and creativity. I feel as though both houses tend to be very much mind-centered.

This belief comes from an acting exercises, where you think about your character and decide what part of the body leads them. Are they very thoughtful? They lead with the mind. Are they passionate? They lead with the heart. There are other options, but I narrowed it to that, in terms of house. In my own personal analysis, Slytherins and Ravenclaws are mind led houses, vs. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff which are centered on their hearts. For example, Hermione may be very intelligent and have a love of learning, but she is led by her heart, and therefore is a Gryffindor and not a Ravenclaw. The motivations of a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin tend to come from a careful thought process of weighing pros and cons and coming to a conclusion. That is how I look at things, which is why I think I would fit among one of those two houses.

I would say my Ravenclaw side edges out Slytherin, just because while I am very cognizant of the future and achieving my goals, I think I have the more Ravenclaw tendency of enjoying the activity for the learning opportunity rather than any gains it might provide.

9. Which house do you feel you'll never belong in and why?
By process of elimination, I would say Hufflepuff. I feel as though I do have Hufflepuff qualities, they just aren’t as present in me as the qualities of the other houses. While I can be a hard worker when I enjoy something, it’s not an attribute I would apply to myself in the general sense of the term. I’m very lazy. Very. Know sloths? They’re my kindred spirits. And not just because we’re adorable. In addition, while I would never say I’m disloyal, it’s not a defining characteristic.

10. Which Harry Potter book do you like the best and why?
I really liked Goblet of Fire. It was an interesting break from her previous structure, and the Quidditch World Cup was just awesome. I loved getting to read Harry’s reaction to the outside Wizarding World. The fourth book was really the first opportunity for the reader to see the Wizarding World outside of Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. We also are introduced to Viktor Krum, who happens to be one of my very favorite characters. I feel as though the book also was the first one to have a very sharp emotional impact. The first three were very endearing and had impact as well, but with the death of Cedric Diggory the entire series changed. GOF represented a loss of innocence, and while there’s something inherently sad about that, it’s intriguing.

11. Which Harry Potter movie do you like the best and why?
I loved the fifth movie. I thought The Order of the Phoenix was handled beautifully. I loved the script writers work, and Yates just directed the hell out of that movie. The fight scene between the aurors and death eaters was just visually stunning. I never wanted the Dumbledore/Voldemort showdown to end. It was classic and conveyed just a sense of power. Especially in contrast with the Dumbledore’s Army fight against the death eaters. I also was wowed by Evanna Lynch’s performance as Luna Lovegood. I liked the character in the book, but she made me love Luna, just truly and absolutely adore her. And how crazy good was Imelda Staunton as Delores Umbridge? When she delivered the line “I really hate children!” I just about died laughing. It was a pitch perfect portrayal. Not to mention her scenes with Emma Thompson and Dame Maggie Smith. There was so much about the movie that really just worked for me.

12. What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
I would probably see myself at work, presumably for a very prestigious organization. Not sure what kind, but probably an Intergovernmental organization. I would see myself surrounded by coworkers that genuinely seemed to like me and I would clearly be successful. Can you say corner office? I can. Corner office, baby! And a nice big oak desk and one of those really awesome thin computer monitors.

13. If you came across a boggart, what would it transform into?
I am scared of a ton of things. I’ve already mentioned my fear of awkward social situations and confrontations, but I can’t really imagine how a boggart would use that. The easier fears for a boggart to latch onto are aliens, spiders and tornadoes. Perhaps it would turn into an alien-spider riding a tornado! …or more likely it would just be a freaked out Alien coming to EAT me. Or it could be a zombie. I hate zombies. I just had a nightmare the other night about zombies. I imagine my fear of aliens, zombies, and tornadoes represent my fear of the unknown, of being out of control. You can’t really do anything in the situation of an alien take over, or zombie outbreak, or a tornado. You don’t know where it’ll hit, you can only take certain precautions and wait it out. That terrifies me more than anything, waiting for an untimely demise without being able to stop it.

Spiders just scare me because they’re freakin’ creepy.

14. Which Harry Potter character is your least favorite and why?
I actually like all of the characters. Even characters I dislike I enjoy because I dislike them. Umbridge, for example. I don’t like her, but I love reading about her. It comes down to not who I dislike, but more who I don’t care to read about.

I suppose the character that interests me the least would be Tonks. This is really disappointing because I thought she had potential. I even thought she was very adorable in the movie, and book five set her up to be a wonderful addition to the books. However, book six she just lost it for me. The whole storyline she was in just seemed really unnecessary and I literally felt nothing for her. I wasn’t interested in a weepy, sulky Tonks. Furthermore, I didn’t care about her relationship with Lupin. It was so completely on the fringe of what was going on that I had no emotional attachment at all. I wasn’t interested in her love life; I wanted to see her take on some Death Eaters. I really loved the idea of Tonks. It’s just somewhere between Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows she ceased to be the fun and spunky character I enjoyed and just became a completely non-entity in my mind.

15. If you were in the Harry Potter universe, what would be your stance on Muggle-born wizards practicing magic?
I would be for it. I believe in merit, not family connections. I would see little to no difference between a pureblood witch or wizard and a Muggle-born witch or wizard. The only viable difference I can conceive of is the slight advantage a pureblood witch or wizard would enjoy. Since they were raised around magic, they have a few years on Muggle-borns. However, it seems that Hogwarts is a great equalizer and by the time students graduate it comes down to ability and intellect over luck of the draw birth. So I say more power to the muggle-borns. I imagine it must be difficult to live in a world that your entire family is not really a part of.

16. What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?
Humor is number one. I want to be able to goof off and joke around with my friends and not worry that they won’t get the joke and get offended. I like being around people who are laid back and can take some gentle ribbing and dish it out. I would say that I prefer people who are compassionate and have similar values as I do, but it turns out half my friends don’t, and I still love them dearly. So clearly it’s not key in being good friends with me. It really comes down to people I can get along with and laugh with.

17. What is your favorite quote from the series and why?
“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

I imagine this is a popular one. If it isn’t, it should be. It’s a brilliant bit of writing on J.K. Rowling’s part. When I was reading Deathly Hallows this quote just jumped out to me. It really speaks to the power of the mind and perception. For all of Dumbledore’s flaws, and he had quite a few, the character was just so powerful and aware.

18. What is your favorite quote that is not related to Harry Potter and why?
This is difficult, I have quite a few. I’m going to go with my gut, since I do have so many quotes I love, and say the first one that came to my mind after reading this question.

We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
- Charles Bukowski

I find this quote so inspiring. That is pretty much how I’d like to live my life. I want to have a good time and live so well that it means something. Maybe I didn’t change the world, maybe I didn’t change anything, but I lived well. It speaks to the desire that everyone feels to just be happy. And this is my idea of happy. Drinking beer, fighting injustice, and living well.

19. Who is one person, real or fictional, that inspires you and why?
I admire anyone who can make a living doing something they love. I admire Michelangelo for creating beautiful artwork and stubbornly refusing to compromise about it, I admire Lorenzo di Medici for paving the way for the Italian Renaissance by encouraging the arts, I admire Nelson Mandela for working effortlessly for his cause, I admire Albert Einstein for never giving up on his work even when he was a patent clerk… so basically I admire the incredibly talented, driven individuals of the world.

20. List your top five priorities in life. Why are these things so important to you?
1. My main priority right now is to graduate from college with a decent GPA. This is important because that will allow me to hopefully get a good job.
2. Be financially independent. I am terrified by the prospect of not being able to support myself. So this is something that I need to do to ever feel successful in my life.
3. Have a satisfying career. I don’t want to be stuck in a job I hate. I very much want to be doing something I can enjoy and a career path that has the opportunity for me to advance. Also, it would ideally pay me a lot of money. Lots and lots of cash. Mmm. Cash.
4. Stay connected with my family. I’m close to my family, and I would hate for that to ever change. I genuinely like spending time with them and I don’t want to be the person that only talks to their family on holidays.
5. Star my own family. I don’t want to be alone, and it would be nice to have a sort of legacy, if you will.

21. You see both a Muggle and a wizard in trouble. You have the chance to help only one. Would you help one of them or ignore the situation? If you chose to help one of them, which would you help and why?
I would definitely help. Unless the situation means death for myself. Then they’re on their own. But that seems a bit extreme to me, so I would help. Most likely I would come to the aid of the muggle, since I would assume the wizard is better able to defend himself. This perhaps shows a bit of prejudice on my part, since I’m assuming the muggle is incapable of defending itself, but frankly, the muggle can’t talk, since I’m saving his or her ass.

22. Under what circumstances would you use an Unforgivable Curse?
No circumstances. I was shocked and a little angered by Harry’s use of the curse in book seven. To use an unforgivable curse under any circumstance is crossing a line. What is the point of being good if you’re using the same tactics as the villain? Maybe it puts your side at a disadvantage, but it maintains identity and the very point of the battle. They’re called Unforgivable curses, not ‘forgivable-under-the-right-circumstance curses’.

23. Under what circumstances would you work for Voldemort?
I would work for him if I thought that his cause was just. Clearly, his cause wasn’t, and therefore, I wouldn’t work for him. Unless he was threatening life of my love ones. IN that case I suppose I wouldn’t have much of a choice. I suppose that means my answer for 22 is a bit strict, since if I was ordered by Voldemort to use an unforgivable or he’d kill my family, I’d do the damn curse.

24. If you happened upon a Time Turner, how would you use it?
For eeeevil. Ok, I’m not even going to lie. I would go back, do some quick investing, and make a fortune. Hopefully I wouldn’t get caught. I have no problem admitting that I would use the Time Turner for personal gain. I’m not a saint and this doesn’t really hurt anyone, so while it is morally… wrong, it’s not as wrong as it could be.

25. Will you remain an active member of the community?
I will do my best!