Horcrux? Yeah, I ate it.

[bellipotens]

Name: Jana
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Referred By (if applies): My friend, cereai_killer

1. What is/was your favorite subject in school and why?
I liked a wide variety of subjects. I did best in Art, English and Law. I'm extremely artistic and come from a very creative family, so that kind of thing has always come easily to me. I've always loved books (not ALL books, but books that hold my interest) and writing, so English was always a breeze. I have no problem writing essays, analyzing literature, etc. I did very, very well in fine arts. I love to paint, I love to play music and because of that love and passion I have for it, I was very dedicated and did extremely well.

Law, I've always enjoyed and always did well in because I find it fascinating. There's always been a part of me who wants to see and MAKE justice happen. In my opinion, the system is broken, not just in my country (Canada...HOLLA!) but in many others as well. You see and read evidence of it every single day. There needs to be a major overhaul to the justice system because it just doesn't seem to be working. People who deserve prison time are being let out far too soon, and innocent people are being put behind bars. The justice system never seems to work for people when they need it the most. I don't think it ever worked, to be quite honest with you. The more you study it, the more cracks you see in it, but at the same time, it makes you want to stand up and do something about it.

2. What would be your favorite subject at Hogwarts and why?
Defense Against the Dark Arts. That would be, without a doubt, the subject I would love the most. I like classes that are really hands-on and give you some real experience as opposed to just reading and hearing about things. It's a wonderful class that not only teaches you how to defend yourself, but you also teaches you about the darker side of magic. I don't think it's right that people turn a blind eye to the darker parts of the world. It gives you a sense of realism. Life isn't happy and wonderful all the time and people need to know that, but they also need to know how to protect themselves.

3. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My temper is pretty bad and does tend to get the best of me. I'm easily frustrated and even more easily irritated. I know that you can only control your own reactions, but there are a lot of times where I just barely have a grasp on my temper. I've said terrible, terrible things to people out of pure rage and frustration, but when I'm that angry, my brain just tends to fire off randomly because the rage gets the best of me. I've been told that I look and sound like a completely different person when I'm very angry. My best friend said that I look "really freaking insane." My mannerisms change, my vocabulary becomes far more vicious and I attack anything and everything in my line of sight.

4. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
All the political correctness. I'm so bloody sick of it. It's getting ridiculous. You can't say ANYTHING anymore without being crucified or stoned or made to look like you're the worst person on the planet. It's hard to voice an opinion anymore without a bunch of zealots jumping on you and ripping you apart. Maybe this sucks for me because I like to make jokes at other people's expense. I make fun of everyone equally, including myself. I've always been under the impression that there's nothing in this world you can't have a good laugh at or poke fun at and I respect people who have the courage to do so. I hate the way the world is becoming so serious about everything and you have to watch everything you say and do.

On a more selfish note, I'd like to be able to smoke in bars again. In my town, smokers have been banished to outside. That's a bunch of BS. If it's so cold that my nipples could cut glass, I don't want to have to go outside! If I wanted to be outside freezing my ass off, that's where I would be, but I'm NOT. It's not like we're running over puppies with our Hummers, punching infants in the face or beating up old ladies, we just want to have a cigarette in a nice, warm place while we drink our alcoholic beverage of choice. I've smacked people who wouldn't stop nagging me about my smoking. I'm perfectly aware of my decision, there's no need to keep saying you don't like it. I get the message.

5. Which Harry Potter character can you relate to the most and why?
Sirius Black. I think I summed it up best in another application.

I see so much of myself in him. I come from a family who is incredibly snobby and elitist. One side of them owns huge houses in North Vancouver, golf courses, etc. and they refuse to interact with myself, my mother or my biological father because they believed my father married "below" his class level. Seriously? What the hell is that? My theory is, if they don't want me, then I don't want them. The other side of my family expects people to be picture perfect. If you don't have a house, 2.5 kids, a white picket fence and a "respectable" job (jobs in the arts are considered, by them, to be jobs for losers), you're ostracized. They readily talk about other family members behind their backs and basically, they're just a bunch of stupid hypocrites. I feel like a black sheep. I hate going to family events, because I can't stand to listen to them backstab other members of the family that I actually like. There aren't many of them, but they do exist. My mother and my stepfather are basically the only people in my family who aren't total idiots. Although, the older I get, the more we fight.

I relate to Sirius in other ways as well. The recklessness in particular. My parents often ask me if I have any regard for my own personal safety. I've done some really stupid things just to say that I've had the experience. I've tried drugs just to say I've done them, I've gotten alcohol poisoning, I've been kicked out of a bar (it was really all my friend's fault), been in physical fights, etc. I could go on, but I don't feel like it. I am also fiercely loyal to my friends. My friends and I were sort of outcasts in school, so we became rather selective about who we became friends with. I don't just have one best friend, I have five, and I would die for any of them. In an instant. They've been with me all through high school, they've helped me through so much crap and I figure it's the least that I could do for them. I love them dearly. I have extremely fond memories of strolling around the school getting into trouble.

I also enjoy disregarding any authority figures. If someone tells me to do something, and I don't respect them, I won't do it. Plain and simple. I guess I'm sort of an ass in that respect. I break rules just because I can, and because I see some rules as pretty stupid. My school used to have a "no wearing hats in class" policy and I always wore a hat just to piss my teachers off. Also because I thought the rule was stupid. Same with the no gum rule.

6. Which non-Harry Potter character can you relate to the most and why?
I see a lot of myself reflected in the pages of J.D Salinger's novel, "The Catcher in the Rye." It's supposed to be a novel about teenaged angst (among many other themes), but even at 22, I still see bits of myself in Holden Caulfield. I find myself looking at the world with a rather cynical and often pessimistic view. I do judge people and I do think that a lot of this world is fake and glossed over and made to look like something that it's not. Many aspects of the world disgust me as well as many different kinds of people. Like Holden, I exhibit many of the characteristics that I despise in other people. I'd like to think that I'm not that hypocritical, but I am. I'm a big, walking contradiction at times and I still haven't figured myself out yet. I do oppose things simply because I can, just as Holden does. I don't really know why I do it, maybe I just like being difficult.

7. Pick one quality from each of the four houses that you possess and explain why.
I copied and pasted this from another application and then did some tweaking.

Gryffindor: I am extremely bold, honest and opinionated. I listen to my gut more than I listen to my head. If I'm thinking something, you're going to hear it. If I like something, I'll say it and if I don't, I'll still say it. I don't really give a crap what anyone thinks at that point because I think it's important to have an opinion and take a stand for something. I'm probably the loudest person in my group of friends and I'm not really afraid of very many things. I'm stubborn, will argue until I'm blue in the face and I defend the things that I believe in with everything I have. You have to stand up for yourself in this world, because who else is going to do it for you?

Slytherin: While I do tend to procrastinate when it comes to things that I have to do, I definitely go after the things that I want and I don't give up until I get them. I set my goals and I work as hard as humanly possible to achieve them and more often than not, I do achieve them. I have pretty high expectations of myself and when things go wrong, I really do beat the crap out of myself. I am my own worst critic and nothing I do is good enough for me. That's something that I have to work on. I also have a tendency to not reveal my true feelings or intentions until I am confident and comfortable doing so. The only feeling that I really feel comfortable revealing is anger because it's safe for me. I don't like unravelling pain or hardship or anything like that and I feel much more comfortable doing it on a medium like the internet where no one can see me grimacing as I type.

Ravenclaw: I have passion and thirst for learning things that interest me. If I'm extremely excited about a subject, I will devour every single fact that I can possibly find on it. For example, I am absolutely fascinated by the Russian mafia. I have read every piece of information that I can possibly get on them and what they're about. I eat this stuff up and I'm the same way about things like abnormal psychology and serial killers. It takes passion to kindle my love for learning, but I do enjoy it.

Hufflepuff: I am loyal to my five best friends and I would defend them with everything that I have. They mean the world to me and I consider them to be my family. There aren't many people that I give that kind of loyalty to because I have problems trusting people. I think it's important to be selective with something as serious as loyalty because no one likes the feeling of betrayal. It makes you feel very alone and violated. I like to do whatever I can to avoid that.

8. Which house do you think you belong in and why?
I'd say either Gryffindor or Slytherin. For Gryffindor, I've got the guts, I'm bold, I can be very pushy when the situation requires it and I've always been a generally loud person. Not necessarily jovial, but I do make quite a racket. For Slytherin, I set high goals for myself and I do everything to achieve them. I do get what I want.

9. Which house do you feel you'll never belong in and why?
Hufflepuff. I don't have much in common with the house, except that I value loyalty, but ONLY from my closest friends. I am the least hard-working person you will ever meet. I put schoolwork (and work in general) off until the last minute, I'm an absolute slob and I don't care. I once had to help a family member move...I slept in instead. I was tired and I really don't like my family that much, so I didn't feel bad. If I was to help my best friend in the entire world move, I would have been up and dressed on time, but I wasn't. So yes, my loyalty is extremely selective. It's not like I'll blatantly screw over anyone and everyone I meet, but I'll feel...less bad about it if I do? Wow. Yeah, way to make myself sound like an ass. It's true though. I don't trust people easily and I do keep myself and my feelings extremely guarded.

10. Which Harry Potter book do you like the best and why?
It's really a toss-up for me between Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix. I liked PoA because it introduced my favourite characters (Remus Lupin and Sirius Black) and because JK Rowling does a really great job of convincing the readers that Sirius is a man to be feared and is truly out to get Harry. A lot of the times, writers leave little loopholes in where you can figure out the rest of the plot if you just think about it, but with PoA, I didn't find myself doing that. There was enough intrigue to keep me reading.

Order of the Phoenix was great because it was the turning point in the series. You could see the story beginning to turn at the end of Goblet of Fire, but I think it completed the transformation in OOTP. After that, the books became quite dark, and they don't always read like children's books. Not to me, at least. It's in Order of the Phoenix that we learn about the prophecy, and just how important it really is to both Harry and Voldemort.

11. Which Harry Potter movie do you like the best and why?
Prisoner of Azkaban. I loved the way it was filmed, I adored Alfonso's directing style, the casting of the new characters (Gary Oldman turns me into an absolute puddle of goo) was wonderful and I found myself really enjoying everything I saw on screen. With the later movies, I think I criticized things more than sitting back and enjoying the show. I also took great pleasure in mocking Daniel Radcliffe's hair (who DOESN'T?!). I had some criticisms for PoA, but for the most part, I think they did a really great job with it. You can't fit an entire book onscreen, anyone who understands film knows that and character development is going to get cut in favour of plot.

12. What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
An accomplished writer and artist with a novel tucked under my arm. Beside me would be my child (who I've adopted) and a loving, supportive (also breathtakingly gorgeous) husband. I will be doing what I want to be doing with my life. That's what's most important to me.

13. If you came across a boggart, what would it transform into?
My life shown before me as a complete and utter failure and waste of time. I really am afraid of living a completely and totally mediocre, boring life. I've survived too much and been through so much at such a young age to grow up and just be "getting by." I've always been of the opinion that when people suffer greatly at a young age, it usually means that life has something far better and greater in store for them when they get older. I would like to think that this will happen to me. I truly fear ending up just like my biological father. He's a drunk and a pathetic weasely excuse for a human being. Whenever I make a major decision in life, somewhere in the back of my head, there's a voice saying, "don't make his mistakes." I pray that I never will.

14. Which Harry Potter character is your least favorite and why?
Peter Pettigew. What a complete waste of space. He disgusts me. He turned his back on the people who loved him and that betrayal lead to the deaths of two of his friends and the imprisonment of another. He is a complete coward.

15. If you were in the Harry Potter universe, what would be your stance on Muggle-born wizards practicing magic?
What does it matter how pure someone's blood is? If they were born a wizard, they should be able to practice magic. That pureblood mania crap is all garbage. A wizard is a wizard, regardless of leniage.

16. What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?
A sense of humor, a sense of adventure (I like people who like pranks, ridiculous humor and offensive jokes), people who are loyal, people who are headstrong, arrogant and stubborn. A touch of cynicism doesn't hurt either.

I don't have many close friends in my offline life, but those I have befriended are EXACTLY like that. They're a bit more hardened and cynical than most, which I like. They all have a really dark and morbid sense of humor and enjoy indulging in things that are not at all good for them. I don't like people who are overly happy, cheerful and bubbly. You know the people who are all, "I love bunnies and fluffy kittens and puppies and sunshine and rainbows!"

Ew. Gag me, please.

17. What is your favorite quote from the series and why?
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

This line sent chills down my spine when I first read it. I believe that that you should never turn your back on those closest to you, and anyone who does, I see as a complete scumbag. As a result, I don't easily forgive betrayal and I sure as hell don't forget it.

That being said, I think this is a really powerful line in the book and it displays Sirius's loyalty to his best friends in such a great way. In my head, Sirius shouts it with a mixture of rage and passion. It's such a moving and touching line, even if it is being bellowed by a man who is slightly mad (but oh-so-very awesome). I'm not a fan of the way it's worded in the film, because I think it loses some of it's poignancy.

18. What is your favorite quote that is not related to Harry Potter and why?
"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

This has been a favourite quote of mine for quite some time. It encapsulates the things that I believe in. It's those moments, the ones that threaten to bring us to our knees, that push us forward and force us to create something beautiful.

19. Who is one person, real or fictional, that inspires you and why?
I racked my brain for an answer, but couldn't really come up with one. There are people I admire and people I repsect because of their choices in life, or their accomplishments, or obstacles they've overcome, or traits they possess, but there's no single person that I can say, with the utmost confidence, inspires me. I live my life by my own standards and terms, I don't draw inspiration for my own existance from one particular human being.

20. List your top five priorities in life. Why are these things so important to you?
1) Have freedom. This is huge for me. I hate being told what to do, I hate being tied down and I like being able to do what I want when I want to do it. I've always been like that, even as a kid. For instance, when I was little, I strongly disagreed with the whole concept of pants. If I got uncomfortable, I'd just take them off and run around in my underwear.

2) Go to drama school. I've had this nagging desire to be an actor ever since I was a little girl. I used to make up skits and force my parents to watch them. I was really involved in musicals and plays as a little girl, but as I got older, fear of being ridiculed while onstage by my peers (who were complete and total assholes) took over and I stopped.

3) Keep my life constantly moving and changing. I despise stagnancy.

4) Publish a novel. I love to write and this has been one of my many dreams.

5) Learn to speak Russian and Danish. They're two languages that I absolutely love. Denmark is a part of who I am, and I want to be able to honour my heritage. As for Russian, I just really like it and have always had an urge to learn it. I picked up a few common phrases and expressions in my last job because I worked with a lot of Russian mechanics, but I do want to learn more.

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?
Which one is in more trouble? I'm not going to help someone if it's pretty certain that they can get out of the jam themselves. If one of them was in an absolutely life-threatening situation while the other just lost their keys, I think I'd help the guy who was about to die. It doesn't matter to me if they're a wizard or not. The only thing that matters is which one needs help more. If neither of them were in any life-threatening danger, then I would probably ignore it.

22. Under what circumstances would you use an Unforgivable Curse?
If I were in a battle with an enemy and my life were in danger, I would do everything I could to protect and defend myself. Or if that person were about to use an Unforgivable Curse on an innocent bystander, I would probably use it then, too.

23. Under what circumstances would you work for Voldemort?
None. I disagree with all of his beliefs and I think that his cause is completely off. Voldemort demands loyalty, no matter what it costs. I just couldn't do that. I don't believe anyone should blindly follow a cause. It's ignorant.

24. If you happened upon a Time Turner, how would you use it?
Another copied and pasted answer...

It was hard to make a decision and I played with the idea of not changing anything, but that would be a complete lie. If I really, really, REALLY have to decide, I probably would go back and major in something else. I seem to have lost my zest and passion for Criminology and I'm now at a stagnant point in my life. I'm really hoping that the loss of passion is temporary, because I miss being really super involved in it and loving it with all my heart. Right now, nothing is moving forward, but nothing is moving backward either. I'm very confused at this point and feel as though I'm having some kind of early twenties life crisis. How am I coping with this? Not well. I'm going out most nights and partying hard because it's the only way that I know how to cope. I always lean toward self-destruction before I get hit upside the head and learn how to do the right thing.

I don't know what I want to do with my life at this point, but if I had the time turner, I would go back and major in fine arts or theatre or something. Maybe I would feel less stuck if I did that. There's still time to do that, it's not like I've completely missed the boat. I just wish I had jumped on earlier.

25. Will you remain an active member of the community?
Absolutely.