Appeal
Name: Samantha
Age: 17
House you were sorted into: Slytherin
Link to original application: Here :D
Are there any questions you would like to elaborate on?
This year, The TriWizard Tournament is being held once again and you're of age. Do you put your name in the Goblet? Why or why not?
While everything I said in my original answer is completely the truth, I would like to add that my main reason for not entering would be fear.
I would be afraid of losing, afraid of humiliation, afraid of doing things wrong, afraid of breaking the rules. Also, fear of letting other people down. There’s a weight on the shoulders of the contestants to win, to make their house proud, their school proud. I don’t know if I could cope with that kind of spotlight. I don’t want to be perfect all the time. I don’t know if that makes me more Slytherin or not. I just felt as though I should say it.
What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
This answer has changed a lot since I put m application in. I’m young. I chance my mind a lot. Now I want to do Law. Why? Well, I like to argue, but I also like the thrill that gives me. I’m not into roller coasters, scary movies, or violence. However, arguing with people gives me this heady rush. I get all fuzzy and dizzy. I am also not sure I should be admitting to this. xD
I like being right as well. I don’t really have a reason for wanting to be right. I guess it benefits me in some way, but I ultimately just do it for the thrill. Arguing and wanting to be right are more of an addiction. Being right also justifies my existence in a way. It gives me a reason to be and to be happy.
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 have to say that, honestly, I didn’t think about my answer to this question much the first time around. I was tired, and I put down the first thing I could think of. The thing is? I would never even bother with making a potion. I’d be crap at potions. That involves being logical, calculating things, and paying attention to one thing for more than five minutes. None of these are thing I am skilled at.
I’d probably create a charm instead. Not that they are simpler. I just relate to charms more than potions. Anyway, this charm would enable the caster to relate to anyone in any situation.
For instance, we could abolish this system if my charm existed because everyone would get along with, understand, and empathize with everyone else. This sort of sounds as if I want to better man kind or something. I suppose that is part of it, but there is also the fact that it would abolish this awkwardness in my life. I walk into a room, and suddenly I don’t know what to do. I don’t realize people like me, or care about me. Instead, I am paranoid and feel out of place. This is probably why I am lodging this application. I try my best, but in social situations, I sometimes struggle to realize what is needed of me. My charm would provide instant clarity.
What would you see in the Mirror of Erised?
I think before I said myself being right all the time. I think that’s pretty accurate. I don’t really desire anything. It might have to do with my age again. I take things as they come, and try not to agonize over the future so much. I don’t see the point of dreaming about a perfect life when I haven’t done the things that need to be done now.
While I do think of my future in an abstract way, I don’t create a fantasy for myself. That isn’t to say I don’t have goals; it just means that I don’t have an immense desire to seem myself cemented into any one thing yet.
I also have never lost anyone so unlike Harry, I have no need to bring anyone to life. :)
So I just live in the moment, jumping from place to place. I never see what happens in the end. I have trouble starting from the end. It starts at the beginning and each thing happens as it happens.
Pick one or two canon qualities from each of the four houses that you possess and explain why you picked them:
Gryffindor Boldness
This is probably truer when I get into prime debating form. I’m not afraid to speak my mind, and typically, I don’t care who that hurts. I’m not polite about anything; I rant and yell, and I don’t bother with seeing other’s points of view. I’m confident in my own voice, and I love sharing my opinions (sometimes even if you don’t ask for them). I also the first person to get a debate started. I’d go farther, but I’m afraid I’m deviating from ‘boldness’. xD Sometimes I come out with the craziest things because I think they are right, and figure I need to go ahead with them. I challenge authority. I tell people they are wrong. I argue down people who have more experience and-according to them-more knowledge than me. I act without thinking in that sort of rash, bold Gryffindor way. Not for the greater good or anything noble like that. Usually it is just because it comes to mind so I do it because I am bored. What can I say? We can’t all be Harry Potter.
Hufflepuff Determination
This was a hard choice because I almost felt as if loyalty should be my answer. However, I realized that loyalty is more of what I look for and not necessarily what I embody. I am determined however. Determined to be the best, to be right, to be accepted, to…anything really. Once I put my mind to something, I go for it. In a sense, I am rather like my zodiac sign (a ram). I’ve got this set of horns, and I put my head down to ram them into anything that might hinder me from the goals. I often use my bold nature to achieve my goals, and it helps when I am determined not to back down from something. I hold on, no matter what (er, even if I am wrong).
Ravenclaw Intelligence
Heh, everyone says this right? I would have said wit, but I’m a rather poor judge of myself sometimes, and I don’t rightly know if I am witty or not. However, I am rather intelligent. I’m no genius, but I can string a sentence together pretty darn well. Unfortunately, I only gain knowledge from certain fields. If I’m not interested, I don’t bother. I can speak intelligently on several topics. However, there are a lot that I can’t. Erm, I fail at Ravenclaw traits apparently. But what can you say without sounding arrogant? I believe I am an intelligent person. No one has to agree with me, but there it is.
Slytherin ambition
This, by now, should be the answer I was obviously going to give. xD I am a perfectionist with high standards for myself. I aim to be the best that I can be (and better than everyone else too). While this is partly for the prestige, I think it is also my strategy for getting accepted into a crowd. If I am the best, they can’t help but look up to and adore me. This allows me to be awkward without anyone noticing, I suppose. I’m at the top so everyone has to look up into the sun and they get blinded by the glare. There. That’s sounds properly philosophical.
Explain why you feel misplaced in your current house:
Okay, I posted an entry about this to talk to some people about this issue before deciding officially (I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, actually). I got into a conversation in which it was decided that it is hard to sort people because we change. We can be Slytherin one moment and Hufflepuff the next. Sorting is based on what kind of mood we are in when we fill out the application, basically.
So there is that. However, there is also the fact that I have always felt as if I were on the outside looking in on my house. You might have noticed that a lot of Slytherins talk about how “close” and “tight” our house is. I’ve never understood that, and that is because I’ve never felt that. There are several people in Slytherin I like, and a few I admire. However, as far as a whole house goes, I’ve basically hidden under a rock because I didn’t feel as if I was needed and/or wanted.
I know people outside my house better than I do the people in it. I don’t feel as though I am a part of my house.
Sure, I understand that could be my own fault (my paranoia and social awkwardness; my boldness and occasionally irrationality). However, I’ve stuck it out for about five months. I’ve participated in house activities, club activities, I own a shop, and I got an animagus form. Basically, I’ve done a whole lot for my house and the community in general. I don’t feel as though I’ve been purposefully ignoring my house or staying hidden from the community.
There’s just this big part of me that doesn’t feel welcome, that doesn’t belong. I’ve thought about that a lot, and I’ve even tried to move past it.
But I was talking to a good Ravenclaw friend of mine about some things, and I said that I felt as if I didn’t really know my house.
She responded with “Do you really want to?”
So I thought about that. It isn’t that I don’t want to know my house mates. I actually quite like a good deal of them, and have a few of them on my friend’s list. I’m really not talking individual people here. It is more that overwhelming sense of community that is lacking for me.
Plus, as I was filling this out, I was re-reading the votes on my application. I wasn’t a clear cut Slytherin. In fact, a lot of the Slytherins who voted didn’t think I was Slytherin. And for a lot of people, it was my sarcasm that swung me a Slytherin vote. That is a part of me, but generally, I am only sarcastic to prevent awkwardness. It’s a defense mechanism. In reality, I’m not that sarcastic at all. Although, I do believe that characteristic wise I fit nicely into the Slytherin house, there’s just something missing. My puzzle piece fits; it is just the wrong color, I guess. Factory defect. ;D There’s also a lot about me that is not Slytherin as well. I mean, I was sorted Slytherin, yes. So there’s a lot about me that comes across Slytherin. However, I think that’s just because I’m ambitious. However, I am not really cunning. I often miss those little details that really cunning people pick up on. Any manipulation I do, I do subconsciously. I never set out with the intention of manipulating anyone into anything. I may want something, but I never think ‘how can I get that?’. I just…get it.
I let emotion blind me a lot, and I don’t see many Slytherins doing that. They are more rational than not. Or at least they are good at hiding their emotions. Every little emotion shows on my face, honestly.
I wouldn’t say I’m resourceful either. I flounder about a lot, and I don’t know what to do. In difficult situations, I freeze up unless I am completely sure of the answer because I’ve done some sort of quick thin-slice and my prior experiences, my prior knowledge can guide me. Typically, I take me time on things, plan them out, and I guess in situations that don’t involve too many human factors, I’m okay. As soon as you add that overwhelming human element, however, my skills are gone.
So, basically, I have one out of three canon Slytherin traits. I think that one trait is just so overwhelming that I seem Slytherin which makes me feel important and kind of like I should be part of this cool, elite club. It just doesn’t represent all of me.
HERE! I know, I’ll analyze some of our canon Slytherins, and tell you how I don’t relate to them. Maybe that will work!
Lucius Malfoy: Okay, the main thing that stands out about this man is his cruel nature. He uses people as stepping stones, and he isn’t afraid to rip them to shreds to get what he wants in most cases. He is clearly Slytherin ambition combined with a lack of awesome Hufflepuff kindness. Anyway, I’ve said my only clear Slytherin trait is ambition. However, I could never do what Lucius has done. Yes, I want to be at the top, but I am not willing to destroy people in the process. If I were a leader (of a country or a nation), then I would be willing to sacrifice for the greater goal, but when I ladder climb, I’m not knocking people out of my way. They’ve got a right to be there too.
Also, I have issues with the Slytherin idea of “fair”. In canon, our Slytherins pretty much do away with the entire concept unless it means they win. Now I understand that the Slytherins we are presented with are in a somewhat difficult situation. They are full of corruption and evil because of what is happening and/or the stereotype that has been set up for them. Nevertheless, it is what I have to go on. We have evidence that Lucius bribes officials, makes shady deals, and lies his way through a lot of things. I am completely against this. I’ve got an honestly policy that I keep in effect unless there is some sort of political reason not to. By political, I mean…I don’t want to ruffle unnecessary feathers if there really isn’t anything truly wrong. Aside from that, I’m pretty obvious and more often than not vocal about how I feel. If I couldn’t get my way fair and square, then that’s that. I’m not going to resort to bribing and threats. That’s just severely uncool.
Pansy Parkison: Let me just say, she’s a pretty interesting character. The girl is pretty much the best actress ever. I’ve got some issues with her behaviour as well. She may or may not love Draco. I know she wants the status and money being with him would mean, and she plays up the slutty, dumb girl character with an attitude really well. I happen to believe that she is not always like that. She’s playing on what she thinks Draco would like in a wife (she happens to be wrong, of course, but…). I guess this comes back to my honesty thing. It’s what makes me a bad actress. I’m not cool with the whole intentional manipulation thing. If I know I’m doing the right thing, then sure. Otherwise, I stick with being true to myself. I’m best at being me, and people should like me for me.
Also, I realize that I can do everything I have been doing in this community from any house. The houses are just here for people to make friends and to have fun. Thing is…Slytherin doesn’t exactly feel like fun to me. I feel, instead, like I should be having fun, but there is something blocking that. I feel as though I have to be this perfect, intelligent, ambitious person when really I want to be silly, say nonsense things in CAPSLOCK, and not be witty for about two seconds. I don’t want to have to appeal to this sense of humor that I appreciate, but can not duplicate. I feel like being in Slytherin has forced me into this Slytherin mold, and I am squirming around in it without really settling. I sort of let my snarky, better-than-you, elite attitude out of the bag, but that’s really not the whole of me. Typically, I am happy-go-lucky, and I only snark when I feel like I’ve entered a place where I’m ‘unsafe’ (defensive mechanism). Yes, I am a bit of a snob, but I’m just as hard on me as I am on everybody else in a sort of Snape-ish way. And I always say Snape’s guilt as a more of a Gryffindor thing. Harry did it as well, and Hermione a tad. Heck, even Ron had some of that “I’ll give myself a guilt trip, okay?”. Peter had it. Sirius had it. Heck, Remus had it. See where I’m going? So I don’t categorize my snobbish nature as Slytherin.
Um, I apologize if this gets a little confusing. I tend to reply to these things in a way that means I write anything that comes into my head. I’ll elaborate on anything that is a little fuzzy. Truthfully, I am a bit fuzzy myself because I love the idea of my house. Reality, however, hasn’t lived up to expectations, maybe?
I should mention that I know I probably have a lot of characteristics that are pretty Slytherin. I ended up there for a reason after all. *le sigh* Maybe my sensibilities are too delicate for Slytherin? I dunno. I think this has just brought up more questions without answers, but it is all the questions that bother me. I shouldn’t question my house. I shouldn’t feel as though I can’t be proud to belong to the group, and yet I do. I can’t be proud because for me there is no group. It seems to exist for everyone else though. Just not me.
And on that note, I’ll finish with: I will not leave hogwartsishome if I don’t get resorted. I think this community is pretty snazzy, and I wouldn’t leave it just because you guys tell me my paranoia is unjustified. I am, in this instance, leaving it up to your superior wisdom, and perfectly okay with being wrong. xD