For I'm a Thinking Cap.
SORTING APPLICATION:
Name: Rachael
Age: 18
Location: Seattle, WA
How did you hear about Lumos? If you heard about it from someone who is already a member of the community please list their livejournal username and their house will receive FIVE house points. I was looking around different sorting communities, and I spotted
faeriesfolly mentioning this community.
[01] In your opinion, what are the positive and negative points of each Hogwarts house. Cite situations (CANON-BASED), to prove one positive and one negative point for each of the houses.
GRYFFINDOR: POSITIVE: The value Gryffs place on their friends. In DH, Harry tries for the umpteenth time to get Ron and Hermione to stop helping him, because he doesn’t want them to get hurt. But they refuse to abandon him. This shows not only how much Harry cares about his two friends, but also how much they in turn care for him, that in spite of all the scary things that have happened and will happen, they stick with him no matter what. NEGATIVE: The tendency to jump to conclusions. In OOTP, when Harry has a vision of Sirius held hostage in the Dept. of Mysteries by Voldemort, he acts immediately to go and save him, even though he knows Voldemort can look into his mind and may be able to plant visions there. Also, In Goblet of Fire, Ron stops speaking to Harry for awhile because he's convinced that Harry put his name in the Goblet on purpose, and he doesn't listen to Harry's side at all.
HUFFLEPUFF: POSITIVE: Loyalty. Ernie MacMillan has his doubts about Harry in CoS, but once he’s proven wrong, he sticks by Harry from then on, even in OOTP, when everyone thinks Harry’s delusional. NEGATIVE: Bland. This is just my personal opinion, but most of the Hufflepuff kids in the books don’t seem to have much of a personality. They all seem to be nice kids, working hard for their OWLs...which gets a bit boring after awhile. All the Hufflepuff characters seem to blur together in my mind, and truly not many of them have a big role in the books.
RAVENCLAW: POSITIVE: Supportive. Luna doesn’t know Harry well, but she has faith in him from the beginning. She’s a bit batty, true, but she lets Harry know he’s not alone. And Cho keeps being kind to Harry, and even joins the DA, even though she could have easily been angry at him for surviving when Cedric didn’t. NEGATIVE: Dramatic. When Gryffindor beats Ravenclaw for the House Cup in OOTP, Michael Corner sulks because his girlfriend’s team beat him. Also, Cho throws a tantrum in Madam Puddifoot’s in the same book and storms out, because she’s trying to find out how much Harry likes her. And I have to agree with Harry: She could have just asked!!
SLYTHERIN: POSITIVE: Sense of unity. The Slytherins all seem to stick together. There’s never a mention of them hanging around with Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws, and especially not Gryffindors. They have a strong sense of community. NEGATIVE: This time around I'm going to say their sense of unity is also a negative quality. They are so loyal to each other that they shut other Houses out. When I think of Hogwarts, I see Slytherin House as a separate entity almost, because they never interact with people from the other Houses and they are always doing their best to alienate other students. I think it's good to have a sense of community, but not at the expense of expanding your horizons.
[Note: Both applicants and sorters should be be careful when it comes to this question. For the applicants, you must prove to us how much you know about the houses in canon (which is why we want you to cite examples), and at the same time, give us your own analysis of each house since not all houses are discussed in depth in the books. For the sorters, remember the proper definition of "bashing." When the applicant gives negative points/examples (especially when they are valid points), you are to remember that each person is entitled to his/her opinion, and not squib them just because you disagree.]
[02] It is time to choose a pet to bring to Hogwarts. What would it be, and why? I would bring an owl because not only are they beautiful birds, they are also very useful as they can carry your mail.
[03] Considering both school-organized activities/clubs as well as other Hogwarts happenings, what would you do with your spare time at Hogwarts? How do these things reflect upon your Muggle interests/hobbies? I would definitely play Quidditch. I like to play sports, even if I don’t get much chance to. Plus, I’m a very social person, and I like a sense of purpose and community, and Quidditch fits in well with this, what with the House loyalty and the team-centeredness of the sport. Also, I like challenges and taking risks, and with the Snitch and Bludgers in Quidditch, this would be a great activity for me. Another activity I would love to be in would be something like the DA. I think the idea of students helping each other learn and sharing their knowledge is a great thing, because it builds bonds. Oftentime, kids work better with other kids than when they have an authority figure dictating things out to them. Plus, something like the DA has a real, tangible sense of purpose, and I like the feeling that I am working toward a certain goal and really accomplishing something.
[04] Put the following magical talents in your order of preference and motivate your choice:
Dueling talents -I like to be able to defend myself. Plus, I have a rather fiery temper, and I could see myself getting into duels with the other students!!! And defensive spells have a real practical use. They're good to know in case you have to fight a Death Eater :P
Animagi/Metamorphmagi - I love animals, and being able to transform into one would be amazing. Also, animals can go unnoticed where people can’t, so it would be useful when you need to go undercover. And Same for Metamorphmagi. If you could change your appearance, there are ways to make yourself less noticeable.
Quidditch - I love the idea of flying. Plus, it would hone your broomstick skills in case you had to make fast getaways. And I love team sports. I like the feeling of camaraderie and common goals.
Invisibility - Okay, need I even explain? Invisibility is a great way to do all kinds of things: find out information, go places you aren't supposed to go...etc. etc.
Legilimency/Occlumency - I’m a really bad liar, so it would be nice to be able to pull off a lie when I needed to. And I hate being lied to, so if I could figure out when people were lying to me, that’d be awesome.
Potions - Certain potions, like Felix Felicis and the Draught of Peace would be great to have around. However this is not at the top of my list, because I'm not great at measurements and precision.
Herbology- It would be nice to know about plants, but not necessary.
Divination -Last, because I believe your decisions determine your future, not the stars and not tea leaves or crystal balls.
[05] If you could teach any subject in Hogwarts, what would it be, and why? (You can pick subjects that are not mentioned in the books, like Art, Literature, Music, etc.) I would choose Defense Against the Dark Arts, because it has relevance to real life. The spells and skills taught in DADA can be used in many situations. For me, my motivation and enjoyment of a class has always been higher if it’s a subject I find interesting and useful, and my teaching quality would naturally follow this. Plus, teaching the subject would naturally mean I would have to keep learning about the subject, and I love to learn new things. I imagine it would be great fun to teach myself new jinxes and hexes and defensive spells. Certainly teaching them would be edifying enough, because I would be passing on knowledge that could end up saving my students' lives.
[06] Which Hogwarts professor would you work best with? (We are not really asking for your favorite professor, but the one whose personality complements yours the best way. In other words, if you have to teach a class with a Hogwarts teacher, who would it be?) I think I would work the best with either McGonagall or Lupin. McGonagall is pretty strict, but one thing we have in common is a scarcastic sense of humor. Also, McGonagall cares deeply about her students, though it might be masked by her brusque manner. I would work well with that because while I don't play favorites, I care a lot about the people around me and want them to have the best in their lives. Plus, I share a sense of loyalty with her: She's trememndously loyal to Dumbledore and Hogwarts, which is shown *SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!!*********in the last battle at Hogwarts in DH. I just have to say: that was her crowning moment. She was truly badass. ANYWAY, on to Lupin: I always loved Lupin. His teaching style was gentle and friendly, yet at the same time he kept control of what was going on and taught his students so much. I would work well with that because I like to have fun, and I'm friendly by nature, but I love to be organized and make sure things happen. My friends will tell you: once I get my teeth into an idea, I will make it happen no matter what the odds!!!
[07] If you could have a shop in Diagon Alley, what would the customers see in there? Who would be your target clientele (purebloods, sports enthusiasts, bookworms, etc.)? I've always liked funky little shops that have all kinds of novelty items in them. That would be the kind of shop I'd run, where people can walk in and find something new and different everytime. There would be rare items for the collectors, Muggle items for people like Arthur Weasley, funny items for people like Fred and George. It would be a great shop to look for gifts in, as well as knick knacks for your own home.
[08] If you could trade lives with someone for one year, who would it be and why? If not, why not?
In the Potterverse, I would trade places with either Fred or George Weasley. I think it would be great fun to be one of them. They don't care what anyone thinks of them, and that leaves them free to do what they please. And they seem to get away with everything! Plus, besides the prankster part, they are also very clever and creative. They invent all those items for their joke shop, and I think it would be so much fun to do that. In real life...it might sound cliche, but I don't think I would trade with anyone. I'm happy with who I am and the life I'm leading. Even when I'm not having a good day, I still know that I have all these amazing things waiting for me in my future, all the great stuff I'm going to do, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing that. I'd miss out on so much if I lived someone else's life for a year!
[09] If you were given the chance, would you be willing to be the Minister of Magic? Why, or why not?
I wouldn't want to be Minister of Magic. For one thing, it's too much power. We all saw what happened with Cornelius Fudge. He got so attached to his position that he was unable to see the truth right in front of himg-that Voldemort was back-because that would have upset the world he was living in. Also, in my opinion politicians always have to put on a mask. They always have to think about what they are doing, how they are being portrayed, how they are coming across and how they look to other people, because if they make a single misstep then their entire career could be jeopardized. I would never be able to hide my true self and be on guard all the time. I am always true to myself and I would find it really hard to contain that.
[10] If you were put in the position of deciding whether the magical world would continue hiding from Muggles, or be revealed to their society, which would you choose and why? I think it’s a catch-22 either way. If the magical world stays hidden, it leaves more room for a sense of superiority to grow among the wizarding community. But if it is revealed, there is the danger of persecution by Muggles, since humans naturally fear what they don’t understand. Though if it were revealed that could also lead to wizards being thought of as superior. But if it is revealed, that would give more of a chance for Squibs and the non-magical siblings of magical kids to find each other and have a place with people who understand their situation. And especially since *SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!!!!* Voldy and his cronies were defeated, it would be much safer for Muggles and wizards to interact. So in the end I think the wizarding world should be revealed.
[11] How do you feel about the use of unforgivables in the face of a war? Can either side (Order of the Phoenix & Death Eaters) be justified, and if so which would you be on? If you think that it is wrong to use them in war, is there ever an instance where you would consider it 'right' to use an Unforgivable?
I do not think Unforgivable Curses should be used under any circumstances. Even if the Death Eaters use them, if the Order were to use them, that would only bring them to the Death Eaters' level. Using terrible magic like that just because the other side is doing it is not a good justification. And even if there were a good justification for using the curses, I would never want to use them because there are other ways to accomplish your goals. For instance, the DA and the students in the last battle never used those curses. They used Protego, Impedimenta, Stupefy and other hexes, jinxes and spells to great effect and advantage. In fact, Harry faced Voldemort several times during the course of the books and WON against him using the simple spell "Expelliarmus!" So, even in the most dire of circumstances I would not use Unforgivables, because they make you just as bad a person as the people you are fighting against.
[12] Which Hogwarts student would make the best complementary addition to the Trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione) and why? The answer to this question was immediately apparent to me. GINNY, hands down. She has always been a character that really stood out to me, even when she was just a shy first year with a crush on Harry. She's very daring and outspoken. Ron and Hermione never let Harry push them around or tell them what to do, and they didn't leave him even when he tried to get them to stop helping him. Ginny also has that in her. In Order of the Phoenix, she was a member of the DA, and she didn't hesitate to go with Harry to the Department of Mysteries. She would complement Ron and Hermione really well, I think. She's very smart and good at magic (remember the Bat-Bogey Hex?) and she's the only character I can really see being able to hold her own in that trio.
[13] What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish right now?
Right now, I am hoping my transition to college goes smoothly. I move in tomorrow, and while the logical side of my brain knows I don't have to worry, I'm still nervous. In middle school, I was really painfully shy, and I was bullied here and there. High school transformed me, I must say, and now that shyness is a thing of the past except when I meet new people, which is only natural. However, part of me is still afraid that my shyness will take me over again.
[14] Why would you be a wonderful new addition to whichever House becomes your House at Lumos? Please remember to refrain from referring to a specific House since you don't know specifically where you will be sorted. I love to be involved. I wouldn't be someone who was Sorted and then disappeared. In high school, I had a huge amount of school spirit, and my friends used to joke that I had enough for our entire senior class. Once my girlfriends and I got together and spelled out GO RAMS on our white tanktops and wore them to every football game...and it was a cold fall I'm telling you!! My point is, I would have a great sense of loyalty and spirit for whichever House I was sorted into, and I would be sure to participate and cheer people on! I can't wait to be Sorted....almost as much as I can't wait to tell you Argus Filch is my dad!!
Haha.