Application - Mynuet
LUMOS SORTING APPLICATION
Name: Sharlene - I only use "Mynuet" when I'm doing something official relating to my archive.
Age (13 or up; we stick to LJ rules): 30
Location: Southern Georgia - the state, not the country.
Where did you hear about this community? (Please tell us which lj user recommended you for he/she shall be given a point.) Kaz814 is the one who gave the final boost to my urge to apply, so she gets the nod.
How much time are you willing to invest in this community? It all depends. I've got a fair amount of obligations and a raging obsession with City of Heroes, so I only tend to emerge for things that are interesting. Since the community itself is friends only, I can't be 100% certain it is, although since there are a number of people I know and like on there, it probably is. I'm not one to sit by the sidelines and be quiet, though, so I'll probably be right there in the midst of any discussions, getting my two cents in.
PART 1 - Canon
1. Have you read all the books? All the ones available so far, although I've only read OotP through twice.
2. Give us your personal interpretation of each Hogwarts house (in terms of atmosphere, mentality, intra-house relationships et cetera - these are just a few examples).
I think the best way to describe the houses is to relate them to the standard groups in American high schools, since that's a comfortable idiom anywhere thanks to teen movies.
Gryffindors are the jocks; they're popular, they get good (but not too good) grades, and they stick together. They can be mean to other houses/groups, but they don't realize they're being so, because it would never occur to them that others have a different point of view. It's not that they're bad people or intend harm, just that their worldview is somewhat limited, and they're not interested in expanding it. They tend to think in the most black-and-white terms of any of the houses.
Hufflepuffs are the average joes. They don't particularly distinguish themselves in any endeavor - they don't star in sports, grades, or musicals. They're in the marching band or the choir, and happy to be there, because it's where they want to be, with their friends. They're not stupid, they just aren't interested in being the center of attention. In freshman year, these are the kids that got stuffed in lockers. By senior year, these were the kids who, as a whole, had the least arrests and car accidents, and who were prying freshmen out of lockers.
Ravenclaws are, of course, the nerds. They run all the clubs in the school, because extra-curricular activities are vital for college applications. Some of them play sports, but they tend to be ones like tennis and golf, which reward individual effort and talent, rather than games like football which depend on team play. These are the ones who will have been accepted to Ivy League colleges by early admission and will go on to negotiate like fishwives for the absolute best career benefits possible from the job of their choice, because the one who dies with the most money and power wins.
Slytherins are the rich brats. They drive themselves to be the stars of their school, and they tend to associate only with people in their own group. They get their grades without making any particular effort, unless there's a reason for getting A's instead of B's - like daddy threatening to take away the car keys. If they play sports, then they're the star pitcher or the quarterback, if they participate in school musicals then they play the leads, and if they are in choir they're the star soloist with intentions to go to Julliard. They tend not to care what other groups think of them, but status within their own group is important. Like the Gryffindors, it's not that they're bad people, it's that they perceive the world differently than the other groups do.
Of course, not every member of each house perfectly fits the stereotype - humans tend to not fit neatly into pigeonholes. It's a good enough general rule to work with, though, when you need to sort people into groups.
3. What would be your favourite flavour of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and why (note: as the name implies, all possible flavours exist)?
Hmmmm. I have a really hard time picking favorites in anything, since there's always something I might like better when circumstances change. So maybe my favorite Bertie Bott's flavor would be one like the cordial Mary Poppins gives out, which changes itself to the recipient's preferred flavor at the time they eat it. So, one bean might taste like a perfectly grilled steak, the next like garlic mashed potatoes with lots of butter, then the next like lightly steamed fresh snow peas, then one that tastes like sweet tea, and finish it up with a cherry pie bean for dessert. Because, you know, if every flavor exists, then it's an infinite amount of flavors and so a changeable one is possible, right? It's not cheating, it's cleverness. ;)
4. If you were on your House’s Quidditch Team, which position would you preferably play and why?
Hmm. I think I'd be a keeper, because that way I would have a specific goal in mind. I could concentrate on my objective and meet it, but the game wouldn't necessarily ride on my shoulders so if we lose, I can blame the seeker. It's a specific enough position that I wouldn't be grouped in with the chasers, so I'd get attention, but it's not the most visible position, and so I could camouflage any mistakes I made, which the seeker can't do. That or I'd be the announcer, so I could make all the snarky commentary I wanted to without having to exert myself, and get a certain amount of glory without risking any ignominy.
5. (Optional) What HP conspiracy theory do you hold true unless it is textually proven otherwise? (i.e. Snape is a vampire, Ron is Dumbledore, etc. -there are loads of these theories. Feel free to contribute your own)?
Hee! Does "Draco and Ginny belong together" count as a conspiracy theory? Because I will totally continue to believe it true to the bitter end and beyond. Probably not, though, so I'll try to come up with a serious answer.
I suppose my favorite conspiracy theory is that Dumbledore (and/or JKR) has a plan for the Slytherins. His actions throughout the books treat them as second class citizens, and taking the House Cup away from them at the end of the first book might as well have gift wrapped them, all tied up with a big bow and a note that says "For you, Voldemort, on your birthday, a group of eager recruits who feel alienated by my actions. Use them as you will!" There's no way that any group of children are irredeemably evil at age eleven, and treating them as inferior isn't to anyone's advantage. Maybe Dumbledore intends to use Snape later to help bring them into the fold, or maybe he plans to appeal to their ambition, or maybe he's been cultivating the Slytherins all along and we don't see it because the books are from Harry's POV - or maybe JKR just intends the Slytherins to be bad guys, full stop. It seems unrealistic and wasteful, though, to consign a full quarter of your population to the outer darkness simply because they happen to be clever and ambitious.
6. (Optional. If you can't answer #5, make sure you answer this one.) What is your favorite book aside from HP and why?
I really do have a problem with picking a favorite in anything, and I can't wiggle out of this one like I did with the Bertie Bott's question, so I suppose I'll have to admit I don't have a single favorite. I've always loved The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery, even more than the Anne books, and I enjoy Dick Francis novels in general, and there's various romance authors I read, like Theresa Medeiros or Julia Quinn. I also really like Robin McKinley's books, my favorite by her being The Blue Sword (no relation to the castle ;) ). My main requirement in any book is that the ending be, if not happy, at least satisfying.
7. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
Apart from it looking exactly like Hagrid's Hut...
It would turn into a series of rooms, or from one to the next as needed. One would be like a mountain cabin, with comfortable chairs and sofas to curl up on and a stone fireplace with a roaring blaze dispelling the chill in the air, and a stack of trashy books next to the couch I'd chosen. Another would be a beach house, with the smell of fresh baked bread in the air mixing with the salt of the ocean to sharpen the appetite after a swim, and an outdoor shower of cool fresh water for taking the salt off before finding a comfortable hammock from which to have a lazy conversation with a loved one, or at least someone interesting. Another would be a library, with floor to ceiling bookcases and a mixture of comfortable squashy armchairs and desks stocked with paper and pens, so you could either read for pleasure or research. The room descriptions could go on and on, but one thing that would be consistent is that there would be a high-powered laptop and a screamingly fast internet connection somewhere in each one, because I can't go without my email and LJ for too long.
8. Describe your wand and tell us why you picked that design.
Teak, 10.75" long, with a thestral tail hair as the core. Teak is extremely durable, being resistant to all sorts of damage, but can still be beautiful. Not the most flexible of wands, the combination of teak with the thestral hair means the wand is best suited for direct manipulation - it could easily be used for dark arts, or for defense against them. It is not a foregone conclusion that it must be used for nefarious purposes, however, since it can work with any number of specialties; the main distinguishing factor is its strength. This is not a wand for someone who deals with the small and the subtle, but rather for someone who commands. The grip is stained darker than the rest of the wand, and lightly carved with runic charms against getting lost, stolen, or broken.
I get accused of being arrogant, and I have to admit that there's a certain amount of truth to that. If no one is moving towards a goal I think is worthy, then I have a tendency to take charge and push everyone towards where I think we need to go, but I'm not a politician - subtlety isn't something I excel at. Some people tend to assume that means I'm mean, but I think that depends on your point of view, much like whether you assume thestrals are 'bad luck' depends on the individual. I'm also a strong person, but can be inflexible on some matters, so I think the teak is a good fit to my personality - and I'm practical enough to think that my wand won't be any use to me if I don't have it, hence the charms carved into the grip.
PART 2 - You
Please go here
and fill out the short Myers-Briggs test.
9. Paste the URL of your results (TOP 5) including its description
here.
Your #1 Match: ISFP
The Artist
You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now).
You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children.
Simply put, you enjoy bueaty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life.
Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs.
You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer.
Your #2 Match: ESFP
The Performer
You are a natural performer and happiest when you're entertaining others.
A great friend, you are generous, fun-loving and optimistic.
You love to laugh - and you like almost all people equally.
You accept life as it is, and you do your best to make each day fantastic.
You would make a good actor, designer, or counselor.
Your #3 Match: ISTP
The Mechanic
You are calm and collected, even in the most difficult of situations.
A person of action and self-direction, you love being independent.
To outsiders yous eem impulsive, surprising, and unpredictable.
You are good at understanding how all things work, except for people.
You would make an excellent pilot, forensic pathologist, or athlete.
Your #4 Match: ESTP
The Doer
You are adventurous and risk taking. You act first, think second.
You love being the center of attention. Chances are you were the class clown.
Competitive, charming, and charasmatic - you have your own code of honor.
You live a flexible life, bouncing between a series of activies that interest you.
You would make a great salesperson, marketing director, or entrepreneur.
Your #5 Match: INFP
The Idealist
You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.
Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.
It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.
But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.
You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.
What's Your Personality Type?
10. Who is your role model and why?
I don't know if I have one, really. Everyone has flaws, and there isn't one person that I look at and think "I want to be them". I suppose I should pick out someone suitably admirable, like Mother Teresa or Elizabeth I, and explain what I think is admirable about them. In both cases it would boil down to, basically, they did what they wanted and made their world better because of it. Okay, so in Mother Teresa's case it involved feeding the poor and hungry, and in Elizabeth's case it amounted to going to any lengths, including piracy, in order to make the country she ruled rich and powerful. The point is, they had a goal, they went for it, and they didn't let anything stop them. I find that admirable, even if I wouldn't say either woman is precisely my role model.
11. What would you like to have accomplished at the end of your life?
Immortality.
Okay, no, seriously, sooner or later immortality might pall, especially if I couldn't also extend it to my loved ones, or I forgot to ask for eternal youth and ended up like the Sybil of Cumae, so I should pick something different, particularly since I need to hit that magical paragraph length to avoid being squibbed. So...
I want to have been happy, and to have made enough money to provide for my son to be comfortable and happy for the remainder of his life. Because he's autistic, he may never be able to provide for himself, or have a normal life. The thought of him being in an institution is horrifying, and so my overriding ambition and goal is to make sure that I leave behind enough money to ensure that he can be well cared for. If he ends up with one of my nieces, then I don't want him to be a burden to her and her family, and if he ends up in a nursing home type situation, then I want him to be in one where they at least provide a facsimile of love, and either alternative requires a fairly large amount of money.
12. Would you sooner commit a crime against your kin or your countrymen?
It depends on the kin - I'd protect my country from a cousin, but I would betray country, God, and nature in order to take care of my son. If it was someone I love, like my siblings or my mom, I'd sooner betray my country unless I believed sincerely that it wasn't in the best interest of my loved one. If my brother was insane and sending pipe bombs to people, I'd probably turn him in, unless I could afford the kind of care he would need in order to make him stop - although I'd do my best to make a deal with the government so that the death penalty wasn't on the table and he'd get the care he needed. Does that make sense?
13. What would your animagus be and why?
I think that I'd turn into a bear. If I'm not bothered I'm calm, but if I'm roused to anger, I attack the source of it and put it down as fast as possible. I tolerate others, but prefer to be solitary, much like grizzlies do. I also prefer to sleep all winter!
14. What would your patronus be and why?
A raccoon. They're clever and adaptable, but can attack and cause damage if threatened. A raccoon attacked one of my sister's dogs once, and the dog lost, despite arguably being a natural predator. Plus, raccoons are cute.
15. What career would you consider if you were indeed part of the wizarding world and why?
Is being independently wealthy a career? I don't think my goals would be that different from what they are in the real world, so the first choice would be billionaire lottery winner, second would be a best-selling author, and third would be a teacher/professor. Yeah, teaching doesn't have that high a salary, but with wise investing, any amount of salary can be made into a comfortable income, and personal satisfaction is a factor, too.