Dec 12, 2011 10:17
- What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
My gut reaction was preschool teacher, as that is what I am now and I interact really well with young children. But then I realized that “normal” preschoolers are challenging enough. I can't even imagine having a class of magical preschoolers! So, I loved the cataloging course I took (as part of going towards a Masters of Library Science degree), and I think that could be very fascinating and useful in the magical world. I could either use it to categorize and research muggle items. Or I could be a librarian, cataloging books and spells and things like that.
- You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one Harry Potter character other than Hagrid and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you'd want with you.
As far as a person, I'd likely have the book/intellectual stuff down, given how I did when I was actually in school. However, I'm a scaredy cat all most of the time. Thus, I'd need someone who was both brave/willing to fight and someone who could distract me and keep my mind from imagining everything out there in the dark. So, I choose Sirius. He likely knows the forest well from his days in Hogwarts. Plus, he definitely is a capable fighter who does not scare easily. And he seems like he would have enough stories to keep me entertained.
As far as an item, is the bottomless bag cheating? I'm guessing it is, as technically it can hold a lot of items. If it is, I'll go for something that gives me a sense of direction. Either a wizard version of a GPS or a map or something like that. I have absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever (I once spent 8 hours on a trip that should only have taken 6, because I got that lost, more than once... sigh...), and that seems like it would be a very bad thing in the forest!
- If you had the opportunity to live forever, but your family and friends did not, what would you choose? And if you did choose to live forever, what would you do with eternity?
As much as I adore my friends and family, I would have to say live forever. Just look at how far science and technology and everything has developed in the last hundred years. I can't even imagine where it will go from here. I want to see it. I want to see it all, from a cure for cancer, to computers that integrate into your brains, to space travel for everyone, just all of it.
I do, however, have a caveat. This is that I am still capable of death. Either like in Highlander, where the immortals can survive everything but decapitation or like in most vampire legends, where there is usually at least something that can kill them. This is because I am sure at some point the loneliness, having to choose between seeing friends and family constantly die or eternally being alone, will become too great a burden to bear. And at that point, I'm going to want to have the opportunity to die and leave it all behind because even the joy of discovery won't be enough and I won't be able to take living like that any longer. If the choice is “absolutely, positively no death ever”, then I'd have to decline. Because I just see that point and don't know how I could survive an eternity of that.
- If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why?
At first I thought I would travel back 10 years and get my father to the hospital before he had his heart attack (or at least while he was in the early stages of it). However, I then realized that there would be repercussions. What if that kept me from going back to teaching and prevented one of my students from doing something amazing he/she was supposed to do? Or what if it kept my sister from being a firefighter, and stopped her from saving someone who ended up being important? Or, more personally, what if saving my father somehow affected my mother's breast cancer diagnosis just months later? Would I be able to deal with trading one parent for the other?
So, then I contemplated visiting a time in history. But, honestly? As much as I love reading history, I don't think I want to relive it. I like modern medicine. I like indoor plumbing, computers, and other modern amenities. I am not a fan of how poorly women tended to be treated in the past. I did for a moment contemplate going back to an ancient time, collecting coins or something like that and burying them to dig up in the present day so I could sell them, but it seems like there would be too much that would go wrong with trying to figure out the logistics of all of that.
So, I guess that leaves me with going to visit an historic event. Just something simple and interesting that I could then easily come back from. After considering a multitude of events including, but not limited to, coronations and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I decided I want to go back to the day that man walked on the moon. It really seemed to capture the nation's attention. Plus, it was a time when a scientific discovery was new and exciting for everyone and drew everyone together in this quest for knowledge. And I could only imagine how thrilling hearing that speech live would be, surrounded by a nation listening to it at the same time.
- What HP character do you identify with most and why?
When I first saw this, I thought immediately of Hermione. Because I have always adored books (one of my earliest memories is learning to read at age 3, and throughout childhood, I was often found in a tree or a secluded spot reading a book), and I have always done well in school, with the kind of logical mind that allows me to write research papers and test well. But, she seems kind of “obvious”, and I don't like going for the obvious. (Just ask anyone who has played mafia with me and my paranoid theories. *grin*) I was then going to go with McGonagall, because she seems to value learning and did well in school. But I don't know if she would be quite the right fit, as I am not a fan of being in charge of things, so being a head of house and then headmaster wouldn't fit me at all.
So I started thinking more, and I'm going to go with Cho Chang. One of the reasons is that she was a part of the group without being one of the “main” circle. That fits me. I have a bunch of acquaintances, but only a few true friends, and I have never been one of the “in” crowd/super popular people. Plus, I like the way she interacted with Harry. Like even though people weren't nice to Harry when the Goblet of Fire selected him, she still was. And how she believed in him when he said Voldemort was back. She also showed emotion, crying over Cedric frequently and having her nervousness affect her spell casting when practicing with Dumbledore's Army. Considering I can cry at anything in television shows/movies/books, I appreciate that quality. And I also like that she stood beside her friend, even when her friend betrayed DA. (Which is likely not a popular opinion, but...) She had to realize that her friend had done a horrid thing (obviously I'm going for book canon, as Marietta didn't exist in movie canon, and being dosed with veritaserum is not something she could have done anything about, imo), but just because people make mistakes doesn't mean we can drop them as friends/cease caring about them/not stand by them any more. At least in my (and Cho's, presumably) opinion. And even at the end, after all of the awkwardness with Harry, she still did what was right and she was still willing to offer to show Harry the Ravenclaw diadem and she fought with them.
- What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Me happy. Which most likely would be me with a family and friends and surrounded by books. I think that is fairly self-explanatory.
- Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
I wish I could cheat and say both. Consequences are definitely important. However, ultimately, I'd have to go with intent. Someone could be the leader of a crime-free society, which would look good, but if they got there because they are incredibly evil and are brainwashing everyone, or something like that, I definitely think the intent would override the outcome. I'd prefer for someone to try their best and do something with pure intent and have it blow up horribly than for someone to come up with a perfect product but do so for entirely the wrong reasons.
- What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
From the time I was 2 through the time I graduated college I wanted to be a doctor. Pretty much everything in my life was tailored for that goal. I adored math and science and did math and science competitions and extracurricular activities. I candystriped at my local hospital throughout high school and worked on my college's medical emergency response team. The kind of doctor varied every once in awhile, but 90% of the time it had something to do with taking care of children. I've taken care of children since I was 11, and I figured some kind of pediatrician would combine that love with my love of science.
Then? I got so burned out in college that after graduation I decided I needed a break before going on to medical school. I started teaching preschool and I'm still doing that now. Ideally? Ideally I'd do the job I have now, but have it set up differently, such as having it be part of the public school system with us getting the respect that “real” teachers do. But that is unlikely to happen. So, instead, I want to finish my masters degree in Library Science and become a children's librarian. I adore instilling a love of reading in children. I love watching their eyes light up when I read or act out a story.
- 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?
Recently, every time I go into chat with friends, it seems like most everyone is having problems of some kind or another. And I offer virtual hugs, but it doesn't seem like enough. So, this is kind of a silly wish, I guess, compared with everything practical that I could devise, but I'd like for something that offered comfort to others. Like the warmth of a hug or something, just a sense that they had someone that cared about them. Either some kind of spell that I could say that would then travel wirelessly across to reach the person on the other end to comfort them (ideally) or a charm of some kind that I could send/give to people I care about so that they could feel some kind of comfort/not so alone. Sorry, I don't have a name for it. I'm much better at research writing than creative writing!
- If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
Wow. That's hard. I'm not exactly an unafraid person. Uh, maybe something about me feeling helpless? I need to feel in control. I can be in an awful situation, but as long as I have a modicum of control over it, I'm okay. If I'm in a fairly easy situation, but I somehow lack agency, it rather flips me out. I'm not entirely sure how that would manifest in a boggart. Maybe an image of me tied up somehow? In which case, the bonds would turn to rainbows, so they are easily broken and cheerful instead of confining.
- What do you look for in a friend?
Loyalty. Kindness, but also honesty. So, basically, I want someone who will stand with me no matter what, but who will also tell me in private when I'm being an idiot. And someone who will help me when I need it and not make me feel bad for needing help. I want someone who isn't a “social” friend, who can say the right things but doesn't really care, but rather someone who knows me, understands me, and loves me anyway.
- What trait most annoys you about other people?
There are a few things. I guess if I had to choose just one, I'd say ignorance. Someone who is content to just accept what he/she is told and not question anything bothers me. Especially as close-mindedness often leads to fear and/or hatred. I'm not expecting everyone to agree with me/my views. In fact, that would be horrible to me, as that would be a sign of non-independent thought/ignorance, plus it would be boring. I prefer people who look beyond what they are told to discover things for themselves. I love debate and discussion.
- What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
~ Intelligence. I'm rational and logical and am fairly good at evaluating things.
~ Organization. This goes with the rational/logical. I have systems in place for almost everything. I love systems. I love knowing where things go and why. I love organizing not only things but my thoughts.
~ Empathy. I find that I often put myself in the place of others. For example, I have a “blush squick”. I cannot handle watching people be embarrassed in movies/on television shows. Because I put myself in their position and I feel horridly uncomfortable for them.
~ Compassion. This is tied to empathy, obviously, but I wanted to make it separate. Not only do I feel for people, but I want to help them. It's the main reason I wanted to be a doctor, and now I take care of children all day. Nothing like doling out dozens of hugs a day for a job!
~ Hard working. I am one of those people who focuses on what needs to be done and does it. In fact, I often take on too much to do.
- What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
~ Intelligence. This is a double edged sword. One of the critiques I used to get a lot in evaluations at work was that I expected people to be smart and when they didn't hold to my high standards I got frustrated. (My sister has many a horror story of me attempting to help her with math when we were younger and both of us getting so frustrated we wanted to kill each other!) I've learned to temper it, but it is still there.
~ Obsession. When I get into something, I really get into it, often at the exclusion of all other things. So, mafia? I'll spend hours researching it. Computer games? I can't even start, because I get so zoned out in them.
~ Perfectionism. As I said in the boggart question, I have control issues. I have a hard time delegating things because I feel they won't be done exactly as I want them to be done. It also makes me frustrated at times when doing things. Such as when I make graphics and what is on the screen just won't quite match the image I have in my head. And all the tweaking in the world cannot get it exactly right.
~ Insecurity/self-doubt. At the same time, I worry that what I've done, no matter how hard I've worked on it/how perfect I feel I've made it, won't be enough. I hate being judged because I eternally feel that I will come up lacking. I'm often really shy in a group of people I know, but don't know so well, because I'm worried they won't like me/want to talk to me, or that I'll say the wrong thing.
~ Dramatic/impulsive when emotional. In most of my life I'm calmly rational. Ask me to make a decision, and I'll have pro and con lists out the wazoo. However, if I get upset, all of my rational thought flies out the window. I've made many a decision in anger or sadness or whatever that I regretted later. I've learned to deal with it somewhat, in that if I recognize that I'm emotional, I often try to put off doing anything that will have lasting consequences, but I don't always succeed.
- Define in your own words the following key traits:
- Courage: Doing something good/worthy despite the risks to oneself.
- Loyalty: Being there for someone no matter what. Through the good times and the bad. Accepting both strength and weakness from someone and caring for them anyway.
- Intelligence: The ability to think, to figure things out. It's not just regurgitating facts, but being able to use those facts to form connections and conclusions.
- Ambition: A driving desire to do something. Usually something dramatic or on a grand scale.
- Name: Meredith
- Age: 36
- Where did you find out about us? Several friends are here. The one I talked to about it the most was queer_theory, but all of them contributed to my desire to join, if only by saying things that they've done here and being enthusiastic about it.
- Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? Of course.
sorted: hufflepuff,
term xxi