Dec 29, 2011 14:02
- What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why? This is a terribly difficult question for me. Of all the elements of wizarding culture, its myriad professions greatly appeal to my curiosity. (I apologize for that inadvertent rhyme.) How does wizarding architecture differ from our own? What spells exist to build wonderfully magical homes? I’d love to know. But I’d also love to open a wizarding bake shop or maintain a book store of rare tomes. Healing appeals to me most of all, however, so I suppose I’d choose to be a Healer. The human body seems, to me, to be the greatest sorcery of all, and the implications for injury and illness (both to cause and cure) are massive when one factors in magic. I know I would never be bored if I worked in medicine.
- 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. Professor Lupin. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger came to mind, but who would take a child into the Forbidden Forest? No, thank you. Remus Lupin, prior to his death, was well-acquainted with Dark magic, as both a member of the DA and a werewolf. And as a professor, one would assume he knew something of the Hogwarts grounds. As for the object-- an animal, likely a dog. A search-and-rescue dog, with any luck. (No one said the object had to be inanimate, after all... though I also realize it’s a bit rude to refer to an animal as an object.) I suspect a canine presence would steady my nerves and my wild imagination, with the added benefit that if something did happen, he or she could seek aid.
- 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? I can confidently say I want nothing to do with immortality. I suspect I would find new family and friends to fill the voids left by others, but knowing that I would outlive each and every one of them would be an incredibly cruel burden. I suspect that such a burden, over time, would leave me joyless. (I am a glass-half-empty person, not a glass-half-full. I can’t imagine myself finding any wisdom in such an existence.)
- If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why? I’ve been called a Luddite more than once, and while I am not about to go and destroy a piece or five of technology (I like my Android and my Kindle and my MacBook well enough), I would opt for a time where interaction was more personal. Earlier than the 1900s, when villages were close-knit and the success of one individual impacted most others. Somewhere on the coast, as well-- Cornwall or the Orkney Islands, where the sea ruled the lives of those who dwelled on its edges. Ocean mythology fascinates me, and I would love, love, love the opportunity to observe the origination of tales about mermaids and selkies and other such creatures.
- What HP character do you identify with most and why? Pansy Parkinson, though I find her quite awful, as well. I don’t bully individuals I barely know, but I do think my sense of humor is sarcastic and oftentimes cutting when directed toward my friends. And if I don’t like a person, I don’t do much to hide that fact. (As I said, I won’t bully you, but I certainly won’t be sweet to you.) And like Pansy, I find that I feel the need to hide certain things about myself. I don’t wish to appear weak or unknowledgeable. I keep my true interests private until I am certain I can trust someone. Trust is especially important to me. If I trust you, I will go out of my way to help you, but if you betray that trust, I don’t often find it in myself to offer second chances.
- What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised? A European farmhouse, with lovely rolling hills and stables. Land far from all others, with the space and time to pursue those interests that excite me, but that are hardly feasible when one must attend classes and work, pay bills, and so on. Some measure of solitude, too-- not absolute, but enough that I feel truly and happily alone to write and think and re-charge.
- Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create? By the consequences that result. What is morally appropriate for one person is not moral if ten, one hundred or one thousand individuals suffer as a result. Morality is individual, and because its definition is different from person to person, how does one even begin to judge based upon intentions? And who does the judging? Consequences, however, are concrete. They can be measured and assessed far more fairly, in my opinion.
- What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now? Job? Try jobs-- when I was little, I very much wanted to be a paleontologist. (I saw Jurassic Park one too many times.) Then an emergency room physician and an FBI agent (thank you ER and The X-Files). In college and graduate school, I worked toward becoming an author and a professor. I abandoned all but the last two, though “professor” became “secondary school English teacher” after I earned a Master of Fine Arts in fiction. I belatedly realized in the second year of my MFA program that I didn’t want to teach university students creative writing-- I wanted to teach disadvantaged middle school students to trust in their own abilities to succeed. Writing is still a significant part of my life. I honestly feel creativity is invaluable in the classroom, both in students and instructors. So I suppose my ideal career as a somewhat-older child is still the one I wish for myself now-- just with a modification or two.
- 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 would invent a grading charm. Grading is, in my opinion, the worst aspect of teaching. And it is seriously time-consuming! This charm would grade an instructor’s papers for him or her, freeing the teacher to pursue his or her own interests or to devote additional time to those who matter most-- the students. Just wave your wand at a stack of exams or essays and poof! Problem solved.
- 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? Deep water. Which, given how deeply I associate with and adore the ocean, makes absolutely no sense. But swimming pools where I cannot touch the bottom, where the bottom is, in fact, so deep as to be unclear from the surface (twenty feet, say) terrify me. Riddikulus would reveal the true absurdity of the situation (I can swim, and well!) by shrinking all that water into a measly puddle.
- What do you look for in a friend? I bore easily, I’m sad to say, so the friends I keep are generally those who challenge me intellectually-- friends who enjoy discussing new musicians or novels and whose viewpoints do not always mirror my own. I look for individuals with passion, both like my own and not. I also look for friends who are loyal. I would much rather have two friends I can trust with everything than five that I think twice about telling anything.
- What trait most annoys you about other people? In truth, plenty of traits drive me mad when I see them in others-- indecisiveness (just make up your mind already!), laziness, stupidity. Too many, perhaps. But one I find especially difficult to deal with is dishonesty. Which is not to say I’ve never lied. I have and I do continue to lie, unfortunately. But I hate the false airs individuals put on solely for the sake of maintaining the peace. Girls and women are notorious for this, and it irritates me to no end. I would much rather we simply tell one another when we don’t like the other person. Tell me, not everyone else.
- What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities? I am honest--while I am sure some who know me would consider this a weakness, I don’t. Perhaps I am harsh, but no one who encounters me will ever wonder where they truly stand with me. I am hard-working--I finish what I start, and I often seek out additional responsibilities and tasks to keep myself occupied. I am creative-- I love to read and write, as well as to listen to and talk about music. And I am increasingly drawn to photography. I am intelligent-- I consider myself smart, but perhaps more importantly, I am drawn to new knowledge. My interests are wide, and I enjoy satiating my curiosity. And finally, I am organized-- I very much like to file and to sort. If there isn’t a system in place, I will likely create one.
- What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities? I am impatient-- if an individual is dawdling, I find myself easily irritated. Schedules are key with me, and if one is late, I am likely (and quickly) put off, even if his or her excuse is valid. I am short-tempered-- my anger dissipates not long after it arrives, but it arrives frequently, and often with small provocation. I am particular-- I frequent few restaurants and shops, and I do not feel the need to try new options. Even if my friends wish to. I am inappropriately sarcastic-- often with individuals who do not yet know me well enough to recognize that my sarcasm is often my humor and not necessarily meant. I am, lastly, quick to form first impressions-- and stubborn in regard to altering them. I like to think my gut feeling or intuition about a person, place or thing is often correct, but I’ve made mistakes in the past. I too often cling to my initial impression and lose out on experiences and friendships as a result.
- Define in your own words the following key traits:
- Courage: Bravery. Not just physical bravery (as with the knights of old), but emotional and mental bravery too. The confidence to set wrongs right, or to speak out against them, at the very least.
- Loyalty: Unfailing support. Whatever the situation, one who is loyal assists and remains with his or her family and friends. Loyalty can be abused, and it must be earned, but I consider it the rarest and the greatest of these four traits.
- Intelligence: Unlike ambition, courage and loyalty, intelligence is a trait that can be learned. Intelligence is problem-solving. Intelligence is curiosity, as well as knowing one’s own thought processes.
- Ambition: Drive. Initiative. Individuals who are truly successfully seem to possess ambition in spades. They can identify both what they desire and the method by which to procure it.
- Name: Caroline.
- Age: 26.
- Where did you find out about us? Via my good friend, slumber.
- Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? Indeed I do!
sorted: ravenclaw,
term xxii