I'm nauseous.

[aridrama]

• What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
  Okay, I'm gonna go for the easy answer. My experience is in publications, so maybe an editor at The Daily Prophet - their reporting sucks... but that's why they need a sensible, *competent* editor like me. I love the creativity involved in journalism and editing. I can write as well - I was a reporter for two years - but I'm not a huge fan of people. I don't *hate* them... I just think my words are more eloquent in print than spoken. As an editor I'd still have to talk, but my network would be much smaller. I wouldn't be out in the world chasing sources down, potentially getting yelled at, thrown out of places and abused by the general public. I'd be in my office doing all that stuff to my staff, and that's much easier on the self esteem (mine at least).
  
  
• If you could teach one class at Hogwarts, what would it be and why?
  Transfiguration. I would've said Defense Against the Dark Arts - I'm a woodsy kinda girl, and I like critters - but I think chasing down dark creatures before every class would get tiresome. Transfiguration has the same level of variety, without all the activity. And things aren't flying around as much as in Charms (could poke your eye out). Besides, I've always like the idea of shape-changing. It's a very convenient skill, being able to transfigure objects to your liking. I think, if I were to attend Hogwarts, that is the class I'd want to excel in. Stands to reason that I'd enjoy teaching it as well.
  
  
• 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?
  Holy crap are you crazy? I know what goes on at that tournament. Yeah sure I like a challenge now and then, but in the immortal words of Lisa Simpson, "Duh, a challenge I could DO!" I'm not a total wuss, I don't think. I played tennis in high school, I take tae kwon do. Though admittedly I'm not used to willingly inflicting pain upon myself for the sake of building strength, that's something new to me. I *wish* I was the kind of person who could heedlessly put myself in harm's way just for fifteen minutes of glory, I mean who doesn't like to have their name screamed by hundreds of adoring (and potentially hot) fans? But I'm just not at that level. If I thought I could win, yeah I'd probably go for it. But let's be honest, I'd get my ass kicked. I'd rather watch other people get themselves killed. I'll speak at their funerals. I'd write awesome eulogies.
  
  
• If you could choose your animagus form, what would it be and why?
  You know, I'd really like to be a cat - it best suits my needs. But I bet there's 5,000 cat animagi, and even worse than a useless animal form is an unoriginal animal form. So, it's the pine marten for me - member of the weasel family. I can't say the marten's personality reflects mine, per se, but I think it'd be a useful, versatile form. They're much like cats in size, sight (they're nocturnal) and the ability to climb. Perfect for moving without detection and making quick escapes when they're noticed. I'm pretty reserved, so the ability to avoid attention would be important to me. And being able to see in the dark is just plain awesome. Not a huge fan of heights, but if I were a competent climber like a marten, I'd get used to them. They're not as formidable as a larger animal, but they've got sharp teeth and claws, and they're certainly big enough to take care of themselves.
  
  Besides, have you seen a pine marten? Cute but dangerous: the perfect combination.
  
  
• What HP character do you identify with most and why?
  Psh, I am an original. No HP character could come close to me! No really... I hate to say it, but Professor McGonagall. I'd like to think I'm cool and laid back and fun, and I can be, but I know how I am when I'm around other people. I'm straight-laced, and a perfectionist. I get nitpicky and I have a tendency toward strictness. :p And as sarcastic and witty as I like to think I am, I also prefer the no-nonsense approach. Better to just tell it like it is. I can be hard to approach, but I'd like to think I'm a good person at heart. I do my best to be honest and reliable. And I'm good at telling people off! <3
  
  
• What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
  I'd be on the red carpet of some awards ceremony, dressed to the nines, cameras flashing all around me. Maybe I'd have an escort - a boyfriend or husband? Maybe I'd be holding a trophy... I really don't need a trophy. Being there - having made enough of an impact on society to be known, to be invited and recognized by more than just the people who know me - would be enough. I want to know that I've accomplished something great before I die, whether it's touching one or one billion people. But this is the Mirror of Erised, so let's not be modest: I want that damn trophy.
  
  
• If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
  Pay off my college debt? :p Well first I'd set aside an amount to save and invest. Right now I'm most concerned about my future, after working and all. Taking care of college expenses would be next in priority. A new car would be nice, though the one I have now is perfectly fine. Maybe an apartment... again, not a necessity, but it'd be nice. But more than likely I'd put away a lot of they money till after I get through college. Give some away? Sure, I'd pick a few charities to donate to. But individuals... eh... I'm generally easy to con into loaning money out, but I'm not a big fan of it. Generally giving money to people doesn't solve their problems.
  
  
• What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
  I wanted to be a zookeeper for a long time. Take care of amazing exotic animals! Become some sort of animal overlord... hohoho. I visit the zoo now and sometimes still envy the employees. I don't know what it is about me and animals. Probably that they're not people. They're easier to understand... and they don't talk.
  
  When I got a little older though I decided I'd rather be an animator, and that's still my first desire. I've always been the artsy type, I draw pretty well, and I love a well-told story. And as a child I obsessed over cartoons. I always thought it'd be great to make my own. I ended up majoring in something completely different in college, but animation is my first love.
  
  
• 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?
  A spell to bring drawings to life. There's a fairytale to that effect, I always thought it was cool. I guess it goes with the animation thing, which is essentially giving life to art. It's probably a dream left over from my childhood. With that kind of ability I'd be able to create my own treasures, pets, and friends. I wouldn't need to go out and find my own. :p Of course this has the potential to become one of the most dangerous spells ever conceived. Can you imagine what people would do if they had the power to make anything they drew real? So naturally no one would get to use it but me. I'd call it the... crap, stop me before I say it... no too late... the Animation Charm.
  
  
• 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?
  Hah, I think my boggart would be me, dressed in a business suit, wearing glasses, sitting at a computer at a desk with paper piled up around me, looking positively dead. I think my biggest fear right now is the status quo. We're all expected to get a good job that pays well, regardless of how it makes us feel, then work at that job until we're too old to work anymore, and then retire and hope social security and pensions will be enough to live on until we die. I've realized that's the last thing I want out of life. If I don't go for what makes me *happy* rather than what keeps me comfortable, I'll consider myself a failure.
  
  Riddikulus would probably make it (me) stretched out in a beach chair, wearing sunglasses, drinking some frozen tropical drink. It'd keep the suit though, cuz I look good in a suit. ;)
  
  
• What do you look for in a friend?
  Common sense. Hey, at least one of us should have it ;) Seriously I seem to gravitate more toward people who are openminded and have a sense of humor. I like a comedian, and an occasional philosopher. My greatest friends are the ones I can joke and talk with without getting into petty debates (I'm not a big fan of conflict). They're laidback: they can talk about any subject but they're willing to let me have my own opinions. They're flexible and don't go to pieces if something doesn't go according to plan (that's MY job...). They're positive - or if they're pessimists, they're at least quiet about it. I hate whining. :P They have goals, and they're *driven* to achieve them. Usually the whining comes from people who don't like their situations but do nothing to help themselves.
  
  
• What trait most annoys you about other people?
  Arrogance. Which sucks for me as an artist, because arrogance is rampant in the art community. I could probably deal with it if I were more assertive. As it is, I don't like know-it-alls, and I don't like people who hold themselves on a pedestal. Or maybe I just don't like anyone who makes *me* feel inferior, haha. These people tend to be narrowminded and put themselves before others, and it becomes destructive. It's self-destructive as well, because you're clouded against your own faults and shortcomings - which we ALL have. Nobody's perfect, and it looks even worse when you're *proud* of your imperfections.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
  Drawing. I have to say it. It's my claim to fame; it's how people identify me. I'm The Artist. It gets kind of annoying actually. But it's something that I've always been self-assured in. I may suck at everything else to which I apply myself... but I do know how to draw a hand without tracing a pencil around my fingers.
  
  Calm under pressure. I'm pretty mellow and tend to underreact to crises, which is useful since I'm able to keep a level head. Also, I'm able to push myself a lot harder when it's most needed. My motto is "I do my best work under pressure."
  
  Wit. I would've said "sense of humor," but I think my excessive seriousness kinda tips the scale there. :p But even if I don't think *you're* funny, I know how to be funny! I'm not the cleverest of people, but I'm good with words and I'm a quick thinker. When it comes to delivery, timing and spontaneity are key.
  
  Empathy. I can tell what people are feeling omfg asdfghj! Or more accurately, I *can't* always tell what people are feeling, but I tend to feel along with them. I think this helps me understand people better... ironic seeing as how I hate talking to people.
  
  Work ethic. I like to work. It kind of freaks me out. I like a challenge, I like to have a task on which to focus, and I love that feeling of having accomplished something when I'm done. You'd be surprised, considering how much I procrastinate... but as I've said, I do my best work under pressure.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
  
  Insecurity. Essentially, I'm afraid to make an ass of myself. You'd be surprised how much this hinders me in every aspect of my life. I like sports and physical activity, but I'm clumsy, so I avoid them. I constantly worry about hurting people's feelings - and I think I have a tendency to be pretty callous - so I don't always say what I'm feeling. I'm articulate and witty, and yet put me in a public environment (i.e. one or more people with whom I am not closely intimate) and I clam up. Better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt, right? And guys make me extremely nervous so I avoid them at all costs.
  
  Even better, this stuff makes people see me as snobby and arrogant. :) Maybe I am... maybe that's what causes snobbishness and arrogance. Who knows?
  
  Reserved. I'm not just shy... people exhaust me. Again, I don't *hate* them, but I probably lose patience with them quicker than I would consider healthy. I hate crowds. When I'm choosing a restaurant or a store to go into, I take the one that looks like it's doing the least amount of business at the moment. At work, sometimes I'll put off going to the bathroom or the printer because I hear someone in the hallway. I value my alone time. Am I afraid of people? Maybe a little. More often, they simply disappoint me.
  
  Unladylike. I'm feminine to some degree, but I've still got a lot of tomboy left over in me. When I was younger I got along with all the guys that girls couldn't stand (y'know, back when I used to talk to people). I don't wear skirts, dresses, high heels, makeup, or perfume. I have to make a conscious effort to sit with my knees together. I don't like to fuss over my hair, or my appearance in general. I'm the "roll out of bed in the morning and go" type. I don't read *those* magazines (you know the ones). And you know what? That's how I like it.
  
  Overly critical. I blame my mom for this, she's worse than me. XD I'm extremely critical of myself and others. I expect perfection in everything! When I have to instruct someone I get irritated if they don't do things just like I'd do them. Oftentimes I won't let others do things because I think I can do better. And I try try TRY to be openminded and kind and all that, but sometimes I can't help picking out flaws in people, in their appearance, intelligence and actions. I rarely, if ever, voice these opinions... but boy am I aware of them.
  
  Cynical. Ahh, here's the ultimate contradiction in my character. Because the fact that I'm so cynical is directly related to the fact that I'm very trusting. I'm also super gullible (and sarcastic... another contradiction). I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'm honest, and I expect others to be honest with me. But having been burned one too many times, my mantra has become "people will let you down." I've conditioned myself to expect the worst from people... partially why I don't like them. I know I'm trusting, so I overcompensate by being pessimistic and guarded.
  
  
• Define in your own words the following key traits:
  
  • Courage: The ability to grit your teeth and push through even when you're most frightened. I think it's the presence of fear that marks true courage. If you're not afraid, then it's not a challenge.
    
  • Loyalty: Dedication through thick and thin, good and bad. It's putting another person or a cause before yourself. It's sticking up for and standing by your friends when the world's against them... even if they're wrong. That's when they need someone in their corner the most.
    
  • Intelligence: At its root, I think intelligence is openmindedness. The ability to accept new information, to process numerous ideas, and to reason. It's the ability to *learn*.
    
  • Ambition: Having goals, and working toward them. Ambition is all about hard work, doing what's required to reach your goal. The tasks aren't always going to be pleasant, and perhaps you aren't competent at all of them, but that doesn't deter you. You come up with a plan, you ask for help or otherwise you learn to help yourself. You work. Otherwise it's just dreaming.
    
  
  
• Name: Nilah
  
• Age: 25
  
• Where did you find out about us? kreugan :D