4th Edit?!! - Sort me?

[phoenix_on_ice]

Can you get addicted to editing? Because every time I read through this I see something I want to change, or take out, or add in. I could do this constantly and still not be happy with it. Tell me I get cut off from editing at some point!! I'm sure I'm driving you all insane O.O but I finally relented to some final tweeks that were bugging me (and you guys too in some cases. Hopefully I have cleared up some of the conflicting issues that were raised.)
BTW for those who came back already and resorted... this really isn't all that different. I just wanted to fix some inconsistencies from all the edits that people had pointed out. I probably haven't got the half of them but I have to stop sooner or later. This is just a few little things for those who are still having problems sorting me.

• What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
  The thing with this is, I don't know what areas of magic I'd be good at, so how am I supposed to come up with a career? I can only look at what we know about different jobs and guess as to whether or not I would enjoy them...
  So I've come up with two options in completely different fields so I'm covering my options.
  1) I'd set an owl order potions company.
  Creating potions that already exist would be careful preparation (I love baking and cooking, although at the end of it there is usually a good amount of mess to clean up because I'm always to focused on the next step to worry over rinsing out the bowl I just used, just in case I make a mistake or get distracted) and then following instructions to the letter (which really, so long as there is nothing in the room to distract me seems completely achievable).
  Creating new potions, to me, seems like a combination of slaving over paper work and calculations to come up with the perfect mix of ingredients, taking into account how they react with each other depending on how they are prepared and in what order with time delays and stirring.I'd have to come up with all possible negative reactions that could occur and be prepared to act should they happen (I've always been pretty decent at maths, so once you get the hang of the type of calculations I don't think it would be a problem. There are just a lot of variable to consider) Now if I was only doing this part of the work I would probably grow bored over time and be unhappy doing it. But what makes this appealing is that I get to apply my theories and see if they pan out. It's the combination of ground work with the possibilities of CREATING that appeals to me. I always liked creative writing and art at school. I was only slightly higher than average at them, but they they always held my attention a lot more because I felt such pride at have created something. Working towards producing something, especially something useful, is far better than just working for the sake of working.
  Of course I'd have failures, probably big ones lol. But if I only answer to myself then what does it matter if I mess up? I'd just learn from the mistake, assuming I survive, and move on.
  Publications possibilities: This is an add on possibility. Because if I actually DID manage to create something great, then I could publicize the results in potions journals. Or if I created a string of new potions I could write my own book with details of my research methodology and my process and the finishing potions.
  Additional incentives: I would work for myself, by myself. I've always been more content by myself, because I feel like I have nothing to prove to me, so I can let my guard down and just relax. If I felt the need to work with others I'm sure there would be opportunities for joint work. Also if I worked for my self I'd set my own hours so I can have sleep-in days and late nights which seems to be my body's preferred time schedule.
  
  2) I'd be a calligrapher.
  Eh what? I hear you murmur. That's not even magical!
  Why not? I say...
  One one side of the line I can set up an Internet Calligraphy site and do Weddings and Certificates and all those other little things that muggles spend money on to look that little bit special. Now on these I could use magic to 'speed the process along'. Using dictation quills like the one Rita uses.
  On the wizarding side of things... Well the thing is, so much of the wizarding world is still in the past trends that for all I know Calligraphy is still popular. I can imagine there are certain works that due to their nature can't have magic used to produce them (such as dark texts for example) so they would have to be done by hand. Also if they use duplicating spells on original works then the original work would would have to be perfect, and I doubt all writers have the time to sit down afterwards and re-write it all. Some of them probably have awful hand writing so having someone else create the first book from their manuscript of notes would be a good thing.
  I'm not saying it's some great job, and that I'd be a roaring success but I actually attempt Calligraphy every now and again so with enough practice I might be able to make a career out of it. Unfortunately it doesn't work in RL as a full time career because of the time it takes to do work compared to how much you get paid for that work. This is where the muggle side of things helps. Due to being able to use dictoquills I'd be able to earn an acceptable income because I could get the work done faster. But it would be the pieces that I did manually that would give me job enjoyment, like turning someones book manuscript into a work of art.
  Appeal: Again it's creating something. I'd get to be able to see all these books that I helped bring to life. Also I might get the first look at books that interest me. And I'd get to be a little part of peoples weddings, which I assume is a good thing lol, I haven't quite got to the stage where I go aww everytime someone gets married, but still...
  Now there would obviously be deadlines, but even then I could work late and sleep in so long as the work got done. And again for the most part I could work alone.
  
  
• 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.
  I'm taking Snape in with me. He knows DADA, therefore he can protect me from creatures that wish to do me harm (read - ikky giant spiders etc). He knows plants from his potion work so can protect me from evil girl eating plants. He has shown that he protects the students (Lupin full moon = badness). He probably knows his way around the forrest cause lets face it... Snape is always thinking of the danger, and seems the type to always be aware of his surroundings. He's brilliant at picking up on peoples flaws so he'll know what I need help with and what I can handle. He has a dry sarcastic sense of humor that I can completely get behind so I'd at lest be amused. His voice is like syrupy sex so if bored/scared out of my mind I can get him to talk or complain about Harry or something and I will get to listen to him. OH! And if I do decide to go into potions we can talk about that!! How did that not occur to me before?
  Object. If it would work, I'd want a portkey to take me to the doors of the Infirmary. That way if I'm hurt (read - Snape failed in his guard duties -the Snape failing bit was a joke by the way, I'd be more likely to fall over from running screaming like a bashee from the spiders and not looking where I was going)all I need to do is fall through the doors, and if I'm not hurt I'm back in the castle and can go about my merry way.
  But as portkeys wouldn't work inside the wards, I'll say a pair of brooms(one for each of us, he's not going to slow my escape down thankyou!), so if we came across anything dangerous we could fly up out of reach and then back to the castle.
  
  
• 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?
  If you mean live forever in the sense of not aging, but can still be killed (eg a Vampire) I'd say yes! Bring it on! I'd live around my family while they're still here and continue my life pretty much as it is, only not aging obviously. It would be hard to see your family die, but people die every day. Even if I didn’t live forever I might still have to watch them die before me. After all, a long happy mortal life isn't a guarantee. The important thing would be to make the most of the time you have together, and not to forget them when they’re gone.
  When my family & friends were gone, I'd leave that life behind. I wouldn't forget them, but the point isn't to spend eternity mourning them either.
  I'd travel. See the world and what it has to offer. I’d try invest my money so I don't have to work, because the sound of working for eternity does NOT sound like fun! I'd reinvent myself and try different things(my eg. plus I'd like to try lots of different hobbies like: fencing-cause it just looks awesome. Archery-I'd love to go hunting too, just to try it. Photography- I think it's a great artform.) Meet different people, live different lives. There are a lot of things I’m too afraid to try but would love to. Maybe, if I lived forever, I’d get up the courage to try some of them.
  For example, I'd love to go scuba diving, or pearl diving...but I freak out when submerged under water. I think it's drowning fear but it's not something I've gone looking to replicate. I have to be very calm before I can get in a pool. I want kayaking once (NOT white water, just your average calm river) and it took me forever just to get into the kayak without hyperventilating. But I ended up loving it. (The fact that I didn't fall in probably helped a lot.) But If I didn't have to worry about drowning maybe I could experience that sort of thing more. I do like to try new things, even if after the first time doing it I decide once was enought. It just usually takes me forever and a day to get up enough courage to go for it.
  
  But I'd only do all of this if there was a way out. If I got to the point where I felt like I had experienced everything, or if losing people finally got too much, I'd want to know that I can end it.
  If that wasn't an option I couldn't do it.
  The world is slowly dying. Whether it be another ice age or volcanic mayhem due to geological changes or the Sun expanding to encase the Earth in another few billion years, someday it's not going to be here. So if I had to truly be a nothing can kill me or harm me immortal, I have no idea what "D-Day" would do to me, so I'd have to say no. Thankyou for the offer, but I decline.
  
  
• If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why?
  This is actually something I’ve daydreamed about before. Timetravel. But I’m not into History at all so there isn’t really anything I’d be interested in seeing. I know I should probably want to go witness some amazing event, or solve some old time mystery. But what's the point in going back just to see something if I'm not going to be able to do something while I'm there. And what difference is me knowing the truth about something going to make.
  I'd want to use the oportunity to do something tangible and useful, so I'd look up every roll over lotto since I turned 16(no point in sharing the winnings), then go back and give my younger self the list of number and dates. I know it's a completely selfish act. Yes, in my scenario I'd be changing history, but that's a risk I'm willing to take if it means being able to do whatever I want for the rest of my life. I mean why not if I have the chance. And I’d like to think I’d use some of the money to ‘give back’ in some way. I do believe in staying on Karma's good side so I would always take a percentage and give it to friends, family & charities.
  When I said I'd thought about timetravel I usually was entertaining my self with the winning the lotto fantasy or living my life differently fantasy. In that case it wouldn't be travelling back in time so much as sending my conscience back through time into a younger me's body. I'd get to live out all those 'what if?' moments. Like what if I'd said yes to a date with so&so back in highschool, and what if I hadn't broke my wrist that one time, or what if I'd ate less icecream lol. That would be pretty fun. But again, in a completely 'the impossible is happening so why not' kind of way I'd want to remember the lotto numbers :D
  
  
• What HP character do you identify with most and why?
  This is the hardest of all these questions to answer. I don't think I'm particularly 'like' any one character. Characters are there right in front of you. They’re identifiable. But I find it a lot harder to break myself down and look objectively at what I’m like. This is the sort of question I want to ask my friends who they think I'm like, because they see me from the same side as they see the characters from.
  Luna strikes something with me as I could see a lot of similarities there. I always feel like I don't quite fit. Like a lot of the time I'm an outsider looking in. But it's not something that bothers me now as much as it used to. In fact, most of the time I'm quite comfortable with who I am, with my quirks, and my odd sense of humor. I'm also more content by myself a lot, and Luna seems that way too, but then again maybe her solitude is other peoples choice not hers...
  I've also been picked on a lot in the past when I was at school, so I can identify with how the others treat her. And I like to think that karma will come back on each one of those people. But I doubt that Luna wishes that when it does they will get exactly what they deserve and suffer for it. I do. I can’t help it, I try not to be bitter but I felt pretty tortured as a child.
  So whereas parts of me are like parts of Luna we are in no way the same person.
  I want to pick a second character to offset all the parts of me that are definitely NOT Luna, but everyone I come up with feels like I’m trying too hard to make them fit me, or me fit them.
  The closest to another character I can see similarities to is Peter Petigrew. He was a bit of an outsider, even within his group of friends. By the books it certainly appears that his friends were either smarter, better looking, or more popular than he was. And yet obviously he still hung out with them, even though he must have felt inferior to them a lot. In highschool I definitely felt like that about who I hung out with. There were prettier girls and more outgoing girls, girls that were better at sports and girls who were better at classes. I never felt like I was better at anything. As a result you never really feel connected to them, not 100% In fact it's hard to connect with anyone when you start to look at yourself like that. So I can understand how he could have turned them over for his own gain in the end. It's finally your chance to one up them. Now I don't have a Dark Lord threatening me or anything... In my case I moved away and tried to pretend those years didn't happen. Those people didn't matter. But you never live that down, and your always trying to grab onto that one thing that makes you better than them, while knowing that even if you achieved it you still wouldn't feel good enough.
  No matter how much Peter tried, even when he was hiding with the Weasleys, he was always answering to someone. Always lesser than someone and he just couldn't escape that. I don't think you ever do.
  
  
• What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
  Oh what I would do to find out for real...
  I don't think anyone really knows what their true hearts desire is.
  [Mine would probably be me in a large mansion behind impenetrable walls. In my double story Library surrounded by first editions and original artwork(Some of both these categories would have been created by me). I'd be a lot thinner and a bit prettier. And I'd have a personal staff to take care of me because I hate housework. ]
  Strike the above- this is what I’d want my hearts desire to be. I want to be unaffected by the human condition and to focus on the material things, but the mirror would see beyond that wouldn’t it?
  Ok…It would show me with ‘real’ friends. People who are truly interested in me, and who I would feel completely accepted by. It would show me with someone who loves me, flaws and all. My family would all be happy and healthy. My mom has Epilepsy and my sister is slightly disabled and has a lung thing and my brother has social autism. I didn't use any of the other questions to 'fix' these problems because they are a part of who my family are and they don't nessecesarily need fixed. But I'm pretty sure in my heart I wish they didn't have these problems so they would probably be there. I’d look more confident… no, I’d BE more confident!! And in all honesty it would probably show the materialistic things too, because I do focus on them a lot, but in the background.
  
  
• Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
  To a point I think they both have to be taken into account. But in the end, personally, I’d say consequences they created. If someone hit someone (for any reason) and that person died, I'd want them held accountable. Regardless of what that person had done to deserve being hit.
  Good intentions are all well and good, but everything has consequences. People should plan for all foreseeable outcomes and be willing to deal with them before they do anything.
  Unforeseeable outcomes though... well I guess in that situation it should be a balance of intentions Vs outcome.
  
  
• What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
  I went through so many different ideals. Sweet shop owner, Book shop owner, Maths teacher, Bookshop owner, Architect, Occult book shop owner, Assassin, Accountant, Book shop/Coffee shop owner… I think you get it. When I was 5 I told my teacher I was going to be rich and she asked how. I said I was going to win the lotto. She told me you couldn't control that and I told her I was going to figure it out, and if that didn't work I'd marry someone rich. It was completely unrealistic, but I never really wanted to have to try for anything. I'm lazy most of the time. But I still wanted the stuff, the dream as it were. I just wanted it handed to me on a silver platter.
  After I was told I had to pick a real job, I decided I was going to own a book shop. I liked the idea of being surrounded by books, I probably would have been happy just working in a book shop but I was always told to reach high so owner it was.
  Now a days, I'd hate the routine of running a shop, and the pressure of day to day runnings and dealing with people all day, even if I would still enjoy the books.
  My current ideal?In a completely dreamer way, I'd like to be an Author someday. Or an Actress. Something where you get to hid who you are, and either write about, or act like lots of different people. Also you might have guessed that I like the ideal of creating things. But I have a lot of hobbies that cover that, like painting and attempting calligraphy and writting fanfiction.
  
  
• 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'd make a charm bracelet with little animal charms on it, each of which would make it possible for you to turn into that animal. The though of being an animagus is so interesting, and I'd love to see what my inner animal is. But I'd also like to see what it's like to be several different animals. Like something that can survive under water, or a bird so you can really fly, or a Cheetah so you could run amazing fast. It would also be great to get out of trouble if you had a bracelet full of escape routes. It would have to be a combination of transfiguration spell anchored to the charm with a potion element to capture the essence of the animal.
  I don’t think it needs a name. It’s a bracelet. And I wouldn’t give away the details of the essence potion or anchor spell because I would want to be selective as to who I gave the ability to.
  
  
• 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?
  Spider. 100% The little buggers scare me beyond reason. And I'm trying to think of a way to make them funny and failing. Even the skates thing in the movie didn't do it for me. Maybe if its legs shrank until it couldn't reach the floor and they just wiggled madly at its side. That might work.
  
  
• What do you look for in a friend?
  I seem to have different groups of friends for different sides of my personality. My BF is really sarcastic and straight forward, and we spend most of our time complaining about something or other. But at times that wears on me because she can be too truthful. I have other bubbly, girly friends who I go dancing with but we never really have in depth conversations or anything. And I have friends that I made when I used to go to conventions, who are really geeky and mostly we talk about TV shows or books. There are obviously some cross over within these groups. I mean some of my bubbly friends read the same books as me and my geeky friends still know how to party lol. And my BF does both. But I act differently around each of them to reflect kind of closer to what they are like, so I feel kind of fragmented at times. In a perfect friend, I guess I would look for someone who listens to me and is willing to do what I want (not all of the time but there has to be a balance). Someone who will whine with me, and be sarcastic, and cheer me up when I feel like crap, and go dancing with me. And get drunk with me. Someone who can talk my kind of books and shows with me. It would help if they love tea/coffee. They'd be willing to try new things, but also tell me when I'm being crazy. That being said they'd LET me be crazy.
  Someone who's honest with me when I try on clothes. But will lie to me if I want them to.
  They'd respect my opinions as being my own, whether or not they agree with them.
  
  
• What trait most annoys you about other people?
  I hate people telling me what to think. I think fine for myself thank you very much. I'm fine with people giving me their opinion. It's when they give me MY opinion that I feel the need to cause them physical harm. No one has the right to tell me my opinion is wrong.
  I view that sort of thing as Bullying. Like telling someone they have to think a certain way is saying what they believe is wrong and they have to change who they are. It’s hard enough figuring out who you are in the first place.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
  1) Excitable/Enthusiastic - When I come across something new or plans are being made I get very caught up and excited, kind of like a kid on a sugar high. For example when planning a trip I’ll look up the flights, trains, maps of the area, hotels, sightseeing possibilities etc…all before it’s even agreed that this is where we’re going.
  2) Funny - I've been told I'm funny by a lot of people. Now most of the time I've a very dry sarcastic sense of humor, but I vary to goofy or mainstream on occasion. It depends on who I’m around. But most of the time I prefer funny to serious so I tend to keep the general atmosphere light and on the surface.
  3) Forgiving- I do forgive most of my friends for whatever they do wrong. Even if I don’t want to. I find it very difficult to stay mad at people because I find things so much easier when everyone is getting along.
  4) Dependable - If I promise I'll be there, I'll be there. If I say I'll try, then I'll try. I hate going back on my word about something if I really meant it. My Dad is one of those empty promise people and it drives me insane. I’d hate for people to think of me like that. I usually try to word things so I’m never locked into anything, unless I’m absolutely going to be able to follow through.
  5) Restraint - I'm very good at holding back. In what I think or what I want to do, it takes a lot to rattle me to the point where I snap outwards. Most of the time I have to hold back sarcastic remarks around some of my friends, because they always take it the wrong way. I also hold back when people say things that annoy me. Even though I want to scream and shout at them I can’t make myself do it. And I really hate to admit this but I have a scary type of temper on me that I have to keep a tight reign on or I would do something I’d end up regretting.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
  There are so many of these for me to choose from. What’s listed below is what I think the top five are, but in my opinion these are but a drop in the ocean.
  1) Shallow - I am completely vain. I obsess over my hair and what other people thing of me. I hate when other people think bad of me. I also tend to keep things very much on the surface. It’s the reason why I have felt filling this out was so hard. I never look this closely at how I feel or what I think because then people contradict me and I feel hurt. I’m really NOT used to being this open about things. Normally I gloss over anything that could get used against me or used to hurt me.
  2) Short attention span - I literally get distracted by shiny object. And book stores. And daydreaming. I find it hard to listen to people. Sometimes it’s because I really just don’t care about what they’re saying. Other times it’s because my mind just floats and I’ll end up studying the wall behind them or something. I tend to get caught up in my own thoughts instead of listening to theirs.
  3) Low self confidence - This is a real problem for me. Most of the time I feel like people don’t really know me or want to know me. I don’t even really know myself which is part of the problem. I’m so busy playing the part I think they want to see that I’m not even sure what I really think or feel about it. I grew up with ‘friends’ who picked on me and parents that honestly tried for my best interest to improve me, but just made me super aware of my flaws.
  4) Gluttony - This probably stems from low self confidence, but I am a complete glutton. It’s my way of making sure I get what I want. I’ll constantly treat myself to make me feel better. I spoil myself with little things all the time, like ice-cream, Starbucks, clothes, books and DVD’s.
  5) Herd conformity- I go with the crowd. Whether it be what I want to do or not, most of the time I’ll do what others want just to avoid confrontation. I don’t deal well with confrontation, I tend to cry. Sometimes, I even talk myself into believing I want to do it, because otherwise I make myself miserable which leads to me avoiding everyone. Other times I may be thinking wolf like thoughts on the inside, but outside all they ever see is the sheep.
  
  
• Define in your own words the following key traits:
  
  • Courage: Is being afraid to do something, but doing it anyway, because it's the right thing to do. Standing up for your beliefs and for those you identify with that can’t stand up for themselves.
    
  • Loyalty: Is following regardless of whether or not you agree, because overall you believe in the person or cause.
    
  • Intelligence: Is being smart enough to not let people know how smart you are. True intelligence is a combination of smarts and common sense. There’s no point in having it if you don’t know how to use it.
    
  • Ambition: Is knowing what you want and using everything at your disposal to get it. It’s about having goals, be they short term, long term, big or small ambitions, and planning the best way to go about achieving those goals.
  
  
• Name: Gemma
  
• Age: 25
  
• Where did you find out about us? I’d seen it on my friends profile and was thinking about it for a while, but my friend told me I should check it out because she thought I would like it, so here I am.
  
• Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted?I keep looking at all the different things when I come back to edit and they all look really fun so YES I am going to be active(OMG a definite answer!! You know what that means:D ). I don't think I'd be trying this hard if I wasn't going to participate.