Horcruxes! Oh how I hunt for you.
01. Name: Katherine
02. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? Through Google. I was looking for Harry Potter land comms, and found this.
||MIRROR OF ERISED||
03. What do you wish to accomplish in life?
Wow. This is hard. I'm still relatively young, and I have no delusions that what I wish now would indeed be what I hope to achieve later on in life. At this moment, what I dearly wish to accomplish in life is to one day be a prominent figure in the field of cancer research. I want to utilise all the knowledge I've gained and will gain in the future to come up with new ways to treat cancer, to discover viable alternatives to chemotheraphy and radiotheraphy - alternatives that will be less invasive. I want to one day obtain my PhD in Chemistry, and do so in one of the top schools in the world. I want to one day show all the teachers who have told me that I have the potential to do better that yes, I have finally found that potential and I'm doing something worthwhile with it.
04. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #03.)
I originally wanted to mention that I see myself receiving accolades for my achievements in cancer research. I thought about it more, and realised that what I perceived to be my deepest desire is to have a family where everyone's happy, where my parents would not be fighting every few days or so.
Then again, I find it hard to say for certain that that is what I would see. I do not think it is possible for one to know what their heart's desire is, much less to put it into words. I think it is far more possible for one's heart's desire to be something so intangible that it can only be captured as an image in the Mirror.
05. What makes a person deserving of your respect?
I believe that respect have to be earned through a person's words and actions. With that said, I generally respect a person based on their position of authority in my life. By default, I do respect all my teachers, unless they prove to be incompetent. I do not believe that a teacher has to earn that respect from me, because I think that as people who have chosen to impart knowledge to the next generation, working in a job that pays much less than a job in the private sector, are worthy of that respect. Then again, I study in a school where most teachers are indeed very competent and appear to love their job. I don't know if my opinions on this would change had I attended a different school.
In the case of people who are on the 'same level' as I am, I respect them based on their words and actions. I don't necessarily group the said actions into 'good' or 'bad' and thus make my judgement based on that. I respect people who do not mince words, who do not change their minds based on popular opinion. I respect people who do what they think is right despite what others may think. I respect those who desire change and make it happen. In a nutshell, I think I do respect those who are capable of independent thought and action. Whether or not I agree with what they think/do is another matter. It is perhaps one of the reasons why I do have a grudging respect for Mr. Lee Kuan Yew despite his comments during Singapore's General Elections this year. He had a vision for Singapore, even way back before independence, and he made it come through amidst the events of that time.
06. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Wow, it is difficult for me to pick one exactly. Mine changes every day, but at the moment, it is the way my classmates cannot seem to stop talking throughout a lesson. I think that that is not only very disrespectful to both the teacher and their fellow classmates who have more than a passing desire to learn, but also a terrible time waster. The teacher would then pause the lesson every few minutes to tell them to quieten down, and it absolutely wastes everyone's time and money when that happens. I firmly believe that if you were to attend a class, you should jolly well sit there and listen, instead of chattering non-stop, and only talk if you have a question or something meaningful to add to the discussion. So yeah, that is my biggest pet peeve at the moment. Ask me again tomorrow and it may change.
07. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Honestly, I won't change a thing! I love the way I am, flaws and all. But if I really have to pick something, I would give myself a little more self-esteem. I am rather insecure about my abilities and often require people to repeatedly reassure me before I believe that I am indeed capable in my own right. I don't really like that aspect of me, and I've been trying to change ever since I realise that I have this little… quirk.
08. If you could do any one thing and suffer no consequences, what would it be?
I would go on a mass murdering rampage and kill everyone! Muahahaha! No, seriously, I would most likely go up to those that have been getting on my nerves ever since I entered my current school, and tell them straight to their faces what I think of them. I keep my opinions to myself most of the time in fear of retaliation (and possibly more trouble). It would be a great relief to finally get them off my chest and watch the resulting fallout without a fear of the consequences that would befall me.
09. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?
01. I make fun of myself readily. I may not like to admit that I have flaws, but in a conversation with my friends, I tend to be the one who makes everyone else laugh by making fun of myself. I think of this as a positive trait as well, I love making people laugh, and I have no reservations about using myself as that tool. I find that it allows me to accept myself better, and thus, I would say that it is one of my top five positive traits.
02. I'm a hard worker. I was the student who, in Years 1 and 2, did so badly that I almost had to be retained another year. Today, I am the student who tries to ace every single assignment I'm given. I am very proud of the fact that I have no qualms about working hard for my grades. I believe that that is a trait that would not only benefit my grades when I'm schooling, but when I finally enter the workforce.
03. I pick my battles wisely. Or to put it in another fashion, I never try arguing with someone I know I will lose to. I was wondering if I should put this in the 'negative characteristics' portion as I more often than not, become rather meek when I enter an argument with a friend. But after much thought, I decided to place it here. I tend to blurt out many things in the heat of the moment, and more often than not, hurt the other party in the process. Now, I rather not do that. It is far better to concede defeat before the argument begins, rather than get myself riled up and say things I never want to say to anyone I consider friend. Besides that, I believe that there are some instances where the 'battle' is doomed from the start and it would be far better to just concede defeat early and search for viable alternatives. For instance, given a choice between applying overseas for an Ivy League school with financial aid or applying to the local universities and receive a subsidy from the government, I would do the latter in a heartbeat. Given my intellect (or lack thereof), I know that I would most likely not get into any Ivy League schools given the competition in the USA itself and amongst the international students applying for the same schools. So why bother, when I can just 'fight it out' with the local students for a place in the local universities that provide a comparable education, at a lower cost, where I am more certain of securing a place?
04. I'm exceedingly loyal to my friends and family. I would say that once you are my friend, I find it very difficult to let you go. I tend to be the sort that would try to be there for the people I care about, unless you've done something so deplorable that I would disregard you as a friend. I may not always show it overtly, but when you need me, I would be there.
05. I love to learn. I think that that is one of my best attributes. If given the chance, I would never stop studying. I would return to the basics and learn everything, languages, all aspects of physics, everything. I love to discover new ways of doing the same things. I want to learn all I can in the short span of time I have. There are so many things I've yet to learn, so many new technologies and innovations that are going to be discovered or created in the next 10 years. There is so much the world has to offer, even the minutest of objects like the electron can tell so many tales. I want to learn all they have to say, to revel in the joy that the knowledge of such things bring me.
10. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?
01. My pride. I find it very difficult to admit that I'm wrong, much less apologise to anyone. It is a constant battle between what I understand is wrong, and what I am willing to do to rectify that. I do try, that much can be said, but more often than not, I refuse to admit my mistakes, something that irks everyone, even I.
02. I procrastinate. A lot. One such example is me wanting to apply for this comm ever since the first week of September. I've put it off over and over again, and it is only now that I am finally doing so… while procrastinating and not revising for my exams. I don't like to do work as soon as possible, though I do try. I'm working on it... one day at a time.
03. I shoot my mouth off every time I'm angry. Like I mentioned above, I tend to say many hurtful things when I'm emotional. I tend to nitpick a lot on others shortcomings regularly, but I do not mention them. Only when I'm frustrated or angry would I do that. This, in combination with my pride, makes it very difficult for me to reconcile with anyone.
04. My parents used to say that I am a very quiet child. Even now, I am. I don't speak up very often, and I think that that is one of my worst attributes as it more often than not allows people to climb over me. Sometimes, I am so quiet that people forget that I'm there.
05. I'm needy. I need people to reassure me constantly about my place in their life, or reassure me about my abilities. I find it hard to convince myself and remember that I am indeed a capable person in my own right. On my bad days, I used to wallow in self pity and sheer negativity. Nowadays, I am more assured of myself. But those days still exist and every once in a while, I will be hit with an annoying bout of depression and self-pity that effectively prevents me from doing anything constructive. I find this a terrible trait of mine as it not only prevents me from doing anything useful, it also makes me feel bad later on for imposing on my friends. ):
||HOGWARTS, A HISTORY||
11. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
My favourite has to be Lucius Malfoy. Despite his being a Death Eater, what I most like about him is his ability to twist a situation to fit him. He makes use of his resources to get his way, something that I most admire. Even though he was pretty much on the side of evil throughout the books, he manages to scrap through most of the time, until the fiasco in the Department of mysteries. It was only in the 7th book that we are shown that their remaining loyalty was to their family. What struck me most was that he remained loyal to Voldemort despite everything. He could have, like Snape, run off to join Dumbledore, or at least, petition for sanctuary, but he didn't. He was firm in his beliefs and his stand. But above all, we saw in Chapter 36 of Deathly Hallows that he cares greatly for his family - not bothering to fight, but instead, looking for his son.
There are many other characters in the books that are loyal to their family, who could be said to be far more upstanding than Lucius Malfoy. What drew me to him was that he's a character on the 'wrong' side, but yet, despite all stereotypes of such a person, he strikes me as the kind who just wanted the best for his family, and by doing so, allied himself with Voldemort.
12. Who is your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
Albus Dumbledore. I do not abhor him per say, but he is definitely my least favourite in the series. He is often seen as an upstanding wizard, the greatest wizard of his time. I particularly do not like the way he often treats people as pawns in his fight against Voldemort. I think that even when Voldemort was Tom Riddle and a student at Hogwarts, he had plenty of chances to prevent him from turning 'evil' - but he didn't. Later on, he left Harry with his magic-hating relatives. That in itself was abhorrent to me. Did he expect Petunia and Vernon Dursley to treat Harry well, given how their relationship with Lilly Potter was strained? It was further not mentioned if Dumbledore did send anyone to keep an eye on Harry during the years he had to spend living with the Dursleys. Even if he did, surely he would have done something about the fact that Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs of all places! That is no way to treat a child, even if it were to be a child of someone you hated. Albus Dumbledore later gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak when the latter was in his first year at Hogwarts, something that I found terribly irresponsible. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts, and giving a first year an invisibility cloak, inheritance or no, is something that should not happen. Seriously, what would an eleven year old boy do with something that can turn him invisible? Go around getting into trouble of course!
Dumbledore's actions make me wonder if he had, in fact, been 'training' Harry for his destiny all these years. And later on in the 7th book, it was revealed that yes, for the "greater good", Albus Dumbledore had in fact been willing to sacrifice Harry. While his intentions are laudable, it makes me wonder to what end Dumbledore would have manipulated Harry (and by extension, Snape) to had he not been killed in book 6.
So no, I do not like Dumbledore much. In my opinion, even Voldemort would be much better than him. At least the latter just went around killing in the name of furthering his cause, not manipulating innocent people whose only fault was to be the one who was prophesised to vanquish Voldemort.
13. What was your favorite plot or character revelation in the Harry Potter series?
Hmm, it would have to be the revelation of the reasons behind Snape's actions and why he turned to Dumbledore instead of remaining with Voldemort. To me, it explains a lot about why he still remained a double agent, and how he tries to keep Harry safe despite his personal feelings about James Potter.
14. Describe the canon qualities for each house that accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: Gryffindors are said to be courageous. I don't think I am overtly courageous, but more of like Neville, who is rather meek with a reservoir of courage brimming inside. I perceive myself as the sort who would only be courageous for the little things that don't matter rather than the larger things from the get go. Then again, I've been braver over the past few years as I grew to accept myself more as a person with limited abilities. So I would say that like Neville, who had a 'metamorphosis' of sorts throughout the 7 books, I am beginning to draw this reservoir of courage to the forefront.
• Slytherin: I tend to be rather ruthless in my quest for better grades. To pretend otherwise would be futile. I desire to be the best student I can, and if it requires me to clamber over classmates to achieve that, more often than not, I would do that. Slytherins are said to put their own desires above others. I am rather like that in the sense that I've grown to be the kind of person who would first, think about what I can gain from a particular endeavour before carrying it out, regardless of others feelings. They are ambitious, something which I am, but to a smaller degree. I like to have overly ambitious goals that I would try my best to achieve. I have great expectations of myself, yet I also understand that such expectations must be tempered by the knowledge of my own limitations.
• Ravenclaw: Ravenclaws are said to be those that have a thirst for knowledge. That reflects my academic side in that I always want to learn more. In my opinion, learning does not stop when you leave school. You learn as you grow older. I perceive myself as the sort that will learn everything given the chance. I don't have a particular 'taboo' subject that I refuse to read about. To me, knowledge is power, cliché as it may be.
• Hufflepuff: Hufflepuffs are said to be loyal and 'unafraid of toil'. That, I feel, reflects how I am when it comes to my friends and academics respectively. I'm not afraid to work hard for my goals, because I believe that it is more hard work than sheer talent that ultimately gets you far.
15. Describe the canon qualities for each house that do not accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: Gryffindors have been more often than not portrayed as being noble and righteous. I don't think I'm that sort of person. To be very honest, I don't usually hold myself to a set of morals. Sure, I won't go around killing people for the sake of doing so, but I also don't hold myself to any particular definition of right and wrong. To me, I will be capable of doing anything given that you provide me with a solid, logical reasoning as to why that particular act would first, benefit myself and secondly, benefit the community. I don't think I'm amoral, but neither do I see myself as being either noble or righteous.
• Slytherin: Slytherins are said to be resourceful. This is something that I have problems with. I can gather information, but only if someone points me in the right direction first. Usually, I would obtain my information in a roundabout matter, wasting much of my time before I get things done. I tend to be the sort that relies on information passed on from others, rather than to look for them myself.
• Ravenclaw: Wit and intellect is said to be characteristic of a Ravenclaw, and it is something that I think I lack. I'm not exceedingly smart by any means. If anything, I have to work very hard to understand abstract concepts.
• Hufflepuff: Hufflepuffs are also portrayed as being just, something that I find myself having problems with. I am not a very fair person in that I usually let my emotions do the ruling instead of using logic to analyse a situation and come to a conclusion. I tend not to evaluate the evidence fully, and most of the time, I tend to 'condemn' a person based on the first few emotions I feel.
||HOGWARTS EXPRESS||
16. Age: 18
17. Optional: Link us to where you have promoted this community in your personal journal to earn your future house five points. n/a
02. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? Through Google. I was looking for Harry Potter land comms, and found this.
||MIRROR OF ERISED||
03. What do you wish to accomplish in life?
Wow. This is hard. I'm still relatively young, and I have no delusions that what I wish now would indeed be what I hope to achieve later on in life. At this moment, what I dearly wish to accomplish in life is to one day be a prominent figure in the field of cancer research. I want to utilise all the knowledge I've gained and will gain in the future to come up with new ways to treat cancer, to discover viable alternatives to chemotheraphy and radiotheraphy - alternatives that will be less invasive. I want to one day obtain my PhD in Chemistry, and do so in one of the top schools in the world. I want to one day show all the teachers who have told me that I have the potential to do better that yes, I have finally found that potential and I'm doing something worthwhile with it.
04. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #03.)
I originally wanted to mention that I see myself receiving accolades for my achievements in cancer research. I thought about it more, and realised that what I perceived to be my deepest desire is to have a family where everyone's happy, where my parents would not be fighting every few days or so.
Then again, I find it hard to say for certain that that is what I would see. I do not think it is possible for one to know what their heart's desire is, much less to put it into words. I think it is far more possible for one's heart's desire to be something so intangible that it can only be captured as an image in the Mirror.
05. What makes a person deserving of your respect?
I believe that respect have to be earned through a person's words and actions. With that said, I generally respect a person based on their position of authority in my life. By default, I do respect all my teachers, unless they prove to be incompetent. I do not believe that a teacher has to earn that respect from me, because I think that as people who have chosen to impart knowledge to the next generation, working in a job that pays much less than a job in the private sector, are worthy of that respect. Then again, I study in a school where most teachers are indeed very competent and appear to love their job. I don't know if my opinions on this would change had I attended a different school.
In the case of people who are on the 'same level' as I am, I respect them based on their words and actions. I don't necessarily group the said actions into 'good' or 'bad' and thus make my judgement based on that. I respect people who do not mince words, who do not change their minds based on popular opinion. I respect people who do what they think is right despite what others may think. I respect those who desire change and make it happen. In a nutshell, I think I do respect those who are capable of independent thought and action. Whether or not I agree with what they think/do is another matter. It is perhaps one of the reasons why I do have a grudging respect for Mr. Lee Kuan Yew despite his comments during Singapore's General Elections this year. He had a vision for Singapore, even way back before independence, and he made it come through amidst the events of that time.
06. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Wow, it is difficult for me to pick one exactly. Mine changes every day, but at the moment, it is the way my classmates cannot seem to stop talking throughout a lesson. I think that that is not only very disrespectful to both the teacher and their fellow classmates who have more than a passing desire to learn, but also a terrible time waster. The teacher would then pause the lesson every few minutes to tell them to quieten down, and it absolutely wastes everyone's time and money when that happens. I firmly believe that if you were to attend a class, you should jolly well sit there and listen, instead of chattering non-stop, and only talk if you have a question or something meaningful to add to the discussion. So yeah, that is my biggest pet peeve at the moment. Ask me again tomorrow and it may change.
07. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Honestly, I won't change a thing! I love the way I am, flaws and all. But if I really have to pick something, I would give myself a little more self-esteem. I am rather insecure about my abilities and often require people to repeatedly reassure me before I believe that I am indeed capable in my own right. I don't really like that aspect of me, and I've been trying to change ever since I realise that I have this little… quirk.
08. If you could do any one thing and suffer no consequences, what would it be?
I would go on a mass murdering rampage and kill everyone! Muahahaha! No, seriously, I would most likely go up to those that have been getting on my nerves ever since I entered my current school, and tell them straight to their faces what I think of them. I keep my opinions to myself most of the time in fear of retaliation (and possibly more trouble). It would be a great relief to finally get them off my chest and watch the resulting fallout without a fear of the consequences that would befall me.
09. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?
01. I make fun of myself readily. I may not like to admit that I have flaws, but in a conversation with my friends, I tend to be the one who makes everyone else laugh by making fun of myself. I think of this as a positive trait as well, I love making people laugh, and I have no reservations about using myself as that tool. I find that it allows me to accept myself better, and thus, I would say that it is one of my top five positive traits.
02. I'm a hard worker. I was the student who, in Years 1 and 2, did so badly that I almost had to be retained another year. Today, I am the student who tries to ace every single assignment I'm given. I am very proud of the fact that I have no qualms about working hard for my grades. I believe that that is a trait that would not only benefit my grades when I'm schooling, but when I finally enter the workforce.
03. I pick my battles wisely. Or to put it in another fashion, I never try arguing with someone I know I will lose to. I was wondering if I should put this in the 'negative characteristics' portion as I more often than not, become rather meek when I enter an argument with a friend. But after much thought, I decided to place it here. I tend to blurt out many things in the heat of the moment, and more often than not, hurt the other party in the process. Now, I rather not do that. It is far better to concede defeat before the argument begins, rather than get myself riled up and say things I never want to say to anyone I consider friend. Besides that, I believe that there are some instances where the 'battle' is doomed from the start and it would be far better to just concede defeat early and search for viable alternatives. For instance, given a choice between applying overseas for an Ivy League school with financial aid or applying to the local universities and receive a subsidy from the government, I would do the latter in a heartbeat. Given my intellect (or lack thereof), I know that I would most likely not get into any Ivy League schools given the competition in the USA itself and amongst the international students applying for the same schools. So why bother, when I can just 'fight it out' with the local students for a place in the local universities that provide a comparable education, at a lower cost, where I am more certain of securing a place?
04. I'm exceedingly loyal to my friends and family. I would say that once you are my friend, I find it very difficult to let you go. I tend to be the sort that would try to be there for the people I care about, unless you've done something so deplorable that I would disregard you as a friend. I may not always show it overtly, but when you need me, I would be there.
05. I love to learn. I think that that is one of my best attributes. If given the chance, I would never stop studying. I would return to the basics and learn everything, languages, all aspects of physics, everything. I love to discover new ways of doing the same things. I want to learn all I can in the short span of time I have. There are so many things I've yet to learn, so many new technologies and innovations that are going to be discovered or created in the next 10 years. There is so much the world has to offer, even the minutest of objects like the electron can tell so many tales. I want to learn all they have to say, to revel in the joy that the knowledge of such things bring me.
10. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?
01. My pride. I find it very difficult to admit that I'm wrong, much less apologise to anyone. It is a constant battle between what I understand is wrong, and what I am willing to do to rectify that. I do try, that much can be said, but more often than not, I refuse to admit my mistakes, something that irks everyone, even I.
02. I procrastinate. A lot. One such example is me wanting to apply for this comm ever since the first week of September. I've put it off over and over again, and it is only now that I am finally doing so… while procrastinating and not revising for my exams. I don't like to do work as soon as possible, though I do try. I'm working on it... one day at a time.
03. I shoot my mouth off every time I'm angry. Like I mentioned above, I tend to say many hurtful things when I'm emotional. I tend to nitpick a lot on others shortcomings regularly, but I do not mention them. Only when I'm frustrated or angry would I do that. This, in combination with my pride, makes it very difficult for me to reconcile with anyone.
04. My parents used to say that I am a very quiet child. Even now, I am. I don't speak up very often, and I think that that is one of my worst attributes as it more often than not allows people to climb over me. Sometimes, I am so quiet that people forget that I'm there.
05. I'm needy. I need people to reassure me constantly about my place in their life, or reassure me about my abilities. I find it hard to convince myself and remember that I am indeed a capable person in my own right. On my bad days, I used to wallow in self pity and sheer negativity. Nowadays, I am more assured of myself. But those days still exist and every once in a while, I will be hit with an annoying bout of depression and self-pity that effectively prevents me from doing anything constructive. I find this a terrible trait of mine as it not only prevents me from doing anything useful, it also makes me feel bad later on for imposing on my friends. ):
||HOGWARTS, A HISTORY||
11. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
My favourite has to be Lucius Malfoy. Despite his being a Death Eater, what I most like about him is his ability to twist a situation to fit him. He makes use of his resources to get his way, something that I most admire. Even though he was pretty much on the side of evil throughout the books, he manages to scrap through most of the time, until the fiasco in the Department of mysteries. It was only in the 7th book that we are shown that their remaining loyalty was to their family. What struck me most was that he remained loyal to Voldemort despite everything. He could have, like Snape, run off to join Dumbledore, or at least, petition for sanctuary, but he didn't. He was firm in his beliefs and his stand. But above all, we saw in Chapter 36 of Deathly Hallows that he cares greatly for his family - not bothering to fight, but instead, looking for his son.
There are many other characters in the books that are loyal to their family, who could be said to be far more upstanding than Lucius Malfoy. What drew me to him was that he's a character on the 'wrong' side, but yet, despite all stereotypes of such a person, he strikes me as the kind who just wanted the best for his family, and by doing so, allied himself with Voldemort.
12. Who is your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
Albus Dumbledore. I do not abhor him per say, but he is definitely my least favourite in the series. He is often seen as an upstanding wizard, the greatest wizard of his time. I particularly do not like the way he often treats people as pawns in his fight against Voldemort. I think that even when Voldemort was Tom Riddle and a student at Hogwarts, he had plenty of chances to prevent him from turning 'evil' - but he didn't. Later on, he left Harry with his magic-hating relatives. That in itself was abhorrent to me. Did he expect Petunia and Vernon Dursley to treat Harry well, given how their relationship with Lilly Potter was strained? It was further not mentioned if Dumbledore did send anyone to keep an eye on Harry during the years he had to spend living with the Dursleys. Even if he did, surely he would have done something about the fact that Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs of all places! That is no way to treat a child, even if it were to be a child of someone you hated. Albus Dumbledore later gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak when the latter was in his first year at Hogwarts, something that I found terribly irresponsible. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts, and giving a first year an invisibility cloak, inheritance or no, is something that should not happen. Seriously, what would an eleven year old boy do with something that can turn him invisible? Go around getting into trouble of course!
Dumbledore's actions make me wonder if he had, in fact, been 'training' Harry for his destiny all these years. And later on in the 7th book, it was revealed that yes, for the "greater good", Albus Dumbledore had in fact been willing to sacrifice Harry. While his intentions are laudable, it makes me wonder to what end Dumbledore would have manipulated Harry (and by extension, Snape) to had he not been killed in book 6.
So no, I do not like Dumbledore much. In my opinion, even Voldemort would be much better than him. At least the latter just went around killing in the name of furthering his cause, not manipulating innocent people whose only fault was to be the one who was prophesised to vanquish Voldemort.
13. What was your favorite plot or character revelation in the Harry Potter series?
Hmm, it would have to be the revelation of the reasons behind Snape's actions and why he turned to Dumbledore instead of remaining with Voldemort. To me, it explains a lot about why he still remained a double agent, and how he tries to keep Harry safe despite his personal feelings about James Potter.
14. Describe the canon qualities for each house that accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: Gryffindors are said to be courageous. I don't think I am overtly courageous, but more of like Neville, who is rather meek with a reservoir of courage brimming inside. I perceive myself as the sort who would only be courageous for the little things that don't matter rather than the larger things from the get go. Then again, I've been braver over the past few years as I grew to accept myself more as a person with limited abilities. So I would say that like Neville, who had a 'metamorphosis' of sorts throughout the 7 books, I am beginning to draw this reservoir of courage to the forefront.
• Slytherin: I tend to be rather ruthless in my quest for better grades. To pretend otherwise would be futile. I desire to be the best student I can, and if it requires me to clamber over classmates to achieve that, more often than not, I would do that. Slytherins are said to put their own desires above others. I am rather like that in the sense that I've grown to be the kind of person who would first, think about what I can gain from a particular endeavour before carrying it out, regardless of others feelings. They are ambitious, something which I am, but to a smaller degree. I like to have overly ambitious goals that I would try my best to achieve. I have great expectations of myself, yet I also understand that such expectations must be tempered by the knowledge of my own limitations.
• Ravenclaw: Ravenclaws are said to be those that have a thirst for knowledge. That reflects my academic side in that I always want to learn more. In my opinion, learning does not stop when you leave school. You learn as you grow older. I perceive myself as the sort that will learn everything given the chance. I don't have a particular 'taboo' subject that I refuse to read about. To me, knowledge is power, cliché as it may be.
• Hufflepuff: Hufflepuffs are said to be loyal and 'unafraid of toil'. That, I feel, reflects how I am when it comes to my friends and academics respectively. I'm not afraid to work hard for my goals, because I believe that it is more hard work than sheer talent that ultimately gets you far.
15. Describe the canon qualities for each house that do not accurately reflect you.
• Gryffindor: Gryffindors have been more often than not portrayed as being noble and righteous. I don't think I'm that sort of person. To be very honest, I don't usually hold myself to a set of morals. Sure, I won't go around killing people for the sake of doing so, but I also don't hold myself to any particular definition of right and wrong. To me, I will be capable of doing anything given that you provide me with a solid, logical reasoning as to why that particular act would first, benefit myself and secondly, benefit the community. I don't think I'm amoral, but neither do I see myself as being either noble or righteous.
• Slytherin: Slytherins are said to be resourceful. This is something that I have problems with. I can gather information, but only if someone points me in the right direction first. Usually, I would obtain my information in a roundabout matter, wasting much of my time before I get things done. I tend to be the sort that relies on information passed on from others, rather than to look for them myself.
• Ravenclaw: Wit and intellect is said to be characteristic of a Ravenclaw, and it is something that I think I lack. I'm not exceedingly smart by any means. If anything, I have to work very hard to understand abstract concepts.
• Hufflepuff: Hufflepuffs are also portrayed as being just, something that I find myself having problems with. I am not a very fair person in that I usually let my emotions do the ruling instead of using logic to analyse a situation and come to a conclusion. I tend not to evaluate the evidence fully, and most of the time, I tend to 'condemn' a person based on the first few emotions I feel.
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16. Age: 18
17. Optional: Link us to where you have promoted this community in your personal journal to earn your future house five points. n/a