Two cent HORCRUX!

[vxsurgeon]

01. Name: Dylan
02. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? I found it in a promotion on a blog after running a google search for "Hogwarts Sorting Hat."

||MIRROR OF ERISED||

03. What do you wish to accomplish in life?

Spring 2013: Finally graduate from college.

Next stop, South Korea. I want to find a job teaching English in a private school in order to finally earn some cash. In fact, I want to continue teaching until I earn enough money and am proficient enough in Korean that I can study for a license in personal training. I chose South Korea as my post graduation destination after being introduced to the country through its pop-culture. What I subsequently found was an exciting nation with a rapidly developing economy that offers everything one could want set in the framework of a very traditional and respectful society. I'm looking forward to being able to take advantage of the blossoming economy in which more and more people are spending more money on luxury goods and focusing more on their looks and health, as well as the fact the country is generally very hospitable to foreigners. Thus, it's an attractive place to start my personal training and competitive bodybuilding career. All together, I'd like to be in Korea for at least six years.

Afterwards, my plan is to move to either Taiwan or mainland China. While there, I will pretty much follow the same format: Start off teaching English while improving my Mandarin and continuing to gain experience and some authority and importance in the bodybuilding/fitness community.

I've always strongly believed in the relationship of mind and body, so working in the fitness industry to build the right lifestyle is what's important to me now. I really can't stress enough how good health and body image are determinant in my mood, productivity, relationships -- everything. I just always want to be seen the right way.

If I choose to continue onto a higher level of education, I will most likely specialize in a foreign language while still in Asia. Upon completion, I could potentially work in immigrations or government intelligence, however, I'd still want to continue training. As of now, I don't really want children, but I do want enough money to travel to learn more skills such as martial arts or meditation

When I'm ready to retire, I want to be somewhere on the Mediterranean. I envision owning a really picturesque white home with a blue roof located near the coast so that I can free dive in the deep waters or frequently indulge in lobster bakes. Sounds perfect!

04. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #03.)

Honestly, I would see something that is at least a little sublime. For several years now, I've had this image in my mind of myself on a snowy mountain peak. I have no real interest in mountain climbing, but the image just presents itself with an innate sense of accomplishment, as well as a feeling of transcendence -- people wouldn't be able to compare me to anyone else and I'd no longer be subject to the most mundane parts of life.
I think I'm attracted to free diving for the same reason. It just seems very powerful, sleek and liberating. Ultimately, that's how I'd like to feel for the rest of my life. I really hate the idea aging feebly, spending my time clipping coupons in some obscure Midwestern town. I hate the idea of working in a bank.

If it's not something along those lines, then I'd see myself standing close to another man. We'd be both be handsome, fit and smiling. For much of my life, I've been somewhat of a loner. I can get along well with people, but I have a hard time not withdrawing from relationships after a while because of self-consciousness. I hope to someday meet someone who has similar goals as me, who perceives the world similarly to me -- someone on whom I can rely and trust.

05. What makes a person deserving of your respect?

It could be that a person is hardworking. It could be that a person is intelligent. It all just depends on the situation at large. People and their intentions are too diverse to respect solely on one facet. I have enough sensitivity to treat others how I would want to be treated from the beginning, but I can't really say that I respect x sort of person for x reason all the time. One could say that respect is really reserved for actions, while people deserve something different. Something closer to admiration, perhaps? Still, whether I admire you is usually dependent on what you do in the context, so whatever! Same difference!

06. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Kind of a lot of things, actually, but one in particular is that it really irritates me when people lack essential etiquette. I hate it when people don't hold the door open for me or don't say please and thank you. These are the most basic courtesies, but if you lack them, it's glaringly obvious and a huge faux pas to me. I've always wondered, are these people just having a bad day or do they seriously think they're better than me? Either way, it's pretty tasteless, so I'm always careful to do these things for others. I guess I'm like this because I grew up in a small suburb, where people valued politeness. The first time I went to China (and lived in a big city for an extended period of time), I was really bothered by the differences in manners. Cutting in line, littering, spitting, chewing loudly, etc. I got over it though, since it's a different culture.  Here in my own country, though ... hm, no!

07. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I'd like a narrower nose. Fortunately, Seoul has an abundance of cosmetic surgeons from which to choose. I've heard that it's a city where 93% of women have had cosmetic surgery, so the doctors are highly skilled at performing quick and precise procedures at a very reasonable cost compared to the US. Honestly I don't really feel the need to change anything about my personality. No one is perfect. Life will never be perfect and I don't need to kid myself into thinking I need be. I have flaws and I work with them; I get help when I need to. I don't mind changing my outside, but at this point, I don't feel the need to change part of my personality.

08. If you could do any one thing and suffer no consequences, what would it be?
I'd leave school today and get a move on with my life. I like school sometimes, but I've been here long enough, thanks. I don't think that's a hard sentiment to understand. Doing well in school is personally important, obviously, but there's so many things I'd rather be doing than other worrying about organizing another fifteen minute presentation for another class that, quite frankly, I just don't care about.

09. What do you think are your top five positive characteristics?

• Introverted. I've heard so many people say that introversion is less advantageous because it means you're shy. While I do tend to rehearse what I'm going to say -- even for little things like ordering food and making phone calls -- I've been able to cope with shyness. It took some time getting used to, certainly, but now I'm very comfortable with being an introvert because I can spend a lot of time thinking and working on my own without any problem. I rarely feel lonely. I tend to see people who are the opposite of me -- those who need to make small talk, need to be in a relationship all the time, or just generally can't stand being alone -- and from my point of view, it looks like an exhausting waste of time and energy.

• Agreeable. I took an online quiz that told me that I was highly "agreeable." I think it makes sense because I like to know what is expected of me. It's just so much easier to make a decision. Also, if there's something I don't like, I can just do it quickly and move on or avoid it all together. I do have a rebellious streak, though, because although I like to know how or what to do, I don't like when people expect me to do it for no reason other than their complacency. For example, my roommate is Chinese and I wrote lot of his English papers for him. Each time he always thanked me a lot and paid me back, but after a while, he began to EXPECT me to keep writing them for him. No! I'm happy to help but if you get lazy and want to take advantage of me, then obviously I'm going to get annoyed. Other than that, I hate conflict. I hate arguing. Some people might see this as negative thing, but I love it because it's much easier to get along with people. I don't have any enemies. I don't have drama. In fact, people genuinely seem to like me.

• Intelligent. I wouldn't be such a huge Harry Potter fan if I was. I have no lack of imagination, so I love playing with ideas that aren't relevant to daily life (laik nao). Yet, I also use my imagination to be very future-oriented and broad-minded, which I think you can see reflected in question #1. A lot of college students preparing to graduate have no idea what they want from life. That sounds like Hell. I don't think I'm smarter than most people, but I do like learning. Additionally, I am very self-reflective. It's almost like I have one eye turned inward and another eye turned out at all times.

• Evolving. This goes along with the previous traits since I am quite introspective and can apply my intelligence meaningfully, I, essentially, am always learning from my mistakes (even if it takes while afterwards). I am always changing and getting wiser. I've changed so much since high school it's mind boggling. That process won't stop until I'm dead. There's a lot I don't know but, still, I'm not stupid, son! Don't think that I'm naïve.

• Sensual. I frequently take long hot showers, spend God knows how long looking at pretty images online, possess a keen eye for excellent bone structure and obsess over clothes and fragrances. I love art, although I haven't pursued it out of high school. I've been lucky to have the privilege to indulge in these things and am going to make sure my life stays that way. To me, visuals are just as important as the package and being skilled in refining an image always makes a good impression and pays off in the end.

10. What do you think are your top five negative characteristics?

• Judgmental. I make decisions about things too quickly. What I like and don't like. Day to day, we pick up on loads of information about what people want and expect from us in addition to our own constantly changing needs. Rather than seeking someone else's input and talking things out, I internalize first. As a result, I make a lot of important decisions off of completely subjective judgements. I guess it makes me seem stubborn.

• Envious. I hate rejection and, in a backwards kind of way, to make sure it never happens, I am always comparing myself to others. "I wish I looked like that. Should I go blonde? I'd be so much happier if my butt were that big." These sorts of thoughts and worse are always racing through my head. This is probably true for everyone, but for me it leads to a lot of persistent anxiety because I base so much of my self-worth on externals.

• Emotional. Earlier I said that don't have personal drama. That's interpersonally true at least. Internally, on the other hand, I experience life super intensely. I don't know if it's coming through in this application, though (right now, I'm really calm) but I get offended so easily, jealous easily, sad easily, angry easily. I tend to kind of pouring myself into something, but I rarely get to express my feelings person to person unless it's through my body. People have told me that I have a "fierce walk" and I would have to agree that I do at least stomp around during the day because I'm so personally invested in everything, trying to get things done. Similarly, I talk with my hands.

• Burnout. What I mean is that I loose energy easily. I do tend to pour my energy into a project, then not touch it again for a long time before I'm ready to finish it. I can't do the whole "little bit everyday thing" unless I have some help. This is actually why I want to be a personal trainer. So many people want to manage their weight goals alone (for many understandable reasons), but they eventually fail because they burnout after a short while. I'm no different, so as a trainer, I can coach others who are having the same problem. I wish I could feed my ego, though, and be Mr. Independent in the gym everyday.
  
• Standoffish. People always want me to participate more than I am willing.  These days, being standoffish is really more of a survival strategy than anything. I've learned to dodge unwanted people and obligations like bullets. I think to myself, "Just mind your own business. Pretend you didn't see them. Don't get too attached 'cause you've only got one year left." If I can't just avoid someone all together, I still make polite conversation, yet at the same time I avoid all idle chitchat. In fact, when I meet new people, I usually just avoid talking about myself at all. Instead, I try focus the conversation on that other person. This is just the easiest way to avoid any awkward situations as well as not letting them really know what's up when I don't want them to.

||HOGWARTS, A HISTORY||

11. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?

Hard. I love Harry. I love Cedric. I cried when both of them died, but ...

My favorite character isn't actually just one person. It's two characters in relation to each other. That is, Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle. To clarify, of course, I hate Voldemort. I hate Tom as a person, but I like how his behavior developed out of the actions of his mother (whom I do like). In other words, it was interesting to see the the negative development of one tragic character spin into something worse. The whole Harry Potter series is LOADED with "trickle-down effect" when it comes to families. Whole families are sorted in the same house and children resemble their parents almost identically. We see this with Snape + parents, Harry + parents, etc. Honestly, I have no idea what point Rowling's trying to prove with that, but it's pretty cool. And since Riddle and his mother are no exception to the rule, they're my favorite example of it.

First off, I love Merope's tragedy (is that sick?). I mean, I genuinely felt for her when I first read HBP. I hated the oppression she experienced, but I loved her storyline because it was relatable; I could personally feel her longing.  For that reason, I respect her actions in the context. Seducing Riddle, her only object of desire, with a sophisticated potion like Amortentia took a lot of ingenuity on her part since she seemingly wasn't trained at Hogwarts. I also love that she turned a good situation (her liberation from her father) into an even better situation. That being said, it was disappointing when it all backfired, yet I can still understand what she must have felt to have caused it by stopping the "feeding".

And yet, the tragedy doesn't end there, which makes things even more interesting. Like a creeping poison, the love potion that caused Merope's undoing, was, as Dumbledore speculates, the cause of Voldemort's inability to love, which was his own achilles heel. Quel drame, non? I love how Tom inherited his father's looks but his mother's trait of desperate searching. Again, the whole thing is kind of tragically beautiful, and in terms of importance, it's just as critical to the plot as Lily's loving sacrifice and Harry's own self-sacrifice in the Forbidden Forest.

12. Who is your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series?

Easy. Pettigrew. Gross.

Obviously, he betrayed James and Lily, so, on principle, he sucks. But, more seriously, what really irritates me is the he decided to go to the dark side because "nothing could be gained from opposing [Voldemort]."
In his Hogwarts days, he idolized James and Sirius, but wasn't up to their standard talent-wise. Yet, he still managed to become and animagus, which is by no means a small accomplishment, especially for a student. Apart from this, he didn't show any desire to improve himself any further. He gave up on himself and his friends out of complete cowardice, but was still willing to grovel for his life. Why? His best friends were some of the most talented and bravest wizards of the time, but he totally didn't take advantage of their protection. In retrospect, I wouldn't expect Pettigrew to valiantly fight against Voldemort like the other Marauders, but he could have at least gone into hiding as a rat like he eventually did anyway.

Siding with Voldemort, as far as I am concerned, means losing nearly everything. Your life (for the time being) remains, but your dignity and freedom are all taken away because you are at the constant mercy of a psychopath. That's stupid. What kind of life is that?

Obviously a terrible one, as he found out in the end. At least Rowling as a good sense of "what goes around comes around."

13. What was your favorite plot or character revelation in the Harry Potter series?

I could answer this the same as number #11, but instead I'll choose another answer: Narcissa's betrayal of Voldemort.

There's no way I would have had the balls to do that to Voldemort. The interesting thing is, there wasn't any need to. Had Narcissa just kept silent, someone else (Bellatrix) would have checked Harry's body.  He would have been discovered and subsequently killed for good. Ultimately, Narcissa would have marched back to the castle to find Draco alive and well. However, in that moment of betrayal, her concern for her son over ran her sense of self-preservation to the point where she even put her own husband and sister at risk. Seriously, if Voldemort found out she had lied from the beginning, he would have kill her and everyone related to her on the spot. That's exactly why I liked this part so much; it was extremely tantalizing, unexpected and dangerous. Overall, I still feel pretty indifferent towards Narcissa herself, but it was nice to see her character develop in HBP and DH.

14. Describe the canon qualities for each house that accurately reflect you.

• Gryffindor: I'm very passionate. As I stated earlier, I have strong feelings and I consider myself to be an idealist. Otherwise, I'm naturally quite playful and prefer to be able to be spontaneous. I love smiling and laughing -- not canon traits -- but the Gryffindors seem to do it a lot more than members of the other Houses.

• Slytherin: I'm ambitious and resourceful. For example, I try to give myself a competative advantage by learning two languages and looking for jobs outside of my major. I don't think I'm cunning, but I am definitely patient, which a Slytherin ought to be if he or she's going to get anywhere in life long-term.

• Ravenclaw: Definitely my imagination; it's what brought me here. I consider myself an in-depth thinker, judging by my own answers to these questions. I have plenty of curiosity and am focused on self-improvement. Most importantly, I take a lot of time to try to understand the world and people around me. I come to my own conclusions about life.

• Hufflepuff: Agreeable, as stated above. I know I listed "standoffish" as one of my worse traits, but that doesn't mean that I'm genuinely mean or unpleasant. Quite the opposite, actually, when I'm around people, I treat them very well. Like I also said before, I'm very patient. I feel like I've been laboring in school, just waiting for my "real" life to begin. And finally, I'm not boastful. I'd prefer to let my effort put into my presentation speak for itself.

15. Describe the canon qualities for each house that do not accurately reflect you.

• Gryffindor: What really sets the Gryffindors apart from the other houses is that they take the initiative to rebel against what they don't like; they are activists. S.P.E.W, Fred and George's departure from Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Army -- all initiated by Gryffindors. In this way, however, this way, I am not like them. I have causes that I care about, for example, but I'm not really that involved. At most, I sign online petitions by clicking a button.

• Slytherin: The Slytherins in canon aren't very good at addressing their own short-comings. This tends to be the opposite of me, because I am debilitatingly self-critical at times. At my best, however, I am very self-aware, which, again, many Slytherins are not. Certainly they are confident and motivated, but their arrogance easily gets out of control because there's not healthy point of introspection at which they really work on what's making them so unhappy.

• Ravenclaw: "This isn't magic, it's logic. A lot of great wizards haven't got an ounce of that." Unfortunately Hermione, I'd be one of the wizards. I am dismal at anything that involves numbers or any sort of "left-brained problem solving." Chemistry, physics, algebra, chess, sudoku or any sort of puzzle--you name it, I hate it.

• Hufflepuff: They say, "no man is an island." When accepted as true, this is one of Hufflepuff's greatest strengths. Like I said, I do need a some support, but otherwise I tend to be somewhat of a loner. Admittedly, I can be lazy too, especially in school. Honestly, I've never been a great student outside of the classes that really interest me. I always choose sleep over late night cramming for tests because my comfort comes first and tend to skip class more and more frequently the closer I am to graduating.
  

||HOGWARTS EXPRESS||

16. Age: 21
17. Optional: Link us to where you have promoted this community in your personal journal to earn your future house five points.  http://vxsurgeon.livejournal.com/1653.html