If I may...

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• What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why? I think, if I had the opportunity, that I would chose to be an arithmancer. While the field is quite complicated and involved, I have always had a knack for numbers and I think arithmancy would be a suitable match. My job in the muggle-world ensures that I am always busy, and working towards some kind of goal. I have learned that working hard for your goals creates the greatest feelings of satisfaction. As an arithmancer, I would always have something to memorize, a puzzle to solve or something to research. I would never be bored, and I would always be willing to immerse myself into my work. Another reason why I would fit with this professions is that I love to work independently. I feel like I am able to be more productive and happier when I am able to work at my own pace. While I don't discount the value in working with others, and would gladly participate in meetings and brainstorming with other arithmancers, I am much happier working alone towards a personal goal.
  
• 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 think I would take Sirius Black. He has proven himself to be clever, quick-witted, loyal and strong. Adult!Sirius would definitely be a role model - I would learn a lot from his life experiences. His personality traits are really admirable. I believe it takes a strong man to admit that he has committed a wrong, and Sirius has done so time and time again. I think our personalities would mesh in a positive way, and we would be able to work together to come up with a remedy to any situation we'd find ourselves in. I think I could learn a lot from him in a high-stress situation. Besides - he's a total badass - kind of like a Wizard MacGyver, and I think we'd survive. :o)
  
  As for an object? That is far more tricky for me. I am a major technology nerd, so perhaps something like a Wizard iPad all loaded up with useful apps and references such as eBooks, maps, potions recipes, a spell cheat-sheet, notebooks and games (!) would be pretty fantastic (but only if the Forest has Wi-Fi ;)).
  
• If you had the opportunity to live forever, but your family and friends did not, what would you choose? And if you did choose to live forever, what would you do with eternity? I don't think that I would chose to live forever. I believe that everyone is given the life they are given for a reason. Besides - it is difficult enough to get over losing one person that I love. Thankfully, I have not had to experience losing very many loved ones, but the ones that I have had to say goodbye to have been very difficult for me. Losing everyone I know and love or a period of time - watching them all leave me - would perhaps be the most devastating thing I would ever experience. I do not think the value that I would find in an eternity of experience could neutralize the pain of experiencing it all alone.
  
• If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why? My answer to this question involves two things that I really love; first, New York City, and second, my love for art history - specifically modern art. I have visited New York from my small city in Canada twice, and it has captured my whole heart. The hustle and bustle of the city paired with the diversity in culture from one end of the city to the other is incomparable to my current living conditions.That answers the question of where I would go, but when and why? My favourite artist is Jackson Pollock, and I think having the opportunity to live in New York while he was working would be absolutely incredible. Having the opportunity to meet him in some way would make up for the extreme culture shock that I would surely experience. Pollock is someone I admire so much that I would probably be extremely starstruck, but the influence he's had over my way of thinking about the world and viewing art is absolutely priceless to me.
  
  I've often thought about how cool it would be to work alongside him as a student! Most people have celebrity crushes, but my crush is 100 year old abstract artist. :o)
  
• What HP character do you identify with most and why? I think I identify most strongly with Ron Weasly. We've seen him transform and grow infinitely as a character, and I really admire his development. He was a character struggling for an identity when we first met him in The Philosopher's Stone and the character he becomes by the end of the series is one that is very confident, self-assured and driven. While I have a very close, healthy relationship with my family, it has taken my a while to gain confidence in myself as establish myself as an individual away from my parent's and sibling's expectations. I am proud of who I have grown into, and I feel that I can identify with Ron in that way because he came into his own in a determined and motivated way. I discovered myself in many ways in the past few years. I've learned that I can and will eventually overcome any shyness or reservations I may have a be a successful leader if I work hard and apply myself. I've learned that self-motivation is powerful, but you don't need to do everything on your own. Ron's dry humour and sense of sarcasm that totally parallels my own don't hurt, either. ;)
  
• What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised? I am currently finishing up a university degree in sociology, attempting to get into law school, and finding my foothold in a career in the "real world." For me, college did not really provide the answers I was looking for in determining my important life choices. This confusion concerning where I want to go, what I want to do and my general lack of direction has been weighing heavily on, and is the forefront of my life. If I looked into the mirror today, I truly believe that I would see the career I am meant to have.
  
  Barring that situation, I think I might see an "improved" version of myself; lighter, different hairstyle, a big, bright smile and a general happiness and zest for life. I really want to be someone that is confident and self-assured, happy with my looks in a superficial (but not obsessive) way and confident in the way I present myself to others. I am slowly working towards this goal little by little as I get older, but the "new and improved" Brandi would probably be my next-biggest desire. :)
  
• Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create? I believe all actions should be judged by our motives. In the law, an act can only be judged as harmful if the person that commits it has a guilty mind, or 'mens rea'. I definitely agree that an individual cannot be blamed or judged for the harmful or beneficial consequences of act they commit if they did not intend said consequences. For example: a small child and a mother are in a store. The child accidentally spills water on the floor. The mother notices and, since she is alone with the child, leaves the scene to tell an employee of the mess. In the mean time, another patron slips in the water and falls, injuring themselves. Is the child to blame for hurting the patron that fell because he or she created the mess? On the other side of the coin, an individual commits and act he or she knows is wrong (say drinking and driving), but there are no harmful consequences (say the driver makes it home safely with injuring anyone else) does that make it OK? While these may not necessarily be the moral actions the question speaks of, I believe the views expressed in these example can be applied to many situations.
  
• What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now? When I was younger, I really wanted to be a teacher. As I grew up, I changed my mind a hundred times. I'm not very comfortable speaking in front of crowds, therefore teaching may not be the best career choice. It has taken me a long time to decide what I want to do, and like I mentioned above, I am still working on it. I want to be a lawyer because right now that is an attainable goal. I feel like I would be a good lawyer, and deep down I know that I have the ability to be successful in that field.
  
  If I am reaching to say "dream job," I would probably say artist. I have always enjoyed making graphics, painting and drawing, but I my abilities are only sub-par. I am constantly discouraged by the final products of my artistic endeavours. You know when you picture how something is in your head, and then it totally falls apart when you try to make it materialize? That happens more often than not with my projects. I have acknowledged that I don't really have the talent to be a professional artist, but I think it would be an amazing job.
  
• 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? If I could come up with any potion, I think it would be liquid confidence. I think it is important note that it would be very different from Felix Felicis; my potion would not provide the drinker with luck, but merely confidence in themselves and their own abilities in any situation. Confidence is something I have always struggled with. It has taken me quite a while to become confidence in my own abilities and the person that I have become. I believe every person has the right to be confident with the person that they are because every person has something within themselves that the world deserves to see. Fears, insecurities and lack of opportunity should not hold anyone back from showing everyone else what they are made of.
  
  For a name? I'm not so sure. I know a lot of the spell names are rooted in Latin, so I would probably incorporate "fidere," which means "to believe in". :)
  
• 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? I have been coming back to this question for quite a few days and I am no closer to an answer. My most concrete fear is flying in airplanes. When I think about the sheer size and weight of airplanes flying through the air, I am terrified; my heart races, I start to shake, and I get very uncomfortable. There is no question that I am afraid of flying. My biggest fears, though, are things that would be very difficult to objectify: fear of failure, fear of disappointing people that depend on me, and fear of being alone. If there ever was a way to combine all of these personal, internal fears into a concrete object, I think that would be my boggart.
  
  My riddikulus? My puppy Snoopy. I have two dogs, but Snoopy makes me laugh more than anything else. He is about 7 months old with floppy ears, puppy innocence, and totally crazy. He runs into walls, races around the house without abandon, and shows more love than I ever thought an animal could. He is always happy, and he always cheers me up by making me laugh when I'm in a bad mood by simply being himself.
  
• What do you look for in a friend? I think I am overly picky with who I become friends with, and as a result, I don't have very many. A good friend to me is someone who is honest, loyal, understanding and accepting. A good friend will stick by you during the hard times, and celebrate alongside you during the happy times. A good friend is someone with interests that are both similar and different from your own - you need something familiar to connect with each other, and something different to keep things interesting. Friends will always be the people you turn to when you need advice, cheering up and a good laugh.
  
  Above all else, a friend will love you for exactly who you are, flaws and all, and friends will always be some of the the relationships that you treasure the most in your life.
  
• What trait most annoys you about other people? The trait that most annoys me in other people has to be a lack of empathy or understanding for alternative situations or lifestyles. One of the most basic, human abilities is the ability to think about how others may feel or experience in any given situation. Ignorance is not a desirable trait in any person, and I view a lack of empathy as going hand-in-hand with ignorance. I believe that people that act selfishly and without regard to the feelings and situation of others do not deserve any respect. You need to give what you get - if you want respect and understanding you have to be willing and able to give it to others.
  
• What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
  Listening - I've been told by several people on several occasions that I am great to talk to because I listen and engage in conversation when they speak with me. I believe it is important to understand different points of view, and to listen before speaking in most occasions.
  
  Leadership - As I have grown up, my confidence level has increased slowly. My role as a supervisor at work has helped a lot with that. I feel that my work has allowed me to demonstrate how far I can push myself, and exactly how good of a leader I can be. I have several people that rely on me, and I can take control and guide them without over-thinking my position and second guessing my actions (most of the time!).
  
  Logic - I am a very logical thinker, and logic has always come easily to me. I see patterns of thought and reasoning in arguments as easily as other add numbers.
  
  Openness - Like I've mentioned before, I think one of the most important qualities in a well-rounded person is opening yourself to other points of view, and being accepting of people and things that are no what you are used to. I try my hardest to keep an open mind and to be free of judgement before making any decisions.
  
  Quick Learner - One of my greatest abilities is picking up on new things very quickly. Any time I am given a new task, especially technical ones, I devote as much time to mastering them as possible. I will not rest until I have mastered those tasks, and can be confident in my ability to perform them without assistance.
  
• What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
  Perfectionism - Most of the time, I try way to hard to make things perfect and that ends up ruining any confidence I may have had in the product to begin with. A prime example of this quality is the fact that I have been actively working on this application for hours upon hours upon hours, trying to make sure that my answers are suitable for sorting here at hogwartsishome. I am happy with my answers to the questions, but I am very nervous for the outcome of my sorting.
  
  Pessimism - Most people strive to see the best in any situation, but no matter how hard I try, I will always been a pessimist. I have been this way for so long, that I have accepted and openly acknowledge this fact. My mind automatically goes to the worst case scenario, and I replay those circumstances in my head until I cannot think of anything else.
  
  Shy - My lack of confidence as a child and teenager has made me very shy around new people in social situations. It takes me a very long time to open up to others, and as a result I have a very difficult time forming relationships.
  
  Procrastination - I have always been eager to take on as many responsibilities as I possibly can. Instead of working on these projects in a timely matter, I have always left them to the last possible minute. I have had several close calls, but I have always managed to squeak by right at the deadline. I have never missed a deadline, and I think that contributes to the cycle. I am conscious of the fact that I get by by the skin of my teeth, but I cannot convince myself to work on my projects earlier - I've always got tomorrow, or 8 more hours, or 3 more hours, or OH MY GOODNESS, 15 minutes!
  
  Short Temper - When I get frustrated or clash with another person, my temper flares quite quickly. There have been situations in which I say or do things I regret in the heat of the moment, but I am actively working on not letting things get to me so easily.
  
• Define in your own words the following key traits:
  • Courage: Courage is facing your fears, insecurities and awkwardness, and pushing through any situation you face with conviction and determination. Courage isn't fearlessness but perseverance.
  • Loyalty: Loyalty is committing yourself to and standing by people or things that you believe in or care about, regardless of the circumstance. Being true to yourself is the first step in being loyal to others.
  • Intelligence: Intelligence is the ability to perceive and and to demonstrate a willingness and adeptness to learn and apply new concepts in a variety of situations.
  • Ambition: Ambition means taking initiative to use the resources you have been given in a beneficial way in order to better yourself or others. Ambition requires a longing to accomplish a specific task and having the audacity to work towards what you desire.
• Name: Brandi
• Age: 21
• Where did you find out about us? From other LJ friends and various spin-off "land communities".
• Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? Of course. Not being active would defeat the point of joining, wouldn't it? :o)