Request for Sortage

[darsynia]

• What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
  I love questions like this, because I have a ready answer, even though it's a profession I've made up in my own head. I would want to be a Magic Procurer--someone who knew how to navigate the Muggle and Wizarding worlds to find rare and special magical items. I could work for a specialty shop or a museum, but the work would not only require the ability to understand and work with the Muggle world (checking E-bay for 'WOW! item works like MAGIC' kinds of entries, for example), but a firm grasp at many facets of the Wizard world as well. Memory charms, Transfiguration, and a host of Defense Against the Dark Arts training would be required, and the work would be ever-changing. One day I could be in the United States, persuading a New York Socialite that the antique clock she's auctioning at an exclusive NYC venue would be better served as a private buy by my company (the carvings on the rich wood rearrange themselves based on the time of day), the next I could be in Belgium, forced to use Befuddlement Charms and a lot of monetary persuasion to get ahold of an item whose owner refuses to part with--a book of Dark Arts incantations that are rumored to raise the dead. Zombiefied horses are one thing, but when used on a human being...
  
  I'm getting carried away, sorry. What attracts me about this profession that I've come up with is that it's surely needed, but it's also the type of job that requires a lot of talent and diplomacy, as well as providing travel and excitement.
  
  
• If you could teach one class at Hogwarts, what would it be and why?
  Transfiguration! I am so completely fascinated by this subject. Canon tells us that items with similar sounding names or similar shapes are easier to Transfigure into one another, and that just leads me down all sorts of paths, wondering if different items in other languages are easier to Transfigure. Could a Transfiguration Master be fluent in many different languages, and combine this talent with their natural abilities in the discipline to choose which language would be better used in each incantation? Another thing that draws me to Transfiguration is the idea that it takes more than pure book smarts or pure talent to excel in it. I always hated being shown up by someone in school who just had a unique talent for whatever class we were in--but then, it also bugged me that someone could be really good at something and never actually done it, simply by virtue of constant study. I like the concept of a little bit of talent mixed with solid research. I think, too, that the Transfiguration professor has the singular ability to motivate her students to apply themselves in class, whether it's that class or not. Think of the times when you started a school, whether it was middle, high, or college. Was there one class that sort of woke you up, that made you realize that things would be different, and that it might be time to pay more attention? Having to work a little bit (but not your ass off) at something, alongside of being a little bit naturally good at it... it might make someone into a better student.
  
  
• This year, The TriWizard Tournament is being held once again and you're of age. Do you put your name in the Goblet? Why or why not?
  I have a competitive streak in me, as well as a fairly well-developed sense of pride and accomplishment in the things I do well, so I can be reasonably certain that I would submit my name. I really do love to learn, whether the mode of doing so is hands-on (such as Potions or CoMC), purely the facts and data (Arithmancy, History of Magic), or a combination of the two (Transfiguration, DADA). This leads me to believe that I would do my best to do well in all subjects, and as I assume that I would count as a Muggle-born, that would mean that when I started Hogwarts, all of this learning would be completely new to me. Like Hermione, I could completely see my eleven year-old self driven to devour every bit of information possible, prior and subsequent to starting classes. All of this flowery explanation is just my way of explaining that I think I would be good enough at a variety of the subjects to have a decent chance at winning the Cup--or at least enjoy the challenge of trying to.
  
  
• If you could choose your animagus form, what would it be and why? *hears Tyler Durden in the background yelling, 'Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken...'*
  I would choose a peacock. Even though it's the males of the species that have the most beauty, I tell myself that in choosing my animagus form, I can look however I want to look (I mean, I suppose that one could choose to be a pink and purple striped chimpanzee if they really wanted, but it strikes me that as difficult as it is to learn to be an animagus, the kind of person who would want to do that would lose interest by the time they got to that point). I think the peacock is perfect for my character, because I have a great desire to show people beauty--whether it's through the written word (written by me or others), through my talents in quilting and cross-stitch, or just pure natural beauty of the world around us. That being said, sometimes I like to hide away and 'recharge;' I see that as the times when the gorgeous decorative tail is not unfurled. It also says a lot about my desire to show off, sometimes--because people know that peafowl have those beautiful tails to display, they often hover over and around the birds, waiting for them to spread out their tails. Lastly, my choice also shows (whether this is good or bad) that I was more concerned with symbolism and appearance than functionality.
  
  
• What HP character do you identify with most and why?
  I typically answer Hermione to these questions, but as I've gotten older (what a difference a year makes! /minisarcasm), I've started to see more of myself in Remus Lupin. I'm nowhere near as introverted, but I feel as though I view the world as he must--optimistically, even though my own life's statistics have shown that I will be treated poorly and will probably have to take it without much recourse for complaints. Remus is the kind of friend who is able to care deeply and show loyalty, while at the same time knowing and recognizing his friends' weaknesses and strengths. I always liked the fact that he was a prefect for Gryffindor, and wondered at why it didn't seem like he tried to assert that authority much over his fellow Marauders. I've heard it suggested that he was concerned that he'd lose their friendship or respect if he did that, but I think that's a false assessment. I think Remus' leadership is much more subtle than that, and the kind I strive for. Gentle suggestions, the clever steering of conversation, and a self-depricating humor is the way that I think Remus acted, and with my guilt complex, that tends to be the way I do things too. I think it's much better to help someone see why they might be making bad choices by that method instead of coming straight out and saying 'Don't be stupid, that'll get yourself killed.'
  
  Remus puts on a brave face for the world, and while he is determined that things be done well and with the right intentions, he has never struck me as the type to stuff that down anyone's throat. I think both of us would rather spend a lifetime teaching the things we find fascinating, to see the inspiration in our students' eyes, than to have to try to correct ignorance later on as some sort of law enforcement officer (read: auror). Both lives would involve the use of knowledge and/or magic, but in a way that builds up, rather than tears down. I know that sounds like it's in conflict with the profession I chose for the first question, but what I meant here is that, given the choice of enforcement or teaching (which is kind of what I see Remus' choice recently being--either involve himself deeply in Order business or try to set up a roving tutor job for himself--the latter of course, not canon, just an inference by me), we would both rather teach.
  
  
• What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
  I above all things want to be a mother. I sometimes joke that I managed to inherit the genes our ultimate ancestors must have had, the urge to procreate in order to survive. The idea that, once I'm gone, and the people I love are gone, they have children on the earth that hold a bit of their genetic material... it makes me feel safe. So, for me, my Mirror would show not myself and my husband holding babies, but adult versions of our future children doing so, a kind of vision of what I hope for in my future and theirs. I should note that because it's my Mirror, it shows what I most desire, which isn't always something attainable (my kids may not want to have kids, or even worse, I may be infertile), and it's not always an accurate representation of what the future holds. After all, Harry's showed him with his parents... I guess I'm trying to say that one of the things I disliked about some of my school friends' parents was their pushing for a certain lifestyle for their children. I don't intend to do that, no matter HOW strong my desire for a genetic line is. So while my Mirror may show my children with their children, it doesn't mean I'm going to nag at them to have any. Okay, maybe just a little...
  
  
• If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
  First, I would pay taxes on it, *cough* Richard Hatch *cough* I would immediately put half of the sum away somewhere where it would gain interest, and try to forget that it's there. Then, I would check to see if any immediate (read: parents, parents-in-law, etc) family members have outstanding debts, and help pay those off. I would then set half of the rest of the money as 'improvement' money, whether it be by mind (more education) or lifestyle (house improvements, car repairs, wardrobe upgrades). The rest is for fun, like buying music and movies, going to conferences that were previously out of reach of my pocketbook, maybe getting to go to places that I really want to visit before they're so altered by climatic changes that they're not the same--Glacier National Park, Yellowstone/Yosemite, Alaska, etc.
  
  
• What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
  I wanted to be an actress or a singer, at ages before I realized that talent isn't the only reason that famous people are in those professions. I wanted the level of fame that brought 'household name' status, but not because of the money or any other trappings that came with it--I wanted everyone to know how good I thought I'd be at those things. I can clearly remember hitting around nineteen years old and realizing that I didn't have the personality or the body to be either of those things, and the reason I can remember it so well is the bitterness of my disappointment. I railed at the unfairness of people who couldn't sing on the radio, the fact that I could probably act better than people with television contracts, etc.
  
  My ideal job right now... that's a tough one, because I'm interested in so many things, and because of my marrying half-way through college, I never finished--which means that if/when I go back, I have the chance to make a career decision with more life experience than I had at the time (reality check--I made the decision to get married and that was just fine, but I was too young to decide what my career was? Good thing I chose the perfect husband for me with so little 'life experience' *wink*). I am fascinated by law and history, am really good at mundane things like proofreading, and I absolutely adore writing. I suppose that I would consider an ideal job one that incorporates subjects I have passion for, includes some necessity for writing skills, and above all, is something I can respect myself for doing. Unfortunately I have no idea what that is, as the substance of what is included is the important part for me right now, rather than the actual job title.
  
  
• 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 would invent the Tego texi tectum spell. The latin phrase means 'to cover, bury, conceal, hide, protect, shield;' the physical manifestation of this spell would be a protective bubble that expands to comfortably enclose whatever it is cast upon, providing the visual effect of a bubble within a bubble--an outer bubble extending about six inches from the inner bubble, which clings to the shape of the object or person. The object of this spell is to shield the item or being that it is cast on, essentially protecting both the inside and outside from whatever could do harm. I could see the application of this for such mundane things as seeing a prized breakable object starting to fall from its perch, to those working in the Ministry using it to harmlessly explode Muggle bombs used by devious and naive Wizards. I would imagine that the larger the item to be enclosed, the stronger the spell would need to be, so it wouldn't be taught at Hogwarts until at least Sixth Year.
  
  
• 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?
  As a side-effect of being fascinated by forensic science and criminal law, I am completely terrified of dying as the result of a random crime. My boggart would be a masked killer with a wicked looking knife, who would periodically rip his face covering away and demand, on pain of death, that I look at his face. This is particularly scary because I figure that a violent offender would not risk the chance that their victim could identify him--and thus, the demand to look at and recognize his face is essentially telling me that he intends to kill me. I am a very articulate person; I tend to go over conversations in my head repeatedly to perfect them, even though I rationally know that I will never relive that exact experience (no, I'm not George Costanza). A close family friend was once attacked while in her apartment, and she managed to convince her assailant that he didn't want to harm her, and he ran away--but not before punching her in the larynx and ruining her singing career. As a singer myself--and this woman had a gorgeous voice even twenty years after the incident, so I tear up thinking about how beautiful it must have been before--this story was particularly horrifying to me. I think my boggart would turn into a remorseless killer who could not be reasoned with, and that would be the embodiment of my greatest fear.
  
  As for the counter-charm, I think that a menacing, masked monstrosity unable to remove the suffocating covering on his head, and trying desperately to remove it... yeah, that would be pretty ridiculous.
  
  
• What do you look for in a friend?
  I look for people who aren't judgmental. I have had a lot of nasty experiences with people who appeared to be genuine and caring at first, but who turned into real disappointments as friends when they each in their own way demonstrated shortsightedness and judgmental behavior, either towards me or other people. While I can totally tolerate it when my friends and I don't share the same opinion, I can't stand it when those opinions, when expressed, come out as waspish and holier-than-thou. Humans naturally want the people they associate with to have lots in common with them, but it's also human nature to come to one's own conclusions about things. What I mean about judgmental behavior as it's been demonstrated in my life would be petty things like assuming someone holds a particular political opinion simply because they agree with a documentary's information (one whose evidence is all hard scientific data, too, lol), or more broad like assuming that anyone with psychiatric issues is bad, or deserves their fate, no matter how miniscule or all-encompassing their problems are in that area. Seeing 'this person is Bipolar, and therefore is guilty of murder' used in a courtroom just makes me boiling mad--and to be treated with that sort of behavior (I'm not Bipolar, but I do have a personality disorder) by people that I choose to spend my time with is heartbreaking. We are NOT the labels we are given. You aren't 'Cancer' because you're stricken with it, neither do you change and become 'Pneumonia' for two weeks, instead of your own name. You are the sum total of your experiences, not one specific part for now and forever, amen.
  
  
• What trait most annoys you about other people?
  Rigidity. The inability to admit that they were wrong, the inability to hear facts even if they contradict what they personally believe and make an opinion based on both sides. I've recently watched the excellent documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and it just amazes me how many people I've met or heard about since that refuse to even watch it, because they hold a negative opinion of Al Gore or because they don't believe that Global Warming is a real issue. I'm not trying to be preachy or bring up anything of a debate here, but this is just a case in point. It is beyond frustrating to see someone who for all other intents and purposes is a honest, capable human being--but as soon as their opinion is crossed, their judgment questioned, they shut off the problem-solving area of their brain and dig in their heels. A discussion is not a discussion when one of the participants has made up their mind and refuses to deviate from that, no matter what new information they're presented with.
  
  
• What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
  
  1. Empathic: I always feel like I'm pretending to be a Betazoid when I say that, but have yet to come up with a better word that means 'has empathy.' I have a strong desire to make sure that those around me are happy, and I have managed to develop since childhood the ability to use verbal, physical, and emotional cues to figure out what people need whether or not they can tell me directly. I am capable of empathizing with people without being condescending or using false cheerfulness ('don't worry, it'll all turn out right in the end').
     
  2. Creative: I have a need to produce creatively, whether it's with quilting, writing, or graphics-related. I often feel like I can't go through a day without expressing this in some way, like it's a drive deep within me that has to manifest itself in one way or another.
     
  3. Detail-Oriented: Whether it's proofreading or trying to maintain as close to realistic characterizations as possible in my fanfiction, I am a stickler for the details. I like to make sure that everything is represented if everything is supposed to be represented; I'm the type that knows and frets about it if her quilt/story/speech/website has an error in it--until I go and fix it, that is.
     
  4. Loyal: I'm the kind that defends injustice against my friends no matter who or what is perpetuating it. Big burly mean looking guy? Still will. Squeaky-voiced little pimply faced kid? Still will. If I care about you then I'm going to make sure I can be there for you when you need it, and if I can't be, I'll have a damned good reason for it.
     
  5. Honest: I am honest to a fault--I am the person for whom they created the phrase 'brutally honest.' While I do have empathy and recognize when telling the truth can be incredibly hurtful, I am discerning enough to be able to look into the future and see how not telling the truth can be more hurtful in the long run. I would much rather tell someone the up-front, straight truth than have to clean up the mess afterwards.
     
  
  
• What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
  
  1. Obsessive: I am frighteningly obsessive--when I like something, I give it my all, sometimes to the complete detriment of everything else that I have going on at the time. For example, I have no idea what I'm going to say for any of these other questions, because I'm so focused on this one. Seriously though, TV seasons? All at once, please. Fanfiction? All nighter. Graphics? Must... look at... all... the fanart... at once...
     
  2. Perfectionist/Egotistical: I have a high opinion of myself. At least I'm honest about it, right? I need to do everything perfectly (case in point, I tried out about five different ways to say that), not only because I demand it of myself, but because I get more respect that way. I think in a perverse way, I need to be needed so much that I have to perform flawlessly at every task and therefore be more valued.
     
  3. Guilt-Driven: While I could draw on the cliche of having been born into a Catholic family (ok, I will for a bit--my dad left the priesthood to be my father, so yeah, guilt like woah from his family), I mainly see this negative trait as a side effect of the one previous--I am so self-oriented sometimes that I fail to see that everything is not actually my fault or directly affected by my actions. Making decisions, I tend to want to think of all the horrible things that could go wrong just in case I could avoid them and in so doing, avoid feeling responsible.
     
  4. Retaliatory: When someone hurts me, whether it be personal or impersonal, my first instinct is to retaliate in as close to the same way as I was hurt as I can. I often want to react this way even when I see other people in a similar situation, as well. I suppose it's a little bit of a cruel streak to my nature, as I'm capable of appearing completely calm and still quite angry inside, taking my 'revenge,' as it were, in the form of well-placed words and derisive language that maintains a veneer of respect but can cut like razors.
     
  5. Manipulative: I fully admit that I have (and probably will in the future) manipulated my image or my behavior in order to achieve a certain outcome. A really strong example of this would be my hatred of cleaning, so much so that I began from the first day of my marriage to appear incompetent at it. This led my husband to the conclusion that I'm just not good at it and therefore he doesn't expect the house to be really awesomely clean all the time. I've only recently (five year wedding anniversary in March) decided to change this aspect of married life.
     
  
  
• Define in your own words the following key traits:
  
  • Courage: Courage to me is as much of an internal thing as external. Bravery, daring, valor--those are all equally applicable, but to me a truly courageous person values others over themselves, and has less to do with whether the person in question is personally fearful of the situation and more about the example of their actions.
    
  • Loyalty: I view loyalty alongside such words as 'steadfast' and 'honorable.' Those with loyalty value friendship for more than what it can do for them, but also for what they can accomplish both internally and externally when they join forces. Self-respect, duty, devotion, and faithfulness come to mind, all things that 'build you up.'
    
  • Intelligence: More than 'measurable mental capacity,' intelligence is a combination of wit, reasoning, and perception. Intelligent people value knowledge as more than a stepping stone to informed actions; instead, the knowledge itself becomes valuable for its existence and for how it can broaden one's perspective.
    
  • Ambition: I see this word and think 'drive.' People with ambition value success in different ways than those who are simply glad they've succeeded. Determination, motivation, and initiative all come to mind as well. To want something for yourself and instead of hoping it'll happen or being discouraged at the insurmountable odds, those with ambition go after it.
    
  
  
• Name: Jessica Can you call me Jess or Darsy? I would ♥ you long time!
  
• Age: 28
  
• Where did you find out about us? cinderbella84 mentioned it in passing at fawkes_sorting