InPENSIEVEable
||IN ESSENCE UNITED||
01. Who is your favorite character in the Harry Potter series?
Without a doubt, Snape is my favorite character. I believe that Snape is a very post-modern kind of person - he manages to transcend the binary of good/evil to arrive at his own morality. I never wonder how any of the other characters in HP are going to react to something - they tend to have a fixed morality with very little leeway. On the other hand, Snape is a toss up - one is never quite sure which way he will go - and I find that not only intriguing, but challenging.
02. Who is your least favorite character in the series?
There are two (although I tend to group them together, so I’m counting them as one): Vernon and Petunia Dursley. I was given up for adoption when I was a baby and raised by people who were, to say the least, not exactly the best parents in the world. They were horribly abusive. When I was 26, I reached out and found my birthmother. I actually am living with her now, 10 years later. In this way, I identify all too well with Harry. I was raised by people incapable of loving me and found (in my birthmother) my Hogwarts. Even though the Dursley’s didn’t exactly choose to have Harry come and stay with them like my adoptive parent’s did, they could have at least made him feel at home and not like a second-class citizen.
03. If you could spend a day as one of the Harry Potter characters, who would you choose?
Hands down, Nymphadora Tonks. Not only is she a metamorphmagus and thus can change her appearance at will (I’d have so much fun with that!) but she is incredibly skilled and passionate. I like that her passion extends not only to her work with the Order, but to Lupin, as well. Her ability to be accepting and open to a relationship that others would most certainly shy away from makes her an admirable person in my eyes.
04. What would you like to happen in the last book?
I would like Snape’s ambiguity to be resolved (somewhat) and have it shown that he really is more of a good guy than a bad guy (but still not entirely good, because where’s the fun in that?). I don’t think that it is necessary for Harry to die, but I would like the final showdown between him and Voldemort to leaving a lasting impression on his soul - in a Batman origin story sort of way. I’d like Hermione and Ron to get together because I think that they are good for each other. I’d really like to know that Neville becomes the headmaster at Hogwarts in the future - I believe that he would be wonderful in that position.
05. What would you change about the series?
The last 50 or so pages of HBP, since I was completely devastated by what occurred to the point of finishing the book, going into the kitchen, sobbing, unable to speak, and finally catching my breath long enough to tell my birth-mother that I hated J. K. Rowling and was never going to read Harry Potter again. (I have clearly managed to get past that, but I have not been able to bring myself to read the book again since the day after it was released.) I felt betrayed, I think. I know that there are lots of good reasons (the most acceptable being that it was time for Harry to stand on his own) for Rowling to end the book that way, but it still hurts.
06. What traits and characteristics do you think define the true qualities of each of the four houses?
Here's how I see the houses in terms of liquid refreshment (a more detailed answer follows): you drink coffee when you are hanging out with Ravenclaws because you want to remain sharp, you have a fine brandy or port with Slytherins while plotting to take over the world, you do shooters (shots) with the Gryffindors when you want to party hard, and you have a beer with Hufflepuffs when you just want to chill out and relax.
Hufflepuff: I think that Hufflepuffs get a bad rap based on the importance they place on inclusiveness. For some reason this penchant for acceptance is seen as a weakness, whereas exclusivity is seen as a strength and something towards. In a way, I see Hufflepuff as the strongest house because of the fact that they exemplify a lot of the better qualities of each house: loyalty (something I also equate with Gryffindor), hard working (definitely a Ravenclaw trait), and patience (something that a Slytherin might be expected to have in order to make long term plans come into fruition).
Gryffindor: Ah, the mighty lions. So noble, so regal, so willing to pounce on a problem without looking behind to see who might be stalking them! They are portrayed as the kings of the Hogwarts jungle, always victorious and righteous. However, I think that this leads them to be a little too sure of themselves sometimes and perhaps a little too righteous. I think that they have a lot more in common with Slytherin than they would like to admit into their good/evil world view. Bravery is a wonderful trait, but sometimes I think that caution and planning might be a good thing to throw into the mix.
Ravenclaw: Witty, book smart Ravenclaws - I always see them as ready to help you with your homework and answer your questions about things that are completely random while somehow not quite being able to hide the fact that they are just that much smarter than you are. I think that Ravenclaws are more likely than other house members to use words as a way of protecting themselves against the world - the wit the sorting hat speaks of probably comes out as sarcasm a lot of the time.
Slytherin: Slytherin-ites tend to be devious and cunning. (Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing entirely depends on your interpretation - personally, I would consider it a neutral until the consequences of the act are seen in full). However, the bit the sorting hat had to say about taking those of pure-blood worries me because I think that some in the Slytherin house believe that gives them the right to pick on people who are not of pure-blood and that just doesn’t sit right with me. In the cases of Voldemort and Snape, I think that it has led to feelings of self-loathing that manifests in how they present themselves to the world.
07. Describe the canon house qualities that you feel accurately reflect you. Please try to include traits from each of the four houses.
Hufflepuff: Like most Hufflepuffs I tend towards loyalty and being non-judgmental. I admire and feel like the inclusiveness that Helga Hufflepuff promoted is something that I believe in strongly. However, I'm not particularly hard working (or at least I'm not until I need to be) and I see Hufflepuffs as being steadier: the kind of people who always do their homework and have it ready to turn in on time. Nor am I particularly friendly, though that is more based on the fact that I find it hard to be around a lot of people than the fact that I dislike most people.
Gryffindor: Like Gryffindors I can be daring and/or brave if the situation calls for it. For example, despite having had a horrible time with my adoptive parents, I actively sought out my birthmother ten years ago hoping to develop a relationship with her. I didn’t put a lot of forethought into what might happen when I met her; instead, I dove in and made the phone call. Luckily for me, it turned out that she is a wonderful person. I did the same in the past month with my birthfather - I’m still not sure how that will turn out though. However, in most situations, I tend to act less rashly and with much more consideration of the pros and cons of a situation.
Ravenclaw: Like Ravenclaws I place a high premium on intellect and schooling. I enjoy school (until it is crunch time and my procrastination has led to a major pile-up of work) and I enjoy talking and reading about literary theory even in my spare time. School just got out two weeks ago and I’ve already been reading journal articles on cultural studies topics like postfeminist prostitution in firefly and the implications of the -y suffix in buffy speak. I do wonder, however, if Ravenclaws might not put too much of an emphasis on book learning and not enough emphasis on street smarts. I believe strongly in the theory of multiple intelligences and have found that people can be smart on any number of subjects and in many different ways and that education does not always correlate with intelligence.
Slytherin: Like Slytherins I can be cunning and quite ambitious. I always want to do the best job I can and sometimes that may involve some creative manipulation. While I wouldn’t say that I would use any means to a particular end I would certainly try and make the system work for me instead of against me. People that are passive frustrate me immensely and I think that the same would be true for most Slytherins.
08. Which house do you feel least affinity to?
Oddly enough, Gryffindor. (I imagine most people would choose Slytherin or Hufflepuff.) While I am capable of the self-sacrifice Gryffindor bravery and ability to rush headlong into dangerous situations without much forethought, I tend to resent that self-sacrifice and to me that isn’t a very Gryfiindorish kind of trait.
||MIRROR OF ERISED||
09. What do you wish to accomplish in life?
Career: My ideal job would be teaching at a university, writing and publishing poetry, and running an artist's/writer's colony for women who have been abused. I want to finish my B.A. in literature/creative writing, go on to get an M.F.A. in writing poetry, and finally receive a PhD in English Literature. I would teach courses that focus on giving students an integrated approach to learning - women’s studies, cultural studies, theory, and writing. I will continue to try and get my writing published in literary magazines (no luck yet) and hopefully get a book of poetry published. I would buy a big chunk of land, build a house for myself and about ten smaller cottages. Since I was 18 (18 years ago, now) I've dreamed of having an artist's/writer's colony for women who have been abused in any way; a place where they can come and create and know that they are safe.
Relationships: I still am not sure if I am a person that is meant to be single (I have been for ten years now and I don’t feel like I am missing out on much - I am a loner for the most part) or with someone. However, I do see myself continuing to have the friends and close family relationships.
Life in General: I’d like to live in other countries and other cities and I’d like to travel the world. (If by some crazy chance space travel to other galaxies/universes becomes possible in my lifetime, I’d like to do that as well.) I want to live a comfortable, not extravagant existence. For me this means that I can afford what I need and a few luxuries as well. I don’t need to be wealthy. I just want to be content.
10. Describe exactly what you would see in the Mirror of Erised. (This is not the same question as #09.)
I would see myself looking happy and healthy. I have always struggled with depression and I'm always terrified when I am feeling well that I will slip back into that illness, so I imagine that I would feel some great sense of relief as a result of looking into the mirror.
11. What makes a person deserving of your respect?
People who put others or a cause before themselves. People who teach (anything really, I think that teaching someone how to do something for themselves is invaluable). People who are true to themselves. People who have compassion and empathy for others. People who are considerate. People who stand up for what they believe in (whether or not I agree with them).
12. Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower? Please provide examples if applicable.
It would depend entirely on the situation. I definitely take on leadership roles in situations where I feel like I have something of value to offer. In high school (oh so long ago now) I was president of the largest club in the school, the editor of the newspaper, and the founder and editor of our literary magazine. Just recently I was editor of my university’s literary magazine. I tend to be the person people come to when they need help in school or with relationship issues, so in that way I’d be considered a leader, as well. However, when the time calls for it or when I know that someone knows more about a particular situation, I have no problem being a follower, more in the sense of being a student or apprentice than in giving up my identity if that makes sense.
13. What's one thing you would do if you knew you would suffer no consequences from it?
Oooo! Such a dangerous question. Hmmm. My friend once told me that I’d make a great assassin. I’m not sure what she was basing that one - perhaps my ability to be stealthy and blend into a crowd. Also, in camp I was always a crack shot. However, I don’t believe that I could definitively say that someone needed to be killed, so even if I wasn’t going to suffer consequences, I wouldn’t assassinate someone.
I might take over the body of the President for a year and enact some revolutionary legislation that would help make the world a better place. (I’m going to leave it at that even though I don’t think that I could do that either - the idea of jacking someone’s mind, even to do good, just seems so unethical. Ugh. I don’t pretend very well, do I?)
OH! I just thought of something that I could do that maybe wouldn’t be so horribly horrible. I’d wipe out the debt of people who could not afford to pay their bills (for instance, if the choice was to pay a bill or eat or pay a bill and have insurance).
14. What would you do if you had a time turner?
I would probably use it similarly to how Hermione used it, doubling up on classes (and work, for me) in order to graduate sooner. Despite having taken college classes on and off (mostly off) since I was thirteen, I still have quite a ways to go until I graduate.
15. What do you think are your top 5 positive characteristics?
I realize that these are short - but I have a really hard time saying nice things about myself.
1. Empathy:I can easily put myself in someone else's place and understand how they might be feeling.
2. Intelligence: I'm both book and street smart; while I adore getting lost in a book or some sort of theory, I am not naive, and I know how to take care of myself and others.
3. Loyalty: In me, unless you do something that hurts me deeply, you have a friend for life. I may not live where you live, and we may not talk all that often, but you will always know that you can call me at 3 in the morning if you need to talk.
4. Honesty: If you ask for my opinion, I will give it to you, while still reminding you that it is my opinion, and not necessarily right for you.
5. Non-Judgmental: I don't tend to judge people's actions because I know that I don't want to be judged harshly either.
16. What do you think are your top 5 negative characteristics?
1. Procrastination: Oh, I'm horrible. I am a pathological procrastinator and I wish that I could fix that. I know that I would be able to do a better, more thoughtful and thorough job on things if I only took the time. I like to live in the moment though, even if that means that I’m going to have to buckle down and really push myself to reach a deadline. I think that I’m a bit addicted to the crazed rush of trying to do the impossible at the last minute, but then I feel like I don’t deserve accolades because I know that I could have done better (it’s a vicious circle, it is).
2. Depression: Definitely a weakness, not in the "I don't realize it is a medical condition sort of way," because I do, but I've lost so much time with friends and myself to this disease, and I realize that I will never be able to get back what I've missed out on while I've been out of it. There is a self-involvement that comes with depression that frustrates me. I hate feeling like all of my energy is consumed by my illness.
3. Demanding/Perfectionist/Self-Critical:I expect a lot of myself, too much, really, and sometimes (and especially when coupled with procrastination) I become paralyzed and unable to move forward. This has caused me a lot of problems in the past. And while I am, for the most part, non-judgmental when it comes to other people, I'm overly critical of myself.
4. Fear: I have a problem being scared of trying things that I am worried I will not do well. I'm terrified of disappointing the people I love.
5. Snarkiness/Sarcasm/Cynicism: I tend to come across as rather snarky or sarcastic as a defensive mechanism instead of allowing people to see what I’m really feeling inside. I’m also cynical as all get out and I’d really rather not be but I’ve been disappointed by people I’ve cared about deeply so many times in my life that I don’t know how to trust that people are going to be kind.
||HOGWARTS EXPRESS||
17. Name: Staci
18. Age: 36
19. How did you find out about Hogwarts Elite? Searching through livejournal for Harry Potter related comms one night when I should have been writing a paper.
20. Optional: Link us to where you have promoted this community in your personal journal to earn your future house five points.