joebthegreat

[joebthegreat]

(A brief note: I am going to be very thorough in my explanation behind each choice. I hope you enjoy reading it, and don't feel like AKing yourself halfway through.)

1. If you could spend a day with any Harry Potter character who would you choose and why?
Short answer: Professor Flitwick.
I would want to spend the day with someone I could learn from. With that objective in mind, they would need to meet the following criteria: they must be knowledgeable, wise, and honest. I do not want to spend my time being lied to. I do not want to spend my time being given factually incorrect information. I do not want to spend my time being told biased opinionated garbage.

Dumbledore would lie to me, or at least he has shown throughout the books a willingness to manipulate people and hide the truth from them, so I could not pick him. Hermione is filled with biased opinionated garbage, which I never really noticed until my second reading of the series; I don't need to be pumped full of S.P.E.W. propaganda and cursed as a traitor to the "cause". Professor Snape would be a risky choice, as it's very possible he would not enjoy my company, and he might then decide to ignore me and my questions.

The next two to come to my mind are Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall. Professor Flitwick seems more eager to teach, and less biased. I think Professor Flitwick would enjoy the opportunity to teach and discuss different ideas. I could learn from him.

2. Which Deathly Hallow would you choose?
Short answer: Invisibility Cloak.
If the Resurrection Stone worked as advertised, and actually brought people back from death (as though they were just recovering from a sickness), then I would pick it with no further questions. Let's put an end to death.

The Resurrection Stone does not work as advertised. It's the most useless of the hallows. It has the same practical utility as the Mirror of Erised. I would definitely not pick the Resurrection Stone.

If the Elder Wand came with no strings attached, and was simply a powerful wand I could use to perform powerful magic, then it would easily be my next choice. I could do amazing things. I could put an end to death.

The Elder Wand does not come with no strings attached. Possessing it is a death sentence. I would have to kill someone else, and I would be killed for having it. Joining a long string of murders doesn't do anyone any good.

We're left looking at the Invisibility Cloak by default. There are no downsides to owning it. There are no strings attached, and it works as advertised. I may not use it to put an end to death, but at least I could hide from death. There are all kinds of practical uses to being invisible.

3. Which magical pet would you bring with you to Hogwarts?
Short answer: None (if that's not an option, Eagle Owl).
I wouldn't bring a pet. I do not like pets. I do not even like the concept of pets. There are much better things to waste your resources on. If you want to take care of something, adopt a child.

If I had to bring a familiar along with me, I would pick an owl. An owl can hunt for itself, and carry letters for me. An owl is useful and self sustaining. It's practically not a pet at all! I would pick an Eagle Owl simply because they are large and powerful (I suspect it would be better able to take care of itself).

4. What would be your favorite subject at Hogwarts?
Short answer: Potions.
My favorite subject in real life is Computer Science. I enjoy learning the syntax and processes, and applying logic to create something that works. The best feeling in the world is when you create something and it works exactly as you wanted it to.

The nearest equivalent I can think of in the wizarding world is Potions. Potions is logical and predictable (at least compared to some of those crazy subjects). It would probably be my best subject. I tend to like a subject more if I'm good at it.

That said, I pretty much like learning anything and everything in real life, so I might enjoy every magical subject as well.

5. If you could ask J.K. Rowling to write one thing what would it be?
Short answer: a WWI story in the Harry Potter universe.
It needs to be in the Harry Potter universe. I love this universe, and want to see it expanded. Whether its a sequel, a prequel, or just another story in the same universe.

I want to see more of the history fleshed out. We have references to Grindelwald and Dumbledore and the things they did. We see that the magical world mirrored the muggle world in WWII. I want to see more of this stuff.

I would be fascinated to see what the wizarding world was like around 1914, and what led to the extremist ideals of Grindelwald and Dumbledore. I would love to see what effect WWI had on muggle-lovers and muggle-haters alike.

6. Would you play Quidditch? If so which position?
Short answer: Wouldn't play (if I had to, I would be a Beater).
Quidditch is a miserable sport that makes little sense. I much prefer football, and my second favorite sport is football. My third favorite sport is football, by the way. (I like practically every team sport, by the way).

There are only two positions that really matter in Quidditch. Oh sure, they all matter, but the only real way you have a chance at winning is if you have a good Seeker or good Beaters. Everyone on your team could be miserable, and you would still win if you had a great Seeker.

I would be a Beater though. If I'm going to be up in the air with those horrible Bludgers flying everywhere, you better believe I'd take a bat up with me. A Beater is the most versatile part of the team, and good manipulation of Bludgers can prevent the enemy Seeker from winning the game, or else help the team score enough points to nullify the enemy Seeker.

7. Which magical career would you choose?
Short answer: Potions Master.
I don't know enough about what career opportunities are out there in the world. Here's what I do know: I would rather be privately successful than stuck in a ministry job. Being a Potions Master is an excellent way to utilize my abilities, and I imagine the income wouldn't be bad at all.

Plus, if I get good enough at alchemy, I could possibly create a Philosopher's Stone. Let's put an end to death.

8. What would your patronus be?
Short answer: Dolphin.
I don't have much logic behind this one. The question interested me enough to go take a bunch of quizzes. Pretty much all of them were idiotic ("Would you like to murder your whole family?" "Would you say you're cunny?"), but I ended up with the following list to choose from:

Badger, Zebra, Goat, Phoenix, Dragon, Snake, Dolphin, Eagle, Horse.

Now I'll remove patronus ideas that shouldn't count (Phoenix, Dragon), and I'll remove patronus ideas that are too house specific (Badger, Snake). I'm left with an interesting list. Zebra and Dolphin particularly stand out to me.

I would pick the Dolphin, solely because I get the image of a floating dolphin, swimming through the air, swift and brilliant, the world as its ocean. I could say it's because "Dolphins are clever. They use tools, and are one of the smartest animals", but I won't lie about it. I'm picking the dolphin because I think it would be a cool patronus.

9. Which magical place would you most like to visit?
Short answer: The Chamber of Secrets.
I don't want to visit a location that was great. I want to be somewhere as it becomes great. Have you ever heard of the attitude: "stop looking to the great things you've done in your past, and look to the great things you WILL do in the future"?

In the interest of answering the question though, I might as well pick somewhere I could learn something. With that, I would go to the Chamber of Secrets. You should note that it's "Secrets" not "Secret". I suspect there were more things down there than just some old snake. It would be a shame if the stuff down there was left forgotten.

10. Pick one house you would prefer not to be in. (Optional)
Short chant: Not Ravinclaw. Not Ravinclaw. Not Ravinclaw.
I don't want to go in Ravinclaw. I think it's too popular a house. Too many people try too hard to go there. I don't want that, and I don't want to pretend to try and live up to that. I get Ravinclaw in a large number of my sorting quizzes, but I feel that's only because of loaded questions that don't look at the reasoning behind the answers.

Those of you in Ravinclaw are great. It's a totally noble house and deserves respect. I wouldn't fit in there, though.

(If you made it to the bottom of this post, then I salute you. I apologize if I am long-winded.)

[Peakes]

Welcome to CoS! First of all, thank you for some excellent and well thought-out answers, I for one enjoyed reading them.

I was wavering between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, but since you are dead set against Ravenclaw, then it's the green and silver for you!

To the dungeons with him! SLYTHERIN!

[MerryLore]

Slytherin

[mirrormere]

Dodging flash of green light..no it wasn't from my own wand.

Your tone is so Slytherin but your answers are solid Ravenclaw--even how you reason them out is indicative of Ravenclaw. On Pottermore, the Eagles have the fewest members, so I'm thinking not everyone is trying to get into that house.

But us Snakes rival any for intelligence so...

Slytherin

[SlyEd]

Slytherin

[MrsScamander]

I also think you should join me in Ravenclaw - really, we would love your logic and forthright brusqueness. But taking into consideration your own wishes, I actually think you are more suited to Gryffindor than Slytherin. You appear to have a strong, exacting moral compass and seem to be someone who would enjoy working independently. I attribute those traits more in the Professor McGonagall way of thinking (my favorite character BTW) rather than the tightly knit brotherhood of Slytherin whose members might have an easier time bending rules under certain conditions. As such I say GRYFFINDOR!

[twinsrule26]

Per your wishes


Slytherin!!

[Zeelee]

Even if you don't see it yourself, you are Ravenclaw through and through. But if you are really dead set against it I can see you thriving in Slytherin as well.

Slytherin!

[Hes]

You've been sorted!