Platform 9 3/4

This comm is now closed!

2024-03-04T21:27:27Z

This community is now closed.

Thanks to everyone who trusted us with their app and took part in the sorting process, as well as a big thanks to everybody who took the time to sort people and make this a fun and insightfull experience.

<3<3<3

Final Sorting Results

2024-03-04T21:14:36Z

While no one really is getting put into another house, the results should be shared:

Anon #6 and Anon #9

Anon #1, Anon #3 and Anon #8

Anon #4 and Anon #7

Anon #2 and Anon #5

MASCOT ARTWORK CREATED BY RAGGEDYBEARCAT

BANNERS CREATED BY ROXIMONOXIDE

TERM LVIII - FINAL WEEK

2024-02-26T17:31:39Z

Hello HIHers!

This is your final week to vote on our NINE re-sorting apps. You can vote on any app you haven't voted on yet (expect the one where you might be the anon of course). Those late votes won't count into top sorter points for your house though, but you will get regular platform points from me.
Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads.
Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Thursday February 29th at 11:59PM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Here are all the apps:

Anon Re-Sort #1
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #2
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #3
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #4
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #5
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #6
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #7
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #8
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #9
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

TERM LVIII - FEBRUARY WEEK 4

2024-02-19T20:51:58Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there are TWO applications for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday February 26th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #8
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #9
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Also quick heads up for everyone who has already voted on this one, Anon #3 has expanded a bit on the last two questions, have a look and edit your comment in case your vote changes.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #9

2024-02-19T20:44:43Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
Sirius Black. We're both extremely loyal and passionate people who are devoted to those we love. We're both lively, adventurous, determined, have a sense of humor and fun, have a sharp temper and like him I also have racist and bigoted family members I have nothing to do with but consider my closest friends my siblings. Like him too, I stand by my beliefs as well as standing by people I care about.
What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry.

"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

That and also the scene in the forest when Harry walks to his death even though he's terrified. When his parents, Remus and Sirius appear to him and talk to him, what it symbolizes, how those who loved us are always with us even after they've physically passed on. That they and their love and our love for them always lives on. It's such a wonderful scene. I do believe our loved ones watch over us and this scene is just so full of that love and comfort even though Harry may be about to die. It's so beautiful to me. As is this quote by Dumbledore for the same reasons: "To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever."
What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Vague answer is vague but some things are too personal to go into detail on, the short answer though is I would see myself happy and content about where I am in life and who I'm with. I would also see deceased loved ones.
What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
I believe my Patronus would be a dog, specifically my old dog who passed away in 2018. I adore dogs and have always had them as pets, but this dog in particular and I always had a special bond. I still cry because I miss him. Seeing him when I conjured a patronus would make me so happy and feel so safe as he was also an extremely protective dog. The memory I would use is the one of the first time someone told me they loved me and I told them I loved them. I was so happy and it was just the perfect night, it's still one of my favorite memories I have and makes me smile when I think about it.
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.
The flying Ford Anglia so we could make a getaway if we really needed it like Harry and Ron in COS and for the person, I'd take Sirius. He knows the forest well being as he's an Animagus, he's brave and he's not the sort of person to just run off and leave you to die if you encounter trouble. Also, I'd enjoy his company which is another reason I'm bringing him, I feel like we'd have a laugh together and I wouldn't want to go into the forest with someone I disliked or found annoying.
What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
I wanted to be a musician. I still do. My ideal day job is a dog walker - I love walking and dogs and it would still give me time to pursue my creative endeavors and studies (which I'll be juggling with my day job soon). But dog walking for others isn't really a thing where I live so my day job is currently translations and corrections. I don't particularly enjoy it, but it's convenient re: time and being remote work for now. I'm going to be studying music and want to do any job related to it, that wouldn't change in the wizarding world. I'm all about music.
What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
The ones that will have bigger consequences, but honestly I mull over a lot of decisions because of how they could impact other things. Then with certain decisions I take no time at all.
Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______
Fear/only then will you realize how strong you are.

I hate fear. I admittedly fear it. I don't mean being mildly unsettled, I mean that fear you get when you feel helpless and believe something really awful is going to happen - whether your belief is correct or not - it's absolutely the worst feeling in the world to me, second only to grief. That feeling is something I fear, so I'm afraid of fear itself. Still, like I wrote up there, you never know how strong you are and what you can do/overcome etc until you experience it.
What is one thing you would never want said about you?
I'd much rather people think positively of me as it makes for a much more pleasant atmosphere and I like making friends, but I recognize that not everyone will like you in life and that's okay. Also, I feel like those who truly know me know what kind of a person I am anyway, which is what matters. But still, I would be upset if anybody thought that I was a bigot or held oppressive views such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny etc.
The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______
Grieve/it never gets any easier.

Grief never gets any easier. It doesn't matter how many years pass, you're always gonna feel that loss, you're never gonna get over it. All that happens is you get used to them being physically gone. The rest though, for me anyways, is as hard now as when the people I loved passed away in the first place. But at the same time, I don't want to "get over" them being gone because they deserve to be remembered and missed.
Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
I do think both matter. A person's intentions matter to a degree because sometimes in life, mistakes happen even if someone has good ones. That being said, the consequences should be taken into account too, because that is what we're left dealing with, and sometimes even if something wasn't intended to, it can have catastrophic results.
What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
I look for people who value friendship like I do. When I make a friend it's usually for life - my oldest friend has been my friend since we were 13 - and I truly value friendship in general. So I guess loyalty fits with this too because I don't think you can maintain a long term and genuine friendship with no loyalty - trust is important after all. I also like people who are fun loving and funny and compassionate.
There are a bunch of things I find annoying but mainly untrustworthy people who are two faced and gossipy, who talk behind your back and betray any confidence you trust them with. So I guess disloyalty fits this also. Another thing I find grating is people who are constantly negative and constantly hating on things. Whether it's just to be edgy because they think it makes them interesting or not "basic" or it's just their genuine personality that they dislike everything, I find that vibe so boring and annoying.
Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition: desire to do something plus the willingness to do what's required to reach the end goal.
Courage: True courage to me is when you're afraid but do something anyway.
Intelligence: Using your knowledge for fruitful purposes, the desire to learn and grow, learning from mistakes.
Justice: Consequences, a fair system.
Kindness: Empathy and compassion, desire to help others, taking pleasure in seeing others happy.
Loyalty: It goes hand in hand with trust for me, and care for the people you have relationships with.
Power: Belief in yourself and your self-worth, resourcefulness, persuasion, connections.
Wisdom: The knowledge that you will never know everything and there is always more to learn in life, knowledge gained from experiences.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Loyal/Trustworthy, Determined, Fun loving, Passionate, Quick learner.
What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Impatient, Overly concerned with my appearance, Procrastinating, I dwell on my own past mistakes, I can take too long making decisions because usually I want to pick both options.

Anon Re-Sort #8

2024-02-19T20:17:06Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?

I think I identify with bits and pieces of characters mostly. Ones that always kinda stand out to me are Fleur and Luna.
For Fleur it's the connection to her sister, while we never know any details the fact that she was the one picked to be at the bottom of the lake says a lot. I have younger siblings as well and while they are not children anymore I am still protective of them for sure. Also I did like her standing up to Molly, I don't know when it happened but at some point I was a bit over Mollys characterisation and seeing someone telling her off in a way was nice.
With Luna I just saw myself the older I got with how comfortable she was with herself. While she obviously didn't want to be lonely, she was fine being alone and didn't bother not being here weird self to fit in with people who didn't get her. She has a more quiet self confidence that really resonates with me.

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?

I can't really think of a moment, the books in general mean a lot to me though for nostalgic reasons. I grew up with them, like a lot of people, so they shaped my early fandom years, not in wide circles or anything, but with my friends. I might've outgrown it now and JKRs actions and behaviour has killed any interest in expansions of the world, but I can't deny away the influence the story had on me and my imagination.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?

Me and my loved ones being content with ourselves and our lives. While grande things are of course fun, I want a stable life first and want that for everyone I care about, because the peace of mind that brings is so important. I don't have huge ambitions for my career, so that wouldn't be much of what I'd see and rather a nice home I really love and signs that I have the time to keep up with my hobbies to a fullfilling extent.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?

Mh I think I'd like my patronus to be a whale shark, I just think they are really cool and it would be badass if one would float around me as protection. The memory is a bit tough, I know this might be trivial but I always feel really happy in a hot bath.

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 (assuming there is no chance he'd transform into a werwolf) Remus would be good, he knows the forest, is level headed and knows how to protect us with magic. For the object, this might be a bit of an overkill but a flame thrower. I need something with reach to protect myself and thinking about all those spiders in the lair I also need something that covers a lot of ground.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?

Looking back I had no proper concept of jobs as a child. My mum took me to work with her one time and I got to sit on her coworkers desk (he was on vacation or something) and played around with Paint the whole time we were there. And I thought that was my mums job so for a long time that was my dream job, until I learned that she was obviously not playing around with Paint all day. Then I had no real idea what I wanted to do.
My ideal job now is something with minimal stress, that can at least partially be done while working from home and that gives me the feeling I am advancing something, though that doesn't have to be world changing at all.
I have been through all the years always been fascinated by wand making, so I think that would be something I'd like to do in the Wizarding World. Though I'd like to be more creative with the core choices and maybe the wood choices as well, Olivander seems to be pretty set on his combinations.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

Ones where I can't go back and pick the other option if things don't work out. Like say I applied for 2 jobs I really want and get an offer from one, but have not been rejected by the other and have to make a decision if I take the first one before I will know if I am also being offered the other one. Like what if I take job 1 but then it is not the fit I thought it would be, I won't be able to drop it and try out job 2 because they will have given that to somebody else.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______

Working in retail, because it humbles you and gives you a reality check.

Like I worked in retail for almost 4 years, not even full time and in a sector that gets only a selected group of customers and even then the things I had to witness...people need to work in retail to learn how to be better customers and to stop shitting on people working in retail. It's a hard job, if you live in a place that celebrates Christmas, December is draining so much out of you, and people who never worked retail in my experience often underestimate how hard the job is.

What is one thing you would never want said about you?

That I am cruel. While I do my best to not hurt the people around me with my actions or words, it can happen by accident. But being cruel means you go out of your way to hurt people and I don't want that to be said about me.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______

Quitting a job because I had nothing new lined up. Yes I had savings that would last me for a while, but still. I fell into the job after university, first as a side thing cause I simply worked 2 jobs, then I upped my hours to be in a more stable form of employment and so quitting like my first proper job after university felt really hard, even though I knew it was the right decision cause things weren't going well at that place.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?

You certainly need to look at both, though intentions weigh a little more for me. Assuming intentions stay the same, if someone has good intentions they will hopefully learn if their actions are not properly thought through and had bad consequences and they will do better so that the consequences of their actions line up with their intentions. If the intentions are bad however and the person will try to "do better" next time, well then the consequences will be even worse.

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?

Camaraderie and support. My friends are my found family (I do like my family too, but found family is very important as well) and I want to feel safe and comfortable with them and know that I can go to them for help.

When people are too stubborn to accept a perfectly fine compromise and are unwilling to understand that they can't get something their way.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition - The speed at which you are working to achieve a goal.
Courage - Managing to do something that scared you for some reason.
Intelligence - Knowing how to stop. (This might sound a bit weird but it ties in with how I see WisdomxD)
Justice - Balancing out bad things so people can move on in a positive manner.
Kindness - Being caring and loving to the people around you, no matter if they are close to you or not.
Loyalty - Sticking to something/someone because you believe in it/them.
Power - Being able to influence things to change for better or worse not just for yourself but also for others.
Wisdom - Knowing when to stop.

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Organized - I am like the mum/parent of my friend group a lot of times, my brain just holds important information the others apparently can't always keep up with
Helpful - as in I always want to be helpful when I can
Efficient - When something can be done in one go instead of picking the task up multiple times, I like to get it done in one go or at least do whatever I can in prep work so when it's time to do it, everything is ready and I just have to do final touches
Optimistic - I don't think you just have to think positive and everything is gonna be alright, but I try to find positive things to keep an optimistic mindest as much as possible at the end of the day
Introspective - while I might not analyse myself, I do check myself to better myself, so I don't have to rely on getting input from somebody else to grow (though that is appreciated I don't want to put that work on the people around me all the time)

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Grudge holder - not always in an open way, but I just keep moments in my head where I was mad at someone and I won't let them go, even if they were small things we have moved past it
Judgy - again not necessarily out in the open but still, even if I never say the judgy things I think to anybody, I certainly know they are there and that they influence me
Impatient - when something comes up I sometimes want to figure out a solution/way to handle it right that moment, even though there is time to figure things out, I just want it done so it stops pestering me at the back of my mind
Unperceptive - while I try to be better at this, I feel like I don't catch things as easily as others and wish I would, so I would be able to reach out to people when they might need it instead of learning they had a hard time by hearing someone else talk about it who noticed
Overplanning/thinking/complicating - this kinda goes with the impatience I think, I want things to be done or at least prepared to be done that I sometimes go a bit overboard with the solution I come up with instead of taking a second to think about it and see that it can be simplified and still lead to the result I want

TERM LVIII - FEBRUARY WEEK 3

2024-02-12T21:31:19Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there are TWO applications for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday February 19th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #6
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

Anon Re-Sort #7
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #7

2024-02-12T20:59:35Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
I'm drawn to sidekicks, dorks and those of questionable loyalty. Society gave me few reasons to want to participate growing up, so I have sympathy for those who struggle to see where they fit. Percy Weasley is a good example. I usually end up liking minor characters better than prominent ones, and I've also got a soft spot for nerdy characters. I guess I like characters who remind me of myself in some way.

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
The Harry Potter universe to me turned out to be bigger and better than anything I’d ever took part in. It started out with this kids' novel I picked up because I was bored one summer, and it turned into a decades-long saga of fun and literary drama. My favorite part was just before the final book was published, when everyone was pouring over canon texts, making predictions.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Mine would be similar to Ron's. I'd see a version of myself that's impressive, obviously rich, and totally hot. To me, the riches represent freedom to fulfill my desires, to live in a way that isn't so boxed in, to treat problems not easily fixed. I also feel like some experiences are cut off to me, or at least restricted, by certain aspects of my physical appearance; so yes, being hot would help me on the way to self-actualization.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
Cats have a special place in my heart, but my favorite to behold is a maned lion. Because of the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion King, I associate lions with faith and love — great vibe for a Patronus. And a stronger emotional memory involves one night, when I was in a mood that would definitely draw dementors to me, my cat sat with me and let me hold her. “It’s you and me against the world,” I said to her. It’s a memory of love in a dark and lonely place.

You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one Harry Potter character other than Hagrid and one object, besides your wand, that you'd want with you.
A broom for a quick escape, and I'd bring along a close friend from my house. I want someone I can trust, someone I can rely on to help get us both out of danger.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
When I was younger, I dreamed of doing something smart and impressive. Now, I don't think any job is ideal for me. What’s ideal is just having enough money not to work.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
I don't think there's a type of decision I struggle with. But I struggle with decision-making when I am feeling down on myself. I worry too much about how my choices will look to others, whether or not I will look "stupid" or incompetent. Because this happens when I'm unsure of myself, it's similar to a fear of failure, I guess.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime is joy because it’s freeing, healthy, and only living beings can experience it. That's as close to a reason for being alive as any.

What is one thing you would never want said about you?
That I'm annoying. It's so minimizing.

The hardest thing I've ever done is change a car air filter because I cannot tell you how solidly that thing was jammed in there.
For a serious answer, I guess coming out of the closet is actually the hardest thing I’ve done. I thought anyone I knew and loved might disown me or think I was making it up. To an extent, I just allowed it to happen, but technically it qualifies.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
Unlucky accidents sometimes occur, but often a person could have been more careful in the first place. I hear intentions brought up when someone "didn't mean it," or "just wanted to help," but a well-intentioned action can still be careless. And carelessness isn't moral is because of the negative consequences it can cause, so yeah, consequences.

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
I look for a shared sense of humor, people to play games with, and maybe some mutual interests. I’m pretty accommodating for people I like, but I don’t like it when people pester me.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
ambition: thirst for something greater
courage: strength to face your fears
intelligence: cognitive agility + impressive knowledge
justice: the righting of wrongs
kindness: compassion + generosity
loyalty: dedicating your trust + good will to another
power: wide influence
wisdom: calming insight

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
funny: I prefer to lighten the mood
principled: I won't go along with dishonesty/manipulation
unconventional: interesting + unusual
conscientious: I try to do a good job
strong voice: good projection, cuts through chatter

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
self-absorbed: too often in my head
fearful: risk-averse and nervous
pessimistic: I don't have much hope
envious: mad at others' good fortune
accident-prone: can be a nuisance

Anon Re-Sort #6

2024-02-12T20:57:02Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
I feel I have often wished to identify most with Sirius Black because he is passionate, dedicated, loyal, but also shares my own attributes of having a terrible temper, sometimes being immature (also sometimes a virtue!), thinking he knows better than other people (though lbh sometimes he also does), and for being totally unwilling to take Dumbledore's bunk (he doesn't see appeal to authority of cult of personality as good enough justification for some of the things Dumbledore asks of others, including himself). I don't know whether anyone who knows me IRL would think I am anything like him, though. I do have a tendency to go along with authority until they ask me to do something truly unjust. I'm kind of an introvert. I can't see myself ever being an unregistered animagus because I'd be worried I'd get in trouble. Maybe in a way that makes me more like Neville, but the difference is that when authority does ask something unjust of me, I will fight-- tooth and nail and without fear or reason-- for years. I have done this in my real life multiple times. Once my blood starts to boil it just will not let me rest.
What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
I came to HP kind of late in life, in my 20's, and I liked the way it showed how government can be both benign and corrupt, how it can change from one to the other through the gentle actions and inactions of ordinary people. I also like the trope of the boy everyone discarded being a really important person, actually, and not even he knew it. The moment most meaningful to me was at the end of Goblet of Fire when Sirius disagrees Dumbledore, because I was thinking all of the same things that Sirius said, and it felt so good to just finally have someone say it. Because Dumbledore was looking out for the greater good, but finally, someone was looking out for Harry-- Sirius. I really needed Harry to have that experience of knowing he had someone he could count on, and that it wasn't Dumbledore.
What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Socks? I mean, it's really really cold in my room and my feet are frozen so that is possible. The real answer is that I don't know. What do I desire? Rest. Sleep. A moment to do nothing but exist, with no to-do list or schedule, and just the time to have a desire. Then I might know the answer.
What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
It probably changes a lot just because I am always making new happy memories, and I have a lot to choose from. My family brings me the most new happy memories, mostly in nature and expressing love for me or each other.
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.
Sirius Black because he'd probably confront anything frightening and he is a good wizard and his casual confidence would give me confidence. A headlamp would be my choice because then I could see and keep my hands free.
What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
Answering this would probably reveal my identity, but suffice it to say that I wanted to do something that only a very elite selection of people ever get to do. And I really never stood a chance, but I was slow to give up on that dream. I landed adjacent to that dream and tried to make adjacency work well enough for me, but the money wasn't there to make it worthwhile or to allow me to fulfill other dreams such as traveling with my family. Recently I've moved to a new job that allows me a lot more financial freedom and it's still fun and I get to learn new things every day. Is it the best possible job in the world for me? My One True Job? I don't know that I believe in that any more.
What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
Ones that affect other people, especially that might affect others negatively in order to affect myself or my life or my family positively. I don't think life has to be a zero sum game, but as an example, setting boundaries with destructive family members can feel really bad from their point of view, and so it's hard for me to do because suffering a little to ease their suffering seems like an okay compromise.
Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______
It's hard for me to speak to something everyone should do, because people come from very different walks of life. I think if everyone took at least some time in their life to see nature, whether that is to watch a bird or the stars or a sunrise or the ocean, they will have a better appreciation for how everything fits together. That is truly something everyone should do relatively regularly, and I'm sure most people have, too. I don't like to dictate many "should"'s to other people-- but that is one I feel safe dictating, like everyone should drink some water and get enough sleep.
What is one thing you would never want said about you?
That I was inauthentic. That's just not true. I can take a lot of stuff said about me that is true, or that might be true from a specific point of view, but if someone were to say I was two-faced or didn't bring my real whole self into everything I do, that would be a complete and total lie, and one I would have no way of disproving because anything I said at that point could be considered suspected of manipulation or lie.
The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______
The hardest thing I have done was the transition from being a young adult who worked part time and played video games until 4am and ate Chinese takeout every night, to being a mother. No one really explained to me that all of my needs-- from the most basic such as needing water or to use the bathroom to the most profound like needing time to think and enjoy the world around me-- all of my needs were permanently getting put on the farthest back burner I could find. It's still not easy. To be a mother in our world (and I do use the gendered word mother here because our society does no have equivalent expectations of fathers)... to be a mother in our world means to kill yourself, bury yourself so deeply that even you don't know what you want any more, and then when your kids get older you begin the thankless and tiring job of trying to unbury yourself, to see which parts have rotted away and which remain, to see who you can be now. Realizing that I need to learn to value myself not at all was a very hard lesson for this only child with a spoiled upbringing. Now I just expect to be eating half-spit-out crumbs and peeing with an audience or not at all. But it was a freaking hard transition.
Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
Intentions. I know that people can lie about their intentions, but in the case that you can know or even guess at someone's intentions, that is the key to whether they will go out and do the bad thing again. If you can teach them that what they intended was good but has a bad outcome, and how to have a better outcome next time, that person is still an asset in the world for good. If they intended to have a bad outcome, that person will never be a positive force in the world.
What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
I look for someone who is genuine, including able to share insecurities and fears, and who doesn't feel the need to project any one sort of face. I look for someone who doesn't judge acts by consequences but by intentions, because I've made plenty of mistakes and I will probably make more.
Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition: Being future-focused, or with a great understanding of cause and effect including in social situations where you can only really guess at effect, and knowing what effects you are wanting, and then seeking to cause the things that will generate those.
Courage: Doing the things you think are morally correct whether that is to your benefit or detriment. In some cases, that means ignoring the effect because you know you should or must if you want to sleep at night.
Intelligence: The ability to quickly make connections between facts and to discern patterns with less information than others need to discern a pattern. I consider intelligence to always be comparative. For instance, one person alone can be courageous or ambitious, but an intelligent person is only intelligent when compared to the bell curve distribution of everyone.
Justice: I have not thought about this one, but it feels like "everyone gets what they deserve", in a sense the opposite of mercy. I can see this is about Hufflepuff but what's interesting is the way "just" is often used in different connotations than "justice".
Kindness: I don't think this is any kind of universal definition, but to me it means not being a source of discord. That could be totally authentic, but I also associate kindness with "nice"-ness, by which I mean just getting along and keeping your opinions to yourself.
Loyalty: I think loyalty is about siding with someone in an argument, even if you disagree with them, and if you do disagree with them taking that up in private. I am saying that loyalty is public support under all circumstances.
Power: Looking back at my definition of ambition, I would define social power as the ability to make certain effects come to fruition. Sort of like the % of the total unlikely effects that you were able to cause through manipulating causes.
Wisdom: Wisdom is when your values and your intentions align with your thoughts & actions in both large and small situations. For instance, you act out of a measured decision about your values. Or your thoughts are controlled to match your intentions.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Communication - I'm not great at ad hoc verbal communication, but in planned verbal or any written communication I can express myself with precision and clarity.
Innovative - I am often asked to solve complex problems, and I usually do so by seeing solutions that were not obvious to other people. I'm not afraid to try unexpected or new things to solve these problems.
Decisive - I have a habit of doing a kind of mental coin flip when I am faced with binary decisions where nothing is immediately correct. If it doesn't matter, then my choice also doesn't matter. If my choice does matter then a short time down the wrong path, what will be clear and we can try the other plan or choice. Few decisions are irreversible.
Critical Thinker - I am able to hold multiple incongruous ideas in my head at once, and therefor wait for more evidence before determining which one is the truth.
Curious - I watch documentaries and read non-fiction. I always raise my hand when someone is offering to teach something new. I go to classes on vacation.
What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Dramatic - Sometimes so many things feel like Big Things to me, when in the end they are small things. And no matter how often this happens, the next time they come around I once again think they are Big Things.
Easily bored - This matches with my curiosity, but I want to learn new things, not the same old things. And my innovation, I want to try a new way, not the same old way.
Stoic-faced - I can come across blank-faced and unemotional. I have to practice emoting outwardly. That's not to say that I don't feel a LOT of things inside, but I don't think they come often.
Nervous laughter - This one is random, but I smile when I'm nervous. It's not something I'd wish on anyone. I once had to deliver the news of a death and I could not stop smiling. I lost a friend through that, but I was heartbroken and nervous, not happy!
Self-critical - I am very hard on myself. Did I not clean today, am I not being as good of a friend as I should be, did I slack off at work today? There's no room for faults or low standards.

TERM LVIII - FEBRUARY WEEK 2

2024-02-05T23:49:32Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE application for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday February 12th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #5
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #5

2024-02-05T23:45:26Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?

It’s a weird mix of Hermione and Snape, if I had to narrow it down. I was a very precocious, obnoxious child, eager to show off just how smart I was. You learn to temper that sort of thing as you age, though it does rear its nasty head from time to time if you’re not careful. Even now, I still have the obsessive need to consume information on any number of subjects, not really for anyone’s benefit, more just to satisfy an itch I have to have a good understanding of whatever it is that’s caught my eye. I’ve also always been attracted to darker things - weather phenomena and the carnage they wrought, the occult, the paranormal, death in all its varied forms and manifestations, from war to medicine to plagues, etc etc.
What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?

I could write a dissertation on what these books mean to me. They have fundamentally changed not necessarily who I am as a person, but how I view myself in relation to the world around me. They have given meaning to my purpose, in a sense.

Along that vein, I think the moment that was most meaningful for me, the one that to this day stands out in my mind as both my absolute favorite and the scene that absolutely broke me when I read it, was The Prince’s Tale where Snape reveals to Harry the final tidbit of Dumbledore’s Grand Plan to sacrifice the Chosen One on the sword to save all of Wizardkind in amidst of what could be considered an apology for everything he’s done. It’s arguably some of JKR’s best writing – every interaction between Harry and Snape throughout the entire series has led up to this point and in one go, obliterates everything Harry thought he knew about both the man whose memories he’s viewing and the man to whom he looked as the solver of all his problems. Snape and Dumbledore were the men with the answers, yet the devastation wrought by each man’s separate choices cannot be understated. It’s also one of the few times we see Snape as a complex person, not just this evil bat of the dungeons abusing kids for the hell of it (which he does constantly), not just a foot soldier Death Eater spy following orders – under this mask is a depth of (obsessive? toxic?) love that has held him hostage for the entirety of his life until at last he can no longer outrun his fate. A fate he embraces and suffers quite nobly and without any fight.

It’s just stunning. A close runner-up is the scene in the Forest when Harry goes to meet his doom - also just rapturous writing.
What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?

Just the typical Maslow needs – a nice home, plenty of money to live on and a person to love me forever.
What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?

It’s tricky, yeah? I have all of these low-level, feel-good moments that Lupin would say weren’t “good enough, not nearly good enough.” The one I feel would be best suited might be the first time I saw the ocean – as someone who grew up in the landlocked middle of the country and lived a very sheltered life, I can distinctly remember the day I walked out and saw water reaching far as the eye could see. The vastness, the depth, the sound of the waves crashing as the breeze caressed my face; despite my having been to various beaches as an adult, I still get the same feeling. As to my form, perhaps some kind of water fowl – a heron, a swan, something sleek and mysterious.
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.

Snape and a cloak. I would argue that Snape, out of most people, would have excellent knowledge of both the types of dangers and helpmates one might find in the Forest. Being a Potions Master, he’s adept with a knife, could probably make a banging stew, and could help defend us from beasties we might encounter. Cloaks are practical - they protect you from the elements, can be shredded to make bandages/splints for injuries, give a certain dramatic flair that makes a night in the Forest more fun.
What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?

I had many ideal jobs as a child – doctor, teacher, rock star, actress, meteorologist, marine biologist (did I mention I was a glutton for knowledge as a child?) – it changed from week to week, month to month. Now, I’d like a job where I do nothing and get paid, ha! Alas, the world doesn’t function that way. Luckily I have found a vocation that very much suits me in the medical field, so I would imagine that same kind of thing would appeal to me in the Magical world as well, though being a professor at Hogwarts does have its appeal…
What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

Most decisions are difficult for me to make – I have this crippling need to make the “right” decision all the time, even when there is no right or wrong choice to be made. I still am able to make them; doesn’t mean I like it.

The hardest ones though would be the ones that affect others, I think. While I enjoy being in charge and leading, I don’t actually like being responsible for others’ wellbeing and/or happiness/satisfaction/disappointment. Yes, I’m aware of the irony, lol.
Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______

Loss, because then you know the true value of what you have.
What is one thing you would never want said about you?

As I’ve grown older, I care less and less what people think or say about me, really. I suppose I wouldn’t want them to think me truly evil or unnecessarily cruel, but even those are subjective depending on the context.

*shrugs* I have people who know me well enough so it doesn’t matter what the ephemeral “people” say who have no idea who I am.
The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______

Live, because that’s the hard part.

Let me explain - several years ago, I suffered a catastrophic medical emergency and was lying dead in a trauma bay at a local hospital. I had no pulse for over 30 minutes and was, for all intents and purposes, dead. They were able to revive me, and I am lucky to be alive and healthy for the most part with little sequela. For the lucky souls who don’t experience it, dying can seem like something that you have to try very hard to do.

The reality is it’s very easy to die. Living is the difficult part – to reconcile the fear of losing out on telling your loved ones what they mean to you, to see how much you mean to other people, to have to battle your way back to health from quite literally death’s doorstep, to allow yourself to feel anything but dread and fear and anxiety that it will happen again. That’s the game - to get up again and again and again.
Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?

Consequences, for sure. Consequences give morality meaning - actionless morality is nothing but thoughts and prayers.
What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?

What I look for - sarcastic and/or dark humor, a similar desire for knowledge, good work ethic, the ability to withstand long periods of non-communicative silence.

As for the second question, it would be easier for me to say what doesn’t annoy me about other people. In general, I dislike people as a group. And yes, I am in the wrong line of work, as all I do all day long is deal with people, thank you so much for asking…
Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.

Ambition: the desire and willingness to do what is necessary to achieve a goal
Courage: the ability to do something outside one’s comfort zone either for oneself or others
Intelligence: knowledgeable, yes, but also knowing how to use knowledge purposefully in order to perform a function/job
Justice: the time fitting the crime; consequences of one’s actions reaping rewards/punishments deserved
Kindness: being good/merciful without wanting anything in return
Loyalty: devotion; love; taking purpose from the object of said feelings
Power: influence, persuasion, intelligence, the ability to inspire devotion/loyalty in others
Wisdom: knowledge/intelligence + experience
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?

Intelligence, dependability, observant, trustworthy, empathy
What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?

Quick tempered, overly anxious, vanity, seeking recognition/wanting to be the best, easily annoyed

TERM LVIII - FEBRUARY WEEK 1

2024-01-29T21:23:01Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE application for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday February 5th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #4
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #4

2024-01-29T21:14:43Z

Before we get started: My goodness! I took a trip down memory lane as I wrote this app and looked at my older application, hybrid stamps, and more. From that initial app to now, there's been quite a lot of changes and life lived. Over the years, I've had votes for all four houses, not to mention quite a few Muggle votes on that first app. (Teenage me was a bit much.) Most of all, I'm so grateful you all welcomed me. From late night Hogsmeade chats to positions around the comm, it's truly been an honor to know you all.

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don't feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?

I've grown and changed so much since I initially read the books, and I've felt connections to multiple characters over the years. Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and even Lily all come to mind. The know it all who grows beyond reciting facts, the dreamer who forges friendships with others, the younger sibling seeking to prove themselves, the devoted mother and partner.. I still see them all in me.

But in the meantime.. let's go for someone new: Neville Longbottom, specifically looking at his role in book 7. He is responsible for all of the students who have fled to the Room of Requirement, a coordinator who is managing people and logistics. He is also rising to new challenges and leading the group despite uncertainty. He's had some informal training and foreshadowing in the plot, but a lot of these things have just been thrust upon him and he either had to adapt or sink under pressure. While under far less stressful stakes, I can relate to that journey. It's been a good journey so far thanks to a solid adaptable foundation, but it's not like I went to school and had a direct path after graduating and trying to find a career. I've struggled with impostor syndrome and taken on new challenges at work and at home that made me wonder - am I ready?

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?

The first time I read them, the books were honestly just another fantasy world to step into. I've always loved books and enjoyed dreaming of other worlds. But what set the series apart was how amazing it was to finally have an experience of shared fandom and excitement alongside others. I hadn't really forged fandom-based friendships before, plus I was a childhood bookworm who didn't relate super well to other kids. The midnight book drops, classroom (and even college-level - I took a course on Harry Potter in uni!) discussions, lunch table chats, late nights reading fanfictions that fixed plot holes and online chats here - what an experience of a lifetime.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?

This has also changed over the years, but probably a warm bed where I can sleep as long as I'd like and some free time with a notepad and pen to figure myself out. It's been building, but over the past few months I've felt lost without a strong self-driven purpose. I miss having clarity about my own goals and development as an individual. I want to find my next big dream! Between chasing after a kiddo at home and feeling pretty reactive to work stuff as opposed to thinking strategically, I really desire to feel more grounded and organized.

I admittedly feel rather lukewarm about this question - in the past, I've felt more unsettled and had a stronger desire to see family members who passed on. And certainly, seeing those individuals and seeing their approval would be lovely - but there's not a part of me that's desperately seeking that soothing moment. I've come to terms with things.

Perhaps a more intriguing option at this stage would be to show me the roads not traveled - key moments where I could have made a different choice and the outcome of that.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?

I've been stamped with a couple of different patroni, but I think I like idea of a bear or something similar best: large, strong, protective. I'm not particularly intimidating in person, so while I know it doesn't make any difference to a dementor, having a patronus that is fierce makes a difference for me. :) My wedding day would be the memory I'd call upon to conjure my patronus - dancing with my husband and being surrounded by friends and family combined with a palpable aura of happiness and optimism.

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.

Y'know, I'm going to roll a little differently on this question. Let's say we're back in the Marauders Era. My item would be the Marauder's Map. This may be a point for debate, but it looks like the Marauder's Map didn't show the entirety of the grounds? I'd like to have a purpose behind our wanderings, and it would be cool to add something to a living document like the Map that would be visible for years to come. And assuming this is a non full moon evening, I'd choose for Remus Lupin to join in. His knowledge of the Map would be useful, plus I feel like his personality would jive well with mine. We could probably share a nice conversation or two about books and the Muggle World.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?

As a child, I really bounced between hypothetical career options. I liked science class, I loved reading books and playing video games, and I enjoyed exploring outside. Author, astronaut, teacher, librarian, lawyer, and more all bounced through my head for a variety of reasons, ranging from "it sounded cool" to "my parents thought this might be a good fit". Funnily enough, despite all the ideas, I didn't solidify my career plans until well after graduation. (Yay for being a first-generation college student and being clueless about internships and actually laying the groundwork from classwork to jobs..)

Currently, my ideal job is a position that allows me to be creative and have an interesting, varied day without taking over my life. Work-life balance has been a struggle in the past, and I've been proud of my steps to advocate for myself and set up meaningful boundaries. While not 100% perfect, it's still something! (That said, if I happened to win the lottery and could spend my life taking classes in subjects that interested me without necessarily working toward a degree, I'd be in heaven.)

As for the final part of this question, I feel like I could probably blend both those ideas together. There's no internet or cell phones for after-hours work, for one thing! And if I could resell some galleons on eBay, that might solve the second part, haha. To more directly answer the question, I could envision a couple of different career paths in the Wizarding World! From working at Flourish and Blotts, working as staff at Hogwarts or Beauxbatons (not teaching - I'd be more interested in family engagement or marketing or something behind the scenes.), crafting and selling wands, or maybe even something more unique like being a travel planner for wizarding families! I work best in careers where I'm not the star of the show, but can still be creative, support the larger goal, and cultivate one on one connections.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

Ones where there are multiple valid, good options. Trying to make quick-fire, snap decisions can easily drive me crazy. I hate making snap decisions, especially if they also involve other people. One major example - going out for dinner. If I head to the Italian restaurant, that means I can't try that brand new sushi restaurant down the street. Or the taco truck that's an old favorite. If I choose one, I have to give up the other, equally awesome, options for the day. At least with larger and potentially life-altering decisions, I have time to sit down and think over my options and write out lists of pros and cons.

Also, decisions involving a long chain of inter-related things. For example, right now I'm trying to make up my mind on what I'd like to purchase for a friend's wedding gift. I'm still trying to determine if I can attend or not, which will impact whether I ship it to them or send it to myself for gift wrapping, which will also determine if I get something bulky or lots of smaller, lightweight things. Aagh.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______

Working in retail / a customer-service heavy job because it is a humbling experience that will make you see the best and worst of humanity - possibly all within the same hour. I've had the dubious pleasure of working retail and working in a call center many years ago. Those jobs taught me the value of hard work -- and the value of keeping your head down and doing what you need to make it through a day. Sometimes your hard work doesn't matter, frankly. Situations are sometimes out of your control and you have to manage the best you can. It also taught me respect for other folks and patience. And, in some instances, I learned what kind of a person or manager I did not want to be.

What is one thing you would never want said about you?

When thinking about people in general, I can't really think of anything here that I would never want said? Not that I wouldn't be sad they would say it, but I could understand why they might? For example I can be blunt, have my head in the clouds, not be super thoughtful toward others, be boring / not the most social - I've been called all those and it made sense why I was? It's an opportunity to pause and grow. Or ignore it. Even with my usual tendency to be a perfectionist, being called sloppy or less than thoughtful doesn't stress me out like it used to.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______

One of the most difficult choices I've had to make was regarding my job. I had a stable, good job that was close to home and paid well. I was alerted to a dream job opening by one of my friends, applied, and successfully got the job. Then comes the big question - do I accept and upend everything to go chasing a dream? Ultimately, I chose to pursue the new job - and I'm incredibly grateful I did! I've grown as a professional and tackled so many new challenges. But there's no denying it was a gamble.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?

Consequences. You can have all of the best intentions in the world, but the impact of your choices are what will matter and be remembered by others. For example, I'm thinking of a character from the Critical Role fandom. There's a background character who is responsible for an apocalyptic world event in lore. When we actually see that character in action, there's a moment where they express regret and share that they had good intentions for their ultimately world-breaking choice. However good/neutral their intentions were, the fact remains that their actions created some awful consequences. And thousands of years later, the only thing recalled about them was the consequence of their actions.

That said, individuals can certainly share their thought process and intentions - it's definitely valuable for understanding others at times. It just doesn't wash away what happened in the wake of their actions.

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?

Most of my friendships started out with a shared interest or activity - such as being part of the same organization, working toward a common goal, or playing a board game together. I'm not good at breaking the ice without some kind of activity or prop to get conversation flowing, so I'd like to find someone I can build a foundation of friendship with.

Then, with deeper friendships, I look for someone who I can spend all day talking about everything and nothing with. And then, I'd be able to sit in companionable silence with them as well. I'm not the best at maintaining long-term friendships, admittedly, but the ones I have been able to maintain all include this aspect.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition: blending a visionary outlook with dreams and courage to keep climbing toward them
Courage: listening to your heart and being true to yourself
Intelligence: facts, figures, vocabulary, numbers, knowledge in its raw form
Justice: striving for fairness and equal treatment for all
Kindness: consideration, courtesy, and noticing the needs of others + acting on it
Loyalty: a commitment to an ideal or individual
Power: the ability to command others - either through respect, fear, precedent, or organization chart
Wisdom: taking intelligence and applying it with critical thinking and consideration for others

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?

1) I can have a laser-sharp focus on tasks and so much motivation. I can jump into a focused zone and work, work, work, work.. I can crank out so much stuff when I'm in the mood for making graphics or writing an essay!

2) I love planning and writing lists - I have to get everything out of my head when I'm trying to plan something, and it makes it easier to spot errors or find alternative ways to accomplish a goal than just quickly running through something once in my head! Plus, it's easier to have it all written and in front of me if my mind wanders onto another topic.

3) I work hard. (Probably too hard at points.) I always try to meet deadlines and follow through on commitments. When I'm in the middle of a project, whether graphic design or something for work, I give my best effort. I'm always engaged in the process and thinking of interesting ways to improve things - even after it's officially "done", haha!

4) I'm curious. From deep dives into Star Wars lore to wondering what's around the next corner, I've managed to hang onto a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. I love diving into random Wikipedia articles when I have the opportunity or exploring new and different ways of doing things.

5) I'm adaptable. From a winding career journey through multiple different fields to juggling different tasks on the fly, I'm generally able to navigate things fairly well and learn from past steps that didn't work.

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?

1) I can be incredibly stubborn. Sometimes, literally all it takes is someone saying "you can't do that" for me to charge out and boom! I'll make sure and find a way to do that now. Conversely, once I get an idea in my head, I will sometimes stubbornly stick with it. Usually for too long or without thinking things all the way through.

2) I can be easily distracted or lose motivation. Ah, the flip side of my focused zone. I get burnt out or simply do not feel like doing things. Or I just start overthinking it and go down the rabbit hole for a while.

3) I am overwhelmingly disorganized at times. Some days I have it all together, but other days I am drowning in lists of ideas, toys all over the house, items that don't have a permanent home piling up in inconvenient locations. You get the picture. ~~Don't even ask how many tabs live on my computer and in my brain at one time..~~

4) I can be pretty anti-social. Why go out and deal with loud people, crazy traffic, and other annoyances when I can stay at home with Netflix, blankets, and warm hot chocolate?

5) I can easily get anxious and insecure. I can make one small mistake / mess up a conversation and it throws off my whole day while I sit there wondering how the other person is feeling / reacting to that. And the impostor syndrome is reallllll, y'all. It is really troublesome when I am constantly feeling like a newbie when really, I'm not. Folks treating me as a subject matter expert just feels unreal.

TERM LVIII - JANUARY WEEK 4

2024-01-22T19:14:40Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE application for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday January 29th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #3
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #3

2024-01-22T19:08:03Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
I don’t have a character that I completely identify with but in general, I like that pretty much all the characters are flawed in some way or another.

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
I find the whole dealing with death in the series to be especially poignant and how there are different views on how to approach it. This has helped me cope with very dark times.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
I would see myself with my entire family and friends, whole and happy.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
I think that my Patronus would be an owl and I would use an old childhood memory of an extended family vacation.

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 would chose Sirius because of his animagus form so he would be able to fight anything that we would come across and also I figure that he is attuned to animals having lived as a dog. I would also take a magical broomstick so that I am able to fly out of the forest if need be.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
I never had an ideal job as a child. I just didn’t think about it. My ideal job now would be a researcher and I think it would be the same in the Wizarding World, I think that I would probably be working in the Department of Mysteries.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
Making a decision and just going for it lol I really debate with myself on what to do and it takes a while to do something.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______
is traveling overseas/out of your country because you learn about the world that way.

What is one thing you would never want said about you?
That I am selfish because I dislike selfish people.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______
Travel by myself because I am an anxious person and having someone else with me helps with the anxiety.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
I believe that they should be judged by the intentions behind them because in the real world it isn’t always cut and dry and there can be some awful consequences as a result.

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
Someone with a sense of humor and who enjoys similar things to me. I hate people who seem fake and pretend to be things that they are not.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition- achieving your utmost goals.
Courage- doing things that make you uncomfortable.
Intelligence- knowledge about the world.
Justice- trying to make the world fair.
Kindness- helping the less fortunate.
Loyalty- supporting friends and family with anything.
Power- corrupts and makes someone think that he or she is the best thing ever.
Wisdom- understanding the ins and outs of the way the world goes.

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
1. Persistent- I always am trying my hardest at anything I set my heart on.
2. Helpful- I try and help anyone I can although this does have its limits as in I wouldn’t help someone who wants bad things for me.
3. Studious- I love to study and learn about new things.
4. Funny- I have a black sense of humor and I do try and look on the bright side of life
5. Thoughtful- I try and be thoughtful of others whenever I am doing something.

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
1. Anxious- it is a family trait sadly and mine is expressed mainly in social anxiety. I hate social situations with a passion.
2. In-decisive- I can never just decide to do one thing and go for it. I always second-guess myself
3. Low self esteem- I think that this goes with the anxiety but I don’t have a great opinion of my abilities.
4. Prone to anger- when I get angry then basically my surroundings blow up haha no but people know that I am very sweet but not to cross me.
5. A bit immature- I personally feel like I am not very grown up I guess because of my love of media stuff such as Harry Potter, etc.

TERM LVIII - JANUARY WEEK 3

2024-01-15T20:18:16Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE application for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday January 22nd at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #2
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod

Anon Re-Sort #2

2024-01-15T20:10:22Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
There isn’t one character in particular I relate to but in general I enjoy how nuanced most of the characters in the series are.

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
In general for me the books are an escape. I can get lost in the magical world, and sometimes that’s needed.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Myself. Successful. Having accomplished everything I dreamed of.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
Some sort of water animal maybe? A stingray would be cool. I would use a Disney World memory to conjure it.

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.
McGonagall. I’d trust her to keep me safe and think her no-nonsense mentality would also keep me in check if I got too nervous. Also, my cell phone.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
I wanted to be a teacher growing up, but I don’t do well with kids and have 0 patience so I have no idea what I was thinking haha. That being said I feel like Hogwarts professor wouldn’t be the worst job, but teacher in the muggle world? Absolutely not. My ideal job is something flexible that pays well.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
In general I’m fairly decisive unless I’m under a lot of stress.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______
Travel ; it’s fun

What is one thing you would never want said about you?
That I’m forgettable.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______
Continue to get older ; things start falling apart

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
Consequences. I think it’s good to consider the intentions but at the end of the day, if harm is done regardless of the intentions, that’s still harm done. Aka even if you didn’t mean to upset me, you did so …

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
First and foremost I need someone who I can not see for a bit of time but then pick back up like no time has passed. My schedule is always very full and I’m not always the best at responding to texts. I will always be there for my friends when they really need me though. Also someone who is fun to be around and has my back but will also give me their honest opinions.

As for traits that annoy me, where do I begin haha.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition - A drive to succeed
Courage - Bravery even when you don’t feel it
Intelligence - Book smart
Justice - Equity
Kindness - Caring for others
Loyalty - A strong obligation to certain people
Power - The ability to influence
Wisdom - A general sense of knowledge or always knowing what to do

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Organized
Ambitious
Resilient
Smart
Sense of adventure

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Temperamental
Impatient
Prone to jealousy
Prone to anxiety although we’re working on it OK?
Selfish (altho I don’t entirely mind this about myself tbh)

TERM LVIII - JANUARY WEEK 2

2024-01-08T18:21:13Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE application for a anon re-sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday January 15th at 03:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

Anon Re-Sort #1
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod.

Anon Re-Sort #1

2024-01-08T18:11:00Z

What HP character do you identify with most? Or if you don’t feel you identify with any of them, what in general attracted you to the characters?
There are two characters I identify with the most. The first one is Hermione – I have brown and curly hair, I’ve always been a straight A student and reading is my main hobby. I’m not as opinionated as Hermione though, and I don’t try to bully my views to others (even if I think I’m right about something). The second character is Snape – sarcasm is my main way of communicating, and I don’t tolerate idiots of any kind. Maybe I’m not as bitter as Snape is, but still.

What moment in the books was the most meaningful to you OR what do the books in general mean to you?
“After all this time?” “Always.”

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
I’d see myself healthy, and getting paid for my job according to its importance to the society.

What would be your Patronus and what would be the happiest memory you would use to conjure it?
My Patronus would be fox – they are resourceful and fiercely intelligent. In my mind that sounds a lot like me! The happiest memory would be the births of my children.

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’d take Snape because of his knowledge of the Dark Arts and defending against them. The one object I’d take with us would be Portkey that can only be used by us together.

What was your ideal job as a child? What is your ideal job now? Do you think it would be the same in the Wizarding World?
As a child I wanted to be a policeman like my dad. Then I grew up and realised I don’t have enough physical stamina for the job :D As of now I work in a medical field, and I think I’d be either a Healer or a Mediwitch in the Wizarding World.

What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?
The ones that affect not only me but my family as well.

Something I think everyone should experience in their lifetime (even if you yourself have not done it yet) is ______ because _______
Low income because you can’t fully comprehend poverty if you don’t have actual experience.

What is one thing you would never want said about you?
That I’m stupid and/or ignorant.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ______ because ______
Leaving my old workplace because even if the pay sucked and our boss was ignorant, it was still a permanent position and I got paid monthly.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
By the consequences. One might think they are doing the right thing by doing the thing A, but if the thing A leads to injuries or death it was not the right thing to do in the first place.

What do you look for in a friend? What trait most annoys you about other people?
Someone who understands my brand of black humour and sarcasm, and can challenge me verbally and mentally. I abhor people who think they are better than others in some way, and who think their way is the only way to do things.

Explain what the following traits mean to you in your own words: ambition, courage, intelligence, justice, kindness, loyalty, power, wisdom.
Ambition – need to succeed.
Courage – to do the right thing even if it’s scary.
Intelligence – a way to use your knowledge to better your and others’ lives.
Justice – to make sure everyone is treated equally in front of the law and the punishments are corresponding to the gravity of the act.
Loyalty – being there for your friend both in good and in bad times.
Power – good if used wisely, but can also corrupt people.
Wisdom – your intelligence, your life experiences and your soul.

What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
Intelligence, empathy, working hard, being able to adapt to different situations, organized.

What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
Procrastination, laziness, bluntness, lashing out verbally when irritated enough, clumsy

Term LVIII - The Final Term

2024-01-08T18:03:16Z

Hello hello hello, this is your Voting Mod la_loony speaking!

I am here to take us through these two farewell month in this comm.

As you might've seen at hogwartsishome in one of the reminder posts, we will be doing a little anon re-sorting of remaining members. No one will have to change houses of course, this is for the fun of Sorting and to see where we'd end up with the current app, that might be very different from the one we have been sorted with back in the day. Not to mention that we all did some changing and growing over the years, so our answers might be very different too, even if the question is the same as before.

So if you want to be part of the anon re-sort, fill out the application (you can find it in the post linked above or the Platform profile) and submit it with THIS FORM.
This is open for you till the penultimate week of February.

Remember it's supposed to be anon so make sure you don't leave any obvious clues in your answers for people to guess whose app it is.

I will reveal all results at the end of the term and all comments on re-sort apps will be screened till then.

For everyone not a member of HiH who still would like to go through a sorting or used to be a member and wants to come back for the final activities, you are very welcome to submit your application till the penultimate week of February!

If there are any questions, these are your ways of contacting me:

EMAIL: The Mod Account
PRIVATE MESSAGE: votingmod
SUGGESTIONS POST: contact here

Also, here is a handy list of resourced we have to offer here at platform_934. If it's been a while since you've looked them over, please do take a few moments here at the beginning of the term to refresh your knowledge. They answer many of the common questions associated with this community, and provide you with excellent tips and tricks to make your participation here much more straightforward and enjoyable:

PLATFORM 9 3/4 FAQ: located here
SORTING RULES: located here
TOP SORTER LEVELS: located here
SORTING CHEAT SHEETS: located here

Deadlines will remain as they have been, which means that voting will close at 3:00 AM UTC (Monday) aka 7:00 PM PST / 9:00 PM CST / 10:00 PM EST (Sunday).

Last thing, please keep these special rules in mind while sorting:

• All votes must be placed in the subject line of your comment. Failure to do so will result in receiving zero points for your vote.
• Elaborated votes are worth five points. In order to receive these points, you must also sign your vote with either a sigtag or a HIH-specific icon.

MONTHLY POINTS EARNING ACTIVITY: RETURN TO HOGWARTS

2023-09-04T23:42:39Z

Activity: Return to Hogwarts
Deadline: Saturday September 30th @ 8:00pm EST
Points: Long debate: Participation 10pts/5kts, Additional comment: 2pts/1kt.
Details: September means returning to Hogwarts - so this month we are going to discuss what WE would be like had we attended Hogwarts ourselves. What clubs would you have joined? What classes would you have taken (and what would have been your favorite). What about your friends? Would you have been besties with Hermione? Or maybe Fred and George? 10 points/5 knuts initial comment, 2 points /1 knut to comment on others (meaningful comments please)

Remember - don't forget to sign with your name/house (or a sigtag if you want that bonus point).

ARE YOU A FAN OF HARRY POTTER BUT NOT YET A MEMBER OF hogwartsishome? CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION SO YOU CAN GET SORTED AND COME BACK HOME TO HOGWARTS!! (new journals can mention this post to skip the two month waiting period)

TERM LVII

2023-09-04T23:39:42Z

Welcome to Term LVII

Hello, everyone! I'm Trin, belladiavolo, and I am SO STOKED to be your Voting Mod again this term! I look forward to welcoming new (or returning) members to our community and giving them a positive experience on the platform. I am also looking into implementing a variety of different tactics to try and draw new members to our wonderful community as well as finding ways to engage our current members and make them feel loved.

With that said, I welcome any questions or suggestions you may have. Please don't hesitate to reach out through any of the methods listed below (If you message the mod account and do not hear back from me within 24 hours, please feel free to send a message to my personal e-mail):

EMAIL: The Mod Account // My Personal E-Mail
PRIVATE MESSAGE: votingmod // belladiavolo
SUGGESTIONS POST: contact here

Additionally, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of the rules and resources we have here at platform_934. If it's been a while since you've looked them over, please do take a few moments here at the beginning of the term to refresh your knowledge. They answer many of the common questions associated with this community, and provide you with excellent tips and tricks to make your participation here much more straightforward and enjoyable:

PLATFORM 9 3/4 FAQ: located here
SORTING RULES: located here
TOP SORTER LEVELS: located here
SORTING CHEAT SHEETS: located here

For the sake of continuity, I intend to honor last term's deadlines as well, which means that voting will close at 9:00 PM MST on Sunday (3:00 AM UTC Monday).

I’d also like to make special note of the two new rules implemented, which are still in effect:

• All votes must be placed in the subject line of your comment. Failure to do so will result in receiving zero points for your vote.
• Elaborated votes are worth five points. In order to receive these points, you must also sign your vote with either a sigtag or a HIH-specific icon.

♥, Trin
belladiavolo

P.S. Don't forget to check out our monthly points earning activity to earn your house some extra points!

MONTHLY POINTS EARNING ACTIVITY: HARRY POTTER REBOOT (Part 4)

2023-08-05T01:07:10Z

Activity: Harry Potter Reboot - FANCASTING CHARACTERS
Deadline: Thursday, August 31st @ 8:00pm EST
Points: Long debate: Participation 10pts/5kts, Additional comment: 2pts/1kt.
Details: Being a TV Show the reboot claims to be focusing on one book per season, meaning there are some things we may get to see brought to life that we didn't get to see on the big screen. Is there anything you are hoping makes the cut this time around? Leave your thoughts, then reply to others!

Remember - don't forget to sign with your name/house (or a sigtag if you want that bonus point).

ARE YOU A FAN OF HARRY POTTER BUT NOT YET A MEMBER OF hogwartsishome? CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION SO YOU CAN GET SORTED AND COME BACK HOME TO HOGWARTS!! (new journals can mention this post to skip the two month waiting period)

Welcome New (Returning) Member!

2023-07-24T22:49:33Z

caitis_musings

MASCOT ARTWORK CREATED BY RAGGEDYBEARCAT

BANNERS CREATED BY ROXIMONOXIDE

What Happens Next:

Step 1: Accept your hogwartsishome invitations here.

Step 2: Join your common room! [Gryffindor is here, Hufflepuff is here, Ravenclaw is here and Slytherin is here.]

Step 3: Make an introduction post in your common room! All common rooms have an introduction form for you to fill out in a new entry in their profile.

Step 4: Join Hogwarts is Home subsidiaries! I've left a list of all of our sub communities for you in your official sorting comment at the end of your platform_934 application, but your prefects should be able to give you more information once you post your introductions.

Step 5: Drop into Diagon Alley and activate your account. I've already created an account for you, so all you have to do is activate it. (If you're a returning member, you will simply have to log back in.) This is where you'll be able to view your owned items and knuts, among other things.

Step 5.1: Don't forget to read through the Newbies’ Primer to the System.

Step 6: Come back to platform_934 to vote each week! Make sure you read our sorting rules here and here, under the header For those Sorting. Not following procedure may result in not receiving points for your house. Please be careful! :)

Lastly, all of the mods are willing to help you, so if you feel overwhelmed or have any questions, ask around! Your Prefects especially are like your designated tour guides, and your housemates are the perfect mentors!

♥, Trin

HIH OFFICIALS -- PLEASE REFER TO THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST TO SEE THE LIST OF SORTERS FOR YOUR HOUSE!

TERM LVI - JULY WEEK 3

2023-07-16T22:11:46Z

Hello HIHers!

This week there is ONE new application that has just come in for sorting. Please follow the links to your house's individual voting threads. Sorting rules can be found here if you need a refresher.

Voting ends on Monday July 24th at 02:00:00 AM UTC (timezone converter). You must have your votes cast by then for them to count.

caitis_musings
Gryffindors
Hufflepuffs
Ravenclaws
Slytherins

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to comment here or PM me @ votingmod.

- ♥ Trin
belladiavolo

EDIT: MODERATOR NOTE - It would appear that this post was made using the NEW livejournal formatter therefore subject lines are NOT available. Please leave your choice for their house in ALL BOLDED CAPS and then post your reasoning/name/sigtag UNDER that to make it easier for me to calculate the votes. THANK YOU!