Pottermore Sorting

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you’ve a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.

- The Sorting Hat, HPPS

This Pottermore business of Jo Rowling to bring a whole new depth to the series has ignited the glowing embers in its fandom to multi-story fires of excitement. But with it, also comes a fear unprecedented for many who have grown up with these series, and who like me, have had their person shaped in some way by the beautifully narrated tales of courage, sacrifice, bravery, love, and above all, doing what is right.

I am, of course, talking about The Sorting. (Note the capitals; it’s serious business.)

The anxiety and angst comes not because we need validation from a 7 question quiz on who we are as people. Most of us have done sorting hat quizzes that range from silly, predictable questions, to a 122 long one that is supposedly based on psychological studies, and many have studied the houses itself through the 7 books to determine where they’d best fit in. But doing a Sorting on Pottermore means cementing from Jo herself where you’d be, based on a creator’s understanding of the houses.

As you can imagine, this has caused a bit a stir among many people who have for YEARS identified with a trait, who has spent money and time on their idea of who they are and their house loyalty, and is now suddenly being told that they are not what they think they are. It’s like being a Manchester United fan for 10 years only to find out the owner and manager and most of its players don’t like the club at all and are all for Arsenal.

Naturally, people will suffer from the classic stages of the Kübler-Ross depression model, which in itself tells you how much impact Harry Potter has had on this generation.

• Denial – What? I’m a Slytherin, who the heck is Jo to tell me that I’m a Gryffindor!
• Anger  - This is so unfair! I’m cunning and witty and ambitious and Gryffindor sucks!
• Bargaining - Maybe I can switch Pottermore accounts with someone to get into Slytherin?
• Depression – Whatever, I’m not even going to play, this is all a lie anyway.
• Acceptance - You know what… maybe there’s more to me than I knew. Perhaps I should do some self reflection… I could be Gryffindor after all.

The point here is that this has become more than just a little game. This is a defining moment in a person, where the elements of nature versus nurture can be brought in.

Someone who as a child thought the world of Slytherin could have manipulated themselves into thinking like one, and if you pretend to be something for long enough, you will eventually be it. So they have nurtured Slytherin-like tendencies, thus pushing their ambition and wit higher than they might have naturally. If such a person was, unintentionally or unwittingly placed in say, Hufflepuff (which has earned quite a reputation as the house for the duffers) they might end up feeling like what they’ve been is a lie. 

Over exaggeration? Maybe, maybe not.

I myself have gone though (some of) the stages, first denial that I was anything but Slytherin, then into anger, mostly at not having been sorted yet and thus unknowing, and now to a sort of acceptance that I could possibly deal with any house… except Hufflepuff.

In hindsight, I know this may seem really silly and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but I can’t help but feel, personally, that it matters. 

On that note, I’ll return now to my windowsill, to eagerly await my welcome owl.

Edit1: I’m FelicisKnight46, for those interested in the whole social aspect to it.

SPOILER ALERT BELOW! STOP READING FROM THIS POINT OUT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED. 

Edit2: In my utter Slytherin-ness, I decided to scour the internet for questions -(these ones are the recurring ones, so I’m guessing they’re legit). There are about 200 questions designed by Jo herself, and only 7 are used in the actual sorting. Do not read further if you want your sorting to be untainted by advance knowledge.

1. What power would you like to have?
-Invisibility
-Super Strength
-The ability to change the past
-The ability to change your appearance at will
-Mind Reading
-The ability to talk to animals

2. What are you most looking forward to learning at Hogwarts?
-Apparition and disapparition
-Transfiguration
-Flying on a broomstick
-Hexes and jinxes
-All about magical creatures
-Secrets about the Castle
-Every area of magic I can

3, Which road tempts you the most?
-The sunny, grassy lane
-The Narrow dark lantern lit alley
-The twisting leaf-strewn path in the woods
-The cobbled street lined with ancient buildings

4. Four boxes are placed before you. Which do you open?
-The small tortoiseshell box, embellished with gold, inside which some small creature seems to be squeaking
-The gleaming jet black box with a silver lock and key, marked with a mysterious rune that you know to be the mark of Merlin
-The ornate golden casket, standing on clawed feet, whose inscription warms that both secret knowledge and unbearable temptation lie within
-The small pewter box, unassuming and plain, with a scratched message upon it that reads ‘I only open for the worthy’

5. You are walking and come to a crossroads. Which path do you take?
-The path that leads to a beach
-The path that leads through a forest
-The path that leads to a castle

6. You are walking along and hear a sound. What do you do?
-Tread cautiously with you hand on your wand
-Retreat and wait for the source of the sound to reveal itself while remembering defensive spells
-Seek out the source of the sound

7. How would you like to be remembered in history?
-Being Wise
-Being Good
-Being Bold
-Being Brave
-Being Great

8. Would you rather invent a potion that would give you…
-Power?
-Love?
-Glory?
-Wisdom?

9. Which do you find most difficult to deal with?
-Boredom
-Cold
-Hunger
-Loneliness
-Being ignored

Four goblets are placed in front of you, which would you choose to drink?
-Foaming, silvery liquid that sparkles as though containing ground diamonds
-Smooth, thick purple drink that smells of chocolate and plums
-Golden liquid, which makes sun spots dance around the room
-Mysterious black liquid, which gives the drinker strange visions

10. A troll has gone berserk in the headmaster’s office and is going to destroy the precious items. In what order to you save them?
-Cure dragonpox potion
-Merlin’s Books
-Student records

11. How do you want to people to react when they hear you name after you’re dead?
-Miss you and smile
-Want to hear more stories about your adventures
-Think about your achievements
-I don’t care what happens when I’m dead, it’s when I’m alive that matters

12. Once every century, the Flutterby bush produces flowers that adapt their scent to attract the unwary. If it lured you, it would smell of…
-The sea
-Fresh parchment
-Home
-A crackling log fire

13. What kind of instrument most pleases your ear?
-Violin
-Trumpet
-Piano
-Drum

14. One of you house mates has cheated in a Hogwarts exam by using a self-spelling quill. Now he has come to top of the class in charms, beating you into second place. Professor Flitwick is suspicious of what happened. He draws you to one side after his lesson and asks you whether or not your classmate used a forbidden quill. What do you do?
-Lie and say you don’t know (but hope that somebody else tells Professor Flitwick the truth.)
-Tell Professor Flitwick that he ought to ask your classmate (and resolve to tell your classmate that if he doesn’t tell the truth, you will.)
-Tell Professor Flitwick the truth. If your classmate is prepared to win by cheating, he deserves to be found out. Also, as you are both in the same house, any points he loses will be regained by you, for coming first in his place.
-You would not wait to be asked to tell Professor Flitwick the truth. If you knew that somebody was using a forbidden quill, you would tell the teacher before the exam started.

15. Which would you rather be?
-Liked
-Imitated
-Praised
-Envied
-Feared
-Trusted

16. A muggle confronts you and says that they are sure you are a witch or wizard. Do you:
-Ask what makes them think so?
-Agree and walk away, leaving them wondering about the truth?
-Say yes and tell them you’ll jinx them if they don’t leave?
-Tell them you think perhaps they need to call the mental hospital?

17. Which magical creatures would you most like to study?
-Centaurs
-Goblins
-Merpeople
-Ghosts
-Vampires
-Werewolves
-Trolls

18. You would hate it if other people thought you were…
-Ordinary
-Selfish
-Ignorant
-Stubborn
-Cowardly

19. Do you prefer the forest or the river?
-Forest
-River

20. Dawn or Dusk?
-Dawn
-Dusk

21. Black or White?
-Black
-White

22. Heads or Tails?
-Heads
-Tails

23. Left or Right?
-Left
-Right

24. Stars or Moon?
-Stars
-Moon

Edit 2: I’m in! And Slytherin!!!!!!!! So happy. For those curious, you get asked a total of 14 questions, 7 during your wand placement, and 7 during your sorting. There is an extensive explanation for the wand types which are surprisingly accurate, and thus I imagine it heavily influences your house as well. My only advice is choose honestly. There answers are not obvious to a certain house, but certain answers tend to lend itself towards a certain house, for example, in Q7, if you chose wise, you might rack up more Ravenclaw tendencies, and if you chose great, more Slytherin ones. However the exact mechanism is unknown as of yet, so the best bet is to answer honestly. 

Dissecting Happiness…

Doing what you like is freedom; liking what you do is happiness. 

 

People tend to lament over their lack of happiness. But what exactly is it?

The answer to many things in life does not magically present itself at a certain age; someone younger may be a lot wiser than someone twice his age if he has more experience – has lived more. And in that same vein, happiness can be attained through understanding.

The understanding that happiness is not about being happy. You do not need to smile all the time, or project an aura of bliss if you do not feel like it. In fact, doing so will only cause people to misunderstand your personality, to view it as fake. Happiness isn’t about outward projection; it’s about inner peace.

It’s about accepting your shortcomings and acknowledging them, before working to slowly and continuously improve them. It’s about taking control of your decisions, choices and responsibilities, but being completely open to having everything falling to bits because that’s just how life is. It’s easy to say, but takes a lot of self reflection and awareness to be able to say, “Okay, so shit happens, let’s just move on and roll with it.” The more you do it, the more you learn, the more you grow, the more you start to understand that your life is irrevocably tangled in this mess of strings in the universe and your choices are limited by the pull of other strings.

So again, what is happiness?

It is:

- Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and your goals.

- Acknowledging your body and being happy with what you have (and don’t have), and only then work to improve it.

- It’s about accepting all the good and bad experiences life throws at you, accepting your complete lack of control and then making the choice to make the best of it.

- It’s about making time for the little things: sunsets, dinner with friends, comfortable silences with family, petting your dog, having a piece of candy.

- It’s about struggling to reach your goals and ambitions, and the feeling of contentment every time you reach a small milestone, which takes you closer to the big one.

- It is about taking effort to do something nice for someone with the singular intent of seeing them smile.

- Most of all, it is about completely accepting yourself and both your insignificance and your greatest significance in the world. (even if you don’t know what it is.)

Disclaimer: This is individual perception and may change at different stages in life. 

Dear mum & dad,

(I found this while cleaning my room, a note dated 14th January 2009. It is reproduced here without edits.) 

——-

I come to realize that the older I, become the more I… je na sais quoi… crave your approval? Acceptance? Pride? And I wonder… how much do you really know about me? How well do you know me? What do you see when you look at me? Is it me or the daughter you wish I could be? Do you really want to know? Or are you happy with what you don’t know?

David Cook (musician) once wrote that (and I paraphase) “…the ones that let you show up on Christmas without a present and love and welcome you anyway are truly the people in your life that matter.” Parents fall under there; you do. But would you love me anyway if I never amounted to anything but a 9 to 5er? Or if I was gay? Or if I took drugs and smoked like a chimney? If I chose you over a significant other? What would break us, if anything? Murder? Suicide? Drugs? Sex? Money? I wonder.

I wonder what you were like at this age. Did you feel this confused? This unsure? This lost? Is this ‘normal’ or am I have supposed to have my life figured out by now? Am I the only one grasping for straws, fumbling my way through an existence? I realize, of course, that the answers won’t suddenly reveal themselves in a blinding moment of clarity; the questions wouldn’t be so epic if the answers were so easy to find, after all.

But I wonder.

I truly do wonder if the visions you had at my birth, when I was minutes old and my life so fragile and in your hands… what did you see? Does reality come close? Are you disappointed? Is there something you wished I did differently?

I wonder.

More than just carbon.

Human beings are made up of many things, but mostly, carbon (and oxygen and hydrogen). We’re a surprisingly complex working module of simple things but of all the things interesting about us, it is the spiritual and metaphysical connections we seem to make with our environment and each other.

It all comes down to a very simple thing: understanding people.

It is something I seem to be inherently bad at, or so I’m told. The thing is, people tend to make simple things complicated. It’s like most people have this unconsciousness need to make things bigger than they are or need to be.  It would seem that people would rather hurt than heal. It’s all really bizarre to me; didn’t the Dalai Lama say “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can‘t help them, at least don’t hurt them”?

This past week, I’ve had to deal with several bouts of fragging, which naturally left me in a state of reflection of my people skills. I’ve never considered myself particularly inspiring, and I struggle to do what’s right despite it never being the easiest or most popular route, but always trying to shield the fragile human being from the rounds can get tiring.

So here’s what I came up with:

A 5 point list on dealing with difficult people.

1. Don’t change who you are but develop a shield. 

- Whether you’re doing something right or wrong, you’re going to be pissing off someone, somewhere. So don’t bother being fake, or trying to appease everyone, because you’ll lose, every.single.time.

2. Get things done (& get them done right). 

- The best way to shut up the naysayers is to get the job done. Meet your deadlines, do your part, and do them well. Don’t give up or give in because people are being assholes jerkfaces. Instead, render them speechless by doing your best. So even if they complain, you know you’ve done all that you can and that they’re just being stupid. Furthermore, after a while, you’ll get their respect, grudgingly or not.

3. Talk to people. Learn about them. Listen. 

- Despite the amount of rubbish that goes on with people and the world, fundamentally, everyone wants to do good. Circumstances doesn’t always allow that to happen: people become bitter, traumatized, scared. But everyone has a story.

One I’d like to share: In Malaysia, we have a lot of foreign workers, a lot of them working as waiters at hawker centers. In my junior year of college, a senior introduced me to one who he regarded as a friend. It’s been 3 years, and I’m still friends with the man from Bangladesh who is actually a lawyer with a degree that is not recognized outside his country, who is redoing it here in Malaysia and getting by through his side job. He has a story, and a remarkable one. Many of the Bangladeshi’s in Malaysia are lawyer’s or doctor’s and such. Sadly, I’ve seen fellow young Malaysians treat them like they don’t matter, acting rude just because. 

“Judge a man not by how he treats his equals but by how he treats his inferiors” - Sirius Black.

Everyone has a story. Listen to it. Your whole world will change.

4. Never make a decision (or send an e-mail) when angry/upset. (i.e be calm.)

- It only takes 1 minute to destroy 1 year’s worth of a relationship. I have a rule: I try not to send scathing e-mails when I’m angry because I don’t relish the thought of damage control. Even so, a few have slipped by, and the effects have been felt, despite the fact that I wasn’t annoyed at the person but the situation. The thing is, when you’re angry or upset, it permeates the air around you whether or not you want it to and you end up sharing the misery. Also, sarcasm is a double edged sword. On one hand, if someone has wronged you badly, let them know; don’t just let it stew. The point of this is not to smother all emotion into being constantly sunshine and rainbows, but applying restraint to address the issues, not escalate them.

5. Don’t feed the trolls.

- If you know someone is a total back-stabbing gossip, then don’t tell them things that could hurt you if spread. If you know someone is unreliable and flaky, don’t depend on them for important things. If you’ve already been hurt once, either stay away or if not possible, keep your guard up. Don’t make the same mistakes twice. Some people just enjoy bringing other people down so it’s best to not get caught in that, rather than trying to hard to appease them or get them to like you. It’ll only make them more vicious.

Bonus tip: Sometimes, sometimes, it’s not them. It’s you. If you can’t step back and reflect about the situation objectively, and admit your own mistakes, then you may be the difficult person, not them.

I’m going to take my own advice, and try it out. *crosses fingers*

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

You can respect the position, but the respect for a person is earned, not gifted.

With all due respect to the politicians out there (who earn it), I have to say I don’t hold the profession in high regards -current government and opposition in and out of this country alike; I don’t discriminate, I dislike them all equally-. Years of being aware of the state of countries and news has left me distrustful, disgusted and more than cynical towards some of these so called ‘leaders’ whose only talent is to spout pretty words that mean nothing.

I’ve had the privilege of networking with some, some from my country, some from abroad. Individually, most of them seem nice. In a group, they’re rather stupid. Perhaps it’s a bit unfair to demand so much of mere human beings, to expect them to be completely rational and intelligent all the time…

I know I’m generalizing way too much, but the truth is, every time I hear a speech, I wonder how much of it is ever going to be translated to action. I especially hate it when you lie blatantly to my face, spouting clever, catchy slogans and practicing the complete opposite. I also recognize that governments run, or at least mine says it does, in a democratic manner, which means a 2/3 majority to make decisions, which means that sometimes, a single person’s view, which may be right, may be drowned out by 10 bad ones.

I also recognize and acknowledge when good oratory skills and a knowledge of the going-ons are demonstrated, because that means that you at least care.  My point of this rather rambly post is to challenge myself to be more open to both sides of the coin. I doubt I’ll ever freely accept everything thrown at me without first throwing 100 questions back, but I do think that on some level, no matter how corrupt, people want to do good. They need to, they have to, they should, otherwise they shouldn’t bother calling themselves human. And politicians, for all the greed and other problems, are also human. The good and the bad.

All of this comes back to a simple thing: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Thinking about it makes me break it down into these 5 things:

1. Do not lie

(If you don’t know something, say you don’t, or cleverly navigate the topic into more familiar territories, instead of lying and being caught later. Or even worse, you’re caught but no one tells you you’re caught, so you keep lying and look like an even bigger idiot.)

2. Learn to speak well. 

(The fact remains that the person who communicates well, uses confident body language and masters language well is often regarded better than his fellow uncharismatic peers. Even if you may lack in other areas, people who can speak well tend to do better at most things. Also, while you don’t have to be pretentious with your dressing, do remember to dress the part for proper occasions – You’re not Steve Jobs, yet.)

3. Say what you mean, and do it. 

(Talking is all good at well, but if that’s all you ever do, no one will want to listen a second time. Don’t talk for the sake of talking; talk because it’s a precursor to an action you’re about to do. Get off your butt and make things happen. Better still, talk people into doing it with you!)

4. Know what you say.

(It’s great that you’re talking, and awesome if you’re doing it, but for Pete’s sake, know what it is you’re doing! Or at least, have a rough idea or a plan. If you want respect, you best be damn good at at least one thing. Find a niche, and then master it. Being a Jack of All trades is fine and well, but unless you master at least one, you can feel free to join the Average Army… Also, if you have nothing contributive to say, don’t say anything at all!)

5. Be polite & humble. 

(Using wit, sarcasm and dry humor is good and fine, but don’t forget to draw a line. There’s being witty, and then there’s being plain rude. Don’t forget what momma taught you; keep your manners and treat people well enough that they wont want to stab you the moment you turn around. Also, don’t forget to credit the people around you and stay grounded. No one likes an over-inflated donkey. People management goes a long way.)

Disclaimer: This post is a reflection from an event but does not completely encapsulate the event itself, it merely started the thought process rolling. Said event also did not particularly raise any level of endearment, but merely made me question my objectivity and cynicism. This was deliberately left nameless, kindly do not attach any names or name-calling as that was not the purpose of this post. Also, there is a fair bit of generalizing here; I’m sure not all in the profession are complete corrupt nincompoops. Furthermore, this post is more about gaining respect; I just used an example of the people who has earned mine the least.

[A Story] Let Go.

In a fit of insomnia, I turned on my music and the streams of a song played. It inspired my dormant muse to action, and before long, a short story was fleshed out.

 

Has it been that long since you opened up your eyes 
To look out below 
’cause it’ll hit you when you’re not watching 
I don’t know why you won’t let go 
So let go 

- Let Go, David Cook, Analog Heart

 

Disclaimer: This story bears no resemblance to any one individual. It is an original story and if it is plagiarized, the worst of the 7 plagues will befall the offender.  

 

——————————————————————–

 

I am here to tell you a story. A story about a boy. A story about a girl. And how sometimes it’s not always a happy ending…

See, there was this boy. He was young, attractive, rich and smart. But he was also obnoxious, far too used to getting his way, and annoying. Yet he possessed a certain quality, a kind of charisma that made people listen to him; he possessed something which many desire yet do not have, yet his attitude towards the world and people in it blocked his path to utilize this charm fully.

And there was a girl. She was young and the daughter to a noble man, bright eyed and eager, but no fair maiden was she. For all her kind heart and good intentions were people who would hurl insensitive remarks and direct insults, people who determined she was not as worthy of their emotions for she was not as beautiful as them.

One day, at the start of a new moon, this boy and girl met. The girl felt an undeniable pull towards this boy; but she knew not of his ways. The boy sensed this, and decided to use this to his advantage. He invited her into his carriage and with his sly and cunning ways, divulged her many secrets, slowly but surely like slow-spreading snake venom.

The girl, determined to believe that someone could actually look past her exterior and see the person inside, gave him the benefit of doubt despite the many warnings in her head. She let him take her secrets, she gave him her honesty; she believed despite his reputation that he was good.

Slowly, as the boy took and took, for he never gave back, she was weakened; she understood that he never laughed with her, just at her, understood that all she was to him was a joke. Even with this knowledge, she despaired that unless she left the kingdom, it would be difficult to let that piece of her heart go.

It became harder for her to see the good in him, though she believed it to still be there. She accepted that she was never going to be the maiden to inspire his change; she knew that a day would come when he would, but she knew she would not be there to see it. It hurt, but she decided she was stronger than that. She decided that she deserved better. She decided that she would stop falling prey to his requests and soft smiles and his using ways.

And till today, the kind girl asks herself why she still hasn’t pulled away. She still hopes for just one more day in which he will stop playing around with her feelings, and return them, or if not, at the least, turn her down instead of teasing. Till today the young girl continues to stare at a closed door, not realizing that many other doors are open for her to go in, if she would just let go.

 

—————————————————————

A place in the world.

Lately, there has been a dull ache in my psyche, a nagging sensation of dulled panic that’s threatening to consume. The question keeps being hushed, but it’s there: What am I doing?

What am I doing with my life? What is my purpose? I used to be incredibly narrow-focused like the tail of a pointer dog. I used to know the exact pathways I’d take, and when I’d get there. Of course, plans never go as planned; life is funny (read: frustrating; exciting) that way. It took me awhile to adjust to that, to accept the reality of the world, but now I wonder, standing here, exactly where I am supposed to be.

This reflection is not as melancholy as it sounds, merely a realistic overview of a sense of non-accomplishment. I wonder if we all hold ourselves to such high regard, or if some are content to be forever plateau. I wonder if everyone struggles with pockets of these moments, when you look at the world and are completely brought to your knees by your insignificance, despite knowing and believing in the power of one. I suppose it is humbling and a good way to keep oneself grounded, to never get caught up in all your doings and dramas.

In 1 year, in 5 years, in 10 years: where will I be, what kind of difference would I have made, would I be around to see it? Will I still be soul searching in the night, or will things be just right? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

=)

In the night, we’re all looking for a guiding light,

We’re all seeking something more than right,

In our time, if we hit a wall that we can’t climb,
And if we stumble at the finish line, we’ll start again,
Everyone, every single person under the sun,
Has a moment where they know they’ve won,
But until then,
We Believe.

We Believe, David Cook, This Loud Morning