Harry Potter Questionnaire Pt. 3 - Kat

This is the last installment of the HP questionnaire we started a while ago. If you have any other HP questions for us, feel free to comment!

25. What would be your favorite shop in Hogsmeade? In Diagon Alley?

The nerd in me wants to say Flourish and Blotts because I remember reading about all the fascinating books there and wishing beyond anything that I could get my hands on just a few of them. Heck, it even made the illiterate and academicly incapable Harry want to read sometimes! But my desire for something sugary right now is screaming that Florean Fortescue's or Honeydukes would be sweet right now (literally...ba dum bum). And after tasting the awesomeness that is butterbeer at the WwoHP, The Three Broomsticks would be totally awesome too!

26. What would be your favorite wizard sweet?
I've always been intrigued by Fizzing Whizbees, Chocoballs, Sugar Quills, and Peppermint Toads (if I could get over the feeling of something hopping around in my stomach). The rest sound irritating (who wants to chase a piece of candy, breathe fire, have chattering teeth, or deal with a room full of bubbles every time they wanted a piece of gum?) or disgusting. I know for a fact I'd hate Bertie Bott's because I even hate the imitations sold of them because I hate being surprised, and I've yet to find one flavor that I liked at all (I think even the “good” ones kind of taste funny, and they all start to blend together after a while and taste like black pepper). I'd also hate licorice wands and the scary biting licorice things from the movie because I'm not that fond of any licorice.

27. What is your favorite magical creature?

Just for Mairead, I will have to say merpeople. I admit I never really liked the ones described in the books, but after researching them extensively when I created a half-siren character (Mairead Lynch, daughter of Adrian Lynch the misfortunate Ireland seeker from the Quidditch World Cup in GoF), I grew to love them since they helped produce one of my favorite and most intriguing characters ever!

Then there's house elves. No offense to Hermione, but if I could get a house elf, I'd take them! I mean, really? *looks at dishes that need to be done* Who wouldn't...besides Hermione? And I'd be nice to them! Kneazles always sounded intriguing as did Fwoopers (an extra butterbeer to anyone who has seen my video in which I say “fwooper” 2 million times).

Oh! And we cannot forget pygmy puffs! I mean, who didn't love the adorable balls of fluff?

28. What is your favorite magical item?

Oh, this is a toughie! Since I'm almost as paranoid as Mad-Eye sometimes, I'd have to say foe glasses would be a good one (as would sneakoscopes), but a shield cloak would be a good addition to my paranoid collection. Extendable ears always sounded cool to almost everyone who is as nosey as I am, I think.

Then there's the cliché ones like the invisibility cloak, the time turner, the marauder's map, the pensieve, etc.

Self-correcting ink always sounded cool since I am always misspelling things and having to take hours to proofread everything. Metamorph-medals would be sweet since it's almost as cool as being a metamorphamagus (and they help in RP so that not every character has to be one). And I must admit if I had a magically enchanted tent, I'd totally go camping!

The last magical item of note would have to be the scarf of sexual preference! I mean, my gaydar sucks, so it would seriously help me out, and he seemed like a cool accessory to hang out with. Go scarfie!

29. Do you prefer The Leaky Cauldron or Mugglenet?

Erm...Mugglenet, I guess...? They've both brought me different things. I've been on Mugglenet longer (pretty much since I finished PoA when I was thirteen), and I've been on Mugglenet Interactive (MNI) and Mugglespace for a while. TLC, though, has given me a lot as well, even if I haven't been on it long and only just joined MyLeaky.

30. Do you prefer Starkid or Potter Puppet Pals?

Honestly I prefer Starkid. I think that AVPM and AVPS are better (though they're quite different and, thus, difficult to compare) than PPP. I've seen almost all of PPP, and I'm pumped to see them at LeakyCon, but I do prefer Starkid.

31. What wizarding job would you have?

Brae and I were just talking about this the other day, and I finally decided what I would be! It took me forever because most of the prominent jobs (shop owner, journalist, Gringotts worker, Hogwarts professor, dragon tamer, MoM worker, professional quidditch player, etc.) never seemed suited to me as they all involved great boredom, children, or me running for my life far more often than I like.

Then it came to me—wandmaker! You see, I have an intense love for everything Celtic and spend a great deal of my time researching it (for religious reasons as much as personal interest). Since many of the wands are based on the Celtic tree calendar (which I know by heart; just ask the rather annoyed workers at the WWoHP Ollivanders about the girl advising people on their wand in the shop last year), this profession held my interest the longest. In addition, learning about the magical properties of different materials has always been another hobby of mine as well (again, mainly for religious reasons), so using magical items like phoenix feather, veela hair, dragon heartstring, unicorn tail hair, etc. and seeing how they acted, how the wands interact with their users, and researching wand lore would fascinate me!

33. What would be your favorite form of transportation?

Hm...this is a hard one. Flying is out because of my fear of heights. Floo powder, portkeys, and apparation never seemed appealing because they all seem extremely uncomfortable, but apparation would be convenient. So, I guess I'd have to choose that.

34. Who is your favorite non-human in the series?

I rather like Firenze, but I feel like I wouldn't get along very well with a centaur. I guess I'm kind of like Hagrid in that respect because it would irritate me to no end to ask a question and have to decipher an answer with the use of almanacs and other aids. Brae and I discussed what such a conversation would be like if one were friends with a centaur.

Me: So, do you wanna go get a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks tonight?

Centaur: Mars is bright tonight.

Me: Er...yeah. It is, I guess. So do you want to go?

Centaur: Mars is bright tonight.

Me: Yeah, we covered that. Do you want to go or not?

Centaur: Mars is bright tonight.

Me: ...does that mean you don't want to go, then?

Centaur: Mars is bright-

Me: You know what, I'm just gonna go, and you can join me if you want. I'll see you when I see you unless Mars being bright means I'm going to die or something...

So, given that, I'd have to say my favorite non-human would be Fawkes. I've like the idea of phoenixes since I found mention of them, and I find them to be fascinating creatures just like Dumbledore. There's so much they teach us just through their continued life about regeneration and the obvious reincarnation. They're amazing symbols, and I'd love to “meet” one.

I just remembered I needed to add the flying Ford Anglia! What? It's totally a character since it has personality...and it's not human!

35. Which is your favorite wizard family?

The noble and most ancient house of Black, of course! I mean, they're all pretty much purists (which rocks!) and Death Eaters (or at least Voldemort supporters after he came around); plus, they have all the cool people like Sirius, Tonks, Bellatrix, and Narcissa!

36. Where would you find me in the magical world?

In Diagon Alley (at work for Ollivander's), in the Ravenclaw common room, or in the library at Hogwarts (I know, “who studies at Hogwarts anymore?”)

37. Do you listen to any HP podcasts?

Not really. I have listened to mugglecast a few times, but podcasts are not my favorite. I find it difficult to concentrate on them for very long because I'm such a visual person (this is also why I don't really like books on tape). So, even if it's on a topic I'm really interested in, I find myself losing focus after about five minutes.

38. Do you subscribe to or watch any HP videos on Youtube?

Yeppers! Right now, I'm subscribed to alwayspureblood aka The Black Sisters, butterbeerwrocks Lena Gabrielle's (The Butterbeer Experience) channel, fiveawesomegirls (though they are no longer producing regular videos), LeakyCon, StarKidPotter, TheHogwartsSextet (a collab channel of some LC attendees that are also in The Final Battle), and sevenpottergirls (a collab channel for 7 girls who will attend Leaky this summer). I also regularly watch Lauren Fairweather's personal channel (devilishlypure), Hayley's personal channel (hayleyghoover), Christina's personal channel (italktosnakes), and Kayley's personal channel (owlssayhoot). I also regularly search for “LeakyCon” for the past few days to see what youtubers are saying about it as well as try to keep up with the best fan videos and parodies on YT.

Harry Potter Questionnaire Pt. 2 - Kat

So, I lied. I got inspired and had time before work tonight, so I got another post finished for you guys. So, here's my second post today (Brae's house post and part two of the questionnaire will be up sometime in the near future so I don't leave him too far behind).

13. Who would be your favorite teacher at Hogwarts?

I'd probably like Lupin for obvious reasons, but I'd also probably like McGonagall. I've always liked teachers that pushed me, if I felt I could really live up to their expectations. If I couldn't, I'd probably hate her with a passion that burned with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. Flitwick always struck me as nice and fun, but his teaching style never seemed like it would suit me because it was too laid back. I might not hate Slughorn if I managed to get into the Slug Club. The only ones I really doubt I'd like are pretty obvious like Umbridge, Lockhart, Binns, Trelawney, etc. as well as Moody (I'd probably freak out in ever class when he yelled about how horrible and dangerous the world was) and Hagrid (who would probably be responsible in some way for my premature death by letting me handle a creature I so wasn't ready for).

14. What lesson would you enjoy the most?

Hm...I know which I would hate, but which I'd enjoy would depend on who was teaching and how skilled I'd actually end up being in that area. I'd HATE Herbology (because I hate being dirty and uncomfortable), Arithmancy (math...ugh!), Care of Magical Creatures (I'd probably spend the entire lesson running from something terrifying), History of Magic (*snore*), Divination (*double snore*), Muggle Studies (we're not that fascinating), and possibly Ancient Runes (though runes and divination do fascinate me in real life, the lessons never seemed particularly thrilling in the books). I'd probably like Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Potions.

15. Which position would you want if you played Quidditch?

I don't think I'd play quidditch or like flying much at all (I'm terrified of heights), but if I had to choose, I'd probably be a beater. I can't catch worth a darn, so that pretty much rules out all the other positions. Plus, it seems like a good outlet for aggression.

16. What are your favorite spells (or potions)?

Aguamenti! No, I'm kidding, but there is a hilarious story from RP behind that one (someone tried to drown someone else using this spell after freezing them with Petrificus Totalis. It was the single most hilarious moment in the history of RP). Or how about Feraverto because I often find myself in dire need of a water goblet but with a spare bird or rat lying around...?

For reals, though, I'd say the summoning charm because I'm that lazy (can we say “accio remote”, “accio double stuff”, and/or “accio hottie”?), the muggle repelling charm (because who doesn't want to get rid of those nasty muggles always hanging around?), or the pack and wizard space charms (because I often travel and hate packing and unpacking with a passion, especially when it comes to having to choose what to leave behind due to a limit of space).

17. What would your Patronus be?

It's boring, but it would probably be a cat. I've always had a real connection with cats (hence me letting people call me Kat despite my hatred of most nicknames I've been given through the years). My first real pet (that lasted for more than a few months) was a cat, and we had a very strong connection.

18. What would Amortentia smell like for you?

Sandalwood (my inner hippie/Pagan is coming out), chocolate (yes, I'm a girl), and lavender. Yes, I realize that together those would probably smell atrocious, but I've always wondered if you smell them all at once or separately.

19. What would your boggart be?

I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat to be honest, so I don't know. A giant spider is a real possibility (though I hate to admit I'm like Ron in any way). It would be difficult for it to turn into something to resemble my fear of heights, so that one might be out. Other than that, ghosts, ax murderers, and random other horror movie monsters rank high here.

20. Do you think you're like any of the characters? Which ones?

I really don't think that I am. I like to think I'm like Hermione (without being annoying) and Dumbledore so that I can be intelligent but still approachable, helpful, and loving. McGonagall wouldn't be bad either since I do have a love for rules and tend to push people to be the best they can.

In terms of looks, I'd say I'm more like (movie) Luna, (book) Narcissa, and/or (book) Fleur if only because of my hair and complexion.

21. How did you react when your Hogwarts letter didn't arrive when you turned eleven?

If I'd read the books then, I'd probably have been sad. Since I didn't pick up SS until I had already turned 12, I never had that build up of anticipation and the let-down of actually being a muggle. I do remember being pretty darn sad once I truly fell in love with the books that I couldn't just run off to Hogwarts. I am still holding out hope for Pigfarts, though, and I'm working on the rocket ship dilemma!

22. How do your friends/family react to your HP obsession?

My family is okay with it, for the most part. My dad even likes HP after listening to SS on tape during a fifteen hour car ride one summer (I fell asleep, but he never turned it off) and watching the movies with me (sometimes taking me to the midnight releases to see them). My sister will watch the movies with me and my dad, as will her husband. My brother is a fairly big fan, though he's nowhere near my obsession. He's read all the books, even the little ones like Beedle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts and seen all the movies. He was jealous when we went through the slideshow I made of Infinitus pictures, but that's about where it ends. He'd die laughing if I ever told him I listen to wizard rock, which I'm fairly sure he doesn't know exists. My mother hates the fact that I'm as obsessed as I am and takes every opportunity to try to talk me out of going to conventions, laughs at me when I mention HP, and generally thinks I'm too old to still be as involved in the fandom as I am and like a “children's book”.

For the most part, my friends are cool. Some don't like HP, but they tend to keep that quiet around me. The rest like it, but aren't as into it as Brae and I are (Merlin's beard, I love having a fellow Potterhead for a roommie!)

23. Do you have any inside jokes that relate to HP?

OMG! Yes! Well, I don't know if they'd classify as “inside jokes”, but we get weird looks when we use them, so I'm dubbing them “inside”. Brae and I attempt to incorporate “Anything off the trolley dears” and “Just what you wanted, actually” into just about every conversation. We'll also quote AVPM and AVPS at the drop of a hat. Oh, oh, oh! Brae just reminded me about “Finnigus Shamigan”. One night, we'd been up for hours watching HP and talking when one of us tried to say Seamus Finnigan, but it obviously came out wrong (ironically it might have been when making fun of his unclear speech in HBP when he attempts to say “Don't you dare talk about my mother like that” and it comes out “Donyoudaretalkaboumymodderlikedat”). The rest is history.

Also, freshman year of high school, my friends were just about as obsessed as I was, and we'd wait on my front porch for Dumbledore to either drop off Harry or a Hogwarts letter, developed intricate theories about how my algebra teacher was a werewolf (there were charts involved), and played quidditch in my backyard. Yes, we were 14...and it was awesome! I'm counting these because we sometimes still refer to them.

24. If you were at the store and saw Harry Potter buying whole milk, what would you do?

First, I'd probably be wondering why he was buying whole milk (bleck!). Then, I'd pinch myself. Once I was sure I wasn't dreaming, I'd probably direct him toward the Squirt.

If we're talking about Daniel Radcliffe, I'd probably just go about my business. The only interest I have in him is when he's playing Harry (often poorly).

If we're talking about Darren Criss, I'd absolutely die!