Iverian's Interviews
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January 2020
Welcome to the winter edition of Iverian's Interviews! For this winter-themed edition, Lorainia Riverrider (Gryffindor), Myrtle Stone (Ravenclaw), Eve Roarke (Hufflepuff), and February Fortescue (Slytherin) all participated. Since the weather has turned cold, our first question focuses on just that: The snow has come (or depending on where you live, the weather has become slightly cooler) so what are your favorite winter activities? Starting with our Gryffindor, Lorainia mentioned that it doesn't snow very often where she's from, but when it does she enjoys making snowmen, having snowball fights, and skating on the pond with her siblings. Eve loves warm weather a lot more but she used to enjoy sledding and building snowmen. February decided on much cozier activities like watching the snowfall, catching up on her reading, and spending time with family. Myrtle says she loves making gingerbread houses (yum!) and baking cookies with her family since it's a lot of fun getting messy making delicious goodies. She went on to mention her city's light show that she enjoys going to each year as the lights are so festive downtown! After quite a mix of responses from very traditional winter activities to calmer ones, from delicious ones to pretty lights, it's time to move on to question two: A lot of students head home for the holidays, but some do stick around. Would you stay at Hogwarts over Christmas? This is quite a tricky question as Hogwarts is so beautiful over the holidays, but family traditions are just as wonderful! Myrtle mentioned just this and said she'd probably go home for Christmas because she wouldn't want to miss family traditions; Eve would do the same though she would miss her friends; Lorainia decided on this as well to avoid missing family celebrations. February had some trouble deciding whether to stay or not (she could sneak into the Restricted Section while the castle was empty or work on her spell work if she stayed), but eventually made the vote unanimous by also deciding to go home as she would miss her family and wished to spend the holidays with them. Now that everyone is going home for the holidays, we're moving onto question three with a more Muggle focus: With the weather getting colder, it's time to pull out that hot chocolate and snuggle up on the couch for your favorite seasonal movie. What movie will you be watching this year? Being from a variety of places and having different preferences when it comes to movies, we should have quite a range of responses. February Fortescue has quite a few movies she loves, like the classic A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott because she believes in the lesson it teaches, Rankin/Bass Production's The Little Drummer Boy that has a habit of bringing her to tears over the lamb, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation which she can relate to with the over the top decorating and wanting the perfect holiday. Next, Eve also has a good list, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (which she used to watch every year), all the Home Alone movies (though she's only seen the 1st and 2nd), and recently her favorite is The Santa Clause, which has all of her favorite genres in it, like comedy, adventure, suspense, and romance! Lorainia was easily able to make up her mind and decide on one movie: The Year Without a Santa Claus. Finally, Myrtle has two movies her family has a tradition of watching - Jim Carrey's The Grinch and Will Ferrell's Elf - which she says are a lot of fun and very wintery movies. After getting everyone's opinion on favorite festive movie selections, we're proceeding to question four which is rather simple and focuses on the temperature change: Speaking of the weather getting cooler, do you enjoy it or would you prefer it to remain warm? Myrtle announced that she loves the cold weather and wishes it was always cold, while February prefers the warm as she loves the warmth and outdoor activities. Lorainia likes the cold weather for a while, but as winter continues, she longs for summer. Eve has always preferred the warmer weather to the cold as her favorite activities - swimming, camping, hiking, cooking out and gazing at the starry sky - are all in the warmth. Finally, we have quite a crisis with question five: The house-elves have shockingly gone on strike and aren't going to be there for Christmas so your help is needed to make the Christmas meal. What do you contribute? No worries if anyone's stressing about all the sweets to be consumed during the holidays as Myrtle is bringing something green to counterbalance all of that! Eve will be bringing her homemade mashed potatoes (not the boxed kind since the real thing is better) and spinach casserole (which she claims even those who dislike spinach enjoy and makes a great side dish!). Lorainia will be contributing fresh milk and eggs along with perhaps a pumpkin pie and February will be making Dreamcicle Fudge which has a wonderful orange flavor! Don't stress out over the house-elf strike as they've got it covered! That concludes our winter-themed interviews! A big thanks to Myrtle Stone, February Fortescue, Eve Roarke, and Lorainia Riverrider for participating! Have a great rest of the winter, everyone! October 2019
Welcome to the next edition of Iverian's Interviews! Like with previous issues, someone from each house (this time Emily Spencer, Lora Wallabenger, Rowena Granger, and Tarma Amelia Black) were asked a few questions. The first one being: "If you could get one thing only from Honeydukes, what would it be?" Three of these lovely peoples went immediately for the chocolate. Emily wanted the Chocoballs, Rowena grabbed the Chocolate Frogs, and Tarma hoarded all the chocolate ('but mostly very dark chocolate' being her exact words). However, Lora had another treat in mind as she emptied the shelves of Pepper Imps because: "Just like a dragon does, you can breathe fire from your mouth which is very cool." Which I agreed with until she continued on to say, "I have this great urge for so long to blow fire to someone's hair, maybe I can try it out next week." Hmm, on second thought, perhaps we should keep the Pepper Imps far away from her. Moving to our next question, we had: "There are so many different kinds of quills, including sugar quills! Which quill are you purchasing this time?" Everyone answered differently to this question and I can't decide which choice I like the best! Emily bought a spell-checking quill because "it would come in handy for homework" while Rowena definitely had to get a Sugar Quill. Tarma took a small trip to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to pick up a Self-Inking Quill while Lora admitted to using Auto-Answer Quills on her homework. Next up, everyone was posed with a situation involving a certain forest. "You have to go into the Forbidden Forest to retrieve your runaway pet! Do you go alone or with friends? Are you frightened of going in or rather excited?" The decision was split in half, two were rather unwilling to go in with Emily stating, "the pet better be worth it" and Rowena taking her friends along. The other two have either been in there multiple times already or are just plain excited for another adventure. Tarma admitted heading in to "visit other friends" and informed us that her pets "don't run away" while Lora was ecstatic to have a reason for heading in! Being halfway through, we move on to the question of brooms! "There are many different broomsticks available to fill all sorts of needs from family travel to Quidditch. Which broom are you investing in?" Emily decided on a Cleansweep 11 and her reasoning was pretty solid: "I love the anti-jinxing charm and the fact that it has built-in vibration control which promises a much more comfortable ride. I really don't need a super sleek broom for racing or Quidditch, so this one seems ideal for me." Rowena immediately went for the Firebolt because of her love for Quidditch while Lora went with it because of its speed and quality - both good reasons. Tarma, however, will not be purchasing a Firebolt because "they have a tendency to disintegrate after 'so many' flying miles" and instead has decided on a Nimbus 2000. After dealing with brooms, forests, quills, and a certain candy shop, why not add a few exotic pets to Hogwarts? "Hogwarts has decided to allow all kinds of pets regardless of size! What do you decide to bring? (They might soon regret this decision.)" Emily stayed with her cat for the company - a black one, preferably. Rowena wanted a Thunderbird while Lora was thinking more along the lines of a Hippogriff because "They are huge and loyal and very protective sometimes. I can even have a ride around the castle if I get bored. Another thing is, if I am late to classes, I can fly to classes clinging to its back!" Pretty good reasoning there. However, I must say I'd like Tarma's pet the most as she's bringing along a black leopard! Finally, we had to take a trip to Hogsmeade. "Third year or not, Hogwarts has decided to allow every year of students to take a trip to Hogsmeade this week! What’s number one on your list of places to visit and things to buy?" You'll find Emily reading in Tomes and Scrolls, Rowena buying out Honeydukes of all their sweets and then heading over for a glass of butterbeer, Lora competing with Rowena for sweets from Honeydukes while also checking out some school supplies and joke items, and Tarma hanging out in The Three Broomsticks enjoying all the food she doesn't get at Hogwarts! That wrapped up the questions, so I'll be over here eating as many Honeydukes sweets as possible! A huge thanks to Emily, Lora, Tarma, and Rowena for helping out with this issue! March 2019
For this edition, I was able to interview Dexter York (Slytherin), Adaleine Shuster (Hufflepuff), Brooke Fallhunter (Gryffindor), and Ilayda Aysel (Ravenclaw). The first question they all answered was: What would be your favorite holiday to celebrate at Hogwarts and why? Everyone seemed to agree on this question. Dexter York responded, “Christmas. Amazing food, a lot of snow, break from classes.” Ilayda was quick to agree, “My favorite holiday at Hogwarts would be Christmas, because most everyone else would have gone home, so I would have the place to myself.” Adaleine and Brooke both agreed as well. Ada said, “My favorite holiday to celebrate at Hogwarts would be Christmas since it seems so fun, and warm!” And Brooke responded, “My favorite holiday at Hogwarts would be Christmas.” The next question up: Speaking of Hogwarts classes, which one would be your favorite? Dexter decided on Charms because "relying on your wand for defense, offense, sufficiency in life is appealing to me." Adaleine couldn’t quite decide on one: “My favorite would be Herbology or Charms, since Charms is so useful and Herbology seems so fun!” Brooke stated that Defense Against The Dark Arts would be her favorite. Ilayda had no trouble choosing Care of Magical Creatures as her favorite class because "I would really like to meet the different animals." For question three: Who is your favorite HP professor? Ada was able to decide on one this time. “My favorite HP professor is Lupin because... well he’s just Lupin!” Brooke hastily agreed. “My favorite HP professor is Professor Lupin because he cares about everybody, is funny, makes nothing out of something, makes everything fun, and is just awe-inspiring.” This time it was Mr. York who couldn’t decide between two, but he had good reasons for both. “Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn. McGonagall because of her discipline and wisdom. I like her approach on situations. Slughorn because of his building various connections which is incredibly smart because it ensures a comfortable life.” Lastly, Ilayda seemed to have about the same idea regarding McGonagall as Dex. “My favorite professor is Professor McGonagall because she is very serious about education.” Moving onto question four: As a follow up, because this is too good to not ask, who is your least favorite HP professor? Dexter was quick to choose. “Professor Trelawney. Her subject is useless and she herself does not show any real skills.” Ms. Fallhunter was wavering between Snape and Umbridge, but eventually went with the latter. “My least favorite HP professor is Professor Umbridge because she's plain cruel and doesn't care about a lot of people.” Agreed. Adaleine quickly decided and had a good reason. “My least favorite professor is Professor Lockhart because he is just so full of himself.” Ilayda decided on Professor Umbridge and her reasoning behind hating her was "for obvious reasons." Next up: Would you enjoy a game of wizarding chess, and if so, who would you play it with? Now, with this question I was not very clear with my meaning so there was a mix of HOL friends/Harry Potter characters. (Ivey needs to work on her clear communication skills.) Mr. York came up with a smart decision and then went on to joke around. “Yes. In Hogwarts, I would challenge Professor Vector with a deal of him giving me an easy pass in Arithmancy class. In HOL, I would challenge Will Lestrange. The lad has a strong mind and I like poking things.” Ms. Shuster simply said she wouldn’t play at all. Brooke went with HOL friends. “I would enjoy a game of wizarding chess, playing with Adaleine Shuster or Grace Sunshine.” Finally, Ms. Aysel went solely with a Harry Potter character. “I would love a game of Wizarding chess and I would play with Luna Lovegood, because she would be fun to reason with about every move we made and to talk with.” Finally, the last question: Last but not least, would you be in the frog choir? Ada stated that she would not. Dexter found the whole idea disgusting: “No. Ewww. I am not touching it!” Ilayda said she wouldn’t because she "would be too busy with her studies." In the end, the only person who wanted to join was Ms. Fallhunter who would "love to be in the frog choir." Well, that wraps it all up! If anyone wishes to be in the next edition of Iverian’s Interviews, let me know! January 2019
Hey, my friends! For this issue, I decided to interview just first years to give these students some attention. It was a struggle to get anyone who was willing, but these fellow students were up for it. I interviewed Daisy Lovegood, a Ravenclaw; Ivy Field, a Hufflepuff who I’ve been good friends with since she joined; Alexander Barnes-Rogers, a Slytherin; and Maricat Munsayac, a fellow Gryffindor (who I’m friends with in RL). I thank them for their time! Dolores Umbridge or Rita Skeeter? Who do you dislike the most and why? Daisy Lovegood: Personally, I dislike Rita far more than Dolores. I feel like, at some point, Rita knows that she is a terrible person, but she feels her dishonesty is the best way to get attention. I dislike that immensely!! On the other hand, Dolores seemed to believe that what she was doing was for the greater good, even if we outsiders knew better. Ivy Field: Rita Skeeter. She might hurt your reputation and figuratively leave a scar, but Dolores does literally. And Dolores is part of the '90s Ministry which I don't support. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: Dolores Umbridge is the one I dislike the most because she has way too much power and uses it the wrong way. Rita Skeeter is just a pest, honestly. Maricat Munsayac: I dislike Dolores Umbridge more. They're both unforgivable, but she's more fun to hate. Umbridge reminds me of teachers I've come across in the past. If you were to play one person on a Quidditch team, which would it be and which house would you play for? Why? Daisy Lovegood: I would love to play for the Holyhead Harpies! But I have no idea who I would play against, any other team would be fun and challenging. Ivy Field: I would be on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because I like blue and bronze and also because Ravenclaw's my Pottermore house. I would play Keeper because I have really fast reflexes and am a good defender. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: I don’t know which position I would play since I don’t follow Quidditch much, but if I did I would definitely play for Slytherin. Maricat Munsayac: In reality, I doubt I'd play Quidditch at all! I'd play for the Hufflepuff team, because I'm a Hufflepuff, but I'd probably be the Keeper. I'm bad at sports, so, yeah. Keep me out of the action. Besides the Harry Potter books, which book is your favorite and why? Daisy Lovegood: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has been my favorite and most inspiring read for many years. I enjoy the trials and movement the main character goes through. I also reread Gone With the Wind every other year. Ivy Field: I really don't know. It would probably be Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I like it because it really shows everyone's point of view and in every one, August is really special. It just folds together so neatly, like origami. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: I like the Percy Jackson and Twilight Series. And I guess why, well they are just good in my opinion. Maricat Munsayac: My favorite book is probably Howards End by E.M. Forster. Margaret, the main character, is one of the few main characters I've come across that I've truly loved, supported throughout the story, and strove to be. She has done nothing wrong and I adore her. Additionally, I enjoy the aesthetic and emotion of the story. What would your blood status be and why? (Pure-blood, Half-blood, Muggle-born) Daisy Lovegood: I would have to be named a half-blood. My father was a bit of a Muggle, but my mom came from a long line of witches and wizards. As long as your heart is in it, I don't think it matters which you are. Ivy Field: I would want to be Muggle-born because more often than not, the ones in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor turn out better than the others. I would also be experienced with both the Muggle and Wizard world, so that's one less elective that I would be forced to choose. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: I would mostly like be a half-blood or a pure-blood. Because in my mind crossing the Captain America and Harry Potter universes. Steve Rogers and James Barnes went to Hogwarts and are wizards. Maricat Munsayac: I'd be a Muggle-born, I think. I can't imagine my parents being wizards, and I don't feel as if I have the magic in me that a pure-blood or half-blood would have. I feel more at home with a Muggle life. What blood status would you least want to have and why? Daisy Lovegood: I think Muggles probably have the worst time of it, not knowing what the world around them is really capable of. At the same time, being a pure blood family heaps a lot of expectations on you that I wouldn't want. I guess I am pretty happy where I am. Ivy Field: I don't want to be biased, but I'd say half-blood. I just wouldn't want one of my parents to live their life in secret, forever hiding the fact that they have magical abilities. It would just put me in pain when I find out and it might drive away my Muggle parent in fear. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: Honestly, I wouldn’t care which blood status I had. Maricat Munsayac: There aren't any blood statuses that I'm averse to. How would you feel if your sibling found out they were a wizard/witch and you were not? Daisy Lovegood: I am, luckily enough, an only child. I would like to pretend that I would be amazingly supportive and proud, but I'm certain that while it would work out that way eventually, I would initially be sad and jealous that I wasn't the special one. I would try my best not to let them see my disappointment, though. Ivy Field: I really don't know. I would probably expect my reaction to be fine (just like I always do because I'm dumb like that), but in all honesty, I think I'd be jealous. See, I get fussed over the LITTLEST of things, and I probably wouldn't favour them being magic. I'd probably help him with schoolwork and learn a little about magic, though, because I'd really not want to miss out what is possible to learn. I'd obviously not be able to perform it, but when some potions didn't need any wandwork, I'd, if I had the necessary ingredients, be able to try to make it. Alexander Barnes-Rogers: I would think it was cool and I would support them. Maricat Munsayac: I'd be happy to find out that my sibling was a witch. There would be some envy, and I think that's normal, but I wouldn't want that to poison the relationship I have with my sister, or make her enjoy her magic less for my sake. Magic is a lovely thing. I'd make her do spells to impress me, though. Even if it's just Lumos. I'd be enchanted. October 2018
Hello everyone! I’m Iverian Gnash, a first year Gryffindor. For this issue of SerpenTimes, I thought it would be cool to find out what fellow students thought about some Harry Potter topics. I interviewed Zen McGregor, a second year Gryffindor; Cody Lewis, a fourth year Slytherin; Astaria Rivers, a fourth year Hufflepuff; and Maxim Trevelyan, a fourth year Ravenclaw. Here’s what I found out: Who is your all-time favorite Harry Potter character and why? Zen McGregor: My favorite Harry Potter character is definitely Luna Lovegood. Mainly because I relate to her so much and she is misunderstood by society but she does not really care about it. Cody Lewis: Ron Weasley, he's just hilarious. Sure, he can get a bit jealous at times, but he always has Harry's back in the end. Astaria Rivers: This one is so difficult, but I think my all-time favorite character is Neville Longbottom. His life would be an amazing case study to do in terms of PTSD. It's also neat to see how he develops into the person he becomes by the end of the series. There are little snippets here and there in the books that show his character changing each year. I fell in love with him almost instantly. Maxim Trevelyan: I do not really have an all-time favorite character, but I have a soft spot for really unrepentant (and well-written) villains, so maybe Dolores Umbridge or Lord Voldemort? How old were you when you got into Harry Potter and did you get into them first by watching the movies or reading the books? Zen McGregor: I believe I was 9 years old when my parents took me to see the Philosopher's Stone movie. I learned that there were books (4 up to that point) so I read them all within a month! Cody Lewis: I saw the first movie when I was 10 years old, but I had no idea what was going on. A year later, I started reading the books to score some Accelerated Reader points, and that's when I got hooked. Astaria Rivers: I was 8 or 9 I think. I started with the books as I had heard they were really good, and I was a bit too young when the first movie came out to really enjoy it or understand it. By the time I was in third grade, my teacher recommended the first book to me, and I checked it out at the school library. I think that's when I fell in love with all things magical, and it was at a time in my life when I needed it. Maxim Trevelyan: I was a young kid when I got into it through the books. I missed a bus and had to entertain myself, so I went to the library where I got the 4th book in the series. And thus, my love of Harry Potter was born. Would you or have you ever entertained the idea of being a Death Eater and why have you or have you not? Zen McGregor: Being a Death Eater makes you a follower of Lord Voldemort which in turn makes you evil by default. If you can do good, there is no reason for you to join the Death Eater squad. Cody Lewis: I signed up for an HOL class called Death Eaters 101 in my first year. That's when I realized that the Death Eater lifestyle wasn't for me. It's just too... murdery. Astaria Rivers: I haven't ever thought about being a Death Eater. I fight firmly against discrimination, and Death Eater philosophy is based on that. Maxim Trevelyan: No, I would never. They are everything I stand against and would never even entertain joining them. Not to mention my personality is not really suited to it either. What in your opinion would you consider to be a bad thing about the Order of the Phoenix? (For example, you could say that you consider it to be a stressful thing to be a part of.) Please defend your answer. Zen McGregor: Well first and foremost, it is dangerous. They were really put on the map and chased by a legion of antagonists. Many of the Order members died protecting what they love, and all because the "evil" did not understand their need for love and friendship. Cody Lewis: I think employing dodgy characters like Mundungus Fletcher, who tried to use the headquarters as a place to store stolen cauldrons, could be viewed as a bad thing about the Order of the Phoenix. With multiple Ministry of Magic employees among the Order's ranks, getting mixed up in those kinds of activities would have been a bad look. Astaria Rivers: I think the worst part is knowing that your life is always at risk. That would be a scary thing to think about constantly. On the other hand, one might be so busy defending against evil that they barely think of it until the last minute. Maxim Trevelyan: The thing I hate most about it is how its members blindly follow Albus Dumbledore. He can do no wrong and knows best. We saw how that turned out. I also do not like where they put the HQ, even though it was freely offered. I am sure Dumbledore could find better accommodation. Other than Dolores Umbridge, Rita Skeeter, the Death Eaters, or Lord Voldemort, who is your least favorite character and why? Severus Snape counts as a Death Eater in this case. Zen McGregor: Funny you should mention Dolores as she is one of my favorite characters! Now I know you want me to say Draco Malfoy or some other meanie. Other than the ones listed, I thoroughly disliked Peeves and Argus Filch. But Peeves is a poltergeist and it was in his nature to be... witty. The way Argus treated first years, however, was unacceptable and the resultant complex healing that he would put students through was just selfish and unjust. Cody Lewis: It has to be Gilderoy Lockhart. He's a lying, self-centered git, and he put his students in harm's way multiple times due to his incompetence. Astaria Rivers: I would have to pick Blaise Zabini. Blaise was nothing but a jerk through the books when we first get to really know him. While he plays a smaller role, he prides himself on his arrogance. Not only is he dismissive of Muggle-borns and those who side with them, he also doesn't seem to be to great to those on the other end of the spectrum either. He seems to only care about himself. Maxim Trevelyan: I actually like Umbridge, Skeeter and Voldemort. ;) Hmm, that is a tough choice between Harry himself and Albus Dumbledore, but I will go with the latter. Why could be a whole article on its own, but in short: he put Harry in impossible and dangerous situations for an adult, not to mention a child; he is a manipulator; his hiring policies are very questionable; he does not give people all information they need; and he treated Sirius Black horribly, just to name a few reasons. In your opinion, was Severus Snape good or bad and why do you feel this way? Zen McGregor: Definitely good. His sacrifice shows the great lengths he was willing to go to protect the only memory he had of his undying love towards Lily. Cody Lewis: Harry's point of view doesn't paint Snape in a very good light. Growing up, I had experienced what it's like to be bullied by a teacher firsthand. So, for me, "The Prince's Tale" isn't enough to redeem Snape for the way he treated some of his students. Astaria Rivers: I have a lot of thoughts about Severus Snape and they're all psychology related. While most people see him as a sort of hero, as Harry says in the last book, I see him as a man that doesn't know how to let go. While he did do a very brave thing, he did so because he could not let go of Lily even after she had told him that she was done with him. While wanting to protect someone is great and all, Snape still never respected Lily's "no" and that is a huge violation. I think Snape would also be another great case study, and I did write a little bit about him for a paper in undergrad. Overall, I would say I'm divided on how I feel, but I lean more towards the bad than the good when it comes to his character. Maxim Trevelyan: Definitely bad. Just because he lost a friendship (and possibly a romantic connection, but we will never know for sure), he chose to join the Death Eaters, did unspeakable things as one and then once Harry arrived at Hogwarts, Snape treated the son of his lost love like dirt. All because he looks like his father. Even if he repented in the end, that does not make him a hero. |