The Quibbler is pleased to present

April 2022
love-for-HP !

The interviewer, Felixir, is in this color
The interviewee, love-for-HP, is in this color

It's that time again, SnitchSeeker! Welcome, once again, to another Member of the Month interview, brought to you by the Quibbler. For April, we're talking to the one and only - *drum roll* love-for-HP! So let's kick things off, and have you tell us a little about yourself.
*squeals* It's an honor to be here! Well first off I'm Kim though it's not my first name ... but if I told you my real name then I'd have to .. never mind .. I'm Kim! I've been on Snitchseeker for 2 1/2 years, though I've been a Harry Potter for a lot longer than that. I got the first book as a gift in 2nd grade and have been hooked ever since. On a non HP level .. I'm a Nurse by day and a Mom by night!

Hey Kim - if that is your real-... wait. ANyWaY. Being a nurse and a mother makes you a superhero as far as I'm concerned. Outside of SnitchSeeker, do you have any hobbies you enjoy in any down time you might get?
When I'm not running my kids to dance and/or practices you mean? I enjoy cross stitching, in fact I just started a new project with a pattern from The Lion King. I make and create my own patterns for it too. It's really enjoyable and relaxing. And SS of course! But as a family we like be outdoors as much as possible in the summer, but we in the Northern USA so winters get a little trickier being outside, seeing as I hate the cold lol.

Ooh, allow me a moment to indulge in some crafty curiosity. I've never tried cross stitching but it looks super fun. How long have you been cross stitching and what's been your favourite project to do?
Oooo!! It's such a fun hobby, I picked it up almost 10 years ago now. I make them as gifts to give away for wedding and births. I've never made the same project twice, I make each new pattern based off the likes/dislikes of who I'm making it for, so it's always the excitement and challenge to see what I come up with next. But my favorite project was a family monogram that I made and is now hanging in our living room.

That's so neat, especially having that personalised aspect in making a gift for someone *-* AND having fun in the process. I'm kind of inspired to give it a try myself. You also mentioned spending a lot of time outdoors with your family, can I ask what your favourite outdoorsy activities are?
We do a lot of hiking and camping. We like to explore state and national parks. My kids like to play a game of how nervous/scared can we make mom by climbing on the highest rocks! Otherwise really just being outside is my happy place.

What a great happy place to have too, and with the weather starting to warm up in your part of the world, I expect you'll be able to make the most of it in the coming months (and your kids will continue trying to scare the heck out of you). Aaaaand speaking of happy places (a fine segue if I do say so myself), let's talk SnitchSeeker! You mentioned you've been a member for two and a half years now, but I'm so curious, how did you first find our little corner of the internet?
Snitchseeker has for sure been a happy place and nice little escape being a nurse during the last 2 years. A friend from nursing school is a member (Buggy-Boo) and told me to join. We were roommates by chance and now friends by choice (even 10 years post nursing school). She tried to convince be to join years before I actually did, but I wasn't sure about it at that time. think of all those years wasted

I think it's so neat when our members draw in their real life friends and grow our community in that way, so that's really lovely - I'm so glad SnitchSeeker could be that escape for you over the past couple of years, and that you made your way to us. When you're logged into SnitchSeeker, where are we most likely to find you?
I'm always in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes games forum. Specifically the elimination games, not sure why I find those so fun, but I do and I get rather competitive about my favorites lol. But otherwise I always try to get my Hogwarts character to a least a few lessons a term.

Oh, the games forum is really enjoyable. I've noticed elimination games are very popular; it's fun to battle it out and soooo satisfying when the one you're championing wins a round. I've seen you in the RPG areas too (and, for the benefit of our readers, you're also one of our yearbook scribes; I know many of our members love looking through the SSRPG yearbooks when they're released). Had you ever RPed before joining SnitchSeeker?
As far as a text based RPG nope, but I was a huge gamer as a kid played lots of RPGs games that route. But I've really grown to love the text based and getting to make and create characters and developing their backstories.

It's a great creative outlet, and really fun interacting with other characters and learning more about them. I'm always interested in hearing people talk about their characters, so would you like to share a little bit about one of yours?
**Clears throat and gets out podium** Boy would I! Maxine is my newest creation, she's a bit of a spitfire, has a huge family, is the oldest of 6 kids (so far .. haven't decided if there will be more Bixby's or not). I resorted with her after taking my first charrie the whole way 1st-7th. It was fun to resort with a new voice in my brain. She's awfully loud sometimes, even when I'm not actually RPing, there has been several times I think "Maxine would say this or do that." With the new option of having a second Hogwarts character I have thought about RPing as one of her sisters in the near future as well.

*settles in to listen avidly* Aha, the swings and roundabouts of those loud characters. But that's great that she's so present for you, at least for the times when you're able to play her. And, you have brought this neatly to the next thing I wanted to ask: I believe you started off as a Slytherin here on SnitchSeeker, before resorting to Gryffindor last term. Is Slytherin the house you think you personally would have been sorted into, or is there another you feel more drawn to?
When I first joined and was sorted in Slytherin I was rather shocked! I answered them as honestly as I could for myself, you see I've always felt like I am a Hufflepuff at heart (well that and the 100s of sorting quizzes I've taken all over lol). So I'll be honest I struggled the first few terms with Blake to figure out what the most un-Slytherin Slytherin type person would do or say. I think I finally settled in around his 3rd year. But with Maxine it has been much easier, maybe with more experience RPing around the site I've just found my niche better. My ultimate plan would to be in all 4 houses and see how I do within each!

Ah, the house tour, a popular goal - it's so fun to try out characters in all the houses. I can't wait to see which characters come out of that plan of yours. From what I can tell, I think you do seem to have those Hufflepuff vibes, and now I have another house question for you. This time, I'm curious, which of the Ilvermorny houses do you think you'd belong to?
I think this is the toughest question yet. I've never really given much thought to Ilvermorny houses (though you question for sure got me curious). So naturally that lead me to a quick Google search for an Ilvermonry sorting quiz, and lo and behold, I belong to Pukwudgie – the heart of the wizard, healers. Which seems to fit right along with my Hufflepuffness.

We love asking the tough questions here. But naturally! Pukwudgie is perfect, especially in your profession. Excellent answer, eleven out of ten *ticks all boxes and stamps things haphazardly* ... Ahem. So, on that note, lets talk a little about your Harry Potter history. You mentioned you were hooked after being gifted the first book in second grade. Can you remember what you really loved about it, enough that you never looked back?
Well I love reading series of books - trilogies and beyond. I love getting to know more about the characters than just through one book. So when I first got the book there were 3 already out and I loved that idea to begin with. And then the intricate story and background that JK Rowling gave us just had me hooked. It was a story never told before and really introduced me to the Young Adult reading (thought 2nd grade isn't much of an adult anything lol).

I can get behind that - all that extra opportunity to get to explore the characters and further the story. So, of all the books in the series, do you have a particular favourite?
It's truly a toss up between Sorcerer's Stone and Goblet of Fire. Sorcerer's Stone because it's the one that started the whole store and the love for me. But Goblet of Fire I love because I feel like with the return of Voldemort it truly starts the rest of the story, and now you know it's going to come to a great battle at some point. I don't know if I'd be able to pick a favorite between those two.

We're on a wavelength; there's just something so special about the introduction into these fantastical universes, right? One might say... something magical *buddum-tss* It's like that sets us moving, and then Goblet of Fire dials everything all the way up. Good choices, I approve. How about a character, do you have a favourite? Or, how about your top three characters?
I love Dumbledore, I know in the 7th book they make him out to be slightly a "villain" type who has all the secrets (which is another reason I can't wait for the next Fantastic Beasts movie), but Dumbledore has a reason for everything, he wants everyone to succeed and show their worth in their own way without just doing it for them all. And he does his best to guide them along the way.

And I truly adore Ron, being the youngest of all those brothers and still shinning, managing to be Harry's friend, I think the 4th book really put his feeling into focus when he was jealous of the Goblet of Fire calling Harry's name, he's always have to "compete" for the love, affection, and focus of those around him, and I think he just does so well (who doesn't have bad moments), plus I think the red hair is just adorable.

And of course Harry Potter himself, who without which we would have no story (unless of course Neville Longbottom was the Chosen One - but alas that's another discussion).

The exploration of Harry's best friends' feelings and thought processes was such a good aspect of Goblet of Fire, another way in which book four was a real turning point. As for Dumbledore, he's a real wordsmith, knows how to turn a phrase, so my next question is: what's your favourite Dumbledore quote? Anything out of any of the films or books, including Fantastic Beasts.
AHHHHH!! I'm so glad you asked this question! I have a phoenix tattoo with a quote around it that says "In Dreams We Enter a World That is Entirely Our Own" Dumbledore says it in the 3rd movie when all the students are sleeping in the great hall.. my favorite line ... not sure 100% why that quote stuck with me, but it did and I just loved it!

That's so neat! It's a quote that really resonates. Phoenixes symbolise a lot in Harry Potter too; is that your favourite of the magical creatures in the series, or do you have another?
The Phoenix is by far my favorite, though there are many cool creatures, I just think the Phoenix has so much to offer, between tears of healing, carrying heavy loads, and the tail feathers being used as wand cores. I mean it doesn't get much cooler than that does it?

Certainly doesn't - not to mention how important the phoenix feather core turned out to be in the books (shout out to Fawkes). Then there's the phoenix lament and ugh. A good bird. BUT. While we're on the subject of favourites, what are some others of yours? You mentioned earlier you enjoy reading book series; got any faves other than Harry Potter?
I'm into all those famous Young Adult series (all though ... not sure I qualify has a "young adult" any longer). But I love Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or really anything by Rick Riordan. I've been a part of the Book Club challenge on SS for the 3rd time and that has also challenged me to read some books that I normally would have passed over. So that's been fun.

*high fives* Always happy to meet another Rick Riordan fan. And another book club fan! Mind if I ask how your Book Seekers challenge is going? Have you completed all the prompts in the past?
... this year .. The book challenge has not gone well so far - but I still got a few months to catch up. But the 2 previous years I was able to get them all done, which as been super fun.

Plenty of time left to catch up; the year is still young! And circling back really quickly to Rick Riordan, because I'm always curious... what's your favourite instalment from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series?
OOO so many good ones there too. But I really like "The Lost Hero" which is the first instalment of the Heros of Olympus quintet. I love when they start to introduce the Roman sides of things, adds a really interesting twist.

Ooh yes, I remember being so curious how it was all gonna come together; Riordan makes that universe so fun. Now, sorry to say, we're nearly at the end of this interview. Before we go, however, there's the small matter of our little Quibbler tradition. Every month, we get our Member of the Month to ask a question for the next individual who wears the crown. In March, that was Charely Potter, and he wants to know: If there was a vacation destination you would take with one of your characters, where would it be and why?
I've been waiting for this one! And have given it a good deal of thought. In the Muggle Studies lesson this year we talked about trips/travels/theme parks. Maxine was very excited and interested in Disney land/world. And how she would never get to go because she has such a big family. So that's exactly where I'd take an 11 year old girl, and especially my girl! That question just feel so nicely into the lessons of the term!

I remember! How sweet ;-; What a nice tie-in to our RPG universe too ^^ Okay, so now it's your turn, what question would you like to ask our next Member of the Month?
If you could have any career in your Real Life, what would it be and why?

Ooh, that's a good one, I can't wait to see what our next MotM has to say to that. But now, unfortunately, it really is time for us to wrap this up. Kim-if-that-is-your-real-name, it's been such a blast talking and getting to know a little bit about you! Before we sign off, do you have anything you'd like to say to the members of SnitchSeeker?
Thank you for the opportunity to get to know me a little bit better! This has been so much fun! I look forward to RPing a little bit more with everyone! Happy April!