Finally!!! I'm....a........Hufflepuff???

So a few days ago...(sorry for the late update).....I got into Pottermore! I had been swamped with homework and had delayed checking my email for awhile. Eventually I got around to it and.....I screamed. I'm not kidding. I literally screamed when I saw the subject heading, and I'm not misusing the word literally. A scream like sound really escaped my lips. I clicked on the link and my adventure began....

Like any Harry Potter addict I was ecstatic. Upon seeing the gate I eagerly anticipated what would await on the other side.

I was slightly disappointed. Upon hearing about how amazing Pottermore was, I had been expecting exclusive content and back stories around every corner. While there were a few that I gobbled up amorously, I still had expected more than there was. Hopefully there will be way more pieces of content in later book entries on Pottermore.

Now let's get to the fun part... everything interactive!

There was beautiful, layered pieces of art and amazing interactives (such as choosing a wand- mine was Cedar with unicorn core, 14 1/2 inches, and the famous sorting.)

Now as you may have guessed from the heading, I am now a Hufflepuff. At first I was shocked, then I found myself analyzing my personality and searching for any Hufflepuffian tendencies. Then I read J.K Rowling's explanation. Suddenly I saw, in glistening clarity how much of a match Hufflepuff was for me. I'm no one's second best I just work hard and never give up! I value trust and loyalty and have a dash of confidence as well. I am the mighty badger! Hear me....badger! Either way, I've come to accept my Hufflepuff placement.

I haven't gone farther than the sorting yet, so expect more updates in the future!

Oh... and I guess this means I need to take the Ravenclaw badge off my page...damn.

Still. No. Letter.

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for awhile, I've been really busy since my last post. I failed to get my brother into Pottermore due to this bustling nature of time (we went on a road trip for a week, family came over, I played laser tag with my friends-despite being surrounded by kids up to my knee, I'll elaborate later). Basically in that time several rounds of Pottermore letters were dispersed worldwide.

Mine. Was not. Among them.

After some excessive moping, whining, crying, and self loathing for the moping, whining, and crying, I decided to suck it up and wait patiently. After all, if Harry could wait 11 years, I could wait a few weeks.

So I waited. I didn't check my e-mail. I didn't stalk Pottermore on tumblr. I didn't check the Pottermore Insider. I focused on other things and lived my life.

This lasted for a day. Soon I was back to my old habits, checking my email every 5 seconds obsessively and feeling utterly empty whenever someone was given a letter. In other words I momentarily, had no life. (No offense to others doing those exact same things! It's hard to resist!)

Once I came to the sad realization that I was wasting away my summer waiting for an email. I was completely, and utterly ashamed.

So, I cut it down to checking my email once a day and tried to focus on other things.

Now it's September. I'm getting impatient.

What if my email comes September 30th? That would completely suck, to have stayed up until 4:00 AM to get into Pottermore a day early. While I clearly despise the thought of it, this is a very real possibility for me.

In the long run it is only a website. Oh well, I guess the Hogwarts Express will have to wait. For now...

Day Four in the Quest for the Golden Quill...The Site Crashed Again

Today I ended up waking up earlier than I wanted to. Before groaning and going back to sleep I decided to check out Pottermore. Before I get a bunch of flack for this I didn't want to make 2 accounts for me. During day 3 I asked my brother (another Harry Potter fan) if he wanted me to register him. For whatever reason he said no then, and then wished on the following day that he had taken me up on my offer. He had felt that he wasn't a true Harry Potter fan because he didn't know the answer for Day 3. I assured him that wasn't true (It isn't!) and promised to help him if we caught another clue.

So that brings me to this morning.

I wake up and see this:


Again? I thought. Then I realized how much sense it made. This clue was between 2pm and 6pm BST. This not only opened it for Americans and Canadians, but it also opened it up for English, French, and every other nationality who have work in the morning.

So naturally, Pottermore did what it was best at, and always told to do in this situation.

It crashed.

Again.

I'm sure some people may be disappointed. In fact, I'm certain that they are. How many people missed out on a golden opportunity today due to the site's incompetence? Isn't this exactly what J.K was trying to avoid by keeping the times secret?

Maybe the time window shouldn't have been released for this one. It  seems an awfully popular window to climb through, and that can only lead to the house that is Pottermore overflowing and leaves everyone wishing that they hadn't all showed up to the party at once.

Aside from the strange metaphor, I digress, it was a mistake to reveal the time window today.

Update:

Or not... It seems that a large group of people figured out the clue and registered before the site crashing at around 8:30 AM. They were confused to find that they were taken directly to the registration page instead of needing to hunt for a quill.

Congratulations to those who won today, and good luck in the future to those who didn't get the chance.

Here's to all of us, the winners, those who have not yet won, those who never will, and anyone who has ever loved a book. This is our moment, don't let the inconveniences along the way slow you down. From the site crashing, to a computer smashing, to missing the clue, come October we know what to do.

Day Three in the quest for the Golden Quill... SUCCESS!!!

After a long night of snacking, watching the Harry Potter movies, clutching the third book, constantly refreshing the Pottermore website, and struggling to stay awake, at 4:10 AM something came out of it. My heart skipped a beat as yellow lettering filled the page detailing a question. In seconds I had by book out and was flipping madly to "The Quidditch Final" after a quick calculation, I entered my answer into the URL and held my breath...

At first I thought I had made a mistake.

I found myself at what looked like a website that did reviews for children's books, complete with crayon lettering and brightly colored subject headings. Then my eyes darted to the right of the screen and focused on a small square of purple. The Magical Quill is here... Levitate it to continue. At first panic set in- I was so frenzied that I couldn't figure out how to levitate the quill. Finally I gathered my bearings and found that it was quite simple. Soon the tell tale phrase jumped onto the screen and I eagerly clicked on a link to continue.

I was exhilarated during registration. To see my name with all of the characters was amazing, it made me feel like a kid. About a minute later I received my confirmation letter and giddily activated my account within seconds.

I can't wait for my welcome letter!!! Congratulations to all who have won so far and good luck to those who are still trying! Beta tester out b*tches! (Sorry for that AVPM reference- I couldn't resist!)

Day Two in the quest for the Quill...I Had Work in the Morning

Last night I was determined, I studied the book, did trivia, and refreshed the page constantly. This lasted until about 1 in the morning when my train of thought drifted dramatically.

Me at 5:00 PM: I can stay up all night doing this! I am determined and I will win!!!


turned to this...

Me at 1:00 AM: Oh ______* , I have work in the morning. I'm going to sleep...


* substitute appropriate swear of choice


So basically my common sense was stronger than my obsession with Harry Potter. I woke up at 7:30 this morning, well rested and a little bit hopeful. Soon the tell-tale "Sorry, Day 2 registration is now closed" filled the screen without me giving too much of a damn. As it would happen, I don't work tomorrow. Tonight I will stay awake until the clue appears and I am given early access to Pottermore!

I bet now that I've said this the clue will actually be released at a reasonable hour of the day...

Whatever! I will not be deterred! TONIGHT THAT QUILL IS MINE!!! (and every other person who finds it tonight's...) 


I have this one in the bag.

First Day Done...No Luck

The first clue for Pottermore came and went at 3:00 AM while I was fast asleep. After a nervewraking night filled with tossing, turning, and hoping the clue would be posted by the time I woke up; I ran down the stairs at 7:00 AM to find a message saying "Sorry Day 1 Registration is Now Closed". To my irritation I found that the question itself was incredibly easy.

The key to this contest is much different than I initially thought.

It's luck.

Anyone with a copy of the Harry Potter books has a chance to win- it's a matter of actually being online at the release of the clue to the quill. This is discouraging. I know that there will certainly be those that will sit at their computers, constantly refreshing until the clue is revealed. Despite how it may annoy me now, I will never be one of those people. I suppose I just need to cross my fingers keep a book by my laptop and visit the site whenever I get the chance without going out of my way to visit it.

All I need to do is remember that if I don't get early admission, I'll only need to wait until October.

AND... I'll have a shorter wait until part two of Pottermore which will be released the following year. An early start equal an early finish.

To any readers- just keep your head high and don't try too hard. If you're a true fan your love for Harry Potter will never die, it can easily survive until October.

Pottermore Crashed...Now that's surprising how?

Despite the clear "overwhelming demand" associated with J.K Rowling's Pottermore, I along with many assumed that she would have learned from the initial crashing of the site to expand the servers for the premire of the Beta Testing contest thingy. I wish I could say more but the website crashed. At around 3:00 mountain time I went on the website and found this:



With a little countdown thingy on the bottom that would refresh the page tauntingly and periodically. After about 10 minutes of pointless refreshing this appeared:



So much for patience right?

As I am writing this Pottermore is due to launch in less than 10 minutes and 'shocker' the site is still down. I know it might seem like a bit of a ridiculous request, but is it really too much to ask when it comes to events like this to build a bigger server? Or make multiple mirror sites to be redirected to? Nobody wins with a crashed website. All that it leads to is disappointed fans and crushed spirits...and an entire contest being put on hold...or so I think, again the website is down so I can't get more information.

As the seconds tick away and even more fans go online, their fate becomes clear. With a seemingly eternal ridiculously heavy flow of hits, I think we can all expect to wait a while longer than we hoped to get a taste of Pottermore.

With one minute to go I sign out- for now.

Misadventures of a Model Student Part 2

Sorry for the hiatus! Loads of homework, exams, applying for summer jobs, and a month abroad will do that to you! Now... what you've been waiting for... Misadventures of a Model Student!

A Scary Surprise, A Lock-down, and Unexpected Respect


I was so excited to start Grade 4. Students got lockers instead of cubbies, and there was always a huge Grade 4-only party at the end of the school year. My face fell the second I laid eyes on my teacher. In my eyes she was scary. Her eyes seemed to pierce into every student's soul and she seemed easily angered and creepy. I sat down in my desk trying to avoid eye contact. I was so afraid she would shout at me, I was a deer in the headlights. Attendance started. As the names were called I began to tremble.

Ways of answering the tell-tale question of presence filled my mind. Should I say 'I'm here' 'Present', cough and raise my hand like I've lost my voice? Sweat poured down my face. The teacher was almost at my name.

I was alone in the class room. It was only me, the scary teacher, and the mocking attendance sheet. My eyes threatened to water and I gritted my teeth in determination. My name was next.

Her lips moved. I braced myself................................... it wasn't my name. She said it again. It was similar, but most certainly not my name. Then I recognized it. She was calling out the direct translation of my name into Hebrew! Without thinking I raised my hand and informed the teacher of my real name. She apologized and continued. It was a close call.

A couple of months passed by and I was still as afraid of her as ever. She had this method of marking work that involved calling students up individually to her desk to check their work. Being the smart girl I was I did my homework every night, but being the petrified student I was I never handed my work in. The thought of being shot down by that teacher sent chills down my spine. Soon I took to hiding behind pillars in the hallway to stay out of her sight. This went on seamlessly until December. 

Every now and then our school would have lock-down drills. In order to hide ourselves from the imaginary invaders we would hide under desks, in corners and lock the door. The funny thing is that even though these drills occurred every few months and they never were the real deal we always dramatically hit the floor like it was a matter of life or death. 

During this particular lock-down our teacher was printing something out in a different room. When the bell rang we stood on a chair and turned the deadbolt without a thought. 

Soon we heard a banging on the door. In seconds we realized what was happening. We all burst out laughing. When the siren ceased we rushed to the door and found a disgruntled teacher standing there. We braced ourselves for punishment.........she was proud of us for not letting her in. Wow.

Despite several events indicating that she was a nice person I continued to be afraid of her. It was only at the end of the year that I begun to see her fun side. She always wore the most elaborate costumes on holidays and at the end of the year she created an EPIC water fight. 

Now I regret being so quick to judge her. I mean there were instances she got mad (she asked me to glue ping pong balls on my favorite shirt for a play, and then there's the instance where a student threw a textbook to the ground and stormed out of the class...) but she was a fun teacher. Pretty cool, I mean as cool as a teacher can seem to a group of 9 year olds.

Tune in next time for more stories of the past with: The Chronicles of Calgary, Misadventures of a Model Student Part 3!!!  

A poem for you about me

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile! I've been absorbed with other projects and aspects of my life such as my novel, dance class, school work, and the balancing act that is my social life. Hang on to your seats! I am currently at work on a few other posts which will be quite long and detailed. (I promise!) So in the mean time to keep you interested I am going to attempt to enlighten the internet by posting a sonnet I wrote for L.A. I intended for it to be in iambic pentameter (a heartbeat- u / ) but I may have messed up a little bit. (or a lot- I can be extremely self-critical!) So just read it, enjoy it (or not), and tell me what you think.

 Indescribable

A Sonnet

By: Rachel Levy

A written word stands upon a page

Just as a story will wind and twist

Gathering knowledge will form a sage

And staying silent will draw the mist

These beliefs are completely true as day

They are what I am and aspire to be

I am me in every possible way

There’s much more to myself, just wait and see

When it comes to art the love never ends

When I dance, intense joy fills me inside

When I glance written word I’m among friends

I chase my dreams, I have nothing to hide

No single phase can describe who I am

Any other notion is surely a sham

Please do not use any lines from this poem without either citing me or asking my permission. Do not plagiarize me or I will have vengeance. (Seriously, don't copy my work-e-mail me or comment on a post if you want to use something that I've posted.) Thank you!

Dreams are Random

Dreams are weird things. Now many people may argue; insisting dreams give insight to the world on a whole new level and that they have magical connections. You may argue that dreams give you unique insight into your subconscious. This may be true but this doesn't go against the fact that dreams are strange. I've had dreams where I think I must have been half insane.I've had dreams that defy logic. Disagree? Let's take last nights dream as an example.

Imagine sitting on the couch watching T.V and surfing the web. All of a sudden my mother bursts through the door waving a brown paper bag haphazardly and frantically shouting, YOU NEED BRACES! Then imagine her pull something that looks like a miniature bear trap from the paper bag and place it in your hand.

The bear trap/ brace was rusty. The brackets were pink on the top row and blue on the bottom. There was also a butterfly engraved on the back of it as if to mock me. It looked rugged and terrifying. Without hesitating I shoved it in my mouth. Hooks dug into my mouth causing blood loss but the pain ended quickly. I looked in the mirror and to my surprise the braces/bear trap looked perfect. I kinda enjoyed them being there.

That joy ended when I realized that I would one day need to remove the braces.

All of a sudden fear and dread filled me since I knew it would kill to take them out. The world of my dream was no longer a friendly place. In fact, it was enough to make anyone freak out. The walls morphed and I was no longer standing on the floor. The world spun and I felt like ripping the braces from my mouth.

The dream ended abruptly there. I awoke hoping that I would never need braces. Ever.

So in conclusion, dreams are random. And while this dream may have had some profound meaning you can't deny the multiple oddities. I shoved a rusty, sharp implement in my mouth. Dreams are bizarre. At least my dreams are.