It’s essentially the official Pottermore quiz with all possible questions.
Ordinary
Ignorant
Cowardly
Selfish
After you have died, what would you most like people to do when they hear your name?
Miss you, but smile
Ask for more stories about your adventures
Think with admiration of your achievements
I don’t care what people think of me after I’m dead, it’s what they think of me while I’m alive that counts
Given the choice, would you rather invent a potion that would guarantee you:
Glory
Wisdom
Love
Power
How would you like to be known to history?
The Wise
The Good
The Bold
The Great
You enter an enchanted garden. What would you be most curious to examine first?
The silver leafed tree bearing golden apples
The fat red toadstools that appear to be talking to each other
The bubbling pool, in the depths of which something luminous is swirling
The statue of an old wizard with a strangely twinkling eye
Notes: Ernesto can be weirdly drawn to innocent things at times, such as fireworks. He also has cute little dogs as his alebrijes.
What kind of instrument most pleases your ear?
Violin
Drums
Piano
Trumpet
Four boxes are placed before you. Which would you try and open?
The small tortoiseshell box, embellished with gold, 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 warns 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 open only for the worthy.’
(Notes: Despite the warning, I doubt Ernesto would be able to resist a promise of secrets like that. It is also a very pretty casket.)
Four goblets are placed before you. Which would you choose to drink?
The foaming, frothing, silvery liquid that sparkles as though containing ground diamonds.
The smooth, thick, richly purple drink that gives off a delicious smell of chocolate and plums.
The golden liquid so bright that it hurts the eye, and which makes sunspots dance all around the room.
The mysterious black liquid that gleams like ink, and gives off fumes that make you see strange visions.
Once every century, the Flutterby bush produces flowers that adapt their scent to attract the unwary. If it lured you, it would smell of:
A crackling log fire
Fresh parchment
Home
The sea
Notes: Sheet music.
A troll has gone berserk in the Headmaster’s study at Hogwarts. It is about to smash, crush and tear several irreplaceable items and treasures, including a cure for dragon pox, which the Headmaster has nearly perfected; student records going back 1000 years and a mysterious handwritten book full of strange runes, believed to have belonged to Merlin. In which order would you rescue these objects from the troll’s club, if you could?
1. Dragon Pox Cure 2. Merlin’s Book 3. Student Records
1. Cure 2. Records 3. Book
1. Book 2. Cure 3. Records
1. Book 2. Records 3. Cure
1. Records 2. Cure 3. Book
1. Records 2. Book 3. Cure
Which would you rather be?
Trusted
Liked
Imitated
Praised
Envied
Feared
Which of the following do you find most difficult to deal with?
Hunger
Cold
Loneliness
Boredom
Being Ignored
What are you most looking forward to learning at Hogwarts?
Every area of magic that I can
Apparation and Disapparation (being able to materialise and dematerialise at will)
Transfiguration (turning one object into another object)
Flying on a broomstick
Hexes and jinxes
All about magical creatures, and how to befriend/care for them
Secrets about the castle
If you could have any power, which would you choose?
The power to read minds
The power of invisibility
The power of superhuman strength
The power to speak to animals
The power to change the past
The power to change your appearance at will
Which of the following would you most like to study?
Centaurs
Goblins
Merpeople
Ghosts
Vampires
Werewolves
Trolls
One of your house mates has cheated in a Hogwarts exam by using a Self-Spelling Quill. Now he has come 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.
Notes: I was kind of stuck between this answer and the “tattletale” answer. The reason I went with the answer I did is because it’s a much more under-the-table way to both tell Professor Flitwick the truth and threaten the student who cheated. Not to mention that this way, Ernesto’s reputation would be unchanged in the eyes of everyone except the one student who cheated. And reputation is one of Ernesto’s highest priorities.
You and two friends need to cross a bridge guarded by a river troll who insists on fighting one of you before he will let all of you pass. Do you:
Attempt to confuse the troll into letting all three of you pass without fighting?
Suggest drawing lots to decide which of you will fight?
Suggest that all three of you should fight (without telling the troll)?
Volunteer to fight?
Notes: I kind of debated between this option and the drawing lots option, but I went with the volunteer to fight option because Ernesto is very much one to take matters into his own hands. This is evident when he rescued Miguel from the pool, when he took Héctor’s photo back from Imelda himself after the security guards failed to do it, and when he poisoned Héctor.
Which road tempts you most?
The wide, sunny, grassy lane
The narrow, dark, lantern-lit alley
The twisting, leaf-strewn path through the woods
The cobbled street lined with ancient buildings
Notes: I went with this option instead of the woods because once Ernesto reaches the top, he’ll do anything to stay in that familiar circle. It’s become familiar to him, a kind of security.
Which nightmare would frighten you most?
Standing on top of something very high and realizing suddenly that there are no hand- or footholds, nor any barrier to stop you falling
An eye at the keyhole of the dark, windowless room in which you are locked
Waking up to find that neither your friends nor your family have any idea who you are.
Being forced to speak in such a silly voice that hardly anyone can understand you, and everyone laughs at you
Notes: I don’t think anything would be scarier for Ernesto than for the public to forget all about him.
Late at night, walking alone down the street, you hear a peculiar cry that you believe to have a magical source. Do you:
Proceed with caution, keeping one hand on your concealed wand and an eye out for any disturbance?
Draw your wand and try to discover the source of the noise?
Draw your wand and stand your ground?
Withdraw into the shadows to await developments, while mentally reviewing the most appropriate defensive and offensive spells, should trouble occur?
A Muggle confronts you and says they are sure you are a witch or wizard. Do you:
Ask what makes them think so
Agree, and ask whether they’d like a free sample of a jinx
Agree, and walk away, leaving them to wonder whether you are bluffing
Tell them that you are worried about their mental health, and offer to call a doctor
I really don’t agree with this sorting, since I believe Ernesto has extreme potential to be in either Slytherin or Gryffindor. He has tons of traits from both houses. He’s ambitious, cunning, and self-preservative (Slytherin), but he’s also daring, hungry for fame, and he prefers to deal with a situation directly (Gryffindor). Honestly he’d probably be close to a hatstall, but these quiz results don’t reflect that. But then, the Pottermore quiz is known to be biased against Slytherin, so Ernesto very well could be a Slytherin without having answered Slytherin weighted questions on the quiz. Thus, I’m going to do a further in-depth study for which house Ernesto should be in. As soon as I decide on a house, his character outline will be updated.
It’s 7:47 AM on a Saturday and I need to rant about how beautiful this man is and how wonderful his character design is.
By all traditional senses of attractiveness, Héctor doesn’t even come close to fitting the mold. He’s tall, gangly, with ears and a nose so exaggerated in size that it’s comical. And it’s meant to be, but that’s part of his overall attractiveness and design. He’s supposed to be the opposite of Ernesto de la Cruz in every physical aspect so as to both compliment Ernesto, so that by appearance they would work together (in a similar fashion to Buzz and Woody from Toy Story) and to also make himself as unlike the other man as possible.
His thin face, strikingly wide cheekbones, messy, overgrown hair (you can tell it’s grown long because of the way it has 2 length cut along the neck and how his bangs need to be combed out, array of freckles and moles (HE IS COVERED IN FRECKLES how dare you sir), large eyes, bushy eyebrows, crooked teeth, higher forehead— all right down to the differing placements in favored facial hair— it’s all meant to offset him against Ernesto, especially in the shape of his face. If you drew both of their faces together, they would be inverted triangles to each other.
Héctor is often shown exerting feminine qualities throughout the film, from his ease to dressing in drag to his gentleness with children to his care for complete strangers—overall just being a very emotional person in general, with all of his motivation being driven by caring for his family—But here we also see some traditionally feminine aspects to his appearance. Long, fan-like eyelashes, bigger, soulful eyes, longer hair— And. His. Lips. They have a distinct curve and shading to them that makes them look fuller, more feminine. And yet!!! None of it takes away his masculinity!!! It’s so dang attractive and aesthetically appealing!!!! God, designers, just— GOD.
And his charro suit. Dear god, even his charro suit says so much about his character. Look at it in the gifs of Héctor trying to return home vs. the gif of Héctor singing to Coco. Look how faded it is in comparison. His charro suit is losing color the longer he’s away from home, faded, sun bleached, washed too many times, practically pinkish white, and m once again starkly different from Ernesto’s darker, maroon suit. Whereas when he’s with Coco, it’s more saturated, neater, lessfaded and threadbare and held together because he feels more held together when he’s with his family. Excuse me while I weep.
While Héctor’s face is complimentary to Ernesto, his body shape isn’t. They’re both broad in the shoulders, slim, and while Héctor is skinnier and a lighter than Ernesto, their body shapes don’t compliment each other like their faces do. WHEREAS. WITH IMELDA. Hector compliments her in spades. Her wide flowing skirt and slimmer upper body mesh so well with Héctor’s inverted body shape. And if you draw out her overall headshape, including her low braided bun, it meshed with Héctor, just like Ernesto’s.
Héctor and Imelda literally fit together. Both in personality, with all of her fire, tragedy, and authority— against his diffusing gentleness, comedy, and tenderness— AND in APPEARANCE.
This movie gave this man so much care in his character design. They made a tragic, lovable, beautiful goofball. And I will never be over it. Screw you Ernesto, this beautiful man was taken from the world way too soon.
I had to add a few more things that I was thinking about Héctor’s body shape. Because classically, it’s the body of a sidekick. The comic relief. The quickly moving body that’s made for flailing and waving.
Héctor is tall. Like… really tall. He’s built up higher, with long limbs that take more effort to fold and crouch than Ernesto’s shorter, more classical build. And yet, throughout the entire film, Ernesto is never shown kneeling or near the ground. He refuses. When Miguel is with him, he drags Miguel up to his level. But Héctor, who’s made of taller, gangly things, kneels for his daughter. He kneels when his wife is pushed down. He kneels besides Miguel. For people he loves, he folds his tall body to the floor.
Ernesto has every ability to show emotion. But he covers it so quickly with a default. When he’s about to kill Héctor his face shifts to anger, and by the time Héctor turns back, he’s smiling, opening his arms in welcome. But look at Héctor’s face. He doesn’t hide any of it. Every emotion is there. And it’s raw. And it’s real. And he lets it show. But that’s the same with Imelda, isn’t it? She does her best to hide behind anger. He’s her foil. For as angry as she gets, he reveals himself ever the more.
Héctor goes back because he’s homesick. Because he misses his family. His daughter. His wife. And he never stops missing them. And you see, here, that the only time he stands absolutely rod straight is when he’s talking about them. “I’m going home, Ernesto” he says, looking stern and foreboding for the first time. Only matched later in the film when his screams of “you took everything away from me”.
Héctor’s appearance is offset by that of his wife’s – who looks put together and elegant in life as in death. She’s stonier and colder. But he doesn’t ask her to be anything else- just as she doesn’t ask him to be another other than present. He foils her. When she calls him the love of her life, he melts, and she stiffens. But he doesn’t look disappointed. He looks happier. He knows that look. He knows her expressions. He’s taken the time to learn her. Not change her. Just as, after the movie ends, she doesn’t try to change him.
Héctor’s young. Really young. 21 years old. And yet, look at him. He’s about to give up his dream in that last panel. Look at how he stares at the music book. He’s holding his dream in his hands. And he frowns. And he thinks. You can tell his thoughts are spinning. And he closes it. He closes his dream. And he turns around, and looks at the door. Turns away. This isn’t his dream. It’s a love. But it’s not as important. It’s not his dream. His daughter is. He closes the book.
Sharp faces are usually reserved for women and villains. But look at the way Coco cups her fathers face. It’s the idea of foils. Of opposites. That something so sharp can become so soft. Can be held so carefully.
MY FAVORITE THING is that the classic Disney character built like him -skinny legs, skinny arms, long torso, long face- are made to move quickly. They’re the comic relief. The side kick. And Héctor does fall into that role. Because it’s something that holds him together mentally. Be happy. Be happy. Be happy. Saying it over and over in the way his body moves and twists around. But look how he moves when he’s with children. With is daughter. He slows. He moves gently. Carefully. He’s no longer a comic relief because his daughter needs a father. Not a character.
And that’s what kills me the most.
That all characters who are built like him are comic relief. Did you know, by the way, that people in broadway musicals hired to be that part are called character actors. Because those are such characters, they need to be played by only the quickest, most animated people.
But Coco doesn’t need a character. She needs her father. And its in those scenes that we see Héctor going against every bit of his composition to be that.
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 