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Hogwarts Houses

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In the Harry Potter series, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is divided into four houses, each bearing the last name of its founder: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff.

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

The Sorting

Harry and the Sorting Hat
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Harry and the Sorting Hat

In the school's early days, students were handpicked by the founders. When they began to worry how students could be picked after the founders' deaths, Godric Gryffindor took his hat off and the four "put some brains" in it, so that the sorting hat could choose the students instead. Now, at the beginning of each school year, the magical Sorting Hat is placed on each new student's head, during the Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat announces the house that the student is bound to join. Before beginning the sorting, it sings a short ballad about the founding of the school and the four houses; the song is different every year, and the Hat is said to take all the year composing the next one.

The hat sorts by judging the qualities of the student and choosing the most appropriate house for him or her. The student's own preferences probably affect the decision: the clearest example is the hat leaning towards putting Harry in Slytherin in the first book, but ultimately selecting Gryffindor after Harry asks it not to put him in Slytherin. Another example is in the fifth book when Hermione Granger states that The Sorting Hat considered sorting her into Ravenclaw House, but after she clearly stated in a previous chapter that she wanted to be in Gryffindor, her choice ultimatly over rides The Sorting Hat, resulting in her placement into Gryffindor. Dumbledore later explains to Harry that this is how it should be, when one considers how the choices people make define them more than their abilities. It is in fact likely that the Hat selects houses according to the predetermined decisions of an informed student, and only genuinely selects those who have no preconceptions or expectations (according to Professor Slughorn, house affiliations tend to run in families; and it is notable that Ron Weasley could not consider being in any house other than that every other member of his family has been in). On the other hand, many House members appear to share common traits: it is unknown if these are present before Sorting and used as criteria, or if they are bred into students through their presence in the House.

The hat does not just consider the student's most obvious strengths; it also sees the student's potential qualities, ones that may not have developed yet. "You could be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness," it says to Harry when it suggests Slytherin as the best house for his future. Similarly, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom do not immediately jump out as prime examples of Gryffindor courage in the beginning of the series, but they have both gained a tremendous amount of courage and confidence as they have grown. Hermione is even asked point-blank in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix why the Hat didn't put her in Ravenclaw considering her intelligence. Her answer is that the Hat "considered it, but decided on Gryffindor in the end" (notably, she wanted to be in Gryffindor before even arriving at the school). Similarly, Neville may have a number of qualities suggestive of Hufflepuff House, yet was sorted into Gryffindor.

House dynamics

The four houses are rather separate entities. Each has its own common room and dormitory, its own table in the Great Hall, around seventy pupils, and students mostly share lessons with classmates of their same house. There is no rule against students from different houses mingling, but in practice, a good majority of social interactions occur within the same house. Each house has one teacher who acts as its Head of House. Each house also has a house ghost. The function they serve (if any) is unknown, although they might be house mascots. Each Head of House and house ghost was previously a pupil within that house.

A great deal of rivalry exists between the houses, not always friendly. This rivalry is demonstrated in the Quidditch matches and the annual school competition for the House Cup which is determined by the number of points earned or lost by each member of the rival houses. These points are awarded or taken based on students' conduct throughout the school year. All members of the faculty, prefects, and the Head Boy and Girl have the authority to grant and deduct points as they see fit in each instance. [link] Some, like Severus Snape, the former Potions master, tend to favour their own house, but that does not seem to be against the rules. He is despised by many students, other than those in Slytherin, where he is very popular. We do not know how much favouritism the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Heads show, although it can be deduced that it's minimal or non-existant because both Professor Filius Flitwick (of Ravenclaw) and Professor Pomona Sprout (Hufflepuff) are kind lighthearted people, who obviously want to win the House and Quidditch Cups, but don't have as much passion as the other houses. (However when points were being deliberately deducted by the "Inquisitorial Squad" developed by Dolores Umbridge, it is noted the Professor Sprout awarded Harry Points for handing her a watering can.) It is a known fact that Professor Minerva McGonagall, the stern head of Gryffindor, does not show any favoritism towards her house. In fact she deducted 50 points apiece and awarded detentions to three students in her house (Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom) after being caught out of bed after hours (Philosopher's Stone), and supported Proffesor Snape wholeheartedly in giving Harry detentions for the rest of the school year, even on overlapping Quidditch matches, after Harry used a horrible spell on Draco Malfoy, not knowing what kind of spell it was, only that it was for enemies (Half-Blood Prince).

Some assume that anything Slytherin is evil. What has been said by Hagrid however is that "every wizard that's ever gone bad was in Slytherin," which does not mean "every wizard that was in Slytherin has gone bad". In fact, some Slytherin families are viewed as neutral in regards to the war. Slytherins are chosen for their cunning and pure-blood heritage. Pure-blood heritage does not mean that your are predjudice against Muggle-borns and half-bloods. Hagrid is contradicted when we discover that other houses as well have produced evil witches and wizards, the prime example being Peter Pettigrew. In Harry Potter's first year, the Sorting Hat says that Harry could be great in Slytherin; however, he chooses to be sorted into Gryffindor instead. This of course, still does not take away from the fact that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, had and has the potential to be great in Slytherin. To some, this may indicate that Harry is not completely immune to the dark path, but to others, it might show that Harry is extremely versatile and would be a good candidate for a leader in the upcoming battle. It has also been said that all four houses must band together and fight as one if Hogwarts is to stand. It must be remembered that all of the Houses have their virtues and flaws: none are inherently good or evil (and Harry has ambition, if somewhat limited). Slytherins may have earned their reputation as evil because they show such contempt towards Gryffindor, the protangonist house. They also don't show much generosity towards other houses either, whether they're pureblood or not.

House rivalry is most seen between Slytherin and Gryffindor ("Gryffindor and Slytherin students loathed each other on principle"). This rivalry likely to goes back to the days of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin after they founded Hogwarts, because the Sorting Hat said that they were the best of friends before they founded the school. It is not clear if there is a similar rivalry between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but it also seems unlikely because of the cheerful disposition of the Heads for said Houses, as opposed to the contempt of Professor Snape and the passion of Professor McGonagall.

Usually, though not always, the other two houses appear (in Harry's eyes) to support Gryffindor in its rivalry with Slytherin, which again is reminiscent of how Slytherin was in the end opposed by all three other Founders. One exception to this occurred when Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin all initially supported Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory instead of Gryffindor's Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. Also in the first Quidditch match of book 6, it is said that many of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had "taken sides" in the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, but does not specify which Houses took which side.

The four houses

Gryffindor

Gryffindor crest
Gryffindor values courage, chivalry and boldness. Its emblematic animal is the lion and its colours are scarlet and gold. Minerva McGonagall is the most recent Head of House. Nearly Headless Nick is the house ghost. The founder of the house is Godric Gryffindor.

As this is the house to which Harry Potter belongs, its private quarters are the only ones that have been described in any detail (though Slytherin's common room was described briefly in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), and its members tend to get the most attention. These are located in one of the castle's towers, the entrance to which is located on the seventh floor and is guarded by a painting of the Fat Lady, who is garbed in a pink dress. She permits entry only after being given the correct (regularly changing) password. Behind her is a large common room, with a fireplace, and two staircases leading up to the boys' and girls' dormitories.

According to J. K. Rowling, Gryffindor corresponds roughly to the element of fire, which may partly be the reason for its colours.

It must be remembered that since Harry Potter is a Gryffindor, it receives the most favourable depiction.

Gryffindors are disliked by Houses such as Slytherin, according to Phineas Nigellus Black, because they apparently engage in pointless heroics. There might also be an element of jealousy; since the arrival of Harry Potter, Gryffindor has recieved a certain amount of publicity that they hadn't had before. Harry and his fellow Gryffindors tend to win in a lot of circumstances which, when viewed from a Slytherin's point of view, may be considered unfair. Examples of this include the last minute points awarded by the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, at the end of term feast, which convienently put Gryffindor ten points ahead of Slytherin or when Harry gets special permisson from Professor McGonagall to have his own broomstick for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, even though first years are not permitted their own broomstick (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone). Another example is when Harry Potter is chosen as the fourth competitor in the Tri-Wizard tournament, and is accused of cheating, stealing Cedric Diggory's thunder, craving attention, etc..

A few notable Gryffindors (for a complete list, see List of characters in the Harry Potter books):

Hufflepuff

Hufflepuff crest
Hufflepuff, founded by Helga Hufflepuff, is the most inclusive among the four houses, valuing hard work and patience and friendship, justice and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members. Its emblematic animal is the badger, and yellow and black are its colours (purple and yellow in the video games.) Professor Pomona Sprout is the head of Hufflepuff. The Fat Friar is its ghost. According to Rowling, Hufflepuff corresponds roughly to the element of earth. The Hufflepuff common room and dormitories are located somewhere in the basement, near the castle's kitchens.

Perhaps as a consequence of the broad principles of acceptance upon which it is founded, Hufflepuff has been stereotyped as the house of the unexceptional (or, more unkindly, as "a lot o' duffers"). One Hufflepuff of note is Cedric Diggory, who brought his house rare glory as its Quidditch captain and Seeker, and later as Hogwarts' champion in the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In Book 1, Professor McGonagall stated that all four of the Houses had produced exceptional witches and wizards in their time, so, though the House is said to have forgone glory for centuries (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), it is not without its share of exceptional individuals. One theory in fandom is that the magical skills of Hufflepuffs may generally be average, but that they are exceptional people, though this has no particular grounding in the canon.

A few notable Hufflepuffs (for a complete list, see List of characters in the Harry Potter books. Also see Minor Hufflepuffs):

Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw crest
Ravenclaw values intelligence, knowledge, and wit. Its emblematic animal is the eagle, and its colours are blue and bronze. The Ravenclaw head is Filius Flitwick, the house ghost is the Grey Lady, and the house was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. According to J. K. Rowling, Ravenclaw corresponds roughly to the element of air. The Ravenclaw common room and dormitories are located in a tower on the west side of the school. Ravenclaws may also have a slight element of beauty in them, for Cho Chang, Penelope Clearwater, and Roger Davies are all in Ravenclaw and all have some success in romance.

A few notable Ravenclaws (for a complete list, see List of characters in the Harry Potter books. Also see Minor Ravenclaws):

The Sorting Hat considered placing Hermione Granger in Ravenclaw.

Slytherin

Slytherin crest
Like Salazar Slytherin, its founder, Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, determination, and resourcefulness. Its emblematic animal is the serpent, and its colours are green and silver. Severus Snape and Horace Slughorn have been heads of Slytherin. The Bloody Baron is the house ghost. According to J. K. Rowling, Slytherin corresponds roughly to the element of water. The Slytherin common room and dormitories are reached through a bare stone wall in the dungeons. The Slytherin common room is a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and round, greenish lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Although the Sorting Hat claims that "blood purity" is a factor in selecting Slytherins, it is notable that this is not mentioned until the fifth book. This suggests that it bases its decisions more upon the views of its members, than directly on any accurate test of blood.

According to Albus Dumbledore (in 'The Chamber of Secrets'), the qualities which "Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students" include "Parseltongue...resourcefulness...determination...a certain disregard for the rules": which Dumbledore notes are qualities possessed by Harry Potter (although the first is possessed by Harry only by sheer accident).

Contrary to the wishes of the other founders, Salazar Slytherin wanted a stricter policy of admittance—one limited to pure-blood students (possibly also half-bloods: the evidence regarding Slytherin's attitudes is unreliable, unexplained, and confused). The controversy this created apparently led to Salazar leaving the school, leaving the Chamber of Secrets behind. A millennium later, the house's students are still considered affiliated with Salazar's reputed views although some half-bloods, most notably Voldemort and Snape, have been in Slytherin. "Pureblood" lineage is certainly one of the things in Voldemort's agenda. It is often mentioned in the novels (especially in Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) that most of the dark wizards were in Slytherin (though how many were from this House before Tom Marvolo Riddle began recruiting there is unstated: as his own House, it was certainly most easy for him to recruit there). However, good Slytherin wizards also exist: most notable in the canon is Horace Slughorn, a member of the House prior to the entry of Tom Riddle; there is also massive debate amongst fans over the nature and allegiance of Severus Snape, whose eventual fate Rowling has not specified. Cunning and ambition are easily turned towards ill purposes, but are not inherently negative; furthermore, daring, intelligence, and loyalty can as easily become negative. A possible reason Slytherins may not be thought of as the best kind of people is because they value their own lives more than the lives of others. When Harry is trying to run away, because he is afraid that his presence is putting his friends' lives in danger in Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Phineas Nigellus sees him and says, "We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, when given the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks." Rowling herself has defended Slytherins, claiming that while most Dark wizards are Slytherins, most Slytherins are not Dark, and smaller groups of Voldemort's supporters are aligned with other Houses.

A few notable Slytherins (for a complete list, see List of characters in the Harry Potter books. Also see Minor Slytherins):

In previous drafts of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling had written a character named Mafalda, a young cousin of the Weasleys who was to have been Sorted into Slytherin (and who was apparently the child of a muggle and a Squib accountant living as a muggle). The character was cut before the final draft. Consequently, the issue of her blood purity has never arisen in canon.

Reference

External links

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Philosopher's Stone book film game
Chamber of Secrets book film game
Prisoner of Azkaban book film game
Goblet of Fire book film game
Order of the Phoenix book film)
Half-Blood Prince book film)
Unnamed seventh book book)
Other books Other games
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Quidditch Through the Ages
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