Rowena Ravenclaw

Rowena Ravenclaw is an only mentioned character in the Harry Potter franchise. She was one of the four founders of Hogwarts who founded the house of Ravenclaw. Rowena disagreed with Slytherin's view of only admitting pure-bloods to Hogwarts. She accepted muggle-born wizards and witches as well, and she was known for valuing traits like intelligence, creativity and wisdom.
==History==
===Early Life===
Not much is known about Rowena Ravenclaw's early life. Although it's known she is a witch that comes from the glens of Scotland and was born in the tenth century. Her best friend was fellow witch Helga Hufflepuff. Sometime during her life she became friends with Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryfindor. Together the four friends decided to create a school for witchcraft and wizardry.
===Founding Hogwarts and Ravenclaw house===
United by a common goal, Rowena and her friends established Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sometime around year 993. The name and location of the school was chosen by Rowena due to her having a dream that a warty hog lead her to a cliff by a lake. That's why she chose the name Hogwarts and placed the school on a cliff near a lake. Rowena was the one who was behind the whole architectural planning of the school and designed her own creative and quirky interior. For example the ever-changing floor plan and the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall. Being unable to decide which type of students they should teach, the founders established their own houses where they could teach those who they deemed worthy. Rowena founded "Ravenclaw House" and accepted students who possessed traits that she particularly valued, mainly intelligence, creativity, wisdom, individuality and curiosity. A few years before opening the school, Rowena gave birth to her daughter; Helena Ravenclaw. It's unknown who the father was, but it is known that she attended Hogwarts, got sorted into Ravenclaw and got taught by her mother.
After many years Rowena's co-founder Salazar Slytherin proposed a controversial idea in which to prevent muggle-born students to attend Hogwarts, due to their heritage. Rowena, along with Godric and Helga, strongly opposed this action and the disagreement escalated so much that Salazar eventually left the school and cut ties with the others permanently.
Later in her life Rowena's daughter Helena (while still in school) in a jealous rage stole her mother's magical diadem to make herself smarter and better than her mom. Helena left the school and fled the country. Ashamed and hurt by her daughter's betrayal Rowena never told anyone of what had happened and pretended that she still had the diadem. Shortly after her daughter's treachery Rowena fell fataly ill (possibly owing to heartbreak) and could no longer teach. Despite her daughter's wicked deeds, she asked to see her one last time before passing away. She asked the Baron (who was in love with Helena) to find her and bring her home. The Baron found Helena in Albania but he killed her in a bloody rage when she refused to follow him back. Immediately afterwards he became struck with guilt and took his own life. Therefore, Rowena never got to see her daughter one last time before her passing, and thus never being able to reconcile with her. It's unknown exactly which year Rowena died. But what's known is that she was the first of the four founders to die.
Many centuries later, her diadem was stolen by Tom Riddle (aka Lord Voldemort) who turned it into an horcrux. However, her diadem was later (accidentaly) destroyed by an out-of-control spell cast by Vincent Crabbe during the Battle of Hogwarts.
==Personality==
Rowena Ravenclaw was known for her intelligence, creativity and brilliance. She was rumoured to be a little bit strict and stern with students. It's implied that she was proudful as she had it very difficult to forgive her daughter for stealing her diadem and she never told anyone else of her daughter's treason. However, it's shown that Rowena still loved her daugther very much, as on her deathbed she asked to see her daugher for one last time (possibly so they could make up and forgive eachother). Rowena's tragic relationship with her daughter is implied to be the cause that ended in her early death, as it literally broke her heart. Rowena was the one who chose the name and location of the school. All because a dream she had where a warty hog led her to a cliff by a lake. This of course showing her creative and witty nature. She also showed more of her creativity and ingenuity when creating the ever-changing floor plan at Hogwarts. She was tolerant for half- and muggleborns to be taught at the school and disagreed with Salazar's prejudices. 
Rowena was known for favouring wisdom, intelligence, curiosity, creativity, individuality and a thurst for learning. She searched for these traits and values in the students she teached as well. It is speculated that Rowena was the one who designed the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall, but that's only speculation.
==Gallery==
File:5a4b448394958.jpg|Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem.
File:Lego-harry-potter-71043-hogwarts-castle-21.jpg|Rowena Ravenclaw Lego minifigure.
== External Links ==
*Rowena on the Harry Potter Wiki
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