Hogwarts founders

The **Hogwarts founders**, also known as the **Hogwarts Four**, were four witches and wizards who established Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the medieval era, in the 10th century. These four founders are widely described as being the most brilliant witches and wizards of the time and were the following: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin.

Each of them created their own House: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectively. They laid the foundations for the largest and most prestigious Wizarding school in Britain.

## The Founders

### Godric Gryffindor

The founder of Gryffindor house. A fair man, he believed that any child who displayed magical abilities before their 11th birthday should be able to attend Hogwarts. Godric valued courage and bravery, believing these were the two most virtuous abilities a person can possess. Gryffindor was the original owner of the Sorting Hat, which he and his fellow founders enchanted to select people to be sorted into their houses, by seeing the qualities each founder valued the most.

Gryffindor also had a sword made, which would present itself to any true Gryffindor in a moment of need. The sword became an important item a thousand years later, and was instrumental in defending Hogwarts from Slytherin's descendant. He was allegedly the best friend of Slytherin before he left Hogwarts. His house corresponds to the element of fire.

### Helga Hufflepuff

The founder of Hufflepuff house. A kind and warm woman, she valued a person must possess to be sorted into Hufflepuff house are those of loyalty, patience, and hard working above all else. It is also known that she brought the house-elves to Hogwarts. She owned a fine golden cup which was fairly innocuous aside from being her possession. The cup was sought by Lord Voldemort nearly a thousand years later, for him to turn it into a Horcrux. She was the best friend of Rowena Ravenclaw. Her house corresponds to the element of earth.

### Rowena Ravenclaw

The founder of Ravenclaw house. A sharp and intelligent woman, Intellect is a highly valued asset to the students of Ravenclaw house. Due to this, it is likely that Rowena wanted to make Hogwarts the very finest Wizarding school on earth, teaching those children with the highest intelligence. Rowena also had a daughter, Helena, who later became the Grey Lady of Hogwarts as a ghost.

Helena stole her mother's diadem, and it became lost. It was believed to have been lost for so long, that no one alive had seen it, however, it had actually been found by Lord Voldemort with the aid of the ghost of Ravenclaw's daughter. He turned it into a Horcrux and later hidden once more, this time within the Room of Requirement, where it would remain hidden for at least 50 years. She was the best friend of Helga Hufflepuff. Her house corresponds to the element of air.

### Salazar Slytherin

The founder of Slytherin house. Sly and cunning, he was not unlike many of the students he brought into his house. He believed strongly that only wizards of pure blood (i.e., those with a mother and father from wizarding families) should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. Slytherin caused great dispute over this with the other founders, and it eventually caused a permanent rift with Gryffindor, which led to Slytherin's departure from the school. Before he left, however, he created the Chamber of Secrets, complete with a huge statue of himself and a horrible monster.

Almost a thousand years later, Slytherin's descendant, Lord Voldemort, would seek to fulfil his desires of banishing Muggle-borns from Hogwarts, and exterminating them. One of his personal effects, a locket, was later claimed by Voldemort, to be used as a Horcrux. He was the best friend of Godric Gryffindor before the rift occurred and he left Hogwarts. His house corresponds to the element of water.

## After the founding

> "*And never since the founders four / Were whittled down to three / Have the houses been united / As they once were meant to be.*"
> ― The Sorting Hat's song, Harry Potter's fifth year[source]
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After Hogwarts was built, the founders co-existed peacefully for many years. Eventually, however, the pressure from Slytherin to admit only pure-blood wizards affected the other three founders greatly, and none more than Gryffindor. Slytherin finally left Hogwarts following a massive argument with Gryffindor over the issue, and he never returned.