Ravenclaw House

*"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning will always find their kind."--The Sorting Hat*

**Ravenclaw** is one of the Four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. Members of this House are characterized by their wit, learning and creativity. Its House colors are blue and bronze and its symbol is an eagle. The House ghost is the Grey Lady.

## Traits

Ravenclaw House prizes learning, wisdom, wit and originality in its members. Many members tend to be academically motivated and talented students. Ravenclaws also pride themselves in being original in their ideas and methods. it's not unusual to find Ravenclaw students practicing especially different types of magic that other Houses might dismiss or not consider.

Students in Ravenclaw can also be quirky and possess unusual intellectual interests. Ravenclaws usually accept and celebrate these eccentrics, who are making up an increasingly large number of Ravenclaws in modern times.

Ravenclaws also tend to be most inclined toward counter-culture, as their ever-expanding world views tend to propel them into different spheres of political and social thought.

## Reputation

Ravenclaws see themselves as above the petty rivalries of the other Houses. In reality many from other Houses reveal that Ravenclaws are so competitive when it comes to academic success that they are known to back stab even each other and likely other students, in order to get top marks. There have been literal duels about whether or not genius wizards and witches are from Ravencalw or not (whether or not they're wrong).

Ravenclaw House has little rivalry with the other Houses, except for the friendly rivalry it maintains with Hufflepuff, though this is little more than light competition and nowhere near the fierce hatred that exists between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Ravenclaws are known to be very competitive about Quidditch, however.

Ravenclaws tend to be seen as arrogant know-it-alls by Gryffindor House, who Ravenclaws in turn often look down upon. Both Houses can't deny the others' power and skill, but Gryffindors think Ravenclaws are too weird and too focused on their books to get anything done.

Hufflepuffs take an amiable view of the Ravenclaws. Despite their little rivalry, Hufflepuff think the Ravenclaws are delightfully unique but maybe they have their priorities a little out of whack.

Slytherins have a love/hate relationship with the Ravenclaws. Slytherin admires the Ravenclaw propensity for intellect and thinking out of the box but easily tire of their endless questions, arrogance and tendency to take way too much time thinking, researching and planning before they act on their goals.

## Common Room

The Ravenclaw common room is in one of the castle's towers and is wide and circular. You have to climb a tight spiral staircase to get there. It has graceful arched windows and the walls are hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling has a charm similar to the one in the Great Hall, though it always shows a clear night sky (as opposed to changing with the weather). This pattern is echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs and bookcases cover the expanse of the floor and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sits next to the door that leads to the dormitories above.

Unlike the other Common Rooms in the school, a logical riddle given by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker must be answered to enter. This could prove troublesome as anyone with enough intellect or logic could intrude into the dormitory. However, it has been said that most witches and wizards do not have a traditional sense of logic as muggles think of it.

## Head of House

The Head of House is a position of great authority and respect, and is always given to an acting Professor that was sorted into that House during their education at Hogwarts. The position of Head of Ravenclaw is a particularly honored position, as they are seen to epitomize the traits Ravenclaw is supposed to represent.

The current Head of Ravenclaw House is Professor Stanard Mount, Hogwarts' Transfiguration teacher. This gruff, stern, masculine and highly intelligent man is an intimidating figure to the student body, even his own House. He has held the position since 1999.

## House Relic

The relic of Ravenclaw House was Ravenclaw's Diadem is a beautiful, raven-shaped diadem made of gold, with a sapphire set in the middle. The Diadem possessed the power to enhance the wearer's intellect and sense of perception (physical and metaphysical) and bestowed various mental abilities. However, it was turned into a Horcrux and destroyed by a rogue Fiendfyre spell in 1998 during the Battle of Hogwarts.

## List of Notable Ravenclaws

#### Class of 2024

* Miles Behring
* Rachel Day
* Dawn Diggle
* Penley Graves
* Natalia Kaiser
* Sherman Kellogg
* Noriko Kitagawa
* Peregrine "Newt" Gudgeon
* Judy Marino
* Gertrude Pegg
* Ginger Hansin-Graham
* Gwen Marsters
* Keith Matambe
* Virgil McDuffie
* Ian McLaggen
* Phineas "Finn" Podmore
* Nigel Pyke
* Velma Shingle
* Wesley Whent

#### Notable Alumni

* Stanard Mount
* Lysander Burke
* Filius Flitwick
* Luna Lovegood
* Cho Chang
* Michael Corner
* Padma Patil
* Gilderoy Lockhart
* Sybill Trelawney
* Uric the Oddball
* Penelope Clearwater