Hogwarts Houses | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia — Albus Dumbledore [src] It seems that the Sorting Hat tended to place students based on qualities they valued rather than qualities they exhibited. This was never more apparent than with Peter Pettigrew , who was sorted into Gryffindor but ultimately turned out to be quite cowardly, self-serving and corruptible. He was probably placed there because at the time, he admired strong, brave individuals like James Potter and Sirius Black . It is also evident in Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle , who despite being stupid and rather lazy, were placed in Slytherin , the house of the clever and ambitious. They flocked around Draco Malfoy , who they admired and who exhibited the traits of Slytherin. The Sorting Hat could detect nascent qualities in a student and place them in the House that would challenge them and put their character to the test. Case in point, Neville Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor because the Hat sensed that he was capable of demonstrating bravery and leadership during his time at Hogwarts. However, these qualities did not fully surface until Neville learned to believe in himself.

The Hat also appeared to take the students' wishes into account, considering how one's personal choices are very much of a reflection of the qualities that they valued in themselves. Just because someone was placed in a certain House did not mean that they could not display characteristics of other Houses. Harry Potter , for instance, embodied many of the traits that were appreciated by Salazar Slytherin . He was clever, resourceful and cunning, yet the Sorting Hat made him a Gryffindor because the very fact that he asked not to be in Slytherin showed that he did not belong there. A true Slytherin would not have had any doubts about whether or not it was the right House for them. One of the biggest examples of this was Severus Snape . At one point, Albus Dumbledore observed that his loyal, courageous nature was much more befitted to Gryffindor . However, as a child, Snape's sadism, disdain for Muggles, and sheer cunning and ambition made him an obvious Slytherin when he first came to Hogwarts. House dynamics The four houses are rather separate entities. Each has its own common room and dormitory, its own table in the Great Hall , and students mostly share lessons with classmates of their same house.

There is no rule against students from different houses mingling, but in practise a good majority of social interactions occur within the same house. Each house had one teacher who acted as its Head of House. Each house also had a house ghost. The function they serve (if any) is unknown, although they might be like 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 was demonstrated in the Quidditch matches and the annual school competition for the House Cup, which was determined by the number of points earned or lost by each member of the rival houses. These points were awarded or taken based on students' conduct throughout the school year. All members of the faculty and the Head Boy and Girl have the authority to grant and deduct points as they see fit in each instance. [1] Some, like Severus Snape , the former Potions master , tended to favour their own house, but that does not seem to be against the rules. He was despised by many students, other than those in Slytherin, where he was very popular.

It was not known how much favouritism the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Heads showed, although it can be deduced that it was minimal or non-existent, as both Professor Filius Flitwick (of Ravenclaw) and Professor Pomona Sprout (Hufflepuff) were kind, lighthearted people, who obviously wanted to win the House and Quidditch Cups but were not as vindictive as Snape in going about it. It is known that Professor Minerva McGonagall , the stern head of Gryffindor, did not show much favouritism 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 when they were caught out of bed after hours in Harry's first year), and supported Professor Snape wholeheartedly in giving Harry detentions for the rest of the school year, even on overlapping Quidditch matches, after Harry used the Sectumsempra spell on Draco Malfoy in Harry's sixth year.

According to Rubeus Hagrid , "There isn't a wizard that's gone bad that wasn't in Slytherin ," (though this is for the most part correct, there are a few exceptions, former Gryffindor Peter Pettigrew the most notable of them). None of this necessarily means, however, that all Slytherins are evil ( Horace Slughorn for example). Slytherins were chosen for their cunning and pure-blood heritage (although blood purity did not appear to be essential - Lord Voldemort and Snape were half-bloods , though they both were prejudiced). 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 had their virtues and flaws: none were inherently good or evil. Slytherins may have earned their reputation as evil because they showed such contempt towards Gryffindor , the protagonist house. They also did not show much generosity towards other houses either, whether those in them were pure-blood or not. House rivalry was most seen between Slytherin and Gryffindor ("Gryffindor and Slytherin students loathed each other on principle" [HP6] ).

This rivalry likely 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. [HP5] While it is not clear if there is a similar rivalry between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff , it seems fairly unlikely due to the cheerful disposition of the Heads for said Houses, as opposed to the contempt of Professor Snape and the passion of Professor McGonagall. ( Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff , however, once great friends, are documented as having had a severe falling out at some point by the Sorting Hat's song in 1996 . It was sometimes thought that there was some dislike between the members of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff due to the Ravenclaw students' reputation for boasting about their intelligence, which often annoyed Hufflepuffs, who were known for being modest, gentle and kind. As a whole, Gryffindors were thought to get on best with Hufflepuffs, whereas Ravenclaws were thought to be quite friendly with Slytherins.

There are certain exceptions however, such as Harry's friendliness with Cho Chang and Luna Lovegood, both from Ravenclaw, as well as Cho's relationship with Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff. Usually, though not always, the other two houses appeared (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 of the 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 . [HP4] Also in the first Quidditch match of 1996, it was 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 Houses of Hogwarts Main article: Gryffindor Gryffindor values bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Its emblematic animal is the lion and its colours are scarlet and gold .

Minerva McGonagall is the most recent Head of Gryffindor . Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington , also known as "Nearly Headless Nick", was the house ghost. The founder of the house was Godric Gryffindor . Gryffindor corresponds to the element of Fire. The common room is located in one of the highest towers at Hogwarts, the entrance is situated on the seventh floor in the east wing of the castle and is guarded by a portrait of The Fat Lady. She permits entrance if given the correct password, which is changed numerous times throughout the school year. Famous Gryffindors include: Albus Dumbledore , Harry Potter , and Celestina Warbeck . Hufflepuff Main article: Hufflepuff Hufflepuff, founded by Helga Hufflepuff , values hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play. Its emblematic animal is the badger , and Yellow and Black are its colours.

Pomona Sprout was the Head of Hufflepuff during 1991 - 1998, Sprout left the post of Head of Hufflepuff and Herbology Professor sometime before 2017 and her successor for the position of Head of Hufflepuff is currently unknown. The Fat Friar is its ghost. Hufflepuff corresponds to the element of earth . The Hufflepuff dormitories and common room are located somewhere in the basement, near the castle's kitchens. It can be accessed by tapping the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff" and is described as being a cosy and welcoming place with yellow hangings, fat armchairs, and underground tunnels that lead to the dormitories, which have perfectly round doors, similar to barrel tops. Famous Hufflepuffs include: Hengist of Woodcroft (founder of Hogsmeade), Newt Scamander , and Artemisia Lufkin (first female minister for magic). Ravenclaw Main article: Ravenclaw Ravenclaw values intelligence, knowledge, and wit.

Its emblematic animal is the eagle, and its colours are blue and bronze. The Ravenclaw Head of House in the 1990s was Filius Flitwick . The ghost of Ravenclaw is the Grey Lady , who was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw , the house's founder. Ravenclaw corresponds to the element of air . The Ravenclaw common room and dormitories are located in a tower on the west side of the castle. Ravenclaw students must answer a riddle as opposed to giving a password to enter their dormitories. This riddle, however, can be answered by non-Ravenclaws. Famous Ravenclaws include: Gilderoy Lockheart , Ignatia Wildsmith (inventor of floo powder), and Garrick Ollivander . Slytherin Main article: Slytherin Slytherin house values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness and was founded by Salazar Slytherin . Its emblematic animal is the serpent , and its colours are emerald green and silver.

Professor Horace Slughorn was the Head of Slytherin during the 1997–1998 school year , replacing Severus Snape , who as well, replaced Slughorn when he retired for the first time several years prior. The Bloody Baron is the house ghost. Slytherin corresponds roughly to the element of water . The Slytherin dormitories and common room are reached through a bare stone wall in the Dungeons . The Slytherin common room lies beneath the Black Lake. It is a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and silver lamps hanging from the ceiling. Famous Slytherins include: Merlin , Tom Riddle , and Dolores Umbridge . Behind the scenes Each House represents one of the four classical elements: Fire ( Gryffindor ), Earth ( Hufflepuff ), Air ( Ravenclaw ), and Water ( Slytherin ). Each of these also represents one of the four states of matter: Plasma (Fire, Gryffindor), Gas (Air, Ravenclaw), Liquid (Water, Slytherin), and Solid (Earth, Hufflepuff).

Slytherin stands out as the only House whose primary colour is not one the three primary colours; red, blue, and yellow. This may be because members of Slytherin have a tendency to break the mold. Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Places/Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Places/Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry From Wikibooks, open books for an open world Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Location Scotland Permanent Residents General Overview[ edit ] Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry "is the best school of wizardry in Great Britain", according to Rubeus Hagrid . In fact, the author has implied that it is the only school of wizardry in Britain — while every Wizarding child can go to Hogwarts, the author states that not all do choose to do so. Also, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , it is stated that before Lord Voldemort's takeover of the Ministry of Magic , parents of Wizarding children could, instead of sending them to Hogwarts, homeschool them or send them abroad if they so wished, implying that those were the only three options available.

The events of the first six books of the Harry Potter series, and the climax of the seventh book, occur largely in and around this school, which Harry attends to get his education from the time he turns 11. Extended Description[ edit ] Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level. Founded roughly a thousand years before the events of the series by the four Founders ( Godric Gryffindor , Rowena Ravenclaw , Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin ), Hogwarts, the premier Wizarding school in Britain, is housed in a large magically-active castle near the Wizarding village of Hogsmeade . The castle itself is protected by Anti- Apparition wards (preventing an attacker from suddenly appearing in its midst), and Muggle-Repellent charms (to the occasional Muggle who is determined to approach, the castle is spelled to look like a dangerous ruin, with keep-away warning signs posted). The Forbidden Forest , adjacent to the school grounds, contains many wild magical creatures, some of which are actively hostile towards humans, Wizarding or not.

Situated at the edge of the Forest, the Groundskeeper's Hut, where Rubeus Hagrid ("Keeper of the Keys and Grounds") lives, is well-placed for looking after the subjects of each Care of Magical Creatures class (taught by Hagrid starting in Harry's third year). The Hogwarts student body is Sorted at enrollment (by the Sorting Hat ), along lines of aptitude and predilection, into four Houses named after the four Founders ( Gryffindor , Ravenclaw , Hufflepuff , and Slytherin ) and nurturing those characteristics each Founder thought most important. Since even the Founders were unable to keep solidarity ( Salazar Slytherin left after a legendary dispute with the others), the Houses, each with a professor who doubles as the Head of that House, tend towards friction and rivalry, particularly between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The rivalries usually confine themselves to Quidditch (each House fields a team of players, vying for the Quidditch Cup) and the House Cup competition (Houses are awarded points for student excellence and penalized points for student misbehavior and indolence, leading to an end-of-year tally and award).

At the start of the Harry Potter series, the House Heads are: Minerva McGonagall , Head of Gryffindor, who teaches Transfiguration and is also Deputy Headmistress. Gryffindor House nurtures courage and commitment to a cause. Severus Snape , Head of Slytherin, who teaches Potions . Slytherin House nurtures self-sufficient cunning, resourcefulness and ambition. Filius Flitwick , Head of Ravenclaw, who teaches Charms . Ravenclaw House nurtures thoughtful scholarship and intellectual brilliance. Pomona Sprout , Head of Hufflepuff, who teaches Herbology and runs the school's greenhouses. Hufflepuff House nurtures hard work, tolerance and loyalty. Albus Dumbledore holds the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts, in addition to his public duties on the Wizengamot (and his later covert activities with the Order of the Phoenix ). Argus Filch , a Squib , is the castle's Custodian, aided by unknown numbers of House-Elves who clean and cook.

There is at least one resident ghost for each House (Gryffindor has Nearly Headless Nick , Hufflepuff has The Fat Friar , Ravenclaw has The Grey Lady , and Slytherin has The Bloody Baron ), plus Peeves The Poltergeist , who is allowed residence by Dumbledore to "keep everyone on their toes". Poppy Pomfrey is the Medi-Witch who runs the Hospital Wing, the school Infirmary. Irma Pince runs the school's Library and guards the dangerous books in its Restricted Section. Castle security is assisted by the House Ghosts, and by the many Wizarding portraits (paintings where the depicted person can speak and move from frame to frame), such as Phineas Nigellus , The Fat Lady , and Sir Cadogan , which password-protect some passages and monitor the rooms and corridors. Possible locations of the European witchcraft schools in Harry Potter. Click on the map for a more descriptive text J.K. Rowling has said in an interview that Hogwarts is somewhere in Scotland; its position is uncertain, because it is Charmed to be Unplottable – its position, like that of the other magic schools, cannot be placed on a map.

Additionally, it is hidden by spells that make it appear to Muggles as an old ruin, complete with Danger signs. The map here shows the most likely locations of the three schools of wizardry in Europe. For Hogwarts specifically, this article makes the following assumptions: Hogwarts is not in the most populated areas of Scotland since in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire it is said that the nearest Muggle town is several miles away (a situation that does not exist around Edinburgh and Glasgow). Also are excluded the Scottish Islands, since one can go to Hogwarts by train from London. Map legend: Academics[ edit ] The school year at Hogwarts is broken into four terms. Autumn term starts at the first of September with the arrival of the students, and continues to the start of the Christmas holidays, usually in late December. Winter term extends from the end of the Christmas holidays to the beginning of the Easter break, usually in mid to late March or early April. Spring term runs from the end of Easter break to the start of exams, which occur during the first full week (or two weeks) in June. Summer term comprises the time from the last day of exams to the end of classes at the end of June.

Summer term, a short term, is usually seen as a time to laze around and rest from the year; exams are finished, and while there may be one last Quidditch game between the houses, and there are classes still, most peoples' marks are pretty well settled, so things are taken rather lightly. All subjects are elective after fifth-year OWL exams; you are only allowed to proceed in a subject if your OWL grades are high enough for the teacher of that course. Until and including fifth year, you must take certain core subjects. The subjects available at Hogwarts are given below: Ancient Runes , the study of interpreting runes or magical symbols Teacher: unknown, possibly Bathsheba Babbling Arithmancy , the study of the magical properties of numbers Teacher: Minerva McGonagall Class sizes and duration[ edit ] Hogwarts classes are held in different locations within the castle and grounds. Class usually last for one and a half hours, even if they are shared by two Houses. Higher years often have "double" classes, which means they last three hours; Potions classes quite often are double, because potion preparation can take longer than a single class would have time for.

There are three class periods, typically, in the morning, and three in the afternoon. Class size is typically thirty students, according to information in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . This gives a total student population of about 840, or 210 in each House. Grades Classification[ edit ] Grades classification refer here are only given in the student's essay works, quizzes, assignments, homework and examinations. Passing Grades Examinations Given[ edit ] Final examinations are held each year between the end of spring or Easter term and the start of Summer term, and these exams must be passed in order to advance to the next year. In the books, one or two characters ( Flint and possibly Goyle ) apparently are held back a year. There are also two major examinations for Hogwarts students: O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) - 'the examinations Hogwarts student took at the age of fifteen' (actually in their fifth year – anyone having a birthday during the school year would be sixteen when they sat these exams) and 'really important, affect the job you can apply for and everything'. These are equivalent to the O-level or GCSE exams in England. N.E.W.T.

(Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) - examination taken in the seventh year at Hogwarts, roughly equivalent to the old-style English A-level exams. Life at Hogwarts[ edit ] Hogwarts is a very traditional British secondary boarding school, but magical education necessitates many differences. There are few modern facilities, indeed the castle has no electricity. This is largely due to the presence of high levels of magical energy fields that cause electrical and electronic devices to malfunction. Heating is provided by fireplaces and stoves maintained by a large staff of house elves. House elves also prepare three meals a day for students and staff as well as several feasts throughout the year. The food is varied, excellent and plentiful. The castle does have a relatively modern plumbing system including public rest rooms and at least one luxurious magical bath. Letters and parcels are usually delivered to students during breakfast in the Great Hall by owls who bring them directly to individuals. Both school and privately owned owls reside in a common owlery. The school has a large library that includes a restricted section for advanced texts requiring faculty permission to read. The resident librarian, Irma Pince , seems to be almost fanatical in her caring for the books.

Studying and homework are usually done in the house common rooms, the library, the Great Hall around mealtimes, or in the grounds in good weather. Like the rest of the Wizarding world, written work is done with quills, liquid ink in bottles, and parchment. Written assignments are often measured in either the number of scrolls or the length, in inches or feet, of parchment. Extracurricular activities include Quidditch and a few clubs (dueling and gobstones are mentioned). In addition, third year and older students may, with parental permission, visit the nearby all-Wizard village of Hogsmeade on selected weekends throughout the school year. Leisure time is often spent in the common rooms socializing and playing magical games. In warm weather, students can be found on the grounds or near the Lake, where we often see them playing with the resident giant squid. Magic from inexperienced wizards, injuries from Quidditch matches, and pranks around the school make Hogwarts a somewhat dangerous place. Therefore, a hospital wing staffed by a matron/nurse/healer is located within the school.

Injuries that would kill or maim Muggle students are treated in-house, and full recovery is usually achieved in just a day or two. Most students return home during the Christmas and Easter breaks, but there are some who stay at Hogwarts over the holidays. Both Christmas and Hallowe'en are celebrated at Hogwarts with decorations and elaborate feasts. Other holidays observed in the books include St. Valentine’s Day and Easter. School population[ edit ] As mentioned above, class size is typically thirty students, according to information in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . This gives a total student population of about 840, with 210 (thirty per year, times seven years) or so in each House. Readers may be confused by the fact that at most five boys and five girls of each house in each year are named. At least one fan site has published information apparently received from the author that she had only developed characters for ten students in each year, and had decided that was enough, but that the number of students was intended to be about thirty per house per year. She has also variously given the student population as 600 or 1,000.

Against this, we have the information in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that "twenty broomsticks were laid out in neat lines" for the combined Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years flying lessons. Carrying through the calculations, we would determine the total school population to be 280 at most, 70 in each House. It is not the place of this book to try and resolve this apparent contradiction. We do note that all descriptions that imply entire houses or the entire school, rather than naming individual students, do seem to fit a population of about 800 students better than they fit a population of 280. We will suggest that we hear more from, and see more of, the students in Harry's dormitory simply because Harry, sharing a dormitory with them, is much more familiar with them. While this is not suggested in the books, it is possible that there are two other dormitories for students in Harry's year, each having five other unnamed students, in both the girls' side and the boys' side of Gryffindor tower.

As a small point of interest, this allows us to calculate the Wizarding population of the United Kingdom, assuming that Hogwarts draws its students from the UK. If the class size is 30, as stated above, Hogwarts, which is believed to be the only Wizarding school in the UK, has space for 120 students per year. Assuming a slightly longer-than-Muggle life span of 85 years for wizards, simple multiplication gives us a population approximation of 10,200 wizards in all of the UK, or roughly 1 wizard for every 6000 Muggles (UK population 58,000,000 in 1997). Extending this admittedly tenuous reasoning, we can extrapolate a world population of 1 million wizards (based on a 2000 world population of 6 billion individuals). Note that this does conflict with the author's statement, given in an interview, that there are about 3,000 wizards in the UK; but the author has further said that her mathematics is a definite weak point.

If we accept the author's estimate of 3,000 wizards in the UK, the Hogwarts class size (per house) drops to 10, and the total world Wizarding population drops to 300,000, or one for about every 20,000 Muggles. We further note that in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , the author mentions that the Quidditch World Cup expects an attendance of about 100,000 wizards. This tends to suggest that the higher figure for wizard population, approximately 1,000,000 wizards, is more likely; we find it unrealistic to expect that a solid third of the Wizarding population would be able to take the necessary time off, typically two weeks or longer, to attend even as popular an event as this, but one tenth of the population is a much more reasonable figure. Other fan sites have noted that there are not enough teachers for the stated school population. Working from the description of the Potions courses, we see that this is generally a double course, two periods and two Houses each class. In the NEWT-level classes, all four Houses are taught together.

Thus, the Potions instructor must be teaching two sections in each of five years, plus one section in each of two NEWT-level years, for a total of twelve sections. As these are double classes, we can assume that most other teachers will be teaching twice as many sections, typically about twenty-four. Even those courses that are not core subjects, such as Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, and are not offered for the students' first two years, will involve, typically, sixteen sections. Yet, as we learn at the end of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the most courses that can be taken without the aid of a Time-Turner is ten; if it is impossible for a student to take more than ten courses, then equally it is impossible for a teacher to teach more than ten sections. Thus, there must be a large number of teachers who we never meet. To add to this we have the apparent impossibility of Dolores Umbridge not only teaching her own classes, but also being present to inspect all of Hagrid's and all of Sybill Trelawney's classes, thus effectively tripling her workload. Again, it is not the place of this book to resolve this contradiction.

We will point out that adding the apparently-necessary additional teachers would have the effect of significantly diluting the story line. Questions[ edit ] Study questions are meant to be left for each student to answer; please don't answer them here. Hogwarts is Unplottable. How, then, can the Marauders' Map exist? How does Hogwarts meet its expenses? There is never any mention of school fees, and Harry certainly is never called upon to pay any. How do Muggle-born students manage to cover expenses, if they are not supported by school bursary, as Tom Riddle was? Is there any exchange where Muggle money could be interchanged with Wizard world money? Houses | Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Houses ArianaPotter Houses The coat of arms of Hogwarts shows each house's mascot and House colours. Clockwise from top left: the Gryffindor lion, the Slytherin serpent, the Ravenclaw eagle, and the Hufflepuff badger. The motto translates as "never tickle a sleeping dragon".

Hogwarts is divided into four houses, each bearing the last name of its founder: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. The houses compete throughout the school year, by earning and losing points for various events, for the House Cup (correctly answering a question in class, for example, may earn five or ten points; lateness to class may cost ten points). Each house also has its own Quidditch team that competes for the Quidditch Cup. These two competitions breed rivalries between the houses. Houses at Hogwarts are living and learning communities for their students. Each house is under the authority of one of the Hogwarts staff members. The Heads of the houses, as they are called, are in charge of giving their students important information, dealing with matters of severe punishment, and responding to emergencies in their houses, among other things. Each year, year level groups of every separate house share the same dormitory and classes. The dormitory and common room of a House are, barring rare exceptions, inaccessible to students belonging to other Houses. In the early day of Hogwarts, the four founders hand-picked students for their Houses.

When the founders worried how students would be selected after their deaths, Godric Gryffindor took his hat off and they each added knowledge to it, allowing the Sorting Hat to choose the students by judging each student's qualities and placing them in the most appropriate house. The student's own choices may affect the decision: the clearest example is the Hat telling Harry that he would do well in Slytherin in the first book, but ultimately selecting Gryffindor after Harry asks it not to put him in Slytherin. The translators of the books’ foreign editions had difficulty translating the "house" concept; in countries where this system does not exist, no word could adequately convey the importance of belonging to a house, the loyalty owed to it, and the pride taken in prizes won by the house.[20] Gryffindor Gryffindor values courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry. Its mascot is the lion, and its colours are scarlet and gold. The Head of this house is the Transfiguration teacher, Minerva McGonagall, and the house ghost is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, more commonly known as Nearly Headless Nick.

According to Rowling, Gryffindor corresponds roughly to the element of fire. The founder of the house is Godric Gryffindor. The Gryffindor common room is located in one of the castle's highest towers, the entrance to which is located on the seventh floor in the east wing of the castle 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 password, as was distinguished in the third book, when Sirius Black tried forcing entry into the tower, only to be blocked by The Fat Lady after he could not give the correct password. In the first book, Neville Longbottom tends to forget the password and must wait near the painting until other Gryffindors arrive to open the way.[21] Hufflepuff Hufflepuff values hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play. The house mascot is the badger, and canary yellow and midnight black are its colours. The Head of this house is the Herbology teacher Pomona Sprout, and the house ghost is The Fat Friar. According to Rowling, Hufflepuff corresponds roughly to the element of earth.

The founder of this house is Helga Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuff dormitories and common room are located somewhere in the basement. The entrance is found behind a still life painting somewhere near the kitchens, a password is required for entry. The Hufflepuff common room is filled with yellow hangings and fat armchairs and it has little underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, all of which have perfectly round doors, like barrel tops (much like a badger sett).[22] Ravenclaw Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit.[HP5][HP7] The house mascot is an eagle and the house colours are blue and bronze (blue and grey in the films). The head of this house is the Charms professor, Filius Flitwick, and the house ghost is The Grey Lady. According to Rowling, Ravenclaw corresponds roughly to the element of air. The founder of this house is Rowena Ravenclaw. The dormitories are located in Ravenclaw Tower on the west side of the school.

The common room, which went undescribed in the series until the climax of Deathly Hallows, is round and filled with blue hangings and fat armchairs, has a domed ceiling painted with stars and features a replica statue of Rowena wearing her diadem. Harry also notes that, by day, the Ravenclaws "would have a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains." A logical riddle must be solved to gain entry, whereas the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin common rooms only require a password, indicating that it may be easier for those students from other houses who possess a high degree of intelligence to enter this common room than others. Professor McGonagall, the head of the Gryffindor House, solves the riddle accurately. Slytherin Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness. The house mascot of Slytherin is the serpent, and the house colours are green and silver. Salazar Slytherin founded the house. The Head of House is Severus Snape until near the end of the sixth book. Then, Horace Slughorn, the previous Head of House, comes out of retirement re-assuming authority.

The ghost of Slytherin house is The Bloody Baron.[23] According to Rowling, Slytherin corresponds roughly to the element of water. The Slytherin dormitories and common room are reached through a bare stone wall in the dungeons. The Slytherin common room is a long, low, dungeon-style room, located under the Hogwarts Lake, furnished with green lamps and carved armchairs. The room is described in the second book as having a greenish glow. The Sorting Hat claims that blood purity is a factor in selecting Slytherins, although this is not mentioned until the fifth book. There is no reason to believe, however, that Muggle-born students are not sorted there, merely that pure-blooded students are more desirable to that house, as there are several examples of half-bloods in the house (such as Snape and Voldemort). In Deathly Hallows, a group of Snatchers claim that "not many Mudbloods" are sorted into Slytherin. When believing Harry to be dead and thinking that he has final victory in his grasp, Voldemort proclaims his intention to abolish the other three houses and force all Hogwarts students into Slytherin.

This design is foiled by his defeat and death, after which Slytherin becomes more diluted in its blood purity, no longer remaining the pure-blood bastion it once was. Its dark reputation, however, does linger.[22] 1000+ images about Hogwarts on Pinterest | Ron weasley, Yule ball and Ravenclaw THE FOUNDERS OF HOGWARTS - Godric Gryffindor: "I'll teach all those with brave deeds to their name." See More Ravenclaw | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Rowena Ravenclaw , founder of Ravenclaw Ravenclaw House prizes learning, wisdom, wit, and intellect in its members. [4] Thus, many Ravenclaws 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 practising especially different types of magic that other houses might shun. Hermione Granger , an extremely intelligent witch and the top student in her year, was sorted into Gryffindor , though she admitted that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered placing her in Ravenclaw.

[8] Students in Ravenclaw can also be quirky and possess unusual intellectual interests. Ravenclaws usually accept and celebrate these eccentrics. Reputation "I got into big trouble during my third year for duelling a Ravenclaw prefect who insisted that Bridget Wenlock had come from his house, not mine." —A Hufflepuff with an intelligent witch in their house [src] Ravenclaw's symbol According to Slytherin prefect Gemma Farley , Ravenclaws are so competitive when it comes to academic success that they are known to back stab each other, and likely other students, in order to get top marks. While Hufflepuff prefect Gabriel Truman noted that they are so proud of the success of famous members, such as Laverne de Montmorency , that they claim any intelligent wizard as a member of Ravenclaw House, such as Bridget Wenlock , who was, in fact a Hufflepuff. House ghost, The Grey Lady Ravenclaw House appears to have a little rivalry with the other houses, except in Quidditch (in which case it is most fiercely competitive with Hufflepuff ).

Harry Potter believed that they tended to side with Gryffindor in its rivalry with Slytherin, as did Hufflepuff house. However, during the 1994 Triwizard Tournament , most Ravenclaws supported Hufflepuff Champion Cedric Diggory over Harry. [9] They believed that Harry had in fact cheated his way into being a champion and that the true Hogwarts champion was Cedric. Many Ravenclaws (such as Cho Chang ) joined Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts along with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. They rouse at almost at the exact moment as the Hufflepuffs and turned their wands upon Pansy Parkinson and Slytherin House in Harry Potter's defence, when the former wished to hand Harry over to Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters . Common Room Ravenclaw | Pottermore Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia –The Sorting Hat , Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Ravenclaw is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . The House was founded by Rowena Ravenclaw . Ravenclaws are known for their wisdom, cleverness, and wit. According to J.K.

Rowling, Ravenclaw roughly corresponds to the element of air. Contents [ show ] Associated Traits Ravenclaws possess the traits of cleverness, wisdom, wit, and creativity. Many well-known inventors and innovators have come from Ravenclaw. Students in Ravenclaw are noted for their individuality and acceptance of people and things that others would consider weird. They can also be quirky and possess unusual intellectual interests. While others may be inclined to shun and ridicule such people, Ravenclaws generally accept and celebrate these eccentrics. Notable Alumni Founder Rowena Ravenclaw founded Ravenclaw House. She was known as a beautiful and intelligent witch, and her chocolate frog card calls her "the most brilliant witch of her time." Rowena valued learning, so she chose students who demonstrated cleverness and wisdom. Head of House Filius Flitwick is the Head of Ravenclaw House. He is the Charms professor at Hogwarts and the most knowledgable Charms master alive today. According to the original Pottermore welcome letter, when Ravenclaws are extremely upset he makes little cupcakes and does a dance to cheer them up. Ghost The Grey Lady also known as Helena Ravenclaw, is the Ravenclaw ghost.

She rarely speaks to anyone outside Ravenclaw, but is a great resource for Ravenclaws who are lost or have lost something. Notable Members Luna Lovegood Ravenclaw Tower The Ravenclaw common room and dormitories are located in Ravenclaw Tower on the west side of the castle. Students enter through a door with an bronze eagle-shaped knocker. The knocker asks a question of anyone who knocks on it and opens the door when the question is answered correctly. If the riddle is especially difficult, large groups of students may congregate outside the door as they try to figure it out. The common room is circular, with arched windows that provide incredible views of the Hogwarts grounds, and a domed ceiling painted with stars like the night sky. It has a white marble statue of founder Rowena Ravenclaw, and behind it lies the door leading to the dormitories. The dormitories are in turrets off the main tower, where students can hear the wind whistling around the windows. The bedsheets on the four-poster beds are made of sky blue silk. The Ravenclaw common room.

Add a photo to this gallery Welcome Message "You probably know that some of Ravenclaw’s most renowned members include Gilderoy Lockhart and Luna Lovegood. But did you know Ravenclaw’s Grey Lady is the least talkative Hogwarts house ghost, or that Ravenclaw’s common room boasts the most stunning views of the castle grounds? Here you can discover more about your beloved house through writing by J.K. Rowling, articles by Pottermore and all the latest Ravenclaw news." Old Pottermore Welcome Message "I’m Prefect Robert Hilliard, and I’m delighted to welcome you to RAVENCLAW HOUSE. Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb; our house colors are blue and bronze, and our common room is found at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, behind a door with an enchanted knocker. The arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room look down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest , the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school has such stunning views. "Without wishing to boast, this is the house where the cleverest witches and wizards live.

Our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, prized learning above all else – and so do we. Unlike the other houses, who all have concealed entrances to their common rooms, we don’t need one. The door to our common room lies at the top of a tall, winding staircase. It has no handle, but an enchanted bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. When you rap on the door, this knocker will ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you are allowed in. This simple barrier has kept out everyone but Ravenclaws for nearly a thousand years. "Some first-years are scared by having to answer the eagle’s questions, but don’t worry. Ravenclaws learn quickly, and you’ll soon enjoy the challenges the door sets. It’s not unusual to find twenty people standing outside the common room door, all trying to work out the answer to the day’s question together. This is a great way to meet fellow Ravenclaws from other years, and to learn from them – although it is a bit annoying if you’ve forgotten your Quidditch robes and need to get in and out in a hurry.

In fact, I’d advise you to triple-check your bag for everything you need before leaving Ravenclaw Tower. "Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them! "Speaking of eccentrics, you’ll like our Head of house, Professor Filius Flitwick. People often underestimate him, because he’s really tiny (we think he’s part elf, but we’ve never been rude enough to ask) and he’s got a squeaky voice, but he’s the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you’re in a real state he’ll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you.

In fact, it’s worth pretending you’re in a real state just to see them jive. "Ravenclaw house has an illustrious history. Most of the greatest wizarding inventors and innovators were in our house, including Perpetua Fancourt, the inventor of the lunascope, Laverne de Montmorency, a great pioneer of love potions , and Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo powder. Famous Ravenclaw Ministers for Magic include Millicent Bagnold, who was in power on the night that Harry Potter survived the Dark Lord’s curse, and defended the wizarding celebrations all over Britain with the words, ‘I assert our inalienable right to party.' There was also Minister Lorcan McLaird, who was a quite brilliant wizard, but preferred to communicate by puffing smoke out of the end of his wand. Well, I did say we produce eccentrics. In fact, we are also the house that gave the wizarding world Uric the Oddball, who used a jellyfish for a hat. He’s the punch line of a lot of wizarding jokes.

"As for our relationship with the other three houses: well, you’ve probably heard about the Slytherins . They’re not all bad, but you’d do well to be on your guard until you know them well. They’ve got a long house tradition of doing whatever it takes to win – so watch out, especially in Quidditch matches and exams. "The Gryffindors are OK. If I had a criticism, I’d say Gryffindors tend to be show-offs. They’re also much less tolerant than we are of people who are different; in fact, they’ve been known to make jokes about Ravenclaws who have developed an interest in levitation, or the possible magical uses of troll bogies, or ovomancy, which (as you probably know) is a method of divination using eggs. Gryffindors haven’t got our intellectual curiosity, whereas we’ve got no problem if you want to spend your days and nights cracking eggs in a corner of the common room and writing down your predictions according to the way the yolks fall. In fact, you’ll probably find a few people to help you. "As for the Hufflepuffs , well, nobody could say they’re not nice people.

In fact, they’re some of the nicest people in the school. Let’s just say you needn’t worry too much about them when it comes to competition at exam time. "I think that’s nearly everything. Oh yes, our house ghost is the Grey Lady . The rest of the school thinks she never speaks, but she’ll talk to Ravenclaws. She’s particularly useful if you’re lost, or you’ve mislaid something. "I’m sure you’ll have a good night. Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower; our four-poster beds are covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of the wind whistling around the windows is very relaxing. "And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts." House Cup Ravenclaw came third for the first house cup with 71,815,917 house points. Ravenclaw came fourth for the second house cup with 45,455,773 points. Ravenclaw came second for the third house cup with 26,916,194 points.

Ravenclaw came fourth for the fourth house cup with 24,567,337 points. Ravenclaw won the fifth house cup with 28,048,578 points. Ravenclaw won the sixth house cup with 32,377,299 points, becoming the only House to win the House Cup consecutively. Ravenclaw came third for the seventh and eighth house cups with 49,775,819 and 23,712,525 points. Misconceptions about Hogwarts's four Houses - MuggleNet What about Ned Stark, I personally believe all the Starks of Winterfell are gryffindors. 😉 B Sherlock’s not a Ravenclaw; he himself said he has no use for knowledge that does not benefit him. However, the ambitious desires that he seeks to satisfy with knlowedge would make him a Slytherin. Simply being smart is not enough to be a Ravenclaw and knowledge is not enough for Sherlock – it’s what he can do with the power of it.

GK I’m a Hufflepuff and known to my friends as one of the least “huggy” people they know. I think Hufflepuffs should be the least stereotyped group, because that is where all the people who don’t fit in any other house, end up. sara It’s thought of as the house for leftovers, but it’s really not. Think of Neville. He wound up in Gryffindor as a default because he lacks the work ethic and determination of a Hufflepuff. Through the years he managed to develop those qualities, but quiet courage was the only one that was there from the start. Liutgard I would like to point out that even the Doctor is more diverse than you light think. The Ninth Doctor is a Gryffindor- one wracked with guilt, but still standing up and fighting when needs be. The Tenth Doctor is a Ravenclaw- always taking the inquisitive, analytical approach to solving problems. (Just to note- Rose was Gryff, Martha was Raven, and Donna was Huff.) The Eleventh Doctor was Hufflepuff.

I haven’t got a bead yet on the Twelfth Doctor yet- can’t decide between Slytherin and Gryffindor. He shows traits of both. I’m a Gryffindor, much in the vein of Molly Weasley. I’m generally friendly and welcoming, but if you go after one of my friends or one of my family members (especially my kids and grandkids), I will destroy you. And I’m the first one to step up if someone is being treated wrongly. My sweetie is Ravenclaw, as are most of those around me. (I’m a historian- rather runs in the field.) Of my kids, I have a Ravenclaw, a squib, and a Slytherin. One of my granddaughters is clearly a Gryff. The other we don’t know yet. The four houses are a handy way to begin to understand others, and yes, it was be overly broad and sometimes people don’t fit. But it at least shows that we’re *trying* to understand each other. And that is what is important. Alaa Mohamed Could there be such a house where all the traits are present?

My characteristics point to Ravenclaw however, I see myself as Gryffindor and am actually a Slytherin (based on Pottermore) and quizzes and people tell me I’m a Hufflepuff. So very confusing. Madeleine Personally I’d say Slytherin because they are seen as evil do they have to become loyal to each other they are clever and have to be brave as they are expected to join the deatheaters and suffer the dark lords torture. And some don’t even join the death eaters so I’d say they are a commendation of all houses Gabriela I’m a Hufflepuff and I’ve been even happier about that since I went vegan, because Hufflepuffs are supposed to be loyal (i.e. to a cause as well) and “unafraid of toil” – and you really have to up your game if you want to live according to your beliefs. My role model, however, is Luna Lovegood – the ultimate reminder that no matter how weird other people call you, it’s always best to be mentally liberated, because you can see things other people might not see.

Iain Walker I only ever seem to comment here to nitpick (sigh), so apologies for this in advance. But … (1) That “Slytherins love harder than anyone” is an absurd claim, based on a single data point of unknown representativeness (Narcissa), and doubly absurd when you look at the number of sociopaths who seem to get Sorted into Slytherin and thrive there (which isn’t at all surprising when you consider that ambition and cunning are disproportionately common traits amongst sociopaths). So no, I can’t see any way to support this. You could also make exactly the same claim about Gryffindor based solely on Lily, and it would still be a bad argument. (2) The idea that Ravenclaws are intellectually creative as well as simply being smart is plausible enough, but I don’t recall anything in canon that would support the idea that artistic creativity is a particular Ravenclaw trait. The most artistically inclined characters we encounter are Luna (alternative fashion and accessories) and Dean (drawing), one Ravenclaw and one Gryffindor. That’s hardly evidence for Ravenclaw as the arty House. So citation needed, as they say on Wikipedia.

Firenze 1) I agree totally. 2) I think the pb there is that ravenclaws don’t get much space in the books. Apart from Cho and Luna (who seems to me one of a kind, but her boundless curiosity about everything is pblably key to her sorting into ravenclaw), others are just part of the setting. Amanda Black Slytherins are not all sociopaths as you put it. this is proven by the fact that Wormtail was a Gryffindor and it was he who was a two timing rat that resurrected the darkest lord of all time. Andromeda Tonks nee Black was a Slytherin who was not a sociopath married a muggle, which is apparently a anti Slytherin trait and is completely normal. HARRY POTTER himself was supposed to be a Slytherin. again not a sociopath. Alphard Black, Sirius Black’s uncle who left everything he had to Sirius. Again not a Sociopath. MOST OF SLYTHERIN HOUSE IN THE FINAL BATTLE fled from school grounds because they didn’t want to fight against their fellow students but didn’t want to fight there parents. Not all Slytherins are sociopaths.

Cunning and Ambition are of course common among sociopaths. they are also common among Lawyers, Politicians, and Businessmen, With your argument you just basically called the human race sociopaths. Also. I’m a Slytherin who is not a sociopath NorthTowerDebater 1) Wormtail doesn’t mean anything to your argument? Wormtail was written as a Gryffindor failure–he is the image of courage broken and fear triumphant, just as Percy Weasley was for a time the image of thirst for glory overwhelming the sense of what is right. They’re reflective of Gryffindor’s dark sides and failings, and have nothing at all ever to do with Slytherin. What a bad argumentation. 2) Andromeda Tonks’ marriage isn’t so much anti-Slytherin as anti-/pureblood superiority/. Yes, that is a highly Slytherin trait, because Salazar Slytherin chose traits to value that the pure-blood families who espoused purity also tended to encourage, and therefore the two philosophies grew very intertwined over time; but the two aren’t synonymous. Correlation and causation aren’t the same~ Once again, what a terrible argumentation.

3) Harry wasn’t “supposed” to be a Slytherin; that was the bit of Voldemort that lived inside him. In case you don’t really have strong reading comprehension (as I fear from your misunderstanding of the argument you’re responding to), Harry=/=Voldemort. Besides, predestination doesn’t exist in the HP world anyway–the prophecy only happened because its subjects believed it, and made its circumstances real, and the Hat takes your choice into account. There is no /fate/. 4) Yeah? In an extreme, most of the students left. We’re ignoring that many of them were actually told/made to do so, iirc; after Pansy Parkinson, the rest of the students didn’t trust them anyway. This wasn’t necessarily right, but you’re oversimplifying things. Plus, you know, Slytherin-y self-preservation comes out here. But this has nothing to do with anything anyway, because… 5) Not all Slytherins are sociopaths! True! Congratulations! …Wait, you’re trying to make this a point for yourself? This wasn’t even the first poster’s point!

This is arguing against a generalisation that you just made up to strawman the other person’s argument! How rude. 6) And you’ve conjured up an outright strawman here: “with your argument you just basically called the human race sociopaths”. No…they…didn’t? Nowhere in there does the prior poster claim that. You’re making a claim that–to make a real-world fact parallel–because psychologists have found that the internet attracts people who score highly on the Dark Tetrad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy), those psychologists also have to find that the only people on the internet are people with abnormally high Dark Tetrad personalities. That’s not how that works. That’s not even a logically-following statement. 7) Pedantic moment: Lawyers/Politicians/Businesspeople (including non-men, thanks very much!) =/= the /entire human race/. HA. 8) Once again: not all Slyths are sociopaths.

Given that Slytherin literally prioritises several values found in the Dark Tetrad, however, [Machiavellianism is cunning, and narcissism can relate to/drive ambition], it does in fact tend to attract a higher percentage of these people than the other houses. Look. I quite agree with both your point that not all Slytherins are sociopaths, as well as the other poster that Slytherin tends to attract more sociopaths than the other houses because of what it values. These are not opposing views. You seem to just be offended by someone saying something vaguely negative about Slytherin, which I can sympathise with…but you haven’t taken the time to consider what was said and why, and you /certainly/ didn’t write a good rebuttal. From, a Gryffindor who is Not A Jock and therefore is the only arbitrator ever of what a Gryffindor can be!! (In case you missed the subtlety, that was Point 9: what do you as a single data point have to do with anything?

Exactly nothing.) Iain Walker I didn’t say all Slytherins were sociopaths – I said that a lot of sociopaths are Sorted into Slytherin, and I explained why the Sorting criteria for the House makes it likely that Slytherin will end up with a disproportionate number of sociopaths compared to the other Houses. It’s a statistical bias due to the flaws in the Sorting. If you want to argue against the points I actually made, then please do so, rather than arguing against a strawn man of your own imagining. (Oh, and your own self-identification as a Slytherin has nothjing to do with the House portrayed in the books. The canon Houses and the fandom Houses are not the same thing.) Pirave I find this subject so simple it’s confusing. They are not sorted out by their traits but their priorities .. What do you value most? Which of these would you be the most ashamed of yourself if you found you were lacking in it… bravery, knowledge, success or compassion? Which is why i could only ever aspire to be a Hufflepuff =) (What if you did’t have any of these traits *cough crabbe and goyle* 😉 ) Amanda Black

Question: In the 'Harry Potter' books, 'Hogwarts school' has four houses, 'Gryffindor', 'Slytherin' and 'Ravenclaw' are three, what is the fourth?
Answer: 'HUFFLEPUFF'