Like any Harry Potter fan out there, have you ever wondered to yourself… “What Harry Potter House am I?” Well, you’re here to find out exactly that!
The Four Houses
In the Harry Potter universe, there are four houses in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, namely, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. These are named after the four founders of the school – Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff. The four houses embody the four principal characteristics of these founders. So, the students placed in Gryffindor embody the ideals of bravery and courage; those in Slytherin embody cunning and guile. At the same time, Ravenclaw symbolizes wisdom and knowledge, and Hufflepuff symbolises patience, fairness, etc.
Gryffindor
Gryffindor is symbolised by the colour red and is one of the most highly respected houses of all. The main protagonists of the Harry Potter novels, Harry, Ron and Hermione, all belong to Gryffindor, as did their parents (except Hermione’s). The members of Gryffindor excel at showing courage, perseverance, and dedication to their goals, and the house symbol is that of a lion.
Slytherin
Slytherin is often purported to be the arch-rival of Gryffindor. It engenders trickery, cunning, and ambitions and has contained such students like Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and most importantly, Tom Marvolo Riddle. It carries the emerald green flag and has the house symbol of a serpent (traditionally, reptiles were looked upon as symbolising cold-heartedness). Many of their members end up practising the dark arts, aptly suited to its founding member, Salazar Slytherin, who was caught up in discord with Godric regarding the morality of practising dark arts for selfish desires.
Ravenclaw
The students who end up in Ravenclaw mostly have an affinity towards truth-seeking through extensive studying and reading. The house colour is blue and bronze. The house mascot is an eagle, referring to their ability to transverse wild landscapes to seek their goals through determination, dedication, and a restless thirst to prove themselves in the academic field.
Hufflepuff
Hufflepuff members are known for their extraordinary patience and dedication towards the ideals of positivity, fair play, and justice. They exhibit a sense of gullibility but are adamant about sticking to their principles of justice and the goodwill of others. Hufflepuff has a house mascot of a badger, and its house colours are yellow and black.
The Verdict
In the first year at Hogwarts, the students are subjected to a norm called the Sorting Ceremony, wherein the old, tattered talking Sorting Hat is placed on their heads, and they are subdivided into their respective houses. The ideals of each house are all fundamental to human beings. In effect, they complement each other towards creating a person well taught in all aspects of their life – be it in the field of academic excellence, bravery, studiousness, ambitions, hard work, etc. So, what Harry Potter House am I? Answer a set of questions and get yourself tested by the Hat. Let the sorting begin!