Harry Potter Houses

Last Modified Apr 7, 2025 08:44 EDT
Harry Potter Houses
Harry Potter sorting scene (Source: ABC)


There are four houses in the Harry Potter film/novel series. They are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.


The four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were established by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.


The Harry Potter film series is based on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novel series. The eight fantasy films in the series, which started with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011), were produced and released by Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), a spin-off prequel series, marked the start of the Wizarding World shared media brand.


The four Houses in the Harry Potter film series


The houses at Hogwarts served as the students' housing and studying environments. Students from the same House lived in the same dorm and attended many of the same classes every year. Throughout the academic year, the houses competed by collecting and forfeiting points for their respective behaviors.


The House Cup went to the House with the most points at the end of the academic year. Additionally, each House had a Quidditch team that participated in the Inter-House Quidditch Cup competition. The Houses developed rivalries as a result of these two contests, the most notable of which was that between Gryffindor and Slytherin.


Gryffindor


Harry Potter Houses
The Gryffindor students (Source: Screengrab from the movie)


Gryffindor House was founded by Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor admired courage, gallantry, daring, and nerve. Its representative gemstone was rubies, its colors were crimson and gold, and its iconic animal was the lion. Gryffindor's most recent head was Minerva McGonagall. The House Ghost was Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, popularly referred to as "Nearly Headless Nick."


Fire represented the element of Gryffindor. At Hogwarts, their common room was housed in one of the tallest towers. A picture of The Fat Lady stood watch at the entrance, which was on the seventh floor in the east wing of the castle. Throughout the academic year, she allowed entry if the right password was provided, which was altered multiple times. Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, and Minerva McGonagall were all well-known Gryffindors. The Sword of Gryffindor was the most important item of the house. Their slogan was "Forti Animo Estote" (Latin for "Be of good courage").


Hufflepuff


Harry Potter Houses
The Hufflepuff students (Source: Screengrab from the movie)


Helga Hufflepuff was the Hufflepuff House's founder. Hufflepuff valued diligence, commitment, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play. Its colors were yellow and black, its representative gemstone was yellow diamonds, and its iconic animal was the badger. Pomona Sprout served as Head of Hufflepuff from 1991 to 1998. She resigned from her job as Head of Hufflepuff and Herbology Professor before 2017, and it is currently uncertain who will take over as Head of Hufflepuff. Its ghost was the Fat Friar.


The element of earth was represented by Hufflepuff. The common area and Hufflepuff dormitories were situated in the basement, close to the cooks of the castle. It was characterized as a warm and inviting space with yellow hangings, fat armchairs, and underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, which had perfectly round doors that resembled barrel tops. It was described as a warm and inviting space with fat armchairs, yellow hangings, and underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, which had barrel-top-like windows.


Ravenclaw


Harry Potter Houses
The Ravenclaw students (Source: Screengrab from the movie)


Ravenclaw praised knowledge, wit, inventiveness, curiosity, and intelligence. Its colors were blue and bronze, its representative gemstone was sapphires, and its iconic animal was the eagle. Filius Flitwick was the Ravenclaw Head of House during the 1990s. The Grey Lady, the daughter of the House's founder Rowena Ravenclaw, was the Ravenclaw ghost.


Ravenclaw was associated with the element of air. A tower on the west side of the castle housed the Ravenclaw dormitories and common room. Instead of providing a password to access their dorms, Ravenclaw students are required to respond to a riddle. However, non-Ravenclaws could also solve this puzzle.


Luna Lovegood, Gilderoy Lockhart, Ignatia Wildsmith (who created Floo powder), and Garrick Ollivander were all well-known Ravenclaws. Ravenclaw's main focus was Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, which Tom Riddle transformed into a Horcrux.


Slytherin


Harry Potter Houses
The Slytherin students (Source: Screengrab from the movie)


Salazar Slytherin established Slytherin, which emphasized ambition, leadership, self-preservation, trickery, and resourcefulness. Its colors were silver and emerald green, its representative gemstone was emeralds, and its iconic animal was the serpent. During the 1997–1998 school year, Professor Horace Slughorn served as the Head of Slytherin, succeeding Severus Snape, who had also taken Slughorn's place as Potions Professor when he originally retired a few years before.


The greatest number of Death Eaters and Dark wizards, such as Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Tom Riddle, were from Slytherin. However, Quirinus Quirrell was a Ravenclaw and Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor, so this does not imply that other Houses had not produced any.


The House ghost was the Bloody Baron. In general, Slytherin was associated with the element of water. A plain stone wall in the Dungeons led to the Slytherin common area and dormitories. The Black Lake was beneath the Slytherin common room. There were rough stone walls and silver lanterns suspended from the roof of the long, low underground chamber. Dolores Umbridge, Draco Malfoy, Merlin, and Tom Riddle were all well-known Slytherins. The key item in Slytherin was Salazar Slytherin's locket, which Tom Riddle transformed into a Horcrux.


Also read:
Where to watch harry potter
how much did daniel radcliffe make from harry potter
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harry potter and the deathly hallow part 1 cast


FAQs about Harry Potter Houses

A. The 4 Hogwarts houses represent different elements of nature. Gryffindor represents fire, Hufflepuff represents earth, Ravenclaw represents air, and Slytherin represents water.


A. Harry Potter was in the Gryffindor House at Hogwarts.


A. Yes, Draco Malfoy was in the Slytherin House.


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