Dear Quiet Minds,
On September 1st, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform nine and three-quarters in Kings Cross to take the next generation of Potters, Weasleys and Malfoys to their second year at Hogwarts. With the Harry Potter series, and now the Fantastic Beast franchise, still ablaze in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere, new generations of fans seem to bloom every year. And with new fans, comes the same question: what house are you in? Potterheads have taken this test time after time whether it be on random quizzes on Buzzfeed or the official Pottermore test made by author J.K. Rowling herself. It raises several debates as to which house is the best: Is it Gryffindor because of the boy who lived or now Hufflepuff due to our latest hero, Newt Scamander? But then, what’s wrong with being a clever Ravenclaw or cunning Slytherin?
Unfortunately, getting buried in these debates causes us to lose sight of the importance of each house. All houses have amazing qualities and seeing the essence of each house can show us why we need pieces of every house within us to be the best versions of ourselves.
Being a Slytherin
Let’s start with a house that usually doesn’t get much love. Known as the house that produces the most Dark wizards, Slytherin is often described as conniving, self-interested and, overall, just evil. However, everyone should want to have a little bit of Slytherin within them. Despite being known as the most malicious, this house has also produced cunning, ambitious and resourceful wizards such as Professor Slughorn and Professor Snape. These two characters were both seen as self-interested and deceitful, but for good reason. Slughorn was clever enough to hide from the Death Eaters for a long time and Snape covered his intention for years to protect Harry. They show us that sometimes we all need to be a little selfish in order to achieve our goals.
Being a Hufflepuff
Hufflepuff has grown to become one of our favorite houses after the introduction of lovable new hero, Newt, but that’s not the only reason it should be loved. Hufflepuffs are hard workers who value justice, loyalty and patience. They may not always seek the limelight, but they are willing to step out and help a friend in need. For example, despite being shy and antisocial to some extent, Newt was willing to stand up and fight for the wellbeing of his friends and, of course, any innocent creature. Another Hufflepuff that stole our hearts was the clumsy metamorphmagus Tonks who brightened up everyone’s day with her goofy personality and fought fiercely alongside her friends for the common good. This strong sense of justice is what makes being a Hufflepuff so valuable because they look at the world through compassionate eyes.
Being a Ravenclaw
Once we’ve got ambition and sympathy, we need intelligence from the witty Ravenclaws. It’s not to say that the other houses aren’t intelligent, but Ravenclaws are known for their wisdom, wit and creativity, which we saw in the character of Luna Lovegood. Her clairvoyant nature made her seem eccentric, but every now and then, she would speak words of wisdom. If we were Hufflepuffs, we would be blinded by our sympathy for others and if we were Slytherins, we would be blinded by our own selfish needs. That’s why we need a Ravenclaw to find the impartiality of our decisions. A Ravenclaw is able to find creative solutions for difficult problems where we can all benefit. Luna was often overlooked by the other characters, but she suggested brilliant ideas during times of struggle, like when she suggested using the Thestrals to get to the Ministry. We all need a little Ravenclaw within us in difficult situations.
Being a Gryffindor
In the end, we can all be ambitious, sympathetic and witty, but without the courage to act, we can’t achieve greatness. Gryffindors are seen as brave and at times overly confident wizards, but we need that bravery and confidence to put our plans into action. Never once did Harry, Hermione or Ron stand in the sidelines during signs of trouble. One true characteristic that made Harry such a great wizard was his ability to sacrifice himself for others. He never wanted people to die for him and because of this, he fought relentlessly. For most of the time, Harry didn’t know how the situation would turn out, but he still had the will to fight for the common good. With this final house, we can see why they are all so important. You need to be ambitious to achieve what you want, but always have the good intentions and smarts to handle a situation. Once you have all that within you, you need the strong will to see it through.
Ultimately, I don’t think we should hope to be in any particular Hogwarts house, instead we should strive to be more cunning, loyal, smart and brave so we can be part of every house.
Because only then can we truly be the best versions of ourselves.
Love,
Jackie
Dear Quiet Minds 