A couple of months ago, I was sitting around with some of my friends and we got on the topic of Hogwarts’ Houses. After deciding on the House that each person would most likely be sorted into, we began to ponder where I would fit in. The unanimous decision was that I would obviously be a Hufflepuff. This startled me a bit, because I, like many other Harry Potter fans, had always considered myself to be a Gryffindor. Honestly, Hufflepuff was never a very notable house. Sure, it produced Cedric Diggory, but other than that Hufflepuff is pretty unremarkable compared to the wit of Ravenclaw, the cunning of Slytherin, and the heroism of Gryffindor.
This new insight about my about my potential affinity for Hufflepuff left me wondering whether the Internet would agree. So, I went online and found a multitude of Hogwarts House sorting quizzes— Here’s what I found out!
Sorted into Gryffindor: 4 times
Sorted into Ravenclaw: 3 times
Sorted into Hufflepuff: 3 times
Sorted into Slytherin: 0 times
Please don’t judge me for the inordinate amount of time I spent taking these quizzes.
In order to get as best a placement as possible, I tried to answer all of the questions as honestly as possible, and when I was asked the same question on multiple tests, I gave the same answer I had given previously. After beginning my quiz quest, I realized very quickly that most of them really don’t judge a person’s house based on their actual personality; it’s often based more on arbitrary questions, such as my favorite ice cream flavor.
It’s also evident from my answers above that the first quizzes were pretty inconclusive, except for the fact that I’m definitely not a Slytherin. Then, I came across the Pottermore House sorting test that is used in the interactive Harry Potter fan site, written by JK Rowling herself.
The Pottermore quiz brought me right back to where I began— I was an unmistakable Hufflepuff. As I did more research on the Pottermore sorting test, I found that a study had been done comparing a person’s placement on Rowling’s house sorting quiz and their scores on actual personality tests. Interestingly, researchers found that many people’s personalities did in fact correlate to the house that they were sorted into. Maybe Slytherins really are cut throat and Ravenclaws, brilliant and Gryffindors, brave and Hufflepuffs, loyal and caring.
With all of this in mind, I’ve come to accept my place in Hufflepuff. Yeah, Hufflepuffs may not be the most famous wizards and witches, but they are known for their kindness and their tolerance. They aren’t always at the forefront of the battle, but they will stand up for the people and ideas that they care about. It’s just another reminder that like each Hogwarts house, we each have our own strengths and weaknesses, and that’s okay. If we were all Gryffindors, there would be no one and nothing to fight for!
I’m happy with being a Hufflepuff, because the world needs a little more kindness, anyway.
(If you’re interested in taking the Pottermore quiz yourself, here’s a link to the one that I used!)
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