Gryffindor: courage above all
Values and motto
"You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart." This Hat verse sums it up: Gryffindor celebrates courageous action in the face of adversity, even (especially) when it's hard.
Emblems
- Animal: the lion
- Colours: scarlet and gold
- Element: fire
- Ghost: Nearly Headless Nick (Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington)
- Common Room: in a tower, accessed via a secret hole guarded by the Fat Lady's portrait (password required)
- Recent Head: Minerva McGonagall
Famous Gryffindors
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew (traitor by cowardice, not by nature), Ginny Weasley, Fred and George, Neville Longbottom, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Oliver Wood, Godric Gryffindor obviously.
Flaws to know
Gryffindors aren't perfect. Their courage can tip into recklessness. Harry charges at the Ministry without verifying his vision. Ron often envies Harry, Sirius is impulsive to the death. They crave recognition, like being centre stage, and handle authority badly when they believe it's wrong.
If you're a Gryffindor…
You act before fully analysing. You defend your friends without hesitating, even at cost. You'd rather make an honest mistake than wait cautiously. You can put yourself in harm's way for a just cause. Watch out: the need for recognition and impulsiveness are your pitfalls.
Slytherin: cunning and ambition, not villainy
Values and motto
"Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends." The Hat is ironic, but Slytherin's real values are ambition, resourcefulness, determination, and leadership.
Emblems
- Animal: the serpent
- Colours: emerald green and silver
- Element: water
- Ghost: the Bloody Baron (stained with Helena Ravenclaw's blood — he killed her)
- Common Room: in the dungeons under the lake, windows looking into green waters
- Recent Head: Severus Snape (1991-1996), then Horace Slughorn
Famous Slytherins
Severus Snape (tragic hero), Draco Malfoy (tormented, not a pure villain), Bellatrix Lestrange (actual villain), Tom Riddle / Voldemort, Horace Slughorn (shrewd, not evil), Regulus Black (died destroying a Horcrux), Andromeda Tonks (married a Muggle-born), Merlin himself in some versions, Phineas Nigellus Black.
Breaking the "Slytherin = evil" myth
The idea that Slytherin = bad is too simplistic. The House includes:
- Underrated heroes: Snape, Regulus Black, Andromeda.
- Honest climbers: Horace Slughorn collects promising students without malice.
- Rebels: Regulus Black betrayed Voldemort the moment he understood Horcruxes.
- Real villains: Bellatrix, Lucius, Barty Crouch Jr, Voldemort himself.
The problem: blood purity, Slytherin's obsession since Salazar, attracts personalities willing to climb at any cost. It's not the House that's bad — it's part of its culture.
If you're a Slytherin…
You plan every situation. You quickly read power dynamics. You can get what you want. You may seem calculating, even cold. But you're also fiercely loyal to your inner circle — Slytherins protect their own above all.
