Gryffindor

• Type: Hogwarts House
• Location: Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
• Founder: Godric Gryffindor
• Head of House: Minerva McGonagall
• House Ghost: Nearly Headless Nick
• Symbol: Lion
• Colours: Scarlet and gold
• Element: Fire (Pottermore)

Gryffindor is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by the wizard Godric Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat describes the house as the place “where dwell the brave at heart,” seeking students who possess courage, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Students sorted into Gryffindor are known for their bravery, which can sometimes manifest as recklessness. The House has a long-standing and fierce rivalry with Slytherin house, which dates back to a fundamental disagreement between their respective founders, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. The conflict was rooted in Slytherin's insistence on admitting only pure-blood students to Hogwarts, a policy Gryffindor strongly opposed. A key magical object associated with the house is the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, a goblin-made sword that will present itself to any “true Gryffindor” in a moment of need. The house's emblematic animal is the lion, and its colours are scarlet and gold, which adorn the Gryffindor Common Room and the students' uniforms.

Gryffindor House is central to the entire saga, as it is the house of the three main protagonists: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Consequently, much of the student life depicted at Hogwarts is seen from a Gryffindor perspective. The house is consistently portrayed as being at the forefront of the fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Many prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and James Potter, were Gryffindors. During Harry's time at school, Gryffindor members were instrumental in forming and leading Dumbledore's Army. The courage of Gryffindor students is repeatedly highlighted. Neville Longbottom, for example, defied Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts and used the Sword of Godric Gryffindor to destroy Nagini, the final Horcrux. The house won the House Cup at the end of Harry's first, second, and third years, often due to extraordinary circumstances involving the main characters' bravery.

Gryffindor House members reside in Gryffindor Tower, located on the seventh floor of the castle.

• Entrance: The entrance is concealed behind a large portrait of the Fat Lady, who grants entry only after being given the correct, frequently changing password. She is known to be temperamental and once fled her portrait in terror after it was slashed by Sirius Black.
• Gryffindor Common Room: A cozy, circular room decorated in scarlet and gold. It is filled with squashy armchairs, tables, and a large fireplace that often serves as a communication hub via the Floo Network. Notices and announcements are posted on a crowded bulletin board.
• Dormitories: Two staircases lead from the common room to the boys' and girls' dormitories. The staircase to the girls' dormitory is enchanted to prevent boys from ascending it; if a boy attempts to do so, the staircase temporarily transforms into a smooth stone slide. The dormitories are circular rooms containing heavy, wooden four-poster beds hung with deep-red velvet curtains.

The name Gryffindor likely derives from the “griffin,” a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, symbolizing courage and strength. The “d'or” suffix is French for “of gold,” one of the house's primary colours. This combination, “golden griffin,” strongly alludes to the house's association with the lion and its values of bravery and nobility.

• J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that she considers herself a member of Gryffindor House.
• In the film adaptations, the set for the Gryffindor Common Room is one of the most detailed and enduring sets created for the series. It is filled with medieval-inspired tapestries, furniture, and portraits to give it an ancient, established feel.
• On the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website, a welcome letter written by Percy Weasley provides additional flavour and insight into the culture and reputation of Gryffindor House from an in-universe perspective. (Pottermore)