Hogwarts Houses

A House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fundamental community that serves as a student's family, living quarters, and team throughout their seven years at the school. There are four Houses, each named after one of the four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Students are assigned to one of these Houses during the Sorting Ceremony at the beginning of their first year. The Houses compete throughout the school year for the House Cup by earning House Points for good behaviour and academic achievement, and by winning Quidditch matches.

Each House has its own distinct values, Common Room, ghost, and Head of House. The traits of a House are said to reflect the personality of its founder.

• Gryffindor
  • Founder: Godric Gryffindor
  • Values: Courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry.
  • Head of House: Professor McGonagall
  • House Ghost: Nearly Headless Nick
  • Crest: A lion on a scarlet and gold background.
  • Common Room Location: Located in Gryffindor Tower on the seventh floor, guarded by the portrait of the Fat Lady.
• Hufflepuff
  • Founder: Helga Hufflepuff
  • Values: Hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play.
  • Head of House: Professor Sprout
  • House Ghost: The Fat Friar
  • Crest: A badger on a yellow and black background.
  • Common Room Location: Located in the Hufflepuff Basement, near the Hogwarts Kitchens, concealed behind a stack of barrels.
• Ravenclaw
  • Founder: Rowena Ravenclaw
  • Values: Intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit.
  • Head of House: Professor Flitwick
  • House Ghost: The Grey Lady (Helena Ravenclaw)
  • Crest: An eagle on a blue and bronze background.
  • Common Room Location: Located in Ravenclaw Tower on the west side of the school. Access is gained by answering a riddle from a bronze, eagle-shaped knocker.
• Slytherin
  • Founder: Salazar Slytherin
  • Values: Ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness. The founder also prized pure-blood heritage.
  • Head of House: Professor Snape, and later Horace Slughorn.
  • House Ghost: The Bloody Baron
  • Crest: A serpent on a green and silver background.
  • Common Room Location: Located in the Slytherin Dungeon, behind a bare stretch of stone wall and beneath the Great Lake.

The Sorting Ceremony is the traditional process by which new students are assigned to their Houses. On their first evening at Hogwarts, first-years are led into the Great Hall where the magical Sorting Hat is placed upon each of their heads. The Hat, which contains the consciousness of the four founders, examines the student's mind and character to determine the House where they will best thrive. The Hat sometimes speaks with the student to consider their personal preference, as was the case with Harry Potter, who chose Gryffindor over Slytherin. Before each Sorting, the Hat sings a new song that describes the Houses and offers a warning or advice for the coming year.

Life at Hogwarts is largely structured around the House system. Students sleep in House dormitories, relax in their Common Room, and sit at their designated House table in the Great Hall. This system fosters strong bonds and a sense of identity among housemates. The primary form of competition is for the House Cup, a prestigious award given to the House with the most House Points at the end of the school year. Points are awarded by professors and prefects for achievements such as answering questions correctly in class or performing acts of bravery, and are deducted for rule-breaking. The point totals are displayed in four giant hourglasses in the Entrance Hall, each filled with gems corresponding to the House colors: rubies for Gryffindor, emeralds for Slytherin, sapphires for Ravenclaw, and diamonds for Hufflepuff (topazes in some supplementary materials).

The most prominent relationship between the Houses is the intense rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. This animosity dates back to a fundamental disagreement between their founders, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, over whether to admit Muggle-born students. This rivalry plays out in daily interactions, Quidditch matches, and most significantly, in the larger conflict against Lord Voldemort, himself a Slytherin heir. Relationships between the other Houses are generally more amicable. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor often shared a friendly rapport, uniting in support of champions like Cedric Diggory and against the darker reputation of Slytherin. Ravenclaw is often portrayed as more studious and detached from the central rivalry. However, during the Second Wizarding War, students from all Houses (with the notable exception of most Slytherins) united to defend the castle in the Battle of Hogwarts.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the four Houses correspond to the four classical elements: Gryffindor is fire, Slytherin is water, Hufflepuff is earth, and Ravenclaw is air (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the film adaptations, the Ravenclaw House colors are changed from blue and bronze to blue and silver, and its symbol is changed from an eagle to a raven (film).
• The Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website features an official Sorting Ceremony quiz written by J.K. Rowling that allows fans to be sorted into a Hogwarts House (Pottermore).