#grifferin

But after much consideration I have decided that Amelia Queen would have been a rare Gryfferin in the Harry Potter-vers.

So upon finishing Merlin series five a few months ago (there was much pain, there were many tears), I put up a post about what Hogwarts houses the characters of BBC’s Merlin would be in, and it’s STILL getting notes! I totally didn’t expect that, but thank you all so much! That post was so fun to write, but oh my word! I didn’t expect it to be so difficult. My favorite questions to ask when trying to categorize people into their houses are:

1. What is the meaning/purpose of magic (or in the case of us muggles, our interests, gifts, and talents)? Gryffindors will often describe it as a weapon to defend the weak and innocent. Slytherins will often describe magic as a treasure to be protected or an asset to achieve their goals. Ravenclaws will describe it as a mystery to be uncovered, or a tool with which to create and uncover other mysteries. Hufflepuffs see it as a gift to be given.

2. What do you believe your purpose in life is? Gryffindors will say “To protect...” Slytherins “To become/achieve...” Ravenclaws “To discover/create...” Hufflepuffs “To give...” Or something along those lines. Each person will phrase their answer a little differently, but they will likely have these key words in there.

These two questions have served me better than any others in getting to the heart of a character, what they believe about the world, and what they value within theirselves. But as I was writing, I found places where all my preconceived notions about the four Hogwarts Houses began to crumble, places where there was no distinct line between one house and another. To be honest, it shook me. The houses seem so clear cut in the beginning, but the more you dig into what the characteristics of each house actually are, the picture is mostly grey.

It has been my experience that no matter the method of sorting, each of the houses has something big in common with each of the others (save one pairing that I’ll talk about at the end). Let’s take a look, shall we?

5. Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff: This actually took me a while to settle on what the similarity actually was between the houses, though I knew it was there. What I eventually came to is that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are the gentler of the four houses. They prefer working with their minds or their hands (respectively) instead of their wands. Given the choice they will fall back on reading and studying or possibly painting or writing or something of that nature, unlike Gryffindors and Slytherins who tend towards exploring and thrill-seeking.

4. Gryffindor/Hufflepuff: Gryffindor is the house of swords. Hufflepuff is, arguably, the house of shields. Both houses are incredibly loyal and willing to sacrifice to help those around them. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs are nearly always wiling to put their life on the line if it will help a friend in need.  

3. Slytherin/Hufflepuff: Bear with me, okay? As everyone knows about Slytherins, if you stand in their way you either move or are moved. But as I was writing my aforementioned post about the Merlin characters in their Hogwarts houses, I came to a very startling conclusion: the only thing more dangerous than a Slytherin striving for a goal is a Hufflepuff standing between what they love and someone who would seek to harm them. Slytherins may be described as the house of the “ambitious” and “determined,” but if you mess with a Hufflepuff, you will see exactly why their house crest is a Badger; badgers -- specifically honey badgers -- will kill and eat snakes, and are so ferocious that lions and hyenas actively avoid them if they don’t have backup, and can even hold their own against eagles if they need to. In other news, I have recently revised my opinion of which house is the most terrifying.

2. Gryffindor/Slytherin: Ah, the ancient rivalry, but more similar than you might think. Their similarity is how aggressively they fight for what they believe in, and perhaps this is why the rivalry is so strong. Their only real difference that I can see is that their goals tend to be different: Gryffindors tend to fight much more for “the greater good,” while Slytherins fight for their personal goals and ambitions, and it is this which throws them into sharp contrast with each other. Their centers are different, but the ferocity with which they fight to achieve their goals is the same.

1. Slytherin/Ravenclaw: Cunning and intelligence are nearly synonymous. Those who are sorted into Slytherin are often very intelligent and resourceful, just like Ravenclaws. So what makes the difference? Ravenclaws very often search for knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Slytherins tend to look for knowledge as a stepping stone to their goals. When put in positions where they have to use this knowledge, however, the lines become blurred. For example: in my analysis of Merlin [GO TO THE END OF THIS SECTION TO AVOID SPOILERS] I commented on the shift of Morgana’s character from very Ravenclaw to (in my limited opinion) one of the most evil Slytherins to ever slither. The shift in her character was amazing to me specifically because the things that made her such a Ravenclaw in the beginning of the show (her thirst to understand the world and always asking “why”, her innate ability to think and speak her way through difficult situations) were the very things that made her so undeniably Slytherin in season three onwards. Her thirst to understand “why” became a voracious hunger for change. Her ability to think and speak through things became her cunning and her manipulation where before they were intelligence and genuine kindness. Very little changed about her as a character. Her loyalties shifted, and that’s pretty much it. [END SPOILER] Similarly to Slytherins and Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Slytherins very often act very similar, but the goal they are striving forward is different.

So that’s my assessment! If you’ll notice, I did skip over Griffindor/Ravenclaw in this assessment. I am a Ravenclaw myself, and as far as I can see, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors don’t have a lot of major similarities, their methods and motives are both different, how they respond to testing is different, their fallback leisure activities are different, even the types of spells they’re likely to use are different. 

Ok so I’ve been here a while and I've never done a long-winded text post but I fell down a harry potter house rabbit hole and I got unreasonably angry :P as people often do on Tumblr, so now I have to say my piece. I’ll start with my own experience in this sorting-debacle. 

Let me preface by saying that although some people/ characters might be TEXTBOOK examples of the houses MOST people in the world fall in the cracks.Nevertheless, you can only have one house in the potterverse and I had been torn between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor for a very long time.Most times I took the test (and answered honestly because Im a nerd and this is important to me) I would get Gryffindor over Ravenclaw. I never really understood why. I’m a massive bookworm and have often chosen to neglect a social scene in favour of a book. I have an overactive imagination, I believe in the power of wit and intellect over brawn and, in many cases I tend to think and analyze a situation instead of rushing in. 

I realize now that I’m a Gryffindor overall because of who I am at my very core. And thats a child who consistently talked back to an abusive parent and refused to be silenced or intimidated by bullies, I would rather do my own thing and start my own club than take it lying down. Despite an initial terror in public speaking I read the pieces I wrote allowed, published them and got INTO public speaking overall because saying my piece and standing up for justice and what I believed in was more important than anything else and because of the power and rightness I felt coursing through my veins doing so. Its because when people cant be bothered to take a stand and get involved in an issue I FEEL people should be fighting for I step up, take charge and do it myself, even if its unpopular, even if I’ll be judged and have to face adversity and conflict for it because it matters to me and I think it matters for the world and YEAH I want people to know me as someone that fights for what is right (not necessarily to show boat but because thats who I want to be remembered as) its because when I can feel Im right  about something noone can shake me. I’ll listen to you with an open mind and I'll even concede to some of your points but overall my opinion on  matters to do with the generic concept of morality and the generic concept of ‘what’s right’ is very rarely swayed  Its because I ALWAYS look up to the badass fighters and rebels who refuse to give up and carry on no matter the odds because of their belief, their determination and their power of will. Its because to me, loyalty and fighting for my friends and family is the single most important thing in the world. 

I value these traits and the idea of justice, my interpretation of TRUE justice above all and I KNOW that these are, at their core, GRYFFINDOR traits which is why I know this is my house (my affinity for forests, my love for lions and an overall tendency to go for shades of red and gold aside)

Im proud of my house. Sure, we produce a couple of cocky jackasses (I’m CONVINCED Gaston is a Gryffindor, don’t do the Slytherin’s dirty like that)  some ruthless pioneers for the sake of’justice’ (@ Dumbledore) and yh some reckless people that aren’t necessarily classified as the “brightest” and fit into the “dumb jock” stereotype but THAT IS NOT WHAT DEFINES US AS A HOUSE. 

I saw a post a little while ago saying: the difference between Slytherins and Gryffindors is that Slytherins are brave not stupid but COME ON?! whoever wrote that, just seemed like a convenient way of explaining why Slytherin’s may choose to not fight for something that truly matters/ the greater good as per the events of the book (NOT SAYING THATS THE CASE OVERALL) 

Or another one saying that ‘Courage’ is a Hufflepuff trait when its LISTED on Pottermore as a Gryffindor trait and Hufflepuffs are known to be, in my opinion, the superior quality of people in terms of GOODNESS overall because they’re ruled by fairness, hard work, kindness and also loyalty. 

I've seen heroes I’ve aspired to for large parts of growing up like Mulan and Rose Hathaway that are primary ruled by courage, bravery and stubbornness even in the face of adversity, true Gryffindors, be scoffed at because “Mulan’s too smart to be a gryffindor” or ‘Rose is too loyal and self-sacrificing to be a Gryffindor (NEVILLE? RON? HERMIONE? REMUS? LILY?!?) 

All im saying is that I KNOW the other houses deserve more recognition, respect and awe and of course every house can show INCREDIBLE amounts of bravery, courage, nerve and daring (Luna is my all time favourite example of this along with Lucy Pevensie from Narnia) honestly, sometimes I wish I was able to have the badass vibe that comes from being a Slytherin but just as you ask us to focus on the KEY TRAITS that define your house, and that define you to your core, I ask you to stop stereotyping Gryffindors as trigger happy hotheads that impulsively rush into things and act stupidly....the phrase “he’s too stupid to be a Gryffindor” goes AGAINST cannon Gryffindors because the truth is that, at its core, true bravery is a choice and if you choose it above all else you’re a Gryffindor, WHICH, as the books have shown us, leads to a VARIETY of different Gryffindors. 

You can be shy and be a Gryffindor. You can be anxious and have fears and be a Gryffindor. You can love to read and be able to manipulate people to suit your needs AND be a Gryffindor, you can analyze situations cautiously most of the time and STILL be a Gryffindor because when THAT moment in your life comes, a true Gryffindor will pick bravery and charge into doing what is right before all else and that doesn’t necessarily mean bursting into a battlefield with no though of the consequences, it means knowing the consequences, knowing your odds, knowing your fears  and  charging ahead anyways because you’ll be damned if  if you don’t give everything you have to keep “evil” from winning.