Stereotype House Rant: Hufflepuff
WARNING: I have done my research and am about to share a long rant about why Hufflepuffs deserve more credit and such...I probably won't edit this after I write it so just excuse the mistakes and I hope this makes some sense!
To me, the worse house stereotype is Hufflepuff. Everyone loves to hate on Hufflepuffs. Kind, loyal, and just? You would probably rather be brave, ambitious, or intelligent. J.K. Rowling tells us that Hufflepuffs are "unafraid of toil." Well that's a bit better right? Now let's take a look at house animals. The animals reflect the character of the students in each house, right? Well, what's so cool about a honey badger in comparison to a lion, serpent, or eagle? You probably think honey badgers are sweet little animals. Let me enlighten you.
First off, Hufflepuffs usually appear to be the most tolerable house, very patient and kind. Well honey badgers appear to be similar:
"Badgers will attack if they are provokes or threatened but they do not instigate the aggression. Instead, they are shy animals that are actually seldom seen because if they scent or see people, they will hide until they have gone."
Very similar to what I believe Hufflepuffs are like. We don't hear much about them, and do not usually start fights (leave that to Gryffindor and Slytherin). Now...it says badgers will attack if provoked. I believe Hufflepuffs are the same.
Now, honey badgers aren't simple creatures who do not like violence. Let me enlighten you. I'll start with the appearance and move to skills/(actions?) and diet.
Honey Badgers are animals with tough skin and very strong claws. They've got small eyes and ears that are build to be protected in combat.
I bet you didn't know this: "Honey badgers are notorious for their strength, ferocity, and toughness. They have been known to savagely and fearlessly attack almost any kind of animal when escape is impossible, reportedly even repelling much larger predators such as lions. Bee stings, porcupine quills, and animal bites rarely penetrate their skin. If horses, cattle, or Cape buffalo intrude upon [its] burrow, it will attack them. They are virtually tireless in combat and can wear out much larger animals in physical confrontations."
And this: "They are also carnivorous and will eat insects, frogs, tortoises, rodents, turtles, lizards, eggs, and birds. Honey badgers have even been known to chase away young lions and take their kills."
Also... "They kill and eat snakes, even highly venomous or large ones such as cobras. They devour all parts of their prey, including skin, hair, feathers, flesh and bones, holding their food down with their forepaws."
Not so sweet now are they? Some other info is that "They have been known to dig up corpses in India." and "Honey badgers are intelligent animals and are one of a few species known to be capable of using tools."
Let's review some key points.
Attack Lions (and steal their kills)
I guess I have proven that Honey Badgers are a pretty epic animal to represent the Hufflepuff house.
Okay now I want to remind you of a couple of our favorite Hufflepuffs! First, our amazing Tonks. She was a strong woman who was a Hufflepuff and later became an Auror. She was talented in wizard-cathing, non-verbal spells, and flying (on a broomstick). Then there was Cedric Diggory who was quite popular and liked by many. He was talented both in his school work and athletic sport. He was a prefect, captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and the Hufflepuff Seeker. Cedric was chosen for the Champion of Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. During the Tournament, Cedric tied for first in two of the three tasks. If you remember, he was favored by the majority of Hogwarts, also. He was a fair and just fighter, even in death. He later became an inspiration to many of the students at Hogwarts.
So...I guess that I conclude saying stop the hate on the Hufflepuffs!
"You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil."
