#hufflin

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. 

I’m Bad at Making friends so here it is,

*megaphone*

IM LOOKING FOR A SLYTHERIN FRIEND!!

Hufflepuff: I don't know- oh there's a sign. You weren't asking a question...

Everyday I’m Hufflin? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. :D

We’ve had a lot of Hufflins/Slytherpuffs the last few days. A lot of you have yellow and green stripes obviously. It’s a good match, so it makes sense. 

Bc now I can go: everyday I'm Hufflin.