I know, I know, I'm that person who will sprout random references to that globally beloved piece of literature when the people around me might not give a Hippogriff's ass. I think part of the appeal of Harry Potter for me is that for a long time, I wasn't allowed to read the books. My mom, bless her, is really conservative and maintained the assumption that the books are evil as they 'glorified witchcraft'. I, however, resented her for not giving me the freedom to form my own opinion.
So, when I finally got to my public high school, I spent a year plucking up the courage to take Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone out of my school library. At the age of 14, ten years after the publication of the book, I left the library with the book hidden safely in my bag. I was terrified. I have a very open relationship with my mom but I knew she would disapprove. And I was ashamed that her disapproval was not enough to quell my curiosity.
I read the book in two days. I was hooked. It was such an inspirational story for me. I felt as if I had been friends with the famous trio my whole life. I spent the rest of my high school years reading and watching, waiting for the next book or movie, falling in love with Rowling's creation. I cried after the last book; I couldn't bring myself to believe that it was done, no more Harry Potter.
All that being said, Pottermore has now been released. After suffering mass depression after the end of the seventh movie, I was really excited when I heard about the Pottermore plan. I signed up for early registration and I received my acceptance email on 26 September. The things I was most excited about are obvious: my wand and my House. With a few short questions, I knew both. My wand is Dogwood with Unicorn core, twelve and a quarter inches and slightly springy. I am happy with this. My House on the other hand... I was placed in Hufflepuff.
I was distraught. I know I sound seriously emotional, but I felt like I should be in tears. Just as Harry had thought, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin..." all I thought while waiting for my House was, "Not Hufflepuff, not Hufflepuff..." And yet, there it was. Yellow and black colouring my screen. I haughtily read the welcome message:
Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I’m delighted to welcome you to HUFFLEPUFF HOUSE. Our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves. Our house colours are yellow and black, and our common room lies one floor below the ground, on the same corridor as the kitchens.
Now, there are a few things you should know about Hufflepuff house. First of all, let’s deal with a perennial myth about the place, which is that we’re the least clever house. WRONG. Hufflepuff is certainly the least boastful house, but we’ve produced just as many brilliant witches and wizards as any other. Want proof? Look up Grogan Stump, one of the most popular Ministers for Magic of all time. He was a Hufflepuff – as were the successful Ministers Artemesia Lufkin and Dugald McPhail. Then there’s the world authority on magical creatures, Newt Scamander; Bridget Wenlock, the famous thirteenth-century Arithmancer who first discovered the magical properties of the number seven, and Hengist of Woodcroft, who founded the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which lies very near Hogwarts School. Hufflepuffs all.
So, as you can see, we’ve produced more than our fair share of powerful, brilliant and daring witches and wizards, but, just because we don’t shout about it, we don’t get the credit we deserve. Ravenclaws, in particular, assume that any outstanding achiever must have come from their house. I got into big trouble during my third year for duelling a Ravenclaw prefect who insisted that Bridget Wenlock had come from his house, not mine. I should have got a week of detentions, but Professor Sprout let me off with a warning and a box of coconut ice.
Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don’t shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. Nobody intimidates us.
However, it’s true that Hufflepuff is a bit lacking in one area. We’ve produced the fewest Dark wizards of any house in this school. Of course, you’d expect Slytherin to churn out evil-doers, seeing as they’ve never heard of fair play and prefer cheating over hard work any day, but even Gryffindor (the house we get on best with) has produced a few dodgy characters.
What else do you need to know? Oh yes, the entrance to the common room is concealed in a stack of large barrels in a nook on the right hand side of the kitchen corridor. Tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, and the lid will swing open. We are the only house at Hogwarts that also has a repelling device for would-be intruders. If the wrong lid is tapped, or if the rhythm of the tapping is wrong, the illegal entrant is doused in vinegar.
You will hear other houses boast of their security arrangements, but it so happens that in more than a thousand years, the Hufflepuff common room and dormitories have never been seen by outsiders. Like badgers, we know exactly how to lie low – and how to defend ourselves.
Once you’ve opened the barrel, crawl inside and along the passageway behind it, and you will emerge into the cosiest common room of them all. It is round and earthy and low-ceilinged; it always feels sunny, and its circular windows have a view of rippling grass and dandelions.
There is a lot of burnished copper about the place, and many plants, which either hang from the ceiling or sit on the windowsills. Our Head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout, is Head of Herbology, and she brings the most interesting specimens (some of which dance and talk) to decorate our room – one reason why Hufflepuffs are often very good at Herbology. Our overstuffed sofas and chairs are upholstered in yellow and black, and our dormitories are reached through round doors in the walls of the common room. Copper lamps cast a warm light over our four-posters, all of which are covered in patchwork quilts, and copper bed warmers hang on the walls, should you have cold feet.
Our house ghost is the friendliest of them all: the Fat Friar. You’ll recognise him easily enough; he’s plump and wears monk’s robes, and he’s very helpful if you get lost or are in any kind of trouble.
I think that’s nearly everything. I must say, I hope some of you are good Quidditch players. Hufflepuff hasn’t done as well as I’d like in the Quidditch tournament lately.
You should sleep comfortably. We’re protected from storms and wind down in our dormitories; we never have the disturbed nights those in the towers sometimes experience.
And once again: congratulations on becoming a member of the friendliest, most decent and most tenacious house of them all.
I didn't want to believe it, but I saw some of myself in this message. Don't get me wrong, I understand that these kinds of things are relevant to almost everyone. But here's why it's relevant to me:Firstly, I'm not the brightest Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean in the jar. So that means Hufflepuff is suited to me. I'm not being down on myself or anything, I just acknowledge that I'm more hard-working than naturally clever. Which is fine with me; all the more satisfaction when I get high marks for the sole reason that I earned them.
While none of the most notable characters are in Hufflepuff, after some research I discovered that Nymphadora Tonks was a Hufflepuff. This makes my opinion of Hufflepuffs far more positive. I've always liked Tonks; with her shape-shifting ways, bubblegum-pink hair and sassy attitude. While she is really quirky, she's also a misfit which means I obviously relate to her (stupid teenage cliches). So if Tonks could be a Hufflepuff, it can't be that bad.
I like the part about being 'trustworthy and loyal'. I think those qualities apply to me and I know I will always protect my loved ones against anyone. I enjoy helping my friends whenever I can, even when it disadvantages me. If that makes me unimportant, so be it. Rather caring than an unfeeling Ravenclaw or an evil Slytherin!
I don't think I could be a Dark Wizard. I just cannot imagine hurting people for self-gain. I think that's a cowardly approach to life and the reason for a lot of violence in the world. I never want to be driven by greed. I would rather be average than immoral. Plus, I'm not very scary.
If Hufflepuff is the friendliest House, it's the one for me. I love making friends; half the people I meet think I belong in St Mungo's but that doesn't matter to me. As long as I get to hug at least five people everyday, things will be okay.
To be honest, I've only ever known the word 'tenacious' in the band Tenacious D. But I looked it up (to be sure):
te·na·cious
adjective /təˈnāSHəs/
- Tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely
- - a tenacious grip
- Not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined
- - you're tenacious and you get at the truth
- - the most tenacious politician
- Persisting in existence; not easily dispelled
- - a tenacious local legend
So, if you're still awake, the main point I'm getting at is that it takes a lot of courage to be honest with yourself. Before I thought about it, I would gladly hide behind the Gryffindor mask of bravery or Ravenclaw intelligence or Slytherin asshole-ness. But the truth is, that's not how life is. If you're a misfit Hufflepuff, that's what you are. As long as you can admit it. So now I'm a proud badger; silly, friendly, weird, hard-working, loyal and determined.
Thus, I close with the words of the Sorting Hat:
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil.
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