Talking about Hogwarts leads to the question of which house one belongs in. Hard core fans know their houses and its traits like the back of their hand. Chantel Lavoie discusses in her article, “Safe as Houses Sorting and School Houses at Hogwarts” the role of the houses in the Harry Potter series. Lavoie discusses that due to the mood of the series, Rowling is supporting that Gryffindor and Slytherin are the two best houses out of the four. Lavoie claims this due to the amount of knowledge that the reader acquires from the series about the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses and the little understanding there is given for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Professor McGonagall is known for telling the new students that each house is important before leading them into sorting hat ceremony, but Lavoie questions that equality in her article. She observes on page thirty-six that, “The four houses of Hogwarts may be equal in theory; however, two are ‘more equal’ than the others. The most important school founders were obviously the males, who dominate in memory and tradition-Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. The real fight between good magic and dark magic is between these two enduring entities and their houses” (Lavoie 36). This argument can support that Rowling liked the houses of Slytherin and Gryffindor more, but I think she used it to point out a literary clue. Lavoie says how fight between good and dark magic is the real tie to the houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin, but I think Rowling used it to foreshadow a theme that would show up in the series.
When we first meet Harry, he is an eleven-year-old boy that finds out he is a wizard. Harry is not fully aware what happened to his parents and why, but the puzzle slowly comes together as Harry gets older and Voldemort returns. Rowling is foreshadowing the end to the heir of Slytherin (Tom Riddle) by putting Harry in Gryffindor. Lavoie states that the Sorting Hat choses a house for the student based on their traits, “the Sorting Hat thus brings the students together and simultaneously set them apart” (4) but fails to support that the students may grow into those traits as they become better wizards and witches. For example, Lavoie examines the Mirror of Erised,
“if the answer [from the Mirror of Erised] is ‘surrounded by good friends,’ one is placed in Hufflepuff; if it is ‘as the most powerful wizard in the world,’ the suitable house is Slytherin. ‘Teaching at Hogwarts’ places one in Ravenclaw, whereas ‘facing the Heir of Slytherin and defeating him’ naturally send the player to Gryffindor.” (40).
Neither Harry or Ron see what a Gryffindor should see when they find the mirror. Though Harry develops into his duty to defeat the heir of Slytherin as Ron grows into his bravery. The wizards and witches of Hogwarts will grow through their lessons and role in the wizard world. The traits of their house may not be seen in their first year, but they will show up during trails the students will face. This may be Rowling’s intention when she uses the sorting hat in the series, to give the reader a sense at what kind of wizard or witch the student would become.
At the end of her article Chantel Lavoie states that Gryffindor is considered the best house of Hogwarts through its many great deeds done by its members: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Professor McGonagall, Ginny, Fred, and George (46). The reason Gryffindor and Slytherin are the houses talked about the most in the series because of the main characters we travel with in the story are in those houses. From the first book, we have the trio and the other Weasleys of the Gryffindor house, and Draco and Snape being the enemies (they happen to be Slytherin). If Harry was in a different house, we would explore that house more, but back to my first point that Rowling had a reason for putting Harry in Gryffindor. The same if we reversed it, if Draco what the main character of the series the audience would see Harry as the enemy. This is the reason Ron and Hermione are also Gryffindors, because they become Harry’s closest friends. Like when we met Luna Lovegood, she is a Ravenclaw and through her interaction with Harry in Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) we get to see what qualities Ravenclaws have. As well as seeing the strengths of Cedric in Goblet of Fire, he is a Hufflepuff, but he slowly helps and relies on Harry during the Triwizard Tournament. All of the Hogwarts houses have their values and are equally important, some of the traits just show up within time.
In the end, the houses seem to be a tool for Rowling and for the audience to feel their own connection to Hogwarts. Picking a house is like picking a family of the wizard world. Therefore, I believe audiences are drawn to the series, because they feel a part of the Hogwarts’ family, like Harry. Hogwarts becomes a home for Harry (Lavoie 45) that foreshadows his destiny. Harry never saw him defeating Voldemort in the Mirror of Erised, because that is not what he desired. Harry wanted a family and he receives one in his Hogwarts house.
With the traits showing up after the first year, you could talk about what Dumbledore says in the 7th book to Snape. He tells Snape that sometimes he believes they sort too early. Another thing you may want to talk about is how sorting could create isolation between house interactions. McGongall does state that your house is your family, but what about other house interactions. The reader only really gets to see that in the later books.