Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw: the famous four houses of Hogwarts. Every student is placed into one by the Sorting Hat, as is shown in both the first book and the first movie (minus the song) in the Harry Potter series. But that doesn't mean this old sentient cap is always right. In fact, many would argue he gets it wrong uncomfortably often.
Though Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is the most obvious example, there are many other characters whose traits don't really match those of their Hogwarts house. Every individual varies in complexity, so it's important to take a closer look at each wizard and witch to see how their house doesn't line up. Remember: Slytherin is known for ambition and cunning; Gryffindor for courage, audacity, and chivalry; Ravenclaw for intelligence and creativity; and Hufflepuff for loyalty, kindness, patience, and hard work. And while everyone should ideally have a bit of everything, these characters' strengths match one of these four houses a bit too well—it's just not the one they got sorted to.
10 Neville Longbottom - Hufflepuff
Original House: Gryffindor
The iconic Sorting Hat scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone teaches the viewer that Dumbledore puts as much effort into clapping as he puts into keeping his students safe (watch him clap for everyone other than Harry). The Sorting Hat is hardly any better, as he puts helpless Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) into Gryffindor, the house best known for courage. His peers are likely to put themselves into dangerous and stressful situations, and it doesn't seem that Neville has the personality to deal with them.
Neville is nice and brave, yes, but above all, he's selfless and kind. Mr. Longbottom even tries to stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from breaking the rules near the end of the first movie and gets frozen for it. His future actions, from keeping Dumbledore's Army alive to cutting Nagini's head, come more from a desire to protect than from courage itself. Neville is loyal to a fault and arguably the Hufflepuffiest person in Gryffindor—and maybe even in Hogwarts as a whole.
9 Ron Weasley - Hufflepuff
Original House: Gryffindor
Maybe don't read too much into this, but the contempt with which the Sorting Hat says, "Ah! Another Weasley," when placed atop Ron's (Rupert Grint) head, could make the viewer wonder if he's just putting all the Weasleys in the wrong house on purpose. No one ever exclaims, "I know JUST what to do with you," with positive intent. Putting Ron, who isn't the bravest, in a house that's known for its courage can be a diabolical way of setting this poor kid up for failure or injury. It can also prove that, after a few decades, the Hat is just doing his job out of inertia.
Case in point, Ron's immortal line from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets sums up his general response to danger pretty well: "Can we panic now...?" Yes, he does show bravery throughout the series, but it hardly feels like his defining personality trait. Process of elimination helps, too: he's not that smart or creative, and he's neither ambitious nor cunning. Though it definitely wobbles a few times, Ron's loyalty to friends and family seems to be his most dominant characteristic. This guy is a Hufflepuff.
8 Hermione Granger - Ravenclaw
Original House: Gryffindor
To be fair, Hermione (Emma Watson) proves her bravery time and again throughout the series. From joining Harry and Ron on their risky adventures to the smaller things like punching Malfoy in the face in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, she's fierce and determined. Having said that, Hermione's courage is a secondary characteristic in comparison to her unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Hermione is even given a time-turner necklace in her third year to let her take more classes. If she isn't a true Ravenclaw, then no one is.
To be fair, the Sorting Hat does seem to struggle with her sorting, memorably saying, "Ahh, right then. Hmm, right. Okay..." It appears that the hat came up with his answer pretty quickly, yet needed a few seconds to feel totally confident. He was probably thinking of Ravenclaw as an alternative to Gryffindor. Maybe with a few more suspenseful "Ahh"s and "Right"s, he would have come up with the correct answer. Indeed, Hermione was more of a Ravenclaw than any other major Ravenclaw shown in the series.
7 Romilda Vane - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
It's played for laughs in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but Romilda Vane (Anna Shaffer) tries to give Harry a love potion: a clear violation of free will. Not cool, but also not very Gryffindor. This move single-handedly makes her look a lot more suited to Slytherin. After all, Romilda was cunning enough to trick a guy like Ron into eating a random box full of chocolates, and boy, did they work.
The potion was so strong that it made Ron fall in love with Romilda despite the fact that (as Harry points out) he'd been making out with Lavender Brown for three months and had never actually met Romilda. Another factor is why she intended those chocolates for Harry. Romilda wanted to be his girlfriend because everyone knew he was the Chosen One. A choice like that should get chalked up to ambition, as she apparently wanted to elevate her status by having the world's most famous wizard wrapped around her finger.
6 Fred and George Weasley - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
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Where to begin? The Weasley twins (James Phelps and Oliver Phelps) tried to put their names in the goblet of fire, stole the Marauder's Map, set off a ton of fireworks on their exit from Hogwarts, and did so many other pranks that they've gone down as two of the most troublemaking students in Hogwarts history. The twins' actions demonstrate tremendous ambition, resourcefulness, and an innate desire to wreak havoc. Extra points for pushing Graham Montague into the Vanishing Cabinet, which definitely feels like a Slytherin move.
Of course, the twins are very proud of themselves for these antics. And what do Fred and George do after Hogwarts? They open a highly successful trick shop, a business venture that not only dials up the pride meter but shows just how ambitious these guys are. They're more mismatched to their house than Ron, and it boggles the mind that these two aren't dressed in green and silver throughout the films and books. The Weasley Twins are more than just comic relief; they're pure Slytherins, and if the saga weren't so intent on villainizing the serpent's house, a lot more main characters would've been in it.
5 Percy Weasley - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
Percy Weasley (Chris Rankin) is not like his siblings; he's stern, apparently has no sense of humor, becomes a prefect, and rises in the ranks to Head Boy. Clearly, he both highly respects and desires authority. This Weasley is quite ambitious, further exemplified when he works his way up the Ministry of Magic after graduating from Hogwarts. These are the decisions of a Slytherin, to the point where it's difficult to even think of him as a Weasley, a family the Sorting Hat just can't get a grasp on.
Not to mention that Percy even estranges himself from the family when Voldemort returns, siding with his career at the Ministry instead. His true house is even clearer when using the process of elimination: Percy's demeanor is the opposite of a Hufflepuff, he doesn't have the valor of Gryffindor, and there's not enough information to think he might belong in Ravenclaw. Slytherin's the only one that fits.
4 Gilderoy Lockhart - Slytherin
Original House: Ravenclaw
Played by Kenneth Branagh with great flair, Gilderoy Lockhart is known around the world for his autobiography, Magical Me, and his many encounters with dark creatures. Everyone gets so enthralled by his achievements that Dumbledore apparently doesn't even put this guy to the test, offering him a position as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher just like that. Lockhart actually didn't do any of the incredible things he claimed in his books, but he accepts this lucrative job anyway.
How was this man deemed a Ravenclaw if he's possibly the dumbest wizard in the world? After all, who would accept a job to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts when he doesn't know the first thing about it?Someone whose ambition far outweighs his common sense, that's who! Lockhart's pride is bigger than his sense of self-preservation, but his ability to lie undetected for so many years shows a sense of cunning that perfectly fits with Slytherin House.
3 Peter Pettigrew - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) was somehow placed in Gryffindor, which doesn't make sense for a few enormous reasons. First off, Gryffindors are known for their bravery more than anything else, and Pettigrew is utterly terrified of Voldemort; the Dark Lord openly mocks him for it in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Pettigrew also isn't loyal, clever, or resourceful; he doesn't really fit anywhere, although he does exhibit some traits of a certain house.
For example, there's the matter of betraying the Potters, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin: a terrible display of self-serving treachery that can only befit a Slytherin. He also transforms into a rat and plans to bring Voldemort back, showing far more cunning than anyone would've thought. Though not all Slytherins are evil, Pettigrew is undoubtedly a snake at heart. Given his track record, he might be the most mismatched attendee in Hogwarts history.
2 Albus Dumbledore - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
By the end of the Potter movies, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) comes across as hands-down the most manipulative wizard in the entire franchise. From sending Harry to live with the Dursleys while actively planning his death to having Snape risk his life and reputation to spy on the Death Eaters from the inside, this wise old sage isn't afraid of making some cold decisions for what he deems the betterment of society. His cunning surpasses Snape's, and his resourcefulness is formidable as well.
Dumbledore's ambition, however, might be the most important factor here. Not for nothing, but he is the headmaster of Hogwarts. More importantly, though, he and the infamous Grindelwald originally intended the world to be rid of muggles and even made a blood pact together. Dumbledore eventually repents his past after his sister dies and defeats Grindelwald, but the wizard's complicated history shows he is a better fit for Slytherin than Gryffindor.
1 Harry Potter - Slytherin
Original House: Gryffindor
Anyone who saw the first movie knows that Harry was explicitly supposed to be in a different house. With the old Sorting Hat on his head, Harry whispers aloud, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin." In response, the hat tells him that Slytherin would help put him on the path to greatness. But Harry persists, largely because of the bias other wizards have against Slytherin. Later, the Sorting Hat reaffirms his initial assessment that Harry would've been a good Slytherin, even if he's also a good Gryffindor.
In fairness to Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat does admit that Harry is "difficult, very difficult" to sort. This is great for character development as well, showing that the story's protagonist is a very complicated person. Harry does prove time and again that he has the courage and recklessness of a great Gryffindor, after all. But perhaps, when ranking each Hogwarts house, one should think twice about placing Slytherin at the bottom. Slytherin is not a bad house, and Harry, with all his inner complexity, would've been the perfect addition.
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