The Four Houses - Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw

Let's continue with our exploration of the workings of Hogwarts, this time focusing on the two under-represented (in this book at least) houses - Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Hufflepuff

The house emblem is the badger, 'an often underestimated animal, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself.' (Pottermore) 

Source

It's funny - I suppose like most of us, I paid very little attention to Hufflepuff until I was, in fact, sorted into this house on Pottermore! It's not overly difficult to see why, when already up to this point in the story Hufflepuff has been mentioned a number of times and each time it has been seen as being the lamest (for lack of a better word) house to get sorted into:

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" - Draco Malfoy in Chapter 6

"...everyone says Hufflepuffs are a lot o' duffers, but -" - Hagrid in Chapter 6

What is it about this house that makes people turn their noses up at it? Let's see what the trusty Sorting Hat has to say:

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Ok, there is more to being a Hufflepuff  than I first realized - a belief in justice, loyalty, patience and being hard-working. 

The very first student to be sorted in Chapter 7 is sorted into Hufflepuff, but apart from her there are only two other Hufflepuff students mentioned:

Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley

As these characters are only ever mentioned in passing, it is not possible for me to say at this point if I think they are well suited for Hufflepuff. In fact, this house seems to be portrayed as being of so little importance that despite Gryffindor playing a match against them in Chapter 13, we aren't given the names of any of the Hufflepuf Quidditch team members.

So why do the other characters show so much disdain towards Hufflepuff? I think their values are very relatable and, perhaps, more worthwhile than reckless bravery? Unlike Gryffindor and Slytherin, the Hufflepuffs don't discriminate against the other houses and they are not boastful. They have produced the fewest dark wizards of any house in the school, while at the same time have Newt Scamander as one of their most famous alumni. (Welcome post from Pottermore) I think, had I actually had the opportunity to study at Hogwarts, I would have been quite happy being in Hufflepuff.

Only two other note-worthy Hufflepuffs in this book - the Fat Friar (House ghost) and Professor Sprout (Head of House).

Ravenclaw

If I'm not much mistaken, we get even less representation of Ravenclaw House than of Hufflepuff in this book, which I am quite happy to overlook because we will be rewarded for our patience (I'm such a Hufflepuff) with the introduction of possibly the most amazing character, later on in the series - Luna Lovegood.

Source

The house emblem of Ravenclaw is an eagle, an animal that symbolizes perspicacity (a clarity of vision and intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight - Wikipedia) and often freedom. I will assume, based on the Sorting Hat's song, that JK Rowling had the intellectual symbolism in mind when crafting the story:

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Wisdom, wit, an ability to think on your feet (and perhaps outside the box) and a thirst for learning - do you see now why I would have thought Hermione better suited for this house? From the first time we meet her, helping Neville find his toad on the Hogwarts Express, she is depicted as extremely clever and bookish, always wanting to know everything about, well, everything. Seeing this thirst for knowledge manifested so clearly throughout much of the book, I was therefore surprised to see that Hermione wasn't that keen on Ravenclaw even before she arrived at Hogwarts:

"I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad..." - Hermione Granger in Chapter 6

Even when they are faced with Snape's potions puzzle in Chapter 16, she uses her ability to think logically to come up with the correct answer - surely a Ravenclaw character trait? We will, of course, see later on in the series that Hermione has, in some respects, a very in-the-box thinking and so perhaps Ravenclaw would not have been a good match for her after all.

Alas, Hermione is not sorted into Ravenclaw as we saw in the previous post, but a handful of students are:

Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin

As far as I can tell, like with the Hufflepuff students, this is the only instance in which these three are mentioned in the book. Unlike Hufflepuff, we don't even get to see Ravenclaw compete in Quidditch, despite Gryffindor presumably having a match against them at some point during the school year.

We don't really learn much else about Ravenclaw in Philosopher's Stone, however my Pottermore welcome post gives some more details: Ravenclaws, apparently, assume that any clever witch or wizard must have been in their house while studying at Hogwarts and according to the Slytherin welcome post, are so focused on academic success that they will backstab not only rival houses, but their own housemates as well (Harry Potter Wiki). I'm not sure if this would have been a fun environment at school...

Only one other Ravenclaw from this book, and I'm not even sure if it was explicitly stated anywhere that this was his house: Professor Flitwick (Head of House).

Until next time,
Lucia