Magical children, such as Draco Malfoy, were prone to using magic accidentally when feeling angry, scared, or confused as a form of self-defense. The Ministry of Magic has a strict rule that wizards and witches under the age of 17 are not permitted to use magic outside of school or where it can be seen. This is in accordance with the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which permits non-Hogwarts students to practice magic at home.
The Trace, a monitoring tool for magic-making in under 17s, does not reveal the spellcaster. However, Hogwarts students from magical families practice magic at home, and the Trace does not reveal the spellcaster. Young witches and wizards often receive their first magic wand before they head off to Hogwarts at age eleven. It is forbidden for underage wizards and witches to do magic outside of school until they are 17 and adults in the wizard world.
In the Harry Potter series, doing magic underage is illegal, and two infractions can result in being kicked out of Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic has a strict rule that wizards and witches under the age of 17 are not permitted to perform spells outside of school or where it can be seen. Hogwarts students from magical families practice magic at home, and further spellwork on their part may lead to expulsion from the school.
In summary, underage magic is a common issue among magical children, but it is important to note that the Ministry of Magic has a strict rule against it. Hogwarts students from magical families can practice magic at home, and further spellwork may lead to expulsion from the school.
📹 Homeschooler at Hogwarts – Studio C
Watch Studio C Mondays at 10pm ET/8pm MT on BYUtv. Watch full episodes of Studio C online here: http://byutv.org/studioc Like …
Can Hogwarts students practice magic at home?
The Statute of Secrecy prohibits underage wizards and witches from performing magic outside of their school, despite the fact that students are able to engage in magic at any time during their tenure at Hogwarts.
Can wizards be homeschooled in Harry Potter?
Home-schooling was prevalent in the wizarding communities of most countries due to the limited number of available schools. Witches like Solt Sayre, Liz Tuttle’s mother, Jules Egwu, Qui LeBlanc, and Delphini were home-schooled. Abraham Ronen, who received homeschooling from his father, was unstimulated by his Socratic method of teaching and later became a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He aimed to teach in a more interactive and fun way.
Harry Potter’s appearances include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Pottermore, Wizarding World, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Hogwarts Legacy, The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy, and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened.
What can’t first year students at Hogwarts own?
First-year students at Hogwarts were subjected to restrictions in their first year, including not attending Hogsmeade with students in the third or above year, not having their own broomstick inside the school grounds until the second year, and not being allowed to have their own broomstick inside the school grounds until the third year. Additionally, Divination, Muggle Studies, Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy were not offered until the third year, and Apparition and Alchemy only started in the sixth year.
Required textbooks included Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which was first appeared in the film, and later in the video game. Other popular books include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Pottermore, Wizarding World, LEGO Harry Potter, Harry Potter: The Character Vault, Harry Potter: The Creature Vault, Harry Potter Trading Card Game, Quidditch World Cup, Harry Potter for Kinect, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Puzzles and Spells, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, and Hogwarts Legacy.
The books included in the series include Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley), Chapter 4 (The Keeper of the Keys), Chapter 6 (The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 7 (The Sorting Hat), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 8 (The Potions Master), Writing by J. K. Rowling: “Hogwarts School Subjects” at Wizarding World, Chapter 9 (The Midnight Duel), Chapter 3 ( Dealing With Trouble) – Flying Lesson “Summon Broom”, Chapter 6 (A Curious Corridor) – Flying Lesson “Mount Broom”, Chapter 9 (Inside the Room) – Flying Lesson “Liftoff and Landing”, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act One, Scene Four, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 10 (Hallowe’en), Chapter 5 (The Duel) – Charms Lesson “Wingardium Leviosa”, Chapter 16 (Through the Trapdoor), Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, Chapter 13 (Nicolas Flamel), Pottermore – The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Potions Lessons “Cure for Boils Potion”, Chapter 7 (Class Matters) – Potions Lesson “Flipendo”, Chapter 14 (Revenge is Best Served Magical), and Chapter 14 (Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback).
In summary, first-year students were subjected to restrictions in their first year, including not attending Hogsmeade with students in the third or above year, not having their own broomstick inside the school grounds, and not being allowed to have their own broomstick inside the school grounds until the second year.
Can I learn magic at home?
Magic can be learned by anyone, and the ability to learn magic depends on the skills one has initially. However, there are many ways to improve and become a good magician. Some essential skills include manual dexterity, which is crucial for sleight of hand style magic, and presentation and theatrical skills, which are essential for performing art in the outside world.
Manual dexterity is essential for sleight of hand style magic, but there are many types of magicians who do not rely on manual dexterity. Presentation and theatrical skills are also essential for performing magic, and improving these skills can be achieved through theatre skills or clowning courses.
In summary, learning magic is a skill that can be improved through regular practice and dedication to improving one’s skills. It is important to be aware of the different types of magicians and the importance of public speaking and theatre skills in the world of magic.
Can you do Harry Potter magic in real life?
It is not feasible to become a wizard akin to the character of Harry Potter, who employs the use of wands and spells.
Are students allowed to do magic on the Hogwarts Express?
The Hogwarts Express, a train running between London King’s Cross Station Platform 9¾ and Hogsmeade Station, allows underage students to use magic. The train runs six times a year, possibly more as needed, and returns to London at the end of term in June. It is the primary method of travel for students of all years to and from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The train leaves Platform 9¾ every September at 11 am and arrives at Hogsmeade Station in the early evening. Some students take the train back to King’s Cross Station for the Christmas and Easter holidays, while others stay at Hogwarts.
Do Hogwarts students get weekends off?
The library is accessible from 7:00 a. m. to 8:30 p. m. on weekdays and from 9:00 a. m. to 8:00 p. m. on weekends. Students may opt for an alternative daily schedule, which begins with breakfast in the Great Hall, followed by the collection of morning mail and the summons to classrooms before 9 a. m. The School of Wizards offers this flexibility to accommodate individual requirements.
Is Harry Potter allowed in school?
As reported by the American Library Association, the Harry Potter series has been among the most frequently challenged and banned books of the 21st century. The most recent incident occurred in 2019 at a Nashville Catholic school.
Can Hogwarts students go home?
Hogwarts, a boarding school with around a thousand students carrying dangerous weapons, has strict rules to maintain order and discipline. Students can only leave with the headmaster’s permission, if collected by a parent or guardian. Exceptions can be made in accordance with the head of house, but these rules may not always be consistently applied due to differing interpretations by faculty members.
Is Hagrid allowed to practice magic?
Despite his possession of magical abilities, Hagrid is prohibited from utilizing them following his expulsion from Hogwarts. Nevertheless, he is known to occasionally contravene the established regulations with the assistance of his distinctive pink umbrella, thereby exhibiting his capacity to utilize magical abilities.
Are wizards allowed to do magic outside of school?
In ‘Chamber of Secrets,’ Mafalda warns Harry that under-age wizards are not allowed to perform spells outside school, as any magical activity that risks being noticed by non-magical members (Muggles) is a serious offense. The Decree serves the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining secrecy. Harry accidentally uses magic during high stress, but once at Hogwarts, students are expected to control their sorcery.
Hogwarts is subservient to the Statute of Secrecy, and Harry’s only disappointment is when he and Ron take a flying car to school in ‘Chamber of Secrets,’ where Severus Snape accuses Harry of being seen by six or seven Muggles.
📹 The Problem With Hogwarts Houses
This is just tracking! #shorts #dimension20 For select free seasons of Dimension 20, clips, and more, visit the Dimension 20 …
“Leviticus! Why isn’t this working?” “It’s Wingardium Leviosa. Leviticus is a book in the Bible.” “Oh, I thought it was called Leviathans.” “No, leviathans are behemoths.” “I think there’s something in the Bible about behemoths, or was that the Nephilim? You know, the giant guardian angel people like the ones from Noah?” “I think you mean the Watchers.” “The Jehovah’s Witnesses?” “No, I mean the angels from the Book of Enoch.” “You must be thinking of the four angels from Ezekiel and their wheel in a wheel crossing within eachother thing or whatever it was.”
Most Hilarious lines i have ever heard! 2:15 Harry : “Expecto Petrunum” Ron: “Bippity Boppity Boo!” Harry :” Thats not a spell!!!” Ron: “oh right right right” proceeds with rage to cast spell on his sister AVADA KEDAVA Everybody : “No no no” Ron: “I’m sorry im sorry” Prof Minerva : “My dear boy……….. suddenly remembers a spell CRUCIO” Ginni shivering 😀
HOORAY FOR HOMESCHOOLERS!!! I used to be one! it was a million times better than sitting in class for 8 hours but I don’t recommend it for all parents. my mom was a teacher before she had my older brother so she knew what she was doing and still made it fun! I’m now in public school and make all A’s because of things I learned in homeschool but some homeschoolers aren’t educated correctly and that’s why there are a lot of homeschooling jokes.
They forget that if you combine spells together, the resulting spell could be very dangerous. Wingardium Crucio might flip you into the air and make you writhe in pain, while the pain would increase when you hit the ground. Doesn’t anyone remember Seamus and the turn this water into rum charm, which dangerously backfired?
This sketch does bring up an interesting point. Hermione, Harry, and probably Dean Thomas would have been students that would have been more well rounded because they went to real school meaning they knew how to read, write, and do other schooling that some of the other students wouldn’t have had unless they were required to have some schooling in those subjects before coming to Hogwarts.
When you add the fact that unforgivable curses like avada kedavra don’t work when the caster don’t really really want the target to die, so Ron didn’t kill her, but to succesfully cast crucio you really really need to want somebody to expirience pain, and mc gonagal used it succesfully… that is interesting choice XD
You know, the thing is, the Sorting Hat literally calls bullshit on the whole houses thing in Order of the Phoenix, saying that, with the whole “return of the Dark Lord” thing people should really be sticking together instead of letting themselves be divided by arbitrary rules, but the teachers basically just go “oh, that wacky hat, always with its crackpot theories!” and it’s literally never brought up again.
Fun fact: the VARK model of different learning types (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic) is also this. Multiple studies have been done that prove that regardless of which learning type someone thinks they are or that Vark says they are, they actually all learn about the same amount from the same teaching methods, and that in some cases students being convinced they can only learn a specific way actually damages their ability to learn because they subconsciously pay less attention to teaching methods that don’t suit the way they’ve been told they learn.
Fun fact: The four Hogwarts houses match four categories of characters: Gryffindor- Main characters Ravenclaw- Background characters Hufflepuff- Side characters Slytherin- Antagonists J.K. really was just classifying her characters by importance, huh? Edited due to popular vote, might be subject to future change.
I laughed so hard perusal this because it’s TRUE! JK Rowling literally makes all the heroes Gryffindors, all the evil characters Slytherins, says the smart ones are Ravenclaw but somehow Hermoine Granger (the smartest witch of her generation apparently) isn’t in the smart house, and literally there wasn’t a single important Hufflepuff besides Cedric Diggory and he DIED!
Me at age 11: “I want to be in Slytherin! Green is my favorite color and I love snakes! And their main aspect is ambition, right? I have so much of that it’s crazy!” Me, in Slytherin at age 18: “The other houses avoid me because they assume that I’m evil, my only friend is my pet rat, and I developed depression in my first semester of school.”
Brennan and Matt Mercer already discussed with each other about how brilliant Harry Potter is because it’s world building is bafflingly stupid and incorrect. I loved when they said about how ridiculously inefficient it is to use owls to deliver mail when teleportation, instant communication, advanced transport and even time travel are possible… But who doesn’t want a cool personal owl? Who doesn’t want a special wand and a patronus and House classification and all sorts? It makes it feel personal and inclusive. I ain’t a Harry Potter fan but I think about that conversation a lot when designing my dnd campaign. Sure, I am a Matt Mercer style nerd, who loves hearing about the coinage system like they said in that interview, but most of my friends just want a laugh when they get together. I always have to step back from my plans and ask “But is this fun? It’s interesting, but is it fun? This is a game, so how do I make this more fun?” I have to spend twice as long as I use to when I started DMing, but adding character quirks and outfits and silly voices and weird interactions adds so much more value to the game. I find my players remember so much more information when they are having fun too, as they are far more invested.
Ironically, Brennan’s argument about how ineffective this is actually explains her following statement. This is tracking. The magic world is so stuck in making kids fit a psychological norm they have created a world format that solidifies they will in fact be (by averages at least) the same person at 11 for the rest of their lives. If you rearrange it like that, it makes sense, and terrifies me.
I live in Germany, and here we actually separate students into one of three school systems when they reach grade 5. This used to be useful, as they were schools that focused either on vocation, general education or higher academic education. But, as you might suspect, these days it’s mostly seen as a ranking system and students in the “lowest” school are often told they’re useless and they already failed at life.
The only issue with houses I had was how clearly favored some were, how strong the stereotypes were (all or nothing), and my favorite…. Students couldn’t be all or multi traited? What if a Slytherins greatest ambition was to be the best scholar, or to be the best dueler or officer? Hell what if their ambition is to open a magical orphanage to help magical orphans? Hmmmm?
When you realize that the Hogwarts system of sorting is actually a dystopian nightmare. Man, JK really didn’t think this one through very hard. And also, if you’re gonna write 4 houses, 4 factions, why only have 2 factions do the majority of the story stuff? It basically boils down to Villain faction and Hero faction, and 2 other factions that don’t really matter. I can’t even remember what the other 2 are called anymore. Just write only 2 factions if you only plan for 2 of them to ever be relevant, I think. Maybe if you’re Tolkien, you can write factions that are only meant to be in the background to flesh out the world and make it feel larger, but JK is no Tolkien. And it really seemed like JK wrote 4 houses because she thought 4 was a good number to have.
There is a Russian Harry Potter’s parody called “Tania Grotter”, I like its student’s classification system. There are only two houses: the white magic and the dark magic. Throughout the series it’s disscussed what makes a person a dark or a white wizard, like empathy, self-control, generosity, adherence to rules. It may seem a bit primitive, but actually students could change houses accourding to their self-realisation. Dark wizards were not all that bad as well as white wizards were not all goody two shoes. What is more, students from both houses often interacted with each other and united to solve some particular problem multiple times.
I mean try not to think to hard about. Keep in mind you’re talking about a series that says muggles are inferior, yet wizards don’t have even come close to the same level of death dealing as normal folks. Voldemort had to launch an entire assault on a school and he still lost. Any respectable muggle military would have turned the place to dust in a matter of moments. Avada Kadavra is great and all but Oppenheimer is still king of the wasteland.
The fact that some British schools actually do this- At my school we have red faculty, blue faculty, green faculty and yellow faculty. Each faculty has their own FCO (faculty coordinator). When your in year seven they put you in a faculty (not based on academic abilities or learning ability), and so do the rest of the students. Another reason for this is incase anything happens all they need to do is look at your tie (because your tie is the colour of your faculty) and easily track you. The school can change your faculty maybe once, twice even three times if your whole five years of being in secondary (If you do have behaviour problems they will change your faculty).The faculties also have competitions like on sports day. At the end of the year the faculty with the most positive points and least negatives get a really nice reward (sounds familiar…). I’m currently in blue faculty and ngl we are kind of constantly pressured to be the best. In our faculty assembly we are told stuff like “b stands for brilliant” and “blue is the best” by our faculty coordinator’s. If I’m being honest it’s not that bad but it kind of reminds me of Hogwarts. 🥲✋
I just got it, so in the UK up to the 1976 there used to be a thing called the 11plus exam, basically at 11 years of age children did a test, those that passed went to the best schools in there area, those that failed didn’t. The long term impact on those who didn’t pass followed them throughout life. So the sorting hat is the 11plus
I mean, even the main cast could’ve logically all gone to different houses. Hermione should’ve been an obvious choice for Ravenclaw. Ron’s demeanor would fit right in with Hufflepuff. And Harry was almost put into Slytherin, which with the amount of rule breaking he does wouldn’t have been that surprising.
you know houses in austrailian schools are grouped based on traits, there where factors like musical ability, academic ability and athletic ability (also if you had family at the school already theyd chuck you in their house) i remember being in healy, the pink house (aweful for my dysphoria wearing those hot pink sports shirts) was the music house
Nah, I don’t think that’s how sorting works. We can see many examples of characters breaking pre-determined house stereotypes. Hermione, the smart one, isn’t a Ravenclaw. Neville, not so very brave in the beginning, but look at how far he’s come. I think the hat sorts them by reading their true nature and potential and that the stereotypes based on superficial abilities gradually came into being as they do everywhere
I think instead of spiting the kids by houses and then isolating them from each other, they should do groups. For exemple, make the kids do mandatory group of 4 (1 hufflepuff,1 slytherin,1 griffindor and 1 ravenclaw) During the classes they won’t necessarily team up (to avoid isolation), but to do homework and train they would team up and basically learn from each other. Each houses, and the children within it have weaknesses that other houses can make up for. That way the children would evolve and grow stronger by challenging each other in a non-competitive way. And they woudn’t be isolated since they know people from the other house.
I like to define the four Hogwarts this way; Gryffindor: Bold, courageous and often honorable, if occasionally arrogant. Warriors, thrill seekers and secret agents, the first to throw themselves into harm’s. Example Gryffindors include Jonathan Joestar, Wammu, Brock Samson, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Sam Wilson/The Falcon/Captain America, Sterling Archer, Clan Brujah, the Black Hand of the Sabbat and Darth Vader. Slytherin: Ambitious, cunning and highly focused achieving their goals, if sometimes ruthless in the pursuit of them. Politicians, criminal masterminds, community organizers, social reformers, social climbers, conquerors, budding captains of industry and upstarts trying to prove their worth. Example Slytherins would include Giorno Giovanna, Dio Brando, The Monarch, Tony Stark/Iron-Man, Adrian Veidt/Ozymandius, Clans Ventrue, Lasombra and the Followers of Set, the Egyptian goddess Isis and Charlie Magne of Hazbin Hotel. Ravenclaw: The house of genius and flair for the dramatic, sometimes mixed with eccentricity or even madness. Home to screwball geniuses, knowledge brokers, scholars, mad/obsessive artists and mad/obsessive scientists. Example Ravenclaws include Joseph Joestar, Kars, Rusty Venture, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, Tony Stark/Iron-Man yet again, “Doctor” Algernop Krieger, Yusuke Kitagawa, Clan Brujah yet again and Clans Toreador, Nosferatu, Malkavian, Tzimisce and Tremere. Hufflepuff: Amiable, unassuming and typically diligent. Hufflepuffs come in two distinct varieties, loyal followers and team players in one camp, and those who simply want to live a quiet, peaceful life, and maybe help people out sometimes, in the other.
I mean, to be fair, Slytherins main trait is supposed to be “cunning” it only became evil after the house of Slytherin was graced with Tom Marvolo Riddle and he later turned into Voldemort. The same could happen to any of the other houses if someone either turns evil or good in their houses, like an evil Griffindor or a good Slytherin.
What I have learned from Harry Potter is this (Sources are my friends who watch it) Nobody wants to be in Gryffindor unless your in Elementary because Harry Potter is in it. HufflePuff is for those who are extremely nice and get walked over easily. Nobody wants to be Slytherin because they are the villians, unless your emo. And Raven claw seems to be the most forgettable house.
I wish this season was longer, because as is, having to kind of bring conflict in asap, it all feels a wee bit forced, and some of the “people living their lives in a fantastical and magical school” and the joy of seeing them grow as a group ends up being rushed or glossed over. Also a lot of the NPCs, by virtue of needing their usefulness in the storytelling to be damn near immediate, end up feeling very heavy handed in terms of characterization. Still a great watch of course, but if it was 8 eps instead of 4 they could really slow play some of the ridiculousness of the harry potter world
I took a Sociology Intro class last semester and one of the lessons was about the sociology of education. As I was reading the chapter a lot of the stuff they pointed out was eerily familiar to the type of shit Hogwarts pulled. Some other students in the class noticed this and we just realized that by a sociological perspective Hogwarts is basically predestining students to fail.
You’re completely missing out on the fact, that you don’t learn different things in the different houses. Your house doesn’t determine what you learn, it categorizes based on your personality not on your skills. And btw, the main character is a Gryffindor so why wouldn’t his best friends also be in Gryffindor? But Slitherins automatically being evil is kinda… wrong. There have to be some nice people. I’ve always wondered that, i agree on that.
I don’t think a lot of people realise that JK Rowling based the housing system off of the English school housing system. Some schools take it more seriously than others. For mine teachers just pulled names randomly from a box and we only really competed on sports day lol. Was just a fun little group thing, we definitely didn’t base our friends or personalities on it lol.
It is important to note that this is a world with magic, and both minds and the future can be read to a degree. A house isn’t just chosen for what a student is already good at, but also for what will help improve on their flaws. Also I’m sure this is already known but it bears emphasis: It’s not meant to be an ideal world, it’s meant to reflect the peculiarity and quirkiness of British culture. But even ideal systems will also inevitably be harmful. Harm is an inherent part of existence itself, and there is no way to escape this; all we can do is bolster people’s ability to handle complexity as it comes.
Not to mention, before the final battle against Voldemort at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall sends the entire Slytherin house to the dungeons immediately. This implies that literally everyone believes that all Slytherin are just evil. I don’t understand why you’d even let the house exist unless you’re using it to make a Ministry Shortlist for potential Terrorists.
Assigning children into groups based on personality traits is actually a bad idea for their development now that I think of it. Imagine the pressure to always act, think and be perceived a certain way so that you can continue to fit into your house and the preconceptions associated with it. You are sorted into this house based on a few personality traits, and you will feel pressure to fit these expectations, and this could have a negative effect on kids and their development. Can’t believe I didn’t realise this until now
Dumbledore’s one of many quotes is literally “It’s not who you are born as, but what you will grow to be” Almost everyone in universe, especially the fricking Sorting Hat itself, is calling bs on this whole house system, and I like how in the end, during the final Great Hall scene, it’s pointed out that nobody sits by House Tables anymore
The “grouping” just determins where they sleep tho, they all have the same classes with the same level of difficulty, same exams, same extracurricular activities. They even have joint classes with other houses, it’s not like dividing them into maths, sciences and humanities when they’re 11yo. Houses don’t determine anything in the long run, except that slytherins get ostracised
“Hey so there’s this house” “Okay” “It was founded by an old racist and exists to uphold his standards by implementing them into the house’s culture” “…Okay” “And basically every person from that house comes out holding those ideas, no matter how extreme, many becoming villains.” “OH is it like a social commentary on how putting people into groups and upholding past traditions only hurts people in the end? Or like nature versus nurture? How even if they went to the school being kind and loving because of how they were nurtured they ended up upholding harmful ideas without realizing it?” “No, it just is what it is.”
It’s worth mentioning that house systems do actually exist in a lot of older British schools, but they don’t really define your personality in the way that it does in Harry Potter. They were more like teams for extra-curricular competition that follow you all the way through school. (like HP, though, they did always try to fit siblings into the same house). However, they did get reputations based on their success. For example, I was in House Howard (after Lord Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham), and people from that house were generally known for being the best at poetry, drama and cricket (Even though I’m rubbish at cricket).
Harry Potter: At age eleven, you will be taught magic. Of course, you will be supervised until age seventeen. Then the rest of your life will go to helping your community. Percy Jackson: At age eleven, you will be taught how to kill. Of course, you will probably be dead by age seventeen. Now go out there, commit war crimes, and make your godly parent proud! They’re not perusal!
I have said, since I saw the first Harry Potter movie, that a better writer would have made the Sorting Hat the main villain of the whole series. A worse writer, myself, eventually ended up writing a song from the Sorting Hat’s villainous perspective, and then this show came out and I feel validated in my analysis.
The whole concept of the Houses in Hogwarts are an extrapolation of the sort school houses that actually do exist (most in Great Britain as its their tradition). It was a way to foster smaller groups within larger school (because school at the times sometimes had upwards of 150 per year/grade) as to help students by giving them some common ground as well as foster a sense of friendly competition between the groups which, in turn, fostered growth amongst them. It was also encouraged for younger student to ask older students within their same House for advice, help and such things like that as way for older student to both learn how to express what they have learned as well as some discipline. There was no real distinction between the Houses beside what their titles were and some of their histories they accrued at the school, which is to say; that the House Griffon didn’t have any actual specific besides, the name, the color, the emblem (if there was one) and the House Head. Some Houses may have grown reputations but those were entirely within the school and could shift with new student supplanting older ones. Sometimes it was common for members of the same family to have generations within the same house just because educators who placed them would place them as a sort of outside ‘family tradition’ (so the Oxfront family sending all their kids to the same school might have them all be in House Griffin as fun nod to the family rather than anything else). This is the base of the idea of school houses which other forms of media extrapolate out of.
This bit directly inspired a bit of backstory for me – a similar wizarding school in my con world ran into that problem (parents complaining that their kids were being set up for failure), so they created an artifact (A Choosy Cap, if you will) to be able to say they weren’t doing that. Unfortunately the components were sourced from the Fae Courts, and it tended to select for high drama rather than healthy inter-student relations as a result. Once they caught wind of that, they then dispensed with the ceremony and just cast lots for it during the off-season.
They just get assigned to different houses, they’re educated in the is the same curriculum, plus you can ask to go to one over others. So the “traits” they assign you are more like a house reputation than it is a statement on character. Notice how each House has the same number of students more or less? It’s organized more like a housing arrangement you’d find I’m the military or a large school. It makes scheduling who goes where easier when you have a lot of students/soldiers. While usually you’d have names like platoon1,2,3 or 4, but bring a school if kids they give the houses fun names.
You can call it tracking, but I liked to think of the Houses as a way to accommodate for each child’s individual proclivity and capacity based on an ancient mystical personality matrix that some wizard educators made centuries ago. (Sort of how the Montessori educational system works by tailoring the curriculum to the individual educational needs of each child, but in a broader emotional and cognitive categorization based on the teaching philosophies of the House founders) It was a product of its time. It doesn’t have to “make sense” or “be right” according to modern sensibilities. It has obviously worked for the majority of Britain’s wizarding history and even produced some of the most prominent and productive members of wizarding society. Also, the Houses didn’t segregate students based on gross educational ability/capacity anyway from what I could tell. (Nobody was in a ‘special class’ or ‘left behind’) They all took the same classes for the most part, until middle school where they were free to choose which classes they preferred to study further in. And all were expected to take and pass a standardized testing system to prove educational competency (NEWTs and OWLs). They were simply grouped into houses based on how their personalities and learning styles would unfold as they progressed in their educational journey. Being grouped with and guided by members of likeminded individuals that might help to foster their unique traits more effectively would just be a bonus. And again, a child/student’s individual choice was always taken into account by the Sorting Hat.
Hogwarts–and the wizarding world in general–have so many problems worldbuilding-wise. Like, while wizards were dropping massive logs into their trousers, muggles were already using chamber pots and shitting in holes in the ground. “Wizard superiority”, at least muggles figured out basic fucking hygiene literal millennia ahead of the wizards’ curve.
This is actually true. There are 4 personality archetypes. It does determine a decent amount of things of the person’s future. The problem with hogwarts is that they’re divided. And society doesn’t exactly work like that. We’re supposed to interact with the other and operate with them CONSTANTLY, to know how your own type incorporates perfectly.
I can’t remember who, but IIRC some folks from a fan site got to interview Rowling in the early-ish years of the series and asked her if the Sorting Hat was ever wrong, and she actually got upset at the suggestion. The notion that there could be some flaw or ambiguity to this system of objectively codifying people into these rigid categories just offended her so much, the people doing the interview had a “wait, what just happened” sort of moment. (This was before before she retconned via a Q&A that Harry’s status as a horcrux is why the Hat almost put him in Slytherin) Like, I’m not even trying to make a jokey, bank-shot reference to her transphobia, but it is one of those things that you look back on in retrospect and go “Huh.”
So I might get a lil hate for this opinion but when done right, tracking can be a good thing. Ok ok hear me out, the way that Hogwarts does it is wrong. What the school does is more like segregation rather than tracking. Diversity is important for less group think and a more accepting society (ie look at slytherin the wizard nazi house). However, when tracking is done right (and with adequate resources), students that need more help and attention can get it and therefore are more likely to succeed. The real problem arises with the question of “who needs extra help?” But I’d argue that there’s an entire field of magic based on figuring out the future (divination). Throw out the hat, throw people into random houses for diversity and have assessments for each student using a crystal ball to determine if extra help may be needed inside or outside the classroom.
In Hogwarts they it isn’t based on who you are at the moment. Neville Longbottom was far from brave at the age of 11 but still ended up being one of the bravest characters in the book. The sorting hat is wis beyond imagination and knows which house will do best for each person based on who they’re associated with, everyone in the house, and who they will become. Snape was placed in Slytherin but acted very much like a Ravenclaw while schooling in Hogwarts once his teaching years began he showed Hufflepuff traits by staying loyal to Lillie and to Dumbledore. It wasn’t really about who they were as an 11 year old but which house the person will best learn and grow.
I do just want to point, that’s more of a problem with the British education system rather than just Hogwarts itself. A lot of schools in Britain, especially Private/boarding schools do have these “houses” and that can just be random and doesn’t really mean much and may perhaps only change what colour clothing you may have, what team you’re on during Sports Day or other school events, which classroom you go when you arrive and are dismissed from school, some have separate common rooms and places to do homework, some boarding schools may have separate dorms based on what “house” you’re in etc. Sometimes they’re based on a little quiz you did before you go, but most places it is just random where they put you, and it’s supposed to help you make friends and promote teamwork as good points and bad points are not only go on our personal record, but also the houses record (like in Hogwarts where they’re like “5 points to Gryffindor” and then they won for that school term) and also for Sports and other team events, which is what you see in in the books…Almost as if J.K. was inspired by personal life events while writing the Harry Potter books.
As much as I love the DM, she really undersold all of the teachers and made them out to be a bit of a joke. They had no authority, didn’t defend their school or way of life and for me, totally lowered the stakes. They were all like comic relief and not one of them was imposing or seemed to possess knowledge or power that would earn even a speck of respect. She also made them all speak pretty much the same way, save for the druid one. I don’t expect full accents from any DM, but at least try and make them different. Aside from the aforementioned Druid teacher I don’t recall any details about any of the teachers except through the artwork we were shown.
EDIT: JK Rowling can go to hell. Counter point, the grouping has nothing to do with a students’ education. They all attend the same classes with other houses and pick their own path. This is about clustering personality types together, probably in an attempt to minimize fighting. I mean, if you think about it, it’s not all that different from local high schools competing against each other. “We’re best!” “No, WE are, and the numbers given by the teachers prove it!” “Sports match!”
PFF that’s the least of Hogwarts’ problems. The whole school is basically coed between 10-18 year olds. That’s rife for massive degrees of abuse. The spacial dynamics are all over the place too. Why have such a huge castle when you could just enchant a suitcase and have a mansion inside? You could have one small hut with a handful of chests and that would basically be the entire castle plus the quidditch field. Plus have you heard the school theme song? Enough to make Voldy wanna nuke his own horcruxes fam
TBF at 11 the very fibre of you has decided who it wants to be and then adulthood enters to temper it, not much changes except for societal norms. A magic hat determining the core of your being makes sense. All the people I’ve known personally at that age and upwards have the same core beliefs they’ve just been smoothed out by experience and knowledge.
All four houses, valuable, equal- Me : No, it’s not equal, the ravenclaw is literally background characters, doesn’t even include anything important with them except the time that they had to find that bloody blue crown, like literally, imagine being sort in a smart class, cool at first but then realized you’re being isolated from the rest of the other three house even the dorm -,- omg this is stressful
Gryffindor: self righteous pricks that think rules do not apply to them due to some moral high ground Ravenclaw: nerds that value studying More than practical application. Hufflepuff: social butterflies and confidants, coincidentally also the mosy reliable sources of information and gossip Slytherin: the ambitious preppies that are labeled bad for their focus on their goals over all else.. morally gray at Best and unapolagetic about it.
I’d like to make the point it’s more like choosing an Ivy League college, it’s mostly determined by blood relations but it is also largely the choice of the student based on what kind of lifestyle and career they seek to have. All 4 houses have a ton of history, good and bad, and the person’s choice does have a large effect on the sorting.
There is much of the Harry Potter world I don’t like but the houses I think are given more importance then they deserve. All your house determines is which color of uniform you wear, which dorm you sleep in, and which quidditch team you can join. Meanwhile you still all take the same classes taught by the same teachers and there are tons of public common areas, like the yard and library, where students from all houses are welcomed. And despite Hagrid claiming all bad wizards come from Slytherin, I’d like to point out Peter Pettigrew was Gryffindor, while Lockhard and Quirrell were from Ravenclaw. Not to mention Snape (a Slytherin) was tormented and bullied by a bunch of Gryffindor students. Imagine if Harry was in Slytherin, Ron was in Hufflepuff, and Hermione was in Ravenclaw, it would’ve been so different. They would’ve had to meet up in the library, yard, and/or room of requirement but otherwise could’ve done all the same things.
I don’t think they ever said anything about classes being locked to houses, gryffindor still goes to potions, slitheryn still gets defence against the dark arts, everyone still gets herbology, hell, in year 3 Hermione takes literally every elective class, she would throw a fit if something was locked off to her because of house.
but hogwarts houses are based on what you value most, no? courage, creativity, love and class. not necessarily that you have those traits… take neville longbottom for example, he wasnt the typical courageous type but he valued it a lot. in the end he grew to be one of the bravest ones there. same thing with hermione. she wasnt sorted into ravenclaw not because she wasnt smart enough (obviously) but because she valued having courage more than her cleverness. “books and cleverness? there are more important things. love, loyalty and friendship” – hermione granger (somewhere along those lines.)
Does that really matter though? I mean, it’s not like Hogwarts even teaches most students that much. Most of their studying seems to be done independently or with friend groups. Snape is an obviously biased and reproachful teacher, who treats the students of other houses badly and doesn’t seem to help students whatsoever. Hagrid, while a nice guy, never finished his education and obviously doesn’t know or teach his students many safety procedures and seems increasingly irresponsible as the books go on. Binns supposedly sets almost all of his students to sleep in his lessons, and seems uncomfortable answering their questions or even interacting with them at all. Trelawney seems to largely stumble through her lessons without much aid to students without a natural talent in Divination. Filch isn’t even a teacher, but it’s clear that he despises the students, likely because he is a squib and is jealous of their ability to do magic. He even endorses torture techniques to be used as punishments for small infractions. And Dumbledore seemingly does nothing to halt bullying, slurs, or dangerous creatures and objects and people from wandering about Hogwarts’ Campus. And don’t get me started on the professors who took on the post at Defense Against the Dark Arts each year. *Overall, it’s hard to see why Hogwarts is considered a prestigious or effective school at all. And, with the way so many students are left out to dry by professors and fellow students (sometimes with no support or punishment), it seems plausible that giving them an identity to grasp onto and people to make lasting easy friendships is a reasonable idea.
For people wanting a slightly less malicious version of this: Strixhaven. First year students are their own separate “blank” house so they have time to examine and learn about the other houses. Come second year, they get to personally choose what they feel an affinity towards. Lastly, rather than being different personalities, each house is a different selection of arts, including a full ass theater-kid house
The funny thing is, when people bring up all these flaws in the wizarding world’s education system/government/etc, they’re completely right and make fair, valid points! But instead of completely discrediting and dismantling the source material’s world building, I feel like it kinda adds to it? Like… the strict adherence to tradition is seen to be a massive setback in wizarding culture and the obsession with “keeping it pure” is what started these huge wars to begin with… It sets up the magical world in a really realistic way for everybody to have such a big “ooh aah isn’t it romantic and ideal and whimsical how we live!” attitude when in reality they’re seriously behind on the times by a couple centuries… and from the point of view of an abused/neglected child who is indoctrinated into this system and does not see the flaws in it immediately, as well… It just adds more layers to the world that are fun to pick apart tbh.
It’s a random thing but I kind of hate 2 things about hermione and that is the book smart girl went to the house of bravery and not smart, and that she never had any rivals of intellect in ravenclaw. I know the whole “you choose where you go” of the sorting hat, so I can excuse her being part of “main character house”, but the fact that she was the only person raising her hand in class without at least a ravenclaw trying to outdo her is, I think, a missed opportunity for rivalry and growth.
The sorting hat thing is actually pretty genius. It creates tribes for the students to automatically belong to and compete against with at least some superficial similarities, all while still under the general control of the faculty. Compare in the real world where students WILL form cliques based on all sorts of things, plus outcasts who never manage to fit in with any clique, all outside of the general control or understanding of the adults. There’s way way less of that when everyone has an in group to belong to (which automatically necessitates a larger outgroup), and the system is further improved by grouping based on some sort of traits or compatibility rather than random chance. Of course Slytherin was probably a bad choice
Okay hear me out… Let’s take this concept of “tracking”, and apply it to the “gifted and talented” program. If all you ever tell these “acedemically special” children that they’re naturally very intelligent, and expect them to always succeed…. It essentially sets them up for failure when anything gets challenging, because they’re put on a track where it’s assumed that they are good at everything. It destroys their self image when they don’t fit perfectly into the “gifted” mold anymore. It leads to acedemic burn out and mental health issues. At first and at a distance, it seems like a great way to let these kids have an outlet for their minds. But up close, the true impact it has on developing kids can be more detrimental than it is helpful. And I would know. I’m a burnt out gifted kid myself. If I hadn’t been so pressured to succeed as a kid, I wouldn’t fear failure as an adult.
You know, in the late 90’s and early 00’s, we had “reading groups” and “math groups” that split up kids into separate sections of the classroom to cover different materials. They did the same thing in middle school with “teams”. Everyone knew what it meant — or at least the smart kids knew. Above average, average, and below average.
Okay looking back that sorting system might not be the best… but still, coild you imagine being a Ravenclaw and being surrounded by the wrong house? Like you wanna do puzzles and riddles and stuff the Slytherins want to take charge and the Gryffindors want to be the brave ones and rebel, and the Hufflepuffs are just there to keep everyone sane! People need to be around people like them, it gives them closure almost, a sense of belonging. And no, I am not a psychologist.
Isn’t this basically what fraternities are? You join the one with the most appealing culture? I mean, in real life a magical talking hat doesn’t pick where you go but when you live in a magical world it makes sense that magical things happen in a magical way. Magical magical this is magic that is magic its okay that there’s whimsy in… HARRY POTTER.
So it’s actually not tracking because all of the students take the same classes, or have full access to all the same classes without pressure from the teachers. Tracking is where students are put down academic paths via course choice based on demographic or previous academic history by a scholastic institution.
diversity is our strength, but also, let’s profile students based on magical personality classification and make all the similar ones live together for their entire prepubescent and adolescent development, that’s sure to produce lots of well rounded thinkers who work together to solve problems in complementary fashion
If literally any of the Harry Potter series followed educational standards from any point in the modern era, Hogwarts would be raided and all teachers would be detained for child endangerment. The entire campus is a castle that is centuries old and could crumble at any moment, not to mention that people frequently cast explosive spells inside. The entire building would come down. Also, students are frequently exposed to harmful or life threatening elements. There are the mandragora that can rupture your eardrums, pixies that frequently kill people, kids riding a hippogryph with no harness or anchoring mechanism to prevent them from falling 800ft during a joyride. I’m pretty sure that J.k. Rowling either grew up in a mental ward or had just never stepped a foot into modern society until she finished writing the Harry Potter series.
well… maybe the sorting hat doesn’t sort you based on the traits you have but on the traits you will have. I mean, Hermione Granger should be a Ravenclaw, Peter Pettigrew should be a slytherin no matter how you look at it, Luna Lovegood and Neville longbottom should be hufflepuffs, the sorting hat wanted to sort harry as a slytherin, … how many ravenclaw students were in love with Gilderoy Fraud Lockhart? how come Luna’s housemates bullied her? they act evil insted of smart. wait. this doesn’t work. the hat sorted Draco as a slytherin but draco ends losing all his arrogance and becomes a decent parent so, he wasn’t “predestined” to be evil. this would mean the sorting hat sorts you based on how you are at eleven. and is a failure. half the relevant characters are sorted at the wrong house.
That’s not even getting into the fact that the houses are “Heroes” “Nerds” “Misc” and “Evil.” Like just unambiguously evil. It was founded by a dude who was like, literally all about genocide to the point where he fucking bred a massive snake to kill those he deemed had “Impure blood”, and he’s treated generally as like – a great historical figure to be admired? Like aspirational, even. And the attitudes that he pushed are, no shock, more present in Slytherin house than ANYWHERE else, like basically every wizard racist was in Slytherin and not only that but like – the blood-trait race-based aspects of their ideology are never really taken particularly seriously? Like in the Wizarding world people are primarily concerned that Voldemort does dark magic and murders people, but very little emphasis is put on opposing the ideological parts of his whole deal. SNAPE LITERALLY NEVER REPENTS THE WIZARD NAZI SHIT. HE ONLY QUITS BECAUSE VOLDEMORT DIDN’T AGREE TO JUST KILL JAMES AND BABY HARRY. AT NO POINT DID DUMBLEDORE EVEN ADDRESS THE WEIRD RACIAL PARTS OF HIS IDEOLOGY AS A DEATH EATER. Like the most we get is the explanation that Mudblood is a slur, and Ron/Hermione’s indignation that he used a Slur – but there are literally no official consequences for Malfoy for saying it. In the whole scope of the books the only times anyone gets punished for being racist is when it’s like, unofficial street-justice and usually it’s a small part of something bigger. Basically all I’m saying is that JK Rowling being a bad person should not have been THAT big of a surprise.
I like that at least fantastic beasts tried to give other houses a spotlight, with the main character being a hufflepuff who had a slytherin love interest when he was younger. Finally gryffindor took a backseat for another house and we finally got a slytherin supporting character who is actually sympathetic, even if she was just in the second movie.
Really reminds me of Divergent, wherein people being separated into groups based solely on one part of their personalities proved to be ineffective in a number of ways, namely with the people who belonged in more than one group because, surprise surprise, people have more than one inherent quality and there’s no one quality that defines them as a whole. Really think the housing system from HP is missing that tiny little detail.
By quite the margin… this is far from the worst problem in hogwarts… Like… Why is slytherin still a thing?!? Why are people expected to be on time and the stairs move whenever they want? Why is the punishment for breaking rules is having the kids do things they aren’t allowed to do? Like going in the deadly forest of death?!?
Huh. TIL that my middle school did student tracking. We had three different branches, and kids would get sorted based on their perceived academic potential. Even at that young of an age, we could tell that one was for the smart or overachieving kids, one was for the dumb, lazy, or troublesome kids, and the last one was for the average and unremarkable kids.
Okay, so, something that Americans don’t seem to understand, the house system is a REAL THING in a lot of British prep schools. It isn’t something that JK Rowling just made up. And, while they’re not assigned by a magic hat, they usually do have some kind of bullshit “virtue” attached to them And some people really do act the same way about their houses in real life as they do in Harry Potter, even though assignment to houses is usually totally arbitrary (which it pretty much is in the books too, if you think about it). And for years it’s been criticized for all of the things they bring up in this article. Hell, you could probably argue Rowling was criticizing it herself in the Harry Potter series. So, yeah, it’s not really that Rowling made up a world building aspect that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense when you think about it. It was more that she was incorporating an element of real life that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense when you think about it.
Feels appropriate to mention Switch by corvidae9 in which the Weasley twins spike the Sorting Hat so everyone in Harry’s and Ginny’s years end in different Houses (Neville and Hermione in Slytherin, Harry and Malfoy in Hufflepuff, Ron in Ravenclaw ) and almost immediately everyone fits their House stereotype; by year 3 Ron is debating their history classes with Hermione _history_!
I mean, it’s not actually that… but I do get the joke. As long as you get it wasn’t actually about that in Hogwart, this is just a joke. Becuase you see, it wasn’t like “who you are at the 11 age you will be forever”. It was more of a tradition, left after the founders, and a way to HELP the students, and the teachers controling houndreds of eleven aged kids, not to seperate them by their “basic characteristics”. Why it was only a tool? Becuase if you wanted to be in a specific house you could be. The hat would put you excatly where you would want to be even if out of every characteristic that house would be the last hat would put you in. Why it wasn’t a seperation? Leta and Newt, Cedric and Cho, Snape and Lily – it wasn’t just a crush over the “house fence”, they were friends spending their time toghether, with no rules or teahcers against it. And it wasn’t like “you are from gryf? Oh, so you are brave, but not ambitious, you from huff? So you are hardworking but a coward”, if you wasn’t like “i want to go there” hat would search what characteristic is the STRONGEST, not “the only”. For example this one is brave for most, and the second kid hell yeah he is brave too, even more than the previous one, but he wouldn’t do that certain thing, for example go against his mockery boss IF IT WOULD IN THE FUTURE GO AGAINST HIS CAREERE. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t brave it only means he is MORE ambitious than brave. How was that a help for students? It’s easier to find/compound a study group to train overtime if you are spending the evenings with other “ambitions over fun/free-time” people for example.
Ignoring the fact I’m trans, I don’t quite understand adult HP fans haha. There aren’t just flaws like this but purposefully written bits in the book about how enslaving house elves based on their race “because they like it,” which, idk, sounds pretty fucked?? Could also mention topics like the potentially antisemitic description of the goblins but I’d rather let those affected by that to speak on it if they choose.
What 11 year olds are told Gryffindor- You’re going to be known, but not as popular as your peers. You’ll be compared to the greats and have expectations on you Slytherin: You’re going to grow up hated and evil. Ravenclaw: You’re going to be smart and expected to do extra work. People you call friends will backstab you for your own gain Hufflepuff: Nobody’s going to remember you.
Even if I was put in Ravenclaw (I’m not going to do a riddle each time I want to get in the Ravenclaw Common Room: doesn’t Ravenclaw have a Disney Magic Band to by pass the Riddle (and the Riddler from Slytherin House could easily get in); I would put myself into Hufflepuff: the Fat Friar is awesome: he helped heal Muggles until Muggles killed him for his unnatural powers: how do Muggles kill a magic-user? And the Hufflepuff Common Room is next to the Kitchen: I would get a snack, chat for the House Elves about Martin Luther King, Jr.; and secretly plan how I and other young witches and wizards will intergrate the Witching/Wizarding/Muggling World together as one World; I could bet the Raveclaws they’re not smart enough to do that..
The sorting hat only sorts you into the house you ask. If you ask for a house it will put you in that house. It’s more a test to see what students themselves want to choose for themselves than having the hat decide. And just cause they are in those houses doesn’t mean they have to fit the stereotype of said house. Black and Wormtail are proof of that. And Raven Claw is supposed to be the smart house and Griffindor for bravery. But Neville was put in Griffindor despite his first few years being scared of everything and grew up to be the magical plant teach at Hogwarts cause he studied and found his passion. Everyone still takes the same classes as everyone else and are allowed to interact and mingle with everyone. Just the houses have their rooms scattered around the castle in different places
Okay, Lets unveil this as the thinly disguised swipe at hogwart’s house division system that it IS. Tracking is the division of students by academic ability into separate classes/curriculum. Now that we have that definition out of the way. No, The hogwarts house system is not tracking. You are not given separate classes or curriculum based on your house. All student regardless of house or academic ability take the same classes and tests in mixed numbers. Also, you are not put into houses based on your academic ability. You are put into a house based largely (tho not exclusively) on your personality and values. The only house that comes even remotely close to tracking is ravenclaw. That’s only because one of the traits that you can meet to become one is knowledge. The kicker is, YOU CAN LACK THAT TRAIT AND STILL BECOME A RAVENCLAW! You can get into ravenclaw based on your creativeness and wit alone! which has almost NOTHING to do with academic achievement! The whole hogwarts house system is fubberlucked in completely different ways. but it’s NOT tracking. The biggest failing of the hogwarts house system is IMO that it sorts based on personality and values that are very likely to change over time with proper experience and growth.