By Julian Portis-Escoto

The Hogwarts Housing System is one of the most beloved and celebrated traditions within Hogwarts. Fans of the series love to participate in the system as well, assigning themselves to a specific house based on their own personality traits. The Housing System provides a great way for students to bond with each other. Students of the same house live together, share a common room, and encourage each other as they gain house points. For instance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione become best friends and further develop their friendship in the Gryffindor House. It can also promote friendly competition between houses, especially when it comes to Quidditch matches. On the other hand, the housing system lacks accuracy and consistency, especially when it comes to the criteria the sorting hat uses to select students. To make matters worse, the housing system segregates the students from one another, which negatively contributes to the competition. The negative effects of this segregation culminate in harassment and violence. Although the Housing System is effective, it’s also outdated. Therefore, an updated version will serve Hogwarts students much better than the current system.

Although the selection process works well for Hogwarts students, its inconsistent selection criteria draw attention to the system’s flaws. The sorting hat’s system is vague, as the audience does not know whether the hat chooses based on qualities that students value or qualities that students exhibit. For instance, Draco Malfoy exhibits the traits of a Slytherin and the sorting hat places him in that house. However, Hermione exhibits the traits of a Ravenclaw but gets placed in Gryffindor because she values courage above everything. On top of that, the audience doesn’t know whether the hat chooses based on qualities students currently exhibit/value or based on qualities students will exhibit/value later on. For instance, the sorting hat placed Neville Longbottom into Gryffindor despite his timidness. However, as the series progressed, Neville grew to exhibit the qualities of a true Gryffindor. People mature drastically from ages 12-18, the typical age range for Hogwarts students. So, students can drastically change their personality, and it may or may not resemble the qualities of their respective house. To resolve both of these issues, the sorting hat should assign houses based on qualities students exhibit when they are 18 years old. At that point, students will understand their most mature qualities when they first get their assignment, regardless of whether they currently exhibit them or not. In addition, it is best to base their assignment on their 18-year-old personality and not older because their houses won’t matter as much after they graduate from Hogwarts. 

The other main issue with the Hogwarts Housing system is the living quarters themselves. While it is great for students to bond further with members of their own house, they also isolate themselves from members of other houses. This segregation limits the students from growing beyond the qualities of their own house. This explains why the Slytherin house produces the most death eaters and dark wizards. To resolve this issue, the students should room with at least one person from each house during their time at Hogwarts. The order of houses doesn’t matter, but the student should only room with someone from their house for the first year. This system will force students to interact with students from other houses and understand the qualities that make them different. The goal is for students to accept and appreciate each other’s differences and use it as an opportunity to adopt some of their best qualities. That way, Hogwarts students become more well-rounded individuals. In addition, this system can promote healthy competition while minimizing the hostility among houses. All of the house lounges should remain so students can celebrate the comradery of their house.

By implementing these two drastic changes to the Hogwarts Housing System, the quality of student life at Hogwarts will drastically improve. Students will find a strong community with shared qualities, but also be able to appreciate and celebrate each other’s differences. This will be critical in times of crisis, as Hogwarts students must be prepared to put their rivalry aside for the sake of protecting the school. All houses have their own virtues and flaws, and it’s up to the students to understand them and learn how to work with people who are different from them.