It only makes sense that so many people love the House of Godric Gryffindor. After all, some of the most powerful, heroic, and important characters, including Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter himself, were sorted into Gryffindor. However, the house that champions bravery and perseverance receives an excessive amount of glorification from enthralled readers and Harry Potter characters alike. 

Naturally, I understand that the house that the hero Harry Potter and his two best friends belong to gathers a significant amount of attention across the series and fandom. But from an impartial reader’s perspective, I’ve noticed that the staff at Hogwarts display an unreasonable amount of favoritism towards Gryffindor House and its members. For example, Professor Dumbledore announces a few last minute points during the last dinner of the year in the Great Hall, right before the House Cup is supposed to be awarded to Slytherin. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Neville were awarded points at the very last moment, which were undoubtedly deserved for stopping Voldemort from stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone, but Dumbleodore had the opportunity to dish out those points at any point. Instead, the headmaster essentially handed the House Cup to Gryffindor in recognition of Harry and his friends’ achievements, which likely only raises tensions between the houses and offsets many other students who wonder why the headmaster selectively recognizes certain people in pivotal moments. Inspiring rivalry between the houses can be healthy, but Dumbledore allows his favoritism to Gryffindor to generate greater hostility with Slytherin. Although it is important to note that Snape similarly shows Slytherin his own favoritism, Dumbledore’s position as headmaster and pronounced influence across Hogwarts contributes to the belief that Hogwarts as a whole favors Gryffindor. 

Even with regards to Gryffindor values such as bravery, many people place a disproportionate emphasis on these traits. It is certainly admirable to be able to protect your friends and family and to stand up for what is right. However, it is equally important for well rounded individuals to epitomize intelligence, empathy, and ambition. The three other Hogwarts houses and their values should be recognized equally as important. With so few members represented across the series, Hufflepuff, in particular, receives a misleading reputation as the house with bland people. 

Take Cedric Diggory for example. He was an exceptional student–a prefect as well as captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Cedric was even chosen by the Goblet of Fire as the Hogwarts champion for the Triwizard Tournament. He exemplified Hufflepuff values in many ways. He was unfailingly compassionate and everyone that knew him loved him. Dumbledore even described Cedric as “a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, [who] valued fair play” after his death in the fourth book (722). But his character extended beyond Hufflepuff values. Cedric was incredibly cunning, remarkably intelligent, and fiercely courageous as demonstrated by his ability to successfully navigate the Triwizard Tournament and to stand up to Voldemort. He embodies many different values prized by all four houses and still proudly represents Hufflepuff. The same can be said for Nymphadora Tonks. As part of the Order, she is just as brave as any Gryffindor for risking her life against Voldemort in hopes of creating a better world for her friends and young wizards like her newborn son. 

Slytherin as well as receives an unwarranted poor reputation. Having ambition does not automatically correspond to being evil. It is only evil when people use their ambition to help themselves at the expense of others. With good intentions, being ambitious suggests that someone is determined and willing to work their hardest to achieve their goals, which of course is a good thing. Many Slytherins embody this mindset, and not all Slytherins are bad. In fact, many of the people that help Harry in his journey to defeat Voldemort are Slytherins, such as Severus Snape, Horace Slughorn, and Regulus Black. Even Draco Malfoy helps Harry in his own way in Malfoy Manor by pretending like he is unable to fully confirm that the Snatchers caught the real Harry Potter. Consequently, it is unfair to classify all Slytherins as evil, ambitious wizards and ignore that Slytherins were also prized for their resourcefulness and determination. After all, the Sorting Hat originally wanted to place Harry himself in Slytherin.

While Gryffindor receives an exorbitant amount of praise and Hufflepuff and Slytherin remain underappreciated by both Harry Potter characters and readers, I have noticed that Ravenclaw stands as a medium between these two receptions. The intelligence and knowledge of Ravenclaw is often praised (after all, Hogwarts is an institution of education), yet it can be overlooked at times. For example, Luna Lovegood suggests that the idea that the horcrux Harry is looking for may be Rowena Ravenclaw’s lost diadem, but everyone dismisses the idea until Harry recognizes that Luna’s out of the box thinking is plausible. 

Across the Harry Potter series, the House of Godric Gryffindor is glorified for its brave, heroic members by captivated readers and Harry Potter characters alike. As a result, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin do not receive as much acknowledgement for their importance. In the end, there is nothing wrong with loving Gryffindor or any of its members, but it is crucial to appreciate the value in all four Hogwarts houses.