Some of us did not need the sorting hat to know where we belonged (to be fair some of us didn’t get owls) but we DID GET the books, and by books we mean another world, and by another world—we are certainly referencing the brilliant J.K Rowling and her brilliant Harry Potter series.
To be clear, we consists of Siaara Freeman, a proud Slytherin from Cleveland, Ohio and Brittany Rogers, a proud Hufflepuff from Detroit, Michigan. People assume many things when they look at us; we are black, we are women, and to society at large, we are easily put in a box (both figuratively and literally). For the record, we’d much rather have a house!
When she created Hogwarts, J.K Rowling created a housing system in which we could place ourselves and forever belong. This system is based on personality and motivation–as opposed to a system that categorizes you based on…I don’t know…the color of your skin, who you pray to, who you sleep with, and how you identify in gender.
Rowling’s world was by no means perfect; if anything, the imperfection is part of what draws us. It allows us to see some of the same problematic and horrifying actions occur an alternate world, and reminds us that even magic can’t fix everything, but also that this did not stop people from trying, or stop their kids from going on when they could no longer continue. And in 2017, with one who wishes he were as great as the Dark Lord in office, this reminder will guide our actions this year.
The best part of Hogwarts houses is that they are proof that personality type does not determine morality. Rather morality (goodness vs. evil) is based on individual choices.
[quote_simple]
The four houses represented at Hogwarts are as follows:
Gryffindor (motivated by bravery and nerve)
Ravenclaw (is ran by intellect and wisdom)
Hufflepuff (for those of community and loyalty)
Slytherin (where ambition and cunning is the incentive)[/quote_simple]
We are from two houses that most believe to be polar opposites, and yet we maintain a fierce bond–one that’s balanced, loyal, and understanding. There are plenty of memes wandering the internet on the sly/puff friendships and we embody most of them.
Honestly, we though about writing about our houses–and favorite characters from each house– and how they help guide our moral compass; we both often write from the perspectives of our favorite potter characters or concepts.
However, in true huff/sly friendship fashion, we decided: we would be good alone, but we can be great together. It only makes sense, seeing that we belong to the houses that tend to get the most misguided reactions from both characters in the novels and fans of the series.
Certain characters were introduced early in the series, and therefore were considered credible “House Experts”. For example: the beloved-tho-sorta-infuriating-to-some-people-and-by-some-people-I-mean-me-Giant, Hagrid.
Let’s take a moment to review his quote to Harry: “Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin…there’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one!
He tried it.
1. Harry don’t want to be in Hufflepuff, and given the description of the house from good ole Hagrid, you can hardly blame son. The implication is simple, Hufflepuff is where you go when you have nowhere else to be, leaving the Hufflepuffs to being associated with boring, or lackluster off rip.
2. It is f***ing better than being a Slytherin. This is said like dawg how did you NOT know? HOW IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU KNOW FAM? FAM?
We will (kindly/as possible) Address The Above:
Brittany: Many great witches and wizards came from Hufflepuff, starting with one of the founders of Hogwarts, Helga Hufflepuff. In case you missed it, she famously and graciously took on all the students- especially the ones the other founders did not want and treated them all the same. This concept embodies both the teacher and mother in me. I teach high school students who have varying forms of potential and I love them all the same. I have two completely different children, they also get the same exact love.
BUT do not misunderstand love for what a Hufflepuff likes. A Hufflepuff believes everyone deserves the same chance but ALSO knows that not everyone deserves more than one chance. Entering 2017, I realize I can love people without giving them more chances to hurt me. I think the desire of community that is found in Hufflepuff people, is huge in me, yet I have taken note from my favorite Hufflepuff heroine Tonks and decided to create a community that I can exist in happily, one I can fight with and for, one with immense loyalty where I feel protected.
Siaara: Also TONKS WAS A BOSS!
B: Let the record show!!!
S:Homegirl goes a long way in dispelling all Hufflepuffs are boring. She was the only known metaphori in the series and —
B: she was too much troublemaker to be perfect, she fought in the Order of the Pheonix, married a werewolf, died in duty—
S: and was originally from the Black family line- a typically Slytherin family.
B: So clearly we’re on to the second point. We admit some dark personalities came from house Slytherin, there is simply no denying that however–
S: —Slytherin is NOT the ONLY house where Dark Wizards graduated from: Professor Quirrell ring any bells? Does Peter? Definitely dark, definitely belonged to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively. Take a look at the Chocolate Frog cards. Who you find and where they were affiliated may surprise you!
B: Basically, to reinforce the lesson J.K Rowling taught, having certain traits do not determine a person’s actions.
S:hell —we weren’t even the only d**n school where dark witches/wizards came from, there was an entire school dedicated to dark arts. No Slytherin’s in Dumstrang academy, but plenty of dark witches and wizards graduated from there. All Slytherin’s aren’t bad. Merlin’s Beard!
B: Lol, I see what you did, Best…
S: Merlin is unanimously noted as the greatest wizard in the Harry Potter universe; he created an order to protect muggles, was superbly skilled at magic and incredibly ambitious. Awards were granted in dude’s name.
B: You know what she is about to tell you right?
S: HE WAS A SLYTHERIN
B: Calm down, Best!
S:It’s like mentioned in the books, it’s on the Pottermore site, people JUST GLOSS OVER IT. Not just fans either, entire characters in the novel invoke his name randomly but swear all Slytherins are bad…its really
B: —unfair that people don’t acknowledge that the large spread fight for Muggles started with Slytherins.
S: I know being a proud Slytherin gets me glances in the nerd community and that my personality might get glances in the general community, but just because you are up to something does not mean you are up to something bad. Just because you want power does not mean you do not want to do good with it. And I plan. And I plan to do the right things. I know that my self-preservation sometimes gets in the way of me helping others; my 2017 plan is to learn how to include others in my preservation.
B: Narcissa did it.
S: You know she is my favorite best!
B: Again, in case you missed in, in the final war (and the Hufflepuffs were on the front line, with Professor Sprout leading them straight into battle, mind you) Narcissa Malfoy was there.
S: She was, and Cissy is one of my favorite Slytherin heroes. People don’t like cissy; they accused her of being dark.
B: she was married to Lucious Malfoy, clearly a Deatheater- OH, but Narcissa was not!
S: I’m not saying she wasn’t vain, or a bit closed off, but I think she was an amazing showing of how far Slytherin love and loyalty can go.
B: And when you combine Hufflepuff and Slytherin loyalty… S: It’s why we’re so close! Anyway, Cissy used her cunning to save Harry Potter and thus save her son and thus trick Voldy and thus save the war. People argue with this all over fandom sites, but it is a fact. If we break it down to the final act, it was Cissy’s cunning and desire to protect who she loved that saved them all.
B: Indeed, best. Where my housemates can be too tolerant and unwilling to fight for ourselves, our Slytherin counterparts remind us to set boundaries and dedicate as much to ourselves as we do to our community. On the other hand, Hufflepuff’s remind Slytherin’s to take a break from their plots and help calm their need to destroy the world when someone makes the mistake of wronging them. We need each other if we’re gonna conquer the world.
S:And conquer we shall, Best. SHALL.
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