Take The Harry Potter Challenge To Get Sorted Into A Hogwarts House
- by Amber Winter
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Harry Potter is a seven part series (or eight if you include the two part film for the Deathly Hallows). The basic premise of the series is that Harry Potter is the infamous “Boy Who Lived;” referring to of course his survival of the Dark Lord’s wrath as a young infant. When Harry comes of age he learns that all of his strange quirks and abilities were really because he’s a wizard, just like his parents. Diving into the magical world that Hogwarts has to offer, with each new instalment into the series, Harry learns that an old threat is resurfacing and only he has the power to stop it.
Throughout the series there are a number of characters who face not only the physical challenges of being a witch/wizard, but psychological dilemmas as well, like Draco and his task of eliminating Albus Dumbledore. In their first year at Hogwarts, each student partakes in the sorting hat ceremony where they are placed in one of the four houses that most suites them. A person who is placed in Hufflepuff is considered to be dedicated and fair. A person who is placed in Ravenclaw is considered intelligent and creative. A person who is placed in Slytherin is considered resourceful and determined. A person placed in Gryffindor is considered brave and chivalrous.
Pick a Hogwarts professor
There are so many professors who come and go during the Harry Potter series. Although the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors is a good enough reason for why no one stays for longer than a year. But there are other professors who remained throughout the duration of the series.
Pick a quidditch position
Quidditch is the famous sport that all of the witches and wizards love to watch (or play if you’re good enough). In the Goblet of Fire, the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione all had the privilege of watching the World Cup. Even if you have no interest in playing, it is a magnificent sport to watch.
Pick an elective
There are so many courses in the Harry Potter series it can be hard to keep track of. In the first year the students had the pleasure of learning how to ride a broomstick, make potions, and learn about different plants and such in herbology. As you get older, you have the ability to choose some of your own courses.
Pick the first stop in Diagon Alley
It's exciting to get that Hogwarts letter in the mail for the first time and discover it's time to attend a highly sophisticated magical school for witches and wizards. In that letter there is a list of supplies students need for their first year. Travelling to Diagon Alley, which stop is the first on the list?
Get a tea leaf reading. What shows up?
As it was said before, there are all kinds of different classes available at Hogwarts. One of them is Divination, a class which focuses on the magical ability to foresee the future. Tessomancy refers to tea leaf reading. Some students strongly believe in this kind of magic, while others think is highly unlikely.
Pick a department to work in the Ministry of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is the body of government which looks over all of the different laws of magic. Additionally they oversee the magical people and communities, dealing with problems ranging from underage wizards using magic outside of school, dealing with magical creatures and discovering the jinxing of muggle objects.
Pick a horcrux to destroy
A Horcrux is an object that a dark wizard or witch places a sliver of their soul into with the intent to gain immortality. The Dark Lord, or Voldemort had created a total of seven horcruxes (although he had only intended for there to be six). A Horcrux can only be made after the witch or wizard murders someone in cold blood.
What's the best way to prepare for the O.W.L.s?
O.W.L.s refer to the “Ordinary Wizarding Level” exams that take place during a student’s fifth year. They are fairly important in regards to a witch’s or wizard’s future because the results influence what courses they can continue to take and what type of careers they will be able to pursue.
Pick a Deathly Hallow to own
The Deathly Hallows are three very powerful objects given to a family of brothers by Death. The eldest brother wished for more power, thus the Elder Wand was created. The second brother wished to be able to bring loved ones back, thus the Resurrection Stone was created. The third brother wished not to be followed by Death, and thus the Invisibility Cloak was created.
Pick a magical creature
Harry Potter is filled with all kinds of different creatures. There is a whole department dedicated to their care in the Ministry of Magic. Unfortunately the Ministry is not always on the side of the magical creature, which is evident in the fact that BuckBeak the Hippogriff was sentenced to death.
Pick a patronus
A Patronus is the silver light that acts as a form of protection in the presence of a Dementor. It is a highly complicated spell, and only dedicated witches and wizards can cast such a spell. Some take on the form of creatures, such as a stag, otter or rabbit. Sometimes it can be cast without any form or shape.
Pick something to buy at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
Fred and George are notorious for their constant pranks not only to their loveable mother, but to the staff and students of Hogwarts as well. Mischief might as well have been their middle names, which is why it was no surprise they found themselves with the Maurders Map. Turning their love of jokes and pranks into a business, they opened a shop in Diagon Alley.
Pick a spell
Spells. They make up a large portion of the magic in the Harry Potter series. Harry feels quite embarrassed not having known any upon his arrival at Hogwarts, but it becomes clear that even though some people are born into pure-blood families they still have a lot to learn as well.
Pick a house elf
House-elves are just one species of magical creatures which are treated poorly in the wizarding world. Hermione seemed to be one of the only people who had strong feelings about the mistreatment of them, especially with Winky in the Goblet of Fire (book series). Harry was responsible for setting Dobby free from his master, Lucius Malfoy.
Pick the best house colors
The four houses of Hogwarts are divided based on the personality of the witch or wizard. Someone who will do well with brave and courageous people will be sorted into Gryffindor. People who have the capacity to think outside the box and use their wits to their advantage will be sorted into Ravenclaw. Each Hogwarts house has their own distinctive colors that the witch or wizard wears.
Pick a pet to have at Hogwarts
Hogwarts permits its young witches and wizards to have pets of their choosing, within reason. Four of the most common pets allowed include toads, cats, rats, and of course owls. Hermione had Crookshanks, Ron had Scabbers, Harry has Hedwig, and Neville had Trevor. Owls are the only pets who really serve a function, that being their delivery service.
Pick a hangout spot at Hogwarts
Hogwarts is an enormous castle filled with all kinds of different places to hangout. Some of which are not known to many students, such as the secret underground tunnels which Harry uses to get in and out of Hogsmeade. It also had a secret chamber where a ruthless Basilisk lived so perhaps roaming Hogwarts is not always the safest.
Pick the best wazarding family
There are a number of different wizarding families featured throughout the movies. This is due to the fact that they start off at such a young age at Hogwarts, that of course their parents and/or guardians would be seeing them off on the Hogwarts Express. Well, all except for Harry’s aunt and uncle of course.
Pick an activity for summer break
Like most schools, Hogwarts is open during the Fall-Summer months, where they start at the beginning of September and finish roughly around June. It’s always expressed how Harry has to return home for two months so that’s a basic estimation of time. Harry always seems to be the one who misses Hogwarts the most during these times.
Is it worth putting a name in the goblet of fire?
The Goblet of Fire is the fourth installation into the series. It features the Triwizard Tournment, which was to be held at Hogwarts and involved two other rival wizarding schools: Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. The Goblet of Fire is where the eligible students put their name to be chosen to participate in the gruesome challenges.
Pick an extracurricular activity
While Hogwarts is an educational institute meant to teach the young witches and wizards all of the magic they will need to know to be functioning adults, their classes always seem to be pushed aside because of a new threat each year. Although Hermione seems to be the only one who is horrified when exams are cancelled.
Pick a favorite secondary character
Harry Potter is one of those series that is filled with so many secondary characters. And just because they’re considered secondary does not mean they’re less important to the plot. Let’s not forget it was Neville Longbottom that showed his true Gryffindor spirit and slayed Nagini with the sword. There are countless others just like him that all play a significant role.
Pick a magical treat
What event isn’t made better by food? One of the most anticipated things about the beginning of a new year at Hogwarts is its delicious banquet meal served after the sorting ceremony. There are feasts held every holiday, and the treats served at Hogsmeade are delicious to say the very least. Even the infamous trolley on the Hogwarts Express is well loved.
Pick a Christmas present to receive
Christmas is always the holiday where the trio does most of their sneaking around. This is because it’s the only time of year where the students get a break from their studies and go home to visit their relatives for a short time in between semesters. Harry chooses to stay at Hogwarts each year because its better than going to visit his aunt and uncle.
Pick the perfect broomstick
Broomsticks are considered to be a luxury item, mostly because the really fast and newer ones are extremely expensive. The only people at Hogwarts who really own their own broomsticks are on the Quidditch teams. Although they all can’t be lucky enough to be on the Slytherin team where the Malfoy’s bought them all new models.
Pick a class to totally skip
As it has been said before, there are so many classes to take at Hogwarts. And we all can’t be Hermione and take double the classes because Time Turners are rare and tricky to use. Some of the most basic classes that all students take during their first few years at Hogwarts include Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Potions.
Pick an animal to be as an Animagus
To be classified as an Animagus, a witch or wizard must have developed the skill to be able to transform into a specific animal whenever he/she chooses to do so. It’s not to be confused with a werewolf, where they turn every full moon. Most Animagi are registered with the Ministry, (such as McGonagall) but other students learned the skill but never told any authority figure.
Pick a favorite defense against the dark arts professor
As Harry and his friends entered their first year at Hogwarts, they learn about a supposed curse placed upon one of the professor’s teaching positions. It is revealed that no one stays for more than a year because of the Dark Lord. And of course, every year there would be a new professor taking over.
Look into the mirror of Erised: What's there?
The Mirror of Erised is a powerful magical object where the viewer sees what they most desire. It is discovered by Harry in the first installment of the series, where he first believes it shows you people who have moved on. Only when he shows Ron, who sees himself as a champion does he realize it shows you what you want most in the world.
Pick a favorite villain
Harry Potter would not be nearly as good of a story if it didn’t have all of the villains constantly testing the will and bravery of the students. Although the most obvious villain of the story is the Dark Lord Voldemort, there are a handful of others who make it onto the list as well.