Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing whether or not students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
are Sorted into their respective Houses too early in their education, and three pupils
that were definitely Sorted too young.
To start, when young witches and wizards first arrive at the school, they are only 11. And
can anyone truly say that their 11-year-old-self was an accurate representation of the adult
they became? Perhaps for some – but I truly believe that in most cases the answer would
be a resolute no. So, let’s dive into that a bit further...
For many people – Muggles and magical folks alike – our younger years serve as a time
to explore, experiment, and discover what interests us most in life. Add to that the
fact that many people in their youth, particularly excitable young children, do many selfish,
irresponsible things. They’ll beg to take part in a particular activity, only to have
absolutely zero interest in that same subject just mere months later. Throughout this time
in our lives, many of us will have also made plenty of mistakes, all in the name of “growing
up.”
So, can it really be fair for a magical Sorting Hat to look into the minds of young witches
and wizards who have only lived for just over one decade and decide which of their characteristics
are most prominent? A decision that will then impact who their friends are, how the wizarding
world will perceive them, and, ultimately, who they will become? I personally think not.
And not to give myself too much credit, but even the great Albus Dumbledore asked this
very question, saying to Snape in The Deathly Hallows: “‘You are a braver man by far
than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon …’ / He walked
away, leaving Snape looking stricken …”
Now before we unpack Dumbledore’s meaning here, let’s take a moment to review the
main qualities associated with each of the four Hogwarts’ Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin,
Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.
#1 GRYFFINDOR: Students who are sorted into this highly desirable House are the brave,
courageous sort. They are often determined pupils who are known to stand up for the underdog.
Gryffindors quite frequently will act first and ask questions later.
#2 SLYTHERIN: If you’re sorted into Slytherin, you are likely quite clever, ambitious, and
resourceful. Although often viewed through a more negative lens, Slytherin House produced
both good and bad wizards throughout the years, including the likes of Merlin, and most infamously,
Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort.
#3 RAVENCLAW: Ravenclaw has a reputation as the smartest group of students in all of Hogwarts.
Witches and wizards who end up being Sorted into this House are intelligent, hungry to
learn more, and a little bit eccentric. Many magical inventors are known to have come up
through Ravenclaw.
#4: HUFFLEPUFF: Humble, hardworking, and loyal – these are the characteristics that best
describe many Hufflepuff students. Regrettably – and quite unfittingly – this House has
been the butt of many a joke at Hogwarts (can’t you just hear Draco Malfoy sneering about
going home rather than being sorted into Hufflepuff?) but that’s likely due to the fact that Hufflepuffs
just don’t feel the need to brag.
Okay, so now that we’ve gone over the four Houses and their associated main traits, let’s
jump back to that Dumbledore quote. Why would Dumbledore have suggested that Hogwarts may
Sort their students too early? It’s likely pretty obvious, right? Although Snape was
many of the things a typical Slytherin graduate represents – clever, resourceful, and ambitious
(I mean, honestly, did a wizard ever want the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching
position more than Severus Snape?), one of his more prominent characteristics was actually
COURAGE – one of, if not THE most defining trait of a Gryffindor student. So, it stands
to reason that as Snape grew up and had more and more need to be brave – as I can’t
imagine being a double-crossing Death Eater was too easy on the nerves, although yes that
came a little bit later – perhaps the Sorting Hat would’ve recognized his emerging courage
if the Hat had been put on his head when he was a little bit older. PERHAPS, as a young
teen, rather than a boy of 11, his bravery would’ve stood out and overshadowed his
other more Slytherin-like qualities. Hearing Dumbledore say this was, of course, devastating
for a jaded Snape. If only he had been Sorted into Gryffindor with the love of his life,
Lily Evans…would they have ended up together? Would she still be alive? But I digress…
Alright, so if this was the only instance of a wizard showing qualities from a rival
house as one of their main traits, I don’t think I’d be quite as convinced that Hogwarts
Sorts their students too early. BUT! I do, in fact, have a couple of other examples…let’s
take a look.
Most obvious, I would have to say, is Hermione. Yes, I believe that THE Hermione Granger,
one of Harry’s absolute best mates in Gryffindor was sorted into the wrong House. Think about
it. How is it possible that THE BRIGHTEST student in their entire year was put into
Gryffindor, rather than Ravenclaw? Quite honestly, she fits the Ravenclaw bill to a tee – she’s
brainy, she’s ALWAYS got her head in a book, and, let’s face it, she’s more than a
little bit odd. And as long as I’m being honest, I must say that I wouldn’t exactly
categorize her as one of the most fearless witches that we’re introduced throughout
the series. This is not to diminish any acts of valour that Hermione performs or say that
she isn’t brave in certain circumstances, but I definitely think her Ravenclaw-like
traits far outweigh her show of courage, or any of the other Gryffindor qualities. For
example, can you honestly recall a time when Hermione didn’t want to sit down and sort
out a plan according to every last detail? Please. She was Ravenclaw through and through.
This may have you thinking, “Well, maybe the Sorting Hat didn’t make the greatest
decision on this one.” And this may have been the case, as she is portrayed as ever-prepared
and intelligent beyond compare from the very beginning of The Philosopher’s Stone. However,
I would argue that it’s possible that the Hat saw certain qualities in Hermione that
aligned with multiple Houses – just as it did with Harry – and so, if she had been
given a couple more years to really come into her own as a bright young witch, it would’ve
been all too clear to the Sorting Hat – quite unquestionable, really – which of her characteristics
were most prominent, and she undoubtedly would’ve been placed in Ravenclaw.
Alright, so if you didn’t like that assessment, get ready to be even more displeased – because,
if I’m being honest, I also don’t think that Ron should’ve been placed in Gryffindor
(and don’t even get me started on his brother, Percy!). To be frank, it seems to me that
Ron was put into this House simply because that’s where ALL of the Weasleys ended up
– and he, of course, couldn’t stand the thought of not being in Gryffindor, which
I’m sure the Sorting Hat took into consideration – once again, as it did for Harry when he
begged it not to sort him into Slytherin. For the majority of the Weasleys, that is
Bill, Charlie, George, Fred, and Ginny, I don’t disagree with their placement in Gryffindor.
But for much of the series Ron was a massive coward, wasn’t he? He had a terrible fear
of spiders and was even a little squeamish when it came to playing Quidditch for the
Gryffindor team. You may be thinking to yourself, “Yes, but then he worked really hard to
train up on his skills and ended up helping Gryffindor win the Quidditch Tournament in
Year Six. Okay, yes – BUT hard work is, as you may recall, actually one of HUFFLEPUFF’S
main qualities, along with loyalty and modesty, two more traits that I think more accurately
describe Ron than any of the Gryffindor qualities. These traditionally Hufflepuff traits of Ron’s
seem to become clearer and clearer the older Ron gets – okay, not the arachnophobia,
that one’s there from the beginning. But when he first comes to Hogwarts, I would argue
that he’s not all that sure of what’s most important to him, other than the fact
that he simply MUST be in Gryffindor because all of his family has been. But if he had
been Sorted later on, I think there’s a good chance he would’ve ended up in Hufflepuff.
Which brings us to the end of this video. What do you guys think? Are students at Hogwarts
Sorted too early? Do you have any other examples of witches or wizards who may have ended up
in different Houses if the Sorting Hat had placed them later on? Let me know your thoughts
in the comments below! And don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel.
Until next time…
Remember
“YOU COULD BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL HERE IN YOUR HEAD”