Hey everyone ! Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory! In this video we’re
going to be discussing the 5 most powerful witches and wizards that came from Hufflepuff
house.In 2 of my older videos, I showed you my top 5 lists for Gryffindor and Slytherin.
I’ve been seeing a lot of requests for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, so here we go.
Hufflepuff is best introduced in the Sorting Hat’s own words:
"You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil."
Each of the four houses are known for lots of different things, but usually there is
one particular aspect that sticks out. Where Gryffindor is known for it’s brave alumni,
and Slytherin is known for its cultivation of dark witches and wizards, Hufflepuff is
known for producing the FEWEST number of dark witches and wizards. Hufflepuff’s are hard
working, wholesome, trustworthy, loyal and have an impeccably strong work ethic. But
Hufflepuff gets a bit of a hard time from some, and is publicly criticized as being
neither particularly exceptional or clever-but this is far from the truth, as Hufflepuff
has produced some of the most impressive witches and wizards to date .
Now, if you know Hogwarts history, which you should, then you will know that Hogwarts had
four founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Godric Gryffindor.
The 4 founders enchanted a hat, the sorting hat, a hat that would allocate students to
each of the houses.
After the student places the hat on their head, it begins to analyze their mind and
places them in a house based on how closely they resemble one of the four founders- and
if the hat senses great bravery, Gryffindor is the likely choice. Ravenclaw valued intelligence,
Hufflepuff valued hard work, and Slytherin valued aspirations for power.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 of the HARDEST workers- 5 of the most powerful
Hufflepuff’s to have ever lived.
5. Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory was a british pure-blood wizard born in the year 1977. He began studying at
Hogwarts in the year 1989, 2 years before Harry Potter and the trio. Cedric was a talented
wizard, and was sorted in to Hufflepuff house in his formative year at Hogwarts. Cedric
had a reputation of being a bit of a pretty boy, but was well liked by the student body,
eventually becoming prefect for Hufflepuff house, and captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch
team.
Cedric was popular, but he was not pompous or arrogant- and showed on numerous occasions
that he was a fair, respectable man. When Harry was attacked by Dementors in the Hufflepuff
vs Gryffindor quidditch match, and Hufflepuff won, Cedric immediately offered to replay
the match when he found out. Additionally, when the whole school were sporting ‘Potter
Stinks’ badges in the 94-95 school year, Diggory showed sympathy to Harry:
"Hey, listen... About the badges. I've asked them not to wear them."
Perhaps most notably, Cedric competed against Harry in the triwizard tournament. Diggory
was the talented representative for Hufflepuff, and Harry for Gryffindor. At the end of the
tournament, the two boys agreed to share the glory of winning, and grasped the triwizard
cup simultaneously. Unbeknownst to them, the cup had been turned into a portkey, and the
pair were transported to the little hangleton graveyard where Wormtail and Voldemort awaited
their arrival. It was here that Cedric was tragically killed:
When Cedric died, Dumbledore had many kind words to say about Cedric.
"We'll celebrate a boy who was, kind and honest, and brave, and true right to the very end."
But Cedric was not only well-liked and a good person, he was also very magically gifted.
Barty Crouch Jr (disguised as Moody) had this to say about Cedric:
"By the time he was your age, he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing you
the time."
As the triwizard tournament progressed, we saw many notable examples of Cedric’s talent
as a wizard. His transfiguration capabilities shone through when he successfully transformed
a rock in to a dog during the first task of the tournament, and we got to see his charms
work first hand in the second task of the tournament when he successfully produced a
bubble-head charm, which suggests that he achieved either an ‘exceeds expectations’
or ‘outstanding’ grade in his OWL exam. Cedric even produced a stunning spell strong
enough to stun and defeat an acromantula which is a very powerful creature.
In the end Cedric was more than just a popular guy at school- he died a hero.
4. Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks was a british half-blood witch- the daughter of muggle-born Edward
Tonks, and pure-blood witch Andromeda Tonks, who was a former member of the house of Black.
Tonks’ most notable characteristic is that she is a metamorphmagus. Metamorphmagi are
born with their amazing ability to change their physical form at will, They possess
the power to change their entire physical appearance, but also the ability to hone in
on specific parts of their appearance- changing only those things. It was apparent that Nymphadora
was metamorphmagus from the day she was born, as she would constantly change her hair colour.
Tonks began at Hogwarts in the year 1984, and was promptly sorted in to Hufflepuff house.
This was interesting as most students who had ties to the house of black were sorted
in to Slytherin house. As Tonks was the daughter of Andromeda, who had been ostracized for
fraternizing with a muggle-born, she was rejected by members of the black family.
In an interesting turn of events, Tonks was eventually murdered by her maternal aunt,
Bellatrix Lestrange.
While at school, Tonks showed considerable magical ability, and even taught herself the
complicated patronus charm in her fourth year. She also achieved high enough grades to later
pursue a career as an auror, which is no easy feat.
Tonks would also later join the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Dumbledore
that fought Voldemort and the Death eaters. Over the years she showcased exceptional capabilities
in a multitude of magical disciplines, including defence against the dark arts, charms, transfiguration,
flying, potions & more.
3. Pomona Sprout
Pomona Sprout was a british pure-blood witch and head of Hufflepuff house. She presided
as head of the house for many years, and exemplified the traits of Hufflepuff house -compasson,
tolerance, and fairness. This is perfectly encapsulated in the following quote from Sprout:
“I am sure Dumbledore would have wanted the school to remain open,’ said Professor
Sprout. ‘I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open
for that pupil.”
Though Sprout is relatively unassuming as a powerful witch, she should certainly not
be underestimated. Sprout was an expert at herbology, and taught herbology during the
day, but was also extremely versed in many other magical disciplines. Her skill at producing
charms and love of herbology enabled her to produce all sorts of herbology related charms,
such as the fire-making charm, and severing charm. Sprout could also notably produce a
non-corporeal patronus, an extremely difficult piece of magic that generally signifies a
talented witch or wizard. Sprout also showcased her advanced duelling
capabilities on numerous occasions, fighting off death eaters in the battle of hogwarts,
and even helping McGonagall and Flitwick to chase Snape out of Hogwarts.
2. Newt Scamander
We first get to meet Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts films, though there is an
easter egg in the original films that points to his existence. Newt is of course a famed
magizoologist and the AUTHOR of Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them- a book outlining
the study of magical creatures. It is the most comprehensive book on magical creatures
in existence, and shortly after its release became a Hogwarts staple:
"Newt's masterpiece had been an approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
ever since its publication and must take a substantial amount of credit for our students'
consistently high results in Care of Magical Creatures examinations”
Newt of course amassed his level of knowledge by traveling across the world:
"I have visited lairs, burrows and nests across five continents, observed the curious habits
of magical beasts in a hundred countries, witnessed their powers, gained their trust
and, on occasion, beaten them off with my travelling kettle."
Newt began attending Hogwarts in the year 1908, and was sorted in to Hufflepuff on the
1st of September. However, his time at the school was..relatively short lived, as he
was expelled in 1913. In the year that Newt was expelled, his love-interest Leta Lestrange
had been experimenting with a Jarvey, a magical beast resembling an overgrown ferret. Her
experiment put the lives of other students in jeopardy, and Newt ended up taking the
blame for Leta’s actions, securing an expulsion for himself. Newt’s professor at the time,
Albus Dumbledore, argued on his behalf, but ultimately did not hold enough power to keep
Newt at the school.
Despite never completing his formal education, Newt would go on to achieve some incredible
things, and was partly responsible for the eventual downfall of Gellert Grindelwald.
In addition to his knowledge in the care of magical creatures, which is a bit of a given,
Newt also exhibited extreme talent in other areas of magic. Though he was not necessarily
highly praised for his abilities, or outwardly confident, while at school Newt became the
favourite student of professor Albus Dumbledore, who was continually impressed with Newt and
his magical capabilities. This is nothing to scoff at coming from Albus Dumbledore,
who is arguably the most powerful wizard to have ever lived.
Newt was able to successfully survive at least two encounters with Gellert Grindelwald- even
once holding him at bay, for a time, by himself. Grindelwald was one of the most POWERFUL dark
wizards of all time, so this is a true testament to the capabilities of Newt. Newts skills
were even begrudgingly noticed by Torquil Travers, Rudolph Spielman and Arnold Guzman
- and Newt was offered the position of Auror. This is a massive statement and a true testament
to Newt’s capabilities, given that he didn’t even have a complete education.
I should add that I think that Newt and his brother Theseus are perhaps equally deserving
of this spot, as Theseus was impressive in his own right. Theseus was exceptionally talented
and was both head of the auror office and a war hero.
1. Helga Hufflepuff
We don’t actually have a lot of information on Helga, but what we do know is that the
founders of Hogwarts, all 4 of them, were immensely powerful. The Hogwarts founders
are widely thought to have possessed power that was entirely uncomparable to most modern
day witches and wizards.
Unlike the other founders, Hufflepuff didn’t have much of an elitist mentality, and just
wanted students to be educated, regardless of where they were sorted. She wasn’t competitive.
"I'll teach the lot and treat them just the same."
She was a round, plump woman with brown and blue eyes. She would often sport a smile,
and frequently donned a brown or yellow dress.
While we don’t know much about Helga and her feats of magical ability, we do know that
she was exceptionally gifted at charms. Not only did she help the other four founders
in enchanting the sorting hat, she was also particularly versed at food-related charms,
and was known to possess the ability to produce a non-corporeal patronus.
Even though there is a lack of information out there on Helga, it’s hard to not give
her this spot, given that the 4 founders are widely speculated to have possessed power
‘uncomparable to most modern day witches and wizards’.
And that’s it for this video! I think that there is some room for rearranging some names
here, but I did my best. What do you guys think? Who are YOUR top 5? Let me know down
in the comment section below.
Until next time
YER A WIZARD ARRY