Hufflepuff, the Best House of Them All
by Allison Klein (AKA Sailor Rallison)
Abstract: A defense of Hufflepuff, showing that its members are not as average or inferior as many might think.
I have never heard one of my friends say that they would want to be in Hufflepuff. They all say that they want to be in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or sometimes even Slytherin. But never Hufflepuff. I alone in my group of friends am a Hufflepuff. We Hufflepuffs are looked down upon, ignored, and made fun of by other so-called Harry Potter fans that have only seen the movies. They all want to be in the brave house, wearing red and gold alongside the “Golden Trio” (Harry, Ron, and Hermione). But what about the black and yellow badgers of Hufflepuff?
“What the [heck]is a Hufflepuff?!”
In the fan-made musical, A Very Potter Musical, Dumbledore has the question “What the [heck]is a Hufflepuff?!” Of course, Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff extraordinaire, stands up and comes up with the answer, “Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders!” But that leads me to the question: what really is a Hufflepuff? We all know that Gryffindors are brave. Slytherins are pure-blooded and evil. Ravenclaws are smart. Hufflepuffs are… finders? Loyal? Other house rejects? Does anybody really know?
All the houses are mainly known for one attribute that many of the house members have. In the beginning, all the house founders hand-selected the students that they wanted. Gryffindor only chose those he thought would become great, brave, chivalrous wizards. Slytherin took all those of only wizarding blood, thinking they were superior to muggle-borns and half-bloods. Ravenclaw taught the ones she believed to be the smartest, and most logical. Helga Hufflepuff, kind and caring, took in the rest, thus making a mismatched assortment of all kinds of talents.
We have the real Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory, and an Auror, who also happens to be a metamorphmagus: Nymphadora Tonks (call her Nymphadora and die, her name’s Tonks!); three Ministers of Magic have come from this house, and also the founder of Hogsmeade. Not to mention several other awesome Hufflepuffs. And what about Ernie Macmillan, the Hufflepuff who saved Harry’s life in Deathly Hallows? They completely left that out of the movie. Not to mention it was Ernie who asked about all the students who wanted to stay and fight during the Second Wizarding War. I once asked one of my friends what she thought of Ernie and other Hufflepuffs, and she just looked at me and asked “Who the heck is Ernie?”
It’s a shame that they cut Ernie out of DH Part 2, I really wanted to see Hufflepuff get more recognition in the final movies. The movies cut out so many scenes with Hufflepuffs, sometimes cutting them completely out of the entire movie like they did with Cedric in Prisoner of Azkaban. And you never really get to see much of Tonks, either. Why do they think the Hufflepuffs are unimportant? They show more of the Ravenclaws than my favorite house. They even went and changed our house colors! They’re black and yellow, not blue and yellow! This proves that the movies hate Hufflepuffs; they don’t even bother to get our house colors right.
People disrespect this amazing house all the time. I was waiting in line for the Deathly Hallows Part 1 midnight premiere, and a girl dressed as Rita Skeeter was going around asking people what house they were in. I, dressed as Luna Lovegood at the time, replied “the house of Rowena Ravenclaw: ‘Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.’” The two people behind me, just to make fun of Hufflepuffs, told her that they were in Hufflepuff, and they were joking about how stupid Hufflepuffs are! How rude is that?! Hufflepuffs are not stupid, we’re awesome!
Hufflepuff is a great house. We’re loyal and true according to the Sorting Hat: “You might belong in Hufflepuff/ Where they are just and loyal/ Those patient Hufflepuffs are true/ And unafraid of toil.” (Sorting Hat song of 1991: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
We’re also hard workers. “For Hufflepuff, hard workers were/ Most worthy of admission.” (Sorting Hat song of 1994: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
And Hufflepuffs are kind; we take in anyone who is rejected by the other Houses. While the other founders only took in those they wanted, good, old Helga Hufflepuff took everybody under her wing. “Said Hufflepuff, ‘I’ll teach the lot/ And treat them just the same.’/ Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest/ and taught them all she knew/ Thus, the houses and their founders/ Maintained friendships firm and true.” (Sorting Hat song of 1995: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Hufflepuff is an amazing house that deserves more. People are always making fun of it, yet they never stop to think about all the great people who came from this house. No dark wizards, just good ones. Have you ever thought about that? All the other houses have had dark wizards; even Gryffindor, the house of good people, had a few rotten people, like Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew), who betrayed his best friend to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Even Ravenclaw had Quirinus Quirrell. Has anyone ever tried to count all the evil people from Slytherin? I don’t think it’s possible. But have any of you heard of a dark wizard from Hufflepuff? No. That’s because there are none. Just another reason to be in this amazing house.
Hufflepuffs are great finders. We’re hardworking, loyal, and true. We have three Ministers of Magic, and don’t forget an Auror, and the real Hogwarts Champion. Several members of Dumbledore’s Army were from this house. We are the greatest house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
So, whether you’re smart, or not so smart, a great Quidditch player, or would rather keep your feet on the ground, we don’t care. If someone excels or fails at Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Potions, or Muggle Studies, it doesn’t matter; this is a house where everyone belongs.
The best house of them all: we are kind, caring, loyal, and true. Not rude and mean, because we accept everyone. Hufflepuffs will stay true friends until the very end.