“Harry Potter” and “Divergent”: Divergent

Now that all of the factions have been squared away (see: Dauntless, Candor, Erudite, Amity, and Abnegation), it is time we visit the topic of Divergence and which Potter characters fit more than one faction. A day prior to the Choosing Ceremony, all 16-year-olds go through a simulation test to determine which faction they most identify with as a way to guide their decision. For the Divergent, this is never an easy task since they see two or three factions that fit them best. When Beatrice Prior went through the simulation, she discovered she aligned with Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation, thus making the decision process even tougher on her.

Divergents are incapable of only one way of thinking, which makes it difficult for them to excel in their chosen faction and initiation ceremony. For those who do not succeed, they become members of the Factionless. Similar to Potter, the Sorting Hat has a tendency to question where a young witch or wizard may best belong and takes a long time to make a decision, which is considered a Hatstall. The difference is that the Sorting Hat can tap into a person’s capabilities and foresee their future worth as compared to a 16-year-old teenager, who may be struggling with their identity.

There is no manifesto for the Divergents since those who identify as such remain to themselves, living their lives out in another faction or homeless, attempting to conceal their talents. There are several characters in Potter who we believe fit more than one faction and would fit the Divergent lifestyle. They could use their untapped abilities for good or bad, and we see these characters being strong leaders by using all of their skills. We present to you, the Divergent.

1. Remus Lupin
During his Aptitude test, we imagine that Lupin would have qualified for Abnegation, Erudite, and Amity. Throughout the series, Lupin consistently puts others before himself. When Harry is caught by Snape with the Marauder’s Map, Lupin swoops in and defends him. However, he also has his selfish moments. Shortly after Tonks became pregnant, Lupin attempted to leave her to join the young trio in their quest to find Horcruxes. He is a very intelligent character as well, being incredibly well versed in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The reason we believe he would not have been entirely Erudite is his value system. While he is a wise character, he is more interested in helping others than developing his own mind, an Abnegation trait. He was a professor for one year, but his reason for becoming a professor likely stems more from his desire to prepare young witches and wizards from real dangers they may face, rather than prepare them to take their OWLs. Lupin is also a very gentle character and particularly kind to his students. A stark contrast from Professor Snape, Lupin is understanding of his students’ fears and strives to help them overcome their fears with laughter. He is a warrior, though, and would never remain neutral in a time of turmoil. Clearly, a 16-year-old Lupin would have a lot of thinking to do before the Choosing Ceremony. Add in the fact that he struggles with his being a werewolf, and you have a full-blown  identity crisis on your hands. Lupin may attempt to choose one of these factions. Our bet would be Abnegation, but we do not think he would feel at home, and it would only be so long before his Divergence would show.

2. Luna Lovegood
As we discussed in our Candor post, Luna is an uncomfortably honest character. She is very comfortable in her own skin and has a knack for speaking uncomfortable truths. Luna is not afraid to share her beliefs with those around her, even though no one shares them with her. Most people consider her strange, and she recognizes that, often making comments to her friends about how people perceive them based on their relationship with her. It is worth discussing, however, that Luna could have very easily qualified for another faction in the Divergent system: Amity. Luna is a kind character that treats everyone equally. She doesn’t judge or speak ill of others but accepts everyone for who they are. She is gentle with misunderstood creatures like Thestrals and calls Dobby “Sir,” which makes his day. While undeniably honest, it is also worth noting that Luna is undeniably kind. We believe that she would have qualified for both Amity and Candor in her Aptitude test but would have chosen Candor as her home.

3. Harry Potter
There is much to be said about Harry’s bravery and recklessness. He is never afraid to put himself in harm’s way or back down from a confrontation. He participated in the Triwizard Tournament against competitors three years his senior, he fought a basilisk, he faced Dementors, and let’s not forget his many encounters with the Dark Lord. But Harry is also a selfless character. Almost every single time our hero faced danger, it was because he was putting himself directly between evil and those he loved. Harry never fought for fame or glory; he fought to defend his friends, family, and even strangers. He even temporarily set aside his Horcrux mission in order to pay the utmost respect to Dobby and give him a proper funeral. Harry also gave his gold winnings from the Triwizard Tournament to Fred and George Weasley so they could start their joke shop. It wasn’t a loan, and he kept none for himself; he simply gave them mounds of gold. Harry saved Dudley from a pair of Dementors, even though Dudley picked on him his entire life. It is also worth considering Harry’s kindness, a trait that is often overshadowed by his bravery, selflessness, and sarcasm.  Harry spared the life of Peter Pettigrew, even after discovering that the man was responsible for the death of his parents. Dumbledore even tells Harry that he is unfailingly kind, a trait people never fail to undervalue. So while a brave young Harry would have readily chosen to pursue the excitement of Dauntless, his Aptitude test would have shown that he could have easily fit in with Abnegation and Amity as well.

4. Ron Weasley
Ron is a very blunt character. It is exceedingly rare that he holds his tongue when he has something to say, and he is not afraid of the consequences. In Sorcerer’s Stone, he makes fun of Hermione, who was in earshot, and never apologizes for what he said. He has no filter and is brutally honest with those around him, defining Candor traits. He is also a reckless character. Ron is brave when he has to be and gladly follows Harry into adventure after adventure, even following the spiders into the Black Forest in Chamber of Secrets. He is always by Harry’s side in the face of danger and never backs down from a fight, even when his wand isn’t working properly, and he ends up eating slugs. He is quick-tempered and slow to forgive, only turning back to save Malfoy and his gang in the Room of Requirement because Harry does. Ron can be selfless. After departing from the Horcrux mission, Ron faces the Snatchers on his quest to return to his friends whom he abandoned. While this was not the first time Ron disappeared on his friends, it was his last, and he always returned to them. Ron would have had a difficult time on Choosing Day, but we think he would have chosen Dauntless because it would have seemed cooler to him than Candor or Abnegation.

5. Hermione Granger
Hermione was almost considered a Hatstall in the Potter series, so it would make perfect sense that she would also be considered Divergent. She is far and wide considered the brightest witch of her age and is constantly studying. She lives and breathes for knowledge and strives to use her mind to better the society in which she lives. Therefore, it is easy to quickly place her into Erudite. Yet we know that there is so much more to Hermione than her wit. She displays Amity-level kindness, shown through her dedication to SPEW, working to free and improve the lives of house-elves. While Amity would never be home for Hermione, there is another faction that may come in as a close second to Erudite. While it may not seem blatantly obvious at first, Hermione would also excel in Dauntless. The only dangerous adventure she missed out on with Harry and Ron was the original descent into the Chamber of Secrets and only because she was petrified. While she may not be the most reckless member of the trio, she is no less brave than any character throughout the series. Not only does she abandon her schoolwork to help Harry find and destroy Horcruxes in their seventh year, but she also erases her own parents’ memories of her and sends them to Australia to protect them before the Second Wizarding War. This is arguably her bravest, kindest, and most selfless (Abnegation, anyone?) moment throughout the series. While she would have easily chosen the path of Erudite for herself as a 16-year-old, Hermione would grow into a very well-rounded individual with many virtues that also identify with Amity and Dauntless.

The Harry Potter and Divergent series are two incredibly different universes. While it can be argued that everyone in Potter is a Divergent, we had a lot of fun putting together this comparison series. Who else do you think would be considered Divergent? We’d love to hear from you!

Stay tuned for a special final installment of this series coming August 4!