Gryffindor from a Slytherin’s Perspective
Happy Gryffindor Pride Day! It’s time to put on your red and gold and show your House pride. Let out your best lion roar and throw one of those famous Gryffindor common room parties. I’m a Slytherin, and I’m here to talk to you about what makes Gryffindor such a great House. You might be thinking, “Why is a Slytherin talking about Gryffindor?” Well, Slytherins have a unique perspective on this particular House because we are often seen as rivals. So let’s get started.
Gryffindors make fantastic friends. In the books, we see so many examples of great friendships: Dean and Seamus, Lavender and Parvati, and of course Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Joking around and having fun plays a huge role in Gryffindor friendships. You’ll never be bored with someone from this House. They also tend to make enemies with people from other Houses and even inside their own House. Gryffindors are very quick to anger; they tend to say whatever they are thinking in the heat of the moment. This can be a problem when it happens to people in other Houses, like Slytherin, because Slytherins tend to hold grudges. We hold on to anger for a long time and carefully plot our revenge, while Gryffindors forgive easily. Look at Ron and Harry in Goblet of Fire; they didn’t talk for half of the book, and then after Ron apologized they were best friends again. This would never happen in Slytherin. Gryffindors are best at dealing with other Gryffindors because of their personalities. They do make friends from other Houses, but their best relationships are with fellow Gryffindors.
“Brave” and “courageous” are two words that perfectly describe the ideal Gryffindor. They are willing to fight for what they believe is right no matter what it takes. When a fight erupts, the Gryffindors are the first people to step forward to help. Fear is not something that they allow to inhibit them. Just look at Neville Longbottom in Sorcerer’s Stone. He was willing to stand up to his friends even though he was afraid to because he believed that what he was doing was right. Slytherins will also fight for what we believe in, but only if we get something out of it. We calculate the risks beforehand and make sure that they’re worth it before we step into a fight. That’s why there are many Slytherins who describe Gryffindors as reckless and foolhardy because they are so quick to fight. It’s not a bad thing, though. The world needs people who engage in heroics, people who are willing to do whatever is needed of them without thought of personal safety or personal gain. If I ever got into a situation where I needed backup, the first person I’d call would be a Gryffindor.
Gryffindor is easily the most respected House in the wizarding and Muggle worlds. They tend to be the protectors, and there are many Gryffindor Aurors. If you ask Muggles about the Hogwarts Houses, they normally have some idea what Gryffindor is, even if they don’t know anything about the other Houses. Most of the Harry Potter merchandise is made for Gryffindors. They’re the most popular House, and this popularity often leads to children asking to be Sorted into Gryffindor, even though they might be better suited to another house. It’s great that Gryffindor is a greatly respected House, but it also leads to some problems. The House welcome letter on Pottermore features Percy Weasley telling young Gryffindors that they have been Sorted into “the best House at Hogwarts.” Gryffindors know that their House is highly respected, which leads them to believe that they are in the best House. This is simply not true. There is no best House at Hogwarts because they are all amazing. This is why Gryffindors are often thought of as arrogant because they tend to believe that they are better than other people based on their House’s reputation.
All of the Houses have good and bad traits. Gryffindors aren’t perfect, and neither are Slytherins. We all have flaws. It’s important to remember that each House is important and amazing. So Happy Gryffindor Pride Day! Go out there and show your House pride, but remember that your House is just as great as all of the others.
