Wonderful question, indeed!

What does being a Gryffindor mean to you? Just being in any house is an honor. But I believe being a Gryffindor means you have a sense of leadership overall, which is a good thing. I'm proud of being a Gryffindor, as should you of your house! :] Being a Gryffindor means fighting for what you believe in; giving your all.

What traits do you think are essential for a member of your house to have? It's the same as above! Well... I also believe being a Gryffindor means showing heart and compassion, as well as the obvious courageousness and somewhat rashness. They seem to act in the spur of the moment. They are smart, no doubt, but seem to not look before they leap. At least, that's how I am. Boldness is a must ...

I'd continue on with my meaningless rambles of incoherence, but I'm dead tired. G'night, and great question! Hope to hear others speak out as well! :]


tori &hearts gryffindor

Sometimes I think that it's not so much that we don't look before we leap as it is we see what we might fall into and decide it's worth the risk.

Like: I'm going to try to jump this canyon. And if I don't make it, I might fall to my death--but if I DO! Well, just imagine!

Because I definitely look before I leap. It's just that even seeing all the possibly bad stuff isn't enough to stop me. :)

Destiny//Gryff Prefect

Ah, right. :] Better stated. xD


tori &hearts gryffindor

Very interesting question.

Ok, so what does it mean to be in Gryffindor to me? It means having courage, but sometimes not knowing it. I mean, half the things I have done I never thought that I had the courage to do, and it just sort of happens. I mean, you talk about bravery but if you think you are, you really might not be. Anyway, so there is that. It also means that people in there respect other people. They don't try to make fun of them out right, they try tp respect them. The whole chiverary(didn't spell that right) aspect.

What triats do I think? Well, bravery, obviously along with the chiverary. But also it seems that Gryffindors also have a creative side. They have to be creative with the bravery. Also kind of impulsive.

Well, I think that was rambling and I also like to say that I was glad I was sorted at all.

~Jenny, Gryffindor

It's tough because like I said over in karinablack's thread, there are hundreds of other sorting songs we haven't heard, so potentially thousands of other canon characteristics for each house, stories of the founders etc.

For Ravenclaw, when I'm sorting, I tend to look for someone who values intelligence and learning a great deal, not just posesses them as traits, and who sees the importance of education. I also look for someone with a quirky sense of humour who is analytical, observant, objective. Someone who is excited about the world and interested in lots of different things. Curiosity. Someone who favours logic over emotion, slightly.
I don't just vote 'Ravenclaw' if someone has a well-written application or is obviously very clever. They've got to have a fair few of the other traits as well. Everyone has most of the traits that I've outlined to some degree, I think, but it's how much and under what circumstances that make me pick 'Claw' over any other house.

I love the 'Claw-ish aspects of the other houses. For example, in Hufflepuff we have a lot of fairness and equality, which can either be the cause or the symptom of objective-thinking, being unbiased and analysing things properly.

A good example would be racism and how illogical it is to see people of different nationalities and ethnic groups as 'different' when all humans share the same DNA. That would be the 'Claw-ish rational, and is one of the arguments I use against racists.
The Hufflepuff could just as easily use that argument, but they may start off with the opinion that racism is cruel and unjust, and go on to form the argument to back it up, whereas the 'Claw may start off with the argument and go on the form the opinion.
Does any of that make sense?!

The hard part is working out what came first and obviously racism is a tricky example. And I actually think that I started off with the opinion and formed the argument afterwards, but I'm a 'Claw, so that shows... what? That I'm talking out of my bee-hive?!

I went off on a huge tangent then! Don't know where all that came from. Anyway!

~ Anna, Ravenclaw

What does Gryffindor mean to me? It means that I have courage, that I'm impulsive, and that I care about people. It's a honour to be sorted thaere (or anywhere, really), and I think I have some of the traits. I'd consider myself a lot like Hermione - I read a lot, and I like to learn, but I wouldn't say Ravenclaw is my dominant house.

As for what traits are essential, obviously bravery is the big one. You have to have courage of some kind - it doesn't even have to be going and taking down the school bully or whatever. Just as long as possess courage in some form. I think they're definitely creative, and some are interested in the arts, and of course, they're just fun loving people.

Carrie - Gryffindor

When I look for people for my own house, I look for sense of adventure and a sense of humor. I look for someone who is not afraid to fight for what they believe in.

For me, being in Gryffindor means being in a house where you go out to fight your daily battles, and then return in the evening to a party. It means having a strong sense of community. Recently, I was thinking about the parallels between the values of Gryffindor and the values of Angl-Saxon hero culture. It struck me that there was a lot of overlap. I think that Gryffindors have a strong sense of loyalty to their friends; they value strength in the face of adversity; they'd rather go down fighting than never try at all; they have a strong sense of community.

I might come back to add more later.

Destiny//Gryffindor Prefect

*smooch keristars* I'm glad to have amused you :)
We won't be graded or judged on these, I hope? This isn't organized... just "off the cuff..."

What Ravenclaw means to me:

When I first started reading the HP series when it first came out a LONG time ago, I didn't identifiy much with the main character. He was a sweet kid and all... but meh. The ones who stood out most to me were the Ravenclaw kids. Even though not much was written for or about them at first, comparatively speaking of course, I felt a pull towards the mystery that was this particular house.

Though friendly enough, I've always been "nerdy." I like to study things for the simple pleasure of studying them. I don't necessarily find much application for that knowledge which I have amassed, but I have a great time watching Jeopardy! :)

Finally, I thought, a place where surely I would belong and fit in, if I were ever to have been sorted in such a universe during my school days, that is... I imagined weekends of discussion on hypotheticals, and observations, and thongs of fellow students who would write dissertations and research papers just for the pleasure of doing the research, compiling the data, and finishing the project. Not necessarily even to show off, just to have done it. A place where this wouldn't be "freakish," "dorky," or paint a BIG RED TARGET on my forehead and mark me for teasing, swirlies, and afterschool beatings by classmates who didn't appreciate my suggestions for quiz or essay questions. :)

What Ravenclaw means to me, to be succinct, is what each of the houses mean to each of us. It is a place to comfortably be that which I am among fellows.

It is a place to call "home," and friends to call "family."

It is a place to call "home," and friends to call "family."

That's kind of beautiful :)


~ Anna, Ravenclaw

I think that in order to be an Honourary Gryffindor of the Dread Pirate Ship of Gryffindor, one must possess a large amount of pride, a dosage of fierceness, a couple drops of bravery, and a whole lotta WIERDNESS.

I believe one must embrace the insanity that is Gryffindor, and let it grow on one, and one must know that nothing is impossible nor too outrageous when you are in Gryffindor.

I love using Gryffindor as an identity, it can show a lot about a person. AND I CANNOT BE PROUDER!

I love you my little Gryffindors! < 3333

Alex//Gryff

Ravenclaw = obsessive compulsive.

In the best ways, of course! ;)

Okay, but seriously. Ravenclaw, to me, represents an uninhibited curiousity and desire to explore. Not explore in the "let's go out camping in the woods" variety, necessarily, but explore as in exploring new ideas and new topics; being open to different experiences for the sake of experiencing them and gaining another perspective.

As applicable in my real life, Ravenclaw is late night conversations from "The Book of If", browsing the Wikipedia for fun and erasing misplaced apostrophes from people's markerboards. And I adore it.